Undercurrents and Body Tempering Powder

"Did you hear? That kid Li Xuan killed an Ironhide Pig with a spear in the Trial Forest yesterday!"

"Bullshit, Senior Brother Zhou killed it. He just picked up the scraps."

"Picked up scraps? You try picking up scraps! That Ironhide Pig's hide is so tough even a knife can't cut it!"

In the courtyard of the woodshed that morning, the sound of discussion drowned out the chopping of wood.

When Li Xuan walked into the courtyard, over a dozen pairs of eyes fell on him. There was envy, jealousy, but mostly scrutiny—how could this newcomer, who was sickly just half a month ago, achieve this?

Liu San squatted under the eaves, sharpening his axe, his eyes fixed on Li Xuan.

"Brother Liu," the Skinny Guy beside him whispered, "this kid is getting too much attention. If we don't rein him in, we..."

"Do I need you to tell me?" Liu San slammed his axe onto the ground.

"Clang!"

The courtyard instantly fell silent.

Li Xuan acted as if he hadn't heard. He walked to his pile of firewood and picked up the Mountain Breaker Axe.

"Li Xuan," Liu San stood up, forcing a smile onto his face. "Congratulations. I heard you accomplished something great yesterday?"

Li Xuan turned his head. "Brother Liu is joking. It was Senior Brother Zhou's accomplishment."

"Is that so?" Liu San walked over and patted his shoulder. "That's still very impressive. But brother, there's something I need to remind you of—the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. In the martial arts school, being too conspicuous... can lead to trouble."

His voice wasn't quiet, and everyone in the courtyard heard him.

That naked threat was also well understood by all.

Li Xuan put down the axe and looked directly at Liu San. "What do you mean, Brother Liu?"

"Nothing much," Liu San grinned. "Just reminding you that you need to understand the rules. What's yours is yours. What isn't yours... trying to force it will lead to trouble."

The two stared at each other.

The air grew tense.

Zhang He frantically gestured to Li Xuan from the side, but Li Xuan acted as if he didn't see him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Liu," Li Xuan nodded. "But I also have something to say—what's mine, no one can take away. What isn't mine, I don't want even if it's given to me."

Liu San's expression darkened.

But before he could speak, the voice of the old handyman came from the courtyard entrance: "Li Xuan, Steward Zhao wants you at the Logistics Hall."

In the Logistics Hall, Steward Zhao pushed ten wooden Contribution Point tokens forward.

"Five were requested by Zhou Peng, and five are an additional reward from the martial arts school," Steward Zhao paused. "However, Li Xuan, I must remind you that Zhou Peng is petty. You embarrassed him today, and he won't let it go."

Li Xuan took the tokens. "This disciple understands."

"Good that you understand," Steward Zhao looked at him meaningfully. "Go on, you can collect your Body Tempering Powder this afternoon. This month... you have two portions."

Two portions.

A regular handyman only got one portion per month.

Li Xuan walked out of the Logistics Hall, his hand clutching the tokens tightly.

The tall tree catches the wind.

But he had no choice.

A long line had formed outside the medicine hall.

When it was Li Xuan's turn, the fat handyman distributing the medicine squinted. "Li Xuan?"

"Yes."

The fat man took out two paper packets from under the counter. As he pushed them over, his finger lightly tapped one of them three times.

Li Xuan took them and subtly felt them.

The two paper packets felt different. One was smooth and uniform, the other rough and granular.

He looked up at the fat man.

The fat man gave him a look and silently mouthed, "Be careful."

Careful of what?

Li Xuan didn't ask and left with the medicine.

As soon as he walked out of the medicine hall, he bumped into someone at the corner.

"Ouch!" The other person staggered back two steps, dropping the paper packet in his hand. Powder spilled all over the ground.

It was Zhang He.

"Li Xuan? You don't watch where you're going..." Zhang He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the powder on the ground, his face changing drastically. "My Body Tempering Powder!"

He crouched down, trying to salvage it, but the powder had already mixed with the dirt, completely ruined.

"It's over... it's all over..." Zhang He slumped to the ground, his eyes red. "This was my only one for this month..."

Li Xuan frowned and took out the rough-feeling paper packet from his embrace. "Take this one."

Zhang He looked up abruptly. "This... how can this be? Don't you have two portions? Give me one, and you..."

"Take it," Li Xuan stuffed it into his hand. "Consider it compensation for you."

"But..."

"Stop the nonsense." Li Xuan turned and left.

Zhang He looked at the paper packet in his hand, then at Li Xuan's retreating back. His lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing.

Evening, the woodshed.

Li Xuan sat cross-legged on the communal sleeping platform and opened the remaining portion of Body Tempering Powder.

It was a brown powder, fine and uniform, with a pure medicinal aroma.

Just as he was about to take it, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Liu San pushed the door open, followed by the Skinny Guy and another Burly Man.

"Li Xuan, haven't taken it yet?" Liu San walked over with a smile, his eyes fixed on the paper packet in Li Xuan's hand.

"I was just about to," Li Xuan replied.

"Let me see." Liu San reached out to take it. "Those bastards in the Pill Room often pass off inferior goods as quality ones. Let me help you check."

Li Xuan pulled his hand back, tucking the packet into his chest. "No need. Steward Zhao personally handed it over, so it should be fine."

Liu San's hand froze in mid-air, his expression turning somewhat unpleasant. "What, you don't trust me?"

"It's not about trust," Li Xuan looked at him. "It's unnecessary."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

The Skinny Guy chimed in, "Li Xuan, Brother Liu is just trying to be helpful. Last month, some handyman got fake medicine, got diarrhea, and was bedridden for three days."

"Is that so?" Li Xuan stood up and walked up to Liu San. "Then Brother Liu, tell me, what kind of medicine is fake?"

Liu San felt a prickle of unease under Li Xuan's gaze and forced a smile. "Fake medicine... is pale in color, has a rough texture, and smells like lime."

"I see." Li Xuan nodded, then suddenly pulled another paper packet from his chest – the one with the rough texture. "Then, Brother Liu, take a look. Is this one fake?"

The packet was opened, revealing a grayish-white powder, rough in texture, with a pungent smell of lime.

Liu San's expression changed.

This medicine... how was it in Li Xuan's hands?

He had clearly told Fatty to give this fake medicine to Li Xuan and swap the real portion with a laxative. But now...

"Brother Liu, you recognize this medicine?" Li Xuan asked.

"N-no." Liu San shook his head. "But this is definitely fake medicine, you can't take it."

"Of course, I won't take it." Li Xuan re-wrapped the packet. "But I'm curious, where did this fake medicine come from? The Pill Room only distributes real medicine, so this fake medicine... must have been swapped privately by someone."

He stared at Liu San. "Brother Liu, if someone were to tamper with medicine, according to the rules of the martial arts school, what would be the punishment?"

Liu San's forehead beaded with sweat. "I... How would I know."

"Expulsion from the martial arts school and crippling of martial arts." Li Xuan said each word deliberately. "Steward Zhao told me that himself today."

Silence fell upon the room.

The other handymen looked over.

Liu San gritted his teeth. "Li Xuan, what do you mean? Are you suspecting me of tampering with your medicine?"

"I didn't say I suspect you." Li Xuan smiled. "I'm just curious. Since Brother Liu can recognize fake medicine at a glance, you must know a lot about pills. Can you tell me... besides color and texture, what other differences are there between real and fake medicine?"

"I... How would I know!" Liu San took a step back.

"You don't know?" Li Xuan pressed on. "Then didn't Brother Liu just say that fake medicine smells like lime? How did you know it was lime? Did you taste it?"

"I..." Liu San was speechless.

Li Xuan stopped pressing and turned to the other handymen. "Everyone, when the medicine was distributed today, did anyone receive medicine that seemed off?"

No one spoke.

But a few handymen's eyes flickered.

Li Xuan took out ten Contribution Points wooden tokens from his chest and placed them on the table. "Whoever tells me the truth gets these ten Contribution Points."

Under the lure of a generous reward, someone finally spoke.

"I... the color of the medicine I received was a bit light," a young handyman said softly.

"Me too," another chimed in.

"Mine had a strange smell..."

Li Xuan turned to look at Liu San. "Brother Liu, did you hear that? I'm not the only one who received fake medicine. What do you think... is going on?"

Liu San's face turned ashen. "I... I don't know."

"You don't know?" Li Xuan sneered. "Then I'll go ask Steward Zhao and see if he knows."

With that, he picked up the packet of fake medicine and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Liu San suddenly blocked him. "Li Xuan, we can talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about." Li Xuan pushed him away. "The martial arts school's rules are rules. Swapping elixirs and reselling them privately is a capital offense."

"You..." Liu San's eyes turned red. "Li Xuan, don't force me!"

"Force you?" Li Xuan stopped and turned to look at him. "You're the one who forced me first."

The two stared at each other, the air thick with tension.

The Skinny Guy and the Burly Man surrounded them.

Seeing this, Zhang He quickly tried to mediate. "We're all brothers, let's not ruin our harmony. Brother Liu, why don't you apologize to Li Xuan, and we'll let this matter go..."

"Apologize?" Liu San spat. "I apologize to him? What right does he have!"

Li Xuan's eyes turned cold.

He stopped wasting words and walked directly towards the exit.

"Stop him!" Liu San roared.

The Skinny Guy and the Burly Man lunged at him from both sides.

Li Xuan didn't stop his steps. He clenched his right fist, twisted his waist—

Iron Fist Three Forms: Punch!

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled thuds.

The Skinny Guy and the Burly Man were sent flying backward, crashing into the wall, sliding to the ground, and unable to get up for a long time.

One punch each.

The entire place erupted in shock.

Liu San's pupils contracted.

He knew Li Xuan wasn't simple, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong. The Skinny Guy and the Burly Man were both old handymen. Although their aptitude was poor, they had the foundation of the first level of body tempering. To think they couldn't even take one punch.

"Still want to stop me?" Li Xuan asked.

Liu San gritted his teeth and drew a short stick from his back waist. "Li Xuan, you forced me into this!"

He charged forward, swinging the short stick horizontally, aiming straight for Li Xuan's temple.

This was a killing move.

Li Xuan's eyes turned cold.

He dodged sideways, grabbed Liu San's wrist with his left hand, and struck his chest with his right palm.

His palm root exerted force, and hidden energy penetrated his body.

Liu San grunted, flying backward, overturning two beds, and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Li Xuan walked over and stepped on his chest. "Tell me, who ordered you?"

"No... no one ordered me..." Liu San was stubborn.

"Is that so?" Li Xuan applied more pressure with his foot.

Crack.

The sound of a broken rib.

Liu San screamed.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" He was covered in cold sweat from the pain. "It... it was Zhou Peng! Senior Brother Zhou told me to cause trouble for you! He said... he said if anything happened to you, he'd give me fifty Contribution Points!"

Zhou Peng.

It was him, as expected.

Li Xuan removed his foot and looked at the other handymen. "Did you all hear that?"

The handymen looked at each other, none daring to speak.

"I heard," a voice came from the doorway.

The old handyman was standing there at some unknown time, holding an oil lamp. The lamplight illuminated his wrinkled face.

"Liu San colluded with an outer disciple to frame a fellow disciple and swap elixirs," the old handyman walked in. "According to the rules, he should be expelled from the martial arts school."

Liu San panicked. "No... you can't! I've been working at the martial arts school for five years. Even if I have no merit, I have hard work..."

"Merit?" The old handyman sneered. "When you were hoarding elixirs and reselling Contribution Points, why didn't you think about the rules?"

He looked at Li Xuan. "How do you want to handle this?"

Li Xuan was silent for a moment. "Handle it according to the rules."

"Good." The old handyman nodded. "Someone, drag Liu San to the Hall of Punishment. As for the rest of you—anyone who dares to speak of what happened tonight will be punished as an accomplice."

Two handymen stepped forward and dragged Liu San away.

Liu San struggled, staring at Li Xuan with venomous eyes. "Li Xuan! You just wait! Senior Brother Zhou won't let you go! You'll regret this!"

The sound faded into the distance.

The room fell silent.

The old handyman walked up to Li Xuan and said in a low voice, "I'll speak to Steward Zhao about Zhou Peng. But this feud is set. You should... be careful from now on."

"Disciple understands," Li Xuan nodded.

The old handyman sighed and turned to leave.

Li Xuan returned to his sleeping mat and took out the real medicine from his embrace, diluting it with water before drinking.

The medicinal power spread, a warm current surging through his body.

He closed his eyes and circulated his Cultivation Method.

One circle, two circles, three circles...

His muscles bulged, his bones creaked softly.

[Strength: 0.97 → 1.05]

[Stamina: 1.55 → 1.58]

His Strength had finally broken through 1.0, and his Constitution was approaching 1.6.

It's still not enough.

Far from enough.

Zhou Peng was at the Body Tempering third layer, with at least 1.5 Strength and above 1.3 Stamina, not to mention his years of martial arts training.

His chances of winning in a head-on confrontation were slim.

He had to get stronger faster.

Li Xuan opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

Tomorrow, he would go to the Trial Forest.

Hunt demonic beasts and gain potential.

He wanted to become strong, so strong that no one would dare to scheme against him.

This path could only lead forward, not backward.

Outside the window, the moonlight was cold.

Deep within the martial arts school, in a certain quiet room.

Zhou Peng listened to the Skinny Guy's report, his face grim.

"Trash," he spat out two words.

The Skinny Guy knelt on the ground, trembling, "Senior Brother Zhou, that Li Xuan... is too strong. Liu San couldn't even take one of his moves."

"Strong?" Zhou Peng sneered, "A handyman, how strong can he possibly be?"

"But..."

"No buts," Zhou Peng interrupted him. "Go tell the pill room that from today onwards, Li Xuan's cultivation resources... will all be halved."

"Yes... yes."

After the Skinny Guy retreated, Zhou Peng walked to the window and looked at the moonlight outside.

Li Xuan.

A mere handyman dared to make him lose face.

Very good.

He would let this handyman know that in the martial arts school, there were some people you could never afford to offend.

In the woodshed, Li Xuan sat cross-legged in the darkness.

In his embrace, the heart of the Ironhide Pig was emitting a faint warmth.

He took it out and took a bite.

It was fishy, tough, and hard to swallow.

But he forced himself to swallow it.

The meat entered his stomach, turning into a scorching hot current, ten times more potent than the Body Tempering Powder.

His vital energy and blood churned, and his Cultivation Method automatically circulated.

Li Xuan gritted his teeth, guiding the hot current to cleanse his limbs and bones.

It felt like fire was burning him.

But he didn't stop.

To become stronger, one had to pay the price.