Turmoil in the Handyman's Quarters (Part 1)

In the early morning, a thin layer of ice had formed on the stone steps behind the martial arts school.

Li Xuan carried two half-man-tall wooden buckets, walking steadily down the slippery stone steps.

The shoulder pole trembled slightly on his shoulders, but hardly any water spilled from the buckets.

This was the result of him increasing his potential to his physique last night.

When he broke through the 1.0 mark, the changes in his body were more noticeable than any previous stat increase.

The three-mile mountain path from the spring behind the mountain to the martial arts school's kitchen, which he used to take fifteen minutes to walk, now only took him seven and a half minutes.

And he wasn't tired.

Li Xuan adjusted his breathing, circulating the energy slowly within his body according to the vital energy and blood circulation route.

This was a trick he'd figured out while chopping wood and carrying water—treating the labor itself as a form of cultivation.

One trip, two trips, three trips.

By the time the sun reached the treetops, he had already carried six buckets of water, and all eight large water vats by the kitchen door were full.

"Kid, you're fast enough today."

The Fat Cook, holding a blade of grass in his mouth, leaned against the kitchen doorframe and sized him up. "Yesterday, I saw you panting three times per trip, but today you look like nothing happened. Did you sneak some good stuff?"

Li Xuan put down the shoulder pole and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I just slept more soundly."

"Is that so?" The Fat Cook squinted. "I heard you were listening intently yesterday during the lectures outside the Martial Lecture Hall?"

Li Xuan's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. "I was just joining the fun; I didn't understand anything."

"Didn't understand?" The Fat Cook snorted and pointed at Li Xuan's shoulder. "Then when you carry water, why is the way you use your waist and legs similar to Master Zhou's 'Iron Fist Charging Stance' demonstration?"

Li Xuan froze.

He had indeed tried to incorporate the cultivation method's circulation while carrying water, but he thought he had done it extremely subtly. He hadn't expected to be seen through by a cook.

Seeing his expression, the Fat Cook grinned. "Don't panic. I hung around the outer court for three years back in the day. Lost an arm later, so I came to the kitchen to make a living."

He patted his left arm, and a faint metallic clinking sound came from his sleeve. "Your way of exerting force is correct, but it's too deliberate. Your waist moves forward half a beat too early, and the energy hasn't caught up."

Li Xuan was silent for two breaths, then cupped his fists. "Please guide me, Master."

"Guide your ass." The Fat Cook turned and walked into the kitchen, his voice drifting out. "If you really want to learn, obediently pay twenty Contribution Points, and I'll teach you a couple of real moves. For now... go chop wood!"

Li Xuan stood there, watching the Fat Cook's retreating back disappear into the kitchen.

In a corner of the woodshed yard, firewood was piled into a small mountain.

Li Xuan gripped the axe handle, feeling the grain of the wood.

The old handyman had given him a new axe today. It was three catties heavier than the previous one and had a longer handle, requiring both hands to swing.

"This is the 'Mountain Breaker Axe.' The outer court disciples use it to train their Strength," the old handyman said, squatting under the eaves and smoking his pipe, the smoke obscuring his face.

"Steward Zhao specifically instructed you to use this to chop. Chop this pile by the end of the day, and you'll get five Contribution Points."

Li Xuan looked at the pile of firewood.

There were at least three hundred logs, each as thick as a thigh, and the wood was as hard as iron.

A normal handyman using an ordinary axe could chop at most fifty logs a day.

"Think it's too much?" the old handyman exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Not at all," Li Xuan shook his head and gripped the axe handle with both hands.

The martial arts school wouldn't give handymen benefits for no reason. If he wanted Contribution Points, he had to provide corresponding value.

Fine.

This was a good opportunity to test his limits after his physique broke through 1.0.

Li Xuan took a deep breath, circulating his vital energy and blood according to the route.

This time, he didn't control it deliberately but focused all his attention on the axe.

His waist and legs sank, his arms pulled back, and the axe was raised above his head—

Crack!

The log split in half with a crisp sound, the cut surface as smooth as if planed.

Li Xuan didn't stop.

The second axe, the third axe, the fourth axe...

By the twentieth swing, his arms began to ache. But he didn't slow down. Instead, he adjusted his breathing, synchronizing the rhythm of his vital energy and blood circulation perfectly with his chopping motion.

Raise the axe—inhale, vital energy and blood ascend.

Chop down—exhale, vital energy and blood descend.

With each cycle, the soreness in his muscles lessened.

The axe felt lighter in his hands, like an extension of his arm.

"Huh?"

Across the yard, several servants who were chopping wood stopped their actions.

They looked at Li Xuan with complicated expressions.

Too fast.

From morning until now, in less than an hour, Li Xuan had already chopped nearly fifty logs.

And he was using that notoriously difficult-to-use Mountain Breaker Axe.

"Brother Liu, look at that kid…"

A skinny guy with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks sidled up to Liu San, lowering his voice. "Isn't he a bit weird? Yesterday he was just like us, but today he's like a completely different person."

Liu San didn't speak.

He was in his thirties, with a scar on his face, and was the most senior among the servants.

He had been working at the martial arts school for five years, stuck in the servant position without any promotion.

It wasn't that he didn't work hard, but his aptitude was too poor.

He had practiced the body-tempering Cultivation Method for three years and still couldn't pass the first stage of the outer courtyard assessment.

He had resigned himself to fate, only wanting to be a leader among the servants to skim more off the top in the future.

But now Li Xuan had arrived.

In just half a month, he had gone from a sickly boy to this.

If he let Li Xuan continue like this, would Steward Zhao still have him in his eyes?

"Brother Liu?" the skinny guy asked again.

Liu San spat on the ground and picked up his axe. "Get back to work!"

But his eyes were fixed on Li Xuan.

At lunchtime, Li Xuan received two dark steamed buns, one more than usual.

This was a reward for completing extra work.

He carried his bowl and squatted under the old locust tree. Just as he took a bite, three people sat down next to him.

Liu San, the skinny guy, and a burly man with a large waist.

"Li Xuan, right?" Liu San grinned, revealing yellow teeth. "New here?"

Li Xuan nodded and continued eating his bun.

"Do you understand the rules?" the skinny guy interjected. "Newcomers have to hand over thirty percent of their Contribution Points to Brother Liu for the first three months. That's the rule in the wood chopping yard."

Li Xuan put down his bowl and looked at Liu San. "Does the martial arts school have this rule?"

"The martial arts school doesn't, but I do!" Liu San patted his chest. "I call the shots in this yard. Pay me, and I'll keep you safe. Don't pay…" He pointed to a corner of the yard. "See that pit? Last month, someone who didn't know any better fell in and broke his leg. He's still lying in bed."

Li Xuan followed his gaze.

There was indeed a pit, not large, but in a very tricky spot behind the woodpile, completely invisible at night.

"How much?" Li Xuan asked.

"You got five Contribution Points today, right?" Liu San held up three fingers. "Give me three. And you'll pay thirty percent every month from now on."

Li Xuan fell silent.

If he paid three today, tomorrow he might have to pay five.

More importantly, once he showed weakness, he would never be able to hold his head up in the yard again.

Li Xuan looked at Liu San, carefully observing him.

He was about five feet eight inches tall, half a head taller than Li Xuan.

His arms were thick, but there was a noticeable unevenness in his shoulders, likely caused by habitually using one side more.

His chest rose and fell unevenly when he breathed, suggesting a hidden ailment in his right lung.

His stance was loose, with his feet turned outward and his knees slightly bent, indicating joint deformation from years of heavy labor.

His Strength was probably around 0.8, Stamina 0.9, and Agility no more than 0.7.

As for himself, Strength 0.88, Stamina 1.01. Although his Agility was only 0.57, he had the advantage of the Cultivation Method, making his power delivery more precise.

The most crucial factor was Spirit—his Spirit attribute of 1.6 gave him far superior observation skills, allowing him to see an opponent's weaknesses in combat.

His chances of winning were at least seventy percent.

"Brother Liu," Li Xuan said, his tone calm. "The Contribution Points are what I earned through my work, and I can't give them to you."

Liu San stared at Li Xuan for three breaths, then suddenly smiled. "Alright, you've got guts. Then let's change tactics—a spar. According to the martial arts school rules, disputes between servants can be settled on the arena. If you win, I'll give you a wide berth from now on. If you lose, you hand over all your Contribution Points and break a leg."

The surrounding servants all looked over.

Some shook their heads, while others gloated.

Liu San was bullying a newcomer. He had been at the martial arts school for five years and had extensive fighting experience. Li Xuan had only been here for half a month; how could he possibly be a match?

"What, scared?" Liu San stepped forward, his shadow falling over Li Xuan. "If you're scared, just hand over the money obediently. And pay on time every month from now on. I'll guarantee your safety in the courtyard."

Li Xuan slowly stood up.

He was half a head shorter than Liu San, but when he stood straight, his back was as rigid as a spear shaft.

"I'll fight," Li Xuan said, "but the stakes aren't equal. If I win, you'll steer clear of me from now on, and you'll give me half of this month's Contribution Points. If I lose, all the Contribution Points are yours, and I'll break two of my legs."

The whole place erupted in an uproar.

"Two legs?"

"Is this kid crazy?"

"One broken leg can heal in three months, but two broken legs will cripple him for life!"

Liu San's pupils contracted, but looking at the expectant eyes of the crowd, he knew he couldn't back down.

If he backed down, his prestige, built up over five years, would be ruined.

"Good!" Liu San gritted his teeth. "Deal! The courtyard is too small, let's go to the back mountain. It's more spacious there, and we won't mind breaking things."

Li Xuan nodded and took the lead toward the back mountain.

He didn't walk fast, adjusting his breathing as he went.

Raising the stakes just now was intentional. It would be best if it scared Liu San off, but even if it didn't, it would make him hesitate.

In a fight between martial artists, mindset is crucial.

It seemed the effect was only average.

But it was enough.