Qi and Blood Soup

After dealing with Chen Mo Bai, Lu Chuan finally walked over to Senior Disciple Brother Zhou.

Zhou Ming Chuan was teaching a junior disciple. When he saw Lu Chuan approach, he waved.

At the same time, he pulled two warm steamed buns from inside his robe.

"Here, take these and eat them quickly! I saw you practicing those moves early this morning. You were all limp and listless—surely you didn't eat breakfast, right? Hurry and fill your stomach."

Lu Chuan stared blankly at the two white-flour buns in his hands.

His lack of strength when practicing the saber was a side effect of overtraining the previous night.

But Senior Brother Zhou had noticed his condition that morning with such care, and had even saved breakfast from his own portion for him...

That concern warmed Lu Chuan's heart.

He accepted the buns and thanked him solemnly. "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou."

Zhou Ming Chuan waved his hand. "What are you thanking me for? Eat quickly! Once you're done, we'll continue learning the next three forms."

Lu Chuan had only drunk a little porridge that morning. He did not stand on ceremony, and polished off the two buns in just a few bites.

After eating, the two of them found a corner. Picking up from the previous day's lesson, Zhou Ming Chuan began teaching him the next three forms of Mountain Splitting Saber.

Lu Chuan learned with extraordinary speed that day. Not only did he perform the first three forms from yesterday with greater fluidity and force, but he also quickly grasped the essentials of the four new forms he learned that day.

"Not bad, Junior Brother Lu!" Admiration showed in Zhou Ming Chuan's eyes.

"Not only did you perform yesterday's three forms with such flair, you also grasped the knack of today's four new forms so quickly!"

"It's all because Senior Brother Zhou taught me well and explained everything so thoroughly," Lu Chuan said modestly.

"Bullshit!" Zhou Ming Chuan laughed and cursed. "Are you trying that routine on me too? If you practice well, that's your own ability!"

After exchanging a few jokes, the two became even more familiar with each other.

During a break, Lu Chuan asked, "Senior Brother Zhou, yesterday you said that after initiating Mountain Splitting Saber, one could draw upon qi and blood to temper the physical body. As for Tempering Qi and Blood... are there specific realms used to distinguish its stages?"

Zhou Ming Chuan replied solemnly, "Since you've asked, I'll tell you. As a Martial Artist's qi and blood are continuously tempered and strengthened, the physical body will also undergo transformation."

He paused. "During this process of continual tempering, there will be a bottleneck. We generally call it the Blood Pass!"

"Blood Pass?" Lu Chuan repeated. It was his first time hearing the term.

"That's right!" Zhou Ming Chuan's expression turned somewhat serious.

"The Blood Pass is a Martial Artist's first major hurdle. Talent and resources are both crucial to whether one can break through it. There are so many people in our Martial Arts Hall, but seven or eight out of ten will stop at this hurdle."

"Seven or eight out of ten?! That high?" Lu Chuan was startled.

He knew the Martial Way was difficult, but he had not expected so many people to be stopped at the very first hurdle.

"It really is that high!" Zhou Ming Chuan said firmly.

"After breaking through the Blood Pass, one's qi and blood undergo a qualitative transformation. That counts as truly stepping through the threshold of the Martial Way. At that point, a First Qi and Blood Martial Artist will possess strength far beyond that of ordinary people."

He looked at Lu Chuan, encouragement in his eyes.

"Junior Brother Lu, if you can successfully break through the Blood Pass within three months... heh, perhaps Master Zheng will be so delighted that he'll take you as his eighth disciple!"

"Senior Brother, don't joke about that..." Lu Chuan hurriedly waved his hands.

But his thoughts were already racing.

A Formal Disciple not only received free meals every day, but was also exempt from tuition...

The treatment was indeed tempting. Moreover, with an official status, he would certainly gain access to far more resources.

Still, it was too early to think about that. Practicing the saber steadily was the proper path.

Before long, noon arrived.

Lu Chuan tidied himself up and prepared to find a small shop outside for something to eat.

"Hey, Junior Brother Lu, where are you going?" Zhou Ming Chuan grabbed him by the arm.

"To... eat," Lu Chuan replied, somewhat puzzled.

"Eat? The medicinal soup will be brought out soon. Just drink that!"

"Our Martial Arts Hall doesn't provide proper meals, but disciples who have paid their tuition can receive a bowl of Qi and Blood Soup every day at noon. This soup is specially prepared. One bowl is enough to replace a meal, and it can also assist with training!"

There was such a good thing? Lu Chuan's eyes lit up.

Sure enough, not long afterward, two disciples carried a huge black pot out from the Backyard. Inside was a pitch-black herbal broth.

The disciples lined up in orderly fashion, each receiving a large bowl.

Lu Chuan accepted the coarse pottery bowl and carefully took a sip.

The broth was bitter beyond words, but he endured it and swallowed.

Immediately afterward, a warm current spread through his body.

The hollow feeling left by the previous night's training seemed to be soothed somewhat by the warm flow.

This bowl of soup really did make him feel somewhat recovered!

"This medicine... it gives me strength!"

Lu Chuan's eyes shone. He tipped his head back and drained the entire bowl of Qi and Blood Soup.

After drinking the Qi and Blood Soup, Lu Chuan found a clean stone step and sat down for a brief rest.

As he rested, the corner of his eye caught sight of a striking figure among the people collecting the medicinal soup.

Among the crowd of burly men with bulging muscles, that person's frame was noticeably slender.

Her jet-black hair was simply tied behind her head. Her face was fair and lovely, and the curves of her chest were full and pronounced.

Even with Lu Chuan's mature state of mind, he could not help being drawn to her at that moment.

In this Martial Arts Hall filled with rough men, the sudden appearance of a woman with such an excellent face and figure was bound to be surprising.

"Brat, what are you looking at? Your eyes are practically popping out!"

Zhou Ming Chuan had walked over at some point and was laughing as he cursed.

Lu Chuan's face grew slightly warm, but he did not act coy. He chuckled.

"Nothing. I was just a little curious... I didn't expect our Martial Arts Hall to have a senior sister too."

"Oh, you mean Second Senior Sister Su Tang." Zhou Ming Chuan followed his gaze, a look of understanding appearing on his face.

"Second Senior Sister? Could it be..."

"Heh, you guessed it. She's the second Formal Disciple under our master!"

He continued, "Senior Sister Su comes from a good family, and as for her looks... you've seen them yourself. She's outstanding even in this county town. Most importantly, her talent is extremely high. She's the person closest to Master Zheng in our Martial Arts Hall."

"Is she really that formidable?" Lu Chuan could not help taking a careful look at Su Tang.

To stand out as a woman in the Mountain Splitting Saber Hall, where the place was filled with men, that ability was indeed not to be underestimated.

"However, Junior Brother," Zhou Ming Chuan changed tack, "although Senior Sister Su is highly capable and good-looking, her eyes hold only the Martial Way. Aside from the master, she basically doesn't speak much with anyone. You absolutely mustn't provoke her for no reason."

Hearing this, Lu Chuan immediately understood what Zhou Ming Chuan meant. He smiled helplessly.

"What are you saying, Senior Brother? I was only a little curious."

After taking one last glance at Su Tang in the distance, Lu Chuan stopped thinking about her.

There was still the potential threat of Liu Biao behind him. What he needed to do was seize every moment to improve himself. Where would he find time to think about anything else?

"Let's go, Senior Brother." Lu Chuan stood up. "This afternoon, let's spar again!"

"That's more like it!"

After finishing a day of martial training, Lu Chuan bought four pounds of pork on his way home, spending one qian of silver.

In these times, fatty meat was precious and cost more, so most of what he bought was lean meat.

"Although that bowl of Qi and Blood Soup can make up for some of the deficiency, it's still far from enough for me."

The Minor Success level of Body Tempering kept his body in a state of never being fully fed.

Besides, he had money on him now, so there was no need to be overly frugal.

Carrying the pork, he walked all the way to the village entrance. This time, he finally encountered no bandits lacking the sense to rob him.

However, when he finally drew near his familiar thatched hut, his footsteps halted.

The dilapidated wooden door of his home now had a large hole smashed through it!

The opening was not small, as though it had been violently kicked in from outside.

Lu Chuan's heart sank at once.

Something had happened at home!