Martial Skills and Soul Skills

Tian Hao soon led the two of them to a courtyard. The scent of food hit them the moment they reached the entrance, making Ah Yin and Tang Hao, who had been living on dry rations for a month, unable to resist drooling.

The food in this village seemed pretty good.

"You don't have any dietary restrictions, do you?"

Standing at the entrance, Tian Hao asked Ah Yin and Tang Hao.

"No, as long as it's not too spicy."

Ah Yin shot the young man a glare before answering. Tang Hao shook his head as well, indicating that he could eat anything and was not picky.

"That's good!"

Tian Hao gestured for them to follow him inside. Before long, he had prepared three bowls of noodles, piled high with several dishes—some cold, some stir-fried, along with a little pickled vegetable.

Fortunately, Village Elder Li Tou had already gone door to door informing everyone that whichever household was assigned to cook for Tian Hao that day should make two extra portions from then on, so there was no need to worry about there not being enough food.

"Why aren't you staying to eat today?"

Seeing Tian Hao pick up the bowls to leave, the middle-aged man set down his own bowl and asked curiously.

Whenever Tian Hao ate at their home before, he would bring his bowl over and finish eating there before leaving. Why was he leaving before he had even started today?

"No, we still have things to do when we get back."

With a smile, Tian Hao gestured to Ah Yin and Tang Hao before leaving the courtyard.

"Why didn't we stay and eat at their place?"

Ah Yin asked in confusion as she walked along, eating from her small bowl. Tang Hao, who was also busy eating, pricked up his ears.

Could there be some taboo involved?

"If you eat there, you'll have to show your face and hands. There are men in their household, so it wouldn't be appropriate to have you stay. We don't want to ruin their marriage.

When you wander around the village in the future, remember to keep yourself covered and don't expose yourself. Lower your voice when you speak. It would be even better if you could make it sound like a man's."

Tian Hao answered between mouthfuls. He was only saying this for the village's harmony and happiness.

"..."

Ah Yin instantly felt that the noodles and side dishes no longer tasted good. She glared resentfully at the boy walking ahead of them while eating.

The way he said it made her sound like some vixen mistress who specialized in ruining other people's families.

Tang Hao pretended not to see or hear anything. He kept his head down and ate, doing his best to minimize his presence so he would not become his fiancée's punching bag.

"How did he manage to grow up this big?"

It took Ah Yin quite a while to suppress the anger in her heart. She truly could not understand it. With that brain of his, how had he grown up this much?

Ah Yin was not the only one puzzled by that. Tang Hao was equally baffled.

Thus, the three of them ate as they walked. Every villager they encountered along the way smiled, nodded, and greeted Tian Hao.

"You're very popular in the village."

After returning, they washed their bowls by the hand pump with running water. Ah Yin could not help asking.

That morning, they had seen Tian Hao outside the village leading the villagers through those strange movements. And on the way there and back just now, every villager they met had smiled and greeted him. He was clearly very well liked in the village.

It left her puzzled. She had originally thought that Tian Hao would be looked down upon for freeloading meals in the village.

"I'm responsible for teaching the villagers all kinds of Martial Skills. Whether they encounter bad people or ordinary wild beasts, they can use them to defend themselves and stay alive. The meals they prepare every day count as tuition."

Tian Hao put away the washed bowls and chopsticks. He did not think there was anything wrong with eating meals provided by the whole village.

Compared to a bowl of food, the benefits he brought to the village were far greater. The glass-built vegetable greenhouses, bean sprout production, and so on provided the villagers with a stable source of vegetables. They could also use them to raise chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle for meat.

While in Spirit City, he had even specifically found and brought back a kind of fruit tree. Its fruit was high in starch and could serve as a staple food. The noodles they had just eaten were made from that fruit.

The patch of woodland outside the village had been planted with those fruit trees. In addition, he had built a small blast furnace to improve the efficiency of smelting iron ore into iron ingots, allowing the villagers to forge iron tools more efficiently and take them out to trade for essential daily goods.

At the same time, he was teaching the villagers his set of Martial Skills. They might not be enough to deal with Soul Masters or Soul Beasts, but they were more than sufficient against ordinary people and wild animals.

Because of him, life in the village had improved year after year. In the past, even eating their fill had been a problem. Now, not only could they eat their fill at every meal, but they also had a few side dishes, and could even have meat once in a while.

Forget taking turns feeding him— even if they had to feed him for the rest of his life, the villagers would have no complaints. They might even consider it an honor.

"So that's how it is!"

Ah Yin came to a realization. Once she thought about it that way, she understood. No wonder the villagers were so warm and friendly toward Tian Hao.

"Martial Skills?"

Tang Hao was more concerned with the Martial Skills Tian Hao had mentioned. Were they the spear techniques he had used that morning?

"The full name of Soul Power is the power of a Martial Soul. Skills from Soul Rings and Soul Bones are called Soul Skills. Mine are far inferior to skills from Soul Rings and Soul Bones, but they can be enhanced with Soul Power, so I call them Martial Skills."

Tian Hao casually explained, then pointed toward the large black iron tank on the roof as a reminder.

"When you bathe, remember to check the bamboo hanging outside that big iron tank. It shows the water level inside. If it reaches the bottom, tell me and I'll refill it. You can adjust the water temperature yourselves in the bathroom."

Some things had to be explained clearly to avoid trouble later.

"There's hot water up there? How is it heated?"

Ah Yin and Tang Hao looked up, both somewhat confused.

It was only a large black iron tank sitting on an iron frame, and there was no stove beneath it. How could it possibly have hot water?

"It uses sunlight to heat the water. The temperature isn't too low this month, but the water will gradually cool down at night, so you'd better bathe early.

If you prefer bathing in the morning, I can hang up that section of chimney. You only need to light the furnace in the Forge Room, and the hot smoke will rise on its own to heat the water."

Tian Hao had been very familiar with that thing in his previous life. His family had owned one, and it had been especially convenient for bathing in the summer.

Ah Yin furrowed her delicate brows and held out her hand, feeling the warmth of the sunlight. She roughly understood and silently marveled at the ingenuity of the device.

As long as there was sufficient sunlight, there would be no need to boil water for baths in the future. It was much more convenient.

"I like bathing in the morning!"

Ah Yin's eyes shifted as she made it clear that he should hurry and arrange it.

That was what he got for talking like that earlier!

She did not consider herself a petty person, but in front of this boy, she simply could not keep herself from being petty.

"One..."

"One Silver Soul Coin, right?"

Before Tian Hao could finish, Ah Yin took out a Silver Soul Coin.

Even if she had to pay today, she would make this brat serve her.

Tian Hao said nothing more. After putting away the Silver Soul Coin, he carried over a blackened clay cylinder from the corner of the courtyard. It was a section of chimney pipe, used to redirect smoke beneath the water tank so the hot smoke could heat it.

"What are you doing?"

Tang Hao looked at the chimney pipe placed before him in confusion.

"Why are you so dense? I'm giving you a chance to show yourself. Didn't you hear Sister Ah Yin say she wants a hot bath in the morning?

Why aren't you hurrying up and installing it? Then, whenever she wakes up to bathe in the morning, she'll think of the warmth you brought her. Or do you want your fiancée to think about another man every time she bathes?

And you need to understand that she's only your fiancée for now. You're not married yet, and she can change her mind at any time. You absolutely cannot reveal your lazy nature in advance..."

Tian Hao earnestly spouted nonsense, leaving both Tang Hao and Ah Yin with black lines across their foreheads.

They realized they might have misjudged him before. This brat was sharp.

Tang Hao looked at the young man before him, then at his fiancée beside him. In the end, he could only pick up the chimney section and leap onto the roof. After examining the large water tank and the chimney pipe on its side, he quickly discovered the trick.

The bottom of the large water tank was not flat. Instead, it curved inward, so when the hot smoke from the chimney was redirected over, it would spray into the recessed bottom and linger there longer for better heating. It was indeed a very good design.

With that thought, he placed the chimney section at an angle over the top of the chimney, allowing the hot smoke to be redirected over.

"It's a shame you don't go into business!"

Ah Yin complained speechlessly. She truly had not expected the boy to have such a shrewd side, yet she could not refute him.

What a clever little rascal!

(Tian Someone: How could I possibly do such dangerous work? You need to pay more. Hurry up and contribute your recommendation votes!)