White-Forehead Striped Tiger

Considering that the Tonic Medicine still had some medicinal effects left, Luo Yi didn't hurry to the apothecary. Instead, he practiced for another half hour or so.

When he felt the warm current in his lower abdomen dissipate, he finally stopped.

Looking at the Panel, he saw: Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique (Minor Accomplishment 11/300). In a little over half an hour, his progress had increased by 10 points.

After practicing martial arts, he was drenched in sweat. Luo Yi went to the well, drew water to wipe himself clean, and put on fresh clothes.

He headed for the apothecary in town.

The shopkeeper, sitting inside, saw the young fellow who had bought Tonic Medicine a few days earlier. He was back again so soon?

Just a few days ago, the boy had been an ordinary person. Now he had reached Minor Accomplishment in Skin Refining! Could this kid be some kind of "martial arts prodigy" with a special constitution?

The shopkeeper was full of questions, but smiled as he said, "How was it, young brother? That medicine you bought the other day worked well, didn't it? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Looking at the shopkeeper's beaming face, which made him look like a swindling merchant, Luo Yi couldn't help the corner of his mouth twitching.

"It worked well, but it was too expensive! And it doesn't last long, either. One dose a day costs a tael of silver, and I'm afraid my little purse can't take that kind of strain!"

"I wonder if you have any medicine with stronger effects or that lasts longer."

Hearing Luo Yi's explanation, the shopkeeper laughed. "At the Skin Refining stage, these are the most effective Chinese medicines."

The effects of other medicines were too fierce for Skin Refining Martial Artists to withstand.

After hearing the shopkeeper's explanation, Luo Yi looked disappointed.

"Young brother, don't think only about taking medicine every day. When it comes to martial arts, besides medicinal nourishment, there's also nourishment from food."

"I just got a Bear Gall in the other day. It's a rare treasure. Five hundred taels of silver, take it or leave it. Interested?"

A single Bear Gall cost five hundred taels of silver. The price the shopkeeper named startled Luo Yi.

"Shopkeeper, could you lower the price of this Bear Gall?"

Seeing that Luo Yi was interested in the Bear Gall, the shopkeeper asked, "How many taels can you offer, young brother?"

Thinking of how all his assets together amounted to just over a hundred taels of silver, Luo Yi held up one finger.

A hundred taels of silver?

No, ten taels.

Hearing Luo Yi's offer, the shopkeeper restrained the urge to chase him out on the spot.

"Don't joke around, young brother. Ten taels won't buy you a Bear Gall."

"Shopkeeper, I'm not joking. I mean, could you cut me ten taels' worth of Bear Gall so I can try out its effects first?"

Seeing that Luo Yi genuinely wanted to buy some, the shopkeeper thought it over.

He went into the back room and fussed around for ages, then finally came out and handed Luo Yi a "crumpled ball of paper."

He took ten taels of silver.

Taking it from the shopkeeper, Luo Yi carefully opened the paper ball and looked at the piece of Bear Gall inside, which was about the size of a fingernail.

"This is worth ten taels of silver?"

Seeing how unconvinced Luo Yi looked, the shopkeeper laughed and scolded him. "My hand slipped just now, and I cut you an extra piece. It pains me to no end, and you still don't believe me?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper made as if to take back the Bear Gall in Luo Yi's hand.

Tucking the Bear Gall into his clothes, Luo Yi said to the shopkeeper, "Give me ten more doses of that Chinese medicine from the other day, packed to go."

The shopkeeper took the Chinese medicine from under the counter and handed it to Luo Yi.

Including the Bear Gall, it came to twenty taels of silver.

Looking at the shopkeeper's expression, as if he wanted to eat him alive, Luo Yi said, "Thank you, shopkeeper!" Then he took twenty taels in silver pieces from his clothes and placed them on the counter.

After receiving the silver, the shopkeeper waved his hand, signaling for Luo Yi to get lost.

Thinking of the Bear Gall's exorbitant price, Luo Yi decided to head home and try out its effects.

As soon as Luo Yi left the apothecary, the shopkeeper beckoned toward the door. A middle-aged man dressed as an "ordinary merchant" walked in.

"Your subordinate pays his respects, sir."

The shopkeeper waved his hand, signaling the man to rise.

"Go find out the background of that kid who just came in to buy medicine. Also see if he's been doing anything unusual lately."

"Yes!" The man said, then left the apothecary.

Thinking of how miraculous the shopkeeper had made the Bear Gall sound, Luo Yi had no interest in going up the Mountain to hunt. Back home, he first put the Tonic Medicine in the kitchen.

He took the paper ball from his clothes and opened it, looking at the fingernail-sized piece of Bear Gall.

He'd meant to swallow it whole, but when he thought of what it had cost, he held back.

Carefully, he divided the Bear Gall into four pieces. He picked up the smallest and tossed it straight into his mouth.

As the Bear Gall reached his stomach, blood gushed from his nostrils like water from a faucet.

A scorching sensation also rose in his abdomen.

Feeling the Bear Gall's powerful medicinal effects, he was sure the apothecary's shopkeeper hadn't lied to him.

He assumed the stance and began practicing the moves of the Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique.

After practicing for two hours, he felt the medicine's effects fade and stopped.

Looking at the Panel, he saw: Fierce Tiger Skin Refining Technique (Minor Accomplishment 35/300).

Just this tiny piece of Bear Gall had increased his progress by more than twenty points.

Good stuff!

If he could keep eating this, with Tonic Medicine to support him, he could reach great accomplishment in body tempering in five or six days at most.

Thinking of the Bear Gall's price, Luo Yi felt as if someone had doused him with a bucket of cold water.

He didn't take any more Bear Gall. Instead, he planned to practice Basic Archery for a while.

He had just picked up the Three-Stone Hunting Bow when it suddenly clicked.

With his current strength, he could enter the Inner Area of Yunling Mountain and protect himself, as long as he didn't run into a pack of large beasts. Since Bear Gall worked so well and cost so much, why not go into the Mountain and hunt some himself?

Once he'd made up his mind, he slung the bow over his back, hung the Dao at his waist, and headed toward Yunling Mountain.

Entering the forest, Luo Yi still chose the route he knew well.

Passing by a pool, he casually shot a wild chicken that was drinking and packed it away.

He continued onward, coming across scattered bones.

"Ptooey!" He spat on the ground and headed deeper into the forest.

As he entered the Inner Area of Yunling Mountain, Luo Yi stayed on high alert, worried a large carnivorous beast might ambush him.

He searched for traces of animal activity as he walked.

He wandered the forest for an hour without finding so much as a single hair, let alone any sign of a large animal.

Realizing that blindly searching the Mountain was just a waste of time, he took out the wild chicken he'd shot along the way and slit its throat. He fussed with it for ages, but not a drop of blood came out.

He rubbed his forehead. With nothing to lose, he hung the chicken's carcass upside down from a tree branch.

Not long after he hung it up,

"Roar..." "Crack, crack."

A tiger's growl and the sound of snapping branches came from nearby.

Seeing that the chicken carcass really had worked, Luo Yi drew the Dao at his waist and stared intently toward the sound.

They said that dragons rode the clouds and tigers rode the wind. A gust swept through the forest, and the chicken carcass vanished from the branch.

After eating the chicken, the tiger spotted the food in the distance, saliva welling in its mouth.

"Roar!" The tiger let out a roar and sprang toward its prey.

Watching the "yellow-and-black-striped" White-Forehead Striped Tiger pounce at him, Luo Yi swung the Dao in his hand.

Clang! The tiger's claws collided with the Dao in his hand, ringing out like iron striking iron.