Visiting to Seek a Future

The home of the Wang hunter was located under the old locust tree at the south end of the village. It consisted of three adobe rooms with a courtyard slightly more spacious than his own, and several tanned animal pelts hung under the eaves.

Wang Tieniu was squatting by a medicine pot. When he saw Qin Meng approaching, his eyes lit up. "Brother Meng!"

"Tieniu, where is your grandfather?" Qin Meng strode closer.

"Inside... he's coughing badly again." Wang Tieniu's expression dimmed.

"I'm looking for your grandfather to ask for a bow," Qin Meng said, lifting the straw windbreak curtain to enter the house.

The room was dimly lit and filled with the scent of wood, lacquer, and a faint smell of rust.

A hunched old man with a face full of deep wrinkles was using his rough fingers to polish a piece of zhe wood bow body by the light of the window lattice.

This was the old hunter, Wang Gan.

In his youth, he had been a fierce soldier in the border army and was said to have been a formidable martial artist. After retiring due to injury, he made a living by crafting bows and hunting. He had been on good terms with the original owner's father. Now, in his old age, he lived with his grandson, and their family circumstances were dire.

"Old man, your health is what matters. You should rest when you need to," Qin Meng said, stepping forward quickly.

Wang Gan looked up. His cloudy eyes lingered on Qin Meng's face for a moment before falling on the zhanma dao strapped to his back. His voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows.

"The Qin boy? I heard you took a nasty fall a few days ago; it seems you've recovered. You child, why waste money buying clothes for Tieniu?"

"Hunting earns plenty; money is meant to be spent," Qin Meng said gratefully. "All these years, it's thanks to you and your uncle helping my family."

"You came because you want a bow?" the old man asked, coughing.

Qin Meng nodded. "My hunting bow broke. I want to buy a good, powerful bow."

"Tieniu told me when he got back. I have one ready for you."

Wang Gan braced his hands on his knees and stood up shakily, taking a bow down from the wall.

The bow body was streamlined, dark brown, and polished to a shine, with ox horn inlaid at both ends.

"This is an ironwood bow body. The string is twisted from multiple ox tendons and hemp ropes. It has a draw weight of two and a half shi; its power is no less than the standard-issue bows used by the military. Give it a try."

Qin Meng took the bow. It felt solid and cold in his hand. He stepped forward slightly with his left foot, stood sideways, hooked the string with his right hand, raised his left arm, and slowly drew the bow.

With a creaking sound, the bow bent easily into a full moon.

He pulled a few arrows from the table, walked to the doorway, and nocked an arrow.

"Twang—whoosh!"

The arrow turned into a black blur, instantly pinning itself into the bullseye of the target in the corner, its fletching vibrating violently.

Qin Meng drew another arrow, nocked it, and pulled the bow, his movements suddenly accelerating.

The second and third arrows followed in quick succession, both striking the bullseye.

Immediately after, his hands moved like weaving flowers, the arrows flying like a chain. One arrow after another was fired in rapid succession, each one pinning into the center of the target, the sound of them piercing the air continuous and unbroken.

On the panel, the proficiency of the martial skill Chain Arrow reached 500/500.

A few lines of small text appeared before his eyes:

[Chain Shot - Minor Achievement (1/1000)]

[Special Effect: Steady Eyes and Stable Arms (Major)]

Steady Eyes and Stable Arms: Significantly enhances eyesight and the stability of both arms.

A surge of warm energy welled up from within his body, rapidly flowing into his eyes and arms.

Qin Meng felt the world before him suddenly sharpen; the texture of distant blades of grass and the fluttering wings of flying insects were all clearly visible. The bones in his shoulders and arms became denser, his muscles tightened, and their lines became smoother and more stable, as solid as a boulder.

The transformation was completed in the span of a breath.

Qin Meng lowered the hunting bow, a smile appearing on his face.

Wang Gan couldn't help but let out a low exclamation, "Good lad, you were hiding your skills! This technique... you couldn't have mastered it without a dozen years of hard work... cough, cough..."

"You flatter me, old man." Qin Meng put away the bow. "This bow is good. How much?"

Wang Gan raised his head, squinted at Qin Meng, and pondered, "For this bow, five taels of silver will do. I'll throw in ten arrows as well."

Qin Meng knew the market; an ordinary hunting bow with a draw weight of under one shi cost about a string of cash, while a stiff bow of about one shi cost three to five strings.

A bow of two shi could be called a powerful bow and was rarely found on the market, so this price was not expensive.

"Many thanks, old man." Qin Meng paid the money readily.

He then took out the cloth bag containing the venison and deer antlers and placed it on the table to the side.

"I hunted a deer yesterday, and my family can't eat all of this. Take this venison to nourish yourself, and give the antlers to brother Tieniu."

"Hey, how can I? This is too valuable."

Seeing the twenty catties of well-butchered autumn venison and the half-set of glistening antlers, Wang Gan was startled and waved his hands repeatedly.

Qin Meng pushed the items forward and lowered his voice, "Please accept it, old man. It's just a small token of my appreciation."

After some back-and-forth, Wang Gan finally sighed and accepted them.

Qin Meng seized the opportunity to speak, "Old man, besides buying the bow, I have another favor to ask."

"Oh? What is it?" Wang Gan invited Qin Meng to sit, continuing to whittle an arrow shaft in his hands.

Qin Meng pondered for a moment, then said sincerely, "I don't want to spend my whole life holed up in this fort as a hunter. I want to go out and see the world."

"But the world outside is treacherous. How exactly does one walk the path of martial arts? I've only heard bits and pieces about the boiling blood and blood changing realms, but what do they actually entail?"

Wang Gan's carving knife paused. He looked up and studied Qin Meng carefully, as if seeing him for the first time. His expression was strange, tinged with surprise.

After a long silence, he pulled at the corners of his mouth, revealing sparse, yellow teeth. "How rare. A few years ago, I urged you to enlist and you refused. Have you finally seen the light?"

"I nearly died in the mountains," Qin Meng said with a bitter smile. "Without skills, your life isn't your own. You're a veteran who has weathered many storms; you know more than we do."

Wang Gan set down the arrow shaft and brushed the wood shavings from his hands, his expression turning solemn. "Since you've asked, I'll tell you. But you must understand: the martial path is arduous. Only those with great perseverance can succeed."

"The rumors are true. The body forging realm of martial arts is divided into three stages: boiling blood, blood changing, and body forging."

A flicker of reminiscence passed through his eyes. "The first stage, 'boiling blood,' is about tempering one's strength and fortifying the body. You use breathing techniques to stir your blood and qi, making them churn like boiling water."

"You condense a wisp of 'blood qi' in your heart. Only then can you be considered to have entered the path; your strength and endurance will far surpass that of an ordinary person."

"Condensing ninety-nine wisps is considered mastery, granting you the strength of one ox—two thousand jin."

"The second stage, 'blood changing,' uses blood qi as a seed to refine the entire body's blood, condensing it into essence blood. From then on, your blood and qi will be vigorous, immune to all illnesses, and your five senses will be sharp. The number of times you can change your blood depends on your talent, and your strength can reach two to five oxen."

"To put it plainly, the first two stages are about honing yourself and laying a foundation. The third stage, 'body forging,' consists of four steps: tough skin, strong tendon, bone tempering, and organ refining."

"You use pure blood qi to nourish the body, washing it inside and out until you are reborn. These four steps correspond to the early, middle, late, and peak stages of the body forging realm."

"Only when you reach body forging are you a true martial artist. Your vitality will be tenacious, ordinary blades will struggle to kill you, and your blood and qi can repel evil spirits. Right now, in Luming Fort, the number of body forging martial artists on the surface doesn't even reach the count of two hands."

Qin Meng felt his heart race. "Old man, how does one obtain such cultivation techniques? Enlisting? Or joining a martial arts school or sect?"

"Exactly. The imperial court encourages the common folk to practice martial arts, but for the sake of order, it is strictly regulated." Wang Gan nodded and continued.

"Sects and martial arts schools require good natural talent, and even more so, money."

Wang Gan glanced at Qin Meng. "In your case, enlisting is a good path. You should know that the imperial court is the largest 'sect' in the world."

"Three hundred years ago, Yang province, Hanhai prefecture, and even the northern frontier beyond the Great Wall were desolate, ownerless lands. It was the Xiongba Army that conquered them."

He lowered his voice further. "As far as I know, the Xiongba Army is planning a massive recruitment this winter. They only want young men with clean backgrounds who haven't started cultivating yet. It saves them trouble, and you must never touch techniques of unknown origin."

Qin Meng scanned Wang Gan, understanding dawning on him. Such techniques were no small matter; the old man was extremely cautious, even wary, about discussing them. His words just now were both guidance and a polite refusal.

Familiar terms like "enlisting" and "northern frontier" stirred memories in his mind.

In the original owner's memories, the Yanhan Dynasty had stood for a thousand years with a deep foundation. Although the military had its constraints, it was backed by the imperial court, and it was the fastest way to gain resources and experience. Enlisting was indeed a viable path.

Seeing him fall silent, Wang Gan smiled and changed the subject. "My Tie Niu will be going as well. If you're lucky enough to become a frontier martial soldier, at least you'll have a future. Why don't you two go together? You can look out for each other."

"Alright! Thank you for your guidance, old man." Qin Meng nodded heavily.

"Before you enlist, it is best not to rashly change your primary cultivation method. However, you can prepare early by practicing martial skills that temper your bones and protect your life."

Seeing that he was willing to listen to advice, Wang Gan was silent for a moment before continuing, "You prefer using a saber. I will pass on the 'evil-slaying saber technique' that made me famous back in the day. It is merely a martial skill, but it emphasizes practical combat and carries a heavy killing intent. It has a suppressive effect on demons and monsters, which suits you perfectly."

"Truly?" Qin Meng was delighted.

"Naturally." Wang Gan turned and entered the house. A moment later, he emerged with a mountain-cleaving saber, its blade faintly shimmering with a dark red hue, and led Qin Meng to the backyard.