Luo Bin's whole body ached unbearably. It was many times worse than leg day at the gym in his previous life, even though he had used the Crimson Panel to add points to the White Ape Through-Arm Fist and greatly improved his physical fitness.
Even so, he could barely take it.
No wonder so few people could cultivate the Primordial Stance. As expected, the more advanced the technique, the more talent it demanded...
And Luo Bin's greatest talent was having no talent at all—he was all cheat.
He lay sprawled like a starfish, with a young maid supporting his head, each arm, and each leg as they carried him toward the bathroom. Luo Bin found the crook of the maid's arm soft and delicate.
At least he was getting a taste of a young master's life.
Splash!
Several maids, around sixteen or seventeen years old, lowered Luo Bin into the bathing tub with some effort. Rose petals scented the water, but their fragrance couldn't mask the bitter smell of medicinal herbs.
Since Jiang Ling had said the herbal bath would ease the pain, it was better than nothing.
So Luo Bin slumped in the tub and began to enjoy himself. Three of the five maids left, leaving only two behind. Both were rather pretty.
Luo Bin tried to strike up a conversation and smiled politely. "You two don't need to stay here watching me. Once I've soaked for a while, I should be able to manage on my own."
One maid, with slanted eyes and an oval face, replied solemnly, "We can't. The master told us to attend to you and take care of you."
Luo Bin grumbled inwardly. Are you taking care of me or keeping an eye on me? I've always tried not to assume the worst of these people from ancient times...
"Then... all right. What are your names?"
The maid who had answered said, "I'm Chuntao, and she's Xiahe. What about you? I could barely hear when the master said your name just now, but I remember your surname is Luo?"
It was obvious that Chuntao was the more outgoing and cheerful one. Xiahe's gaze kept straying toward Luo Bin's physique, and beneath the billowing steam, the young maid seemed to grow bashful.
Luo Bin didn't notice. Maids in a household like this usually knew plenty of important information, making them perfect for gathering news.
"That's right. My name is Luo Bin..."
The Crimson Panel suddenly displayed a notification:
[Spirit Charm: 11+1]
Luo Bin's mind jolted. So the minute energies contained in the herbs in the bath could still increase his Spirit Charm points when absorbed.
He calmed himself and continued speaking to Chuntao and Xiahe.
"I've only just arrived, and I'm studying martial arts under Uncle Jiang. I'll be troubling you young ladies to help look after me for a while..."
Chuntao felt a little embarrassed. They were only servants, while Luo Bin could practice martial arts and was being treated with such respect by the master. He was surely no ordinary person.
"Not at all. It's only what we're supposed to do."
Following up on the conversation, Luo Bin asked, "By the way, I only arrived today, and I found that Uncle Jiang's residence is inside the Chen Residence. I'll inevitably have to interact with the Chen Family from now on... Would you two mind telling me a little about them?"
Chuntao seemed delighted. This was the first time such a young guest had come to the estate—and he was willing to chat with them, too. He was handsome, had a good build... and was kind.
In an instant, Luo Bin's standing in the two young maids' eyes rose considerably.
"Of course! Whatever you want to know about the Chen Family, I'll tell you everything I know!" Chuntao beamed and waved her small fist with confidence.
After a moment's thought, Luo Bin asked, "What did Old Master Chen die of? Tell me about it, just in case I accidentally say something taboo in front of someone one day."
Chuntao and Xiahe exchanged a glance. The latter gently pulled the door nearly shut.
"Old Master Chen was already quite old, and when he was young, he traveled all over with our master. He suffered hidden injuries back then..."
After carefully probing them, Luo Bin understood that Old Master Chen's age and old injuries couldn't be ignored, but the most important factor was his trip to the Long-Sound Ghost Mansion.
He had passed away not long after returning—just a couple of days ago.
The Chen Family had kept the funeral extremely low-key, making no announcement. Today was already the third day, and they had handled everything swiftly; the funeral was nearly over.
The Pei Family was colluding with the Demon Den. There were Demon Specters outside the city, Yin-Nurturing Grounds, and the Long-Sound Ghost Mansion that Old Master Chen had visited.
Why the hell was this world so dangerous?!
He might get killed by a Demon Ghost out of nowhere one day without even knowing what had happened.
Wen Li's daughter was still in Tianhai. Survival, getting stronger... all of it weighed heavily on Luo Bin's mind.
After talking the two maids into going outside to keep watch, Luo Bin roared in his mind:
"Crimson, dump every last point in!"
He poured all twelve Spirit Charm points into the Primordial Stance. Although this stance technique was only a prerequisite for the Yellow Court Inner Landscape Origin-Returning Technique, it was undeniably still a formidable technique that could be cultivated on its own.
After all, it was one of the Eight Great Miraculous Arts. He probably wouldn't get another chance to obtain such a powerful technique anytime soon, so he would use it as a stopgap for now.
The whole process lasted about a quarter of an hour.
At first, Luo Bin felt a scorching current darting around inside him. It felt similar to the stream of energy he had drawn into his body when he "raised the yang and inhaled energy."
As it tore through his meridians, it also brought a gentle force that mended them.
Gradually, the muscles beneath Luo Bin's skin felt like red-hot iron, as though they might melt at any moment. The water in the tub began to heat up, too.
"So bloated!"
When he had first met Jiang Ling, the man had mentioned that the two most important passes in the first five martial realms were Golden Skin and Jade Bone.
The Golden Skin Pass was the first realm of martial arts. Judging by what Luo Bin was feeling now, the name was certainly apt.
His muscles kept tearing and reforming, twitching beneath his skin like a cramp.
At the same time, a far more complex and profound martial insight than before poured in orderly fashion into the depths of Luo Bin's soul.
[Realm: Golden Skin (early stage)]
His realm had advanced, but the transformation wasn't over. The insights from the Primordial Stance and the White Ape Through-Arm Fist seemed to react with each other like chemicals.
They automatically corroborated and reinforced one another. Only then did Luo Bin realize that without a primary cultivation technique, he truly couldn't draw out the Through-Arm Fist's full power.
The cultivation experience that the Crimson Panel poured into his mind was equivalent to painstaking cultivation of his own. It felt as if he had spent countless days and nights sweating through relentless practice.
His clenched arms bulged with knotted muscles. The density and definition of his arm muscles were like a finely crafted piece of porcelain; with a flex, they seemed ready to crack.
"So this is what the first martial realm feels like?"
Feeling the strength coursing through him, Luo Bin finally had a little sense of security. These past few days, he had been throwing his weight around—first causing trouble at the docks, then beating up gang members in the courtyard.
But the truth was, he had been scared. What if he ran into a real tough opponent one day and couldn't beat them?
Now, though, Luo Bin finally had a little confidence. The bruising to his muscles and bones from practicing the Primordial Stance had also completely healed.
[Luo Bin]
[Realm: Golden Skin Pass (first stage), early stage]
[Cultivation Method: White Ape Tongbei Fist (second level, 0/6), Primordial Unity Stance (second level, 3/20)]
[Modification Value: 0]
[Spiritual Resonance: 0]
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