Smear Campaign

After seeing the two off, Su Yuan glanced over his own fate traits.

[Literacy: 257/2000 (Complete)]

[Grinding: 178/2000 (Complete)]

[Painting: 114/2000 (Complete)]

These three were the skills he needed to grind hard from now on.

Thinking back on his previous experiences acquiring traits, Su Yuan had noticed something.

When he split a piece of wood in two, he obtained Split in Two.

When he sawed apart a Treasure Fish, he obtained Skillful Ease.

Those earlier experiences made him feel that traits were often connected to the final step before a progress bar reached completion.

Once these skills neared full completion, he could begin trying.

Su Yuan took some silver and headed to the Xiangfu Chamber of Commerce again. At last, he could start taking medicine.

Inside the chamber, Old Liu was flicking his abacus. "Little Su, you're finally here! I bundled up that last batch of goods and sold it to a master for a full twenty taels! We'll stick to the old arrangement from now on: we take orders, you supply the goods, and we split the profits fifty-fifty."

This was how the two usually worked together. The first batch had been sold as a trial run; afterward, they would divide the proceeds.

Su Yuan took out another five sets of Building Blocks. "I've obtained a Martial Registry. My future martial training expenses certainly won't be small. Thirty-seventy split—I take seven, you take three. As long as you want goods, I can supply them."

"Thirty-seventy? Little Su, what kind of bone quality do you have?" Old Liu's eyes widened.

"Low-grade." Su Yuan's tone was calm.

"Low-grade..." Old Liu fell into thought.

Su Yuan sighed inwardly. He had assumed Old Liu was about to start on that same old spiel about bone quality.

"Fine." To his surprise, Old Liu nodded.

Hm?

Old Liu continued, "That previous fifty-fifty split was us taking advantage of you to begin with. Since you're going to train in martial arts, your expenses will naturally be greater. Besides, your Building Blocks bring in no small profit."

"Then many thanks, Old Liu. I'd like to stock up on some medicine for martial training. What would you recommend?" Su Yuan cupped his hands.

"The most common are Blood Qi Powder, two taels per packet at market price, and Blood Qi Pills, five taels apiece. They're both goods from Great Liang. You're taking the Martial Assessment in half a month, right? I recommend this Blood Qi Powder. Dissolve it in water and drink it every day; it'll properly replenish your qi and blood," Old Liu said.

"Old Liu, do you know the specific contents of the Martial Assessment?" Su Yuan pressed.

Old Liu shook his head. "I only know that if you truly have low-grade bone quality, taking the Martial Assessment could be dangerous. You count as one of the Shan Family now, don't you? It wouldn't hurt to keep in closer contact with those above."

Su Yuan nodded and asked again, "Do you have any Treasure Fish here?"

"A few, but not many. Even the cheapest costs five taels each."

When Su Yuan left the Xiangfu Chamber of Commerce, his box held one Treasure Fish and two packets of Blood Qi Powder.

He did not dare buy too much. His current excuse was merely nourishing his body; it would not do to draw attention.

When he returned home, he finally saw that familiar figure.

"Tie Niu! You're back at last. Where have you been these past days?" Su Yuan's face lit up with delight.

Tie Niu grinned broadly when he saw him. "Brother Yuan, I met a benefactor! A few days ago, a young master tested me and found I had top-grade bone quality. He sent me straight into a Martial Academy, and he even promised he could bring you along to train in martial arts."

"Top-grade bone quality?" Su Yuan was startled at first, then happy for him. "Tie Niu, you've really made it!"

This was top-grade bone quality—a genius for martial training.

But he immediately grew concerned. "You entered the Chai Family Martial Academy? They didn't make you sign any contract, did they?"

Tie Niu's gaze flickered, and he hurriedly shook his head. "It's the Chai Family, but I haven't signed anything yet."

"Yet?"

"The young master said that if I'm willing to sign a contract, they'll cultivate me for free. If I don't sign, I'll have to pay my own silver," Tie Niu explained.

"Then you mustn't sign. I'll support your martial training. I've obtained a Martial Registry too, so both of us can train now. It's just a pity we aren't in the same Martial Academy." Su Yuan cautioned him, then handed over a packet of Blood Qi Powder.

"Brother Yuan..." Tie Niu did not want to keep dragging him down.

"Consider it a loan. You can repay me later. If you're short on money, just tell me." Su Yuan smiled.

"Mm." Tie Niu accepted the powder, his eyes reddening.

Su Yuan pulled him into the house. "Tie Niu, come taste this Treasure Fish."

As Tie Niu ate the fish, he asked, "Brother Yuan, what kind of bone quality do you have?"

Su Yuan considered it. "Middle-grade."

Tie Niu breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Those with middle-grade bone quality don't need to take the ability test in the Martial Assessment half a month from now. I heard the young master say this time would be very dangerous."

Su Yuan's heart stirred. "Do you know the details?"

Tie Niu said, "I heard it's a brawl in a horse track. They'll drive everyone into the track, then release fierce horses. Only those who can endure beneath the horses' hooves will pass."

"Would people who can ride horses have an advantage?"

"Perhaps."

Su Yuan lowered his eyes.

Should he first grind the [Riding] skill to completion?

But that skill was still far from complete.

"For this half month, I'll focus on martial training and train Riding on the side." Su Yuan set his goal.

With Slippery Escape backing him up, he should have an advantage when fleeing amid a melee.

Not long after Tie Niu returned, he had to leave again. Su Yuan forcibly stuffed fifteen taels into his hands, while he himself continued practicing martial arts and visited the horse track whenever he had spare time.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye. The two packets of Blood Qi Powder and the Treasure Fish were used up.

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 151/500 (First Layer)]

[Riding: 356/1000 (Major Accomplishment)]

"The effects of Blood Qi Powder and Treasure Fish are about the same, but two packets cost four taels and last three days, while one fish costs five taels and lasts two days. The powder is still more cost-effective." Su Yuan decided he would use Blood Qi Powder from then on.

Good news also came from Old Liu. That batch of Building Blocks had quickly sold out, and Su Yuan's share was twenty-four taels.

Su Yuan could not help marveling at how lavish the Liang People were, especially in their fondness for such novel toys.

As far as he knew, most Liang People who came here had already amassed fortunes. Many second-class Liang People had built family wealth comparable to that of nobles.

He looked at the four children in the shop—three boys and one girl. They were still clutching scraps of rotten wood, rummaging through wooden bowls and ladles in the store.

The oldest boy picked up a small wooden hairpin and held it against the girl's hair. "Qingqing, this looks nice. Boss, how much is it?"

"Brother Lu, this looks expensive. I don't want it." The girl Qingqing still had mud smeared across her face as she spoke softly.

Su Yuan waved a hand. "Stop picking through things. Take whatever catches your eye."

He took out a set of Building Blocks and handed it over. "This is what children should be playing with."

"Thank you, Boss!" The children hurriedly lowered their heads in thanks.

"Big Brother, can you give me that statue? Or can I owe you for it first?" After hesitating for a long while, the girl pointed at the Yun Xu Statue and spoke.

Su Yuan gave her a suspicious glance and shook his head. "No."

"Alright."

The children thanked him again, put down the scraps of wood, and left.

Su Yuan looked at the Yun Xu Statue, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Because of what the Shan Family's young master had done to Yun Xu, other Liang People had begun following suit, taking pleasure in recording scenes of Jing People being humiliated.

Such grotesque paintings and statues rapidly became popular among the nobles of Great Liang.

The wood carvings he had turned over to the Shan Family these past days were almost all Yun Xu Statues.

It could be said that most Yun Xu Statues on the market came from his hands.

And lately, his shop's reputation had been getting worse. It seemed someone was smearing his name in secret.

After all, aside from Building Blocks and Yun Xu Statues, he had hardly taken any other business.

It was most likely the people from Cloud-Striding Martial Hall. He needed to find an opportunity to explain himself.

Inside Fengxing Teahouse, everyone was chattering at once about what they had seen and heard recently.

"Did you hear? That fool from the Su Family next door was actually tested to have top-grade bone quality and got taken in by the Chai Family Martial Academy! Several Liang families want to win him over. Damn, what luck."

"Hmph, so what if he has top-grade bone quality? He's still a Liang People's hunting dog." Someone spat in a voice so low it was almost imperceptible.

Nearby, a stonemason picked mud from the soles of his feet and snorted. "I don't know that kid, but I know his older brother, Su Yuan. He's spineless—a white-eyed wolf! Back when he was carving statues for the Shan Family, that girl had shown him kindness. Yet to curry favor with the Liang People, he carved her into something utterly indecent."

"That's right! Those female statues with exposed bodies that are popular among Liang nobles now mostly came from his hands," someone else chimed in.

"Really? He made all those atrocious sculptures? You'd never guess it from looking at him. He seems pretty decent."

"Decent my ass! He used that to cling to the Shan Family. He even sold himself cheap."

"How hateful! Climbing upward by trampling his own countrymen—everyone had better keep a close eye on the women in your households. Don't let him set eyes on them..."

"Keep it down. But he has a good younger brother, a martial arts genius with top-grade bone quality. Who could touch him now? Good people die young, while scourges linger for a thousand years." Someone else took up the conversation, then turned to sigh over Cloud-Striding Martial Hall.

Several more days passed. Only one day remained until the Martial Assessment.

Su Yuan examined his progress.

[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 322/500 (First Layer)]

[Riding: 1557/2000 (Complete)]

The cultivation technique's progress had surpassed three hundred. Though Su Yuan had yet to become a Martial Warrior, the increase in qi and blood and strength within his body was solid and real.

He felt that he could now punch Wang Er to death.

He also discovered that as his physique grew stronger, the boosts from his traits increased as well.

Put simply: the effects of these traits were all noble percentage increases, exerting their strength in the later stages.

He had ground Riding to the completion stage. Though it had not unlocked a trait, he was already highly skilled at controlling horses.

"Next, it's time to seek some assistance."