Trait Stacking

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed.

Hong Ming's days had been full and busy.

In the mornings, he made time to row boats for the children of the wealthy and powerful with Qin Hao. In the afternoons, he went to Chen Family Water Farm to gather mussels.

He devoted all his remaining time wholeheartedly to practicing the Coiling Dragon Stake.

Earning money and cultivating went hand in hand, and the results were gratifying:

[Fortune: 5 points]

[Coiling Dragon Stake (Beginner 208/500)]

His Fortune had risen from zero to five points, averaging one point per day.

His Coiling Dragon Stake had gained more than sixty points of experience in total, averaging around twenty points a day.

At this rate, he still had a good chance of cultivating Inner Force before the deadline.

"Unfortunately, my wallet can't support it!"

Hope had lost to reality. Such abundant gains were certainly delightful, but the problem was that they burned through money far too quickly.

The rate at which he earned money simply could not keep up with the rate at which he spent it.

To practice the Coiling Dragon Stake, he had to take at least two doses of Blood-Qi Medicine every day. Even then, it was barely enough!

By now, he had drained all the money he had earned during this period. If he wanted to maintain his current training efficiency from now on, it would likely be difficult to sustain.

Forced by livelihood, Hong Ming had no choice but to reorganize his work and training schedule.

That day, as usual, he went to Qin Hao to look for boat-rowing work. Qin Hao had always welcomed him without refusal.

This time, however, Qin Hao did not take him to row for Wang Heng.

"Young Master Wang no longer needs us to row for him. He cultivated Inner Force!"

Qin Hao explained the reason, his tone carrying an envy he could not conceal.

Wang Heng had joined the Water Army at nearly the same time as him. While Qin Hao was still struggling bitterly, the other man had already stepped onto a new stage.

That certainly showed that Wang Heng's talent was not low, but money and resources had been indispensable as well.

If those resources had been invested in him, then with the same middling bone structure, perhaps he could have broken through too.

With a sigh in his heart, Qin Hao glanced at the silent Hong Ming and lightly patted his shoulder, as if comforting him, yet also encouraging himself.

At the very least, compared to Hong Ming, he was doing fairly well. He still had hope of remaining in the Water Army.

Thinking this, his mood improved somewhat, and he continued with the matter at hand. "Come on. I'll introduce you to someone else who needs a boat rowed."

The one taking over Wang Heng's boat-rowing service was a woman named Zhou Min, likewise from a wealthy and well-established household.

However, she only wanted one person. Qin Hao decisively gave the spot to Hong Ming and told him what to watch out for.

"You're the servant hired to row for my young lady?" The one who met Hong Ming was a maid.

She was young, but she carried the distinctive haughty air of a servant from a grand household.

After receiving Hong Ming's reply, she examined him from head to toe, delicately covering her nose with one hand as she frowned. "My young lady likes cleanliness. Next time you come, remember to burn incense and bathe first!"

Her tone was utterly matter-of-fact, carrying the air of someone who asked why people did not simply eat meat porridge.

"..."

Hong Ming had bathed before coming, but he did not argue. He merely nodded to show that he understood.

The maid immediately led Hong Ming to meet her mistress.

Zhou Min had arrived long ago. Dressed in fitted training clothes with her hair tied in a ponytail, she was practicing stances by the shore.

Her movements were neither hurried nor slow, crisp and powerful. It was clear that she had put in considerable hard work.

Upon seeing Hong Ming and the maid, her expression did not change. She continued practicing the following movements.

The maid stopped, extending an arm to block the oblivious Hong Ming. She shot him a glare, warning him not to make a single sound.

Hong Ming complied and stood quietly to one side as he waited, though the earlier contact had stirred faint ripples in his heart.

It was the Trait that had caught Hong Ming's attention:

[Trait: Breathing and Exhalation (Level 1 · White)]

[Status: Can be solidified]

[Fortune required: 1 point]

[Solidification effect: Adjusts one's breathing to match the rhythm of all things in heaven and earth.]

"Can be solidified?"

Hong Ming was slightly stunned. Could the same Trait be solidified again?

Half doubtful, he looked at the required Fortune. After a brief moment of consideration, he chose to try.

[Consumed 1 point of Fortune. Successfully stacked the "Breathing and Exhalation" Trait.]

"It actually worked?!"

Hearing the voice ring out in his mind, Hong Ming was instantly invigorated.

He quickly noticed the change in wording. The panel had not said "solidified," but "stacked"!

In other words, identical Traits could be stacked?

Hong Ming's eyes shone as though he had discovered a new continent, and even his breathing became slightly hurried.

"What changes did stacking bring to the effect?"

He immediately thought of another question.

If it merely stacked without doing anything else, it would not be of much use to him. But if the effect increased after stacking, its significance would be entirely different.

Perhaps he could use this to raise his training speed once again!

"I'll know once I try it later!"

Hong Ming took a light breath and quickly calmed his emotions.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Zhou Min finished practicing her stances. Without any unnecessary words, she boarded the boat and signaled Hong Ming to begin.

Hong Ming slowly began rowing. At once, an even stronger feeling than before surged into his heart.

It was as though a thin iron wire had become a thick iron chain, binding man and boat together far more tightly.

Reflected in his actions, Hong Ming entered the rhythm swiftly without expending much effort, feeling as relaxed as if commanding his own arm.

His boat-rowing skill visibly improved. No longer constrained by his previous experience, he could precisely match Zhou Min's rhythm.

Within that rhythm, he even made a new discovery.

Compared to Wang Heng's, Zhou Min's rhythm was somewhat gentler, carrying traces of immaturity and rawness.

This undoubtedly revealed the gap between the two in their stance-training cultivation!

"Just as I expected, once Traits are stacked, their effects increase as well!"

Having verified his guess, Hong Ming's heart surged with excitement.

He soon thought of another benefit. Since his boat-rowing ability had improved, his training speed would surely improve in the same way.

There was no rush. Hong Ming steadied his mind and focused on rowing.

With the enhanced Breathing and Exhalation Trait at work, there was no need to mention Hong Ming's rowing skill. The entire journey passed without incident, and he earned his pay with ease.

Once it was over, he did not linger and hurriedly bid Zhou Min farewell.

He had not gone far when the maid suddenly called after him. "Wait. My young lady says you rowed well. This is your reward!"

Her tone still carried a trace of lofty superiority, but Hong Ming, who had just solidified a Trait from her mistress, did not care in the slightest.

He accepted the reward of only ten copper coins and cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you, Miss Zhou."

With that, he left directly, found a secluded spot, and tested the Trait's effect.

[Coiling Dragon Stake +2]

His training speed had increased as well!

Previously, one round gave him one point of experience. Now, one round gave him two points. His efficiency had doubled!

"With this, even if I cut back on my Blood-Qi Medicine supply, I still have hope of fulfilling the Fate Grid's requirements."

Hong Ming slowly finished his training and let out a long breath.

Looking at the mere four points of Fortune remaining on the panel, his thoughts immediately became more active.

"If I can find four more Breathing and Exhalation Traits to stack..."

A tempted look appeared in Hong Ming's eyes. The more he considered it, the more feasible the method seemed.

There was no reason he could stack it once but not stack it a second time, a third time, or even more.

The benefits looming clearly before him directly stimulated Hong Ming's initiative. Without the slightest hesitation, he acted the moment the thought occurred to him.

He suddenly turned back and slowly cast his gaze toward the other soldiers practicing stances not far away, a faint smile rising at the corner of his lips.