Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment

People of this era, so long as they had a bite to eat,

were still simple at heart.

Of course, if the world gave people no way to live, they would naturally turn into ghosts.

The honest-looking butcher Wang Er before Li Beichen was just such a man.

He was honest by nature, and even when faced with profit, he could still refuse it.

But Li Beichen's actions also carried the intention of repaying kindness. A twenty-eighty split, with Wang Er paying for the offal as well, would be no different from letting him earn only hard-earned money.

Li Beichen naturally could not do such a thing. It went against his principles.

"No, no, no. We'll split it sixty-forty. Brother Wang Er, I need to focus on martial arts, so I'll leave the business to you. I'll bring you the secret spices regularly!"

"As for this braising broth, it can be simmered over the long term and become aged broth. After that, you only need to add ingredients at regular intervals."

After setting the split, Li Beichen drank a few more cups with Wang Er and his wife. Once he had explained everything, he returned to his room.

The next day, Li Beichen gave Wang Er the remaining spices.

Wang Er also set up a separate stall beside his own butcher shop to sell braised meat.

Li Beichen had suggested selling it by the liang, at five coins per liang.

No matter who it was, upon smelling that braised fragrance they had never encountered before, their fingers would twitch with appetite.

Seeing how cheap it was, they could not help but buy a little to taste.

And after that first taste, they were nearly addicted.

The braised meat business Li Beichen and Wang Er had partnered in gradually flourished, while his [Giant Elephant Fist] progress surged forward in full song.

Five days later, Li Beichen smeared the last bit of [Giant Elephant Ointment] over his body and began cultivating once more.

An hour later, he had completed three rounds of [Giant Elephant Fist].

Li Beichen let out a long breath, and the panel appeared before him.

[Technique: Giant Elephant Fist—Incomplete (First Glimpse of the Way)]

[Progress: (0/200)]

[Traits: Slight increase in physique, slight increase in strength, slight increase in endurance]

In an instant, a current of heat poured into Li Beichen's body from nowhere. His fatigue vanished, his vigor returned, and his muscles finished growing in mere moments.

His strength increased, his endurance increased, and even his eight abdominal muscles began to rise slightly.

His body took on a powerful, robust form.

More than that, all manner of insights regarding [Giant Elephant Fist] flooded into Li Beichen's mind.

How to exert force better, which angles could temper the muscles more effectively...

Li Beichen stood solemnly where he was for a moment, then suddenly threw a punch. As he moved through the form, every motion was smooth and forceful, having undergone a fundamental transformation from before.

The one leading Li Beichen and the other Outer Courtyard disciples in training that day was Fifth Senior Sister Fang Meiqin.

She was also the only woman among the six Inner Courtyard disciples of Like-Elephant Martial Hall.

She was... also very tall and sturdy.

A heroine who yielded nothing to men.

Over the past few days, Li Beichen had seen every Inner Courtyard martial hall disciple once.

He could only say that those who cultivated Giant Elephant Fist, male or female, all had exceptionally developed muscles.

Fang Meiqin had originally been sitting carelessly in a grand chair, counting the clouds in the sky.

Then she suddenly noticed Li Beichen, who had broken through to [First Glimpse of the Way].

She rose to her feet and walked over to Li Beichen, waiting for him to finish his form.

"What is your name? When did you enter the Outer Courtyard? I haven't seen you before."

"Fifth Senior Sister, I am Li Beichen. I joined Like-Elephant Martial Hall six days ago. Today truly is the first time I've seen you, Senior Sister."

"Six days... and you went from Novice Practice to this level of progress? Not bad. If you run into problems later, you may come find me for help."

Fang Meiqin patted Li Beichen on the shoulder.

The force of it made him ache slightly.

Naturally, Li Beichen would not refuse Fifth Senior Sister's goodwill.

"Beichen... thanks Senior Sister!"

Quite a few disciples saw this scene. Zhang Yuan, who had entered the Martial Academy one day before Li Beichen, secretly gritted his teeth.

"How is that possible? My talent is clearly better. Why is his progress faster than mine?!"

Zhang Yuan was the youngest new disciple, the one whom Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Meng had guided for the longest on the day of entry, and he was considered to have the greatest potential.

On top of that, he was the illegitimate son of a wealthy Ram City household, and over the past few days, quite a few people had already gathered around him.

"Brother Yuan, I asked around. This Li Beichen is just a hunter from a poor family. He must have trained day and night these past few days to reach this level."

"That's right. I noticed earlier that he has already used up his Giant Elephant Ointment. With his financial means, his cultivation progress will likely slow greatly over the next few days."

"But in two days, May's Giant Elephant Ointment will be distributed again. Even then, it will only be enough for him for a few days."

Listening to the bootlickers around him, Zhang Yuan nodded.

Poor scholars, rich martial artists. The resources needed for martial arts were naturally not something a hunter could afford.

One step ahead, every step ahead. No matter how gifted one was, if that talent was not realized in time, one would still fade into the masses.

Clear Creek Village, western end of the village.

Under the dim lamplight.

Li Beichen and Wang Er sat together, carefully counting the earnings from the past few days.

"Ten taels... eighteen taels... twenty-two taels and three qian."

Wang Er's face was flushed red, and the folds of flesh on his excited face trembled.

"Brother Beichen, your braised meat is far too profitable. Every day, demand exceeds supply."

Li Beichen raised a brow. He had expected braised meat to make money, but he had not expected it to be this profitable.

In just six or seven days, they had earned twenty-two taels. By their split, he could take more than thirteen taels.

And the [Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment] from [Like-Elephant Martial Hall] cost only ten taels.

"Brother Wang Er, with the braised meat business doing so well, has anyone come asking around?"

"Not yet... What do you mean, brother? Someone might grow jealous of our business..."

At the thought, the butcher immediately became agitated.

"Whoever dares come will have to ask whether my butcher's blade is sharp enough!"

"No need to worry. Brother Wang Er, maintain the current business for now. I'm a man of the martial halls now!"

Li Beichen smiled and soothed him.

"That's right. Brother, you're a martial artist now. With you watching over us, who would dare cause trouble?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, I'll come from Jinglong District to Market Ward to find you. I'll sit in your butcher shop for a while, Brother Wang Er."

"Alright!"

Wang Er's butcher shop was rented in Market Ward. If Li Beichen wore the disciple uniform of the Four Great Martial Halls and came sit in the shop, he would undoubtedly be telling others that someone was backing this place.

It would at least deter some hooligans and petty scoundrels.

However, this worked at their current scale. If the business grew larger, they would at the very least need a true Grade Entry martial artist to rely on.

After the two finished discussing matters, Li Beichen took thirteen taels of silver and left.

Including the money on him, he now had fourteen taels.

Buying [Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment] would be more than affordable!

Early the next morning, after arriving at the martial hall, Li Beichen first bought a jar of [Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment] in the front hall.

Unlike [Giant Elephant Ointment], which was merely stored in a section of bamboo tube, [Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment] came in a special white porcelain pot with a wide belly.

Even its packaging showed that it was a high-end product.

After finishing the entire morning's cultivation at noon, Li Beichen opened the white porcelain pot. The translucent ointment, green tinged with yellow, gave off a rich medicinal fragrance.

Li Beichen took out a little and smeared it over his body.

He immediately felt the difference.

It was not merely a cool sensation. A scorching medicinal potency seeped into his muscles, actively stimulating their growth and dispelling fatigue and soreness.