Settlement

"How are you planning to trade?" someone asked.

Zhou Yang wore a smile. "You get three bowls of meat for your three daily meals. If you sell them to us, we'll give you ten copper coins a day. If you sell them in a three-month block, that's one tael of silver.

"For the Body-Strengthening Soup worth one tael of silver, I'll offer six hundred copper coins. If you sell three months' worth at once, I'll give you two taels."

Some people looked tempted, clearly swayed by Zhou Yang's words.

Since failure was inevitable, why not trade these resources for money?

"What about you, Junior Brother Xu?" Zhou Yang looked at Xu Yang beside him.

Xu Yang remained unmoved. "Sorry, I still want to practice martial arts."

So that was it—he was trying to buy their resources at a low price. Of course, what Zhou Yang said was likely true as well.

But he was different; he had the Martial Dao Longevity Panel.

"Don't think I'm trying to swindle you. If you don't believe me, ask Senior Brother Sun Tao tomorrow when he arrives, or go ask Master Lin. Aside from Lu Ren, it's truly impossible for any of you to succeed. Trading resources for money is the wise move," Zhou Yang said.

He did indeed want to buy the meat and Body-Strengthening Soup from Xu Yang and the others at a low price, but he was speaking the truth, without a hint of deception.

In his view, aside from Lu Ren, Xu Yang and the others—including Zhang Yong, who had a Grade C root bone—had no chance of becoming martial artists.

"Ask someone else, Senior Brother Zhou. I have no such plans for now."

Having rested enough, Xu Yang stood up and left directly.

Seeing that Xu Yang wasn't playing along, Zhou Yuan's expression darkened slightly, but he still spoke up: "If you change your mind, Junior Brother Xu, you can come find us brothers anytime."

He didn't expect Xu Yang to agree immediately. After all, it was only the first day of training, and they were still dreaming of becoming martial artists. Once they were battered and bruised in a few days, they would naturally change their minds.

In the blink of an eye, the afternoon passed. Between the constant cycle of training and resting, Xu Yang lost track of how much he had sweated.

He only remembered drinking at least ten pounds of water, and his body now felt sticky and grimy.

Of course, the results were gratifying. His practice of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance had improved from lasting only two or three minutes at the start to about five minutes now, and he could connect many of the movements more fluidly.

His legs were trembling as if he had been run over a dozen times. He dragged his exhausted body to the bathhouse to wash away the stench of sweat, and by the time he finished, it was already dinner time.

He ate this meal with even more appetite than the one at noon, and he ate more, too.

A faint warmth radiated from his stomach, spreading to his limbs and bones, and the exhaustion in Xu Yang's body gradually dissipated.

The people sitting together remained silent; everyone was utterly drained. Even Lu Ren looked fatigued, and Luo Dehu, usually bouncing around, was as wilted as a frost-bitten eggplant, equally unwilling to speak.

To his surprise, even though the Zhou brothers had painted such a tempting picture, he noticed that no one had sold their meal rations during dinner.

Perhaps they are afraid of the Huang Family's retribution.

The price offered by the Zhou brothers wasn't low, but the reason everyone could resist the temptation was likely the Huang Family.

After resting a while longer, everyone regained some strength and stood up to leave the dining hall together.

Although things had been unpleasant at noon, their actions remained unified; they came and went as a group.

Even the five people who didn't have a share of the Body-Strengthening Soup accompanied the five of them to the Medicine Hall to drink their portions before everyone left Wei Yuan Hall together.

Stepping out of Wei Yuan Hall, the sky had already turned dark.

"It's no wonder the Body-Strengthening Soup costs one tael of silver for three bowls; the effect is truly astonishing."

At this moment, the effects of the soup began to kick in. Xu Yang felt his body heating up, sweat pouring out, and his skin turning a deep red.

The group thinned out along the way. Once they left the city, it turned out that only the young boy named Qian Jiaxing and he lived outside the city walls, while the others all lived within.

After walking for a while longer, Qian Jiaxing headed in a different direction, and the two parted ways.

By the time Xu Yang returned to White Stone Ward, there was little light left in the world. The fields were silent, not even a dog barked.

After all, most people couldn't even feed themselves, let alone keep a dog.

As he pushed the door open, Xu Qing darted over in a flash, asking anxiously, "How did it go, Brother? Were you selected?"

Her voice trembled as she spoke.

Only she knew how much Xu Yang had suffered over the past six months to practice martial arts; because of the mining, the blisters on his hands had never healed.

If he hadn't been selected, she dared not imagine how desperate Xu Yang would be.

Xu Yang ruffled the little girl's hair and nodded heavily. "I was selected. My root bone is ranked in the third tier, and I've already spent the day training at Wei Yuan Hall."

"Ah... you were selected! That's wonderful!"

Xu Qing shrieked with excitement, her voice piercing the night.

"Keep it down!" Xu Yang was startled and ruffled her hair again.

The little girl restrained herself, though she remained highly agitated. "Once you become a martial artist, you'll outshine that annoying brat Yang Jun. Then we'll make Xu Laoer regret it until his guts turn green, and we won't pay him any mind..."

"Mm!"

Xu Yang nodded heavily. "Go ahead and eat. You don't need to wait for me anymore; from now on, I'll be eating all three meals at Wei Yuan Hall."

Xu Qing nodded and picked up her bowl to eat.

Xu Yang sat down, thought for a moment, and said, "Don't tell anyone else about me practicing martial arts for now. If anyone asks, just say I've gone into the city to work."

Revealing that he had begun martial arts training carried two possibilities: one was to deter Li Hu, ensuring he would no longer target Xu Qing.

Of course, there was also the possibility that Li Hu, fearing future retaliation once Xu Yang became a martial artist, would nip the threat in the bud.

Despite the amicable tone of their previous interactions, everyone in the White Stone Ward would jump at the chance to kill a member of the Tri-Union Gang if given the opportunity.

The Tri-Union Gang rode roughshod over everyone, skimming a fifth of their annual earnings, and they were hated to the bone.

Therefore, the best course of action was to keep a low profile and wait until his training bore fruit.

"Mm!"

Xu Qing was unaware of these complexities, but she would never defy Xu Yang's words.

At the fifth watch, Xu Yang woke up.

Instead of the muscle soreness that usually followed excessive labor at the Mine, he felt refreshed, full of energy, and as if his strength had increased by a fraction.

His first glance went to the Martial Dao Longevity Panel.

[Martial Dao Longevity Points: 52]

"So many points!"

Between participating in the Huang Family selection, learning the Turtle-Snake Great Stance at Wei Yuan Hall, and training desperately for a full day, the points he had earned exceeded his wildest imagination—it had settled a total of fifty points.

In the past, it would have taken him nearly two months to accumulate that many.

His previous hypothesis was correct: only by practicing martial arts could the panel truly be utilized.

Of course, because he had done so much yesterday that was conducive to his martial path, the reward was unusually high; he likely wouldn't receive such a windfall again unless he acquired new techniques or performed other deeds beneficial to his martial longevity.

"Others have a ten percent chance of becoming a martial artist, but for me, it is an inevitability."

Such a massive point reward gave Xu Yang immense confidence.

He climbed out of bed, finished the leftovers Xu Qing had left behind to quell his hunger, and sat on the stool to summon the panel once more:

[Comprehension: 21]

[Aptitude: 22]

[Cultivation: None]

[Technique: Turtle-Snake Great Stance · Uninitiated (0/5)]

[Skill: Mining lv.3 (283/400)]

[Remaining Lifespan: 57]

[Martial Dao Longevity Points: 52]