Improving Physical Strength

# Chapter 7: Enhancing Physical Strength

Staring at the percentage value that had suddenly risen to 85%, Shen Xing was stunned. He never expected to guess so many correctly this time.

This trait felt rather interesting—he could rely on contact with and understanding of a ghost to guess its characteristics.

Though he didn't know what would happen once he guessed everything, there would definitely be some result.

Just then, several more lines of text suddenly jumped out from his mind.

[Understanding of Hong Bin's characteristics has reached over 80%. Hong Bin can be locked...]

[Detected that Hong Bin has already been locked by the wood carving.]

At the same moment, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Shen Xing's heart, as if an odd connection had formed with the shadow inside Hong Bin's half-body wood carving.

With a mental stir, he could immediately sense the Fake Hong Bin's shadow curled up within the carving.

[Conditions for absorbing Hong Bin's characteristics have been met. Absorbing characteristics can increase the host's Physical Strength. Begin absorption now?]

[Tip 1: If understanding of his characteristics reaches over 90%, there is a high probability of discovering and absorbing Hong Bin's Latent Skill during the absorption process.]

[Tip 2: Hong Bin has no Latent Skill.]

"Screw you!"

Looking at the final two tips, Shen Xing felt as if he had been ruthlessly toyed with by life itself.

These lines of text appearing in his mind told Shen Xing that increasing his Physical Strength stat could only be achieved by absorbing the Fake Hong Bin's characteristics.

And if the Fake Hong Bin had possessed a Latent Skill, he would have needed at least 90% understanding of his characteristics to have a chance of absorbing that skill.

As for now, Hong Bin had no Latent Skill, meaning Shen Xing could absorb his characteristics immediately.

Regardless, although staring at the wood carving could increase Mental Antibody, that was only on the mental and spiritual level. His physical body also needed strengthening. He'd seize the opportunity to boost his Physical Strength first.

He brought Hong Bin's half-body wood carving closer, positioning it directly facing him.

Shen Xing's gaze leveled with the wood carving's eyes. Because this carving contained the abnormal Hong Bin inside, upon closer inspection, one could sense a strange, eerie vitality emanating from within.

Looking at its appearance—from the hair tips on its forehead, to the drooping brows, slightly protruding nose bridge, thick lips, and the neck lines—every detail became more captivating the longer one looked. It felt like facing a real person.

After a moment, Shen Xing silently intoned in his mind: "Absorb Hong Bin's characteristics."

A line of silver text immediately popped up in his mind.

[Hong Bin, current understanding of characteristics 85%. Characteristics can be absorbed. Begin now?]

"Begin."

Shen Xing repeated.

The Hong Bin wood carving before him trembled slightly the next second, as if struck by an earthquake. It was impossible to tell whether the table had moved or the carving itself.

Then a cracking sound echoed in Shen Xing's mind. He lowered his head slightly and saw the skin on both his palms seem to glow from the inside out.

At that moment, the Physical Strength progress bar beneath his eyes slowly extended forward, stopping at 52%.

"That's it? Absorbed?" Shen Xing was astonished.

He hadn't felt anything at all. He'd only seen the Hong Bin wood carving before him give a slight tremor and thought he'd accidentally bumped the worktable.

Previously, his Physical Strength had been "Mortal Body 37%", and now the stat beneath his eyes showed "Mortal Body 52%".

So after absorbing Hong Bin's characteristics, his Physical Strength had increased by 15%.

He didn't move immediately but sat still for a moment.

After absorbing the characteristics—especially having clearly seen his hands glow faintly—Shen Xing felt as if an odd sense of power had appeared between his hands.

He was about to find a way to test the strength in his hands when suddenly, a knock came from outside the living room door.

A slightly soft, childish voice called out gently from outside: "Uncle Shen, are you there?"

Shen Xing knew at once it was Lin Feifei from downstairs. Since her mother raised her alone, the child had taken her mother's surname.

"I'm here." Shen Xing temporarily abandoned his testing, stood up, walked to the living room door, and opened it.

Looking down, Feifei stood alone outside the door with her backpack on. Her little face was flushed red, as if she'd run all the way up the stairs.

"Where's your mom?" Shen Xing asked, somewhat surprised.

"Mom hasn't come back yet," Feifei said. "This afternoon was PE class. I left my key at home and can't get in. Can I wait for Mom here?"

"Come on in." Shen Xing smiled.

Feifei gave a sweet smile and obediently changed shoes at the door. But Shen Xing didn't have any children's slippers.

Feifei put on a pair of oversized ones, pattered into the room, set down her backpack, took out her homework, and began writing at the coffee table in front of the sofa.

Seeing sweat on her forehead, Shen Xing poured a glass of water and placed it before her.

"Drink some water. Don't run so fast on your way home."

Feifei's school was close to Ivy Apartments. Since her mother Lin Wanru had to work, the girl usually walked to and from school alone.

Shen Xing didn't know where Lin Wanru worked, but she seemed to come home very late often. Sometimes when he returned from closing his shop and saw Feifei alone, he'd buy two portions of dinner and give her one.

With Feifei in the room now, he couldn't test the strange power in his hands. He only felt a faint swelling sensation in his palms and fingers—a feeling of bursting strength.

To avoid disturbing Feifei, Shen Xing returned to the workbench in the bedroom.

He glanced at the half-body Wooden Carving on the workbench. The fake Hong Bin's shadowy figure was still inside, but its traits had already been absorbed. Still, gazing at the carving could continue to increase Mental Antibody.

Now Shen Xing began considering making a new one for Hong Anjie's side while keeping this one.

This current carving contained too many secrets hidden within the fake Hong Bin's black shadow; it was definitely no longer suitable to give to Hong Anjie.

If he started over now and worked overtime to rush it, he should still make it in time—just that he'd earn less money and have to push himself harder.

But the wood for making half-body carvings was at the shop, not at home, so he'd have to go get it.

Time slowly passed.

Night fell. Feifei had finished her homework long ago, but her mother still hadn't come home.

She'd called, but no one answered.

Shen Xing couldn't cook himself and was afraid Feifei would go hungry, so he quickly ordered two portions of shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce fried rice—one large bowl, one small. The small one had no chili, specially prepared for Feifei.

They chatted while eating, but by the time Shen Xing packed up the leftover containers and threw them out, Lin Wanru still hadn't returned.

Feifei didn't seem anxious, though. She was probably used to her mother's routine by now.

After another half hour, Shen Xing called again. This time, the phone was answered and immediately hung up. Lin Wanru's voice came from the third floor.

"Feifei? Feifei?"

Feifei immediately slung on her little backpack, opened the door, and ran out: "Mom, I'm here, at Uncle Shen's place."

Pitter-patter, her small feet quickly ran down to the third floor.

Shen Xing poked his head out at the stairwell and, under the building's lights, saw Feifei's mother leaning against the railing, looking unsteady. One look at her face told him she'd been drinking—and quite a lot.

"Do you need me to come down?" he asked Feifei.

"No need, thank you, Uncle Shen! I'll treat you to a meal with Mom another day."

Feifei, acting like she had experience, waved at him upstairs, then grabbed her mother's hands with both of hers, steadied her, pulled out the keys, and quickly opened the door to go inside.

Lin Wanru wobbled as she walked, mumbling something—maybe a thank you, maybe drunken nonsense. It was hard to make out.

Shen Xing didn't bother further. He turned and went inside, closing the door. After a moment, he shook his head slightly.