No Money, What Qi Are You Practicing? The Older Generation Loves Riddles!

That afternoon, after purchasing the materials, Qin Qi entered the Study Space to begin processing medicinal herbs alongside Tang Jiaren.

It took the better part of the day to produce one hundred pills.

"Each of these pills can improve your physical constitution, but their potency is quite strong."

"Take at most one a day; consuming more will turn them into poison instead."

Tang Jiaren held the pills and instructed Qin Qi.

"Understood."

Qin Qi nodded. The medicinal ingredients, which had cost over five hundred Gold Spirit Coins, had ultimately yielded only these one hundred pills.

In other words, the material cost for a single pill was five Gold Spirit Coins!

And that was with him making them himself; if he had bought them from an outside source, who knew how much they would cost!

"This is literally eating money."

Qin Qi held the pill, shook his head, and said to Tang Jiaren with a smile.

"Martial arts have always been expensive. You need to hire masters to train, and you need supplements to strengthen your body."

"Dietary supplements and medicinal tonics are both indispensable. That's why they say 'the scholar is poor, the martial artist is rich'—without money, how could you possibly practice martial arts?"

Tang Jiaren said with a chuckle.

"Sigh."

Qin Qi sighed and swallowed a pill. The moment it hit his stomach, he began circulating the Five Treasures Body Protection Method to absorb its medicinal properties.

This batch of pills was different from the last; he had added more precious ingredients this time.

The effects lasted longer, and Qin Qi felt a constant warmth spreading through his body, nourishing his limbs and bones.

"That Whale Glue stuff is truly excellent—very nourishing. I added quite a few good things to the concoction this time."

"The potency of a single pill is enough to keep you absorbing it for an entire day."

Tang Jiaren remarked.

"Grind! Time to keep making money and buying more medicine!"

Feeling the warm current within his body, Qin Qi felt full of energy.

"Hold off on the grinding for a moment; help me craft some Hidden Weapons first."

Tang Jiaren rolled up his sleeves and said with a grin, "Start by helping me organize the materials."

"Yes."

Qin Qi looked at the massive pile of materials he had bought, and his fighting spirit instantly flickered out.

Fine, it seemed he would have to assemble them from scratch after all.

After spending another half-day of hard work, Qin Qi and Tang Jiaren finally finished crafting a classic Tang Sect Hidden Weapon: the Hand Spike!

"This thing is the most reliable companion in our Tang Sect. Don't let its small size fool you; its durability is absurdly high."

"At the same time, it conducts Qi exceptionally well. You could say that while it isn't a magical treasure, it is better than one."

Tang Jiaren held the pitch-black Hand Spike in his hand. With a slight flick of his wrist, the weapon vanished.

"The black finish ensures it won't reflect light under any circumstances. Its volume is even thinner than a silver needle, allowing it to strike any minute opening with precision."

"If you master the Illusion Barrier, you can combine it with the Hand Spike to achieve a truly invisible Hidden Weapon."

As Tang Jiaren spoke, he suddenly pointed behind Qin Qi. "Go pick it up."

"What?"

Qin Qi was stunned. He turned around and saw that the Hand Spike had appeared behind him at some point.

He reached up to touch his face and discovered a small drop of blood on his forehead.

"Granduncle, when did you make your move? Your hands didn't move at all just now!"

Qin Qi was dumbfounded, his eyes widening slightly. He had been killed in the very instant they were talking.

Yet, he hadn't felt a thing; he hadn't even seen Tang Jiaren's hands move.

"Everyone knows that throwing a Hidden Weapon requires the use of hands, so everyone will keep their eyes on your hands."

"You must learn how to conceal your strikes so that no one notices them."

Tang Jiaren said with a chuckle.

"Granduncle, I want to learn this move!"

Qin Qi declared. This move was incredibly underhanded, but he loved it—he had to learn it.

"Take it slow. I will first teach you the basic usage and precautions for the Hand Spike; once you've mastered those, I'll teach you the rest."

Tang Jiaren replied.

Over the next few days, Qin Qi began learning how to use the Hand Spike under Tang Jiaren's guidance.

At the same time, Tang Jiaren used various methods to ambush Qin Qi within the Study Space, calling it "training."

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and Qin Qi had mastered the use of the hand spike.

While eating in the cafeteria.

"Qin Qi..."

"Bang!"

Qin Qi abruptly threw a backhand punch behind him, instantly knocking Wang Sheng to the ground.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Wang Sheng clutched his throat and coughed loudly; that punch had just struck his neck.

If he hadn't been chubby and thick-skinned, that punch could have choked him into unconsciousness right then and there.

"Why did you suddenly sneak up behind me? You scared the life out of me!"

Qin Qi looked back at Wang Sheng and let out a sigh of relief. During this time in the Study Space, he had been attacked by Tang Jiaren in every way imaginable.

He had developed a stress response from being beaten so much!

"Cough, cough, cough, I just wanted to ask if you wanted some meatballs. I managed to grab quite a few today."

Wang Sheng looked at Qin Qi with a very innocent expression; he had just walked over normally.

Was such a huge reaction really necessary? He had never even thought about launching a sneak attack.

"My apologies. I'll treat you to this meal; eat whatever you want."

"Also, don't get close to me so casually for a while. Be careful not to get hurt."

Qin Qi looked at Wang Sheng, patted him on the shoulder, and then took out a Gold Spirit Coin and handed it to him.

"O-okay!"

"Boss Qin Qi is so generous!"

Wang Sheng's eyes went wide as he stared at the Gold Spirit Coin in his hand. One punch earned him a Gold Spirit Coin—would you like to hit me a few more times?

I feel like I'm quite resistant to a beating.

"Are you misunderstanding something? I just didn't have any small change, which is why I gave you a Gold Spirit Coin."

"You need to give me back nine Silver Spirit Coins."

Qin Qi looked at Wang Sheng and spoke.

"..."

Wang Sheng reluctantly fished out nine Silver Spirit Coins. As expected, Qin Qi was still the same Qin Qi he knew.

After taking the change, Qin Qi went to work. While working, his technique for slaughtering pigs became increasingly proficient.

Many times while butchering, his conscious mind hadn't even reacted, yet his body had already finished segmenting the pig.

"Hmm?"

Qin Qi looked at the completely segmented pig, and he suddenly realized something.

That night, he entered the Study Space.

"Granduncle, are you trying to give me a hint?"

Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren. During this time, Tang Jiaren had been constantly ambushing him without explaining why.

Every time Qin Qi asked, Tang Jiaren would just say, "Figure it out yourself." Now, Qin Qi finally understood.

Was this old man playing the "knock three times on the head and come find me in the middle of the night" game?

"Tell me, what hint do you think I'm giving you?"

Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi and asked with a smile.

"Tang Sect Observation Method. The Tang Sect Observation Method isn't just about seeing clearly; it's also about the transcendence of consciousness!"

"When consciousness transcends its limits, only the purest thoughts remain. Entering this state causes all distracting thoughts to vanish."

"Whether attacking or defending, one will make the fastest instinctive reaction."

Qin Qi looked at Tang Jiaren and asked.