The Way to Make Money (Revised Edition)

The Way to Make Money (Revised Edition)

In the courtyard, Zhang He stared at the yellow-and-black sandbag before him. It was made of cowhide and stuffed with crushed sand and stones. It served several purposes: it could be used to build strength or to toughen the body.

He drew a light breath, then whipped his body around. His left leg shot forward as he lowered his body. His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists and suddenly sprang into motion.

"Wild Ox Horn!"

His arms surged upward, and he slammed his fists out from below. A fierce aura suddenly erupted from Zhang He. Wild Ox Horn came from the third move of the Wild Ox Fist.

Wild Ox Fist was a first-grade martial art, taught at the Martial Child Academy to help the children loosen up their muscles and bones. As a result, it consisted mostly of showy movements and was inadequate for attacking.

But Zhang He had made this ordinary move, Wild Ox Horn, erupt with the imposing force of a tiger!

Two afterimages flashed before him. The next moment, the cowhide sandbag gave a slight shudder, accompanied by two dull thuds.

It had been a move of tremendous force, yet when it landed on the sandbag, it had only made it tremble slightly. Anyone watching would have laughed. But if they looked at the sandbag, their jaws would have dropped.

Two clear fist marks had appeared on the cowhide, their edges torn open and sand spilling out. The specially made cowhide sandbag had been soaked with water; even slashing it with a knife would have been difficult. Yet Zhang He had struck it twice, leaving two clear fist marks—and had even broken through the hide, spilling sand.

That took terrifying explosive power!

"This cowhide sandbag can't be broken without at least six hundred jin of strength. Six hundred jin—that's what someone at the seventh level of the Force Martial Realm, with a True Qi Seed, can manage."

Zhang He licked his lips as he stared at the cowhide bag.

The Force Martial Realm had nine levels: Health Preservation Realm, Tendon Opening Realm, Strength Building Realm, Skin Tempering Realm, Bone Refining Realm, Marrow Refining Realm, True Qi Seed, Godspeed Realm, and Brute Force Realm. Broadly speaking, these nine levels could be divided into three major stages. At the first three levels, one could muster the strength of two stones in a single punch, about as much as a strong man. No matter how much one trained, one would still be nothing more than an ordinary person.

Only after entering the Skin Tempering Realm could one become different from ordinary people.

"The Skin Tempering Realm gives you the strength of three stones. The Bone Refining Realm, four stones. The Marrow Refining Realm, five stones."

But even the middle three levels only made one stronger than ordinary people. One could work as a guard for a wealthy household.

"The True Qi Seed gives you the strength of eight stones—three stones more than the Marrow Refining Realm! In the Godspeed Realm, your legs can carry you as fast as a fine steed. The Brute Force Realm boosts your strength again, giving you the strength of ten stones!"

The final three levels began with the True Qi Seed. Anyone who reached the True Qi Seed level before turning eighteen was considered an elite genius. After all, cultivating true qi before the age of eighteen meant the person had immense potential and a good chance of reaching the fourth level of the True Martial Realm.

Those who reached the final three levels could become military officers, their status earning them respect.

Zhang He looked at his fists. They were already swollen and red, and there was a faint ache within them. He couldn't help giving a wry smile.

"Using true qi, that punch had the destructive power of someone at the seventh level of the Force Martial Realm, but my body is still too fragile. That punch would kill a thousand enemies and cost me eight hundred."

His punch could injure someone, but it would injure him too. Although Zhang He had cultivated true qi, he hadn't had time to temper his body. His physique was still at the third level of the Force Martial Realm and remained quite fragile.

Feeling the thin trickle of true qi inside him, Zhang He smiled wryly again. He directed the true qi with his thoughts and wrapped it around his fists; only then did the pain ease.

"I have too little true qi right now. To unleash this much power with Wild Ox Horn, I can use it at most three times before all the true qi I've painstakingly cultivated is gone!"

Zhang He had too little true qi in his body. He could perform a move like that at most three times in a row before completely exhausting it.

"My body is fragile, and my true qi is scarce... I still have a long way to go."

Zhang He stretched, put his things away, and heard a sound coming from inside the house.

The door creaked open.

"Mother, are you feeling better?"

Mother Zhang came out. Her face was still pale, but there was some life in her again.

"Much better. What medicine did you give me? It worked so well."

"Uh... It's a remedy I learned at the Martial Child Academy," Zhang He said offhandedly.

"Brother." Zhang Yu rubbed her eyes as she came out of the room. The moment she saw Zhang He, she grinned and came over, reaching up to be picked up.

Zhang He immediately scooped Zhang Yu into his arms.

"Brother, why have you gotten prettier?" Zhang Yu suddenly looked at him with wide, puzzled eyes. She moved aside the hair on his forehead with her little hand. The birthmark there was gone.

Mother Zhang also suddenly noticed that Zhang He was now a handsome young man with a radiant smile.

"Little sister, 'pretty' is what you say about Mother. For your brother, you should say I'm handsome. Got it? Come on, say it again." Zhang He teased Zhang Yu with a grin. After drinking the Ten-Perfect Dominant Qi and cleansing his marrow and bones, he had developed a sense of qi. Naturally, some of the impurities accumulated inside him had been expelled, leaving him looking bright and fresh.

"Brother, you're so shameless!" Zhang Yu giggled.

Mother Zhang stood beside them, astonished. The birthmark on Zhang He's forehead had always been a deep-seated worry for her!

"Hezi, how did the birthmark on your forehead disappear?" Mother Zhang asked in astonishment.

"The medicine I gave you yesterday can expel toxins. The birthmark on my forehead was also caused by accumulated toxins. So when I took that medicine, it helped get rid of the birthmark." Zhang He thought it over. The Five Poison Beads really could detoxify and improve one's appearance.

"I never thought the medicine could be so effective. Back then, I went to such great lengths..." Mother Zhang suddenly stopped and said no more.

Zhang He smiled. He knew she was talking about the time when she had been the Wang Family's First Madam. Back then, Zhang He had been called Wang He, the Wang Family's eldest legitimate son and young master. Ever since his mother had left the family with him while he was still little, he had become a common martial child. Perhaps his mother had stopped because she didn't want to stir up his painful memories.

"Hezi, the potatoes in the pot are still warm. I won't cook breakfast. Just have some of those," Mother Zhang said quietly.

Zhang He nodded. When he saw his mother gathering the things she used to make pickles, his expression changed. He quickly set Zhang Yu down and hurried over to stop her.

"Mother, you can't work right now. You need to rest and let your body recover. I'll take care of everything at home."

"Silly child, how will we afford food if I don't make pickles? Your health has only just started to improve. You can't overdo it—you need to take good care of yourself!" Mother Zhang was stubborn. She pushed Zhang He aside and tried to get back to work, but her vision suddenly went black and she stumbled. If Zhang He hadn't been quick enough to catch her, she would have fallen to the ground.

"Mother, you've been overworked for a long time, and your body is weak. After you were bitten by that poisonous bug, you nearly never woke up again. Do you want me and Little Sister to grow up without a mother?" Zhang He said angrily, helping Mother Zhang straight to bed. "I'll take care of everything at home. We still have money. What matters most is that you rest and recover."

"Mother..." Zhang Yu tugged at Mother Zhang's clothes, looking pitiful.

"Alas..." Mother Zhang smiled bitterly. She knew her own body, but she simply couldn't lie still.

A sharp glint flashed in Zhang He's eyes. "I can't let Mother suffer anymore. If the family has no money, I'll go earn some!" At the thought of earning money, countless money-making schemes flashed through his mind. He quickly hit upon a brilliant plan: "I have True Qi Condensing Liquid. Anyone at the sixth level of the Force Martial Realm would covet it. If I put it up for sale, people will surely fight to buy it!"

From Zhang He's memories, he knew how agonizing cultivation could be. In this world, it seemed there was no such thing as True Qi Condensing Liquid. Even cultivation geniuses had to rely entirely on their own sense of qi to condense a True Qi Seed, making success very unlikely.

But with True Qi Condensing Liquid, the chances of condensing one's sense of qi into true qi would increase tremendously.

Zhang He quickly made up his mind.

On the main street, Zhang He followed the clues in his memories, searching the shops for his target.

"Biyuan Pavilion."

Three large characters caught his eye. The sign beneath them told Zhang He that they bought pills. When he looked toward the entrance, he saw people constantly going in and out.

Biyuan Pavilion was a famous shop in Mengyin City. Many students from the Martial Child Academy came here to buy pills, so it had made a particularly strong impression on Zhang He.

"Business really is booming. So many people are buying medicine." Zhang He looked at the crowd outside, his eyes flashing with surprise.

A crowd meant Biyuan Pavilion did a lot of business. And the more business it did, the more knowledgeable its people were. Zhang He had complete confidence in his True Qi Condensing Liquid. He was sure he could sell it for a very high price.

Zhang He started inside. Nearby, he heard several people talking.

"I heard those poisonous bugs are called Corpse Poison Beetles. They flew here from the mountains in the west. Some hunters in West Mountain were bitten and died on the spot while out hunting. Now a lot of hunters are fleeing and don't dare return to the mountains."

"Alas, we're really in for a disaster this time. I heard everyone bitten by a Corpse Poison Beetle is doomed."

"Didn't they say the Rejuvenation Pill helps? If you're healthy enough, you have a chance of getting through it."

"The Rejuvenation Pill isn't a cure-all. It can only ease the symptoms, not get rid of the poison. Even Physician Qin, the miracle-working doctor, couldn't remove it with his true qi. Now he's worked himself to exhaustion. Alas, this really is a disaster upon a disaster!"

"Corpse Poison Beetle? What a strange name." Zhang He's expression shifted, and he looked thoughtful. "It seems Mother wasn't bitten by accident. These poisonous bugs are unusual, and quite a few people have been bitten."

Zhang He immediately spotted two people in the crowd supporting a middle-aged man with a gray, ashen face. At a glance, he could tell that the man's symptoms were exactly the same as Mother's after she had been bitten by the poisonous bug.

Zhang He immediately understood: the people waiting in line must have come to buy medicine that could save their lives!

A sharp glint flashed through Zhang He's eyes. "This is the moment to sell the Five Poison Beads."

Selling the Five Poison Beads at a time like this was the perfect opportunity. If everyone learned that the beads could purge the Corpse Poison Beetles' venom and save their lives, they would surely fight to buy them.

Zhang He strode into Biyuan Pavilion.

"What? A Rejuvenation Pill costs three gold coins? Are you trying to rob us? A few days ago, one only cost a gold coin. Even if you're raising the price, you can't raise it this fast!"

An indignant voice came from ahead.

"People are panicking, and Rejuvenation Pills are almost impossible to find. It's only natural for the price to go up. Brother, what matters more to you—money or your life?" The shopkeeper selling medicine wasn't angry. He simply tried to reason with the customer.

"Alas, give me three pills!" the customer said helplessly, taking out his money.

Zhang He's expression shifted slightly. "A single Rejuvenation Pill is selling for three gold coins?"

Three gold coins—three thousand silver coins—was what an ordinary farming family of three would earn from a whole year's labor if they didn't eat or drink. Zhang He's mother could earn only one gold coin in a year of hard work.

Zhang He looked over the people buying medicine. They were all well-dressed, either rich or influential.

"Rejuvenation Pills can't cure it completely, but the Five Poison Beads can get rid of the disease at its root. The Five Poison Beads have a fortune in store!"

Zhang He felt even more confident in the Five Poison Beads.

"Hey, if you're buying medicine, get in line at the back." A voice rang out as a young shop assistant looked at Zhang He with displeasure. Seeing Zhang He's shabby clothes, he showed obvious contempt.