Skin-Tempering Minor Accomplishment

These days, the Chen Family's meals had improved. Mu Xiaowan's nutrition had gotten better, and her once-thin little frame had gradually filled out. Her fair, delicate face had become smoother and more lustrous, making her look fresh and lovely.

Chen Cheng's heart stirred. He reached out and pinched her wide-open mouth shut.

"Good girl, hurry and cook. I'm starving."

"All right," Mu Xiaowan said softly, carrying the pork knuckle toward the kitchen.

For some reason, she always felt that Cheng-ge was vastly different from before today.

Chen Cheng stood proudly in the courtyard, silently circulating the Iron Garment Art.

Half a cup of tea later.

[Iron Garment Art cultivation progress increased.]

[Skill: Iron Garment Art (Minor Accomplishment 1/1000)]

After cultivating for nearly a month, the Iron Garment Art had finally reached Minor Accomplishment.

As the art reached Minor Accomplishment, a warm current arose from his limbs and bones and surged through his entire body. Chen Cheng felt as though he had endless strength, and he began throwing punches in the courtyard.

He did not know any boxing techniques, only a few free-fighting moves: straight punches, lunging punches, level hooks, uppercuts, left swings, right swings...

After punching for a while, he began kicking again.

They were likewise merely free-fighting moves: front thrust kicks, side kicks, sweeping kicks, high roundhouse kicks...

Then he unleashed punches and kicks together. At first, they still looked somewhat decent, but as his speed increased, they gradually devolved into a chaotic flurry of fists and legs without any form or pattern.

Even so, with the power of the Minor Accomplishment Iron Garment Art, his fists and legs struck with tremendous force, his movements swift and fierce. His blows cracked and popped, stirring gusts of wind.

A single crack was worth a thousand gold. Chen Cheng's wildly dancing fists and legs rang out in a continuous roar, their momentum astonishing!

After a round of punches and kicks, Chen Cheng came to a stop. He did not feel tired in the slightest; instead, his entire body felt open and invigorated, comfortable and refreshed.

He clenched his fist, then opened his palm. As his blood and qi circulated, the skin and membranes all over his body tightened and toughened, as hard as cowhide.

Could it be that I've already cultivated the Skin-Tempering Realm?

With that thought, Chen Cheng took a piece of firewood as thick as an arm from the wood rack, laid it across a stone block, and chopped down with a fierce punch.

The firewood snapped in response. Looking at his fist again, there was not even the slightest mark on it.

The force behind that punch was probably no less than three hundred jin!

A wave of wild joy surged through Chen Cheng's heart as he checked the panel.

[Name: Chen Cheng

Realm: Skin Tempering (Minor Accomplishment)

Skill: Iron Garment Art (Minor Accomplishment 1/1000)]

Sure enough, I've stepped into the Skin-Tempering Realm and become a true martial artist.

But this Skin-Tempering Realm martial artist of mine seems a little suspect, like a watered-down version.

Right. Martial arts in this world are divided into external arts and internal cultivation methods. What I cultivate is an internal cultivation method—and among them, a breathing technique focused on internal breath. I know nothing at all about external arts or body-tempering methods, so naturally I can't display the strength a Skin-Tempering Realm martial artist ought to possess.

I'll have to find some external art manuals and body-tempering method manuals somehow.

"Cheng-ge, dinner's ready."

Mu Xiaowan called to him from the kitchen doorway.

"All right."

Chen Cheng answered and went into the kitchen.

Millet rice, a large basin of braised pork knuckle, and a bowl of cabbage tofu soup. Though simple, it was already a meal ordinary commoner families could scarcely dream of.

Chen Cheng had long been famished. He picked up his rice bowl and began wolfing down the food.

As his strength increased, his appetite had grown enormously. Every meal, he needed three heaping bowls of millet rice and more than half a jin of meat before he was full.

The Iron Garment Art had just broken through to Minor Accomplishment, and he had also spent some time throwing punches and kicks in the courtyard. He had expended a great deal of stamina, and the hunger gnawing at him grew ever stronger.

Only after two bowls of millet rice and most of the basin of braised pork knuckle had gone into his stomach did he feel a little full.

Turning his head, he saw Mu Xiaowan taking small bites of her food in silence, as though something weighed on her mind.

"Xiaowan, what's wrong?" Chen Cheng asked doubtfully.

Mu Xiaowan smiled faintly and placed a piece of pork knuckle into Chen Cheng's bowl.

"Cheng-ge, I'm fine."

Chen Cheng set down his bowl and chopsticks, his expression turning serious. "If you're fine, why do you look so downcast?"

Mu Xiaowan hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself. Only after a long while did she say, "Cheng-ge, have you become a martial artist?"

"Yes." Chen Cheng nodded lightly and answered earnestly.

"Ah..." Mu Xiaowan sighed.

"I've become a martial artist. Why are you unhappy instead?" Chen Cheng asked curiously.

Mu Xiaowan stuck out her tongue. "Of course I'm happy that Cheng-ge has become a martial artist and grown so strong. It's just that our household expenses are truly too great."

There was something Mu Xiaowan did not say. Cheng-ge could eat half a pork knuckle in one meal. She truly feared that one day, the Chen Family might suddenly have no food left to cook!

Chen Cheng read her expression. How could he not understand what she was thinking?

"Just set your mind at ease. I'll find a way to deal with the money. Eat."

After dinner, the two went to bed early.

Several heavy snowfalls had come one after another these past days, and the weather had grown increasingly cold.

Although charcoal burned inside the room, Mu Xiaowan still felt chilled as she hid beneath the blankets. Unconsciously, she kept burrowing into Chen Cheng's arms.

So Chen Cheng held her as they slept.

Having cultivated the Iron Garment Art, Chen Cheng's blood and qi were abundant, and his body was like a furnace, warm and hot.

"Cheng-ge, many families in the alley have sent their whole households into the mountains to chop firewood."

"Mhm."

"Our firewood is nearly used up too."

"It's fine. When I have my day off in two days, I'll buy some more."

"I heard firewood prices have risen again."

"Don't worry. We can still afford it."

"Cheng-ge, how about we save a little more?"

"Mhm. Save where we should save, spend where we should spend!"

Three days later.

Chen Cheng had a day off.

Early in the morning, he went to the market to buy firewood. This time, he bought twenty loads at once—enough to last more than two months, which should see them through this harsh winter.

Besides the firewood, he also bought a stack of drawing paper, brushes, and ink.

Afterward, Chen Cheng shut himself in his room and did not come out until Mu Xiaowan had finished making breakfast.

"Cheng-ge, were you writing in the room?"

Seeing quite a few ink stains on Chen Cheng's face and hands, Mu Xiaowan hurriedly brought hot water to wash them for him.

"Mhm, writing a few words and drawing a few pictures while I'm at it," Chen Cheng replied casually.

Mu Xiaowan had been born into a wealthy household. She had learned to read and write since childhood, and had studied with Father Chen for another two years, so she was literate as well. Chen Cheng had deliberately shut the door and refused to let her see, which only made her more curious.

"Cheng-ge, what did you write? And what did you draw?"

Chen Cheng smiled. "I was just copying down a few martial arts manuals for men who cultivate martial arts. Women aren't meant to see them."

"Martial arts manuals are divided between men and women?" Mu Xiaowan blinked her beautiful eyes, full of suspicion.

"Naturally, they're divided between men and women," Chen Cheng said unhurriedly.

"Oh." Mu Xiaowan was half-convinced and half-doubtful. "Cheng-ge, then why are you copying martial arts manuals?"

"To sell for money, of course. Our household expenses for the next few months will depend on this."

Seeing that Mu Xiaowan still wanted to ask more, Chen Cheng found it difficult to explain that the martial arts manual he had copied was too unusual. He changed the subject instead. "It's getting late. Hurry and eat. I need to sell these martial arts manuals."

After hurriedly finishing breakfast, Chen Cheng changed into a set of black casual clothes, tucked the martial arts manual he had just copied into his robe, and hurried out the door.

The martial arts manual he wanted to sell was naturally the Iron Garment Art. Of course, it could not possibly be the complete Iron Garment Art, but rather a crippled version.

Not only was it incomplete, it contained only the incantations and methods of the Iron Crotch Art portion.

Compared with Master Xiuchen's treasured incantations and methods, the martial arts manual he had just copied included some improvements, raising the chance of successful cultivation to around fifty percent.