Different

With the aid of Clear Sword Eyes, Li Mu grasped the basics the moment he finished reading, and streams of information appeared before his eyes.

Dripping Water Swordsmanship was a first-tier, white-grade sword art meant to guide beginners. It was easy to learn but hard to master, and placed almost no demands on one's physique.

Water-Questioning Sword Manual, however, was a second-tier, green-grade sword art. Its power was several times greater than Dripping Water Swordsmanship, and its difficulty was vastly higher.

The first requirement was vitality and blood.

Others could only vaguely sense how difficult cultivation was, but Li Mu could clearly see the prompt.

[Minimum requirements for beginner-level cultivation: Vitality and Blood above 9.5, Dripping Water Swordsmanship at Minor Mastery or above.]

"These requirements are harsh."

Li Mu sighed. At least for newly recruited servants, unless they were exceptionally gifted, few could meet those requirements.

Fortunately, he met every one of them.

Without the Great Expansion Sword Register, without the nourishment from those two doses of medicine earlier, and without having picked up so many copper coins to buy meat, how could he possibly have the conditions to cultivate the Water-Questioning Sword Manual now?

"No wonder Zhao Meng stopped keeping an eye on our training. From proficiency to Minor Mastery in Dripping Water Swordsmanship, even those without enough talent can grind through it with sheer hard work.

"As for building vitality and blood up to 9.5, that requires medicinal supplements and meat. Aside from Cao A-Man, all of us servants who fled the famine need time to accumulate it... Without enough vitality and blood to sustain the intensity of training, nothing else matters."

Li Mu had now crossed the threshold. He had also obtained Leng Shuangyu's copied manual first, had the aid of Clear Sword Eyes, and needed no instruction. He could begin training immediately, already far ahead of the other newcomers.

The Water-Questioning Sword Manual had four forms:

First form, beginner level: Thunder-Hearing Tide Severance.

Second form, proficiency level: Moon-Severing over a Calm Lake.

Third form, Minor Mastery level: Yellow Dragon Spits Emerald.

Fourth form, Major Mastery level: Dream Spring Tiger Run.

The four forms were linked in one continuous chain. If one could not learn the earlier forms, the later ones could not be practiced. Furthermore, the vitality and blood requirements increased with every level.

"Thunder-Hearing Tide Severance..."

The little figure in Li Mu's mind began slashing wildly, and he swiftly started practicing as well.

Hear thunder, sever tides.

They were merely two simple moves—a horizontal slash and a vertical chop—yet they contained endless depth and countless variations.

Once mastered, they could mobilize the vitality and blood of the entire body, striking with the sound of thunder and the roar of tides, carrying astonishing momentum!

[Water-Questioning Sword Manual: 1/100 (Not yet initiated)]

After one complete round, his proficiency had increased by only a single point.

After all, this green-grade sword art required an initiation talent of 50, so Li Mu's training progress had slowed.

But Li Mu did not mind.

There was plenty of time ahead. Hard work would bring rewards.

Besides, the first form did not require much space and could be practiced indoors.

A night passed.

Li Mu swung his sword without pause, repeating the first form of the Water-Questioning Sword Manual again and again. Sweat soaked his clothes, and every muscle and bone in his body showed signs of exhaustion.

[Water-Questioning Sword Manual: 20/100 (Not yet initiated)]

[Vitality and Blood: 9.7↑ (Medicinal effects being digested)]

"As expected of a green-grade sword art... Practicing it greatly mobilizes my vitality and blood. With the medicinal effects as well, I'm about to reach the vitality and blood bottleneck."

Li Mu was quite pleased as he watched his vitality and blood rise.

Then waves of fatigue washed over him.

After today's fierce battle, if not for the medicinal effects restoring his injuries, Li Mu would not have been able to practice swordsmanship at all.

"At most two more days, and I'll break through." Li Mu knew that the closer one came to a bottleneck, the harder it became to improve vitality and blood.

But things were different now. He had meat to nourish himself, medicinal supplements, and the aid of a green-grade sword art.

He was full of anticipation.

The next day.

Zhao Tuo knocked on Li Mu's door.

"Brother Li Mu, I heard you were frightened last night. My brother told me to bring you something to eat and help you recover. For the next couple of days, just rest well."

"How could I accept this?"

Li Mu snatched the two strips of dried meat Zhao Tuo was clutching tightly.

The meat smelled... a little strange.

It looked like snake meat.

You don't look the least bit embarrassed... Zhao Tuo smiled. "It tastes good but smells bad. It's an Azure River specialty—Red-Scaled Python meat. After its venom is removed, it's air-dried and cured. Even martial masters of the second threshold rely on it to nourish their vitality and blood. One catty is worth two taels of silver."

"Red-Scaled Python meat? One catty is worth two taels?"

Li Mu weighed it in his hand. One strip of dried meat was about one catty.

Another four-tael gift!

He had become rich overnight.

"Eat sparingly. One tael of meat a day is enough. If you overdo the nourishment, your vitality and blood may backlash. The loss would outweigh the gain."

Zhao Tuo watched enviously. If his brother had not specifically told him not to take even a bite, he would certainly have skimmed some meat for himself. Still, this kid was not so easily fooled...

"So there's such a rule. Thanks, Brother Tuo."

Li Mu smiled, twisted off two taels of meat, and handed it to Zhao Tuo.

"Hm? You brat... not bad." Zhao Tuo beamed. "I told my brother I'd never seen such a promising lad as you. That Cao A-Man is gone, so be it!"

Li Mu froze at that.

"Cao A-Man left? Where did he go?"

"Forging Sword Tower." Zhao Tuo let out a cold laugh. "Just now, Forging Sword Tower's instructor, Liu Yi, came with a transfer order and took him away directly."

"That fellow looks slow and stupid, but he's quite clever when it comes to following the wind. He didn't notify anyone, and Manager Leng didn't stop him either!"

"..."

Li Mu was speechless.

This was obviously Ye Wanqing's doing.

Of the four newly recruited servants of Myriad Swords Tower, one had died and one had run off.

In the blink of an eye, only two remained.

Since the quota had not been filled, they simply poached someone.

If word got out...

It would be like throwing Leng Shuangyu's dignity to the ground and trampling it beneath their feet.

"With things like this, when the newly recruited servants compete in the year-end servant martial exhibition, Myriad Swords Tower will be relying on you and that little monk."

"You have to do us proud and slap their faces hard!"

Zhao Tuo heavily patted Li Mu on the shoulder.

"A servant martial exhibition?" Li Mu caught the important point.

"That's right. You can think of it as the five towers' major servant examination. The Third Manor Lord will attend as well, and the rewards are generous. That day is our chance to rise up. There's no hurry—we can talk about it in detail later."

"You get some proper rest. In a few days, this brother will treat you to drinks and introduce you to the other brothers. My brother says you're too withdrawn. Training like this can easily stifle you."

Zhao Tuo thought highly of Li Mu. Li Mu knew how to conduct himself, and no matter what Zhao Tuo said, he always listened quietly and obediently.

Unlike the others, who sometimes impatiently interrupted him, making him feel embarrassed while leaving him unable to vent his anger.

Moreover, through his elder brother Zhao Meng, he could vaguely sense that Li Mu was indeed highly valued by the manager.

Now that Cao A-Man, who had placed first in the assessment, had left, while Fan Rong, who had placed third, had died miserably last night, Li Mu—the second-place finisher—seemed all the more precious.

Toward this "junior brother," who was so tactful, understood the rules, and had such potential, Zhao Tuo unconsciously began to feel a certain expectation, hoping to see him grow.

Of course, if Zhao Tuo knew that Li Mu had killed four people in one night, he likely would not have thought this way...

"Alright." Li Mu considered it. Zhao Tuo had a point. Meeting more people appropriately would let him gather more information and better assess his current combat strength.

"Oh, right. Everything before was my brother's instruction. But since you call me Brother Tuo, as your elder brother, I can't fail to show something when I see you injured. So I went through a lot of trouble to find you a considerate maidservant. She'll attend to you for two days, and she's more than willing. Enjoy yourself!"

The longer Li Mu listened, the more something felt wrong. Just as he was about to refuse—

Zhao Tuo gave him a deeply meaningful smile from his rough, round face covered in stubble, tossed out those words, and turned to leave without giving him the chance.

Then a short-haired girl stepped forward. Looking at Li Mu, she seemed somewhat shy. "Brother Li Mu..."

Who else could it be but Meng Ling?

"Ah, I knew it was you. Don't listen to Brother Tuo." Li Mu waved a hand, signaling for Meng Ling to leave. "You have talent for martial arts. Why come do this sort of thing? By next year's Frost Descent, you might become a maidservant."

"Brother Li Mu, I only wanted to repay you. Last night..."

"We're even already. There's no need to mention it again. If you took Brother Tuo's silver, return it to him. Go back."

"Wait!" Seeing Li Mu about to leave, Meng Ling grew anxious and suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud. "I also want to ask you to help me deliver a letter! I haven't received any news from my younger brother in two months. Letters sent from Azure River Academy should have reached me. But because of my status, I can't leave..."

Her words sounded utterly sincere.

Li Mu hesitated before turning back. "Get up. I can deliver the letter, but what will you give me in exchange?"

"I..." Meng Ling was stunned.

Delivering a letter had only cost one copper coin back in the better days of previous years.

But in times like these, no one was willing even for twenty copper coins.

Besides, she was asking a servant of Hidden Sword Manor for help! Was twenty copper coins enough to make a servant run an errand?

She had just heard that the dried meat Zhao Tuo delivered was worth four taels of silver!

Then there was only... Meng Ling lightly bit her lip. "I-I'll serve you properly..."

"..."

Li Mu was instantly speechless. He hurriedly said, "Either give me money, or give me something useful for cultivation, and I'll help you."

"Then..."

Meng Ling hurriedly took out ten copper coins. "This is all I have..."

Li Mu took five of them, then held out his hand. "The letter."

"Oh... oh!"

The girl frantically pulled a wrinkled letter from her clothes, smoothed it out, and presented it to Li Mu with both hands.

Li Mu put away the letter, returned to his room, and shut the door.

The girl stood there in a daze. She had even prepared herself for a certain possibility, yet Li Mu had only taken five copper coins...

"Why are you still here?" The door suddenly opened.

Li Mu frowned. Women really did interfere with sword practice.

He could not expose the fact that he had learned the Water-Questioning Sword Manual in one go, but he could not exactly drive her away either...

"Brother Li Mu, you only took five copper coins. Isn't that... too little?" Meng Ling asked.

"You're afraid I won't put in the effort and will brush you off, aren't you..."

Li Mu understood. He tossed out two sets of dirty clothes, and Meng Ling hurriedly caught them.

"Wash these clothes for me over the next two days. Bring them back in two days. Don't come again after that. I don't like people disturbing my training."

"As for the letter, wait for my news. Don't ask."

"Yes, Brother Li Mu."

Only then did Meng Ling carefully gather up the clothes, rise to her feet, and leave.

Thinking of the letter, thinking of the younger brother she had not seen for so long, thinking of Li Mu's indifferent words, she suddenly felt reassured and revealed a faint smile.

Yet deep down, she still felt Li Mu had taken too little. He had shown her kindness, and she could not fail to repay it.

But what else could she offer Brother Li Mu? If only they were still in the mountains—then, with the hunting skills her father had taught her, she could at least catch some wild game...

It was a pity Li Mu did not know she came from a hunter's family. Otherwise, he would have asked her to do something for him long ago.

Inside the room, Li Mu let out a soft sigh.

"I'm still too kind."

His principle was to avoid meddling in other people's affairs and cultivate quietly.

But having personally seen Meng Ling's fright, and hearing how sincere she sounded when she spoke of worrying about her younger brother in the city, he had still been moved by pity.

It was only delivering a letter on the way, a small effort.

Everything would have to wait until he broke through the vitality and blood bottleneck and secured an assignment transporting swords.

Indirectly speaking, it was also because of her and Fan Rong that Li Mu learned the clue that the Sacred Buddha Temple's wooden carved Buddha statues were dangerous, and earned merit by killing Fan Rong.

Seen that way, perhaps it was a small settling of cause and effect.

Setting aside this minor matter, Li Mu cut off one tael of Red-Scaled Python meat, divided it into small pieces, and put them into his mouth.

It had been heavily salted, making it very salty, with a texture like rice cake.

After finishing the tael of meat, he felt extremely full.

The Sword Register panel also gave a strong response.

[Vitality and Blood: 9.7↑ (Medicinal effects being digested, exotic beast meat being digested)]

"This snake meat."

"It's actually exotic beast meat?"

"This Red-Scaled Python, an Azure River specialty, seems to be anything but ordinary."

Li Mu was slightly surprised.

Could there really be some demon snake hidden beneath the Azure River...? That shouldn't be possible. I've been here so long without the slightest sign of anything.

He had not heard anyone mention it either.

Shaking his head, Li Mu began practicing swordsmanship.

Once he sped up the digestion of the medicinal effects and exotic beast meat, he could have another good meal.