Five days later.
Zhao Ya finished a day of cultivation and opened the Attribute Panel.
Name: Zhao Ya. Age: 16. Remaining lifespan: 30 years.
Skills: Eight-Part Vajra Art (Entered the Hall, 304/500) Five Tigers Fist (Somewhat Accomplished, 13/1000)
[Stomach Unlock Progress: 80%]
After five full days of cultivation, aside from a slight increase in his proficiency with the Eight-Part Vajra Art and Five Tigers Fist, almost nothing else had changed.
The progress of his stomach's unlock, in particular, hadn't budged at all.
Zhao Ya furrowed his brow, knowing he'd hit a bottleneck.
In fact, ever since he'd reached great mastery in Bone Refining, ordinary meat had become less and less effective for him.
Over the past few days, he'd relied entirely on the blood- and qi-rich meat the Escort Agency provided at noon, along with the nourishing soup after the meal, to replenish his blood and qi. Naturally, his progress had slowed considerably.
The time was about right. Tomorrow, he'd tell the Escort Agency that he'd also reached great mastery in Bone Refining.
That should earn him somewhat better treatment and ease his current predicament a little.
Zhao Ya sighed helplessly.
He knew this wasn't a long-term solution. The Prosperity Escort Agency had a fairly rich foundation, but it had many disciples, and what each person received was meager when divided among them.
If he wanted to make progress, he'd have to find a way elsewhere.
Meat or medicinal herbs that could replenish large amounts of blood and qi were especially crucial.
But where could he get his hands on such things?
There were many martial artists in this world, and cultivation resources were precious.
Anything capable of boosting blood and qi was a closely guarded secret of the families that possessed it.
Take the nourishing soup Zhao Ya drank every day. It was the Prosperity Escort Agency's exclusive recipe. Aside from Chief Escort Meng Lei and a handful of veteran escorts, no one else knew how to make it.
Zhao Ya was deep in thought when Tang Zuier's call brought him back to his senses.
"Brother Xiao Ya, it's time to eat."
"Oh, all right!"
Zhao Ya answered casually and turned toward the kitchen.
The food was already laid out on the table, and even his chopsticks had been set out for him.
Just as Zhao Ya sat down to eat, Tang Zuier handed him a hot towel.
"Brother Xiao Ya, you've been practicing martial arts for ages, and your face is covered in sweat. Here, wipe it off."
Zhao Ya took the towel and wiped his sweat, secretly sighing.
Ever since he'd taken Tang Zuier in, his life had become much more comfortable, to say nothing of anything else.
Cooking and washing dishes aside, she even took care of all the little details of daily life.
In just a few short days, Zhao Ya had already started to feel like he couldn't do without her.
He hadn't even put the towel down after wiping his sweat when Tang Zuier reached out to take it.
"Eat while it's hot, Brother Xiao Ya."
Zhao Ya nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and wolfed down the food.
He had to admit, Tang Zuier was a much better cook than he was.
Even this simple braised meat had a wonderful flavor to it.
Zhao Ya ate with relish.
Tang Zuier watched him with a smiling face.
A moment later, Zhao Ya looked up and asked in surprise, "Zuier, what are you looking at? Hurry up and eat, too."
"Mm-hm."
Only then did Tang Zuier pick up her bowl and eat in small bites.
Before long, Zhao Ya had polished off another huge pot of food.
And yet, he still didn't feel very satisfied.
Zhao Ya even suspected that if he really let himself eat his fill, a whole pig might not be enough for one meal.
"Brother Xiao Ya..."
"Hmm?"
Zhao Ya looked up and saw Tang Zuier watching him with a hesitant expression.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Zhao Ya asked.
"I was thinking... I was thinking I should find some work."
"Find work?" Zhao Ya asked, surprised.
"Mm." Tang Zuier nodded firmly and spoke with great seriousness.
"Brother Xiao Ya, it's not easy for anyone to get by in this world. You have to practice martial arts to strengthen your body, and that takes more out of you than it does an ordinary person. Now that I'm here, things must be even harder for you, so I want to find some work and at least help with household expenses."
Zhao Ya didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The little girl certainly knew how to put it, saying he used up more than an ordinary person.
In plain terms, she'd seen how much he ate and was afraid he might not be able to afford to keep her.
Holding back his laughter, Zhao Ya deliberately asked, "Oh? What sort of work are you planning to do to help with the household expenses?"
"I've already thought it through. There are only the two of us at home, and there isn't much work to do, so I could wash and mend clothes for people. I wouldn't earn much, but it'd be better than just sitting at home." Tang Zuier spoke with eager enthusiasm.
"That sounds all right, but where would you find customers?"
"That's where you come in, Brother Xiao Ya. It wouldn't be proper for me to go out and show my face, but it's different for you. You're a man, and you know martial arts, so no one would dare cheat you."
"You could also ask your colleagues at the Escort Agency to bring home the clothes they need washed. That would bring in some money, too. What do you think?" Tang Zuier finished, looking at Zhao Ya excitedly.
Zhao Ya nodded. "Sounds..."
"Sounds like nothing of the sort!"
As he spoke, Zhao Ya raised his chopsticks and tapped Tang Zuier on the head.
"Ow..." Tang Zuier hugged her head and looked at Zhao Ya, wincing.
Zhao Ya said sternly, "Stop letting your imagination run wild. Your grandmother entrusted you to me before she died, so of course I'm going to take good care of you. Besides, I, Zhao Ya, don't need the few coins you'd earn washing and mending clothes for people."
"But we..." Tang Zuier's eyes reddened.
"There's no 'but.' Don't worry. I can still afford to take care of you."
Tang Zuier finally stopped insisting and began quietly clearing away the dishes.
Zhao Ya smiled without saying anything. After washing up, he lay down on the bed in the outer room and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day.
Zhao Ya arrived at the Escort Agency early. The moment he entered, he saw Luo Feng coming toward him, beaming with excitement.
"Morning, Brother Zhao!"
Zhao Ya was a little surprised, but he still nodded. "Mm, morning!"
Then he headed toward the Escort Agency's rear courtyard, planning to see Chief Escort Meng Lei.
He hadn't gone far when he noticed Luo Feng following him.
Luo Feng seemed even more surprised than he was.
"Brother Zhao, where are you going?"
"To see the Chief Escort."
"What a coincidence. So am I."
At that, Luo Feng's grin widened. "To tell you the truth, Brother Zhao, I broke through yesterday, too."
Zhao Ya was quite surprised.
He'd thought Zhou Hua would be the next to break through, but he hadn't expected it to be Luo Feng.
Then he thought of Luo Feng's family background, and his surprise faded.
With an uncle like Luo Qiang, Luo Feng must have had access to more resources, so his breakthrough wasn't so surprising.
"Oh, then congratulations, Junior Brother Luo!"
"Heh, thanks, thanks. By the way, Brother Zhao, what are you going to see the Chief Escort about?"
Zhao Ya smiled. "It's nothing much. As it happens, I broke through last night, too."
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