Blood-Qi Pill

By the time Fang Han arrived at the martial hall, the sun had already climbed high.

In the vast training ground, quite a few Outer Court apprentices were already practicing their fists.

When they saw Fang Han approaching, some looked up at him before quickly withdrawing their gazes.

After changing into his gray training clothes, Fang Han still found a corner and began practicing his punches.

He planted his feet, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing.

Then he opened his eyes and assumed the opening stance of the Gale-Breaking Fist.

One punch,

Two punches,

Three punches...

After finishing one set, he paused only briefly to catch his breath before immediately starting the second.

Golden words began to appear before his eyes:

Gale-Breaking Fist proficiency +1

...

Gale-Breaking Fist proficiency +1

Not until noon, when the sunlight overhead had baked his scalp hot, did Fang Han finally withdraw his fists.

He stood there gulping for air, then picked up the waterskin from the ground and poured mouthful after mouthful of water down his throat.

As he drank deeply, he raised his head to look at the Panel before him:

[Martial Art: Gale-Breaking Fist (Mortal Grade)]

[Proficiency: 97/500, Entry]

In one morning, he had practiced the Gale-Breaking Fist fourteen times.

Fang Han wiped away the beads of sweat on his forehead, then suddenly froze in shock when he discovered another wisp of Blood Qi in his lower abdomen!

Hm?

He had condensed another wisp of Blood Qi?

Was a martial artist's Blood Qi really this easy to condense?

Fang Han frowned, sensing that something was wrong.

He had condensed one wisp yesterday, then another today.

Two wisps of Blood Qi in just two days—at this rate...

Li Daniu had practiced martial arts for a month, and his Gale-Breaking Fist had only just reached Entry. Even now, he had yet to condense any Blood Qi.

His aptitude was middling at best, yet still considerably better than Fang Han's.

If even Li Daniu had failed to condense Blood Qi, then what right did Fang Han have to condense two wisps?

Was it because he had been wolfing down medicinal herbs?

Or because he had been grinding his fist technique like mad?

Or perhaps... because of the Panel?

Fang Han thought about it for a long while, but found no answer.

Never mind. Becoming stronger was always a good thing!

As for the reason, he could slowly figure it out later.

Clang.

The sound of a gong in the distance interrupted Fang Han's thoughts.

He gathered his focus and headed toward the dining hall.

Not long after entering the dining hall, Fang Han took his portioned meal and Blood-Qi Soup, found a corner, and sat down.

He had barely taken two bites when someone suddenly sat across from him.

"Junior Brother Fang, we meet again."

Fang Han looked up to see a fair, plump man sitting opposite him, smiling at him with narrowed eyes.

Wei Zixiong?

What was this fellow here for?

Fang Han's thoughts stirred, but his expression remained unchanged. He lowered his head and continued eating, giving a muffled "Mm."

Seeing that Fang Han was ignoring him, Wei Zixiong did not get angry. He remained seated with a cheerful smile, though his eyes rolled restlessly in their sockets.

He leaned forward slightly, brought his head closer, and lowered his voice as he spoke to Fang Han.

"Junior Brother Fang, do you want Blood-Qi Pills?"

"Blood-Qi Pills?"

Fang Han paused with his chopsticks, recalling Li Daniu mentioning them last night.

A single Blood-Qi Pill sold for two hundred copper coins. Its medicinal potency was said to rival ten bowls of Blood-Qi Soup, making it an excellent item for martial artists to replenish their strength.

If he had Blood-Qi Pills in hand, perhaps his training efficiency could improve even further.

As Fang Han considered this, he was already somewhat tempted.

Yet his face remained calm. He picked up a piece of beef and put it into his mouth, chewing it to mush and swallowing before asking about the price.

Seeing that Fang Han was interested, Wei Zixiong's already narrowed eyes lit up at once. He hurriedly lowered his voice.

"Not expensive, not expensive. You can buy three from me for one tael of silver. The price is absolutely fair."

Fang Han raised a brow. This was supposed to be not expensive? Absolutely fair?

How the hell did this dead fatso dare say that out loud?

"Senior Brother Wei, your price is a bit crooked." Fang Han looked at him with a half-smile.

Wei Zixiong hurriedly waved his hands and explained, "Ah, Junior Brother, don't say that. My price really isn't expensive at all!"

He looked around, leaned even closer, and dropped his voice further.

"Junior Brother, you need to understand. Though the medicine shops outside do indeed sell Blood-Qi Pills, if you want to buy them, you must have a permit issued by the martial hall. Without a martial hall permit, you can't buy them even if you have money."

This was Fang Han's first time hearing of such a thing.

"I'm quite close with a core disciple from the Inner Court. I can get permits through him."

At this point, Wei Zixiong smiled somewhat smugly.

"The permit is my connection—that's what I'm selling. For three Blood-Qi Pills at one tael of silver, after deducting the cost of the medicine, I'm only earning a little errand fee. That's not black-hearted, is it?"

His words were so detailed and convincing that he did not seem to be lying. Fang Han fell silent in thought.

Wei Zixiong's words did carry some credibility, but this fellow had a record.

Fang Han looked at that smiling, plump face and secretly remained on guard.

This dead fatso looked harmless to man and beast, but he had more schemes than a thief had tricks.

Last time, he had tried to coax Fang Han into selling his Blood-Qi Soup quota for ten copper coins a day, only for Senior Sister Lin Rou to expose him on the spot.

Now he had come out of nowhere to sell Blood-Qi Pills. Who knew whether there was a pitfall hidden inside?

After thinking it over, Fang Han said, "Senior Brother Wei, I'll take these Blood-Qi Pills."

Wei Zixiong was delighted. "Really?"

"However, I'll only buy them after I see the Blood-Qi Pills. I don't do this business of paying silver first and receiving the pills afterward."

Fang Han stared at him and spoke seriously.

Wei Zixiong was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Junior Brother, you don't trust me."

"Fine, fine. You can take the Blood-Qi Pills first. I'll bring them to you this afternoon. Three Blood-Qi Pills for one tael of silver."

"Alright."

"Then it's settled. We'll meet again at the training ground this afternoon. If you dare play me for a fool, even if I let you off, that core disciple from the Inner Court won't."

After saying that, Wei Zixiong slowly left.

Fang Han paid no heed to the threat Wei Zixiong had tossed out at the end.

After selling that Jade-whisker Ginseng for forty taels, along with the silver his family had scraped together, he still had twenty-five taels on hand.

Of those, twenty taels were hidden at home, and only his eldest brother knew about them.

Those twenty taels were reserved for emergencies. If some irreversible crisis truly arose, they would be the money for the entire family to flee. Not a single copper coin could be touched.

He only had five taels he could use himself. It was not much, but it was more than enough to buy three Blood-Qi Pills.

If he bought three Blood-Qi Pills from Wei Zixiong that afternoon, his efficiency in practicing his fists could rise by another level.

With the remaining half of the Solomon's Seal as well, he would have greater confidence in breaking through to Minor Accomplishment in the Gale-Breaking Fist within three or four days.

As for whether Wei Zixiong would try any tricks, Fang Han was confident that, having lived two lives, dealing with this little fatso would not be difficult.

After eating and drinking his fill, Fang Han returned to the training ground.

The afternoon sun was fiercer still, scorching the entire training ground until heat waves rolled through the air and the ground burned beneath one's feet.

Seeing how hot it was, many apprentices chose to sit in shady corners and rest, planning to practice their fists later.

Fang Han did not do anything eye-catching, such as training beneath the blazing sun to flaunt his diligence and hardship.

If he really did that, it would be utterly foolish—nothing but a way to draw hatred.

Likewise, he did not hurry to practice his punches. Like the other apprentices, he found a patch of shade to sit in, closed his eyes, and rested his mind, hoping to catch a short nap.

After staying up all night grinding his fist technique for two nights in a row, even with powerful medicinal herbs keeping him alive, he was beginning to struggle.

It would be a real joke if he dropped dead from overwork before achieving anything in martial arts.

Only by restoring his energy could he grind his fist technique more efficiently that night and charge toward the Minor Accomplishment realm.