Blood-Qi Soup

After registration ended.

Fang Han took the fist manual, found an unoccupied corner of the training ground, sat down, and began reading it.

The Gale-Breaking Fist had twelve forms. It emphasized striking like the wind and pursued speed in every punch.

The moves themselves were not difficult. The manual contained detailed diagrams of the forms, techniques for exerting force, breathing rhythms, and coordinating footwork.

Fang Han had attended a private school for two years and could read without issue, so the annotations in the manual were not difficult for him to understand.

After he carefully read through the fist manual once.

The Panel suddenly appeared before his eyes.

A line of text appeared upon it:

[Recorded fist art: Gale-Breaking Fist (Mortal Grade)]

[Forged to Excel]

[Name: Fang Han]

[Age: Twenty-three]

[Bone Structure: Inferior]

[Realm: None]

[Comprehension: 97]

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

[Proficiency: 0/100, Not Yet entry]

[Talents: Unyielding Practice (Never Regresses), Rising Talent (Enhanced Comprehension)]

What delighted him even more was that he discovered the contents of the fist manual he had just read were now as clear as if they had been carved into his mind. He remembered exactly how the first form began and every technique for exerting force, without the slightest error.

This... I remembered it all after reading it once?

The only explanation for suddenly gaining the ability to remember everything at a glance was the Panel!

[Forged to Excel] truly was not just for show.

Fang Han drew a deep breath, closed the fist manual, shut his eyes, and pondered for a moment, running through the twelve forms of the Gale-Breaking Fist in his mind.

Then he rose to his feet and began replicating the moves from the fist manual according to his memories.

The first form, opening stance.

Fang Han raised both arms, bent his legs slightly, and lowered his center of gravity...

The moment he assumed the stance, Fang Han felt extremely awkward, his limbs stiff and rigid.

It was the instinctive reaction of a body unable to keep up with the mind.

Ignoring the discomfort in his body, Fang Han clumsily assumed the second form of the Gale-Breaking Fist, followed by the third.

He managed the movements, but there was not the slightest force behind them. Every punch was limp and weak.

Fang Han was not discouraged. If one time did not work, then twice; if twice did not work, then three times.

There in the corner of the training ground, he followed the fist manual in his mind and replicated the twelve forms of the Gale-Breaking Fist over and over again.

He did not know how much time had passed when the sound of a gong suddenly rang out in the distance.

Clang!

"Meal time!"

Following the sound, Fang Han saw the apprentices across the training ground stop what they were doing and head toward the dining hall.

Only then did he feel his stomach rumbling. After practicing fist techniques all morning, he had expended a great deal of stamina.

Fang Han followed behind the crowd and soon arrived at the dining hall.

The dining hall was large, with more than a dozen long tables arranged neatly inside. Quite a few people had already taken seats.

Fang Han joined the food line. When it was his turn, he saw that his large sea bowl was filled with white rice, three pieces of braised beef, a large spoonful of vegetables, and a bowl of Blood-Qi Soup giving off a medicinal fragrance.

Good heavens, the meals here were pretty good!

Holding his bowl, Fang Han found a quiet corner and sat down, staring at the beef in his bowl as he swallowed uncontrollably.

The last time he had eaten beef was so long ago that he had forgotten how many years it had been.

For precious meat like beef, a mud-legged pauper living in the slums like him could not even dream of it.

Fang Han picked up a piece of beef. It was tender, thoroughly flavored, and filled his mouth with the rich aroma of meat.

"Damn, that smells good!"

Fang Han's eyes reddened slightly. Lowering his head, he wolfed down rice along with the fragrant beef.

He quickly finished the large bowl of white rice. Still not full, he served himself another bowl and continued stuffing himself.

Only after finishing a third bowl of rice, his stomach round and full, did he set down his chopsticks and stare at the untouched bowl of Blood-Qi Soup before him.

Lin Rou had told him that morning that this Blood-Qi Soup seemed to sell for twenty copper coins a bowl.

Twenty copper coins... His older brother carried heavy loads at the docks for an entire day, working himself to the bone, and only earned ten or twenty copper coins...

This bowl of soup was worth an entire day's wages for his older brother.

Fang Han fell silent. Just as he was about to lift the bowl and drink the Blood-Qi Soup, someone sat down across from him.

"This junior brother looks unfamiliar. Did you just arrive today?"

Fang Han looked up to see a fair, fat fellow squinting at him with a smile.

"Mm, I registered today."

Hearing that, the man warmly cupped his fists. "My name is Wei Zixiong. I arrived three months before you, junior brother, so by seniority, I'm your senior brother. May I ask what junior brother is called?"

Fang Han did not know what this fellow wanted, but he still answered politely.

Wei Zixiong nodded. Then his gaze fell upon the untouched bowl of Blood-Qi Soup in Fang Han's hand. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he smiled.

"Senior brother wants to discuss something with you. How about selling your Blood-Qi Soup allocation to me? Ten copper coins a day, paid on the spot!"

Seeing Fang Han remain silent, Wei Zixiong added, "You just arrived, junior brother, and you don't need to practice the Standing Post Skill yet. Frankly, drinking Blood-Qi Soup now would be a waste.

"You should focus on mastering your fist art first. Once you pass the later assessment and can practice the Standing Post Skill, it won't be too late to save it for yourself.

"If you do not drink this Blood-Qi Soup, the martial hall will not refund you anyway. It will only go to waste for nothing. If you sell your daily allocation to senior brother, you can collect ten copper coins in cash every day. It's a very worthwhile deal."

Fang Han looked at Wei Zixiong and sneered inwardly.

Blood-Qi Soup sold for twenty copper coins a bowl, yet this dead fat man wanted to buy his daily allocation at half price. He really dared to dream.

Just as Fang Han was about to refuse, a cold voice rang out.

"Wei Zixiong, are you swindling another newcomer again?"

Fang Han looked up to see that Lin Rou had appeared at some point. Her arms crossed, she stared coldly at Wei Zixiong.

The smile on Wei Zixiong's face froze. He hurriedly gave an embarrassed laugh. "Senior Sister Lin, I was just... discussing it with junior brother..."

"Cut the crap. Get lost," Lin Rou sneered, giving Wei Zixiong no chance to defend himself.

Wei Zixiong's expression turned ugly. He gave two dry laughs, rose, and left.

After he departed, Lin Rou sat down and stared at Fang Han, her tone stern.

"You only arrived today, so there are things you don't understand. I won't blame you. But remember this: stay away from people like him in the future.

"Wei Zixiong has been at the martial hall for three months. He has made little progress in martial arts, but he has learned quite a few crooked tricks.

"If you mix with him, sooner or later you'll waste your days away and squander all the silver your family spent on you."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister Lin." Fang Han cupped his fists and thanked her earnestly.

Seeing that Fang Han had taken her words to heart, Lin Rou's expression softened slightly. Then she said earnestly, "Those born poor already have it hard. Do not let down your entire family's support!"

After saying that, she rose and left.

Watching Lin Rou's departing figure, Fang Han was slightly moved.

This senior sister was not bad-hearted after all.

He lifted the bowl of Blood-Qi Soup and drank it mouthful by mouthful.

As the medicinal soup entered his stomach, a warm current gradually rose from within and swiftly spread through his limbs and bones.

The sensation was extremely comfortable, as though he were soaking in a hot spring. He felt warm all over, and every muscle in his body seemed to be stretching open.

Fang Han was astonished. Was this the effect of Blood-Qi Soup?

No wonder it cost twenty copper coins a bowl!

The warmth in his body grew increasingly pronounced, as though it were nourishing his tendons, muscles, and bones.

Fang Han left the dining hall and returned to the corner where he had practiced that morning, standing beneath the blazing noon sun.

He planted his feet, focused his mind, calmed his breath, slowly raised both arms, bent his legs slightly, and once again practiced the twelve forms of the Gale-Breaking Fist with clumsy, raw, stiff movements.