The Poor Scholar, the Rich Warrior

By evening, the figures on the training ground gradually thinned out.

Fang Han let out a long breath of stale air and withdrew his fists, standing still.

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

[Proficiency: 38/500, entry]

Looking at the Panel before him, Fang Han pondered. From dawn until dusk, he had practiced the Gale-Breaking Fist thirty-five times over the course of the day.

He had only practiced it twelve times that morning. After drinking the martial hall's free Blood-Qi Soup at noon, his strength had been replenished and his condition greatly improved, allowing him to practice the Gale-Breaking Fist another twenty-five times in one breath.

Fang Han frowned slightly as he recalled practicing his fists on the back mountain last night. Supported by the nourishment of Jade-whisker Ginseng roots, he had held his breath and forcibly practiced his punches seventy-seven times!

One night's efficiency had surpassed more than two full days like today.

After all, it had been fifty-year-old Jade-whisker Ginseng—something one could only encounter by chance, never seek out.

Without medicinal supplementation, however, his efficiency in practicing his fists had indeed plummeted sharply.

At this rate, it would take at least twelve or thirteen days to train the Gale-Breaking Fist to Minor Accomplishment.

Yet when he counted on his fingers, after tonight, there would only be seven days left until the River God Festival.

In those seven days... Zhou Dabao would come knocking again to demand eight taels for the River God Attendant...

Fang Han silently clenched his fists, and the urgency in his heart intensified.

Ah...

The poor scholar, the rich warrior...

He had only ever heard those four words before. Now, he truly understood their weight.

Practicing martial arts really burned through money!

Without money, there were no medicinal herbs to nourish the body.

Relying solely on the martial hall's free Blood-Qi Soup could only provide a very limited boost to training efficiency.

Even so—

A single free bowl of Blood-Qi Soup cost twenty copper coins on the market. One bowl a day came to six hundred coins a month, more than seven taels a year.

And that was only the most basic expense.

The children of prominent clans or wealthy households ate meat at every meal and drank Blood-Qi Soup every day. How could their cultivation possibly be slow?

Fang Han drew a deep breath and silently vowed to make money like mad from now on!

As for how to make money, he had no clue for the time being.

"Junior Brother Fang."

Fang Han turned around and saw Huo Zheng walking toward him with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm and indifferent.

"Senior Brother Huo." Fang Han cupped his hands.

After stopping before Fang Han, Huo Zheng wasted no words and directly handed him the wooden box in his hand.

"Senior Brother Huo, this is?"

"Twenty-year-old Solomon's Seal. Market price: thirty taels."

Huo Zheng spoke blandly, as if he were mentioning something insignificant. "Take it."

Fang Han froze, then drew a deep breath and gave Huo Zheng a deep salute with cupped hands. "Thank you, Senior Brother Huo!"

Huo Zheng nodded faintly, his tone remaining calm. "Your innate constitution is poor, but your comprehension is exceptional. You are barely worth investing in. Train well. Do not waste it."

After saying that, Huo Zheng turned and left.

Watching the Inner Court senior brother's unruffled back, Fang Han felt as though Huo Zheng had merely given away a trivial trinket rather than medicinal herbs worth thirty taels.

He carefully put away the wooden box. Whether Senior Brother Huo's kindness today had been an act of investment or not, Fang Han silently committed it to memory.

Just as he stepped out of the martial hall's gates, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

"W-Wait a moment!"

Hearing the shout, Fang Han stopped and turned around. He saw a tall, sturdy young man with dark skin, thick brows, large eyes, and an honest-looking face.

The honest young man ran up to Fang Han, scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, then flashed a broad grin.

"My name is Li Daniu. I live in Four Waters Ward too. I've seen you before."

He lived in Four Waters Ward too?

Fang Han's heart stirred, and he introduced himself with a smile.

"Fang Han. I joined the martial hall yesterday."

The two chatted as they walked.

Li Daniu was an honest man. He answered whatever Fang Han asked, and after only a few sentences, he had laid bare his entire background.

It turned out that he had an uncle who worked as a manager at a restaurant in the Inner City.

When his uncle returned to the old family home in the Outer City last month and learned that Li Daniu possessed middling-to-low innate talent, he immediately took out fifty taels to sponsor him in joining the martial hall to learn martial arts.

"My uncle said that our Li family hasn't produced a martial arts seedling in generations. Now that we've finally got one, even if we have to smash the pot and sell the iron, we must let me practice martial arts."

Li Daniu scratched his head and said with a foolish grin, "But I don't think I'm cut out for martial arts. I've trained for a month, yet the Gale-Breaking Fist has only just reached entry."

He truly was not cut out for martial arts.

Seeing Fang Han remain silent, Li Daniu sighed and continued on his own.

"Senior Brother Huo said the martial hall has rules. Outer Court apprentices must achieve entry in their fist technique within three months and train it to Major Accomplishment within half a year.

After reaching Major Accomplishment in the fist technique, they must also condense at least ten strands of Blood Qi and lift a hundred-jin stone before they can enter the Inner Court as true disciples and become the hall master's genuine disciples."

Thinking of his uncle's hopes for him to become a true disciple, Li Daniu could not help pulling a long face.

"It took me a whole month just to reach entry in the fist technique. After that, there's Major Accomplishment, and I still have to condense Blood Qi..."

Fang Han remained silent.

Li Daniu had taken a month to train his fist technique to entry, while Fang Han had reached entry in a single day and night.

If word of this got out, what would the others think?

Would they, like Senior Brother Huo, value his potential and be willing to make some investment in him?

Fang Han shook his head inwardly and stopped dwelling on it.

"By the way, Daniu, what's the deal with the martial hall's Ten-Day Minor Examination?"

"What deal could there be?"

"It's just an assessment for Outer Court apprentices every ten days. Those who train well receive rewards. I heard the maximum reward is an allotment of five bowls of Blood-Qi Soup."

Li Daniu paused, then remembered something and added, "There'll be a Ten-Day Minor Examination in four days. It'll be a long shot for me to get a reward. My martial arts progress is too slow."

The Ten-Day Minor Examination had Blood-Qi Soup rewards too?

Fang Han's heart stirred. Senior Sister Lin Rou had not explained that to him in detail.

If he could obtain Blood-Qi Soup as a reward, on top of the Solomon's Seal Senior Brother Huo had given him—

With Blood-Qi Soup and Solomon's Seal replenishing his strength and improving his training efficiency—

Training the Gale-Breaking Fist to Minor Accomplishment within five days should not be a problem...

He looked at Li Daniu and asked, "Daniu, what does the Minor Exam test?"

"The Gale-Breaking Fist. Senior Brother Huo and the others score us. The better someone's fist technique, the higher the scores from the senior brothers. The top ten all receive rewards, but the top three get the most."

Fang Han nodded, committing this information to memory.

When they reached a fork in the road, Li Daniu gave an honest smile and waved to Fang Han.

"Fang Han, I'm heading this way. See you at the martial hall tomorrow."

"Alright."

Fang Han watched Li Daniu walk away, then turned toward Mud Bay Alley.

Night had fully fallen. The alley, filled with every sort of smell, was pitch-black, with only scattered households casting dim yellow light from their windows.

Walking down the familiar path, Fang Han could not help touching the wooden box tucked against his chest.

Twenty-year-old Solomon's Seal.

Senior Brother Huo's investment had come at exactly the right time!

With this piece of Solomon's Seal, he could maintain high-intensity fist training, and his training efficiency could double.

Minor Accomplishment in the Gale-Breaking Fist was just around the corner!

If his luck was good enough...

Perhaps, as last night, the medicinal power could temper his body and perhaps even condense another strand of Blood Qi.

If he could condense one more strand of Blood Qi, then with the Gale-Breaking Fist at Minor Accomplishment—

Killing Zhou Dabao would be as easy as turning over his hand.

Thinking of this, Fang Han quickened his pace, wanting to return early, finish dinner, and practice his fists.

When he reached the corner at the mouth of the alley, he caught sight of a bald head poking out by the moonlight. The moment it saw him looking over, it instantly shrank back into hiding.

Though Fang Han could not make out the man's face clearly, he found the bald man's build somewhat familiar.

He seemed to be one of Zhou Dabao's lackeys!

Fang Han stared in the direction where the bald man had vanished, his gaze gradually turning cold and sinister.