Ideas for Making Money

At the words "Senior Brother Luo," everything had changed.

Luo Yongcheng looked up at Jiang Shu, his gaze somewhat vacant. He vaguely remembered that during Jiang Shu's first month at the martial hall, Jiang Shu had cautiously asked him about the Inner City of Pingling County.

He had answered every question, and the two had gotten along comfortably and harmoniously.

Jiang Shu's way of addressing him had, without him noticing, changed from Senior Brother Luo to Brother Luo.

How had it suddenly become this?

"Next round."

The maid paid no heed to Luo Yongcheng's thoughts. She walked around him to the center of the square and loudly announced the names of the apprentices for the next sparring match.

Jiang Shu cupped his fists and stepped down from the arena. A translucent Panel appeared in his mind:

Jiang Shu—

Great Jing Dynasty Language/Writing: Minor Mastery (20/1000)

Horse Stance: Major Mastery (400/1000)

Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance: Minor Mastery (985/1000)

Hungry Tiger Breathing Method: Minor Mastery (985/1000)

Tiger Form Three Styles: Minor Mastery (850/1000)

When he had discovered during the first sparring match that Old Man Chou placed extreme importance on the apprentices' fist and footwork, Jiang Shu had decided to slow his progress in Stance Training and the Breathing Technique somewhat and first raise the proficiency of the Tiger Form Three Styles.

In the arena, the figures of two apprentices,

Below the arena, Old Man Chou sat in a reclining chair, his eyelids occasionally lifting as he cast a sidelong glance at the apprentices sparring.

Jiang Shu took all of this in.

There were only three to five days left before the Refining, Nourishing, Striking Three Methods reached Major Mastery. Soon, he would be able to verify the conjecture in his heart.

"Brother Jiang, you're... way too fierce!"

The little fat boy Zhou Yang was utterly dumbfounded. He was now completely certain that Jiang Shu was absolutely far more talented than Han Dali.

Even if Han Dali were still practicing martial arts at the hall, with his restaurant supplying three jin of meat every day, Han Dali still could not possibly defeat Luo Yongcheng in merely two months.

Much less win as easily as Jiang Shu had.

How could someone with such martial talent possibly fail to become a formal disciple?

Zhou Yang's eyes were full of envy. Though young, he saw through things more clearly than many older apprentices. Don't be fooled by how everyone in the Hungry Tiger Martial Hall called one another senior brother and junior brother.

They were merely gilding their own faces. Once they left the Hungry Tiger Martial Hall, who would acknowledge the training uniforms they wore?

Only by catching Old Man Chou's eye and becoming a formal disciple could one truly be considered a member of the Hungry Tiger Martial Hall.

A formal disciple.

Outside, they would have the Hungry Tiger Martial Hall at their back, along with Old Man Chou, a Bone Forging expert.

Inside, they would possess martial resources superior to meat—the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine.

As for apprentices like them, in Old Man Chou's eyes, they were perhaps nothing more than tools that handed over ten taels of silver every month.

"Brother Jiang, why don't you put your name down at our restaurant? We'll pay you the rate we pay martial artists." Having secretly made up his mind, Zhou Yang tentatively spoke. Though he still wore a smile, there was now a touch of seriousness on his face.

"Stop making such a fuss. Say less—no one's treating you like a mute."

Jiang Shu looked at Zhou Yang and replied, "Forget about becoming a retainer. I don't have that much time to spend at the restaurant. But we can discuss some business instead. Zhou Yang, what dishes sell best at your restaurant?"

"Dishes? I can't really say. How about after Old Man Chou finishes giving his pointers, Brother Jiang, do us the honor of visiting our restaurant? I'll have the head chef prepare a whole table of signature dishes."

Although he did not know what Jiang Shu meant by discussing business, Zhou Yang felt that as long as they built a good relationship with Jiang Shu, his family's restaurant could do some small business alongside him. Even if they took a slight loss, it would be worth it!

After all, once he became a formal disciple—

Jiang Shu's status would rise like the tide. By then, even the Zhou Family might not make it onto the list. The Inner City had no shortage of shops eager to have Jiang Shu lend them his name and seek his protection.

"Alright."

Jiang Shu nodded, thoughts churning endlessly in his mind.

He had come to Pingling County a full half year ago.

It was not that he had never considered making money.

But every path to making money had to go through gangs in the Outer City and powerful households in the Inner City.

Before he possessed sufficient strength and status, forcing his way into business might earn him enough for food and clothing, but once he made too much, he could be swallowed whole until nothing remained.

But in a few days, he should be able to become a formal disciple.

Making money could also be placed on the agenda.

Meat and medicinal herbs were martial resources, so they would surely be tightly controlled and monopolized by powerful households.

As long as he avoided those two things and only brought in edible seasonings such as table salt and monosodium glutamate to improve the flavor of restaurant dishes, it certainly would not affect the interests of those powerful households too greatly.

With the martial hall at his back, earning a little money should not pose much of a problem.

His parents had supported his martial training for so long.

He ought to repay them in some way.

The sparring match in the square ended.

After giving some pointers, Old Man Chou returned to his room to rest.

After drinking the Secret Medicine Meat Soup, Jiang Shu practiced his stance and breathing, digesting it quickly. Only when a low rumble sounded from his stomach an hour and a half later did he finish his stance and stand upright. Looking at Zhou Yang, who had long since cried exhaustion and stopped to rest, he said, "Let's go."

"Alright."

Zhou Yang got up from the ground. The two turned around, but at that moment, a voice suddenly sounded behind them:

"Jiang Shu."

"What is it?"

Jiang Shu paused but did not turn around. The moment he heard that voice, he knew it was Luo Yongcheng's.

As for Luo Yongcheng, Jiang Shu felt he had already done all he could. When he had proposed giving the Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine recipe to Old Man Chou as a gift of gratitude to his master, it had also meant that he himself needed to enter the game.

After all, Luo Yongcheng was not a formal disciple.

A mere apprentice, and one Old Man Chou did not think highly of at that. Even if he produced the recipe, what then? All he would receive was likely Old Man Chou's rejection.

If he wanted to give away the recipe—

He could only wait until Jiang Shu became a formal disciple and give it in the name of a formal disciple!

"I... I want to fight you again!"

Luo Yongcheng stared fixedly at Jiang Shu's back. Even he could not say what he was feeling.

Was it unwillingness? Or resentment?

After the sparring match ended, he had no mind to hold the Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance steady, nor any mind to circulate the Hungry Tiger Breathing Method. He had kept thinking about why he had lost.

Jiang Shu had only achieved Qi and Blood Circulation.

He was not born with divine strength. Their strength was about the same, so how could he possibly lose!

He had sparred more than a dozen times already. He had more experience than Jiang Shu!

He must have been too impatient and allowed Jiang Shu to find an opening.

There was too little time left for him. He could not afford to lose even a single portion of Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine!

"I'll wager with you. If you lose, give me the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine. If you win..."

"Not interested."

Before Luo Yongcheng could finish, Jiang Shu turned around, his voice cold.

What could Luo Yongcheng wager against him?

The only thing he could offer was the Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine recipe.

The recipe was certainly good, but it was not something Jiang Shu could touch at present.

Using a hot potato to wager against him?

Even if he won, what benefit would he gain?

Could he really take the Blood Nourishing Medicinal Cuisine and make a fortune with it?

Jiang Shu's gaze toward Luo Yongcheng grew increasingly indifferent. In the end, he said nothing more. He merely turned to Zhou Yang and softly said:

"Let's go."