When Qin Geng arrived at Hundred Herb Hall, dawn had just broken.
Early autumn mornings in Tianjin carried a chill.
The two heavy black-lacquered doors of Hundred Herb Hall stood open. Several assistants in blue cloth jackets swept the dust and fallen leaves outside with long brooms, their strokes going swish, swish.
Qin Geng climbed the steps and lifted the heavy cotton door curtain.
A rich medicinal fragrance rushed at him, bitter with a faint sweet aftertaste that sharpened his senses.
In the main hall, a short, plump figure bustled before the medicine cabinets behind the tall rosewood counter.
Zheng Tonghe held a small balance, deftly gathering and weighing herbs. He did not look back, as though he had eyes in the back of his head.
"Reached the third level of the Fire Wheel?"
Zheng Tonghe kept working. "If you've reached the third level, why come to my pharmacy instead of looking for Old Lu?"
Qin Geng's heart tightened.
Shopkeeper Zheng was no ordinary man. Qin Geng's footsteps had been feather-light, and he had deliberately subdued his breathing, yet the man had recognized him the moment he entered.
"Shopkeeper Zheng."
Qin Geng cupped his hands, respectful but neither servile nor overbearing. "My Fire Wheel isn't quite there yet. I came today to get some medicine from you."
He added, "It's for martial arts training."
At those words, Zheng Tonghe's hand paused over the herbs.
He turned around. A sharp gleam flashed through his seemingly kindly, narrowed eyes.
Shopkeeper Zheng looked Qin Geng up and down, his gaze lingering on Qin Geng's broad back and slightly raised tendons. Surprise filled his eyes.
"Wait a moment."
Zheng Tonghe suppressed his astonishment and turned back to his work.
He sorted the herbs he had gathered into the many-drawered cabinet behind him, then closed the ledger on the counter. It did not take long.
Qin Geng did not hurry him. He stood quietly before the counter, breathing long and steady, his posture straight as a pine.
Once everything was in order, Zheng Tonghe wiped his hands and came around the counter.
He gestured for Qin Geng to sit at a rosewood table nearby, then brewed a pot of broken-leaf tea.
"Have a prescription? Or do you need me to fill in the gaps?" Zheng Tonghe asked, sipping his tea.
Filling in the gaps meant asking for guidance without a prescription. That cost more, and the herbalist had to practice martial arts himself to do it.
Besides, buying medicine in Tianjin had its own rules.
Every school trained differently and suffered different injuries. Their prescriptions were secrets never passed to outsiders.
When Martial Artists came to buy herbs, they often added a few irrelevant ingredients to their prescriptions to keep them secret. Some split a prescription into three parts and filled them at three different pharmacies, muddying the waters.
Qin Geng had no such tricks in mind.
"I have a prescription," Qin Geng said.
He took a neatly folded slip of paper from inside his coat and offered it with both hands. "Here it is. Please take a look."
Qin Geng understood the situation perfectly.
In the back courtyard last time, Shopkeeper Zheng had casually caught one of his heavy punches. He was the real thing.
And he was the Martial Arts Champion's disciple, the grand-disciple of the Grandmaster Guo Yunshen. What secret prescription had he not seen?
The little Qin Geng possessed could hardly count as a secret in his eyes.
Sure enough.
Zheng Tonghe took the prescription, glanced at it once, and set it on the table.
"Bone-Strengthening Powder from Hebei's Xingyi Dragon and Tiger."
Zheng Tonghe said, "The prescription is sound. It strengthens the foundation, nourishes vitality, and fortifies tendons and bones. It isn't expensive. With ox bone as the catalyst, it's one silver dollar a dose. If you use tiger bone instead..."
He paused and spread five fingers. "Five silver dollars a dose."
Qin Geng's brow twitched.
Five silver dollars!
Only young masters from wealthy families could afford to train with medicine at that price.
Ordinary poor folk could sell their lives and still not afford a dose.
"Is there a difference?" Qin Geng asked.
Zheng Tonghe burst out laughing.
"Tiger bone is better, of course. As the saying goes, clouds follow the dragon, and wind follows the tiger. Tiger bone is a thing of pure yang. Its fierce strength penetrates straight to the marrow."
"But..."
Zheng Tonghe changed tack, his gaze settling on Qin Geng. "Medicine depends on who's taking it and how far they've progressed. Strong as you are, you're still tempering your tendons and bones. Think of it like food. Your stomach can only hold so much. Feed you dragon meat, and you'll only absorb so much of it; the rest will come out the other end."
"If ox bone is enough, start with ox bone. When you feel it isn't enough anymore, your body will have reached a new level. It won't be too late to switch to tiger bone then. You should know what 'not enough' feels like."
"I do."
Qin Geng nodded firmly.
He knew that feeling all too well.
When he had eaten braised offal before, he could stuff himself until it reached his throat and his stomach ached, yet hunger still seeped from the cracks in his bones. It was as though a wolf lived inside him, one he could never feed enough.
"How many?" Zheng Tonghe asked.
Qin Geng ran through the numbers in his head.
He had fourteen silver dollars altogether.
That would last two weeks. He did not know how much he would improve, but he might as well use it. He could earn more money later.
"Fourteen doses to start," Qin Geng said. "Will it keep well?"
"As long as it stays dry, keep it somewhere well ventilated."
Zheng Tonghe nodded, then asked, "Do you have a clay pot where you live?"
Qin Geng paused and shook his head. "No."
His place in Yi He Shantytown had nothing but an earthen stove connected to a heated brick bed. He only lit a fire in winter for warmth. He did not even have a proper cooking pot, much less a clay pot dedicated to brewing medicine.
"You'd best brew this medicine yourself," Zheng Tonghe explained. "Bring it to a boil over a strong flame, then simmer it gently. The fragrant steam it gives off is full of its essence. If you practice beside it, the medicinal vapors can seep into your body through your pores, so none of it goes to waste. If you let the steam escape and only drink it once it's reduced, you'll lose at least thirty percent of its potency."
Qin Geng looked troubled.
He had no way to do that.
Zheng Tonghe studied him, tapping the tabletop lightly as he considered the matter. Then he said:
"All right. No need to worry about it."
"Last time at Bell Mountain, you risked your life to save my junior fellow disciple. You were paid to do it, but that still makes you half one of us."
Zheng Tonghe stood. "There's a small stove for brewing medicine in my back courtyard, and I have clay pots ready. Come here every morning from now on. Brew your medicine here, drink it while it's hot, then run through your boxing. How does that sound?"
Delight surged in Qin Geng's eyes.
That would make things so much easier!
It solved the problem of brewing the medicine and gave him a safe place to train at Hundred Herb Hall, away from prying eyes in the shantytown.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper!"
Qin Geng sprang up, cupped his hands, and bowed deeply.
He took the cloth pouch hidden against his body from inside his coat, untied it, and counted out fourteen gleaming silver dollars, arranging them neatly on the table.
"Fourteen silver dollars, Shopkeeper. That's enough for two weeks."
Zheng Tonghe glanced at the stack of coins, then at Qin Geng.
The young man before him was dressed like a Carriage Driver, his clothes shabby. But his decisiveness in paying, his bearing when he bowed, and his present Essence, Qi, and Spirit already gave him something of a martial artist's presence.
"No problem."
Zheng Tonghe swept the silver dollars into his sleeve. "Wait here while I gather your medicine. No time like the present; start today. Training martial arts is like rowing upstream. If you leave your body depleted too long and the damage takes root, making up for it later will be difficult."
"Thank you for looking out for me, Shopkeeper."
Qin Geng cupped his hands again.
"I'm paid to do a job. No need for ceremony."
Zheng Tonghe waved a hand and disappeared among the medicine cabinets.
Before long, Zheng Tonghe returned carrying several paper packets and motioned for Qin Geng to follow.
They crossed the front hall, passed through a moon gate, and entered Hundred Herb Hall's back courtyard.
The courtyard was small but remarkably quiet. A few locust trees grew in one corner. Along the wall stood a row of small red-brick stoves, each topped with a blackened clay pot.
Zheng Tonghe went to one of the stoves and deftly lit the charcoal.
He emptied a packet of prepared herbs into the clay pot, added the right amount of well water, and put on the lid.
"Practice your stance here. Breathe through your nose and mouth, let your pores open and close, and absorb the essence of the medicinal steam."
Zheng Tonghe pointed to the open space before the stove. The spot had been carefully chosen: it stood directly in the eastward breeze, so the stove's heat and medicinal vapors would be carried straight to whoever practiced there.
"Once the water level drops below the mark inside the pot, put out the fire at once. Let it cool a little, then drink it all in one go."
Zheng Tonghe pointed to the strainer and large coarse porcelain bowl on a nearby rack. "The tools are over there. Strain it before you drink. The dregs are too heating, so try not to eat them."
"The whole process takes a little over two hours."
"I've packed the other thirteen doses and written your name on them. They're in this cabinet. When you come back, if I'm not here, let an assistant out front know and handle it yourself."
Qin Geng watched steam begin to rise from the clay pot, uneasy. "If I do it myself, could I weaken the medicine or botch the brewing?"
It was his first time handling a Treasure Medicine, and it concerned something as important as his own training. He could not help worrying about what might go wrong.
Zheng Tonghe smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Xingyi's methods of refinement may be fierce, like blazing fire melting gold, but this bone-strengthening decoction is just a basic medicine for beginners."
"The real danger comes after you've reached Bright Force and start taking potent medicines to break through bottlenecks. That's when you need an expert guarding you, in case your energy runs wild."
"I see."
It made sense to Qin Geng, and he relaxed. "Good. Thank you for the guidance, Shopkeeper."
"Right, I'll get back to work. Keep an eye on the water-level mark in the clay pot while you train. Don't get so absorbed you forget it."
"I will."
Zheng Tonghe left the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back.
Quiet returned to the courtyard. Only the charcoal in the stove crackled softly.
Qin Geng took a deep breath and moved to the breezy spot directly before the stove.
The water in the clay pot had begun to boil, turning cloudy as bubbles rolled through it. Waves of intensely pungent medicinal vapor mingled with scalding steam and rushed toward his face.
"Opening stance!"
Qin Geng spread his feet, gripped the ground with his toes, and sank into the Three-Body Stance.
He knew this Stance Training by heart, but today it felt entirely different.
The rolling heat wrapped around him, heavy with the herbs' distinctive spicy scent.
Qin Geng began the Six Harmonies Breathing Method, his chest rising and falling in rhythm.
"Exhale—"
"Inhale—"
With every breath in, it felt as though he drew the scalding medicinal vapor straight into his lungs. It burned, yet brought an indescribable comfort.
As his breathing deepened, he felt every pore open under the heat's stimulation, greedily devouring the medicinal power in the air.
Hot!
Scorching hot!
Qin Geng felt as if his skin were roasting over a fire. His whole body reddened, and each bead of sweat evaporated as soon as it appeared. Yet along with the heat came a feeling of fullness.
The great dragon of his spine grew faintly warm under the nourishment of the medicinal vapor, like a hibernating snake waking and slowly stirring.
The sensation was ten times, a hundred times stronger than simply eating meat!
Time passed, minute by minute.
Two hours later.
The moment Qin Geng saw the water in the clay pot sink to the mark Zheng Tonghe had mentioned, he pulled the charcoal from beneath the stove.
By then, the decoction had turned black as ink, thick enough to leave an oily coating, and gave off a heady, overpowering fragrance.
Qin Geng glanced at the glowing panel in the corner of his vision.
[Experience +2]
That two-hour "steam bath" alone had earned him two experience points!
It equaled a whole day of hard training before!
It really is Treasure Medicine!
Wild with joy, Qin Geng ignored his sweat and used a damp cloth to lift the clay pot onto the stone platform beside him.
The cool early-autumn breeze wrinkled the surface of the scalding decoction.
After about fifteen minutes, it had cooled enough to drink.
Qin Geng picked up the strainer and poured the medicine into the large coarse porcelain bowl. It filled the bowl to the brim, black and gleaming.
He lifted the bowl and tipped it back without hesitation.
Gulp!
Gulp!
Bitter!
Astringent!
And fishy, too!
It tasted like drinking mud, but Qin Geng did not so much as frown. He drained the bowl in one breath.
The medicinal liquid hit his stomach and instantly turned into a ball of raging fire.
Boom!
The heat burst outward from his stomach, racing wildly through every limb and bone.
So this is Bone-Strengthening Powder!
Qin Geng wasted no time. He dropped back into his stance and held it, using his breathing technique to circulate the medicine's immense power.
His blood surged, his tendons trembled, and his bones gave faint clicks, as though rejoicing.
That hunger, etched deep into his bones, finally vanished.
In its place came an unprecedented fullness and sense of strength.
Another hour passed.
When Qin Geng slowly ended his practice and breathed out a mouthful of stale air, he felt clearheaded and refreshed, with strength to spare.
He checked the panel again:
[Experience +4]
He had gained a full six experience points that morning!
More importantly, the feeling that his body had been drained dry was completely gone.
"Whew..."
Qin Geng looked at the empty medicine bowl, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Bone-Strengthening Powder really is expensive, but it's worth every coin!"
At this rate, what could stop my martial arts from flourishing?
With a thought, the Book of a Hundred Trades opened its glowing screen before his eyes.
[Profession: Martial Artist (Level 5)] [Experience: 7/50] [Talents]: [Dragon Spine Through the Back (Level 1)]: The spine is like a dragon; the tendons snap taut. Explosive power and resistance to blows are greatly enhanced.
His gaze moved down, and a new line of text appeared, previewing what lay ahead:
[Raise Martial Artist to Level 10 to unlock talent: Sickly Tiger Bones]
Qin Geng's eyes fixed on those four words.
[Sickly Tiger Bones]: [As the boxing proverb says: "The dragon moves with wind and thunder; the tiger moves as though sick."] [Sickly does not mean weak. It means drawing one's vitality inward, relaxing and sinking into the bones.] [Your frame will broaden, and your bones will become unlike those of ordinary people, dense as iron.] [With tiger bones in your body, your tendons will naturally relax whether you walk, sit, or lie down, and your joints will sink slightly, like a drowsy tiger just awakened.] [You may seem full of openings and soft as cotton, but your vital energy is held within, locked deep in your marrow. Then, in an instant, wind and thunder will stir, and you will choose someone to devour!]
"Sickly Tiger Bones?"
Qin Geng repeated the four words silently, his eyes flashing.
Though he had never studied under a renowned school, he had read the principles of boxing in Xingyi Dragon and Tiger.
In traditional martial arts, the hardest thing to master was not "tension," but "relaxation."
Only when the body relaxed completely could it move as one.
Sickly Tiger Bones was clearly an exceptionally advanced form of movement and skeletal conditioning.
Dragon Tendon governed explosive power; Tiger Bone governed relaxation and sinking.
Once he had both, he would truly unite hardness and softness, dragon and tiger together!
Dragon Tendon and Tiger Bone in one body... That really is a top-tier talent.
Qin Geng took a deep breath and suppressed his excitement.
The Book of a Hundred Trades grants terrifying talents. If I keep training like this, I'll make a name for myself as a Martial Artist!
With Bone-Strengthening Powder helping me, it should only take a few months to reach Level 10, enter Bright Force, and unlock the Tiger Bone talent.
Only then will I truly leave this wretched life at the bottom behind and have what it takes to survive in these chaotic times!
Fire burned in Qin Geng's chest. He was about to strike while the iron was hot and hold his stance a little longer to consolidate the medicinal power he had absorbed.
Just then, hurried footsteps broke the quiet of the rear courtyard.
A young attendant from Hundred Herb Hall ran in, panting.
"Mr. Qin! Mr. Qin!"
Before he had even stopped, the attendant called out, "There's an old man named Zhu at the front asking for you! Says he's Master Zhu Xin and it's a matter of life and death! The shopkeeper told me to come tell you at once!"
"Hm?"
Qin Geng's heart gave a sudden jolt.
Master Zhu Xin?
The old hand was usually so steady, and they had only parted a short while ago. Why had he suddenly come looking for him?
And for a "matter of life and death"?
"I'm coming!"
Without another word, Qin Geng snatched up the jacket beside him and strode out, pulling it on as he went.
He reached the entrance of Hundred Herb Hall.
Master Zhu Xin was pacing anxiously below the steps with his hands behind his back. His old eyes, usually narrowed, were now wide, his face tight with agitation.
Beside him crouched a young carriage driver, gripping an empty rickshaw and gulping for air. He had clearly raced here the whole way.
Qin Geng rushed down the steps. "Master Zhu Xin, what's so urgent? What happened?"
At the sight of Qin Geng, Master Zhu Xin's voice nearly cracked.
"Xiao Wu! Quick! Get to Xun River Wharf!"
"Something terrible's happened!"
"Those bastards from Yi He Shantytown have gone all out this time. I don't know where they found them, but they brought in a few tough fighters and led a mob straight into Xun River Wharf!"
"From the look of it, they mean to kill. Someone's liable to die!"
"I happened to be taking a walk nearby and saw it. I knew your shantytown had just taken that territory, so I hurried over by rickshaw to warn you!"
Qin Geng's face darkened at once.
Yi He Shantytown!
Xu Chun, Uncle Jin, and several elders from the shantytown were among the few people close to him in this world. They had fed him when he was at his lowest, and Qin Geng had never forgotten that kindness.
If anything happened to Uncle Xu...
"I understand."
Qin Geng drew a deep breath and turned to Master Zhu Xin.
"Master Zhu Xin, words can't repay what you've done. I won't forget this favor, and I'll thank you properly later!"
"Saving them comes first. I'm going ahead!"
"Go! Hurry!"
Master Zhu Xin waved him on. "Those men have weapons. Be careful!"
Before he had finished speaking, Qin Geng had turned away.
Bang!
The bluestone slab beneath his foot gave a dull thud.
The next instant, Qin Geng's back arched slightly and his tendons snapped taut. He shot forward, stirring a gust of wind.
The young carriage driver stared, dumbfounded, as Qin Geng's figure became a blur along the street and vanished around the corner in the blink of an eye.
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