The Wang Family Steward, Three Live Sheep (1 / 2)

By the time he returned home, hot water had already been prepared. Zhao Er worked quickly, removing the centipedes' venomous fangs and Poison Glands before leaving the rest to his father, Zhao Dazhu.

With the sun down, they could only dry them slowly beside the fire, but Zhao Er did not have to worry about any of that. The family sat around the table, eating meat stewed until it was tender enough to fall apart.

As always, though, most of the meat ended up in Zhao Er's stomach. The little girl, Zhao Shan, ate what remained, while Zhao Dazhu and his wife gnawed on bones and drank broth, happy smiles lighting their faces.

It was not that Zhao Er had not tried putting meat in their bowls. He simply could not overcome their refusals and had no choice but to let them have their way. In the end, it all came down to his lack of strength and the family's lack of money.

After eating, Zhao Er went to the side room to practice martial arts.

Since his Poison Resistance had leveled up that afternoon, practicing the Five Poisons Art this time was nowhere near as painful as before.

Zhao Er held two burlap strips wrapped around poisonous sand, gripping them in both hands as he repeatedly whipped them against his chest and back.

The little strips filled with poisonous sand were like two long whips. Every strike left a clear red welt on his skin, while the powder containing Heavenly Dragon Toxin that seeped through the cloth clung to it.

He also inhaled the poisonous powder drifting through the air through his mouth and nose.

Fortunately, Poison Resistance seemed only to increase his body's resistance to poison rather than render the poison ineffective. After a quarter of an hour of practice, his proficiency in the Five Poisons Fist rose by one point.

Seeing this, Zhao Er grew even more eager to practice.

Perhaps it was because he had eaten plenty of meat that evening. After half an hour of practice, when he had already been utterly exhausted at this point yesterday, he could clearly feel that he still had strength to spare today.

So Zhao Er did not stop. Instead, he continued practicing.

Only after a full hour had passed did Zhao Er wash up again and get dressed.

"Five Poisons Art" 51 + 2 + 2, "Five Poisons Fist" 16 + 5 + 6.

Big Brother was right. Martial arts training consumes an enormous amount of energy. Even Unorthodox Cultivation Manuals require plenty of meat to replenish the body. If you can't even fill your stomach, how could you have the strength to practice?

A smile curled Zhao Er's lips as he looked at the proficiency gains after settlement, nearly twice what he had gained from his previous practice session.

Now that he could practice for twice as long each day, he would break through and become a martial artist that much sooner.

After locking the side room, Zhao Er glanced around. Seeing no one at home, he thought nothing of it, knowing his family must have gone to enjoy the cool air and chat beneath the village's big tree. He disliked crowds, so he went straight back to his room to sleep.

Early the next morning, Zhao Er rose from bed, his body still aching from the previous night's practice.

He paid it no mind. As he drank porridge with minced meat added to it, he considered heading down to the river to catch fish.

The centipede traps needed bait. Rotten animal innards mixed with blood were actually best, but when those were unavailable, rotten fish would do.

Fish were not worth much these days. Without oil, cooked fish smelled strongly fishy, and eating it did little to fill the stomach. So long as one found a river and could swim reasonably well, catching fish was not difficult. Zhao Er had done just that in the past.

But Zhao Er had only just finished his porridge when he saw two people appear at the courtyard gate.

One was fat and the other thin. Both wore brand-new clothes and had washed themselves clean, nothing like the shabby, scruffy villagers.

Zhao Er recognized one of them. He was Zhao Zhiyuan, his former friend, whom Tiger called Laitou.

"Ohh, Second Brother, not heading up the mountain today? I heard your dad got beaten up. How is he? Have his injuries healed?"

When Laitou spotted Zhao Er in the courtyard, he drew out his words, his chin tilted slightly upward.

"He's all right. His injuries weren't serious. Oh, right, I went to the county town the day before yesterday and brought back some licorice root. Take some home with you later. It can counteract poison. Your dad might feel better if he boils it in water."

Zhao Er did not take much offense at Zhao Shan's manner, or even at how he had rubbed salt into his father's wounds the moment he arrived. Instead, he genuinely looked ready to go inside and fetch the licorice root.

Come to think of it, Laitou and Zhao Er had once been on fairly good terms. But after Zhao Er began catching centipedes in the mountains, Laitou grew green-eyed and came to ask him for the trick to venturing into them.

Yet Zhao Er relied on the Poison Resistance awarded by the panel's settlements to enter the mountains. There was no way he could teach anyone that, so he could only claim he had a special constitution.

Laitou's father had not believed him, however, and secretly followed Zhao Er into the mountains. Instead of catching any centipedes, he encountered poisonous miasma.

Only because Laitou's father ran fast and inhaled little of it did he escape, but he still fell gravely ill. His health had remained poor ever since.

And so relations between the two families had soured.

Still, they lived in the same village, and Zhao Er had once been on fairly good terms with Laitou. His offer just now had truly been well-intentioned.

"No need. I can still afford licorice root."

Hearing Zhao Er's words, Laitou assumed he was mocking him, and his face immediately darkened.

"Second Brother, I heard you're going to start practicing martial arts too. Do you know how much that costs? With the little money your brother earns in the county town, I doubt he can cover your training expenses."

Unwilling to dwell on his father's injury, Laitou walked a few steps into the courtyard before speaking.

"That's none of your concern. I have things to do later, so just get to the point. What did you come here for today?"

Seeing Laitou's attitude, Zhao Er knew his good intentions had gone unrecognized and no longer wanted to waste words on him.

If the man had come merely to mock him, Zhao Er would show him the door.

"Hmph!"

Laitou snorted coldly at Zhao Er. But remembering why he had come, he stepped aside, allowing the man behind him to come forward.

"Zhao Er, I've brought you a tremendous opportunity today. This is a steward of the Wang Family. He's very interested in the secret that lets you enter the mountains."

"Tell me how you avoid the poisonous miasma, and I can bring you into the Wang Family. The family will teach you martial arts and even help you become a martial artist."

The steward entered the courtyard, glanced around, and covered his face with a handkerchief. He did not even look Zhao Er in the eye as he spoke, merely delivering those cold words as though dispensing charity.

Zhao Er paid little attention to the man's attitude, but his mind kept working.

Regardless of how powerful the Wang Family was in the county town, killing Zhao Er would surely be exceedingly easy for them.

Zhao Er could never reveal the Settlement Panel, so the most important thing now was how to bluff his way through this.

"There's no need for me to join the Wang Family. I'm not interested in becoming a household servant."

Just as the Wang Family steward began to grow impatient, Zhao Er raised his hand and held up three fingers.

"Three live sheep, and I'll tell you the secret to entering the mountains."