Mo Yun was filled with anticipation.
As Commander Li's back hurried out of sight, he figured the commander would return soon. Rather than leave, he stayed in Commander Li's courtyard and practiced the Nameless Fist Technique.
Once, twice, three times...
Sweat soaked his clothes, and the wind from his punches howled through the courtyard.
Mo Yun could clearly feel that this test fist technique was close to the threshold of "complete mastery."
Another month or two, and I should be able to break through.
He calculated inwardly, his hands never stopping.
About a quarter of an hour later, hurried footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate.
Commander Li returned, striding into the courtyard with a smile he could not hide.
"Little Mo! Good news!"
He held two white jade porcelain bottles, their surfaces gleaming softly in the sunlight.
"The Village Master was delighted to hear you'd reached the beginner level in the Tiger-Crouching Fist in just half a month. He immediately gave you two bottles of Foundation-Nourishing Pills!"
Commander Li pressed the porcelain bottles into Mo Yun's hands and laughed heartily.
"Foundation-Nourishing Pills?" Mo Yun took the bottles and pulled out a stopper.
A rich medicinal fragrance washed over him. Just one sniff made every pore in his body seem to leap for joy.
Inside the bottle were milky-white pills, round as pearls and glowing with a gentle luster. They looked valuable at a glance.
"Foundation-Nourishing Pills are the signature product of our Crouching Tiger Manor!" Commander Li clapped Mo Yun on the shoulder, his voice carrying a measure of pride.
"They strengthen your foundation, nourish your vitality, and draw out the body's hidden potential. They're just right for someone with an unstable physique like yours."
He paused, then added, "You might not know this, but our Mountain Manor's Foundation-Nourishing Pills are supplied directly to the inner city. They sell extremely well there and bring in over thirty percent of the Mountain Manor's profits! Their effects are outstanding!"
Mo Yun's interest stirred.
Supplied directly to the inner city? Selling well enough to contribute thirty percent of the Mountain Manor's profits?
These Foundation-Nourishing Pills were worth far more than he had imagined.
"There are twenty-four pills in the two bottles," Commander Li said with a smile. "Take one every night before bed. After twenty-four days, the problem with your unstable physique will be completely resolved."
He patted Mo Yun's shoulder and said earnestly:
"Little Mo, because of your physique, you originally only just met the threshold for lower-middle Bone Root. Once that problem is completely resolved, your Bone Root will improve somewhat.
"As for how much it will improve, that's hard to say..."
Commander Li rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You might end up near the top of the lower-middle Bone Root range, or you might reach middle Bone Root outright. Anything beyond that is very unlikely. After all, eighty or ninety percent of your Bone Root is determined at birth."
Mo Yun nodded without speaking.
He understood better than anyone what an improved Bone Root meant.
The better one's Bone Root, the faster one cultivated, the greater one's affinity for force energy, and the higher the ceiling on one's future achievements.
But he had already resolved the problem with his physique. Now, the Foundation-Nourishing Pills would probably only charge the Black Seal.
Commander Li continued, his voice full of anticipation. "Once your physique is no longer a problem, the road ahead of you will be much smoother.
"Even if your Bone Root remains lower-middle, with the comprehension you've shown, you'll still have a very good chance of breaking through to Dark Force!"
Dark Force!
Mo Yun's heart jolted.
A Dark Force martial artist could hold a commander's post. Wherever they went, they would be a formidable expert in their own right.
"Little Mo, if you reach Dark Force someday, you'll qualify to serve as a commander. Then I'll be able to take things a little easier."
Commander Li laughed heartily, his eyes full of hope.
"Thank you, Commander Li!" Mo Yun solemnly cupped his fist in salute, his gratitude sincere.
That salute came from the heart.
From giving him Qi-Blood Pills, to teaching him martial arts, to requesting Foundation-Nourishing Pills from the Village Master on his behalf, Commander Li's kindness weighed as heavily as a mountain.
"No need to get sentimental." Commander Li waved a hand, then seemed to remember something.
"Oh, right, Little Mo. Although you've reached the beginner level in the Tiger-Crouching Fist, the Village Master's rules say you must also reach the beginner level in the Tiger-Crouching Stance before you're eligible to join the Guard Team."
Mo Yun paused, then nodded.
He had heard of that rule. The Tiger-Crouching Fist provided the moves; the Tiger-Crouching Stance provided the foundation. Without a stable foundation, even the most powerful moves were nothing but castles in the air.
"Besides that, you'll also need to pass an assessment," Commander Li continued.
"The assessment is held once a month. This month's ended a few days ago, so there's about a month until the next one."
He paused, looking at Mo Yun with a hint of concern.
"Breaking through in stance training depends more on Bone Root and resources. One month might not be quite enough... but there's no need to rush, Little Mo."
"With your extraordinary comprehension, a breakthrough in stance training is only a matter of time. Just proceed step by step. It's merely a matter of patiently grinding away."
"If not next month, then the month after. Either way, it's as certain as a nail driven into a board!"
Mo Yun nodded in understanding, but felt no pressure.
A breakthrough in stance training depended on Bone Root and resources? It needed patient grinding?
I can just add a point!
At his current pace, he would condense another black point in six or seven days. Then, with one light tap, he could break through in the Tiger-Crouching Stance outright.
It would not take a month at all.
His only regret was that even if he broke through early, he would still have to wait until next month's assessment before applying to join the Guard Team.
That meant he would have to work himself half to death in the Servants' Court for another month.
"One more thing, Little Mo," Commander Li said.
"Considering how much time your work in the Forge Room takes every day, and how exhausting it is, I took the liberty of asking the Village Master to transfer you to the Spirit Herb Garden, where the work is relatively easy."
Mo Yun froze.
"The Village Master readily agreed," Commander Li said with a smile. "And it's not just you. The others who arrived in the same batch as you will benefit too. Starting tomorrow, all of you will report to the Spirit Herb Garden together!"
At those words, warmth welled up in Mo Yun's heart.
Commander Li truly looked out for him.
He knew all too well how exhausting the work in the Forge Room was.
Every day, he endured smoke and scorching heat as he hauled fuel, ending up as tired as a dog.
The Spirit Herb Garden was different.
Everyone in the Servants' Court considered it a cushy retirement post. The work was easy, supervision was lax, and once the tasks were done, one could even slack off and cultivate.
"Thank you, Commander Li!" Mo Yun cupped his fist in salute again.
"All right, all right, enough thanks." Commander Li waved a hand. "Go back and train hard. Try to master the Tiger-Crouching Stance as soon as possible."
Mo Yun nodded, took his two bottles of Foundation-Nourishing Pills, and bid Commander Li farewell.
By the time he stepped out of the courtyard gate, the evening glow had already stained the horizon.
He touched the porcelain bottles tucked inside his clothes, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
Two bottles of Foundation-Nourishing Pills, twenty-four pills in all-enough for twenty-four days.
With the few Qi-Blood Pills left from those Commander Li had given him earlier, his pill supply was settled for the near future.
First, I'll eat. Then I'll head to the Rear Mountain to practice.
Mo Yun quickened his pace toward the Dining Hall.
Late that night.
Having finished washing up, Mo Yun sat upright at the head of his bed and took a Foundation-Nourishing Pill from a porcelain bottle by the moonlight spilling through the window.
The milky-white pill shone with a lustrous glow in the moonlight, its medicinal fragrance filling his nostrils.
I hope it works better than the Qi-Blood Pills!
Before you continue