Qi-Blood Pills

"Watch closely!"

Commander Li's voice rumbled like muffled thunder, making their eardrums buzz.

He walked to the center of the training grounds, set his feet shoulder-width apart, bent his knees slightly, and sank down.

Boom!

It was clearly a simple movement, yet everyone felt as though a fierce tiger had crouched there, an invisible pressure rushing straight at them.

"Pay attention to what you feel!"

Commander Li slowly raised his arms, palms facing down as though pressing on a tiger's head. His back arched slightly, his whole body assuming a posture that was both steady and ready to erupt with explosive force at any moment.

"The secret of the Tiger-Crouching Stance lies in hiding movement within stillness! On the surface, you appear to be standing motionless, but your qi and blood, sinews, bones, and muscles are all trembling slightly, like a great bow being drawn and released over and over, constantly tempering the qi and blood within you!"

As he spoke, he adjusted his breathing.

"Pay attention to your breathing. Breathing is the key! Inhale deeply and slowly, feeling your breath sink into your dantian. Exhale steadily and evenly, feeling your breath spread out through every limb and bone!"

"Every breath must drive the circulation of your qi and blood! Only then can you temper your qi and blood through stance training and strengthen your body!"

Commander Li maintained the stance, breaking down its essentials bit by bit.

"Sink your shoulders, drop your elbows, draw in your chest, and extend your back!"

"Settle your waist, lower your hips, lift your pelvic floor, and draw in your abdomen!"

"Grip the ground with your toes, like an old tree spreading its roots, like a fierce tiger crouching in its lair!"

"Pay attention here. Adjust the rhythm of your breathing as your body sinks!"

He explained every point clearly and thoroughly.

Once he finished, he released the stance and straightened, looking at them. "Did you all understand?"

"Yes!" they hurriedly answered.

"Good! Start your stance training now! I'll watch and correct you one by one!"

Commander Li swept his large hand out, signaling for them to begin.

Mo Yun took a deep breath, recalled Commander Li's movements, and slowly settled into the stance.

Feet apart, knees slightly bent, shoulders lowered, elbows dropped, chest drawn in, back extended.

Yet the moment he assumed the posture, he felt something was wrong.

The stance looked simple, but actually holding it was unbearably uncomfortable.

His legs shook, his lower back ached, and his shoulders hurt. Every muscle in his body seemed to protest, and nothing he did felt right.

"That's wrong! Spread your feet a little farther! Sink your shoulders! Adjust your breathing! Your breathing is all over the place!"

Commander Li's voice suddenly exploded beside his ear. Mo Yun hastily focused and adjusted himself according to the instructions.

Following Commander Li's guidance, Mo Yun finally grasped some of the essentials after several attempts. The initial discomfort eased a little. It was still grueling, but he could keep going.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, he saw someone give out and collapse onto the ground.

It was Tang Yin, the unremarkable-looking young man who liked wearing blue.

"I-I can't..." Tang Yin's face flushed red as he panted heavily and dropped onto his backside, his entire body already drenched in sweat.

Commander Li glanced at him and frowned.

How long had it even been? Not even half the time it took to drink a cup of tea!

What a useless fool!

Couldn't he grit his teeth and hold on a little longer, even if it hurt?!

If this fellow hadn't found some connection somewhere to shoehorn himself onto this intake's roster, Commander Li would have told him to get lost!

Sensing Commander Li's disdainful gaze, Tang Yin lowered his head in embarrassment, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

But there was nothing he could do. He truly couldn't hold on any longer.

It was unbearable!

The feeling of every muscle trembling and every bone groaning was simply too torturous.

"Watch for now, then try again once you've recovered!" Commander Li said flatly before turning his attention to the others and beginning to guide and correct them one by one.

Holding the Tiger-Crouching Stance was actually extremely taxing. A beginner who could last the time it took to drink a cup of tea already possessed exceptional talent.

Commander Li noticed that Luo Shan seemed gifted in this regard. He picked it up quickly and held on for more than a quarter of an hour.

Han Tang also performed well. Fair and clean-cut, he looked somewhat frail, but his character was extraordinarily tenacious. Although he soon became drenched in sweat and trembled all over, he forced himself to last a quarter of an hour.

Tie Zhu, who had passed the Tiger-Crouching Ladder test, also did very well. He gritted his teeth and held on until he nearly fainted. Although he fell short of a quarter of an hour, he came very close.

Tie Zhu's Bone Root is ordinary, and his comprehension is average, but with such resolve, he might still amount to something in the future... Commander Li thought.

The one who truly surprised Commander Li was Mo Yun. He had always remembered the boy's weak constitution, yet unexpectedly, he too lasted a quarter of an hour.

The others, however, performed rather unremarkably.

Tang Yin in particular seemed beyond saving to Commander Li. Ever since collapsing at the beginning, he hadn't gotten up again!

Useless trash! Commander Li wanted to hit someone.

Still, Han Tang, Luo Shan, Mo Yun, and Tie Zhu had performed well, leaving him in a reasonably good mood. Otherwise, he really would have wanted to give Tang Yin a beating!

Who would have thought I'd find four promising seedlings among this batch of menial workers...

Time passed. Through Commander Li's repeated guidance and corrections, they gained a basic grasp of the Tiger-Crouching Stance and began practicing on their own, tempering their qi and blood.

An hour slipped by in the blink of an eye.

"All right, that's enough for today," Commander Li said in his rumbling voice. "We'll continue tomorrow. For the coming days, gather here punctually at the hour of the Rabbit, rain or shine. Understood?"

"Yes!" everyone answered.

"All right, dismissed." Commander Li waved and turned to leave.

After taking just two steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Mo Yun.

"Little Mo, come with me."

Mo Yun paused, then got up and followed.

Behind him, Xiao Liu stared, slack-jawed, and said enviously, "Old Mo, Commander Li wants to see you alone. Is he going to give you special coaching?"

Mo Yun shook his head.

He didn't know what was going on either.

But his intuition told him it should be something good.

He followed Commander Li to the edge of the training grounds, where the commander stopped and turned around.

He took a small porcelain bottle from inside his robe and handed it to Mo Yun.

"Take it."

Mo Yun froze, then accepted the porcelain bottle.

Puzzled, he pulled out the stopper. An unusual medicinal fragrance wafted out, and merely smelling it left him feeling refreshed.

"This is..."

"Qi-Blood Pills," Commander Li said. "Your constitution is weak, and martial training takes a heavy toll. Without pills to restore your body, you'll struggle to keep going. Forcing yourself to train will only damage your foundations and cause irreversible harm."

Mo Yun was taken aback and hurriedly offered the porcelain bottle back. "Commander Li, this is far too precious..."

He knew about Qi-Blood Pills. They were so expensive that an ordinary menial worker couldn't afford a bottle even after saving a whole year's wages without spending anything on food or drink.

"Keep it!" Commander Li pressed his hand down, his expression earnest. "Little Mo, don't be so quick to refuse. Consider this bottle of pills my personal support for you, and an investment in you as well."

An investment?

Mo Yun looked up at Commander Li.

"Little Mo, I have high hopes for you," Commander Li said bluntly. "Your comprehension is the best I've seen in all these years. Your Bone Root may be ordinary, but that can be compensated for. As long as you're willing to work hard, you'll surely achieve something."

He paused, then continued, "Don't overthink it. If you really do achieve something someday, remembering the kindness of this fellow Li will be enough."

Mo Yun stared at the porcelain bottle in his hand, then at the burly man towering like an iron pagoda before him, and felt warmth well up in his heart.

They were neither family nor close friends, yet Commander Li was willing to help him like this.

He had never expected this rugged-looking man of iron to have such a warm heart.

"Commander Li..." Mo Yun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

"Don't get sentimental." Commander Li waved a hand. "Train hard. Just don't let this bottle of pills go to waste."

He turned to leave, but after two steps, he stopped again and said without looking back:

"Oh, and Little Mo, work hard. If you can reach the beginner level in the Tiger-Crouching Fist within a month and gain control over your qi and blood, the manor lord has promised to reward you with a potent medicinal treasure that will completely resolve your weak constitution!"

With that, he strode away, his shadow stretching long in the morning light.

Mo Yun stood where he was, tightly gripping the porcelain bottle as he watched that burly figure recede into the distance, speechless for a time.

What Commander Li didn't know was that, in his current condition, he only needed to eat his fill every day. In a few more days at most, his physical problems would be completely resolved.

Of course, Mo Yun would remember Commander Li's kindness.

Soon, something seemed to occur to Mo Yun, and his eyes lit up. "Eating and drinking well can charge the Black Seal, so if I take these Qi-Blood Pills..."