Iron Cloth Shirt

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. You just need to help me."

Lu Changsheng waved a hand, his tone firm.

"All right, then. If anything goes wrong midway, stop immediately."

Fang Tao gritted his teeth and agreed.

He knew Lu Changsheng had always been a man of his word. Once he made up his mind, not even nine oxen could drag him back, so there was no point in trying to persuade him further.

Lu Changsheng then found a wooden staff as tall as a man and handed it to Fang Tao.

The two immediately went to the center of the courtyard.

Lu Changsheng planted his feet apart, his expression solemn.

"In a moment, use the staff to strike my chest and back. Don't stop unless I tell you to."

As he spoke, he immediately assumed the gesture shown in the first illustration of the manual, wrapping his arms around himself as his mind sank inward.

"Brother Changsheng, endure it."

There was a trace of reluctance in Fang Tao's eyes as he began swinging the staff toward Lu Changsheng's chest.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Crisp impacts rang through the entire courtyard.

Waves of stabbing pain washed over Lu Changsheng, making his entire body tremble.

As the strikes came faster and faster, the agony seemed like endless waves, never ceasing.

He clenched his teeth and did not choose to give up.

If he shrank back this time, he might never be able to step onto the path of martial arts.

With the Attribute Modifier, if he still chose to remain an ordinary commoner, he might as well smash his head into a block of tofu and die.

Clinging to a certain conviction, he held on without wavering.

"Body like a boulder, heart like glazed crystal."

Lu Changsheng kept silently reciting the manual's core doctrine, gradually finding a sliver of opportunity.

At that moment, a blue panel appeared in the air.

Host: Lu Changsheng.

Age: Twenty.

Realm: None.

Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt (Not Initiated 1%)

Skills: None.

Equipment: None.

Status: Good.

Source Energy Points: Five.

Bound Exotic Beast: Pangolin (White)

Seeing the technique's progress bar change, Lu Changsheng's face lit up.

As long as there was progress, he could pile it up to one hundred percent sooner or later. Then, he could try using Source Energy Points to add points.

That immediately filled him with energy, and he seemed to forget the pain wracking his body.

Before long, only a series of banging sounds remained in the courtyard.

A youth held a wooden staff and vigorously struck a man's body, creating a most bizarre scene.

The youth's face had turned somewhat red from exertion.

The two did not stop until noon.

"Brother Changsheng, are you all right?"

Fang Tao put away the staff and looked at Lu Changsheng, whose body was mottled with bruises, his face full of concern.

"It's nothing."

Lu Changsheng smiled faintly and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Looking at the six-percent progress bar on the panel, he felt immensely satisfied.

At this rate, he would be able to initiate the technique in at most half a month.

When that time came, it would be time to settle some debts properly.

Fang Tao was greatly surprised upon hearing this.

He had not expected Lu Changsheng to seem like a completely different person after suffering such a great calamity.

In the past, he had feared even the slightest hardship. Training in such a self-torturing martial art had been utterly impossible.

Yet after waking up this time, he had undergone an earth-shaking change.

Over the next four days.

Lu Changsheng continued training the Iron Cloth Shirt in the courtyard. Whenever he was hungry, he ate a piece of black flatbread.

Through his bitter cultivation, he pushed the progress all the way past sixty percent.

Looking at the number on the panel, he was very satisfied.

But on the fifth day, things suddenly changed.

Although the progress bar was still advancing, and by his estimation he would be able to initiate the technique in another seven or eight days.

He had no choice but to stop.

The reason was simple: after several days of high-intensity training, black flatbread alone could no longer sustain him.

If he continued, he feared he would train himself to death before even initiating the technique.

The bruises on his body had not even had time to fade before new wounds appeared.

He had to eat meat if he wanted to continue.

Scholars could endure poverty, but martial artists needed wealth. That was no empty saying.

Medicinal baths alone cost an astronomical sum, and with meat required at every meal, it was simply beyond what ordinary people could afford.

"Brother Changsheng, what's wrong?"

Seeing Lu Changsheng stop, Fang Tao looked puzzled.

He knew Lu Changsheng was not someone who gave up easily.

Lu Changsheng frowned.

"I need some meat to continue cultivating. Otherwise, something may happen."

But all his money had been stolen, and his home had long since been picked clean.

He could not even afford coarse rice, much less meat.

As for ways to make money, he knew quite a few.

The methods for making ice and white sugar were not difficult either. With a little tinkering, he could probably figure them out.

But Lu Changsheng did not dare to act rashly.

If he carelessly exposed such profitable methods, he might not even know how he died.

Before he possessed absolute strength, such things could only become death warrants.

The gangs and powerful local families in the county would not bother reasoning with him.

Trying to steal food from their bowls was simply courting death.

Lu Changsheng naturally would not be so foolish.

Looks like I can only try using that Exotic Beast.

He thought to himself.

That was right. He intended to send the pangolin into the mountains to dig up a few medicinal herbs and sell them to an apothecary, temporarily earning some silver.

This was also the safest way he could think of to make money.

Ordinary herbs were less likely to attract anyone's attention.

Fang Tao beside him also fell silent.

His family was struggling as well. In these times, even eating one's fill was a luxury for commoners, much less eating meat.

He was helpless in the face of this problem too.

"Then I'll head back first."

As he spoke, Fang Tao turned and quickly ran away.

Before long, he vanished from the courtyard.

Lu Changsheng took a drink of water and sat quietly beside the stone table to rest.

He planned to officially begin his operation late that night, when all was quiet.

Time slowly passed.

Soon, dusk arrived, the setting sun red as blood.

"Tap, tap..."

At that moment, a set of light footsteps came from nearby.

Lu Changsheng looked up.

He saw Fang Tao returning, with a beautiful young married woman beside him.

She appeared to be around twenty-four. Even her coarse hemp clothes could not conceal her graceful figure.

Her eyes were bright, her willow-leaf brows delicately curved, and her long hair was pinned high behind her head. There was only a faint trace of weathering on her face, adding a touch more maturity to her beauty.

The two came together, and the woman carried a food box in her right hand.

The woman was Fang Tao's older sister, Fang Qing.

She had some small "renown" in Changping County as well.

Eight years ago, she had been betrothed to a man. Yet only a few days before the wedding, the man had inexplicably fallen seriously ill. After vomiting a few mouthfuls of blood, he died.

Before Fang Qing had even entered his household, she had become a widow.

Not only that, the surrounding neighbors all spread rumors that Fang Qing possessed a "husband-killing" fate. Some even claimed she bore the White Tiger Fate.

As time went on, everyone feared her as they would a tiger. No one dared to come and propose marriage, and so matters had dragged on until today.

The original Lu Changsheng had always avoided this woman as well.

People in ancient times were extremely wary of such matters.

Before long, Fang Qing and Fang Tao arrived before Lu Changsheng.

"I heard you want to practice martial arts? If you can't make anything of it, then give it up. You're not young anymore. Find a proper job as soon as possible, marry a wife, and leave behind some descendants. That was Uncle Lu's hope as well..."

When she mentioned marrying a wife and leaving descendants, Fang Qing's expression became somewhat strange. She herself was still an untouched maiden, and she felt rather embarrassed.

She then placed the food box and a string of copper coins on the stone table.

"There isn't much food left at home. There's only this chicken, along with these ten copper coins."

Fang Qing spoke slowly.

Her voice was crisp and pleasant.

Although she had constantly heard the sounds from next door these past few days, she did not believe Lu Changsheng could become a martial artist.

After all, Lu Changsheng had always idled away his days. He was already twenty years old, and his chances were exceedingly slim.

On top of that, he had no resources whatsoever, making success nearly impossible.

She only did this because she did not want Lu Changsheng to ruin himself through training for nothing. Their two families had always been close, and during difficult times, they had received much kindness from Uncle Lu.

Fang Qing merely wished to repay that kindness, so that her conscience would be clear.

"Thank you for the reminder, Sister-in-law. I'll consider it carefully."

Lu Changsheng smiled faintly and thanked her without explaining too much.

He accepted her goodwill, and this gift was no small one.

Fang Qing was somewhat surprised by his response.

In her impression, Lu Changsheng had always been rather wary of her and often avoided her. Much less had he ever shown her a pleasant expression.

She had not expected him to change so much.

With a strange feeling in her heart, Fang Qing bid farewell with her younger brother and headed back toward their own courtyard.

After the two had gone far away, Lu Changsheng opened the food box.

A rich fragrance rushed into his nostrils.

Before him was a large, brimming bowl of chicken soup.

A warmth suddenly rose in his heart. Fang Qing and Fang Tao had slaughtered one of their two old hens.

He then began eating in great mouthfuls.

The depletion of his vitality and blood caused by several days of martial training improved slightly under the nourishment of meat.

Before long, the large bowl of chicken and broth had all gone into his stomach.

Lu Changsheng let out a satisfied burp, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.