Immediate Results

When Duan Rong carried a pair of stinking shoes into the menial disciples' lodging courtyard, the sky had long since turned pitch-black.

Most of the menial disciples, exhausted from a full day's work, had already gone to sleep, but several figures were still practicing martial arts in a corner of the courtyard.

With the assessment day drawing near, anyone with even the slightest hope was unwilling to let this chance slip away.

Duan Rong had already practiced for two shichen that morning, then spent the entire afternoon holding a horse stance at the Horse Stable. Every bit of strength in his body had been squeezed dry and honed through training. Right now, all he wanted was sleep.

Duan Rong went to the well, stripped naked, drew some water, washed himself, and slipped beneath the blanket on the Large Shared Bed.

Duan Rong slept deeply that night. In his dream, a burly figure was still practicing the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber.

Just after Mao Time began, faint rooster crows already drifted through the dark night.

At the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, the curtain of the menial disciples' dormitory lifted, and a figure emerged. He had a somewhat thin square face and dark complexion. It was Duan Rong, freshly awakened.

Duan Rong washed his face with cold water, deliberately picked a slightly thicker branch from the woodpile, and prepared to run through a few forms.

But the instant Duan Rong assumed his opening stance, there came a whoosh—the branch snapped in response.

Duan Rong froze for a moment, then understood. He had held his stance for an entire day yesterday, and after a night's sleep, his strength had increased considerably. Even these somewhat thicker branches could no longer withstand him.

Duan Rong tossed aside the broken half of the branch and left the menial disciples' lodging courtyard.

He planned to go to the courtyard where the menial disciples usually practiced. It was some distance away and quite secluded; aside from practice hours, hardly anyone ever went there.

Duan Rong circled around behind the Servant Yard.

The Horse Stable and Inner Courtyard both had guards on watch. At this hour, if he ran into one, he would inevitably be questioned. Duan Rong would rather take a longer route.

Duan Rong entered the secluded courtyard where firewood and charcoal were piled. A brilliant star hung upside down in the black night sky. There was no one around, and all was still.

Duan Rong walked up to the weapon rack, drew a discarded saber, and gripped it in his hand.

This was the first time Duan Rong had held a saber since devouring the artifact spirit. Though it was only a ruined blade with chipped edges, the moment he grasped it, a strange sensation rose in his heart.

Starting from the opening stance, Duan Rong performed the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber form by form.

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, he felt more and more in tune with it. Gradually, even the pauses between moves seemed to take on a certain rhythm.

After finishing one round, Duan Rong's heart was as clear as a mirror.

His strength had risen noticeably.

No wonder a single opening stance had snapped that branch.

Yesterday, he had eaten plenty of rich, hearty dishes at the restaurant, and his muscles had been thoroughly worked through with stance training.

A single day of cultivation yesterday had probably equaled ten or more days for others.

After all, he had the experience bonus of the entry-level Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber. The slightest improvement in his physical condition would make his strength soar geometrically.

The results were immediate.

Duan Rong performed the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber form three times in succession.

After the third round, Duan Rong stopped.

The muscles in his right arm and shoulder were already faintly swollen and aching. His physical condition was still rather weak; he could not sustain entry-level saber techniques for long.

Duan Rong sighed. Improving one's physical condition was like grinding an iron pestle into a needle—slow, painstaking work. There was no use rushing it.

"If I could supplement my diet with food and medicine, I'd probably improve faster." Duan Rong blinked and muttered to himself.

That table full of rich dishes at the restaurant yesterday had clearly been effective, but with Duan Rong's finances, there was no way he could gorge himself like that. Medicinal supplements were even more of a pipe dream.

It's easier to get things done when you have money. Money is resources; it's the same in every world. Once I pass the assessment, I need to find a way to make money first.

Duan Rong felt as though he had just started working in his previous life—there were a thousand tangled threads to sort out, yet he could not get anything done.

After resting briefly, Duan Rong returned the discarded saber to the weapon rack and began holding his stance.

He continued trying to replicate the method of circulating inner breath that he had seen in his dream.

Only when the sky had fully brightened did Duan Rong shoot a stream of white breath from his mouth like an arrow. This was the effect of Containing Qi Without Revealing.

However, he still had not found the proper path to the Inner Power Cultivation Method of the Five Tigers Herd Sheep Saber.

Duan Rong first left the escort agency through the small side gate of the Back Courtyard. Outside, he ate a large bowl of mutton paomo, then added a heaping spoonful of Oil Chili. The warmth spread through his stomach.

After eating, Duan Rong returned to the escort agency and went to the food distribution area to collect two Steamed Buns. Chewing on one as he went, he headed toward the Horse Stable.

Duan Rong worked at the Horse Stable for the entire day.

Old Sun had strained his back and could not do heavy labor. Basically, Duan Rong did all the work while Old Sun merely lent a hand.

But with Old Sun there, Duan Rong could not practice his stance as he had yesterday.

If Old Sun saw that bizarre posture of his, like a crab walking sideways, he would probably think Duan Rong had been possessed.

Not only had Duan Rong's physical condition and strength improved, even the way he exerted force had changed. Thus, after a full day's work, he had not even panted once.

Watching Duan Rong, who had not sweated a single drop, Old Sun's wrinkled old face immediately bloomed like a flower. "Young men really are different. You don't cut corners when it comes to work."

Old Sun was already thinking that if he could keep Duan Rong at the Horse Stable for good, his own workload would become much lighter.

Duan Rong grinned. One look at Old Sun's expression told him exactly what the old fellow was plotting.

Duan Rong sneered inwardly, I'll be gone in a few more days, First Master. Take your time playing by yourself. With your Sun the Skinflint temperament, even if I really stayed on as a menial laborer, I still wouldn't work at this Horse Stable.

At Shen Time Six Quarters, the menial disciples gathered in the firewood courtyard to practice.

The Horse Stable where Duan Rong worked was farthest from this place. When he entered the courtyard through the side gate at precisely the right time, he discovered that only seven people remained.

Aside from Kong Bin, Zhang Zheng, and Li Chong in the first row, Duan Rong merely recognized the faces of the four standing in the second row. He could not even name them.

The original owner of this body had been introverted and rarely interacted with the other menial disciples. As for Duan Rong himself, he had only transmigrated here a few days ago. With countless tangled problems weighing on his mind, he had no time to socialize with these menial disciples.

Still, Duan Rong felt that this was not good. At the very least, he was cut off from information. If any news or rumors surfaced, no one would give him a heads-up.

Duan Rong believed that no matter what world one was in, social skills were extremely important. If one could move easily among people, many matters would become far less troublesome.

Even if the original owner had not died, with his temperament, he would never have had any chance to turn his life around in this world.

But since he had come here, he would live properly in the original owner's place. At the very least, he would make something of himself.

Duan Rong glanced at Li Chong, who wore an earring and had a tall, slender frame, then strode over and stood beside him.

Li Chong had always been a germaphobe. Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed beside him, followed by an intense, pungent stink of horse manure.

Kong Bin, Zhang Zheng, and Li Chong had always stood in the first row, while the other menial disciples knew enough to avoid standing with them.

Yet today, Duan Rong had actually taken a spot beside Li Chong. Just as Li Chong was about to fly into a rage, a deep cough sounded from the courtyard gate.

Zhao Mu spat a wad of thick phlegm onto the steps and strode inside.