Unexpected Windfall

After awakening the memories of his past life and gaining a basic understanding of this new world, Zhang Yuan's greatest wish was to grow stronger and become someone capable of controlling his own fate.

He had put forth his utmost effort toward that end.

Yet every step had been difficult, and he had even made a fool of himself before.

More than three years ago, Zhang Yuan had spent all his savings to buy a martial arts manual from a roadside stall in the County Town.

At the time, Zhang Yuan had thought he had stumbled upon an incredible bargain. He had then taken the "Subduing Tiger Fist" he bought for two hundred coins to Old Master Chen for guidance—there were parts of it he could not understand.

The old master had been amused.

Although Old Master Chen knew nothing of martial arts, he was widely knowledgeable and deeply experienced. He immediately pointed out that such stall-bought manuals were shoddily made and not a single word in them was true—they were all tools for swindling fools.

As the saying went, true teachings were not passed on lightly. It was utterly impossible to buy a genuine manual for a mere few hundred coins.

And even if it was a real manual, many did not record the most crucial oral formulas, which had to be personally taught by one's master or elders.

That made Zhang Yuan realize that the inheritance of martial arts techniques in this world was exceedingly meticulous and strict.

For a poor mountain village boy without any backing like Zhang Yuan, it was difficult to learn any real skills.

He lacked connections, and he could not afford the price!

The setback he had suffered with Hunter Gao was the best proof of that.

Yet the "Boulder Foundation Skill" he had obtained by chance allowed Zhang Yuan to see hope of becoming a martial artist.

The manual had been well preserved by its original owner, who had deliberately protected it with an Animal Hide pouch.

Zhang Yuan opened its pages and began reading carefully by the oil lamp.

The "Boulder Foundation Skill" was over thirty pages long. The paper was tough in texture, and it recorded, with illustrations and text, a foundational technique called the "Boulder Foundation."

Not only was its content extremely detailed, it also contained a great many annotations.

On the final page was a prescription for Medicinal Soup!

Zhang Yuan read it again and again. In a daze, it felt as though a gate leading into the world of martial arts was slowly opening before him!

His heart surged, and his emotions refused to settle for a long while.

The "Boulder Foundation Skill" was a foundational technique for the Entering Force Realm, used to temper the body, forge the sinews and bones, and cultivate inner force!

The Entering Force Realm was further divided into three orders: Perceptible Strength, Dark Force, and Transforming Force.

The Chen Family Guard Zhang Yuan had killed earlier was undoubtedly a lowest-tier First Order Perceptible Strength Martial Artist.

Though this "Boulder Foundation Skill" was a foundational technique, it was likely quite extraordinary. Otherwise, its owner would not have treasured it so dearly, keeping it close to his body and protecting it so carefully.

The impact it had on Zhang Yuan was immense.

After reading it over and over dozens of times, Zhang Yuan suddenly noticed that the manual's back cover was unusually thick.

It was at least three or four times thicker than the front cover!

His heart stirred. He immediately reached out to brighten the oil lamp's flame and leaned closer for a careful look.

As it turned out, the back cover held another secret.

There was something hidden inside!

Using his skinning knife, he carefully slit open the covering paper and pulled out three silver notes.

One was worth fifty taels, while the other two were worth ten taels each—for a total of seventy taels in silver notes!

Zhang Yuan was speechless at first, then the enormous surprise struck him like a blow.

For the past two days, he had been troubled by the five taels of Corvée Silver, even risking a deep journey into Thousand Peak Mountain to hunt for it.

He had even encountered something strange.

And now, he had effortlessly gained an unexpected windfall of seventy taels!

Seventy taels of silver was no small sum. It was enough to settle down and establish a household in the County Town.

Zhang Yuan guessed that these three silver notes had been Sun Bodyguard's private little treasury, yet they had all fallen into his hands for nothing.

The great stone that had hung over Zhang Yuan's heart finally dropped to the ground.

Cock-a-doodle-doo~

The crowing of a rooster suddenly reached Zhang Yuan's ears, jolting him awake.

Only then did Zhang Yuan realize in astonishment that the sky outside had already begun to brighten.

He had stayed awake through the entire night!

At the same time, Zhang Yuan heard his mother getting up in the next room.

After thinking it over, he tucked the fifty-tael silver note and one of the ten-tael notes back into the manual's back cover.

Then Zhang Yuan put the "Boulder Foundation Skill" back into the Animal Hide pouch and hid it in a gap beneath the stones lining the bottom of his bed.

Next, he blew out the oil lamp and left his room to wash up.

After breakfast, Zhang Yuan left home with a bamboo basket on his back beneath his mother's worried gaze.

After yesterday's encounter with something strange, the atmosphere in Chen Family Village was clearly much tenser today.

This time, Zhang Yuan did not enter the mountains.

Instead, he followed the small road toward the County Town.

"Yuan Baby."

He encountered a village woman on the road, and she asked curiously, "Where are you going?"

Zhang Yuan stopped and answered, "Auntie, my mother gave me the last piece of jewelry she had stored away. She told me to exchange it for silver in the County Town to cover the Corvée. Today is the last day."

The three silver notes he had obtained could not see the light of day in the village, so he needed a reason to pay the Corvée Silver.

Zhang Yuan had already coordinated their story with his mother earlier.

Naturally, he gave the same explanation now.

The woman knew that Zhang Yuan's family had again been assigned Corvée this year, and that they had even been levied an additional five taels of silver. She felt deeply sympathetic.

But there was nothing she could do to help, so she could only say, "Be careful on the road."

"Mm."

Zhang Yuan quickened his pace and hurried all the way to the County Town.

In this life, the farthest place Zhang Yuan had gone so far was the Linhe County Town before him.

The county town nestled against the mountains and beside the water, surrounded by vast stretches of farmland. Its geographical setting was quite excellent.

The town had a population of tens of thousands. With convenient transport by water and land, it was bustling and prosperous.

After arriving in town, Zhang Yuan did not immediately go to the bank to exchange the silver notes.

He first bought a well-fitting set of clothes at a cloth shop.

They were only coarse cloth garments, but they were brand-new. Once he changed into them, his entire appearance improved considerably.

Next, Zhang Yuan bought a conical hat and a pair of boots at another shop.

He spent nearly all the loose silver he had taken from Sun Bodyguard's money pouch.

Only after this makeover did he make his way to the County Town's sole bank—Fu Ji Bank.

This was Zhang Yuan's first time coming to a bank to conduct business.

The instant he stepped inside, he immediately felt a sharp gaze fall upon him.

Zhang Yuan's heart tightened.

There was clearly an expert stationed inside the bank as a guard.

But Zhang Yuan had nothing to feel guilty about. Calm and composed, he walked to the counter, placed a ten-tael silver note atop it, and said hoarsely, "Shopkeeper, please exchange this for five taels of loose silver and five strings of copper coins."

The bank shopkeeper inside glanced at him, then took the silver note and inspected it carefully.

The silver note Zhang Yuan had produced had indeed been issued by Fu Ji Bank, and its surface bore special markings and authentication seals.

Once its authenticity was confirmed, the shopkeeper instructed a clerk to bring the loose silver and copper coins according to Zhang Yuan's request.

The process went very smoothly.

That was only natural. After all, a ten-tael silver note was not worth mentioning to Fu Ji Bank.

Zhang Yuan was merely being so cautious to ensure his safety.

A careful sailor sailed a ship for ten thousand years.

With the silver in hand, he did not stop for a moment. He made another round through the County Town, buying some medicinal ingredients, rice, oil, salt, and sauces.

Then he returned to Chen Family Village as quickly as possible!