The scroll was enormous, a full meter long and thicker in diameter than an adult's thigh.
Its size alone made it clear that it contained no small amount of information.
Gao Shang carefully placed the scroll on the bed, undid the clasps at both ends, and slowly unfurled it.
The first things that met his eyes were the Uchiha Clan's Taijutsu and swordsmanship, foundational abilities that every Uchiha ninja had to master.
This section alone occupied a full half of the scroll. Every move came with movement illustrations and acupoint diagrams, all recorded in meticulous detail.
Gao Shang merely skimmed through it, yet he could not keep delight from showing on his face.
The Uchiha Clan's Taijutsu and swordsmanship might not rank among the very best on their own, but their strength lay in their comprehensiveness.
Attack, defense, restraint-they covered everything.
Moreover, every single move was a battlefield-tested killing technique, with almost no wasted motion: simple and efficient.
This was precisely what Gao Shang, an unaffiliated individual with no backing, needed most right now.
Besides these, the latter part of the scroll recorded nine Fire Release Ninjutsu, two Genjutsu, one Sealing Jutsu, and one Barrier Ninjutsu.
It had everything from the Great Fireball Technique, which never managed to kill anyone, to the Dragon Flame Song Technique, which could wreck the Allied Shinobi Forces in a single move.
The only pity was that it contained no heaven-defying forbidden techniques like Izanagi.
But even if it did, Gao Shang would not dare use them. After all, he was no Danzo; he did not have that many eyes.
Gao Shang had originally worried that if he fell out with Tang San in the future, he would suffer at the hands of the Tang Sect Secret Arts.
After all, those secret arts truly were formidable. Combined with the combat experience Tang San had accumulated in his previous life, they gave him an overwhelming advantage against anyone at the same level.
But now that he had the Uchiha Clan's complete legacy, that problem was largely solved. The rest would depend on how far he could take his mastery of these Ninjutsu.
After all, he had to learn from scratch, with no one to guide him. He could only feel his way forward slowly on his own.
To avoid disgracing transmigrators, he would likely have his hands full for the next few months.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Gao Shang climbed out of bed bright and early.
First, he spent five Gold Soul Coins in the System Shop to purchase a finely crafted refined-iron saber shaped like a Tang saber.
The saber felt neither too heavy nor too light in his hand, and its edge gleamed coldly.
Gao Shang wasted no time and began practicing Uchiha Kenjutsu according to the methods on the scroll.
In the world of Hokage, weapons were generally all called swords, whether single-edged or double-edged, so long as they were not particularly broad.
Gao Shang had chosen a saber because single-edged weapons delivered force more directly and were a little easier to learn.
When he first began practicing, his movements were still somewhat awkward.
But as he performed one sword form after another, the blade sliced through the air, gradually raising a sharp whistle.
Attacking, drawing back the saber, turning, slashing horizontally-every movement was clean and crisp.
Before he knew it, an hour had passed.
After Sun Meng got up and saw Gao Shang practicing with his saber in the courtyard, she did not approach to disturb him. She merely slipped quietly into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast.
About another hour passed before Wang Tianyuan and Hong Hua emerged from their rooms.
Both were surprised to see Gao Shang still practicing.
Their young boss already possessed such strength at his age, yet he still worked this hard?
For a moment, both felt rather ashamed.
After all, even a genius like Gao Shang worked so hard, while they had previously given themselves days off at the drop of a hat.
However, they had not watched for long before Gao Shang put away his saber and stopped.
Uchiha Kenjutsu might be concise, but that did not mean it was simple.
Had he not eaten Polar Ice Phosphorus Shrimp last night and accumulated considerable Bloodline Power in his body, he could have kept up this training for only half an hour at most before exhausting his stamina.
Gao Shang walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. Rubbing his arms, he beckoned Wang Tianyuan and Hong Hua over.
"How are your injuries recovering?"
"Thanks to your medicine, boss, my wounds are no longer much of a problem."
Wang Tianyuan answered with a fist salute, then glanced at Hong Hua and continued:
"Hong Hua's injuries are more serious. She may need another two days of rest."
Hong Hua nodded as well.
"Good. As long as you're recovering."
Gao Shang took a sip of the tea Sun Meng had brewed earlier to moisten his throat, his gaze sweeping over the two of them.
"Next, let's discuss your work arrangements from now on."
"Please go ahead, boss."
Wang Tianyuan and Hong Hua both straightened up.
With wages of two hundred Gold Soul Coins a month, they themselves would feel uneasy if they did nothing all day.
Seeing their expressions, Gao Shang could not help smiling and gestured for them to sit down.
"No need to be so nervous. It's nothing difficult. Besides, doing the work well will also help you improve your Soul Power."
At these words, they grew even more nervous instead. Work that both paid money and improved their Soul Power did not sound simple no matter how they looked at it.
Gao Shang gave them no chance to keep guessing and said directly:
"Wang Tianyuan, from now on, get up at six every morning and spar with me in saber techniques for two hours. After an hour's rest, practice hand-to-hand combat with me for another two hours."
"You can arrange your afternoons yourself."
"Me? But boss, I'm no match for you. Besides, four hours of fighting..."
The smile on Wang Tianyuan's face stiffened a little. Was he sure he had not just hired a punching bag for two hundred Gold Soul Coins?
And four hours of fighting-was he planning to beat him to death and then flog his corpse for another three hours?
Gao Shang raised a hand, signaling him not to get worked up yet.
"Don't worry. I won't use Soul Skills or Genjutsu. In terms of physical attributes alone, we're about the same."
"As for stamina, I'll provide a portion of Soul Beast meat containing blood and Qi energy every day, ensuring you have enough stamina for all four hours."
"Over time, your physique will grow stronger, and your Soul Power will increase faster too."
"Well? Are you in?"
Wang Tianyuan froze for a moment after hearing this.
The next instant, all the worry vanished from his face, and his answer was utterly decisive.
"I'm in!"
"Boss, I'm perfect for this job! Forget four hours-even if you doubled it, I could keep going!"
He would still be a punching bag, but he absolutely loved being this punching bag. Thinking of his two-meter frame, he was practically a born punching bag.
Gao Shang had expected this.
That was how commoner Soul Masters at the bottom were. As long as the pay was right, nothing else was worth mentioning.
Having settled Wang Tianyuan's duties, Gao Shang turned to Hong Hua.
Hong Hua also looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to assign her work.
"Hong Hua, your work is a little more complicated."
Hong Hua immediately sat up straight.
"First, Sister Xiao Meng can't process many Soul Beast ingredients. From now on, you'll be responsible for all three meals each day. You'll also need to learn how to make milk tea. We'll need that later."
"Second, take Xiao Meng around the city over the next two days and pick out a larger residence. We'll move there after a while."
"Third, I'll prepare some books for you. You need to teach Xiao Meng basic combat skills and fundamental knowledge about Soul Masters."
Gao Shang finished all of this in one go.
Hong Hua blinked and waited a moment, only to discover that Gao Shang had no intention of continuing.
"That's... all?"