《Farming And Learning Martial Arts To Bring Peace》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Ink Ridge County sat between a range of mountains to its east and a lake to its west.


    The lake was known as the Great Striding Lake, with its water flowing into the Long River.


    The mountains, which were named the Thousand Emerald Hill as a whole, were mostly on the lower side, but there was a place known as the Hill Folding Gorge that was filled with plants.


    A green train pumping out black smoke slowly approached the county. Inside the room of a low building, Chi Qiaosong peeked out the window as his gaze followed the train.


    That was the dormitory of the Military Academy, and Chi Qiaosong was the only person in it.


    As Commander Zhu was about to march into a war, the instructors of the Military Academy were transferred over to help. As there was no one to teach the classes, students were allowed to go back, and classes would resume at a later date.


    Chi Qiaosong should¡¯ve also gone home since the cafeteria had closed.


    However, he hesitated.


    The reason was that he was not the original Chi Qiaosong. The real 15-year-old Chi Qiaosong died when he fell down during martial arts practice and hit his head.


    The one who had taken over the body was another Chi Qiaosong from earth.


    The Earthling was playing a farming game when the electricity suddenly went out. With just a quick blink, he realized he was in an unfamiliar environment. He looked at his younger self and the new surroundings.


    He had spent an entire morning trying to understand what was going on.


    Surprise, panic, anxiety, and expectation filled his mind.


    In the end, he managed to convince himself to accept his new identity and start a new life in the country known as the Daxia Republic.


    ¡°The technology here is comparable to the 70s and 80s on earth, but it¡¯s still at a time where warlords exist? Perhaps it¡¯s because martial arts are the focus of this world¡¯s development, causing those who are powerful to be viewed highly by society,¡± the young boy speculated.


    The train had already passed through the country, and Chi Qiaosong directed his gaze away from the outside world and onto his rough hands.


    He was a new student at the Military Academy.


    Three months ago, the warlord, Commander Zhu, had conquered three cities and 19 counties. He then established military academies all around these places. After that, he began to accept students all around the country, regardless of their identity, as long as they could pay the tuition fee.


    These students were all given a chance to become successful in the future.


    Although Chi Qiaosong¡¯s parents had been farmers their whole lives, they managed to save enough money to send him to the academy.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three months since then, and I still have to understand the basics of the beginner technique, the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. Now, I see why Mr. Kong called me a talentless child in martial arts and suggested that I leave the academy.¡±


    The old Chi Qiaosong was embarrassed to go home because of that and decided to spend his holiday training. Unfortunately, he was exhausted to the point where he slipped and died.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m smarter than him, but I don¡¯t know how good this body is yet. It¡¯s pointless to just practice without understanding one¡¯s potential. But¡­¡± Chi Qiaosong paused and gripped his fist tightly. ¡°I have a cheat.¡±


    There existed an unknown space inside his head, and in the space was a farm. On the farm were all sorts of little trees that were sealed and in a hibernation state.


    He would need to manifest the farm in the real world to start farming and check its information.


    ¡°This farm seems to have something to do with the game I played¡­¡±


    The game was a crude website farming game. He had just obtained a new empty farm in the game before the electricity went off.


    He also suspected that the farm was brought to the new world with him.


    Although the changes in space and time were not recorded, he was sure that the farm had become a cheat-like ability for him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but I can sense that if I started to farm, I could get everything I want. There¡¯s only one way to confirm it, and that¡¯s by going home!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong got up, packed his luggage, and was ready to return home.


    After accepting his new identity, he decided to start all over again.


    With a bag made out of snake skin on his back, Chi Qiaosong traveled through the county¡¯s streets.


    Buildings, old and new, spread throughout the county, all with different signs on them. Signs of older shops could be seen everywhere, and stalls could be seen at every crossroad.


    There were all sorts of people on the street.


    Commander Zhu had taken over Ink Ridge County over a year ago. Despite him giving out free taxes for the next ten years, the safety of the county had actually gotten better, and the place livelier.


    A huge gas-powered bus honked its horn, urging people to make way. As there was a lack of gasoline around the area, most vehicles used gas instead.


    Chi Qiaosong rummaged through his pockets and found five pieces of cash that were worth one cent each.


    He then looked at the bus that cost a dollar for a ride and put the cash back into his pocket.


    There were all sorts of ways he could travel back home from the Military Academy. He could ride buses, rickshaws, and even pulled carts, but all of those would cost money.


    In the end, he decided to return home on foot.


    It took him an hour to get to the other side of the county¡¯s wall. Just past the gate was a small mountain with a river flowing through its foot.


    A few houses were built along the river.


    As he passed, some would greet him by his name, and he would return a simple greeting.


    After more than ten minutes of going up the slope, he finally reached a flat area where three brick houses, two mud houses, and one toilet could be seen.


    A few old chickens were running around while a big yellow dog was pissing.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s seven-year-old brother, Chi Qiaowu, spotted him and shouted, ¡°Big brother is back!¡±


    His five-year-old sister, Chi Xiaoya, immediately ran out of one of the houses with his one-year-old cousin, Chi Qiaoshui, in her arms.


    Behind the sister was the two-year-old brother, Chi Qiaodong, who still struggled to walk in a straight line.


    ¡°Big brother!¡± Chi Xiaoya greeted with a huge grin.


    Chi Qiaosong nodded.


    Although he was the eldest and much older than his siblings, Chi Qiaosong was always cold toward them. It was like how the eldest brother would be the head of the family when the father wasn¡¯t around.


    He entered the house, and his father, who was smoking, waited by the door.


    ¡°Why are you back?¡±


    ¡°Commander Zhu has started another war, and the instructors have to participate. So they told us to come home and wait for the classes to start once it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Another war? We only got this peace less than a year ago. Can¡¯t they just let us live a quiet life?¡± Mr. Chi let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll affect our county.¡±


    ¡°Song?¡± Chi Qiaosong¡¯s mother came out and checked on her son before hurriedly heading back to the kitchen. ¡°I have to finish making dinner. Keep your dad company, will you?¡±


    Getting used to the Chi family and his new identity was much easier than Chi Qiaosong had thought.


    After lunch, his parents started to plow the field. They didn¡¯t ask Chi Qiaosong to help them and instructed him to practice martial arts instead.


    Chi Xiaoya stayed at home as she took care of her youngest brother, Chi Qiaodong, and her uncle¡¯s son, Chi Qiaoshui.


    Chi Qiaosong quickly got bored and decided to head to the field behind the hill and look for a chance to materialize the farm in his head to test his cheat out.


    However, his brother, Chi Qiaowu, insisted on following him.


    ¡°If you really like working in the field that much, go help Mom and Dad plow the field,¡± he said and quickly left.


    The hill behind his house had no official name. However, the nearby farmers called it the First Ridge, signifying that it was the first ridge outside of Ink Ridge County. The hill was no higher than 100 meters.


    The Chi family had secretly developed a two-and-a-half acre-wide farm on the hill.


    Since they didn¡¯t register the farm with the county, they didn¡¯t need to pay taxes. So that was how the family was able to save up enough money to send Chi Qiaosong to the academy.


    Unfortunately, due to Chi Qiaosong¡¯s lack of talent and money to purchase herbs, he did not learn anything even after three months.


    Still lost in thought, he arrived at the hillside plot. Because of the slope, the farm was separated into different pieces, scattered all around the hillside.


    He then found the flattest one that was about a quarter-acre wide.


    After taking a deep breath, he summoned the farm from his mind. In just an instant, the farm flew out of his head in a ray and landed on the hillside plot.

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The farm turned into a ray of light and flew out of Chi Qiaosong¡¯s head before landing on the hillside plot. All of that only took less than a second to complete.


    In the next second, the weeds on the hillside plot started to dry out until they crumbled with the slightest blow of wind. Instead, a tree that was half the height of an adult now stood in the middle of the field.


    It was a bay tree with a single yellow flower on it.


    The moment Chi Qiaosong materialized the farm in the real world, he could feel that he was connected to it by something that he could not explain.


    It was as if he was tied to it, and he could tell how amazing the field was.


    He then approached the bay tree and looked at the yellow flower.


    Suddenly, he was able to see the information about the flower. ¡°Crazed Bull Heavy Fist condensed rate has reached 4 percent¡­¡±


    ¡°What the heck?¡± Chi Qiaosong exclaimed, but he was able to immediately understand what it meant.


    An external skill fruit was now growing on the bay tree.


    The bay tree was his spirit root source and the foundation of his external skills. All of the martial arts that he had learned would start to gather on the tree.


    When the progress reached 100 percent, and the fruit had matured, he could consume it to fully master that skill.


    However, he was the only one who could benefit from the fruit. To others, the fruits would only provide nutritional benefits.


    ¡°According to the academy, martial arts can be separated into external skills and internal strength,¡± Chi Qiaosong thought as he continued to study the flower. ¡°External skills refer to skills that use one¡¯s physical strength. The Crazed Bull Heavy Fist is one of them. As for internal strength, it¡¯s more like a person¡¯s energy. It focuses on one¡¯s mental strength. I remember the internal strength instructor at the academy teaching the Purple Cloud Serenity. Too bad the real Qiaosong could not understand it and was not interested in it.¡±


    That was why only the bay tree represented the foundation of his external skills on the field, while no tree represented his internal strength.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pay attention to the class that teaches the Purple Cloud Serenity once the instructors return. I wonder what kind of tree will grow here.¡± Chi Qiaosong got even more excited when he thought about that.


    He was now looking forward to his life in the new world due to his cheat-like ability.


    [Level 1 Barren Land: 1/15 hectare (able to plant one spirit root)


    Fertilizer: 1 bag


    Spirit Root Source (1): Bay Tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist 4%)


    External Spirit Root (0): None


    Spirit Plant: None]


    ¡°Huh?¡± Chi Qiaosong was surprised after reading the information about the farm.


    The farm that was mutated from the game was only at level one. After that, every level would increase its size by 1/15 hectare, and an additional spirit root could be planted.


    He could also tell that the spirit plants referred to normal plants, which could increase the farm¡¯s level.


    What he had to do now was to increase the farm¡¯s level so that its size would increase enough to plant more spirit roots.


    Spirit plants could be divided into two different categories which were source and external.


    ¡°Spirit root source is from my foundation, and I guess external spirit roots are those I would obtain from other places. There are a lot of treasures out there in this world, after all.¡±


    He had no idea what other spirit roots would do, as he only had a bay tree on his farm.


    After learning all that, he turned his attention to the fertilizers and quickly understood how to use them. The fertilizers could expedite the spirit root¡¯s growth. Just a bag of fertilizer was enough to help the fruit for Crazed Bull Heavy Fist fully mature.


    He only had a bag for now. It came with his cheat and was something like a beginner¡¯s gift.


    The fertilizer was not something that normal farmers used. Instead, there were three different ways for him to obtain more.


    One was to wait for the farm to absorb the essence of heaven and earth. He would be able to obtain a bag of fertilizer a month through that method. The next method was by planting spirit plants. When a plant fully matured, he would get some fertilizer in return. The last method was by hunting spirit beasts and celestial beasts to collect resources.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that as long as I have fertilizers, I can grow as many martial arts fruits as I want? So my future is pretty much set with this.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was quickly encouraged.


    The world he was in had trains and planes. The technological advancement was comparable to the 70s and 80s on Earth.


    However, the world also had all sorts of mythical beings. There were foxes who had reached enlightenment, ghosts that killed people, mountain spirits, spirit pills, and magical potions. There were a lot of things that were new to him.


    Martial arts was also the main focus of the world¡¯s development. For example, the Heaven Master could summon lightning while the Grandmaster could split the river with their swords.


    And because of the development of martial arts, everyone was able to obtain powerful bodies, which resulted in warlords waging wars despite the Daxia Republic being established more than 100 years ago.


    The more powerful one got, the more authority one held.


    Advanced martial arts would bring enlightenment, which could bring peace to the world. Intermediate martial arts would bring knowledge to calm one¡¯s body and soul. Beginner martial arts focuses on one¡¯s technique to protect oneself.


    Chi Qiaosong had no idea what advanced martial arts referred to, as he had never heard that anyone had managed to achieve enlightenment to bring peace to the warring state.


    Intermediate martial arts were the internal strength and the use of one¡¯s energy skills. Beginner martial arts were the external skills that focused on one¡¯s strength.


    Both internal strength and external skills could be obtained from the Military Academy.


    Chi Qiaosong looked at the yellow flower again and had flashes of what his future could be. It took him a few deep breaths to finally calm himself down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±


    He had chosen to use the first bag of fertilizer without any hesitation.


    It was as if a ray of light had descended on the bay tree. The flower bloomed so fast that he could even notice it without slowing down the time. Then, the petals started to fall, and a black fruit now hung on the branch.


    The young boy took a look at the information once again.


    ¡°Matured Crazed Bull Heavy Fist.¡±


    He plucked the fruit and tossed it into his mouth. The moment he bit into it, his mouth was filled with a faint aroma. The fruit almost melted in his mouth right away, but he didn¡¯t feel any changes after swallowing it.


    However, in the next second, he could feel something warm swarming throughout his entire body while a mystical feeling raged inside his mind.


    It was all the experience he needed to fully master the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. Then, the wave of warmth started to guide his body as he began to perform the external skill.


    Every punch and every kick felt as if he had trained the skill for the past decade. He had mastered the skill to the point where he felt it was one with his body.


    His body had gotten even warmer as his punches became even heavier.


    It looked as if he had become a crazed bull himself as he continued to charge forward. His punches were like a bull¡¯s horn that could crush through everything.


    His body twitched a little as he reached the end, and he threw out the final punch, sending what seemed like a mirage of a bull forward and causing the air in front of him to explode.


    With an exhale, he retracted his punch.


    Chi Qiaosong felt very relaxed. He raised his hands to look at them unbelievably. The skin was not as rough as it was. He could also feel that his skin and muscles had all been strengthened.


    He picked a rock up, and with a tight grip, he smashed the rock into pebbles.


    ¡°This is insane! I can feel the energy raging inside me. This must be the Wrestler Plane!¡± He had finally achieved the stage that the previous Chi Qiaosong had dreamt of reaching by just consuming a single martial art fruit.


    He finally witnessed how powerful his cheat was.


    ¡°However, the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist is just a beginner technique. Even if I have fully mastered it, there¡¯s a limit that I can¡¯t break with it. It¡¯s impossible to grow even stronger with just this skill.¡±


    There were six different planes for the external skills.


    They could be separated into two categories: the Three Disciple Planes and the Three Master Planes.


    The Three Disciple Planes could be further classified into the Wrestler Plane, Warrior Plane, and Knight Plane. Those who had reached the Wrestler Plane had the strength of a bull. The Warrior Plane held the power of an entire army, and the Knight Plane was the introduction to the path of martial arts.


    These weren¡¯t enough to consider one a master.


    Chi Qiaosong had just entered the Wrestler Plane and was considered the weakest of them all.


    However, he was no longer a normal citizen. He was a warrior who had the strength to kill on the battlefield. The Wrestler Plane was the minimum requirement to join Commander Zhu¡¯s army.


    Chi Qiaosong gripped his fists tightly as he calmed himself down.


    Although he was only 15 years old, he was already close to six feet tall. One would¡¯ve mistaken him for an adult if they were far from each other, but they would be able to tell that he was still a boy from his childish face.


    He then turned to look at the farm and grinned.

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    [Level 1 Barren Land: 1/15 hectare (able to plant one spirit root)


    Fertilizer: 1 bag


    Spirit Root Source (1): Bay Tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist fully matured)


    External Spirit Root (0): None


    Spirit Plant: None]


    There was no longer any fruit on the bay tree, but the information about the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist remained.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll need to build a small shack at the hillside plot so that I can train there whenever I¡¯m back.¡± The farm was extremely important, and Chi Qiaosong knew that he had to watch over it all the time.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡± Mr. Chi had put a lot of hope into his son succeeding as a martial artist.


    He then called his brother, who was working in the county, back to build the shack together. Mr. Chi had two siblings, a younger brother and a younger sister.


    His sister was married to a man working at a grocery shop in the county.


    The next day, Mr. Chi¡¯s brother-in-law took a leave from work to help with the construction.


    ¡°Dad, Uncle, Uncle-in-law, I think I¡¯ll also plant something here since I¡¯ll be spending a long time here. Can you help me build a fence as well?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Chi Qiaosong¡¯s uncle chuckled and started to chop some bamboo up. ¡°Our family will have to depend on you in the future, Qiaosong.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s going to become a big shot!¡± The uncle-in-law grinned. ¡°Look at him. He just started learning martial arts a few days ago, and he¡¯s already stronger than any of us.¡±


    After mastering the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, Chi Qiaosong¡¯s strength had far surpassed his father¡¯s.


    However, he didn¡¯t go around boasting about his newly found strength to others.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get Qiaowu and Moshan here starting from tomorrow? They can train with me.¡± Now that he had fully mastered the skill, he could start to teach others.


    Just knowing martial arts would not be enough for one to reach the highest spot in the Daxia Republic. One would need a group of followers as well.


    There was an old saying¡ªjust as a dense needed the support of three stakes, an able follower would need the help of three other people. Therefore, if he could strengthen his family members, it would benefit him in the future.


    ¡°That would be great!¡± the uncle-in-law exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ll have Yali send Moshan over tomorrow! Then, you can do whatever you want with him. If he dares to disobey you, just punish him!¡±


    ¡°Too bad Qiaoshui is still too young.¡± The uncle sighed.


    Since the uncle married late, his son, Chi Qiaoshui, was only a year old. So there was no way the little boy could train in martial arts yet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mr. Chi comforted. ¡°Qiaosong would¡¯ve gotten even stronger by the time Qiaoshui can begin to train.¡±


    Mr. Chi had always felt that he owed his siblings a lot.


    When Chi Qiaosong was born, Mr. and Mrs. Chi were both forced to work as laborers for the warlord. For the next six years, they only returned home twice.


    At that time, Chi Qiaosong was taken care of by his uncle and aunt.


    When his aunt married, his uncle took on all the responsibility of raising him.


    With a child at his side, the uncle was not able to find someone willing to marry him. As a result, he almost gave up on marrying until he was introduced to his current wife three years ago.


    Mr. Chi had four children. Chi Qiaosong was the oldest at 15 years old. The second child was the seven-year-old Chi Qiaowu, followed by Chi Xiaoya, now five years old, and Chi Qiaodong, who was two years old.


    The uncle only had one child, one-year-old Chi Qiaoshui.


    The aunt had three. Her oldest son, Wen Moshan, was seven years old, her daughter, Wen Ting, was four, and her youngest son, Wen Moshui, was three. She had also lost a baby once.


    The older generations were fast and precise in their work.


    They quickly built a shack out of bamboo and a fence surrounding the farm. They even moved a huge water vat to collect spring water for showering.


    Chi Qiaosong had also chopped a piece of long wood and carved the word ¡°Farmhouse¡± on it before hanging it on top of the door.


    ¡°Big brother! I got the hoe!¡± Chi Qiaowu shouted as he dragged a hoe behind him.


    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s start plowing the land.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what? Do you want to learn martial arts from me or not?¡± Chi Qiaosong scolded as he crossed his arms.


    Chi Qiaowu pouted. He wanted to learn martial arts but didn¡¯t want to work.


    The oldest brother was unhappy with the little boy¡¯s reaction and kicked his butt. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong led his younger brother to a huge pagoda tree and pointed at it. ¡°Look closely,¡± he said.


    ¡°What for?¡± Chi Qiaowu was still confused.


    Chi Qiaosong gripped his fist tightly and pulled his fist back as if his body was a bow, and his fist was the arrow. Then, the fist suddenly launched forward as if the arrow had been shot.


    With a loud boom, the punch landed on the tree.


    With a cracking sound, the old pagoda tree started to break and fall.


    Chi Qiaowu looked at the scene with his jaw dropped. It took him a while to recover his wits, and he quickly turned to look at his older brother as if he was looking at a god. ¡°I want to learn it! I want to learn it!¡±


    ¡°Then, start plowing the land!¡±


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    Being the son of farmers, Chi Qiaowu was used to plowing land and got to work immediately.


    The next day, the aunt, Chi Yali, sent Chi Qiaosong¡¯s cousin, Wen Moshan, over to the hillside plot. ¡°My husband told me about it. Teach him well.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Auntie!¡±


    Chi Yali chatted with her brother for a while and hurried back to the county.


    ¡°What martial arts are you going to teach me?¡± Wen Moshan asked as he widened his eyes. He was looking forward to life in the mountains.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to start by plowing the land. See Qiaowu over there? Go join him. We¡¯ve already prepared a hoe for you.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was now ready to plant some spirit plants in the field. However, he was too lazy to do it himself and decided to let his brother and cousin do it for him instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to learn martial arts, not help out in the field!¡± Wen Moshan had grown up in the city, and his pride would not let him do farm work. He had always slightly looked down on his cousins too.


    Chi Qiaowu, who was working, heard that and said, ¡°Brother, show him what you can do!¡±


    ¡°Go back to work!¡± Chi Qiaosong scolded.


    Yet, he still showed Wen Moshan how he brought a tree down with his bare fist. From that moment on, two young boys could be seen plowing the land by the hill.


    Chi Qiaosong did not let them work too long.


    The sun in April was already hot.


    After an hour, Chi Qiaosong finally called the two young boys back into the farmhouse.


    ¡°Martial arts can be separated into external skills and internal strength. So I¡¯ll start by teaching you two an external skill, the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. If you guys can master this, then I can assure you that you¡¯ll enter the Wrestler Plane.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Wrestler Plane?¡±


    ¡°Martial arts has six different planes. The Wrestler Plane is the first.¡±


    ¡°What plane are you in?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong did not answer the two young boys¡¯ questions. Instead, he continued to introduce. ¡°A plane has different levels depending on one¡¯s understanding of martial arts and the time they spent training.


    ¡°The Daxia Republic decided to rank each plane according to how they previously ranked their governmental officials. Every plane can be separated into three different ranks¡ªthe Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginner Rank. Each rank can then be separated into three different grades¡ªlow, middle, and high. The grade of each martial art will directly affect one¡¯s level and rank. For example, no matter how much one trains the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, they can only reach the Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane.¡±


    ¡°So, big brother, what is your level?¡± Chi Qiaowu asked.


    Wen Moshan nodded, as he was curious as well.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s eyelid twitched, and he gripped his fist tightly before saying, ¡°High-grade Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane.¡±


    Mr. Kong had once mentioned in his Crazed Bull Heavy Fist class that one would be able to reach the Wrestler Plane when they had learned the skill, but they would only be at the lowest level.


    Their battle power would be around the Low-grade Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane.


    However, since Chi Qiaowu had fully mastered the skill, he was definitely much stronger than those who had just learned it. Thus, he was confident that he had reached the High-grade Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane.

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°If big brother is at the high-grade Beginner Rank, then I¡¯ll have to reach the high-grade Advanced Rank!¡± Chi Qiaowu said as he continued to plow the land.


    Wen Moshan followed his cousin¡¯s lead but was completely exhausted by then.


    However, to achieve the power of breaking a tree in a single punch, none of them slacked on their work. After a few days, the 1/15 hectare land was almost entirely plowed.


    ¡°Not bad. Speed up a little. Once you two are done plowing the land, your foundation will be built, and you¡¯ll be able to start learning martial arts. I¡¯ll teach you the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist tomorrow,¡± Chi Qiaosong said as he sipped his tea and read the newspaper.


    It was an old newspaper.


    When he was free, he went to the city and spent a dollar to purchase more than 10 kilograms of old newspaper.


    He didn¡¯t buy the latest one as it would cost him 50 cents each. However, since his purpose was to learn more about the Daxia Republic and even the entire planet, old newspapers should suffice.


    The young man was now reading a newspaper called Fox News. It was one that mainly focused on strange sightings, like wild foxes meditating and such.


    The headline in the newspaper said, ¡°General Zhao Consumed a Red Fruit to Reach the Master Plane.¡±


    General Zhao was a general in the South Bank Province. He was lucky enough to come across a rare red fruit and was able to successfully reconstruct his spine through that. As a result, he was able to reach the Master Plane of the Three Masters Plane.


    The Three Master Plane could be separated into the Guardian Plane, Master Plane, and Grandmaster Plane.


    Although the Master Plane was not as powerful as the supreme Grandmaster Plane, those who had reached the former had already obtained destructive power similar to a nuclear weapon.


    ¡°This newspaper is from two years ago. I¡¯ve heard of General Zhao. He¡¯s the warlord who took over the South Bank Province and was acknowledged by the Central Government. He¡¯s now the provincial military governor of the South Bank Province.¡±


    Achieving that status meant that the general now had complete control of the province.


    His full title was General Zhao, Provincial Military Governer of the South Bank Province, giving him complete authority over the army of the area.


    The Chief of Staff would be the second and third in command. Those who were given the title of General would be the second in command, while those who weren¡¯t would be the third in command, which was a position lower than the Minister of Civil Affairs.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, our Commander Zhu is an Administrative Officer of the Great Striding Lake region. He¡¯s just the first in command of a city, no, three cities.


    Commander Zhu was in the Guardian Plane, a rank lower than the Master Plane.


    He had a lot of army power, but he couldn¡¯t become a Master Plane martial artist, which made it hard for him to conquer the entire Jiangyou Province.


    Chi Qiaosong had heard that Master Plane martial artists could defend themselves against attacks from cannons and missiles with just their bodies. That was why just one would be enough to fight an entire army, giving them the power to take over an entire province.


    Unlike the Master Plane, Guardian Plane martial artists could not do that, which was why they couldn¡¯t direct the flow of the entire war.


    That was why, in order to rule over one or even many provinces, one had to achieve the Master Plane.


    From what Chi Qiaosong could learn about the Jiangyou Province¡¯s history, there were a few Provincial Military Governors, but all of them failed to maintain their positions. As a result, they left behind a lot of mess when they either left or died, and the smaller warlords started to fight over the counties and cities.


    ¡°Well, no matter what happens, I hope that Commander Zhu can win.¡± But, in the end, he still hoped that the commander would emerge victorious. One was so that he could return to the academy, but the real reason that he hoped for that was so that peace could come.


    He wanted the commander to protect Ink Ridge County longer.


    That way, he could continue to farm and practice martial arts. If he could get his hands on more spirit roots, his skills would skyrocket.


    Once the farm was plowed, Chi Qiaosong started to teach Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. However, since both of them were still very young, he had only let them train an hour a day.


    The rest of the time, he would train himself and plant lentils.


    The beans were the best crop to plant for the season.


    He had gathered some ashes and feces of chickens from his home and fertilized the land with those. Once he was done, he started to plant the beans and water them with spring water.


    ¡°I do hope that these beans are considered spirit plants.¡± Chi Qiaosong was pretty much gambling.


    Once he had planted the beans, he repeated his daily life of practicing martial arts, reading newspapers, and teaching for the next few days. He would head into Ink Ridge County from time to time, but since he had no money, there was nothing he could do there.


    Initially, he thought that it would take the beans around five to seven days to sprout, but just three days after he had planted the seeds, the beans had already sprouted. At the same time, the information about the farm had changed.


    [Level 1 Barren Land: 1/15 hectare (able to plant one spirit root)


    Fertilizer: 1 bag


    Spirit Root Source (1): Bay Tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist fully matured)


    External Spirit Root (0): None


    Spirit Plant: Lentil]


    ¡°It worked!¡± Chi Qiaosong exclaimed.


    The lentils had become spirit plants. Once they had fully grown and were harvested, not only could it increase the farm¡¯s experience, but he could also receive a random amount of fertilizer. He was extremely eager to wait for that day to arrive.


    He was also looking forward to Commander Zhu returning from the war victorious so that classes at the academy could resume to normal.


    Once that happened, he would spend his time learning the energy skill, Purple Cloud Serenity, while looking for other chances to learn more external skills. There was no need to say that the instructors at the academy could teach more than the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist.


    ¡°Big brother! The lentils have sprouted!¡± Chi Qiaowu, who had woken up early to practice martial arts, exclaimed.


    ¡°What are we training for today?¡± Wen Moshan asked.


    ¡°You two will continue to practice the first three forms of the skill until you are able to exert the force of a bull. It¡¯ll take around three to five months to reach that stage.¡±


    ¡°Why will it take so long? I thought it only took you three months to fully master the skill?¡±


    ¡°Because the both of you are stupid and stubborn.¡± Chi Qiaosong wasn¡¯t embarrassed when he said that despite the fact that it took the real Chi Qiaosong three months just to grasp the fundamentals of the skill.


    The only reason Chi Qiaosong was able to surpass all geniuses now was because of the cheat-like farm.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll do everything you say from now on!¡± Chi Qiaowu nodded and started to throw punches.


    Wen Moshan followed suit, but both of them could only mimic the move as their punches did not have any power.


    Chi Qiaosong was able to see that.


    Although martial arts were the main focus of the development of the Daxia Republic, not everyone was talented in them. After a few days of teaching the two young boys, Chi Qiaosong could tell that their talents were pretty much the same as the original Chi Qiaosong.


    It would be hard for them to succeed as martial artists if they weren¡¯t lucky enough.


    At the very least, Chi Qiaowu had willpower, which was hard to find in a young person. However, unlike him, Wen Moshan didn¡¯t even have any willpower, and it would be hard for him to even enter the Wrestler Plane.


    Chi Qiaosong shook his head and decided not to think about the future.


    He continued to read the newspapers, trying to obtain information from every corner of the country.


    Three more days passed by in an instant.


    Leaves had already grown out of the lentils. These plants had grown way faster than Chi Qiaosong had expected. Since he had no experience in farming, he decided to ask his father for opinions.


    Mr. Chi was surprised to see the progress as well. ¡°I mean, the weather has been great for the past few days, but this is still too fast. Also, not one of the plants died. This is insane!¡±


    ¡°Maybe because I put a lot of fertilizer?¡±


    ¡°Even so, this hillside plot is not as good as the one we have by our house¡­¡± Mr. Chi was completely confused.


    However, he didn¡¯t put much thought into it. He even hoped that the lentils could grow well so that they could earn some money for it, as they had borrowed some money to pay for Chi Qiaosong¡¯s tuition fee.


    Mr. Chi even discussed it with his wife at lunch. ¡°The lentils that Qiaosong has planted are growing well. Maybe the weather this year is suitable for planting them. Let¡¯s plant some later.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong had already understood that it wasn¡¯t that the weather was suitable to plant lentils. The amazing part was the farm that came out of his head.


    However, he could not tell his parents about the farm yet. Thus, he decided to remain quiet.


    Since lentils could be sold for a good price anyway, there was no need for him to stop them.

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The lentils pretty much grew an inch every day, and Chi Qiaosong was happy to see that.


    He repeated the same routine of practicing, teaching, reading, and taking a stroll around the city, asking about the war that Commander Zhu had partaken in. He kept wondering when the instructors would be back.


    After a few days, the owner of the newspaper stand yelled, ¡°Headlines! Headlines! The opponent has decided to surrender! Commander Zhu has won another war!¡±


    The stand was now surrounded by people.


    With a huge grin on his face, Chi Qiaosong squeezed through the crowd and grabbed a piece of the freshly printed Right Bank Morning Post.


    He didn¡¯t buy one but only read it.


    The headline was indeed about the victory of Commander Zhu and the retreat of the Ou enclave.


    The Jiangyou Province was an inland province. There were a total of 11 cities in the province and were ruled by four different warlords.


    Fuliang City, Guangxin City, and Geyang City were ruled by Commander Zhu. He established the Great Striding Region around those three cities.


    That was why Commander Zhu was also known as the Great Striding.


    The Ink Ridge County was inside Fuliang City.


    Next to the Great Striding Region was the Ou enclave. Those two powerhouses often waged wars against each other. However, this time, a third party had joined the war between them, which was the Shen family. The third party thought that it was an excellent chance for them to expand their region and stabbed the Ou enclave in the back.


    Commander Chen of the Ou enclave had no choice but to retreat to defend his cities, and Commander Zhu was able to benefit from them.


    Now, the Great Striding was hoping to use that chance to conquer one of the Ou enclave¡¯s cities.


    After reading the news, Chi Qiaosong put the newspaper down and squeezed his way out of the crowd. ¡°I hope the instructors return soon.¡± That was all he could think of at that moment.


    He then visited the television tower of Ink Ridge County. The tower was the tallest building in the entire county, standing 150 meters tall. The tower¡¯s stairs to the top were open to the public as well.


    Not many people would climb the stairs just to get a great view.


    However, Chi Qiaosong had already reached the Wrestler Plane, and his body was filled with strength and energy. He wasn¡¯t even worried that he would wear himself out from all the climbing and went straight up to the top.


    With his hands on the rail, he looked toward the west.


    He could see the entire Great Striding Lake and the countless boats floating on the water.


    The lake was in its low tide season. When the rain arrives in May, the water level will rise to the point where it will reach the foot of the wall around the county.


    ¡°Big brother! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Chi Qiaowu exclaimed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°A wild boar ran into our farm and ruined a lot of the lentils!¡±


    ¡°A wild boar?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong hurried back to the farmhouse.


    He immediately noticed an opening in the fence and his father standing next to it with a set of freshly chopped bamboo. Mr. Chi was about to fix the hole. The wild boar had eaten a lot of the lentils, but they didn¡¯t suffer many losses.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a few traps later so that this won¡¯t happen again,¡± Mr. Chi said.


    ¡°Where did the boar go?¡±


    ¡°We chased it away. It should be in the mountain by now. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°The boar is the one that should be careful. Dad, lend me a machete.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need a machete?¡±


    ¡°To hunt a boar.¡±


    ¡°Stop joking around!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dad. I can handle it.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong took the machete and headed straight into the mountain. Now that he was a Wrestler Plane martial artist who could bring a tree down with a punch, he had been itching to try hunting with his new power.


    Since his family had no hunting rifle or bow, he had no choice but to use a machete.


    ¡°Big brother, I want to go!¡± Chi Qiaowu, riding on his bamboo horse, pleaded.


    ¡°Go back!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    After sending his brother back, Chi Qiaosong entered the forest and started to roam aimlessly. He had no hunting experience and no idea how to track an animal down. However, the ridge wasn¡¯t too big, and he was sure he could find the wild boar if he wandered for a while.


    After an hour, Chi Qiaosong, who had yet to find the boar, was by a spring and was drinking from it.


    The ridge he was in wasn¡¯t a gorgeous place, but there weren¡¯t any dangerous spots. There weren¡¯t a lot of types of trees there, with most of them being conifers, bamboos, oaks, and apricot trees. However, there were a lot of vines all around the ridge.


    Most of the animals that could be found there were weasels, porcupines, and foxes.


    The only thing special about the ridge was that there were a lot of springs. So water would flow in every direction, and the sound of water filled the entire area.


    It was then that Chi Qiaosong suddenly heard a grunt.


    He immediately reached for the machete by his waist and turned to look around. He spotted a huge black beast among the trees, rubbing its body against one.


    ¡°The wild boar!¡± Chi Qiaosong was able to recognize what kind of animal it was.


    He speculated that the boar weighed around 150 kilograms, making it a grown boar but still far away from being huge.


    There were a lot of wild boars in Thousand Emerald Hill. Some were even old enough to attain knowledge. These boars were spirit beasts known as the Mountain Drums, weighing more than 500 kilograms.


    The seasoned hunters would always say that eating the meat of a Mountain Drum could increase a person¡¯s lifespan by at least a year.


    However, hunting in Thousand Emerald Hill was not an easy feat.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be my prey today!¡± Chi Qiaosong thought as he approached the boar. Although he had fully mastered the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, he only had the experience he had received from the fruit.


    He had zero experience in using the skill in a real fight, whether with another human or a beast.


    As the leaves moved under Chi Qiaosong¡¯s feet, it alerted the wild boar. Despite it rubbing its body comfortably against the tree, it was still in full alert mode.


    Now, the young man and the boar stared at each other.


    Without any hesitation, Chi Qiaosong charged forward, resembling a charging bull, and swung the machete at the bull from above.


    Perhaps the boar had noticed that Chi Qiaosong was a young boy. It did not run away and met the attack head-on instead.


    The boar opened its mouth and flashed its pair of sharp fangs.


    With a loud clang, the machete cut through the boar¡¯s head. The attack was so powerful that it split the beast¡¯s head in half, spilling its blood and brain all over the place. The boar died instantly.


    Chi Qiaosong then moved to the side to evade the boar¡¯s charge that did not stop with its death.


    The beast did not stop moving forward until it hit a tree. Although it was dead, its legs were still twitching.


    The young man patted his knees before letting out a sigh of relief.


    He thought he was going to have a hard fight and did not expect that he would be able to kill a 150-kilogram boar with a single swing of the machete. The feeling of achievement filled his mind almost instantly.


    ¡°This is easier than I thought. It looks like I don¡¯t even need the machete. I can just defeat beasts like that with my fist.¡± Chi Qiaosong had finally found out how powerful he really was now.


    He could tell that he had reached the High-grade Beginner Rank Wrestler Plane, but he had no idea how strong that was.


    After the fight with the boar, he now finally understood.


    He didn¡¯t even spend any energy on the hunt. His strength had already far surpassed that of an adult. He was sure that even Mike Tyson¡¯s punch was not as strong as his.


    Chi Qiaosong then headed back to the farmhouse while dragging the boar behind him.


    His father was still fixing the fence while Chi Qiaowu was helping out by handing his father all the tools he needed.


    Both Chi Qiaosong¡¯s father and younger brother widened their eyes when they saw the boar behind him.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Chi Qiaowu ran toward his older brother and circled him. ¡°Big brother! You really killed a wild boar! You¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°You killed it?¡¯ Mr. Chi asked.


    ¡°Dad, now that I¡¯m a martial artist, killing a boar is a piece of cake for me,¡± Chi Qiaosong calmly said.

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    A wild boar, almost 350 pounds, was not considered very large.


    However, the Chi family was delighted, as if they had won the jackpot.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the city to deliver the bamboo weavings to the agricultural machinery shop. I will tell your uncle and aunt to come over for dinner,¡± said Mr. Chi, while smoking the Chinese pipe as he settled those hand-made bamboo baskets, hats, and other items on his back.


    When the Chi family first decided to build their house on the hillside, it was because of Mr. Chi¡¯s business in bamboo weaving. This way, it was a lot easier for him to harvest the bamboo from the mountain.


    However, nowadays, bamboo weavings can hardly be sold at a decent price.


    It was challenging to make a living just by bamboo weaving.


    ¡°Be careful on the road,¡± Mrs. Chi, who was cleaning the wild boar, reminded him.


    Mr. Chi nodded and told Chi Qiaosong, ¡°In a little while, go to the foot of the mountain and invite the village chief, your second and third granduncles, over for dinner.¡±


    Over here, the locals placed great emphasis on kinship and familial relationships.


    Whenever anyone in the village slaughtered pigs or cattle, the village chief and the elders in the village would always be invited to partake.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chi Qiaosong nodded.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Qiaosong is such a great young man,¡± the village chief laughed as he cracked the watermelon seeds.


    The village at the foot of the mountain is Chi Village. Thus, it goes without saying that the village chief was also part of the Chi clan and was technically an elder of Chi Qiaosong.


    ¡°To kill a wild boar all by himself, Qiaosong has proven his ability. Xiutian, you had the foresight to send Qiaosong to the military academy, and now we see the harvest of your labor.¡±


    The third granduncle said in amazement.


    Inside, however, he was a little regretful that he didn¡¯t send his own grandson to the military academy.


    They all knew that martial arts were an opportunity and a way out. However, just like going to college, no one could guarantee that their own children would be successful in their study of it. Furthermore, the practice of martial arts was insensitive to the poor. Typically, martial arts practice was better suited for those with means.


    Without the money to buy supplements or provide proper medical care, injuries were unavoidable and could have long-term consequences.


    The warlords that wreaked havoc in Daxia Republic actually originated from wealthy and influential families.


    For example, General Zhu Guangshan, whose ancestors had served either as the Minister of Rites or valets in the feudal dynasties in the past. Upon the establishment of the Daxia Republic, people from their clan had consistently served as local officials.


    Hence, the event when Zhu Guangshan raised the flag in the name of change and his decisive battle won over three cities and nineteen counties, thus creating the Peng enclave.


    ¡°Your grandson is not too old for you to send him to the military academy. Commander Zhu is constantly recruiting. Once he finishes his training, he can join the army directly,¡± the second granduncle interjected.


    The third granduncle snorted, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the talent, unlike Qiaosong.¡±


    As soon as the dinner started and the wild boar was served, the two old men couldn¡¯t care less about fighting each other. They focused on picking up large pieces of meat into their own bowls.


    ¡°Qiaosong, after three months of training in the military academy, what is your ranking now?¡± the village chief asked. Many people were still watching and waiting as far as Commander Zhu¡¯s military academy was concerned.


    Chi Qiaosong replied coolly, ¡°I¡¯m not considered naturally gifted at the military academy. Before we went on break, I guess my ranking was probably somewhere towards the bottom.¡±


    ¡°What? Your ranking is on the bottom few?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was not an exaggeration. At the time, he was on the list to withdraw of his own volition. It was only because of the Golden Finger that he now possessed the superior strength of being in the Wrestler Plane.


    When he returned to the military academy again, he would be in the first place, for sure.


    No matter how talented someone was, no one could rely solely on Crazed Bull Heavy Fist to cultivate pure muscular strength, let alone a high level of combat effectiveness.


    ¡°It seems that this military academy is really advanced,¡± the village chief muttered.


    After dinner, the village chief and the two granduncles left, each with thoughts of their own.


    Early the next morning, Mr. Chi took the pieces of wild boar meat to sell in town to subsidize the family¡¯s income. As for Chi Qiaosong, he practiced and taught martial arts as usual at the farmhouse.


    Yesterday, a lot of lentil seedlings were being eaten up by wild boars. Today, he brought some more lentil seeds to be planted in the space that had been ravaged.


    He redrafted Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan to complete the task.


    However, the killing of the wild boar yesterday made the two boys worship Chi Qiaosong to no end. If he asked them to plant the lentil seeds, that was precisely what they would do, without any complaints.


    ¡°Brother, are we practicing new moves today?¡±


    ¡°Nope. We are still working on the basics.¡±


    His understanding of Crazed Bull Heavy Fist was in-depth, and he knew that Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan were still too young. They could easily hurt themselves if they practiced too hard.


    It was best to progress gradually.


    ¡°When will the basics be finished?¡± said Wen Moshan while practicing the basic moves. Slowly, his movements became confused as they began falling apart.


    Here and there, Chi Qiaosong adjusted his hands and legs, helping him right his stance again. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of the proper posture. You little brats have no patience whatsoever.¡±


    Wen Moshan didn¡¯t dare to talk back and merely howled, ¡°Ouch, ouch.¡±


    Chi Qiaowu, in the meantime, was chuckling on the side.


    They messed around and had fun for a while.


    Suddenly, a few familiar snorting sounds were heard as Chi Qiaosong raised a brow and walked out of the farmhouse to check it out. Looking in the direction of the sounds, a giant wild boar, much larger than the one he killed, was walking towards the farmhouse while sniffing the ground.


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    Chi Qiaowu exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s a giant boar!¡±


    ¡°Get back, you two. Get inside the farmhouse.¡± Chi Qiaosong then pulled out a machete from under the eaves in one smooth draw. This was what he prepared, especially for hunting in the mountains.


    The wild boar approached, and when it saw Chi Qiaosong standing in its way, it stopped somewhat hesitantly.


    With such close distance, Chi Qiaosong could see clearly that this wild boar was several times larger than the one from yesterday. It had massive muscles, and its fangs were protruding out of its mouth. Even the hair bristles were standing upright as if it was covered with a layer of steely needles.


    ¡°Look at its size!¡±


    ¡°Look at its posture!¡±


    ¡°Could it be a Mountain Drum?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was a bit nervous inside. At Thousand Emerald Hill, many wild boars were so old that they had turned into spirit beasts.


    Much like humans who cultivated martial arts, once the boar had broken through the limitations of its species, it was no longer just an ordinary beast but a spirit beast that possessed sentience.


    The locals called the wild boars that became spirit beasts Mountain Drums because the sounds they made were as loud as drumbeats that could be heard throughout the mountains.


    When the great boar saw that Chi Qiaosong was not about to give way, it turned around, intending to walk in another direction towards the fence. Clearly, Chi Qiaosong was not about to let it roam around, trampling this field. Therefore, he continued to follow the boar to block it off.


    It was easy to see that this great wild boar was attracted precisely by the field.


    ¡°OINK!¡±


    Having been blocked twice, the giant wild boar grew impatience and opened its mouth to let out a thunderous roar. It was as if a thunderbolt had come been blasted from the sky. The booming roar hurt both of Chi Qiaosong¡¯s eardrums.


    He was absolutely sure that this giant wild boar was the Mountain Drum.


    ¡°Can I really outlast a spirit beast?¡± He was slightly intimidated as he clenched the machete in his hand. Chi Qiaosong didn¡¯t take a step back but continued to assess the wild boar in front of him.


    After all, this was the Mountain Drum, a spirit beast.


    If it was used to fertilize the field, it might make quite a lot of fertilizer.


    Seeing that its roar had not frightened Chi Qiaosong away, the Mountain Drum no longer hesitated but rushed at Chi Qiaosong. It didn¡¯t start at full speed; it was more like a menacing advancement, forcing Chi Qiaosong to back up.


    Chi Qiaosong saw his opportunity, swung the machete directly, and went for its head.


    Bang!


    The machete accurately landed on the head of the Mountain Drum as a bloodstain began to appear. However, it seemed that it had hit the bone, and the bone of the Mountain Drum was as hard as steel, and the machete could not inflict any severe damage other than the surface.


    ¡°OINK!¡± The Mountain Drum roared furiously.


    With its size that resembled a small mountain, the Mountain Drum backed up a couple of steps and lunged toward Chi Qiaosong with great force.


    At that moment, Chi Qiaosong seemed to see a tank that rolled toward him with a majestic momentum that was simply indescribable.


    Fear rose in his heart, but behind him was the field he relied upon for livelihood; there was no room for him to back away. All he could do was muster courage borne out of the anger in his heart.


    He raised the machete to encounter the Mountain Drum.


    Bang.


    The machete slapped on the shoulder blade of the Mountain Drum.


    He took two steps to the left, barely avoiding a slam from the Mountain Drum. Taking advantage of the time the Mountain Drum took to turn itself around, he swung the machete again and landed two strokes on the solid back of the Mountain Drum.


    Those two strikes drew blood from two shallow slashes.

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Thick skin and flesh.


    This was Chi Qiaosong¡¯s impression after his initial contact with the Mountain Drum. He had already exerted 100% of his strength, and with the help of a machete, no less. However, all that did was inflict minimal injuries to the Mountain Drum.


    Not only did the two bloody slashes on its back not affect the combat effectiveness of the Mountain Drum, but the wounds also enraged the beast even more.


    ¡°OINK! OINK!¡±


    Its roars were like thunderclaps that instilled fear in anyone who heard them.


    The two young boys hiding in the farmhouse shivered with fright.


    The Mountain Drum took two steps backward as it kept digging into the soil on the ground with its two front hooves. It was gauging the direction, trying to aim at Chi Qiaosong, who kept moving, so that its next lunge might fully collide with him.


    Obviously, Chi Qiaosong was not dumb enough to just stand there to wait for its attack.


    Crazed Bull Heavy Fist was a boxing technique, but it also incorporated a small number of footwork and movement techniques which allowed him to counter the attacks of the Mountain Drum with ease. He clenched the machete in his hand tightly because this was what he had to use to kill the Mountain Drum.


    He knew very well that no matter how powerful his fists were, they were no comparison to a coat of bristles akin to steel needles.


    The Mountain Drum barely locked onto Chi Qiaosong as it rushed him, much like a small mountain on the move. The shock that it induced was so great it was simply astounding.


    Chi Qiaosong had no choice but to evade.


    Crack!


    Behind him, an elm tree as big as a man¡¯s thigh was directly smashed down by the Mountain Drum. With a gore by the fangs in the boar¡¯s mouth, half of the elm tree was uprooted just like that.


    ¡°OINK!¡±


    The Mountain Drum tossed half of the elm tree off and continued to charge toward Chi Qiaosong.


    Chi Qiaosong moved again to evade the attack.


    After several encounters, he learned the Mountain Drum¡¯s attacking routine. This spirit beast was indeed fierce, but its intelligence was just as limited. Its attack mode was none other than charging, turning, and goring.


    ¡°Aha!¡±


    Taking advantage of yet another lunge from the Mountain Drum, this time, he did not dodge. Instead, when he twisted his body away, the machete in his hand chopped down at the Mountain Drum¡¯s eye socket with precision.


    There was a crunchy sound as if a bone had been split open.


    The Mountain Drum¡¯s left eye instantly gushed blood like a spring, blurring part of its vision. At the same time, it sank into a frenzy as the fury, the power, and the force in the atmosphere skyrocketed.


    Its head lowered, and then it charged.


    With a loud bang, an old tree with a thick trunk snapped off as all of its branches crashed to the ground. In the face of the Mountain Drum¡¯s aggression, it was as fragile as a stalk of grass.


    The Mountain Drum¡¯s momentum continued as he charged at Chi Qiaosong, who was hiding behind a tree.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready for you!¡± Chi Qiaosong held the machete. He was nervous and excited at the same time.


    Fighting with such a ferocious beast made his blood boil as he entered a mysterious state of mind. The movements of his fists were shattered and reorganized as the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist was fully comprehended and integrated.


    After he digested some fruits of martial arts, the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist was mainly completed.


    The only thing he needed was some actual combat experience.


    Now it was completely fulfilled, and the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist seemed to have elevated to another level. However, at this moment, he had no time to reflect on this transformation fully. His immediate priority was to deal with the spirit beast in front of him, the Mountain Drum.


    One meter.


    Half a meter.


    Just when the Mountain Drum was about to run into him, Chi Qiaosong moved. The machete in his hand lunged forward. Without exerting too much force and leveraging the forward momentum of the Mountain Drum, the machete pierced straight into the other eye socket of the Mountain Drum.


    Puh!


    Blood mixed with brain matter now splattered everywhere.


    ¡°OINK, OINK, OINK¡­¡± The Mountain Drum let out a shrill scream, as its body twisted and turned, trying to get rid of the machete stuck in its eye.


    None of the surrounding trees were spared. Those that the boar touched were either broken or uprooted.


    Chi Qiaosong stood there. He could have waited quietly for the Mountain Drum to bleed out. Instead, he slowly walked over to the Mountain Drum, which was still struggling in its death throes.


    All the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist movements now flashed across his mind¡¯s eyes.


    Until finally, all of them condensed into one fatal strike.


    It was by pure inspiration.


    He suddenly lunged forward, rushing next to the Mountain Drum. He leaned forward sideways while clasping his fists together, forming something similar to a set of bull horns. Then he pushed forward with all his might.


    Moo!


    A phantom of a bull flashed past.


    Both of his fists slammed onto the Mountain Drum¡¯s head as a surge of power poured forth. In concert with the machete inserted in the beast¡¯s eye socket, the Mountain Drum that was writhing stopped its struggle instantly.


    The next moment, the Mountain Drum¡¯s heavy torso fell to the ground with a heavy thud. A couple more slight twitches, and it was finally dead.


    Fists retracted.


    Exhale.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s tumultuous emotions receded like the tides and returned to the calm before the battle. At this moment, he understood that he had finally mastered the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist and truly reached the superior strength of the Wrestler Plane.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Big brother!¡±


    ¡°Qiaosong!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong, whose eyes were closed to reflect upon his cultivation, now turned his head toward those calling him.


    At some point during the altercation, Mr. Chi heard the commotions and rushed over. Chi Qiaowu, Wen Moshan, and even the five-year-old Chi Xiaoya were all standing not far from the farmhouse, looking at him.


    He nodded slightly.


    Mr. Chi immediately ran over with the kids, to check on that huge wild boar that just died.


    Standing next to the Mountain Drum, Mr. Chi felt as if he was facing an elephant. He said with quite a lot of shock, ¡°This wild boar must weigh over a thousand pounds. Is it the Mountain Drum?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°You can kill a Mountain Drum?¡± Mr. Chi didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    He was shocked beyond words. He thought his son, who had studied martial arts for three months, was already impressive for killing a 300-pound wild boar.


    Now, it turned out that he could even kill a Mountain Drum that was over 1,000-pound.


    ¡°Dad, I have a talent for martial arts, but I don¡¯t want to publicize it. Help me to keep it private,¡± Chi Qiaosong said


    Mr. Chi nodded hurriedly, ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    Then he said solemnly to the three kids behind him, ¡°No one is allowed to talk about what has just happened, and that includes you, Mo Shan. You can¡¯t even talk about it to your parents.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong added on the side, ¡°If you say anything, I won¡¯t teach you any more martial arts.¡±


    Wen Moshan nodded his head as if a chicken pecking at the rice, ¡°Uncle, big brother, I won¡¯t say anything, not a word!¡±


    The kids were handled.


    Chi Qiaosong asked, ¡°Dad, what should we do with the Mountain Drum?¡±


    Mr. Chi glanced at this great wild boar that resembled a small hill. He then looked at Chi Qiaosong with some indulgence and said, ¡°You decide what to do with it.¡± In his heart, this eldest son of his who was capable of killing a Mountain Drum was someone who could make decisions for the household.


    Chi Qiaosong had some hesitation.


    He kind of wanted to chop it up to see how much fertilizer it could make, but he thought it was a little bit too wasteful.


    First, there was no precedent for using spirit beasts as fertilizer; it was not something that anyone ordinarily did. Second, the bay trees had not yet flowered, so there was no pressing need to fertilize. Third, they were not rich. Selling the Mountain Drum would not only pay off the debts the family had incurred but bring them a handsome profit.


    So, he was considering the matter more comprehensively.


    Abandoning using it as fertilizer, he said, ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you call uncle back so the two of you can figure out a way to sell the Mountain Drum to pay off the debt? If there is any extra left, give me some; I have use for it.¡±


    When the classes at the military academy resume, if he wanted to learn some other martial arts, he would need to spend some money to manage that ¨C all without exposing that he had already fully comprehended the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist.


    Mr. Chi nodded, ¡°All right.¡±


    ¡°By the way, keep a tusk for me,¡± Chi Qiaosong added.


    He discovered that the machete did not have enough of an effect on the spirit beasts. If it weren¡¯t for the clumsiness of the Mountain Drum, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to pierce its eye socket. If he wanted to deal with spirit beasts in the future, he would need a more handy and appropriate weapon.


    The two tusks of the Mountain Drum were more suitable for making such weapons.


    The tusk was about twenty centimeters long, and could be used to make dagger or a short sword. Later, when he goes hunting again, a close strike with something like that would definitely deliver outstanding results.

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Clank, clank.


    The kitchen cleaver, specially sharpened and cleaned for this task, almost chipped its edge before one of the Mountain Drum¡¯s tusks was wholly removed from the root.


    After the tusk was cleaned, Chi Qiaosong felt very satisfied as he examined it closely in his hands.


    Mr. Chi had already ridden his bicycle to town to get the second uncle. He also planned to borrow a tractor from there, or else they would have no way to transport the Mountain Drum.


    Mrs. Chi squatted on the ground, happily scooping up all the earth mixed in with the blood from the Mountain Drum.


    The soil soaked in the boar¡¯s blood was rich in nutrients and could be used to fertilize the small vegetable garden.


    The truth was that Chi Qiaosong also wanted to fertilize his field, but not much soil was soaked in blood, so he did not fight for it. He sat by the farmhouse, looking at the lentil seedlings swaying in the one-acre field, and he was in a good mood.


    ¡­


    Grade 1 field: One acre


    Fertilizer Storage: None


    Spirit Root Source (1): Bay tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, Completed)


    External Spiritual Root (0): None


    Spirit Plant: Lentils


    ¡­


    The information was updated again, and the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist was showing as having been upgraded from achievement attribute to complete attribute, meaning that Chi Qiaosong had now perfectly mastered this martial art.


    The next time there was a change, it would probably be when the lentils ripened or when the military academy restarted again, so he could learn another set of martial skills.


    Evening time.


    The beeping sound of the tractor slowly approached from the foot of the ridge. The second uncle happily drove the tractor near the Chifamily¡¯ss residence.


    No road led to the farmhouse, so the tractor could not get any closer.


    Several of them had to work together to drag the Mountain Drum up and onto the tractor. All of them were sweating and exhausted when it was done.


    ¡°Dad, uncle, have you found a buyer?¡±


    ¡°Grand Ink Ridge Hotel. They said that if it is a Mountain Drum, they will pay three dollars a pound for it,¡± the second uncle said excitedly.


    The cost of living in Daxia Republic was not so expensive. Pork was usually one dollar per pound. Wild boar was about a dollar fifty. For the Mountain Drum to command three dollars per pound was indeed a generous price.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯ss little uncle worked as a clerk in a grain store and made, at the very most, 50 dollars a month.


    Of course, selling meat alone would not be the most profitable way to go.


    If the Mountain Drum was taken apart, its skin and pelt could be sold for a higher price separately. However, they didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to cause too much commotion, so it was easier just to sell the whole animal to the restaurant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you come along to ensure we are not cheated.¡± By now, Mr. Chi was very convinced of his son¡¯s ability.


    Covered by a thick plastic tarp, the Mountain Drum was tightly tucked in. Chi Qiaosong jumped onto the vehicle and sat on the plastic tarp. The second uncle drove the tractor to the city under cover of the night.


    ¡°Xiuyuan, what are you doing with a tractor?¡± The villagers at the foot of the mountain heard the noises and came out, holding the bowls of rice they were eating.


    The second uncle¡¯s name was Chi Xiuyuan.


    The second uncle smiled and replied, ¡°My brother wants to sell some grains that had been in storage for a while.¡±


    Selling grains from the storage was an excuse the Chi family decided on to cover up the fact that Chi Qiaosong had been able to kill a Mountain Drum.


    The trip into Ink Ridge County went smoothly, and they headed straight to the Grand Ink Ridge Hotel. This was the most upscale hotel in the county, the only hotel with a three-star rating. The upper echelon in the county always took their guests there.


    They drove the tractor to the loading dock, and the hotel manager brought a crew over. When they lifted the plastic tarp and saw the MountainDrum¡¯s corpse, they couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°It¡¯s a massive one. It probably took thirty or forty years to grow to this size!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tao, take a look..¡± Mr. Chi rubbed his hands together.


    ¡°Let¡¯s weigh it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Everyone worked together to lift the Mountain Drum onto the scale, and it came out to a total of one thousand one hundred and twenty-five pounds. The price of three dollars per pound came out to three thousand three hundred and seventy-five dollars.


    ¡°How much?¡± Mr. Tao turned to ask the accountant behind him.


    The accountant reported the number. ¡°One thousand and one hundred pounds without the skin. The total is thirty-three hundred dollars.¡±


    Mr. Tao nodded. ¡°Give them twenty-three hundred dollars.¡±


    When Mr. Chi and the second uncle heard that number, they responded anxiously, ¡°Mr. Tao, you made a mistake. It should be thirty-three hundred, not twenty- three hundred.¡±


    That¡¯s true; I should have paid you thirty-three hundred dollars, but don¡¯t you see that a tusk was missing? With a missing tusk, this Mountain Drum doesn¡¯t look so good, and I have to make it up somehow,¡± Mr. Tao said solemnly.


    The second uncle added hurriedly, ¡°The tusk can¡¯t be eaten, and it doesn¡¯t affect the meat itself.¡±


    However, Mr. Tao wouldn¡¯t budge. He insisted that he had to deduct a thousand dollars just for the missing tusk.


    Seeing that Mr. Chi and second uncle were at an impasse, Chi Qiaosong interrupted the argument and said, ¡°If you want to deduct the money for a missing tusk, the deal is off. We are not selling it to you.¡±


    Mr. Tao gave Chi Qiaosong a sideways glance. ¡°You already got it all the way over here. Where else are you going to take it?¡±


    As soon as Mr. Tao finished speaking, the restaurant staff who were around seemed to close in on them. In these troubled times of warlords and such, even if society was civilized, instances of the strong eating the weak were not unheard of.


    But Chi Qiaosong was frightened by none of it.


    It showed his unparalleled strength and courage if he could bring down the Mountain Drum by himself, but there was no reason to use force unnecessarily. After all, such a grand hotel in Ink Ridge County must have powerful backing.


    For now, he knew he couldn¡¯t afford to poke this hornet¡¯s nest.


    He looked at the iron rod used to lift the Mountain Drum and took it in his hand. As Mr. Tao watched him with a bit of confusion, he slowly increased the power in his hands until the iron rod that was as thick as a baby¡¯s arm was bent in half.


    Clank.


    As he tossed away the rod, Chi Qiaosong said calmly, ¡°Mr. Tao, it¡¯s not appropriate to insist on a deal that we don¡¯t agree with.¡±


    Something changed in Mr. Tao¡¯s eyes, and after a while, he laughed suddenly. He took a business card from his pocket and handed it to Chi Qiaosong. ¡°Did you think I was being serious? I was just joking. Thirty-three dollars it is, not a penny less. Here is my business card. In the future, if you catch anything big, just send them to us.¡±


    When he saw this, Chi Qiaosong took the business card and looked at it before putting it in his pocket. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Mr. Tao beckoned the accountant, ¡°Mr. Tan, pay them.¡±


    After counting thirty-three blue one-hundred-dollar bills, all the money was handed to Mr. Chi. Mr. Tao politely walked them out himself.


    Watching the tractor drive out of the loading dock, a clerk asked, ¡°Sir, did we overpay?¡±


    Mr. Tao narrowed his eyes and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not important. What¡¯s important is that we made a friend.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°Goodness, it¡¯s fortunate that Qiaosong was with us. Otherwise, we¡¯d have been cheated for sure.¡± After the second uncle returned the tractor, he was still talking about it on the way home.


    If Chi Qiaosong did not demonstrate how he could bend the iron rod with his bare hands, revealing his strength, Mr. Tao probably would have gotten the Mountain Drums for twenty-three hundred dollars.


    Mr. Chi was a little worried, however. ¡°Qiaosong, do you think they will follow us home?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was not too concerned.


    He kept a low profile simply out of prudence. He was afraid to expose the existence of the Golden Finger. Nonetheless, that acre of the field could be taken back into his mind at any time. He was not afraid of someone else taking it from him.


    In another few years, when he was more accomplished in martial arts, he would not need to worry about anyone or anything else.


    Only then did Mr. Chi and second uncle resume their way home, less worried. When they got home, Mrs. Chi and second aunt had been anxiously waiting for them all this time.


    Dinner was ready and had been kept warm in the pot.


    ¡°You are back. Did everything go well?¡± Mrs. Chi asked anxiously.


    ¡°It went very well. Let¡¯s eat first. We are starving.¡±


    After dinner, Mr. Chi began dividing up the money. ¡°When Qiaosong went to the military academy, the tuition was fifteen hundred dollars, and we borrowed twelve hundred. We have to pay back that money first. The two of you gave us two hundred dollars at the time. Take these two hundred.¡±


    ¡°We¡­¡± The second uncle was reluctant to take it.


    Mr. Chi shoved the money in his hand, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, just take it!¡±


    Then he took nine hundred out of the remaining nineteen hundred dollars and handed the sum to Chi Qiaosong. ¡± Didn¡¯t you say you need money? You are now the pillar of the family, so you should keep some money on you.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong did not hesitate and immediately put the money in his pocket.


    Mr. Chi then divided the last thousand dollars in two, half of which he took for himself and the other half he stuffed into second uncle¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split this money, and each of us gets five hundred dollars. I can¡¯t run a business, so I¡¯m staying here working the fields and crops, and this five hundred will subsidize the family nicely. You and Yuping take this money and see whether you can start some small trade yourselves. It¡¯s not a secure livelihood to always work those temporary jobs.¡±


    The second aunt was overjoyed as she said, ¡°Elder brother is right, of course. We have wanted to start a small trade ourselves for some time.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The proceed from the sale of the Mountain Drum alleviated the pressure of debt that the Chi family faced. At the moment, they were debt-free and felt relaxed, and they had 500 dollars in savings.


    Mrs. Chi could barely conceal her smiles every day.


    Mr. Chi no longer needed to get up before dawn just to scrape a little more crop from the fields.


    However, the old couple was not accustomed to staying idle. Before May, they had managed to plant all the lentils in the land reclaimed from the back mountains. However, these lentils that were planted did not sprout in three days.


    In a flash, it was already the month of May.


    The sky was cloudy overhead as if to forecast the rainy season that was about to arrive.


    Mr. Chi, carrying a hoe, stood quietly next to the bamboo fence. He stared at the lentil seedlings already crawling all over the trellises in the field, and he was more puzzled than ever.


    It had only been half a month since planting the lentils in the field.


    They had already climbed all over the trellises, ready to bloom and bear fruits; their growth rate had increased by more than four or five times.


    ¡°Dad.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong returned from the mountain with a package of herbal medicine in his hands.


    After the nine hundred dollars landed in his pocket, he was refreshed. Often, he strolled into town to buy something delicious to eat and drink. But more often than not, he made purchases of herbal medicines, which were used to temper his physique.


    However, he did not spend much of the 900 dollars.


    This was because he was able to hunt some game in the surrounding ridges and nearby hills, which he took into the town in exchange for money. It was enough to purchase the medicines for himself. However, he never encountered spirit beasts like the Mountain Drum, so he could not make a fortune.


    ¡°Why is this land of yours so rich this year? There was hardly anything last year,¡± Mr. Chi asked, somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°There is something in this field.¡± Chi Qiaosong couldn¡¯t exactly explain it to his dad because things such as the Golden Finger could not be disclosed to anyone, or else trouble might ensue.


    ¡°Then, take good care of it.¡±


    ¡°Well, when the lentils are ripe, you can sell them in the city, Dad. Maybe we can get a good price for them.¡±


    ¡°True, the quality of the lentils growing in this field is definitely top rate. Look at these lentils¡¯ seedlings, so green just like emeralds¡­ I¡¯ll take off some of these dry leaves.¡±


    ¡°Why are you picking off the old leaves?¡± Chi Qiaosong wondered.


    ¡°These can be dried and used as tea. It has cooling properties and can detoxify the body. In the olden days, when people went into the mountains and were bitten by snakes or suffered from boils, we boiled these dried lentil leaves to drink as tea.¡±


    Mr. Chi immediately put down the hoe and began picking the leaves.


    It was enough to fill a large basket to rid of all the old leaves from the lentil seedlings in an acre of field.


    Chi Qiaosong didn¡¯t feel one way or the other about this. He only cared about the experience of the lentils after harvesting, as well as the fertilizer reward. But, he was not very interested in the lentils themselves. Right now, he really just wanted to upgrade the acre of the field quickly.


    After the upgrade, he would be able to grow an extra acre and cultivate a spirit root transformed from the foundation of internal strength.


    The day before yesterday, the Right Bank Morning Post reported that even though Commander Zhu failed to take over a city in the Ou enclave, he was able to seize three counties. Once he finished cleaning up the residual resistance, he would return triumphant.


    The military academy would resume its session in the near future.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Soon, another week passed; a drizzle had brought new life to the ridge. When the rain stopped, the lentils in the field were blooming with purple blossoms.


    Diligent little bees kept busy at these flowers.


    Ring-a-ling-ling.


    The second uncle arrived on a second-hand bicycle and came to the farmhouse. He shouted loudly, ¡°Qiaosong, Qiaosong, good news! The date for the resuming classes at the military academy has been set!¡±


    ¡°When is it scheduled for?¡±


    ¡°The fifteenth. A notice was posted at the entrance of the military academy, saying that classes will resume on the fifteenth of this month.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong frowned. ¡°That means we have to wait another week¡­Uncle, come in for a drink of water.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time right now; I have some cold water in my basket.¡± After the second uncle informed him of the news, he was ready to leave. ¡°I must go to the villages below to collect the dry goods. I¡¯ll get some home brew tonight, and we will drink and catch up.¡±


    Second uncle and his wife finally decided on selling dry goods as their new business.


    In Ink Ridge County, each household was accustomed to drying some typical food items like wooden ears, shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, peppercorns, and things like that. The second uncle would buy these dry goods from these households and distribute them to restaurants and taverns within the county.


    They had spent 70 dollars to purchase a second-hand bicycle trolley just for transporting these goods.


    The second aunt stayed home to process everything, dividing the dry goods into different grades by their appearance so they could sell them for more profit.


    The second uncle came and went in a few minutes.


    Chi Qiaosong stood in front of the farmhouse, staring at that acre of field.


    ¡­


    Grade 1 Field: One acre


    Fertilizer Storage: One bag


    Spirit Root Source (1): Bay tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, completed)


    External Spiritual Root (0): None


    Spirit Plant: Lentils


    ¡­


    It had been a month of farming, and the field, just by breathing the essence of heaven and earth, had added an extra bag of fertilizer in the warehouse.


    Unfortunately, he had not yet acquired any new martial arts skills, so there was nowhere to use the fertilizer.


    Previously when he was wandering around town, he took time to inquire about a few martial arts gyms. Many martial arts were taught in these gyms, but the tuitions were too high, often costing hundreds of dollars just to learn one kind of martial arts.


    And all that was taught was beginner basics.


    Authentic advanced martial arts could only be learned by going to the martial arts institutes in big cities at a cost. These martial arts institutes were similar to universities, and the full name was actually Martial Sports Institution, a place designed for advanced studies by serious martial artists.


    There was a total of five martial arts institutes in Jiangyou Province.


    There was a provincial martial arts institute in Chaisang City, the provincial capital, which had been established more than 200 years. Hongdu City, on the other side of the Great Striding Lake, also had a provincial martial arts institute. Besides these two, there were three more municipal martial arts institutes. Among them was the one located in Fuliang City of Ink Ridge County.


    Commander Zhu had established the military academy, which clearly stated that those who excelled in the military academy and had mastered the Three Disciple Planes might enter the Fuliang Municipal Martial Arts Institute for further studies. There, they would study high-level martial arts and focus on the Three Master Planes.


    Commander Zhu even gifted his own family¡¯s Kuidou Spear Technique to the Fuliang Municipal Martial Art Institute.


    Kuidou Spear Technique was a master-level martial art. After intensive cultivation, it was easy to advance to the master level. This spear technique was so powerful that striking men and steel were akin to smashing into a piece of tofu.


    Shaking his head, Chi Qiaosong decided not to continue thinking about those things right now.


    He looked at the clear sky and saw the sun scorching like fire. Resolutely, he fastened the spirit tusk dagger at his waist, then carried a long-handled machete to explore the depths of a ridge.


    Since he hunted down that Mountain Drum, all he could think of was how to get another spirit beast, so he could take it to experiment with its effect as fertilizer for the field.


    He had also experimented with common prey, chopping them up to fertilize the field. However, he discovered that they could not coagulate as fertilizer.


    Therefore, he had to search for more spirit beasts.


    If he could not find it in this ridge, he would go to the second and the third ridges, even to other hills and valleys that were dozens of miles away.


    He remembered that the elders used to say that there were more than wild boars in the Thousand Emerald Hill. There were also gray wolves, leopards, black bears, and even tigers¡­ However, he had not even seen another wild boar after so many days.


    Five hours later, Chi Qiaosong returned to the farmhouse empty-handed.


    The spirit tusk dagger, made from the Mountain Drum¡¯s tusk, had no opportunity to be used.


    Boom!


    During the rainy season, the weather was often unpredictable. One moment, the red glow of sunset was shining brightly, and the next moment it was covered by nothing but dark clouds. By the time he locked up the farmhouse and rushed home for dinner, the rain was already pouring down.


    ¡°Fortunately, I came back early, or else I¡¯d be drenched,¡± the second uncle mumbled while he took out the homebrew.


    Mr. Chi and the second uncle enjoyed a great relationship, and the two families usually take their meals together. Mrs. Chi and the second aunt cooked and washed dishes together and help taking care of each other¡¯s children.


    The homebrew poured into glasses. The second uncle picked up the glass and raised it to Chi Qiaosong, ¡°Come on, drink up.¡±


    While Mr. Chi did not object to Chi Qiaosong¡¯s drinking, Mrs. Chi, who brought the dishes to the table, warned them, ¡°Don¡¯t let Qiaosong drink too much. No good comes from drinking.¡±


    The second aunt poured the seasoning on the cold cucumber on the plate and added, ¡°I don¡¯t understand these men, who drink all the time. What¡¯s so good about drinking?¡±


    But Mr. Chi and the second uncle did not seem to have heard what they said at all.


    Chi Qiaowu was busy taking a chicken leg into his bowl while Chi Xiaoya sensibly fed Chi Qiaoshui, their cousin. Chi Qiaodong, who was two years old, prostrated on the floor, counting the ants.


    Chi Qiaosong smiled as he relished the warmth of home.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After a night of heavy rain, the whole ridge completely changed its appearance the following day.


    The rain washed the mountain path continuously, and its original trail was no longer visible. Trees and grasses looked ravished, and the leaves were still wet with the rain.


    Drip.


    Drip.


    Pulling on his rubber shoes, Chi Qiaosong came to the farmhouse to check on his acre of field.


    ¡°Good thing the trellises holding the lentils didn¡¯t fall.¡± After the inspection, he felt much more relieved. The protection of the field was adequate. The drainage ditches were dug deep enough.


    Each trellis was pounded into the ground for at least fifteen centimeters to ensure they were firmly anchored.


    The lentil seedlings were fine, but the farmhouse had a problem. A stone tile on the brick roof cracked, causing the water to leak inside the house and soak all the old newspapers.


    Chi Qiaosong had not had a chance to read many of these old newspapers.


    He had no choice but to take these old newspapers out and hang them on the bamboo fence to dry. The small stove used to warm up the medicine was also soaked and needed to be dried. Then, some pelts required air drying outside.


    There had been no big games.


    The pelts were no more than the skins of coyotes and rabbits. They were tiny in size, and it would take him a long time to get enough together for a fur coat. These were the pelts that he had prepared for Mrs. Chi. The winter of Jiangyou Province was usually cold and wet, and Mrs. Chi was mainly afraid of the coldness of the winters.


    Because of the rain, neither Chi Qiaowu nor Wen Moshan came over for practice.


    After Chi Qiaosong cleaned up the farmhouse and replaced the broken stone tile on the roof, he began to practice. He felt uncomfortable if he didn¡¯t practice at least a little bit every day. Furthermore, martial arts must be maintained consistently in the grand scheme of things. Otherwise, the body would slowly lose its ability to maintain its muscles and inner strength.


    A martial arts master would lose strength and muscle tone after idling for a few years.


    But if one was diligent daily with the practice, even if one lived to be seventy or eighty years old, or even one hundred years old, one could still maintain one¡¯s plane and strength. At the very most, the stamina might deteriorate a little bit.


    There was something else.


    What Chi Qiaosong realized, with some disappointment, was that the practice of martial arts could not obtain immortality. Even the supreme and invincible masters, no matter what martial arts they practiced, could, at the very most, only prolong their lifespan by sixty to one hundred twenty years.


    In the end, none of them could escape from being a pile of bones in the tomb.


    But there was also some good news. Among the treasures of heaven and earth, some could improve one¡¯s health and prolong one¡¯s life.


    Mountain Drum was not included on this list. The claim that the meat of the Mountain Drum could prolong one¡¯s life by one year was just a rumor propagated by the hunters in the olden days, mainly to exaggerate the power of the Mountain Drums.


    If they could prolong someone¡¯s life span, their price would not stop at simply three dollars a pound.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Time passed by quickly. A week had passed in the blink of an eye.


    On this day, Chi Qiaosong dressed in brand new clothes, carrying the snakeskin bag, and took an anti-tricycle into town. An anti-tricycle was a tricycle with the carriage in front; slow and steady was its appeal.


    A ride only costs fifty cents.


    But there were not many people who took it. The rich liked to take chartered sedans or rickshaws; the poor had no money to spare for such luxury.


    In the past, Chi Qiaosong would not have taken the anti-tricycle either. But now, the nine hundred dollars in his pocket gave him confidence. He eschewed his previous consumption habits and focused more on enjoying the moment.


    Through the crowded and chaotic streets, he came to the military academy, located next to the train station.


    Sure enough, the gate was wide open, and some classmates who knew each other had already arrived with their luggage.


    ¡°Chi Qiaosong!¡±


    He heard someone calling him from a distance.


    Chi Qiaosong got off the tricycle with his snakeskin bag and walked toward the voice. It was a boy of the same age whose hair was meticulously coiffed, and his face was full of shining pimples.


    ¡°How come you just got here? I arrived yesterday already.¡± The young man was Li Weiwei, whose family ran a rice shop back home.


    ¡°Are the teachers back?¡±


    ¡°They came back yesterday, and not one of them is missing. Last night they had dinner at the Grand Ink Ridge Hotel. I heard that the teachers had gone to the battlefield with the commander and took over three counties without much fighting!¡±


    Li Weiwei¡¯s martial arts aptitude left much to be desired, but he had a lively personality and was well-informed. ¡°Oh, by the way, our chief lecturer has not returned.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Chi Qiaosong was surprised, ¡°What happened to Chief Luo?¡±


    ¡°He was transferred to the Municipal Martial Arts Institute and promoted to professor. I heard he had a breakthrough during battle and entered the Guardian Plane. My goodness, there is yet another guardian under the commander.¡±


    The Three Disciple Planes were Wrestler, Warrior, and Knight. The Three Master Planes were Guardian, Master, and Grandmaster.


    Knight to Guardian was only one plane¡¯s difference, but it was really a chasm. Throughout the journey of martial arts, countless people were stuck in the Knight Plane without being able to advance.


    Few people could find the key to breaking through and gaining the qualifications of being a master.


    ¡°Then, who is the chief now?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, I guess. Mr. Zhou is a veteran knight. Before Chief Luo, Mr. Zhou was in charge of the daily operations.¡± Li Weiwei shrugged. ¡°But who is to be the chief lecturer has nothing to do with us¡­ I suspect I will be in the next round of students to be dismissed¡­ Fortunately, I have you to keep me company.¡±


    The military academy was not a place to mess around. It was not a place where one could hang out just because tuition was paid.


    One had to show progress to continue staying on to study.


    Of course, Chi Qiaosong was no longer at risk of being dismissed again. He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the dorm first.¡±


    ¡°Well, you go on. I¡¯m still waiting for someone,¡± Li Weiwei said with a lewd smile. He had been pursuing a female student in the military academy. In his thinking, he had to have satisfaction in at least one thing, either martial arts or love.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    In the dormitory, Chi Qiaosong was not the first to arrive.


    Two people had already arrived in the four-person room. The two were chatting animatedly, but neither acknowledged Chi Qiaosong when he came in.


    Chi Qiaosong didn¡¯t mind it, either.


    These two were from wealthy families in the county. They were very arrogant and only socialized with people from the same socio-economic status.


    So, after he put away his luggage, he went to the reading room at the military academy. The reading room had subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. He was not fond of reading before, but now he liked it very much.


    As he flipped through the books and read through the newspapers, before he knew it, it was noon.


    When he returned to the room, the third roommate was there, clad in crumpled and patched-up clothing, and was sweeping the floor with a broom. ¡°Chi Qiaosong, where have you been? I couldn¡¯t find you.¡±


    He was a tall and large boy, but his voice was soft and gentle. His character was also honest and loyal, which could also be considered a little weak, just like his name: Wang Minzhong.


    ¡°I went to the reading room to read the papers. Have you eaten yet? Shall we go together?¡±


    ¡°Okay, wait until I finish sweeping the floor.¡±


    Their other two roommates interjected to instruct him. ¡°Wang Minzhong, before lunch, ensure you sweep the floor on our side and make sure it¡¯s clean. There is a checkup of the dormitory this afternoon.¡±


    They were very bossy and not at all courteous.


    Wang Minzhong nodded cowardly. ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong frowned slightly and grabbed the broom from Wang Minzhong¡¯s hands. First, he quickly swept the floor around his bed and then threw the broom at the feet of the other two. ¡°Sweep your own area yourselves, or arrange a schedule, and we¡¯ll take turns cleaning every day.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Chi Qiaosong, what is the meaning of this?!¡± Among the two, the square-faced kid got up from the bed and glared at Chi Qiaosong.


    The other, with a round face, also stood up and glared at Chi Qiaosong.


    In the past, although Chi Qiaosong was not cowardly at the dorm, he did not speak too loudly either.


    Chi Qiaosong looked at them calmly and replied, ¡°Chen Hai, Mao Sanjian, do you not understand what I just said?¡±


    The one with the squared face was Chen Hai, and the one with the round face was Mao Sanjian.


    Wang Minzhong tugged Chi Qiaosong¡¯s arm a little bit and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong ignored him and continued, ¡°There are laws for the country just as there are rules in every household. Since we live in this dorm, we must also set the rules. I am not going to repeat myself in the future. From now on, we will follow the rules I set.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, are you feeling all right? Are you joking?¡±


    ¡°Who the hell are you that you will set the rules?!¡±


    Chen Hai and Mao Sanjian laughed scornfully.


    But in the next moment, they couldn¡¯t laugh anymore.


    Chi Qiaosong simply picked up the enameled tea jar on Chen Hai¡¯s table without saying another word. One squeeze with his hand and the enameled tea jar that a hammer could not damage immediately deflated.


    Then, Chi Qiaosong pulled with his hands again, and the deflated enameled tea jar returned to its previous shape.


    He put it down on the table with a clang.


    The tea jar did not break, but now it had a few new cracks, suggesting that this enameled tea jar had been through quite an ordeal just moments ago.


    Things quieted down presently.


    Chi Qiaosong patted Wang Minzhong on the shoulder and called out, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go get some food.¡±


    Chen Hai and Mao Sanjian were left to stare at the enameled tea jar with uncertain expressions on their faces. However, neither of them dared say anything more. An occasional demonstration of one¡¯s strength was beneficial.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°You won¡¯t break through, will you?¡± Wang Minzhong asked in disbelief when they were having dinner in the cafeteria.


    The entire Military Academy had been in operation for three months, and the talented students were still working on building their muscles and bones and training hard. The training they had to undergo was cumulative across the long horizon that lay ahead.


    Students like Chi Qiaosong and Li Weiwei, who had poor martial arts qualifications, were the targets of dismissal.


    After a month, Chi Qiaosong was able to flatten the enamel tea jar with one hand. This strength was not something ordinary people could muster. After all, enamel products had the hardness of stainless steel.


    ¡°I was lucky this time, but I¡¯m still lacking,¡± Chi Qiaosong said modestly.


    He would not announce about breaking through the Wrestler Plane for a while. It was more appropriate to announce the breakthrough after the impression of his poor martial arts qualifications had been cleared away.


    Otherwise, it would be too abrupt.


    He turned to ask, ¡°What about you? You have performed well before the holiday. Now that you¡¯ve been home for a month, have your skills improved?¡±


    Wang Minzhong was a little annoyed. ¡°I can¡¯t get any peace at home. So I¡­ just focused on the chores. However, I secretly practiced boxing at night, but I didn¡¯t make much progress.¡±


    His family situation was relatively complicated. After his parents divorced, his mother and father both remarried, and they were unwilling to care for him.


    His grandfather was annoyed by the behavior of his son and daughter-in-law, so he asked for all the alimony to raise his grandson and invested it in the Military Academy, hoping that Wang Minzhong would be able to forge his own path.


    Once his parents knew about this, they made a big fuss, thinking that the money was wasted.


    The old man would definitely ask them for more money in the future.


    Anyway, he did not have a peaceful time at home.


    ¡°Just come back to the Military Academy. You can practice boxing here with peace of mind. After breaking through the Wrestler Plane, your parents won¡¯t dare interfere in your matters,¡± Chi Qiaosong comforted him.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The two returned to the dormitory after dinner.


    Not long after, Chen Hai and Mao Sanjian came back from dinner. Chen Hai lingered at Chi Qiaosong¡¯s bedside and asked Chi Qiaosong, who was lying on the bed reading a magazine, ¡°Hey¡­ Are you at the Wrestler Plane?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but it should be soon.¡± Chi Qiaosong put down the magazine.


    Chen Hai breathed a sigh of relief and replied, ¡°Oh,¡± before he went back to his bed. After that, even though he did not talk to Chi Qiaosong all afternoon, he did not dare bully others.


    The same went for Mao Sanjian.


    Although the growing boy was a little confused, he was not stupid. He knew that it was better not to provoke Chi Qiaosong at this time. However, it was absolutely impossible for them to put down their airs and come over to flatter Chi Qiaosong.


    Classes began the next day.


    Chi Qiaosong met teacher Kong Hongcai, who taught him the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist move. Kong Hongcai was short and fat, but he had excellent strength. He was at the upper-middle Warrior Plane.


    When he launched the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist move, it was mighty and powerful. Following his move, a bull¡¯s shadow formed.


    Even if it was not considered complete, it was still an outstanding achievement.


    Before class began, the students practiced together. Kong Hongcai was pacing in the crowd, stopping to stare at a student from time to time to observe him, and when he came to Chi Qiaosong, his brows kept twitching.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s punches and kicks had a unique charm to them.


    It made Kong Hongcai more and more alarmed, and this had the flowing water consistency of the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist.


    After Chi Qiaosong finished punching, he could not help but ask, ¡°What did you do when you went home? How have your boxing skills improved so quickly?¡±


    His improvement was so tremendous that he soared from the bottom of the class to the top.


    Only three or five of the students who practiced martial arts could achieve the proficiency of flowing water consistency with the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist move.


    Chi Qiaosong replied calmly, ¡°My family lives in the mountains. I encountered a big wild boar and fought it to the death. I suddenly comprehended the intrinsic part of the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist and then killed the big wild boar.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, it seems that you have good comprehension.¡±


    Kong Hongcai had no doubts about him. He did not scan his level and could not see what plane Chi Qiaosong was at.


    Turning around, he said to the students, ¡°Fighters, you are born to fight against the sky and the earth, just like fighting with humans and beasts. Only in actual combat can you better hone your martial arts. However¡­¡±


    He paused for a while and said in a serious tone, ¡°I don¡¯t advocate Chi Qiaosong¡¯s approach. You are still laying the foundation, and you have no practical ability at all. If you fight rashly, you are the one who suffers.¡±


    For the whole morning, Kong Hongcai took the students to practice Crazed Bull Heavy Fist.


    He taught his students to uphold a principle, read a book a hundred times over to understand its essence, and practice a hundred times to see their improvement.


    Soon, it was lunch break.


    While going to the cafeteria for lunch, several students who did not talk much before came over to chat with Chi Qiaosong. They even got together to eat at his table.


    Chi Qiaosong did not despise this behavior, but he was not very interested in socializing.


    These 13- to 18-year-old lads had a generation gap with his actual age. What was more, it seemed that there were not many people who could really cultivate martial arts in the future.


    There was no more boxing practice in the afternoon, and the students were to self-study.


    There was an energy skill class, so Chi Qiaosong rushed to the energy skill classroom with a leather mat. Unfortunately, not many students came to learn energy skills, and fewer than 20 people were in the empty classroom.


    Chi Qiaosong found a corner, put the leather cushion down, and sat on it. The other students did the same and crossed their legs.


    Five minutes after the class bell rang, the teacher came in with a teacup, wearing a Taoist robe. The teacher¡¯s real name was Liu Chun, and he was a Taoist priest at the Taoist temple in the provincial town.


    In private, the students jokingly called Liu Chun ¡°Chunchunzi.¡± This was because most of the Taoist priests had a Taoist name.


    In fact, Liu Chun did not take a Taoist name.


    ¡°Hello, teacher.¡± The students stood up weakly.


    Mr. Liu waved his hand. ¡°Sit down. As usual, recite a Purple Cloud Serenity scripture with me, and then let¡¯s practice the Guidance Technique to find your energy fluctuation.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong also had the scriptures of Purple Cloud Serenity. Everyone was handed a copy when they first entered the Military Academy.


    However, scriptures alone were meaningless. Only by having a teacher teach the Guidance Technique could they find the so-called energy fluctuation and guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the body to nourish one¡¯s own ¡°Qi.¡±


    When their Qi reached the high depths, they could receive thunder in their palms, and its power was unstoppable.


    However¡­


    In the internal strength planes of the Three Disciple Planes, the Qi would hide in the body and not be expended externally. Only when one has achieved the advanced Three Master Planes can they leverage their Qi to fight.


    ¡°The Six Major Planes of the External Sects of Martial Arts are the Wrestler Plane, Warrior Plane, Knight Plane, Guardian Plane, Master Plane, and Grandmaster Plane.


    The Internal Sects of Martial Arts are also divided into Six Major Planes, but the Three Disciple Planes consist of the Novice Plane, Taoist Plane, and Crest Plane, while the Three Master Planes are the Mage Plane, Divine Plane, and Great Divine Plane¡­


    The names are somewhat different.


    It was precisely because there were no practical skills that could be used when one was in the Three Disciple Planes of the Internal Sects of Martial Arts that the students who learned the Purple Cloud Serenity energy skill from Mr. Liu were so rare.


    Most of them were female students.


    Several of the male students were probably there because of the female students.


    Everyone followed Mr. Liu and nodded their heads while reciting the scriptures. Mr. Liu also pointed out some critical points of the Guidance Technique.


    Chi Qiaosong was also following the method of the Guidance Technique. He inhaled and exhaled.


    It seemed that some special gaseous substance was filtered from the air, but when he exhaled and inhaled, he could not find any special feeling.


    There was no smell, but a faint fragrance came from the tip of the nose.


    Some female students who attended the energy skill classes must have rubbed body powder or the like, which made him slightly annoyed. ¡°It really affects me finding my energy fluctuation!¡±

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    In the energy skills class in the afternoon, the students did not learn any substantial content.


    From the memories of Chi Qiaosong¡¯s predecessor, he now understood why he stopped learning energy skills after attending a few Purple Cloud Serenity energy skill lessons. It was simply too illusory.


    Even if you found your energy fluctuation and could cultivate a mouthful of Qi, you had no combat power at all during the Three Disciple Planes, so learning energy skills was equivalent to not learning them.


    As for using Qi for battle in the following Three Master Planes, the difficulty was like taking the entry test for Tsinghua University and Peking University. Who would be this confident?


    Furthermore, the energy skills teacher, Liu Chun, was lazy and gentle, and students even called him ¡°Chunchunzi¡± behind his back. As a result, he commanded no respect, which indirectly affected students¡¯ interest in energy skills.


    However, no matter how illusory it was, Chi Qiaosong was determined to learn about energy skills because this was the only energy skill taught by the Military Academy.


    He stayed in the dormitory that night. With the gifts he had prepared in advance, he found Kong Hongcai, who had just woken up in the teacher¡¯s dormitory early the next morning.


    ¡°Mr. Kong.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Kong Hongcai opened the bag and saw the jerky, tobacco, and alcohol inside. Although his tone was polite, he did not push the bag away.


    ¡°I feel that I have reached a bottleneck when I learned the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, and there is no new progress in my practice, so I want to learn another martial arts subject.¡±


    ¡°Learn another martial arts subject?¡± Kong Hongcai pondered. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to lecture, but Chi Qiaosong, your martial arts aptitude is very average. You are relying on the understanding of life and death to barely make breakthroughs when, in fact, you should establish your foundation steadily rather than recklessly. So learning another martial arts subject is not a solution to your problems.¡±


    This was what he said with meaning.


    Martial arts was like building a house. If Chi Qiaosong¡¯s foundation was weak, how could he build a house on it?


    Chi Qiaosong shook his head and said, ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m just learning a new introductory martial arts subject. Mr. Kong, don¡¯t you also know the ¡®Spring Kick¡¯? I want to try learning it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the ¡¯12 Paths Spring Kick¡¯¡­ If you practice martial arts like this, I¡¯m afraid you will damage your body.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll spend more money on medicinal herbs.¡±


    Seeing Chi Qiaosong¡¯s insistence, Kong Hongcai didn¡¯t say any more on account of the gifts.


    ¡°Okay, if I have time in the afternoon, you can learn the 12 Paths Spring Kick from me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    In the morning, Chi Qiaosong no longer practiced the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. Instead, he switched to practicing the 12 Paths Spring Kick in the afternoon. This was an introductory leg technique. After practicing until death, it looked like he had achieved the Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane.


    When Kong Hongcai was not free, he would attend the energy skill classes and recite the Purple Cloud Serenity scriptures with Liu Chun.


    [Thud!]


    [Thud!!!]


    Chi Qiaosong kicked his legs high and kicked the wooden stakes among the weeds in the backyard until they were making loud thudding noises.


    After he put his leg down, his body was slightly warm. Now that he was at the Wrestler Plane, it was not as difficult as before to learn introductory martial arts. But after a few days of hard training, he felt more and more that his body lacked a little spirituality in martial arts.


    Muscle coordination frequency, joint twist range, and rhythm changes made him feel rigid.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have the Golden Fingers of an acre of thin fields, you will never be able to enter the Wrestler Plane after a lifetime of fighting with your predecessor.¡± Chi Qiaosong sighed, his body rigid and uncomfortable.


    However, when he cast the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, there was no sense of stagnation.


    As if he was a martial arts genius, he could control his body as he wanted to fight wherever he wanted.


    ¡°This further proves that the strength of the one-acre field can change my skin and bones with just one fruit!¡± He was not discouraged, even if he was not a martial arts genius.


    He relied on farming, and sooner or later, he would reach the Grandmaster Plane.


    A week went by in the blink of an eye.


    On the weekends, Chi Qiaosong did not choose to stay at the Military Academy but instead went home on a donkey.


    There was a slight change at the door of his house. Father Chi and Mother Chi brought a batch of old bricks from the city at a low price and spread them on the lawn in front of the door. They wanted to repair the small compound so that they could still walk when it rained.


    ¡°Big brother!¡± Chi Xiaoya happily greeted him.


    ¡°I have food in the bag. You can find it yourself.¡± Tossing the snakeskin bag aside, Chi Qiaosong rushed to his farmhouse.


    Father Chi helped to care for the one-acre field. Currently, there was nothing amiss with it. The lentil seedlings in the field were already covered with green lentils¡ªbunches after bunches.


    There was no doubt that the next lentil harvest would be plentiful.


    However, he had no intention of paying attention to the lentils, so he walked directly to the middle of the field and looked at the bay trees swaying in the wind. In the bushes, a faint little yellow flower bloomed.


    ¡°The 12 Paths Spring Kick condenses 1 percent¡­¡±


    At this, Chi Qiaosong was overjoyed. He exclaimed, ¡°Wonderful!¡±


    There was a pack of ready-made fertilizer in the material storage. He did not hesitate and chose to fertilize. A light fell from the sky and fell on the bay tree.


    The small yellow flowers bloomed and withered, and the small black fruits ripened quickly.


    The fragrance was tangy and refreshing.


    Chi Qiaosong picked a black fruit and put it in his mouth, chewing it lightly. It had almost no taste, and it turned into a breath of fresh air and entered his stomach. The next moment, a familiar warm current rose and spread to his limbs.


    A mysterious snippet of information kept flashing in his mind. The 12 Paths Spring Kick was experiencing layers and layers of changes.


    He involuntarily circulated the currents of the 12 Paths Spring Kick in his body as his long legs brought him flying across the lentil field. Then, with an abrupt turn, he jumped over the fence and came to a big tree.


    He raised his leg and broke the tree trunk with a kick.


    He even kicked the top, middle, and bottom of the tree in swift, consecutive movements. It caused the trunk to break into three parts: the top, middle, and bottom.


    The tree trunk fell, but Chi Qiaosong did not let it go. His long legs were like a scythe. He kicked the branches one by one, breaking them one by one, and finally hit the half stump, kicking hard with the back of his leg.


    [Bang!]


    The stump immediately shattered into a pile of rotten wood.


    ¡°Huhu¡­¡±


    Chi Qiaosong maintained his kicking posture and waited for the heat of his body to subside. Then, he slowly retracted his legs and assumed his standing position. ¡°The increase in strength is not significant, though it seems that I have achieved the strengthening of the body using entry-level martial arts.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I have completely mastered the 12 Paths Spring Kick!¡±


    He was still unsure of his combat effectiveness or whether he had jumped from the Beginner Rank to the Intermediate Rank, but he was definitely much stronger than before. If he were to fight with the Mountain Drum again, he could kill it with relative ease.


    Chi Qiaosong wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked back at the one-acre field.


    [Grade 1 field: One acre


    Fertilizer storage: Not available


    Spirit root source (1): Bay tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist ¨C Complete, 12 Paths Spring Kick ¨C Achievement)


    External Spiritual Root (0): Not available


    Spirit plant: Lentils]


    He ran out of fertilizer.


    The information on the 12 Paths Spring Kick was saved for viewing.


    ¡°Like the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, the 12 Paths Spring Kick also requires an opportunity to improve from Achievement to Complete.¡± Chi Qiaosong thought to himself.


    However, there was one thing.


    He felt that he had to find time to release the news of his breakthrough to the Wrestler Plane so that he could then learn more advanced martial arts.


    This entry-level physical martial arts did not significantly improve his strength. No matter how much he learned, it would still be difficult to help him advance to the next plane. It was a waste of fertilizer.


    ¡°When I go hunting in the mountains, I hope to encounter a tiger.¡±


    When his 12 Paths Spring Kick had reached the Achievement level, he felt like he was floating in the clouds when he was walking. He wondered if he would fly if there was a gust of wind.


    He could not feel the fatigue of climbing mountains in the past.


    The musculoskeletal membrane at his Achilles tendon had strengthened a lot, and his running and jumping ability had greatly improved. He was overjoyed at these changes.

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°This ridge is indeed barren!¡±


    From the First Ridge to the Fifth Ridge, Chi Liaison could not help but feel emotional.


    The trees in these low mountains were all the same, and the small animals were not too bad. However, he did not encounter monkeys, wolves, leopards, tigers, bears, or even wild boars.


    However, he also understood.


    The provincial town of Ink Ridge County was on the edge of Thousand Emerald Hill. Local hunters had been hunting for many years, and the large animals in the mountains had long been slaughtered.


    He was lucky enough to come across a Mountain Drum.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find a spiritual root either.¡± He squatted on the ground in a valley, digging with a small shovel.


    This was a medicinal herb known as Fleece flower root. He dug along the rock and soil, and the root of the Fleece flower was dug out in a short time. Unfortunately, it was small and shrivelled.


    He could only take it home to dry in the sun and give it to his second uncle.


    After evaluating the weightless Fleece flower root in his hand, Chi Liaison shook his head and thought, ¡®If I dug up a human-shaped Fleece flower root, wouldn¡¯t I have struck the lottery?¡¯


    He had read many adventure accounts of famous people in old newspapers.


    One of them recorded the story of a hidden Master Plane fighter in the Doxia Republic. It is said that this hidden Master Plane was born before the founding of the nation and was 150 years old.


    When he was young, his martial arts attainments were average, and he was still living an ordinary life in his old age.


    Who would have thought that he could have dug up a human-shaped Fleece flower root during an expedition in the wild? After eating it, his white hair immediately turned black, and his martial arts attainments made much progress, breaking through the Guardian Plane and Master Plane in one go.


    Because he did not marry and have children, even if he broke through the Master Plane, he did not have the intention of leaving the mountains and competing. So, finally, he chose to hide in the mountains.


    No one knew whether he was still alive today.


    This story was published on Fox News, and it was difficult to verify its authenticity. Nevertheless, a human-shaped Fleece flower root did exist. In the Pharmacopoeia officially published by the Doxia Republic, it was recorded as one of the top ten magic herbs.


    However, most of the magic herbs were hidden deep in the mountains and ancient forests. The Thousand Emerald Hill was full of low hilltops. With so many hunters crossing back and forth, it was assumed that no more magic herbs could be found.


    They returned empty-handed.


    When Chi Liaison got home, he tossed a few Chinese herbs he picked on the way back onto the bamboo tray in front of the house to sun.


    Chi Xiao was about to take her cousin Chi Quaashie to help Mrs. Chi pick vegetables and leaves. Her second aunt poured out a pile of dry goods and got Chi Miaow to help pick them up. Mr. Chi had just returned and had gone to the courtyard to take a bath.


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t come back for lunch at noon, you must be hungry now. I¡¯ve saved a portion for you on the stove,¡± Mrs. Chi nagged at Chi Liaison.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Chi Liaison was so hungry that he ate two bowls of rice.


    Now that he was at the Wrestler Plane, his appetite had significantly increased. He was fond of meat, and the small animals that he usually hunted had all entered his stomach.


    ¡°Second aunt, recently you have been selling dry goods with second uncle. How are your profits?¡± After dinner, he moved a small stool over and helped his second aunt sort out the dry goods.


    The second aunt complained, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any money back yet. It¡¯s been raining in the past few days, and some of the mountain goods are spoilt.¡±


    ¡°You can treat it as paying tuition fees. In the future, you should harvest the goods depending on the season. In the rainy season, we should collect dry goods that are not easily affected by moisture. When the weather is good, we will collect the dry goods that do not have a long shelf life.¡±


    ¡°Indeed so. Liaison, you have a clever head, and your second uncle is stupid.¡±


    ¡°Second uncle has much potential, but he lacks opportunities,¡± Chi Liaison said.


    Second aunt was very happy after hearing this, but she kept complaining, ¡°What good comes out of potential? He is a big illiterate and can even be fooled by others when calculating the accounts. He went to sell mountain goods a few days ago and miscalculated eighty cents a kilogram of jujubes for fifty cents a kilogram! He lost more than two dollars!¡±


    ¡°Did you manage to recover it?¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? That customer refused to admit it! Hmph, we will no longer deliver goods to the dried produce store on the front street of Xian City. Liaison, you mustn¡¯t go to his shop to buy dried produce.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    In the following days, Chi Liaison divided his time between his home and the Military Academy.


    Because he had already attained the achievement attribute for the 12 Paths Spring Kick, he had no intention of continuing to practice his kicking with Kong Hongdae. Instead, he decided to announce his Wrestler Plane breakthrough a few days later.


    Then, he would learn more advanced martial arts.


    He took a fancy to Song Xingu, another martial arts teacher who taught physical martial arts. Song Xingu was a master of the Knight Plane. Among the martial arts he had mastered, a move called the Gust Swift Knife was truly majestic.


    Those in the Wrestler Plane could practice the Gust Swift Knife to a high level and use it to break through to the Knight Plane.


    So he found an opportunity and gave Song Xingu a gift. He first wanted to make an impression so that he could subsequently ask for guidance.


    Of course, he did not ignore Kong Hongdae. He often gifted Kong Hongdae dry goods. After all, Kong Hongdae also had some excellent martial arts, such as the 6 Joint Mantis Hands and the White Rainbow Sword.


    Since he had a bay tree with spiritual roots, he could practice martial arts as much as he wished to, so long as there was enough fertilizer.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been slacking lately.¡±


    Kong Hongdae accepted the dry goods and lectured, ¡°Whether it¡¯s the 12 Paths Spring Kick or the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, I just have one word for you: Practice! Practice ten or a hundred times a day; otherwise, based on your qualifications, it would be hard to even enter the Wrestler Plane!¡±


    ¡°I practice martial arts in the mountains and occasionally hunt. I feel that it¡¯s more effective than in the Military Academy.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you can decide for yourself. When it concerns martial arts training, the master leads you through the door, but the training is up to the individual.¡± Kong Hongdae only gave him advice because of the gifts he received.


    Seeing that Chi Liaison did not think much of it, he decided not to continue.


    In the afternoon, Chi Liaison continued to take energy skill classes, and a few more students quit, leaving only ten female students and three male students, including him.


    Liu Chun, who wore a Taoist robe, did not care about this. He received payment from the Taoist temple and the Military Academy and lived a very comfortable life.


    Every day, his teacup was filled with wolfberry, which made his face flush a healthy red.


    At first glance, he really looked like a great sage.


    ¡°The rays of light in the sky are like a rag. When you imagine it is in your hand, you pull it and wipe the sky constantly, and your heart will naturally be clear when the sky is wiped clean.¡±


    Occasionally, Liu Chun would talk about his comprehension of the Purple Cloud Serenity.


    The Internal Sects of Martial Arts warmed and nourished the inner Qi, which was quite mysterious.


    Whether you can comprehend it or not depends entirely on individual opportunity and understanding.


    Chi Liaison meditated cross-legged under the stage, mulling over Liu Chun¡¯s words over and over again. He thought he had realized something, but when he tried to catch it, he realized that his mind was in chaos.


    He did not understand anything.


    ¡°The glow of the sky¡­ A rag¡­ Wipe the sky clean, and your heart will naturally be clear¡­¡±


    He thought of many things like the Bodhi was not a tree, and a clear mirror was not a stand. What was originally nothing would rest as dust, and the Buddha was in one¡¯s heart.


    The more he thought, the further he could go.


    And then.


    The bell rang.


    Liu Chun seemed to have a spring installed under his buttocks. He lifted his teacup and stood up, leaving with a resounding ¡°Class is over¡± before disappearing around the classroom door.


    Chi Liaison was still in the mood and sat on the mat without moving. He just felt that he had found his state, but it was destroyed by the bell.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    A female student came over and patted Chi Liaison on the shoulder.


    Chi Liaison turned his head to see who it was.


    She wore a sky-blue jacket with a diagonal opening to the armpits. Its cuffs were flared at the wrists, and small flowers embellished the rounded hem of the cuffs. Under a black knee-length skirt, her two legs were fair and straight. She wore white socks and canvas shoes and had short black hair that was neatly clipped back.


    This was the new civilized clothing launched by the Doxia Republic in recent years.


    It was traditional and elegant.


    ¡°Is there anything?¡± Chi Liaison asked indifferently.


    ¡°Are you free tonight? I received two movie tickets. Let¡¯s go to see it together.¡± The female student looked shy, and her eyes darted around evasively.

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    One¡¯s aura comes from confidence.


    Chi Qiaosong, who had transmigrated over, had the Golden Finger of the one-acre field and had advanced to the Wrestler Plane. It could be said that his aura had risen sharply, making his already handsome face even more stunning.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you find someone else to watch with you?¡± Chi Qiaosong asked seriously.


    Suddenly, the female student¡¯s face turned red, and she ran out of the classroom without a backward glance.


    ¡°Ahh.¡± Chi Qiaosong sighed.


    It was not that he did not understand her hidden intentions, but she was not particularly beautiful, and he was only 15 years old. It was simply not the age to consider matters of the heart.


    His virginity, also known as the Primordial Yang, was very important for martial arts practice.


    If his Primordial Yang was leaked when his body had yet to reach maturity, it could not be recovered no matter how hard he tried to make up for it in the future.


    For several days, he had been looking for the inspiration for the Purple Cloud Serenity. Still, unfortunately, he had no talent for internal strength, and he had never been able to find his energy fluctuation.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to rely on myself. I hope that the one-acre field will be upgraded quickly.¡±


    When he went home again on the weekend, the lentils in the one-acre field were ripening one after another, and it would take two months for a crop of lentils to be ready.


    In the next few mountain fields, the lentils sown by Mr. and Mrs. Chi were only sparse bean sprouts, and the germination rate and growth rate were far lower than in the one-acre field.


    ¡°It normally takes six months.¡± Mr. Chi sighed in satisfaction.


    It takes about six months for lentil seedlings to germinate to maturity. The time frame was shortened to two months in the one-acre field, and the growth rate was three times that of ordinary fields.


    Chi Qiaosong said, ¡°Dad, this is our family¡¯s secret.¡±


    Mr. Chi glanced at the bay tree in the one-acre field and nodded solemnly, ¡°I know. I don¡¯t even let your uncle come here casually, let alone outsiders.¡±


    Previously, Chi Qiaosong had spread a story about the one-acre field.


    He said that the reason why the one-acre field was so special was because he had found a spiritual root in the mountain, and it was this ordinary-looking bay tree.


    It was the energy of the bay tree that allowed the lentil sprouts to mature in two months.


    Mr. Chi was convinced of this.


    ¡°When our family gets rich, Dad, you can find out how to take over the First Ridge. At that time, this mountain will be owned by our family, and outsiders will not be able to enter.¡±


    ¡°Take over the First Ridge?¡± Mr. Chi was surprised. This was something that had never crossed his mind. ¡°How much would it cost?¡±


    ¡°Are you still afraid that I won¡¯t make any money?¡± Chi Qiaosong said calmly.


    Mr. Chi was immediately pleased. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the town to find out.¡± The First Ridge was located on the edge of Xian City, but it was administratively under Chengguan Town¡¯s jurisdiction.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick some lentils first and let Mom cook a dish to taste.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong picked the ripe lentils. Then, at noon, Mrs. Chi cooked three lentil dishes: lentils fried with meat, stir-fried lentils, and stewed potatoes with lentils.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s super delicious!¡± Chi Qiaowu, who had never liked vegetables, kept loading his plate with lentils.


    Second aunt also praised, ¡°It¡¯s tender, fragrant, and crunchy. Are these lentils grown by us? How can they be so delicious?¡±


    Chi Xiaoya smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoya likes to eat lentils.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong tasted it himself.


    The lentils grown in the one-acre field were far superior to ordinary lentils in both taste and appearance. There were lentils on the market this season, but they were very different compared to their lentils.


    There was no doubt that this was the effect of the one-acre field.


    He immediately said, ¡°Mom and Dad, how much is a kilogram of lentils on the street?¡±


    ¡°Thirty cents.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s sell our lentils for three dollars a kilogram. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Three dollars a kilogram?¡± Second aunt stammered. ¡°How can lentils be sold at such a high price?¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of big families in Xian City. Not to mention lentils, which cost three dollars a kilogram. They can afford 31 kilograms of lentils at this price.¡± Chi Qiaosong sighed.


    The gap between the rich and the poor in the Daxia Republic was unimaginably huge.


    A few people grabbed 99 percent of the country¡¯s wealth, which was befitting of the old saying¡ªthe poor die poor, and the rich die rich.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try selling some and see?¡± Mr. Chi hesitated.


    Chi Qiaosong wanted to agree, but he thought of something and shook his head, ¡°Forget it. Selling a little won¡¯t make a difference. First, I¡¯ll do some experiments to see if I can grow it again. Then, I¡¯ll sell it when the supply is stable.¡±


    The lentils harvested in the one-acre field could weigh 500 kilograms at most.


    The amount was still too little.


    He thought about saving the seeds first so that he could test whether these lentil seeds would fall back to ordinary lentils after leaving the one-acre field. If so, it was better to consume it themselves.


    It was not easy to buy such good vegetables with money. It would be a pity to sell them to others.


    Although he was only 15 years old, Chi Qiaosong gradually became the decision maker for the Chi family. Mr. and Mrs. Chi had no opinion, and naturally, second aunt did not have any opinion either.


    They decided not to sell the lentils nor eat them at home. Instead, they would reserve all the seeds.


    When June was approaching, Commander Zhu¡¯s adjutant came to the lecture hall.


    His adjutant was tall and beefy. He wore a new military uniform with a long spiked sword hanging from his waist and a python revolver hanging from his belt. He was a master of martial arts and could easily block bullets with his hands. Holding a gun was simply an honor.


    ¡°Comrade Liu Wentao is hereby appointed as the chief instructor of the Military Academy in Ink Ridge County and will be coordinating the affairs of the Military Academy, teaching the students to practice martial arts and be loyal to Commander Zhu Guangshan.¡±


    The adjutant read out his letter of appointment.


    Chief Luo was promoted to the Fuliang Municipal Martial Arts Institute. However, after much competition, his previous position was taken over by Liu Wentao, who had been silent before. Many people were shocked at this.


    [Clap clap clap!]


    There was a round of applause in the auditorium. The teachers on stage and the students offstage all applauded vigorously.


    Taking the letter of appointment from the adjutant, Liu Wentao was light in his steps. He smiled brightly and said, ¡°Thank you, everyone, for your vote of confidence, and many thanks to Adjutant Li for making this trip in person. I have little talent, but I will give my all to bring prosperity to the Military Academy, give back to everyone, and do my part in cultivating martial arts talents!¡±


    [Clap clap clap!]


    There was another round of applause.


    Liu Wentao felt that he had reached the pinnacle of his life, ¡°With Adjutant Li here as my witness, as the chief instructor, I will mainly review the following three aspects¡­¡±


    Leaders¡¯ speeches were always lengthy.


    Chi Qiaosong and hundreds of other students quickly lost their concentration and whispered among themselves.


    Li Weiwei said in Chi Qiaosong¡¯s ear, ¡°Mr. Zhou must be pissed off. The chief instructor position that was supposed to be his was seized by Mr. Liu. Hehe, it¡¯s really interesting to watch a plot twist halfway through!¡±


    Zhou Xiangxian was Chief Luo¡¯s deputy. He had the most senior qualifications in the Military Academy and also was at the Knight Plane in the martial arts.


    During the two weeks that Chief Luo was away, he managed the daily operations of the Military Academy and was the acting chief instructor. However, in the end, the winner was Liu Wentao.


    Liu Wentao was also at the Knight Plane, and he was relatively unknown. No one would have imagined that he would rise to the top.


    ¡°Who is Chief Liu¡¯s backer?¡± Chi Qiaosong asked curiously.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    Whoever the chief instructor was had little influence on the students. After all, the students were all following Warrior Plane instructors and were working hard to practice beginner physical martial arts. No one had been able to emerge and attract the attention of the Knight Plane instructors.


    Nevertheless, the Military Academy was a small-scale mob.


    The next day, rumors spread that Zhou Xiangxian was attacked by Liu Wentao. Zhou Xiangxian had always followed the way of the Fuliang Municipal Martial Arts Institute, but Liu Wentao had instead leaned toward the county magistrate.


    The county magistrate was the top gun in the county.


    The Military Academy of Ink Ridge County was located in this county, and the county magistrate had the right to interfere with matters pertaining to the appointment of the chief instructor, which was why Liu Wentao could be a dark horse.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over, believe me. Mr. Zhou¡¯s temper is not to be trifled with.¡± Li Weiwei was curious about watching the excitement and went to ask about Zhou Xiangxian¡¯s reaction every day.

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chi Qiaosong was not interested in the grudges of the teachers at the Military Academy.


    He had passed the age where he was curious about everything, and now he was devoted to martial arts, wishing that his martial arts prospered so he could stand out from the rest and become a master.


    ¡°These bean seeds are so beautiful,¡± Mrs. Chi praised while drying the newly harvested lentils.


    The light yellow lentils had a crystal clear texture, which was really gratifying.


    The lentils in the one-acre field grew very fast. Before June had passed, the lentils were already fully ripened. Finally, in early July, the last lentils had been picked.


    The fields full of lentil seedlings had withered on the stands.


    Mrs. Chi picked the pods, and Mr. Chi shoveled the bean seedlings.


    When the last lentil seedling was torn off, Chi Qiaosong, who was squatting on the ridge, clearly saw a light flying out from the one-acre field and entering his mind.


    Immediately, the information on the one-acre field was updated.


    [Grade 2 field: One acre/two acres (Two acres can be realized, and one acre has been realized at present. The fields need to be connected)


    Fertilizer storage: 2 bags


    Spirit root source (1): Bay tree (Crazed Bull Heavy Fist ¨C Complete, 12 Paths Spring Kick ¨C Achievement)


    External Spirit root (0): Not available


    Spirit plant: None at the moment]


    ¡°It has upgraded!¡±


    After planting a crop of lentils, the one-acre field was upgraded to two acres. The upgrade was much easier than expected.


    Chi Qiaosong was a little dissatisfied with the fact that he only harvested a bag of fertilizer after planting a crop of spiritual crops. The fertilizer collection speed was too slow, and so many martial arts were left to be learned in the future.


    What could he do if the fertilizer was not enough?


    Fortunately, one bag could be condensed in a month, so his fertilizer warehouse temporarily had two bags of fertilizer in stock.


    In addition, he had been able to plant two spirit roots, but now there was only one spirit root in the bay tree, and the spirit root transformed from the foundation of the Internal Sects of Martial Arts had not yet grown.


    ¡°It seems that it is because of me. It must be because I haven¡¯t comprehended the energy fluctuation of the Purple Cloud Serenity, and my internal strength has no foundation.¡±


    ¡°Qiaosong, help me fill your pockets.¡± Mrs. Chi called out.


    Chi Qiaosong put away his thoughts and started to stretch his pockets open.


    A bag of beautiful lentil seeds was put into the snakeskin bag. Then, counting the lentils that were harvested one after another, a total of 300 kilograms of dried bean seeds were harvested from the one-acre field.


    The harvest was quite high.


    ¡°Is the next crop of lentils going to be planted in this field?¡± Mr. Chi came to ask after shoveling the bean seedlings. ¡°If you want to continue planting, I will sow the soil now so I can catch up with the next crop.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need, Dad. These lentils will be planted in other fields. I¡¯ll think about what to plant in this field next.¡±


    ¡°Black-eyed peas, persimmons, Chinese cabbage, carrots, scallions¡­¡± Mrs. Chi muttered.


    These were the vegetables most commonly grown locally in July¡ªforeign persimmons were tomatoes, which were vegetables and fruits imported from overseas. They looked like persimmons, so they were called foreign persimmons.


    In addition to the Daxia Republic, the foreigners also had countries, and the martial arts they had developed were not inferior.


    ¡°Apart from vegetables, what other crops can I grow?¡± Chi Qiaosong asked.


    Mr. Chi replied, ¡°You can plant corn, watermelon, or mung beans. However, it¡¯s best to grow corn on this mountain. Corn is easy to plant, but the harvest is not necessarily large.¡±


    To be honest, Chi Qiaosong had no idea what to plant.


    The one-acre field, no, no matter what is planted in the two-acre field, as long as it is a crop, it can be counted as a spiritual crop, and after harvesting, you can gain ¡°experience¡± and fertilizer.


    Even if it is not harvested at the same time, it can still be accumulated.


    So it doesn¡¯t matter what you plant; you can have a variety of vegetables and fruits.


    After thinking about it for a night, he decided to reclaim the two-acre field as his family¡¯s ration base. ¡°Mom and Dad, I plan to expand the one-acre land in the farmhouse to two acres.¡±


    ¡°Can you do it with two acres?¡± Mr. Chi wondered aloud.


    Chi Qiaosong affirmed, ¡°It can be done.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°Also, I wonder if we can build two acres of land into greenhouses so that we can plant anything no matter the season.¡± This was the result of his thinking.


    Greenhouse vegetables could be grown in all seasons, so he could plant whatever he wanted.


    ¡°It will cost a lot of money.¡± Mrs. Chi felt distressed.


    Second aunt piped in, ¡°Qiaosong has great ability. After building a greenhouse, he can plant whatever we want to eat. He can also plant medicinal materials. Qiaosong can¡¯t do without medicine when practicing martial arts.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong had been taking medicated baths every day since his pockets started bulging.


    The most basic principle of martial arts practice was to destroy and rebuild the body so that the body could constantly adapt to higher intensity. Unfortunately, nutrition and nourishment could not keep up with the pace of this kind of destruction and rebuilding, so it was easy to damage the foundation.


    So, even if he had the Golden Finger to help him speed up his martial arts, Chi Qiaosong still needed medicinal baths to repair his body daily.


    When it concerned Chi Qiaosong practicing martial arts, Mrs. Chi did not hesitate any longer, ¡°Then let¡¯s build it. Old Chi, it¡¯s on you.¡±


    Mr. Chi knocked on the dry tobacco pipe, nodded, and replied, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll find someone to build a greenhouse later. I just happen to have money now. If I borrow some money, it should be enough to build a two-acre greenhouse.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I still have $300.¡± Chi Qiaosong took out the money.


    His $900 had been spent on gifts, medicine, and to satisfy his appetite. He had already spent more than $600.


    The two got together and borrowed another sum of money, and Mr. Chi began to work on the greenhouse. After that, Chi Qiaosong, Mrs. Chi, and second aunt went to reclaim the land around the farmhouse when they were free.


    This piece of land was not very flat and needed significant repairs.


    Chi Qiaosong also took a few days off and worked on the two-acre field daily.


    He was now very strong, and his endurance was also excellent. He could work from morning to night without stopping. But, of course, the power of an individual was still too small compared to an excavator.


    If it were not for Mrs. Chi, he would have wanted to go to Xian City and hire an excavator.


    A week passed in the blink of an eye.


    The surroundings of the farmhouse changed.


    A large piece of the terrain was evened out by Chi Qiaosong and then filled in on the soil slope on the other side, making the entire surroundings of the farmhouse a flat platform with about four acres of land.


    The two-acre field was embodied on the platform.


    They had specially leveled a dirt road leading to the brick house halfway up the mountain.


    He planned to slowly lay bricks and stones in the future so that there would be a road that could enter the mountain even if it rained. This way, he did not need to get muddy feet every time it rained.


    [Beep beep.]


    The sound of the tractor pulled closer from the foot of the mountain.


    Mr. Chi drove a tractor and brought up bundles of plastic covers. When they arrived at the farmhouse, the greenhouse construction workers lifted the plastic covers down and moved them into the farmhouse.


    The farmhouse had been torn down and turned into a warehouse.


    ¡°Do we still have enough money?¡± Chi Qiaosong asked.


    ¡°There is enough, and maybe I can¡¯t spend it. I¡¯m buying the materials myself to save money.¡± Mr. Chi wiped his sweat with the towel on his shoulders, and his bare arms were full of strong muscles.


    His arms were tanned, and his back was red from the sun.


    This was an ordinary farmer who had been dealing with soil and earth for half his life. He had never read any books, but he was willing to borrow money to send his son to the Military Academy to get an opportunity in life.


    ¡°Take a break and drink some tea.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll drive the tractor down the mountain and come back up later¡­ Your mother is still planting that green¡­ green lentils. I¡¯ll go back straight and help her out. You can watch carefully here.¡±


    Mrs. Chi was planting the newly harvested lentils.


    Chi Qiaosong gave the modified lentils from the one-acre field a nice name ¨C jade lentils.


    ¡°It¡¯s jade lentils, Dad. When we really plant it successfully, we will sell it under this name.¡± Chi Qiaosong corrected his father and said, ¡°You and Mom shouldn¡¯t worry. The work is endless.¡±


    Mr. Chi started the tractor up and said loudly, over the beeping noise, ¡°There is hope for the future!¡±

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Chi Qiaosong! Why have you been missing so many classes recently? Do you still want to learn martial arts or not?¡± Hu Hangyu, the class president of Class 7 of Year 57, approached Chi Qiaosong and questioned him.


    The students of the Military Academy were free to choose whichever courses they wanted to participate in.


    However, students would still be separated into different classes, and every class would have a class president and a lead instructor. The class presidents would also act as the disciplinary committee to maintain the order of the academy.


    ¡°I got the approval from the instructor,¡± Chi Qiaosong replied with a sigh.


    He had just finished helping out at home. The moment he got back to the academy, he had to run into the class president.


    ¡°Yes, you can leave if you have the approval, but you can¡¯t slack off as a martial artist!¡± Hu Hangyu lectured. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to work even harder since you lack the talent? You are already lucky enough to have the chance to master a skill.¡±


    Hu Hangyu was an 18-year-old boy and wasn¡¯t a bad person.


    However, he was a typical authoritarianist who always thought of himself as the leader of Class 7 and as if the rest of the students in the class were under his command.


    ¡°But, a martial artist should hone their mental strength first. Just practicing every day won¡¯t get you anywhere. This is something I¡¯ve understood on my own. Think of it as my gift to you.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was too lazy to argue with the class president.


    He had recently learned that Xu Jingyang, an instructor who taught the Hawk Breaking Palm, knew of a beginner sword skill called the Yu Sword Skill. It was one of the rare beginner external skills that focused on a weapon.


    Most martial artists would strengthen their muscles at the beginning of their training, and learning martial arts that involved punches and kicks was the best way to do that.


    That was why many beginner skills either focused on punches, kicks, palm strikes, or strengthening skills.


    One would be able to use weapons more easily once their muscles were strengthened, which could also reduce the risk of injuries. That resulted in most martial arts involving swords and daggers being limited to those who had reached the Wrestler Plane.


    However, the Yu Sword Skill had no limitations. That was why it was rare.


    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense!¡± Hu Hangyu scolded, thinking that Chi Qiaosong was making excuses. ¡°Are you saying you understand martial arts more than the instructors? You are just finding excuses to slack off even more!¡±


    ¡°Whatever. I still have other stuff to do.¡± Chi Qiaosong wanted to leave.


    Yet, Hu Hangyu blocked his classmate¡¯s path. ¡°I¡¯m your class president. We have to talk. I have the responsibility to make sure that you are working hard!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong sighed. There was nothing for them to talk about. He had already reached the Wrestler Plane and had already mastered two physical martial arts. He did not need to waste his time with the class president.


    The young man wanted to push Hu Hangyu to the side, and the latter noticed that. The class president decided to stand firm so that Chi Qiaosong could understand that he had also mastered the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist.


    However, in the next second, a wave of powerful energy pushed the class president away as if he was a little chick, and he almost tipped over.


    Chi Qiaosong proceeded to leave right away without even looking back.


    Hu Hangyu had to rest his hand by the door to steady himself. He was completely shocked by what had just happened. ¡°How can he be so strong? Who gives him the right to be so strong?¡±


    ¡°You want to learn the Yu Sword Skill from me?¡¯ Xu Jingyang raised an eyebrow as he looked at the gifts on the table.


    It was a pack of Gold Saint, an expensive cigarette brand, and two bottles of Hazy Wu, which were fine alcohols. The gifts were considered to be very expensive.


    Chi Qiaosong got a pack from the wholesale store through his uncle-in-law. However, he had pretty much spent all of his savings and could only pay for half of the cigarettes. He still owed the seller the other half and had to pay them back later.


    His family was also once again knee-deep in debt to help build the greenhouse.


    However, everyone now knew that Chi Qiaosong had been successful as a student at the Military Academy and that his future was pretty much set. That was why the family could borrow some money easily this time around.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Xu. I didn¡¯t have any talent for learning martial arts, but I was lucky enough to have the chance to fully master the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. However, now I can¡¯t find a way to improve myself, and I¡¯m looking for another method,¡± Chi Qiaosong replied.


    At first, he wanted to wait for a few students to reach the edge of breaking into the Wrestler Plane to announce that he had already achieved that. He could become the first in his year to do that, but that wouldn¡¯t attract too much attention.


    However, after a few weeks of waiting, he realized that his peers weren¡¯t as talented as he thought. Not a single one was on the verge of advancing and was still struggling to strengthen their physical abilities.


    Still wanting to keep a low profile, he decided not to reveal his advancement yet.


    But, he still wanted to learn a new martial art, and that was how the Yu Sword Skill caught his attention. Since it was a rare beginner weapon-related martial art, he would not lose anything from mastering it.


    ¡°I can teach you, but this pack of cigarettes won¡¯t be enough,¡± Xu Jingyang said as he took the cigarettes and sniffed them. ¡°At least this is the real thing.¡±


    ¡°How greedy.¡± Chi Qiaosong scolded in his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll get another pack for you.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Chi Qiaosong quickly left and got another leave of absence from Kong Hongcai. Then, with Hu Hangyu¡¯s angry and terrified glare directed at him, he left the academy on his uncle¡¯s bicycle.


    Since it was the rainy season and dried food could get wet easily, his uncle decided to close his shop until the season was over and helped build the greenhouse instead.


    With his shop temporarily closed, he didn¡¯t need to use the bicycle and lent it to Chi Qiaosong.


    It was a second-hand bicycle, and it was a good one, but its bell would keep ringing when ridden. It didn¡¯t take long for Chi Qiaosong to reach the grocery shop where his uncle-in-law, Wen Yixiang, was squeezing oil out of rapeseeds.


    ¡°Qiaosong? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I need another favor. Can you help me get another two packs of Gold Saint cigarettes? I¡¯ll pay them back later.¡± Chi Qiaosong got straight to the point.


    ¡°Another two packs? Why?¡±


    ¡°The presents weren¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°A pack of Gold Saints and two bottles of Hazy Wus aren¡¯t enough? Those are enough to get the magistrate to help you with something!¡± Wen Yixiang was completely speechless. ¡°Isn¡¯t the tuition expensive already? And we have to give them presents for you to learn martial arts? This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Despite his complaints, Wen Yixiang still managed to get two packs of Gold Saints for Chi Qiaosong. ¡°You¡¯ll have to bring me the money soon. The owner gave us one month at most to pay him back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will.¡±


    With two more packs of cigarettes on his table, Xu Jingyang finally nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Come to the third field every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xu.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There¡¯s no way I won¡¯t teach you when you¡¯ve given me such expensive gifts.¡±


    Although Xu Jingyang was a little greedy, he was still a responsible teacher. He had been teaching Chi Qiaosong the Yu Sword Skill three times every week, just as he had promised.


    The Yu Sword Skill was derived from the Yu Step, which was created in ancient times. It was a martial art that focused on both external skill and internal strength. Since it was hard to master, fewer people chose to learn it over time.


    However, many new martial arts were derived from the Yu Step, and the Yu Sword Skill was one of them.


    ¡°This skill mimics the Ursa Major. It traces the path of each star. Following those paths while swinging your sword is the first step to understanding the skill. That is why this skill is considered a beginner skill. Since it is a beginner skill, it doesn¡¯t have many practical uses. Instead, the skill focuses more on one¡¯s growth. Watch and learn. I¡¯ll teach you the movement first.¡±


    Xu Jingyang grabbed his sword in his right hand with his index and middle fingers pointed toward the tip of the blade. He moved across the grass as the sword flew elegantly next to his body. He looked more like a dancer than a martial artist as he performed the skill.


    Chi Qiaosong grabbed a wooden sword and mimicked the instructor¡¯s movement. However, he couldn¡¯t find the right rhythm that Xu Jingyang had shown. He had realized that his coordination with his body was off.


    Even after mastering the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist and the 12 Paths Spring Kick, his movement¡¯s awkwardness was still present.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    If Chi Qiaosong had not possessed the cheat-like power, his lack of talent in martial arts would¡¯ve staggered his progression.


    After training for a week, the young man returned home and was now staring at the Bay Tree, which showed no signs of a third flower blooming.


    It meant that he had yet to grasp the basics of the Yu Sword Skill. That was why the tree was now able to grow a fruit that represented the external skill. That made the situation awkward for him, as even the cheat would not be able to help him if he could not understand the fundamentals of the skill.


    Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He had always believed that hard work would always bear fruit, and all that he had to do was learn the basics.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    On a platform built with bricks near the farmhouse, Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan were practicing basic punches and kicks.


    Mr. Chi, with his brother and brother-in-law, was watering the plants inside the makeshift greenhouse. The plastic exterior of the greenhouse was now flipped up as the weather was warm enough for the plants to grow.


    Chi Qiaosong was also practicing his swordsmanship at the top of a nearby hill. He moved according to the Ursa Major constellation and swung his three-foot-long treasure sword.


    The leaves traveled across the mountain with the wind while the clouds blocked part of the sunlight.


    With a straight thrust, Chi Qiaosong left a shallow mark on the tree with his sword. He then used a lot of strength to twist his wrist to match the description of the Yu Sword Skill.


    One would need to understand both the form and the meaning of a skill to understand its fundamentals.


    Chi Qiaosong was now still practicing the form, ensuring that he could perform every move with the correct form. That was the most challenging stage for him.


    Fortunately, with the 12 Paths Spring Kick supporting him, he was able to swing his sword comfortably as he moved his body. If he could continue working hard, he was sure that he would be able to memorize that feeling with his body and limit as many awkward movements as possible.


    ¡°Armed with the Breeze Sword¡­¡±


    With two clangs, he sent two thrusts onto the trunk.


    ¡°Focus on the movements instead of the swords¡­¡±


    He made a 540¡ã rotation on the tip of the sword and spread his legs. He then twisted his body and turned around, bringing his sword back before thrusting it forward once again.


    ¡°One can see the skill of a martial artist from his first attack.¡±


    He hummed as he continued to practice. It didn¡¯t take long for him to finally get a brief understanding of how the Yu Sword Skill should be performed.


    He had experienced the same feeling twice.


    Once was when the previous Chi Qiaosong was practicing the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. He was suddenly able to memorize all the movements and do them in succession. The next was when he was practicing the 12 Paths Spring Kick. He suddenly could not stop his kicks and started to perform more complicated movements.


    Understanding the fundamentals of a martial arts skill could be confusing.


    One might take a long time to achieve that, and the other might suddenly succeed.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    The young man quickly retracted his sword and ran down the hill.


    He went to the farmhouse and looked at the 2/15 hectare wide farm. He saw what he was expecting. He walked past the fence to check the bay tree outside the greenhouse and saw another small yellow flower blooming on one of its branches.


    ¡°Yu Sword Skill Growth Rate: 1 percent¡­¡±


    Just as he had thought, every yellow flower that blossomed on the spirit root that was formed through the foundation of his external skill represented a skill on its own. After more than ten days, the flower of the Yu Sword Skill started to grow on the tree.


    ¡°Just what I was expecting!¡± Chi Qiaosong grinned.


    He immediately decided to use the bag of fertilizer.


    The fertilizer turned into a ray of light and shone brightly on the tree. The flower quickly bloomed, and the petals started to fall to reveal a fruit inside of it.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Chi Qiaosong was surprised to see that the fruit was not fully matured yet.


    ¡°Yu Sword Skill Growth Rate: 34 percent¡­¡±


    He was surprised that a bag of fertilizer could only help the fruit grow by 1/3.


    That was something he was not expecting.


    Chi Qiaosong did expect more fertilizers would be needed for higher-graded martial arts, but he was not expecting that the Beginner-grade Yu Sword Skill would need three bags to fully mature.


    He looked at the remaining bag of fertilizer he had and let out a sigh. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to use it on the tree as well.


    ¡°Yu Sword Skill Growth Rate: 67% percent¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, if my calculation is correct, I¡¯ll have to wait until early August for it to grow fully.¡±


    That was because the farm would¡¯ve absorbed enough essence of heaven and earth on the first of every month to produce another bag of fertilizer.


    That was his main method of obtaining fertilizer for now.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, can you ensure this fruit does not get eaten? It¡¯s very important to me.¡± Since Chi Qiaosong was not able to watch over the tree 24/7, he was happy that he could trust his parents for that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This tree is like a treasure to us now.¡±


    The heat in mid-July was already excruciating.


    Classes were still going on at the academy. Typically, most schools would¡¯ve had both July and August off, but if Commander Zhu was still working, it wouldn¡¯t be right for the students of the Military Academy to relax.


    Since Chi Qiaosong had already grasped the basics of the Yu Sword Skill, all he had to do was wait for the next batch of fertilizer to arrive. There was no need for him to learn from Xu Jingyang anymore.


    ¡°Sir, I think I¡¯ve grasped the basics of the skill. Can I be excused for a few days?¡± requested Chi Qiaosong.


    Xu Jingyang raised his eyebrows, thinking that the student was lying.


    However, he was glad that he didn¡¯t have to waste more time teaching the young man anymore. ¡°Will you still be learning from me after you come back?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask for your opinion if I have some questions.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll help you as long as I have free time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Xu Jingyang waited for Chi Qiaosong to leave before lighting up a cigarette. ¡°He only learned from me for ten days after giving me so many presents. Is he stupid, or is he just too rich?¡±


    Naturally, Chi Qiaosong would not be able to get the presents back despite finishing the private lecture earlier than expected.


    He returned to his room after that and started to pack his things. He was going to stay at home for a while since there was not even a single fan in the dormitory. He¡¯d rather not die from the heat there.


    However, before he could finish packing, he heard a commotion outside.


    Wang Minzhong then charged through the door and exclaimed, ¡°Qiaosong! The instructors are fighting! Let¡¯s go get a good spot to watch!¡±


    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡± Chi Qiaosong was confused.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou and Chief Liu are going to spar at the plaza! Everyone is gathering there now!¡±


    ¡°Really? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zhou Xiangxian and Liu Wentao were powerful martial artists in the Knight Plane. Spars between people at that stage were hard to come by, and Chi Qiaosong quickly followed Wang Minzhong to the plaza.


    The students called the place a plaza, but it was just a vast mud land.


    Just as Wang Minzhong had said, almost all of the students and instructors had gathered there.


    Chi Qiaosong squeezed his way through the crowd with his overwhelming strength and got to the front row. The two instructors were now glaring at each other in the middle of the plaza. Chief instructor, Liu Wentao, had a furious expression and was mocking Zhou Xiangxian.


    ¡°Zhou Xiangxian! The commander has clearly forbidden random fights! Are you intending on breaking the rule?¡± Liu Wentao scolded.


    ¡°Come one, Chief Liu.¡± Zhou Xiangxian scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s just a spar. What are you getting all worked up for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the commander about this!¡±


    Liu Wentao still had something to say, but his opponent cut him short.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Zhou Xiangxian was annoyed when he noticed almost everyone had gathered. ¡°I gave you the luxury of attacking first, but you refused, so don¡¯t blame me for making the first strike!¡±


    He then threw his punches, sending a barrage of afterimages forward.


    Liu Wentao grunted and hastily countered the attack with the same skill.


    The two of them then jumped forward at such a speed that the students had difficulty tracking them. Sounds of punches and kicks echoed around them.


    Suddenly, Zhou Xiangxian leaped into the air and expanded his arms, mimicking an eagle.


    The illusion of a celestial crane then suddenly appeared on his back.


    With a loud call from the crane, Zhou Xiangxian dove toward his opponent as if the former were a war god.


    Not daring to get distracted, Liu Wentao crossed his arms in front of his chest before twisting his body to meet the attack with his shoulder. In just an instant, the illusion of a brown bear appeared.


    ¡°Get back!¡±


    The instructors who were watching the fight quickly urged the students to get back while backing up themselves too.


    With a loud clash, the divine crane crashed into the brown bear.


    The ground shook, and dust kicked up around them. Then, before the crowd could even see what happened, they heard Liu Wentao crying out in pain, and he started to get back up while spitting blood from his mouth.


    Zhou Xiangxian didn¡¯t just stop there. He didn¡¯t abide by the rules anymore and continued to attack his opponent with kicks and punches.


    ¡°I admit defeat!¡± Liu Wentao grunted.


    However, Zhou Xiangxian continued to attack as if he wanted to kill his opponent.

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    The other instructors quickly rushed in to stop Zhou Xiangxian when they noticed that he might actually kill his opponent.


    Naturally, Zhou Xiangxian would not kill Liu Wentao. Despite being in a warring state, there was still a law governed by the Central Government that the people had to follow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop me! I won¡¯t kill him!¡±


    Zhou Xiangxian struggled to get out but stopped hitting Liu Wentao. He looked at his opponent, whose eyes had rolled over, and scoffed. ¡°Liu Wentao, take this as a warning. You should not take something that doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    After that, he turned away and looked at the other instructors. Then, he bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve asked someone I know to transfer me to the Garrison Squad. I believe I won¡¯t return to Ink Ridge anymore. Farewell, everyone.¡±


    The instructor then left, just like that.


    The instructors and students all made way for him and watched him until they couldn¡¯t see him anymore.


    Chi Qiaosong looked at the former instructor¡¯s back and suddenly had a realization. ¡°That¡¯s how a powerful martial artist should act. Intriguing other people might work for a while, but being powerful would be the only answer in such a world,¡± he thought.


    Liu Wentao was able to suddenly become the chief instructor by getting the magistrate¡¯s favor.


    However, he was not able to enjoy his position for too long, as just a few days later, Zhou Xiangxian challenged him and beat him half to death.


    That was why Chi Qiaosong had been captivated by how beautiful martial arts were.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Get back to your classrooms.¡± The instructors had started to urge the students to leave.


    The ambulance arrived shortly after that, and two instructors accompanied Liu Wentao to the hospital.


    The remaining instructors either continued with their classes or spent their free time chatting.


    ¡°Damn! Mr. Zhou sure is amazing!¡± Li Weiwei and the rest had gathered in Chi Qiaosong¡¯s room to discuss the spar.


    ¡°Right? He¡¯s an Advanced Rank Wrestler Plane martial artist who has mastered the Confusion Thunder Roar. Chief Liu is going to suffer from this. I don¡¯t think he can even show his face here anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should think before you act. Mr. Zhou was supposed to be the next chief instructor, and Mr. Liu had to rob him of that post. I mean, he isn¡¯t even strong enough to defeat Mr. Zhou.¡±


    ¡°But, do you guys think that Mr. Zhou will return from the Garrison Squad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. He will either die on the battlefield or achieve a higher position. Whatever the result may be, it¡¯ll be hard for him to return to Ink Ridge.¡±


    The Garrison Squad was one of Commander Zhu¡¯s main forces. Since the squad mainly focused on frontline battles, the mortality rate was high. However, the members had a higher chance of getting promoted as well.


    One could pretty much say that Zhou Xiangxian had risked everything for justice.


    ¡°Hey, we are going out for a drink later. Qiaosong, are you joining us?¡± Li Weiwei suddenly asked. ¡°I¡¯m buying. We have nothing to do later anyway. So let¡¯s go karaoke as well.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t, sorry. I have to go back to work.¡± Chi Qiaosong shook his head.


    He just couldn¡¯t have fun with a group of 16 and 17-year-old young boys.


    He¡¯d rather spend his time farming.


    Understanding that his family was knee-deep in debt, Chi Qiaosong decided to go hunting for more money first. At the very least, he would have to pay for the cigarettes and wine.


    With the small basket on his back and a few ropes in them, he changed into a pair of fabric shoes with rubber soles and pants that could tighten around his ankles to prevent bugs from entering.


    He then put a bottle of mosquito repellent and a roll of bandages into his pocket.


    He also brought a bottle of tea and a few meat-stuffed flatbreads with him.


    The young boy hung the spirit tusk dagger by his waist, grabbed the machete in his hand, and was ready to head into the mountain.


    ¡°Hey! Be careful in the wild, okay?¡± his mother reminded him. Like every mother, Mrs. Chi worried every time Chi Qiaosong headed into the mountain.


    ¡°I will!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong waved his arm and quickly disappeared into the forest.


    He ran from the First Ridge straight to the Fifth Ridge. But, he didn¡¯t stop there and continued to move forward. The next ridge was not named the Sixth Ridge. Since it was in another territory, they had another name for it.


    However, to Chi Qiaosong, the following ridges were still the Sixth and Seventh Ridges to him.


    Now that he had entered the mountain quite a few times, he could clearly spot all the marks the other old hunters had left, especially the tiny clothes tied around the branches.


    Whenever he came across one, he would look around since there could be ginseng or other rare mushrooms growing nearby. There was also a chance that he could come across beehives to collect honey.


    After a short while, he spotted a colorful cloth. He scanned the surroundings and learned why the hunter had marked the spot.


    There was a beehive hidden under the root of a huge tree.


    Judging from the soil around the hive, he could tell that no one had harvested honey from the hive yet.


    Chi Qiaosong grinned as the sturdy and thick skin he had gained from achieving the Wrestler Plane had come in handy at a time like this. He quickly took out a small shovel and started to harvest the honey. The bees buzzed around him, but not a single one attacked him.


    The bees that grew there were very docile and rarely attacked humans.


    ¡°I¡¯m only going to take a little bit, don¡¯t worry, okay?¡± Chi Qiaosong said to the bees and opened the beehive a little, only to be shocked by what was inside.


    He could tell that the beehive was old and someone had harvested it before. However, the harvest was done a very long time ago.


    There were at least ten layers in the hive, and both sides were close to white in color, signifying that those parts were newly built. But, on the other hand, the inner part was black and huge, and he could tell that it was the older part.


    Smelling the sweet aroma of honey in the air, the young boy grinned. ¡°This will do.¡±


    He took a piece each from the old and new parts of the hive.


    As the honey dripped from his finger, he quickly put the hive into the bag that he had prepared to store herbs in.


    That was a huge harvest, as he had gotten more than five kilograms of honey.


    He then closed the hive up.


    Since it was the season where the bees would produce a lot of honey, he was able to harvest a lot as long as he had left enough for the bees to survive.


    Bees are known to like new stuff, and cutting away the old part of the hive could help them grow even further.


    Chi Qiaosong then grabbed a handful of soil to wipe the honey off his hand before sealing the bag and putting it into the basket.


    For a kilogram of pure wild honey, he should be able to sell it for 10 dollars. It was something that was hard to find in the market, as wild honey was hard to come by.


    After walking for less than 20 meters, he suddenly heard leaves shuffling near him.


    He focused and determined where the sound was formed. Then, he turned in that direction and spotted a black bear with a white stripe on its chest.


    It wasn¡¯t huge, and he speculated that it weighed around 150 to 200 kilograms.


    Since the Daxia Republic had a lot of wild animals and plants, they allowed the citizens to hunt most of them.


    The young boy immediately got excited when he spotted the bear. ¡°It has been some time since I have come across such a huge animal! It looks like luck is on my side today!¡±


    Just like how he had spotted the bear, the bear had noticed him as well.


    The animal instinctively turned to leave. Black bears weren¡¯t aggressive unless they were hungry or were protecting their offspring. Most of the time, they would just run away if they came across a human.


    However, the bear suddenly twitched his nose and turned back.


    It had smelled the honey in the basket.


    The bear started to growl hungrily, and its instinct to run away was suddenly gone. Instead, with surprising speed considering its size, it attacked Chi Qiaosong.

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chi Qiaosong was able to slay a Mountain Drum that weighed around half a ton, so there was no way the 200-kilogram bear could withstand his attacks.


    After three slashes, the young boy managed to land a hit on the bear¡¯s throat. It fell to the ground and groaned for a while as it dyed the land red with its blood.


    The boy tied the black bear¡¯s legs together. He then carried the corpse on his back while hanging the basket in front of him. Since his basket was filled with honey and other things and he had to carry a heavy bear on his back, it was time for him to return. He did a rough calculation and believed that he could earn at least $1,000 from the hunt.


    The gallbladder of the black bear was the most expensive thing among the things he had hunted. It was considered an expensive and rare medicinal item in Pharmacopoeia.


    He started to descend the Seventh Ridge and was ready to head to the valley. It was easier to travel through the valley as he didn¡¯t have to climb up and down. Of course, he would have to take a longer route, but it could save him a lot of stamina.


    It was still exhausting for him to carry something as heavy as the bear while trekking through the mountains.


    He thought the trip back would be easy, but when he tried to cross a small stream, he felt a gust of wind behind him. He instinctively rolled forward, and that caused the bag of honey to fall out of the basket. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t break.


    The young boy also dropped the bear, which was now blocking the stream.


    With his body wet, Chi Qiaosong turned to look in the direction of the wind. It was from a huge black bear with a white pattern on its chest that resembled a crescent.


    It was way bigger than the bear that the boy had just slain. It was at least three meters tall and weighed more than half a ton.


    It was almost impossible to find a black bear that big. Even one that weighed around 250 kilograms was rare. They were a different breed from brown bears, usually weighing more than half a ton.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spirit beast! It has to be!¡± Chi Qiaosong exclaimed.


    He was both shocked and happy at the same time. He was shocked that he would actually run into a spirit beast, but he was also happy that he was lucky enough to run into one.


    The spirit beast let out a loud roar.


    It didn¡¯t attack Chi Qiaosong right away after missing its first attack. Instead, it ran to the dead black bear and sniffed it before letting out another painful roar.


    The bear turned to look at Chi Qiaosong, its eyes now completely reddened from rage.


    It was clear that the dead bear was the huge bear¡¯s child. The boy had already checked that the dead one was a male. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t make sense for it to be the new bear¡¯s partner.


    He grabbed the machete tightly in his arm and performed two of the Yu Sword Skill¡¯s movements.


    It didn¡¯t matter if he was using a machete to perform a sword skill. That was how flexible the skill was. He could use a machete or a wooden stick to perform all the skill¡¯s movements.


    The spirit beast stood up on two legs. One could see that it didn¡¯t have any extra fat, but its hide was loose, as if it was wearing an oversized shirt.


    However, the pressure that it gave out was even more intense than the Mountain Drum.


    It was also way more flexible than the Mountain Drum. With only two of its rear legs, it half ran and half hopped toward Chi Qiaosong and brought its paw down onto the boy.


    It fought just like a human.


    Chi Qiaosong easily evaded the attack. He then thrust his machete towards the white pattern on the bear¡¯s chest.


    It pierced through the hide and into the flesh, spilling a little blood all over the place.


    The spirit beast quickly jumped up and threw a kick toward the human. It was as if it was a martial artist.


    However, it wasn¡¯t a human in the end and had never seen how vicious one could be. Just as it was still in the air, Chi Qiaosong was able to change his movement.


    He lowered his core and bent forward to duck the black bear¡¯s attack.


    The bear was now in the air while he was beneath it.


    With a slight grin, he unsheathed the spirit tusk dagger and thrust it toward the beast¡¯s asshole. The 20-centimeter-long blade sank deep into the bear¡¯s innards.


    Blood spilled everywhere, and the bear let out a painful cry.


    It curled up in the air and fell to the ground, crashing onto the rocks underneath it.


    The bear twisted its butt, trying to alleviate the pain.


    Chi Qiaosong did pity the beast for a second before aiming his dagger toward its butt again while it was still in pain.


    What followed after was a puddle of brown stuff flowing out of the opening, stinking up the air with a disgusting smell.


    The spirit beast struggled to get up and wanted to turn to run. But, as a black bear that had become a spirit beast, it had gone through many battles in its lifetime and knew that its life was the most important.


    ¡°Who said you could run?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong kicked the ground with his legs and hopped up onto the back of the bear. He grabbed a bundle of hair on the back of its neck and raised his dagger up high.


    The bear twisted its body as hard as it could, trying to throw the human off.


    However, it was as if the boy¡¯s legs were stuck to the bear, and he could keep himself from falling. He aimed at the bear¡¯s spine and sank the dagger deep into the beast.


    The bear froze up and fell straight down. It let out a faint growl but couldn¡¯t move anymore.


    Chi Qiaosong stabilized himself from the fall. However, he didn¡¯t approach the beast until he was sure that it was actually heavily injured.


    He then stepped on the hilt of his dagger to sink the dagger deeper into the bear to sever its artery.


    The spirit beast drew its last breath and died.


    ¡°Man, I¡¯m completely sweating now.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong sat on the beast and grinned. If he had a phone with him, he would¡¯ve taken a photo and posted it online.


    Unfortunately, smartphones had yet to be invented in the world he was in. Everyone was still using landlines.


    After wrapping a cloth around the wound on the bear to suppress the smell of the blood, he tied its legs up with ropes. Then, after wiping the sweat off his forehead, he carried the smaller black bear on his back again and grabbed the end of the rope to drag the bigger black bear back with him.


    The sun was already almost entirely set when he finally arrived at the First Ridge from the valley. Even if he had practically bottomless energy as a Wrestler Plane martial artist, he was exhausted to the point where he immediately sat down to catch his breath.


    After resting for five minutes, he finally recovered enough to return home.


    ¡°Dad¡­ Uncle, you are here too. Great! Get a carrying pole and some rope. I have caught a few things. Mom, there¡¯s honey inside this basket.¡±


    ¡°What did you catch this time?¡± his uncle asked.


    ¡°Have you ever seen a black bear that¡¯s heavier than half a ton?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? If it¡¯s more than half a ton, isn¡¯t that a Palace Suppressing Noble?¡± His uncle exclaimed and explained why it was called the Palace Suppressing Noble.


    A black bear was called that when it became a spirit beast.


    Legend has it that in ancient times, an emperor had two spirit beast black bears as pets and even used them to guard the palace¡¯s entrance. When someone tried to assassinate the emperor, the two bears took the assassin down and saved the emperor¡¯s life.


    The emperor bestowed the two beasts with the Palace Suppressing Noble, and after that, black bears that had become spirit beasts were all known as that.


    They had finally arrived at where Chi Qiaosong had left the corpses when the uncle had finished telling his story.


    Chi Qiaosong moved the branches and leaves he had left over the corpses to unveil the huge bear and grinned. ¡°Uncle, I guess I caught one then, the Palace Suppressing Noble.¡±

 Chapter 20 - Fertilizer

    Chapter 20 Fertilizer


    Everyone had witnessed a Mountain Drum that weighed more than half a ton and knew what a spirit beast looked like.


    However, they were still shocked to see the dead Palace Suppressing Noble lying there. It took them a while to digest what had happened, and they turned to look at Chi Qiaosong. They had finally accepted that the boy had grown up now.


    Instead of a naive teenager, he was now someone who had the power and mindset of an adult.


    ¡°Qiaosong, what kind of martial arts do you even practice? It¡¯s different from what I heard.¡± His uncle was still finding it hard to believe that his oldest nephew was now so powerful


    It had only been less than half a year since Chi Qiaosong had started learning martial arts.


    Slaying a Mountain Drum and a Palace Suppressing Noble on his own was something that even a seasoned hunter, armed with all sorts of traps, couldn¡¯t do. It was even hard for a standard weapon to pierce through the spirit beast¡¯s thick hide.


    ¡°What did you exactly hear, uncle?¡±


    en


    ¡°They said that martial artists are divided into different planes, right? I remember that you¡¯ll have to be in the Wrestler Plane to fight with a spirit beast.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear wrong then.¡±


    ¡°I guess so. So, I guess you are at the Great Wrestler Plane now.¡± The uncle chuckled, thinking that the Great Wrestler Plane was a level higher than the Wrestler Plane.


    Naturally, no such plane existed. Chi Qiaosong¡¯s family had already learned of him achieving the Wrestler Plane, but they didn¡¯t tell anyone about it yet since he wanted to keep a low profile.


    ¡°Hey, help me out here,¡± Mr. Chi interrupted his brother. The father wanted to keep a lower profile than his son, and he didn¡¯t like other people talking about his son too. ¡°The sun has almost set. Let¡¯s hurry and get this back home. Honey, can you grab the honey and head back with sister-in-law first?¡±


    The black bear was left at home while Chi Qiaosong moved the dead Palace Suppressing Noble to the farmhouse.


    Since there was no electricity at the farmhouse, he could only light the place up with oil lamps. After ensuring the young children finished their meals, Mrs. Chi and Chi Xiuyuan¡¯s wife brought the meal to the farmhouse, and they sat together to eat.


    ¡°We can¡¯t sell the Palace Suppressing Noble,¡± Mr. Chi said in a serious tone. ¡°I was already worried after selling the Mountain Drum last time. If people learn that Qiaosong can catch spirit beasts at such a young age, they might force him to join the army.¡±


    ¡°But, doesn¡¯t he have to fight for Commander Zhu once he grows up?¡± Chi Xiuyuan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even convinced that Commander Zhu can stay in power for very long here. Think about it. How many commanders did we have in the past few years?¡±


    ¡°Dad, uncle, don¡¯t worry about me. I have my own plans,¡± said Chi Qiaosong nonchalantly.


    His potential was immeasurable with the farm. All he could do was pray that Commander Zhu would be able to keep Ink Ridge County safe for the next few years, at least until he was strong enough to move freely around the country without fear of getting killed.


    ¡°So, are we selling the Palace Suppressing Noble or not?¡± his uncle asked.


    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t.¡± Chi Qiaosong decided.


    ¡°What are we going to do with it then? We won¡¯t be able to eat it before it rots, and we don¡¯t have a fridge.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s cure it then. We¡¯ll get a few bags of salt and cure everything. It¡¯ll only take two days,¡± Mrs. Chi said.


    ¡°The black bear and honey should be enough to pay for our loans,¡± Chi Qiaosong interrupted. ¡°We might need a little more to pay for the greenhouse, but I¡¯ll continue to hunt for more money. As for the Palace Suppressing Noble, I¡¯m planning on taking some of the meat and the four paws to eat, and we¡¯ll make medicine out of the gallbladder. As for the rest, I plan to turn them into mince and use them as fertilizer for the bay tree.¡±


    ¡°Fertilizer?¡± The aunt-in-law exclaimed, almost knocking her bowl over. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to do that.¡±


    ¡°Calm down, you crazy woman.¡± Chi Xiuyuan scolded. ¡°Don¡¯t knock your food over. What are you acting all surprised for?¡±


    Chi Xiuyuan¡¯s wife immediately turned to glare at him.


    Mr. Chi knocked on the table with his chopsticks and said, ¡°Let¡¯s finish hearing what Qiaosong has to say.¡±


    The teenager was starting to become the one who made the decisions in the family.


    ¡°The bay tree is our family¡¯s foundation. The 2/15 hectare plot will affect the growth of the tree. If we want to plant fruits and vegetables that are of even higher quality than the jade lentils, we¡¯ll have to use higher-quality fertilizers.¡±


    ¡°But, it still feels wrong to use the Palace Suppressing Noble as fertilizer¡­¡± The aunt-in-law hesitated. ¡°C-can¡¯t we just use more droppings as fertilizer?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. And, can we not talk about those when we are eating?¡± Chi Qiaosong sighed. ¡°Just trust me on this. I won¡¯t do anything dumb.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I believe you,¡± Chi Xiuyuan replied.


    Mr. and Mrs. Chi nodded as well.


    In the end, the aunt-in-law had no choice but to nod too.


    As soon as dinner was over, Chi Xiuyuan¡¯s wife was in charge of the dishes. At the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Chi, Chi Xiuyuan, and the teenager began dissecting the palace Suppressing Noble¡¯s body.


    They first cut down its paws, which weighed around 20 kilograms each. Next, they took the gallbladder out carefully, as it was an expensive ingredient for medicine. They also took down a part of the liver so that they could enjoy it while it was still fresh.


    The next was the bear¡¯s hide. The quality of the hide was way better than marten pelt and crocodile skin since it was the hide of a spirit beast.


    Even the Mountain Drum¡¯s hide was better than marten pelts.


    ¡°Look at how big this hide is. We could make a coat for everyone with it once we tan it!¡± The Uncle exclaimed as he touched the hide.


    Chi Qiaosong had already agreed to make coats for everyone with it since he had no use for the hide anyway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need one.¡± Mrs. Chi shook her head.


    ¡°You should take it. It¡¯s Qiaosong¡¯s gift to you. That¡¯s a coat made out of a spirit beast¡¯s hide. There¡¯s no way a normal citizen could afford one,¡± Aunt-in-law quickly persuaded. ¡°We should consider ourselves lucky to be able to wear coats like that.¡±


    They continued to work until it was two in the morning.


    The meat of the spirit beast was all minced up and scattered across the farm.


    There were already a ton of vegetables growing inside the greenhouse, and they were all growing extremely fast. From watermelons to Chinese cabbages, cucumbers, cowpeas, and chives, Chi Qiaosong had planted every seed that he could come across.


    lle dCIOSS


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys go back and get some rest? I¡¯ll watch the farm tonight.¡± Mr. Chi lit a pipe and was ready to rest in the farmhouse. ¡°Brother, you should go home and sleep. I¡¯ll guard this place,¡± Chi Xiuyuan urged.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t you have to wake up early to dry food? You should dry more while the weather is still good.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    It seemed that Chi Xiuyuan had something to say, but after a moment of hesitation, he decided to keep his mouth shut.


    They returned home and slept.


    The next morning, Chi Qiaosong had woken up just before the rooster started crowing. It was hard for people to sleep well during the summer nights.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy an AC as soon as I have some money!¡± Chi Qiaosong said but quickly corrected himself. ¡°No, I¡¯ll get a fan first. Even if they sell AC at the mall, we won¡¯t have enough electricity for it.¡±


    Although the technological advancement of the Daxia Republic was decent, to the point where they had air conditioners, color televisions, and even fridges, these household items weren¡¯t popular yet. In all of the county, only the governmental buildings, the Grand Radience Mall, and a few other places had air conditioners set up.


    Other places wouldn¡¯t have one installed even if they could afford one.


    The main reason was that the electric cables had deteriorated and couldn¡¯t handle the current needed to run air conditioning. It would fry the circuit and cause a power outage throughout the street. Since most warlords only cared about ruling over more regions, they never thought of improving the infrastructures of their own regions.


    However, there were rumors that Commander Zhu had made some improvements to the coal power plant and the Department of Energy. They were speculating that the commander was going to expand the use of coal power and that Ink Ridge County could have stable electricity in the future.


    Chi Qiaosong was lost in thought when he arrived at the farmhouse.


    He turned to look at the farm.

 Chapter 21 - Sword to Qi

    Chapter 21 Sword to Qi


    (Grade 2 field: Two acres.


    Fertilizer Storage: One bag


    Spirit root source (1): Bay tree (¡­)


    External spiritual root (0): None


    Spirit plant: ¡­]


    The three little dots needed to be tapped and expanded to see the detailed information for the bay tree: Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, completed; 12 Paths Spring Kick, achieved; ¡°Yu Sword Skill, 67 percent¡­¡±


    The same was true for the spirit plants.


    After the ¡°¡­¡± had been expanded, a list of all the vegetables and fruits grown in the greenhouse appeared. Overall, nothing had changed.


    Except for an additional bag of fertilizer in the fertilizer storage.


    ¡°I only get ONE bag of fertilizer by fertilizing the field with a spirit beast?¡± Chi Qiaosong was more than a little dissatisfied. He worked hard to hunt down that gigantic beast, and if he had sold it, he would have gotten at least $7,000 or $8,000, if not over $10,000 in total.


    And yet, using it to fertilize the field only yielded one bag of fertilizer.


    The return on investment seemed a bit low.


    The field itself was capable of yielding a bag of fertilizer a month. When the field was at Grade 1, it was able to yield a bag of fertilizer every month. Now that it had been upgraded to Grade 2, it still yielded a bag of fertilizer a month. Its yield had not increased because of the expansion of the field.


    However, on second thought, one spirit beast equating to one bag of fertilizer was not that bad of a deal.


    After all, the future cultivation of more advanced martial arts may require several, or even several dozen, bags of fertilizer for just one specific set of skills. At that time, a bag a month would not be enough.


    Therefore, fertilizers had to be accumulated in large quantities.


    ¡°But this bag can¡¯t be saved. I have to use it.¡± Chi Qiaosong decided resolutely.


    A light fell on the bay tree, and immature, green fruits began to grow quickly, turning black and emitting a delicious aroma.


    The fruit melted immediately in the mouth.


    As before, there was not much taste to it.


    The next moment, various changes in the Yu Sword Skill flashed continuously through Chi Qiaosong¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t help but pick up the wooden sword, leap out of the greenhouse, and begin practicing the sword under the great tree outside the fence.


    One move at a time.


    Each move was made with great precision.


    At first, he moved slowly and deliberately. Each sword move took a long time to complete.


    Then, his speed gradually accelerated. When it reached its fastest, each sword swing brought on bursts of afterimages.


    At that moment, the T-shirt and the elastic joggers he wore did not affect his temperament in the slightest. Like when Xu Jingyang wielded the sword, he moved like a fearsome immortal descending from the heavens.


    The sneakers on his feet stepped rhythmically in different directions, driving the whole body in sync with the movements, as the sword in his hand echoed with that special rhythm.


    At that moment, something seemed to urge the body to move.


    However, immersed in that state brought on by the martial arts fruit, Chi Qiaosong did not realize it. Instead, he followed the inspiration in his heart and practiced the Yu Sword Skill with various speeds and combinations.


    No one knew how much time had passed.


    Once he was freed from that special state, he opened his eyes. He saw that the wooden sword in his hand had been pulverized, and only half of it remained.


    ¡°I feel great!¡±


    The achievement of the Yu Sword Skill did not transform his physique too obviously. But, he could feel that the subtle parts of his body had a makeover.


    Sensitivities in the joints, as well as coordination in the limbs, all had different degrees of improvement.


    If the achievements of the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist and the 12 Paths Spring Kick gave him physical power, then the accomplishment of the Yu Sword Skill gave him the gentleness to balance it.


    There was a gentleness in its power.


    Power and gentleness coexisted in harmony.


    ¡°In the Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane, I¡¯m second to none!¡± The corners of Chi Qiaosong¡¯s mouth turned up, and he was extremely pleased with himself at that moment. He had achieved three physical martial arts, which was unheard of.


    Practitioners of entry-level physical martial arts could only reach the Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane and no further.


    As for stacking his skills infinitely in the future, it was hard to say whether or not he could rush toward the Intermediate Rank of the Wrestler Plane. At least at that moment, Chi Qiaosong felt that his strength had not changed too much.


    ¡°Big brother!¡±


    ¡°Big brother!¡±


    Two tender voices pulled Chi Qiaosong back to reality.


    It was Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan who had come together after breakfast. ¡°Big brother, what are we doing today?¡±


    ¡°There is not much to do today. You two warm up and practice.¡± Chi Qiaosong gave them his best straight face and sent the two to practice on their own. For these two youngsters, he had given up any thoughts of serious training for them.


    Their aptitudes were deplorably lacking and not even close to where he was before.


    Clearly, the Chi family bloodline was not suited for martial arts. He was only able to continue to climb up by relying on the Golden Finger.


    ¡°We still have to practice the basics? Big brother, can you teach us¡­sniff, sniff¡­a few tricks to kill the enemies?¡± Chi Qiaowu¡¯s eyes were opened wide as he sucked his snot back into his nostrils.


    What a shame that a kid his age still had a runny nose.


    Chi Qiaosong thought about it for a while and said, ¡°You guys practice the basic stance first while I make some wooden swords. Later, I will teach you guys the Yu Sword Skill and use that as a foundation for you.¡±


    The Crazed Bull Heavy Fist was too aggressive. Without the appropriate physical fitness, it was pretty difficult to tackle.


    Comparatively speaking, the Yu Sword Skill was relatively mild. As Xu Jingyang said, this swordsmanship was most suitable for self-cultivation.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    The two little punks were overjoyed when they heard this.


    Sword training was definitely cooler than sparring


    Two branches of the wild peach tree on the mountain had been chopped off.


    It seemed that he had a special liking for the wooden swords made of wild peach wood. All the wooden swords he had made himself were made from the branches of the wild peach tree. The wild peach tree was ugly-looking, and the fruits it bore were always green and hard and never seemed to ripen.


    After some chopping, cutting, and shaping, three wooden swords were made, and he distributed one to each of the two children. Then, Chi Qiaosong began to teach them in earnest.


    Teaching was a way for him to summarize what he had learned so far. The achievement of the Yu Sword Skill had given him too much knowledge that it was difficult to digest all at once. So, after he had taught them a few simple moves, he would give Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan plenty of time to practice them slowly.


    He found a big rock and sat on it with his legs crossed. Then, he began to sort out the knowledge of the Yu Sword Skill.


    The morning sun had already been beating down on them since eight o¡¯clock. Now at nine o¡¯clock, even sitting in the shade was too hot. Sweat was pouring down his face continuously.


    ¡°I remember when I was practicing the sword just now, there seemed to be some other movements. What was it exactly?¡±


    He was thinking of the things that he hadn¡¯t noticed moments ago.


    Closing his eyes and pondering carefully, suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind, ¡°It¡¯s the energy fluctuation!¡± In that condition just now, he clearly felt the energy fluctuation and the function of his organs. It was a mysterious and curious feeling, which seemed to occur simultaneously physically as well as mentally.


    The wooden sword was placed across his legs.


    He no longer thought about the issues related to the Yu Sword Skill and turned his attention to reciting the Purple Cloud Serenity silently instead. To cultivate its content, he had already memorized this scripture about cultivating internal strength.


    ¡°¡­ The heaven is as clear as the earth, and all things are covered with dust¡­ Those who climb high must watch the sunrise, as the rays of a thousand suns are shining, illuminating the entire universe¡­ Alas, the dust has settled!¡±


    He recited that passage of scripture silently.


    Nothing had yet appeared, but Chi Qiaosong was not in a hurry. He continued reciting it a second time and, at the same time, continued to urge the Guidance Technique taught by his teacher, Liu Chun, trying to warm up his inner energy.


    Twice, then thrice.


    When the scriptures were recited silently for the fourth time, the Guidance Technique that had been unsuccessful previously finally had a slight change.


    That was the body, under the effect of the Guidance Technique, sensing a tingling sensation. It was unclear where it was from: either from the innards or somewhere from the limbs and bones.


    Then, it was as if a trace of Qi was pulled out and deposited somewhere inside the body.


    ¡°Qi!¡±


    Even with his eyes closed, Chi Qiaosong raised his brows in surprise.


    Finally, he could feel the existence of Qi, pulling away somewhere in his body, and it roamed around everywhere inside. Then, with the help of the Guidance Technique, he could activate it.


    However, it was faint and elusive, not yet fully realized.


    This was an energy fluctuation.


    Moments later.


    When the energy fluctuation stabilized in his body, he suddenly opened his eyes and laughed silently to himself. ¡°How fortunate! Purple Cloud Serenity actually has the power of Qi!¡±

 Chapter 22 - Saturn Peach Tree

    Chapter 22 Saturn Peach Tree


    ¡°Big brother, big brother, something¡¯s happening!¡± Chi Qiaowu began to shout loudly.


    Just as he stabilized his energy fluctuation, he heard his brother¡¯s shouting. Chi Qiaosong was in a good mood, so he didn¡¯t scold him but merely asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wen Moshan hurriedly interjected, ¡°The greenhouse, the greenhouse. There is a tree growing in the greenhouse, and wow, it is a really big tree, big brother!¡±


    These two little rascals pointed at one corner of the greenhouse and shrieked.


    Chi Qiaosong got over there quickly and saw a small tree about the size of the bay tree, which had appeared out of nowhere in the northwest corner of the two-acre field. Among the rustling leaves, a small red flower had bloomed all by itself.


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong already knew what it was and immediately stopped the two children from screaming.


    He stared at this little tree carefully, and its information instantly came to mind. This was a Saturn peach tree, transformed from the foundation of the internal sects of his martial arts just like the bay tree was before.


    The foundation of the External Sects of Martial Arts corresponded to the bay tree.


    The foundation of the Internal Sects of Martial Arts corresponded to the Saturn peach tree.


    That little red flower also displayed some information: The Purple Cloud Serenity, Growth Rate: 1 percent¡­


    Everything was going very well.


    From now on, he could cultivate both internal and external sects.


    The achievements of external skills meant that punches and kicks could shatter mountains and rivers, while the achievements of internal skills meant that divine thunder could be bred from the palms of his hands. Once both internal and external skills were achieved together, nothing would be impossible.


    ¡°Not a word, understand?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong instilled the concept of secrecy in these two children.


    Then he went to Mr. Chi and the second uncle. ¡°I got another spirit root. You two must keep it a secret for me.¡±


    ¡°Another spirit root was found, again!¡± the second uncle exclaimed.


    After the initial shock wore off, Mr. Chi nodded, ¡°Understood. The news will not be spread outside our family!¡±


    And Chi Qiaosong trusted his father¡¯s ability to keep his secrets.


    Chi Qiaosong only had to go to the Military Academy as a formality every couple of days.


    To find out if any students were about to make a breakthrough, and once he was sure there weren¡¯t any, he could turn around and return home immediately.


    He had already comprehended the energy fluctuations in the Purple Cloud Serenity, so there was no need to continue reciting the scriptures with Mr. Liu. He only needed to wait patiently for the fertilizer to materialize, and then he would reach achievement.


    At that time, his internal martial arts skills would also be entering the Novice Plane.


    Novice Plane, Taoist Plane, Crest Plane, Wrestler Plane, Warrior Plane, and Knight Plane, though separated into internal and external skills, all belonged to the Three Disciple Planes.


    The end of July was fast approaching.


    In the sweltering heat inside the Military Academy, the students had each found a shady corner, either lying down or sitting down. Unfortunately, none of them had been able to get their spirits up. The summer in Jiangyou Province was not easy to endure.


    In the land of the south, there were only winters and summers, but not springs or autumns.


    [Ring-a-ling-ling.)


    The bell rang.


    Then, the loudspeaker started broadcasting: ¡°All teachers and students, please go to the auditorium for the ceremony!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was about to leave after having chatted with Wang Minzhong, Li Weiwei, and the others. But, as he was not in a hurry after hearing the announcement, he followed the troops into the auditorium, found a seat, and settled down.


    Half an hour later.


    ¡°Comrade Hao Bozhao is hereby appointed as the chief lecturer of the Military Academy in Ink Ridge County to coordinate the affairs at the Academy, teach the students the practice of martial arts, and ensure their loyalty to Comrade Zhu Guangshan.¡± The gentle-faced Hao Bozhao was a relatively low-key instructor of the Knight Plane at the Military Academy. He was over fifty years old.


    He accepted the appointment letter from Adjutant Li and appeared gentle in both his spirit and energy. He said humbly, with a smile, that his own ability was limited and that he had no previous experience in management. He asked all the instructors to help him with anything he might not do properly in the future.


    This was an attitude totally opposite to the once high and mighty Liu Wentao.


    However, considering that Liu Wentao was still in the hospital, it was understandable that Hao Bozhao was being so low-key. If another instructor didn¡¯t like him and there was another round of sparring, it would be too funny if he also ended up in the hospital.


    Of course, among the instructors at the Knight Plane in the Military Academy, Professor Luo was promoted, Zhou Xiangxian was transferred out, and Liu Wentao was hospitalized¡ªnot many were left.


    ¡°Tsk tsk. Mr. Liu is very unlucky. First, he was beaten half to death by Mr. Zhou, and now he has even lost the position as chief instructor. Qiaosong, do you think this counts as rubbing salt in his wounds?¡±


    Li Weiwei chuckled softly.


    Chi Qiaosong replied lightly, ¡°In a fight of strength in martial arts, you have to keep your head down if you are not as skilled.¡±


    Non-physical contests could take various forms, but physical contests had to be supported by real skills, and there was no room for pretense.


    ¡°Are you going back in the afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Stay, Qiaosong. Let¡¯s go to karaoke,¡± Li Weiwei continued to persuade him. He felt that Chi Qiaosong had a promising future and was the most mature of all the students.


    Especially something like sending gifts to the instructors had made a deep impression on him.


    Young people at this age were very thin-skinned yet very proud. It was really a challenge for them to send gifts like that. Even if they did, it was usually done by their parents.


    Of the group of students at the Military Academy, after several rounds of sparring, Chi Qiaosong emerged as one of the best.


    If anyone had the hope to advance to the Wrestler Plane, Chi Qiaosong was definitely one of them.


    So, while Hao Bozhao was giving his speech on stage, Li Weiwei kept convincing him under the stage. When he finally got tired of the chatter, Chi Qiaosong relented and agreed to go karaoke with them in the evening.


    ¡°Not too many people, so it¡¯s quieter.¡±


    ¡°Okie Dokie!¡±


    Mamen Bridge in the west of Ink Ridge County crosses through an irrigation canal. It was also known as a street of decadent partying.


    Li Weiwei waved down an anti-tricycle as he called out to Chi Qiaosong and three other students. Then, together, they went straight to the Green Mango Karaoke in Mamen Bridge.


    Karaoke is not exactly something foreign and has only gained popularity in recent years.


    Together with the newly emerged bar culture, they flourished in the Daxia Republic, pushing out many old-fashioned dance halls in the process.


    Young people would either go dancing in the bars at night or go to karaoke to sing and make merry.


    But these dance halls were evolving as well.


    Chi Qiaosong got off the anti-tricycle and saw a shop next door. A man who looked like a manager was directing workers to take down the old sign that said Jasmine Dance Hall and put up a new sign that said Midnight Sun Night Club.


    Naturally, Chi Qiaosong had no interest in dancing or dance halls. However, he took a look before he looked away and followed Li Weiwei into the Green Mango Karaoke.


    ¡°Hey, we want a private room. Let¡¯s book it for¡­five hours.¡±


    ¡°How many people, five, right? 307 is ready for you.¡±


    When they entered the private room, and after they ordered snacks and drinks, Li Weiwei began to pick out songs.


    The Daxia Republic had been plagued by wars and chaos, but its entertainment industry was very prosperous. Its singers and movie stars could be as famous worldwide as anyone else. However, no matter how famous the singers and movie stars might be, they were always entertainers inferior to those in other professions.


    When they were young, they enjoyed their fame. Then, when they got a little older, they would have to either retreat behind the scenes or marry someone as a second wife. At a time when martial arts gained popularity, martial artists were the only ones who reigned supreme.


    ¡°Qiaosong, what song do you want to sing?¡±


    ¡°How about Both Sides of the Yangtze River?¡± Chi Qiaosong, who didn¡¯t like to sing, reluctantly picked a folk song. He had heard this song several times on the radio at the Military Academy.


    The lyrics and the melody were both very pleasing.


    ¡°My home is on both sides of the Yangtze River¡­¡± Then, holding the microphone, Chi Qiaosong followed the melody of the prelude before he began to sing. His voice was unremarkable but not out of tune.


    (Bang!)


    The door to the private room was kicked open.


    A group of soldiers in military police uniforms rushed in with guns, shouting loudly, ¡°The Discipline Unit is conducting an inspection. Everyone squat down along the wall with your hands on your heads!¡±


    Before Chi Qiaosong realized what had happened, Li Weiwei had pulled him up from the sofa. ¡°Qiaosong, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just an inspection. Just do what they say, and it will be over in a little while.¡±


    Outside the private room, the manager¡¯s voice was faintly heard as he protested, ¡°Don¡¯t you scare my guests. I will sue you for harassing civilians!¡±

 Chapter 23 - A Womans Face

    Chapter 23 A Woman¡¯s Face


    The Discipline Unit came and went quickly, but Chi Qiaosong had lost any interest in singing or enjoying himself.


    Perhaps because of the difference in his background as well as experience, he was very resistant to being told to squat on the ground with his hands above his head. But, in his opinion, he didn¡¯t do anything bad. He was just there singing and making merry.


    However, Li Weiwei and the others acted as if nothing had happened and continued to sing happily.


    ¡°Martial arts, make it in the world¡­¡± Chi Qiaosong never thought about changing the world. At that moment, he only had one thought in his mind, and that was to dedicate himself to the practice of martial arts until he became a master, then a grandmaster, and transcended all the constraints of this world.


    Until they finished singing.


    After dinner, he turned down Li Weiwei¡¯s invitation to go to a nightclub. Instead, Chi Qiaosong went straight home because his hopes were completely pinned on the field back home.


    ¡°Dad, go back. I¡¯ll keep watch tonight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sleep too soundly at night.¡±


    Mr. Chi had already put barbed wire around the Saturn peach tree and took care of it as carefully as he did the bay tree.


    The origins of these two spirit roots were unknown, but he chose to believe his son. All of this must have been because of his son¡¯s adventure. Similar stories have been told in storybooks.


    ¡°Understood. Go back quickly now. It will be raining soon.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Mr. Chi bit down on the Chinese pipe in his mouth while carrying a rusty lantern as he left the farmhouse to go down the mountain.


    (Rumble]


    There was thunder rumbling in the sky, and heavy rain soon followed.


    Lying on the bed and without a lamp, Chi Qiaosong looked at the darkness outside the window. Lightning flashed from time to time as the outside was briefly illuminated. The raindrops pounded on the plastic tarp covering the greenhouse. There was something stuck in his chest that he couldn¡¯t easily let go of.


    It was the anger he had for this world.


    It was also a yearning for that earth.


    He preferred an orderly society. Although the Daxia Republic had an order of its own amongst the chaos, he still felt conflicted about it. The only thing that made him glad was that this world had martial arts, so it had a way of becoming stronger.


    (Boom!]


    Another flash of lightning sailed across the sky.


    A blurry human face flashed across the top of the fence posts.


    Chi Qiaosong immediately got up from the bed and found the flashlight at the head of the bed. Then, quickly, he shone it outside the window.


    The face of a person was right above the top of the fence, looking paler than pale. It seemed to be a woman¡¯s face. Illuminated by the flashlight, this pale and blurry woman¡¯s face actually opened her mouth and attempted to smile.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s heart thumped with fright.


    Despite the fact that his martial arts practice was already at the Wrestler Plane, he was still afraid of ghosts. So on this rainy and stormy night, it was truly unsettling when someone encountered such an occurrence.


    ¡°Is it a person or a ghost?¡±


    The light from the flashlight was not very strong, so he could only vaguely make out that the face belonged to a woman.


    Chi Qiaosong thought that there were many mysteries in this world, and ghosts and spirits were not just legends. He himself had killed two extraordinary spirit beasts.


    The light shone straight on, and the woman¡¯s face wore a horrific and silent smile.


    After a full minute of staring at each other, another flash of lightning traversed the sky.


    Chi Qiaosong gritted his teeth and tucked the spirit tusk dagger into his belt. He was holding a flashlight in one hand and a machete in the other. He pushed open the door suddenly and rushed into the heavy rain. He didn¡¯t take off his shoes and socks when he was lying in bed, so he didn¡¯t need to put on clothes and shoes again.


    The heavy rain was icy cold, instantly dispelling his body¡¯s heat.


    He scanned the area with the flashlight and, once again, revealed the woman¡¯s face, which was right above the fence ahead. Seeing that Chi Qiaosong had come out of the house, the smile on the woman¡¯s face seemed to widen.


    ¡°Who are¡­¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was about to say something to her.


    But the rain was so heavy that it slammed on the plastic tarp of the greenhouse, making it impossible to hear what he was saying.


    Very cautiously, he did not get too close to the woman¡¯s face right away but poked his head out from the other side of the fence, trying to see what was beneath the woman¡¯s head.


    It was not possible for there to be just a face appearing alone above the fence.


    A strong sense of danger ran through him the moment he stuck his head out, so he pulled his head in without hesitation. At that moment, a huge bloody mouth opened outside the fence and snapped shut where he had poked out his head.


    The flashlight turned in that direction.


    Chi Qiaosong was horrified to see that it was a huge snake head with two rows of fine teeth that looked terrifying.


    (Boom!]


    The python missed its target in the sneak attack and exposed itself instead.


    Then, it no longer bothered to disguise itself as the blurry face above the fence rose up and revealed itself to be the tail. Its upper body erected upright and then slammed hard into the fence, attempting to rush into the yard.


    The greenhouse was in the yard.


    Two acres of fields were planted with a lot of vegetables and fruits.


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s not a ghost. A beast can be easily slaughtered!¡± Chi Qiaosong didn¡¯t wait for the python to rush in but jumped directly outside the fence.


    The flashlight shone upon the snake.


    The entire body of the python was illuminated. Because it was coiled, it was difficult to determine its entire length. However, the thickest part of its body was at least as wide as an adult man¡¯s waist. Red and black scales spread all over its body, and there was a ball at the tip of its tail, which, presumably, was the woman¡¯s face that he was seeing


    At this time, its tail was pounding the ground.


    That blurry woman¡¯s face was probably kissing the mud with each pounding as well.


    The ferocious head of the snake waited for a moment before it launched a decisive attack. It opened its mouth and rushed over to bite him. Nonetheless, that was not its ultimate move¡ªthe real killer was the sudden sway of its tail.


    The woman¡¯s face, which was covered in mud, was smashed hard at Chi Qiaosong.


    The flashlight was not very bright. Chi Qiaosong raised both his arms to block the attack as the snake¡¯s tail thrashed his arms. The powerful force was enough to send him half a meter away, rolling on the ground, ass over his elbows.


    He was drenched in mud but not injured.


    Because of the water, the flashlight flashed twice before it went out.


    Now, there was no light whatsoever.


    With pure instinct, he took two steps back. In his original position, the python bit down on nothing but air, and the air smelled a little swampy.


    When his eyes had more or less adjusted to the darkness, Chi Qiaosong could see the blurry figure of the python.


    Before the python could attack again, he took the machete and rushed toward the python.


    The python opened its mouth to bite, and he slashed it with the machete. Unfortunately, the newly achieved Yu Sword Skill was not enough to be lethal. However, its moves were exquisite and worked perfectly. It always managed to hit the snake¡¯s head when it was least expecting the attack.


    Blocked by the hardened scales, the blade of the machete bounced back and was damaged.


    Lightning pierced the night sky.


    Then the rumbling sounds of thunder were heard rolling down.


    Chi Qiaosong was getting increasingly energetic as he fought, much like when he battled with the Mountain Drum. Although the wet mud made him look ragged, it was quite fitting with the atmosphere.


    Fighting with a python on a rainy night.


    Just thinking about it was exciting enough.


    With a snap, he lifted his leg and kicked swiftly. The back of his foot made close contact with the snake¡¯s head, kicking it to one side. Something seemed to break open in the 12 Paths Spring Kick, and then it was fully comprehended all the way through.


    The snake¡¯s tail swept over, and he caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye. He automatically jumped up, evading the sweep of the snake¡¯s tail.


    The machete waved as the moves of the Yu Sword Skill flowed in his mind, one by one.


    All the movements, footwork, swordsmanship, and even the fist techniques began to integrate with each other in the fierce battle with the python, breaking through the last bottleneck and reaching new heights.


    He was very clear that three sets of martial arts skills were completed tonight.


    But this was not the time to think about it. In the midst of the many kicks that were dealt to the snake¡¯s head as well as avoiding the whipping from the snake¡¯s tail, a tiny gap appeared in the snake¡¯s coil that had been guarded very closely by the snake.


    Chi Qiaosong capitalized on this moment of negligence. He jumped up, grabbed the neck of the python, and slid down to find the seven-inch spot that he had been looking for.


    Everyone knew to strike a snake at its seven-inch spot. However, this seven-inch spot was not a fixed spot but the location where the snake¡¯s heart was positioned.


    The position of every snake¡¯s heart was different, so the seven-inch spot also differed. However, as long as one looked carefully for the part closely guarded by the snake, one could determine where the seven-inch spot


    was.


    The machete was thrown away.


    He pulled out the spirit tusk dagger from his waistband with one backhanded draw. Chi Qiaosong didn¡¯t hesitate and stabbed it directly into the seven-inch spot of the snake.

 Chapter 24 - The She-Viper

    Chapter 24 The She-Viper


    ¡°Black geese flying high against the dark moon, as the general escaping under cover of night.¡±


    Somehow, this poetic verse came to Chi Qiaosong¡¯s mind, fittingly describing the situation at hand.


    He was in hot pursuit of the python, which had been stabbed by the spirit tusk dagger. One chased after the other one, who was fast escaping. Both had ducked into the pitch-black forest in the blink of an eye.


    The heavy rain couldn¡¯t dampen his adrenaline-fueled excitement in the meantime. Whether it be a spirit of the mountain or a basilisk, he was sure that he would overpower it with his martial arts and beat it to death.


    [Pitter-patter, pitter-patter]


    His sneakers made squishy sounds in the muddy water. The python knocked down many smaller trees as it dashed forward, trying to get away in a panic. The thick smell of blood could not be covered up by the heavy rainfall.


    He was getting closer to his prey.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s excitement had peaked, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout out, ¡°My attack won¡¯t miss¡­ I tell you to stop, creature!¡±


    Then, his body leaped forward.


    He reached out and grabbed the python¡¯s tail, which was a little slippery. However, it just so happened that he caught the woman¡¯s face that was at the tip of the tail, so the python could not break free from Chi Qiaosong¡¯s grasp.


    He saw a big tree in front, and he quickly caught it with his legs and hung on tightly


    This time, with the help of the tree as a solid anchor, he could pull the sliding snake to a stop. The python tried to use the last bit of its strength to keep sliding forward, but its body was not under its control.


    The next moment, it was swung by a force and smashed hard into the tree trunk next to


    it.


    Immediately, it was stunned by the smash. At that moment, Chi Qiaosong quickly got up, grabbed the snake¡¯s tail, lifted it abruptly, and threw it violently over his head as if it were a whip.


    The python kept twisting its body but found it difficult to escape.


    With the faint illumination of light, he walked toward the front of the python and found the spirit tusk dagger that was stuck at the seven-inch spot. He suddenly stumped on it with his foot, so the spirit tusk dagger was now completely buried inside.


    He continued to crush it with his foot to cause as much damage as possible with the spirit tusk dagger as it buried deep inside the seven-inch spot.


    [Rumble.]


    The sounds of thunder began to fade away.


    The torrential rain suddenly dwindled, and soon it was just a light rain that continued to drizzle. Chi Qiaosong wiped the rain off his face as he tossed the excess water off his hair.


    He grabbed the python¡¯s tail and oriented himself before he dragged the python away with great strides.


    The kerosene lamp was lit.


    Chi Qiaosong, who had stripped down to just his boxers, carefully observed the python that he killed with the light of the kerosene lamp.


    This python was over ten meters long, and the thickest part was close to one meter. It was covered with red and white scales all over its body, somewhat similar to the common red-banded snakes that are often seen in the countryside.


    mon


    The most unusual thing about it was its tail, with a huge sarcoma at the tip, pale in color.


    Chi Qiaosong looked at the sarcoma suspiciously and felt that something was not quite right. The woman¡¯s face was clearly the sarcoma at the tail of this python, but no matter how he looked at it, it did not resemble a human face.¡±


    He remembered it very well.


    At the time, he was sure he had seen the blurry face of a woman, with eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, grinning. But the sarcoma at the tip of the tail was nothing like what he saw. It did not look like a human face whatsoever.


    Suddenly, he remembered a legend, a story that he had once heard from an old man in the village when he was a child.


    In the tale that he heard, a scholar who once studied in an ancient temple deep inside the mountains had heard someone calling him. When he responded, he saw a beautiful woman smiling at him, whose face appeared above the wall.


    Then the woman disappeared.


    He was very pleased and thought that he had encountered a beauty. Then, however, when the old priest who often visited him at night for a chat was astute enough to tell him that his face had demonic energy and that he must have met the She-Viper.


    This was a monster with a woman¡¯s head and a snake¡¯s body. Whoever answered the call would be eaten by the monster that very night.


    The scholar was frightened when he heard it, but the old priest told him that all would be well. He gave him a small box and told him to put it by his pillow at night, and he could sit back and relax. Then, at night, a rustling noise was heard, and as soon as it happened, a golden light flew out of the box that was next to the pillow, and nothing more was heard from the outside.


    ¡°There was a flying centipede hidden in the box!¡± The old man who told the story revealed the secret under the eager gazes of the children, who were filled with fear and anticipation. ¡°This flying centipede loves to eat the brains of snakes, and the She-Viper was killed by it!¡±


    ¡°Wow!¡±


    There was a commotion among the kids, all of whom wanted a flying centipede.


    He, too, remembered wanting one for a long time.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Chi Qiaosong poked the sarcoma on the snake¡¯s tail and wondered to himself, ¡°Is this the She-Viper? Is it the face of a woman that was meant to beguile its victims?¡±


    Not all legends can be fully believed, but they are not necessarily baseless.


    ¡°But, is it a spirit beast or some kind of evil demon?¡± He was puzzled but quickly assuaged himself. ¡°Actually, there is no need to worry about that. What is the difference between a spirit beast and an evil spirit?


    The She-Viper ate people. The Mountain Drum, when given the opportunity, may also want to eat people.


    Therefore, the correct solution for any magical creature, even plants, was to chop them up to fertilize the fields. All the treasures of heaven and earth would only be maximized by using them for farming!¡±


    He had already decided to use this She-Viper to fatten his land.


    But the She-Viper was too big and would take a long time to dismember. So he simply found the gall of the snake and cut it out to be kept carefully. Then, he threw the snake¡¯s body next to the greenhouse.


    He took a shower and decided to wait until tomorrow to deal with everything.


    A puff of smoke came out of the Chinese pipe in Mr. Chi¡¯s mouth.


    Mr. Chi inhaled the smoke into his lungs and then exhaled. Then, he said very seriously, ¡°The reason few people are living in the mountains is because of these dirty things¡­ I didn¡¯t believe in this nonsense when I was younger. That was why I settled my household halfway up the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Never mind that you didn¡¯t believe it, big brother. I didn¡¯t either. After living here for so long, I haven¡¯t seen any dirty things except coyotes.¡±


    The second uncle took a knife and carefully made an incision, following the lines of the snake¡¯s scales. They were going to peel off the skin of the She-Viper in one piece.


    The snake skin was too tough to be used for fertilizing the fields but could be made into a batch of soft armor that would fend off ordinary swords and spears. It would likely be possible to sell each piece of the soft armor for a few hundred dollars.


    Even if they were not sold, they could be saved as family heirlooms.


    Raising his head, he continued, ¡°But now I have to believe that the situation Qiaosong encountered last night was too dangerous. It¡¯s the same as the story says. Qiaosong could have been bewitched by the She-Viper!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t be bewitched by a face like that¡­ Second uncle, you didn¡¯t see it¡­ How can I describe it? It was uglier than a ghost!¡± Chi Qiaosong told them.


    He thought that if the She-Viper wanted to bewitch him, it should at least look a little bit more tempting


    This hideous face could not even attract a ghost. Even prisoners who had been jailed for more than ten years would not be attracted by that.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see the face, but I did see that giant sarcoma. It was really¡­ It was really unattractive, but I¡¯m afraid that if it had magic, it might enthrall you.¡±


    Mr. Chi nodded in agreement, ¡°Once you are enthralled, you won¡¯t know anything. They can do whatever they want with you.¡±


    SO


    Listening to what his father and the second uncle had to say, Chi Qiaosong was a little scared. Thinking back to last night, he felt that it was possible that he could have been bewitched by the demonic aura of the She-Viper. Otherwise, he would not have mistaken the sarcoma as a woman¡¯s face.


    Perhaps it was because the She-Viper¡¯s skill was not enough.


    Although the sarcoma resembled a woman¡¯s face, it was not a face of beauty.


    Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind: perhaps it was not because the She-Viper¡¯s skills were not enough, but that it was blocked by the internal skills of the Purple Cloud Serenity that he had cultivated!


    The inner skills focused on the cultivation of Qi. This Qi was holier than holy and had the ability to resist evil and enchanting hallucinations.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    It was now that he became afraid. If he didn¡¯t comprehend the energy fluctuation, there was no telling what danger he might have had to face. This made him pay even more attention to the Purple Cloud Serenity.


    The next day was busy. The three of them quickly skinned the snake, chopped it up, and stepped into the muddy field to bury its remains there.

 Chapter 25 - Seventy-Five Thousand for Five Years

    Chapter 25 Seventy-Five Thousand for Five Years


    The summer rain came fast and was gone just as quickly.


    The heavy rain the night before cleared up as the scorching sun once again enveloped the earth.


    The body of the She-Viper had been chopped up and buried on the two acres of land, waiting to become fertilizer.


    When the second uncle was burying the corpse, he kept muttering, ¡°Where¡¯s the meat from the Palace Suppressing Noble in this place? How come we can¡¯t see any of it?¡±


    It had been only a week since they fertilized the field with the meat from the Palace Suppressing Noble, but now no trace of it could be found in the field-it had been completely absorbed by the two acres of land.


    ¡°I made some inquiries.¡±


    Mr. Chi squatted on the ground, smoking a Chinese pipe. Basically, he never went anywhere without the pipe in his hands.


    Chi Qiaosong asked, ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About leasing the First Ridge. The Department of Forestry from Chengguan Town said that the First Ridge has an area of 5,000 acres. So even what¡¯s considered to be barren costs $3 a year per acre.¡±


    ¡°One acre of land for $3 a year?¡± Chi Qiaosong calculated silently. ¡°So we can get it for $15,000 a year?¡±


    The second uncle said, ¡°$15,000 is a lot. What can we grow to produce $15,000 worth of grains? Even the paddy at the foot of the mountain was too expensive to be leased for $3 an acre.¡±


    Jiangyou Province had no shortage of arable land, but it did have a shortage of labor, so the leasing price for the land was well below average.


    Chi Qiaosong didn¡¯t respond to the second uncle¡¯s complaints but said, ¡°If it is $15,000 a year, we can sign a five-year contract with the Department of Forestry.¡±


    ¡°Five years? Five years would cost¡­¡± The second uncle calculated on his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s $75,000 for five years! We haven¡¯t paid off our debts yet. Where are we going to find this kind of money?¡±


    Previously, the proceeds from selling the black bears and the honey were used to repay their debts, but it was not enough. They still owed $300 for the materials used to build the greenhouse.


    Chi Qiaosong decided. ¡°Wait for this crop of jade lentils to be harvested, and we will see. If it proves to be good, we can sell it for money and take the lease for the First Ridge.¡±


    The jade lentils, planted in one acre of the field before, had been transplanted by his parents and were now sprouting.


    Chi Qiaosong had also set up a control group for testing, and the control group consisted of two types¡ªthe common lentils and the ones planted in the greenhouse. The three groups were compared with each other based on their growth results.


    The jade lentils sprouted a little faster than ordinary lentils, and the sprouts were stronger.


    But compared to the lentils that were planted in the greenhouse, they were a little bit inferior on all fronts.


    So.


    As long as these crops did not look too bad, they could be marketed under the brand ¡°Jade Lentils.¡± Then, he could take advantage of the situation to save other vegetables and fruits in the greenhouse for further cultivation.


    This way, high-quality ecological agriculture could be created.


    After he was more accomplished in martial arts and more in a position to protect his properties, he could open up the farmhouse for specialized businesses catering to the rich. Then, maybe Commander Zhu would want to come to the First Ridge to enjoy fresh and authentic farm food.


    Of course, all this hinged on whether the jade lentils would be a success or not. If it failed, all his plans would have to be revisited.


    ¡°Do you really want to lease the land?¡± the second uncle asked earnestly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Qiaosong, you are ambitious, and I believe in you.¡±


    Then, the second uncle suddenly sighed again. ¡°Say, brother, Qiaosong is so good at martial arts. Does it mean that our family has a natural talent for learning martial arts?¡±


    Mr. Chi was far more reserved. ¡°Whether we have the talent for martial arts depends on the achievements of Qiaowu, Qiaodong, and Qiaoshui, as well as Moshan and Moshui, and whether Qiaosong can make something out of them or not.¡±


    ¡°It is hard to say for that kid, Moshan. I think he is a lot behind compared to Qiaowu. Qiaowu¡¯s form was quite good in sparring and swordsmanship, but that was not the case with Moshan. He always ends up in a mess.¡±


    ¡°Alas, Moshan is like his father, with the same impatient nature.¡±


    ¡°In any case, if Qiaowu is trained, it means that our family has a talent for this. Tsk tsk, we were too poor and couldn¡¯t afford to practice martial arts. Heck, we didn¡¯t even know where to start learning martial arts. Otherwise¡­¡±


    The second uncle took a puff from Mr. Chi¡¯s Chinese pipe and puffed out a smoke ring. Then, he said quietly, ¡°Maybe we could have made something of ourselves too, in martial arts, and followed Commander Zhu in revolution, and claimed some territories and made ourselves kings!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong thought to himself. This was some extreme overreaching. The truth was that the Chi family really had no requisite talent whatsoever to practice martial arts.


    Of course, he was not going to be a wet blanket and douse his uncle¡¯s idealization.


    If a person had no dreams, what was the difference between a man and a fish? Maybe the second uncle had regrets in the past, so he doubled down on looking forward to the future and strived to nurture his son so that Chi Qiaoshui could be cultivated into someone greater.


    So, he smiled and said, ¡°Dad, Uncle, why don¡¯t you practice the Yu Sword Skills with me? This swordsmanship is very good for self-cultivation and is a good way to exercise the body.¡±


    Learning martial arts from his own son was too much of a reversal of roles, something that Mr. Chi couldn¡¯t look past. He shook his head. ¡°Look at my age. Don¡¯t bother with me. Maybe your second uncle will take you up on your offer.¡±


    Indeed, the second uncle was eager to give it a try, ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong added, ¡°The Yu Sword Skill is most suitable for laying the foundation. In the future, not only Qiaowu and Moshan will learn the Yu Sword Skill from me, but Xiaoya and Wen Ting will also take lessons from


    me.¡±


    ¡°Do the girls have to learn martial arts too?¡± The second uncle asked in amazement.


    ¡°Boys and girls are the same, Uncle. So let¡¯s not have some archaic ideas in our family and treat them differently.¡±


    ¡°Married daughter, spilled water¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle, that is an antiquated idea. No matter what, I think the girls in our family should also learn martial arts. It doesn¡¯t matter if they achieved anything or not. This is the attitude we must have. In the future, when they marry and start their own families, they will have the idea of practicing martial arts, which will certainly influence the next generation.¡±


    The second uncle was a conservative with a deep sense of tradition. He muttered, ¡°Then, the outsiders would get all the benefits¡­¡±


    ¡°Are Mo Shan, Wen Ting, and Moshui outsiders?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°How is it different?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The second uncle couldn¡¯t think of anything to retort.


    The three siblings had lost their parents when they were young and grew up taking care of each other. They had never regarded their little aunt as an outsider and had accepted their little uncle, her husband, as one of their


    own.


    The cousins grew up as close as could be.


    Chi Qiaosong had been watching the greenhouse all day.


    Because of the She-Viper, he felt that the two-acre field might have been attracting some spirit beasts and other foreign creatures, so he planned to carry out the night watch duty himself.


    He no longer allowed his father and uncle to come for the overnight watch.


    It didn¡¯t matter that the farmhouse had no electricity. It made no difference to him whether there was electricity or not because the house had no TV, no radio, no refrigerator, no air conditioner, and no electrical appliances whatsoever.


    It was enough for him just to have some old newspapers.


    He liked to read newspapers, from which he learned about the affairs of the Daxia Republic and all major events overseas. In fact, the Daxia Republic was the kingdom at the center of this world, a real superpower.


    The administrative district was divided into 48 provinces and seven municipalities directly under the central government.


    From the land of sunrise in the east, like Fuso and Ezo, to the tropical rainforest country of Jiaozhi in the south. Further south, there were enclaves such as Borneo, the great Lake Balkhash in the desert, and the Arctic Ocean in the north.


    The territory covered some 20 million square kilometers and boasted a population of 100,000,000.


    Whether from south to north or east to west, it took anywhere from ten days to half a month to travel by train. Even by plane, it would take seven or eight hours.


    The territory was far too vast, and the binding force from the central government was limited, which was a major factor leading to the rise of the warlords. They took advantage of the fact that they were out of reach of the government, and each wanted a piece of land upon which they could claim to be king.


    In the evening, the sky seemed filled with burning clouds, and the entire First Ridge was reddened.


    The change that Chi Qiaosong was expecting finally happened. (Grade 2 field: Two acres


    Fertilizer storage: Five bags


    Spirit root source (2): Bay tree (¡­), Saturn peach tree (¡­)


    External spirit toot (o), None


    Spirit plants: ¡­]


    ¡°What!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was pleasantly surprised.


    The greatest change was the fertilizer storage. From nothing to now, it had gathered five bags of fertilizer, which excited him beyond words¡ªthe She-Viper¡¯s power to fertilize turned out to be five times that of the Palace Suppressing Noble.

 Chapter 26 - Intermediate Martial Arts

    Chapter 26 Intermediate Martial Arts


    ¡°Five packs of fertilizers, huh? I¡¯ve never been so lavish before.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was delighted. Without hesitation, he opened a fertilizer pack and spread it around the Saturn peach tree.


    After a while, the red flower on the Saturn peach tree became even more gorgeous. ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ the result a little poor?¡± After glancing at the red flower, he noticed the Growth Rate of the Purple Cloud Serenity went from 1% to 26%. In other words, one packet of fertilizer was worth a quarter of the Growth Rate.


    He would still need to use another three packets of fertilizers.


    The epiphany moment only further discouraged him.


    Regardless of his feelings, he still had to do it. With that, he used up another three packets to fertilize the soil. The red flower withered, and peach could be seen growing on the tree until the size of a fist while he observed the entire process.


    There was a hint of red on the fruit, and it slowly turned full red until the entire appearance looked purple.


    In short, the Saturn peach in the Purple Cloud Serenity was completely ripe.


    After taking a bite of the peach, his mouth was instantly filled with its juice, and it melted on his tongue. However, it was several times more delicious than the fruit of the bay tree. So, he finished the entire peach in no time, leaving only its seed.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Gazing at the seed in his hand, Chi Qiaosong pondered if he should eat it.


    Before he had enough time to contemplate, pieces of mysterious information flooded his mind. For some reason, he heard a stentorian and resonant voice reciting the scriptures of Purple Cloud Serenity around his ears.


    ¡°¡­ At the wake of the world, all things were covered in dust¡­¡±


    Instinctively, he sat in a lotus position, and the Guidance Technique began running by itself autonomously. As the scripture was recited, some kind of gas started exuding from his flesh, bones, muscles, and organs.


    Soon, the gas slowly gathered together and drew in more gas from the outside.


    ¡°¡­ Those who reached the summit would watch the sunrise that illuminated every corner of the world with its dazzling light¡­¡±


    While the magnificent voice continued to chant the scripture, the gas within Chi Qiaosong¡¯s body rose and merged into a mass. Eventually, it turned into a different and unique form.


    It was a One Word Qi.


    While its nature was that of a gas, its essence proved otherwise. It was indescribable and formless.


    Upon its manifestation, it let loose and traveled in his body unrestrictedly while alleviating the internal injuries high and low. Nevertheless, bringing it under control was an arduous task, so he could only keep it there.


    ¡°¡­ Alas! The dust would quiet down!¡±


    The voice disappeared following the end of the scripture recitation. After a while, Chi Qiaosong slowly opened his eyes, signifying the completion of his meditation, and noticed the scenery around him becoming more vivid than ever. The fire cloud in the sky looked like a real burning scene in particular.


    At that, he ruminated on his current situation a little.


    Meanwhile, he took time to feel the changes in his body.


    ¡°The Purple Cloud Serenity really lives up to its name. Now, everything that my eyes can see, my ears can hear, and my body can sense, feels like they are even more polished.¡±


    The world remained the same, but all his surroundings grew sharper after being wiped


    once.


    There were only three stages to martial arts.


    The advanced martial arts were about attaining the Tao; those who reached this tier could achieve world peace. The intermediate martial arts were about wisdom and philosophy; those who made it to this level could maintain positive well-being in their physical and mental states. The beginner martial arts were about skill mastery; those who got to this stage could defend themselves from abuse and harm.


    At that time, Chi Qiaosong finally understood why intermediate martial arts could maintain positive well-being in one¡¯s physical and mental states through wisdom and philosophy. Intermediate martial arts were the practices of internal strength. They differed from beginner martial arts¡¯ external skills, which focused on physical enhancement and strengthening. Intermediate martial arts focused on the cultivation of the mind and spirit.


    At that moment, Chi Qiaosong cultivated both internal and external martial arts. In other words, he was both a wrestler and a Taoist householder.


    He had used four out of the five packets of fertilizers, which left him with only two packs.


    Since it was already the eighth month of the year, another new packet of fertilizer materialized after the field was adequately circulated with the essence of heaven and earth.


    After spending fifty cents to take the anti-tricycle, Chi Qiaosong arrived at the Military Academy to check things out and heard a few interesting stories.


    The first account was about a student who suffered from heat stroke while practicing martial arts. After his teacher carried him to a shadier location, no one expected that his condition would worsen. The worst part was that he nearly didn¡¯t survive the ordeal.


    Thus, all the students requested for absence from the academy.


    Nonetheless, the chief instructor, Hao Bozhao, did not permit them to do so. Instead, he rebuked them through the loudspeaker, ¡°You should train during the coldest days of winter and dog days. If you couldn¡¯t even endure a little hardship like this, you might as well go home and quit martial arts altogether.¡±


    Another one was about Mr. Liu.


    It had been a few months since he started teaching, yet none of his students could initiate energy fluctuation. So, even the female students gradually stopped attending his classes. Hence, there had been no student in his classes since two days ago.


    No one knew if Liu Chun was thick-skinned or a maverick.


    Even though there was no one in his class, he shook his head and recited the Purple Cloud Serenity once, then took some wolfberries to make tea for himself and read the newspaper without a care in the world.


    It was a rather peculiar sight to behold.


    ¡°Sigh, some students from the other county have broken through to become wrestlers. Even the cities have people who have become Taoist householders. Why isn¡¯t there a single excellent student here in Ink Ridge County¡¯s Military Academy?¡±


    Kong Hongcai grumbled at the office.


    Another teacher added, ¡°You said it! Ink Ridge County has been producing many talents for the longest. Even if they weren¡¯t the pick of the litter, at least they didn¡¯t come last. Could it be the problem with our abilities as teachers?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just teaching basics here. How could there be such a big difference in the teaching quality?¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s still no student break through to the next level, our Military Academy will be compromised during the test.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Chief Hao has been monitoring the classes for several days now. It looks like he¡¯s even more worried than us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Chief Hao is planning to accept a new batch of students?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say! This term isn¡¯t even over yet, and he¡¯s accepting new students already?¡±


    ¡°Well, the current ones have become invalid. He had no choice, did he?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right.¡±


    Some of the teachers bleated while the others gloated. But at the end of the day, none of them had any hope for the Military Academy¡¯s first batch of students. There wasn¡¯t even a genius out of the group, let alone a slightly exceptional student.


    Like the teachers, Chi Qiaosong was also worried.


    After wandering around the dormitories of the Military Academy, he became speechless, having realized that no one was even close to a breakthrough. He decided not to keep it a secret anymore after some contemplation.


    So be it if he were to stand out from the crowd. After all, it¡¯d be better for him to hurry and learn higher-tier martial arts.


    Once he made up his mind, he immediately went into the office.


    Since the office was a public area, the Warrior Plane teachers would spend time sipping teas, chatting, or resting. He would come to this place when he requested for absence. So he was pretty familiar with the layout.


    ¡°Oh, Chi Qiaosong. Are you here to request for absence again?¡± Kong Hongcai opened the drawer to get the pen for signature.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not gonna request for absence today.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Kong, I¡¯ve made it to Wrestler Plane already.¡±


    Upon hearing that, all the teachers from the surrounding tables immediately turned in his direction.


    With all eyes on him, Chi Qiaosong remained calm as usual since their reaction was within his expectation. ¡°I came across a black bear on the mountain yesterday. After killing it, I¡¯ve noticed signs and symptoms of visible strength in me.¡±


    Surprised, Kong Hongcai instantly stretched his hand and uttered, ¡°Alright. Throw a punch at me.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Mr. Kong!¡±


    Exerting all his strength, Chi Qiaosong went all out with that punch. With visible strength, the punch hit right in Kong Hongcai¡¯s palm.


    Pow!


    Kong Hongcai received the punch firmly and felt its power, so he was no longer in doubt. Immediately, he burst into laughter and commented, ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Chi Qiaosong! You didn¡¯t disappoint me! As you¡¯ve said, you can use visible strength and have reached Wrestler Plane now!¡±


    Immediately after, he turned toward the other teachers, clasped his hands, and declared, ¡°Oops. I¡¯m sorry, everyone. It seems like my student is coming out on top this time.¡±


    Xu Jingyang sat at a table a little further and was stunned. After the information finally registered in his mind, he teased, ¡°Mr. Kong, I think you might have to thank me for that.¡±


    ¡°What should I thank you for?¡± Kong Hongcai was confused by the statement.


    Xu Jingyang chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve taught Chi Qiaosong the Yu Sword Skill before. The Yu Sword Skill focuses on the meditation of external and internal martial arts. At this point, I guess I don¡¯t have to elaborate on its effects anymore, right?¡±


    The Military Academy did not prohibit the students from learning other martial arts.


    Kong Hongcai knew Chi Qiaosong had learned the Yu Sword Skill from Xu Jingyang for a few days after sending the latter gifts.


    Without hesitation, he slighted, ¡°The Yu Sword Skill is a soft-style martial art. What use does it have? There is no one other than you who treats it like a treasure. The martial arts that Chi Qiaosong learned from me, Crazed Bull Heavy Fist and 12 Paths Spring Kick, are the real deal.¡±


    No matter what, he was still Chi Qiaosong¡¯s homeroom teacher.


    Chi Qiaosong¡¯s breakthrough would definitely make him feel proud.


    Twisting his head to glance at Chi Qiaosong, he said gently, ¡°You should go back first. Reaching the Wrestler Plane is just a new beginning. I¡¯ll arrange your future training regimes later on.¡±

 Chapter 27 - Threshold Martial Art

    Chapter 27 Threshold Martial Art


    ¡°Ahem! Attention to all Military Academy students! I¡¯m bringing you good news!¡±


    A while after Chi Qiaosong left the office, he heard Kong Hongcai¡¯s voice from the loudspeakers.


    He came to a halt upon hearing that, anticipating that the announcement must be about him.


    As expected, Kong Hongcai went on, ¡°A student from Class 7 of Year 57, Chi Qiaosong, has broken through to the Wrestler Plane recently. He is the first Ink Ridge County¡¯s Military Academy¡¯s first-term student to reach this plane.


    I hope the rest of you will strive even harder and learn from Chi Qiaosong¡¯s example to break through to the next level faster.¡±


    There was an uproar among all the students after the announcement, including those who were practicing martial arts, resting, or even sleeping.


    ¡°Qiaosong has broken through to the Wrestler Plane already?¡± Li Weiwei immediately jumped out of bed and pulled a stack of cash out from the safe under his bed. ¡°This calls for a celebration for Qiaosong tonight!¡±


    After grabbing the monies, he headed straight toward Chi Qiaosong¡¯s dormitory.


    It was a dormitory for four people. Wang Minzhong continued his usual training regime at the compound and did not return. On the other hand, Chen Hai and Mao Sanjian stared at each other. The message earlier troubled them tremendously since they rarely talked to Chi Qiaosong in their daily lives. So it was not overemphasis to say that their relationship was not good at all.


    As a matter of fact, they were rather contemptuous toward him in the beginning.


    Now that Chi Qiaosong had broken through to the Wrestler Plane, the gap between their social positions grew further apart suddenly. Hence, they did not know how they should face Chi Qiaosong after this.


    The two of them were like a cat on a hot tin roof. They were at their wits¡¯ end as to what to do. After all, they were still striplings, unlike the adults, who were more diplomatic and flexible.


    Still, they overthought things too much.


    Chi Qiaosong couldn¡¯t even care less about the two of them. He took a fan with him the first thing after arriving at his dormitory and turned to leave for the compound to chill under the shade. He did not plan to go home that day since he still had to wait for his new training schedule.


    A while later, Li Weiwei and a few students arrived at the compound.


    ¡°Qiaosong!¡±


    ¡°Wow, Chi Qiaosong! You¡¯re really something else!¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go for a drink tonight.¡±


    ¡°It will be your treat, Qiaosong.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the champ, bro!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations on becoming the face of our batch, Chi Qiaosong.¡±


    The Military Academy was equivalent to a smaller scale of the martial world. Many students came to congratulate Chi Qiaosong after knowing he had broken through successfully.


    A few outstanding students, particularly those who thought they would break through in the near future, figured that they should build a good rapport with Chi Qiaosong since they would be people of the same level.


    After dealing with the other students, Chi Qiaosong agreed to join Li Weiwei for a dinner celebration later.


    Hiyah!


    Hah!


    Chi Qiaosong performed the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist at the small sports field.


    Meanwhile, Hao Bozhao, Kong Hongcai, Xu Jingyang, and several teachers were watching his performance while sipping teas, smoking cigarettes, and exchanging chatter with one another from time to time.


    They were examining Chi Qiaosong¡¯s martial art foundation.


    At first, they did not have to do it in such a roundabout way. Nevertheless, there wasn¡¯t an exceptional student for them to publicize here at the Ink Ridge County Military Academy. They had a lot of expectations for him now that the academy had finally produced a student with great potential.


    Furthermore, the chief instructor, Hao Bozhao, even tried to test Chi Qiaosong¡¯s martial art by himself.


    A shadow of a bull flashed across everyone¡¯s eyes as he hurled a punch.


    After that, Chi Qiaosong remained in a standby position and clasped his hands to salute the spectating teachers.


    ¡°Not bad at all. I¡¯d say your foundation is pretty solid. Your proficiency level is impressive. I could tell that you¡¯ve incorporated some leg techniques and footwork. I guess it all thanks to 12 Paths Spring Kick and Yu Sword Skill¡¯s effects.¡±


    Hao Bozhao was a skilled fighter of the Knight Plane. So, it was not hard for him to figure out Chi Qiaosong¡¯s martial art styles and origins.


    He smiled gently and commented, ¡°Martial art is not about competition. Laying a solid foundation will bring you many benefits in the future. You¡¯ve done well, Chi.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the compliment, Chief Hao.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see a young man like you who isn¡¯t arrogant and hot-headed. Now that you¡¯ve finished the beginner¡¯s physical martial arts training, you should start practicing the Threshold Martial Art to reinforce the Wrestler Plane.¡±


    The beginner¡¯s physical martial arts training was to strengthen and enhance one¡¯s physique to produce visible strength.


    For martial arts of this level, the Beginner Rank of the Wrestler Plane would be their limit.


    If one wishes to go further, one must practice Threshold Martial Art. As the name suggested, the Wrestler Plane was the threshold of martial art. Beneath that tier were the ordinary people; those who crossed it would become true fighters.


    Those who practiced the Threshold Martial Art well could reinforce the Wrestler Plane and grow toward reaching the Warrior Plane.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about martial arts. I shall leave the decision-making to you, Chief Hao.¡± Chi Qiaosong kept a low profile and didn¡¯t reveal the tricks up his sleeve.


    Nonetheless, Hao Bozhao was satisfied with his attitude. Fledglings must not have so many unnecessary thoughts; they should just obey their experienced elders¡¯ arrangements. ¡°I didn¡¯t have much to do lately. I shall train you personally.¡± ¡°Okay, Chief Hao.¡±


    ¡°I have three Threshold Martial Arts here. The Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist is the advanced version of the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist. Another level higher will be the Herculean Divine Fist; one could achieve the Knight Plane with it as their base martial art.


    Gust Swift Knife is more convoluted. Besides the need to engross oneself in it for extended periods, it is also challenging to learn. Mastering it will prove to be an arduous task. However, one could reach the Knight Plane once they¡¯d attained a sufficient level of mastery.


    Single Hand Pebble Throw is my secret martial art skill. Trust me. You couldn¡¯t find more than three in Ink Ridge County who knew this martial art. As you know, hidden weapons are considered unorthodox. It¡¯s your decision whether to learn it or not.¡±


    All three martial arts each had their pros and cons.


    Chi Qiaosong questioned, ¡°Chief Hao, which one do you think suits me best?¡±


    After mulling it over for a while, Hao Bozhao replied, ¡°My suggestion would be the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist. This one is the easiest to pick up among the three. Furthermore, you can proceed to learn the Herculean Divine Fist after that. It has a lot of potential.


    You came from a farmer¡¯s background. You¡¯ll have to hunt for jobs once you¡¯ve become an adult.


    Attaining a higher martial art plane will benefit you more than you¡¯ll expect in the future.¡±


    Those were his heartfelt words.


    If Chi Qiaosong came from a wealthy family where they could support him to immerse in the pursuit of martial art, learning the best Threshold Martial Art to reinforce his martial art foundation would be most preferred. However, Chi Qiaosong was the son of a farmer. It¡¯d be best for him to learn a martial art that was easy to master so that he could earn his wage sooner to provide for his family.


    ¡°In that case, I will learn the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.¡± Chi Qiaosong nodded firmly.


    Truth be told, he did not have to choose at all. With the existence of the bay tree¡¯s spirit root, there would be no problem for him to learn all three Threshold Martial Arts so long as he had enough fertilizers.


    While the others had to focus on quality, he could totally go for quantity. ¡°I won¡¯t be at the academy every day. Lessons are in the morning every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You will have to make your own arrangements for extra lessons. If you have any queries, you may visit my abode to inquire of me.¡±


    After writing his address, Hao Bozhao handed it to Chi Qiaosong and left the scene.


    Once students reached the Wrestler Plane, there were hardly any classes in big groups, seeing that the teachers taught most of the lessons one-to-one.


    Hence, the academic style would become something like an apprenticeship.


    At that time, Chi Qiaosong could already be considered Hao Bozhao¡¯s unofficial apprentice and disciple. Once the former achieved some results in his learning, they would, without a doubt, grow closer as a pair of teacher and student.


    Needless to say, their relationship could never hold a candle to those who had formal discipleships with their teachers.


    ¡°I might need to do some chores over there.¡± Chi Qiaosong thought to himself as he stared at the memo in his hand. Having said that, becoming a student of a chief instructor was a rather satisfactory result for him.


    ¡°Qiaosong, over here.¡±


    Li Weiwei had already hailed a rickshaw earlier.


    After getting in the rickshaw, Chi Qiaosong remarked, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Li Weiwei waved his hand and answered, ¡°Nah. Don¡¯t sweat it, Qiaosong. You can always rely on me if you need any help.¡±


    With that, he pulled some cash out and handed it to the rickshaw-wallah. ¡°Go to the NTA first. It will be a round trip. You will need to wait for a while. Once you¡¯ve returned, I need you to send my bro, Qiaosong, to the Mamen Bridge¡¯s Great Bridge Restaurant.¡±


    The driver immediately responded, ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    Although Chi Qiaosong wanted to refuse to be treated, he did not say so. He was not fond of the action of scrambling to pay for something, as he deemed it to be uncultured.


    Still, Li Weiwei was a person with a pleasant personality. So he figured he should look after the former in the future.


    The rickshaw was stable and not shaky at all.


    In no time, they arrived before the Ink Ridge County¡¯s National Testing Agency, also known as NTA. It was an agency responsible for martial art examinations, fighters¡¯ martial art planes¡¯ appraisal, and related certificate issuance over the years.


    The martial arts planes were like the College English Test Band 4 and Band 6.


    Each level had its respective certificate.

 Chapter 28 - The Grand Stride Society

    Chapter 28 The Grand Stride Society


    The test wasn¡¯t very complicated.


    The Wrestler Plane¡¯s test focused on one¡¯s visible strength, the Warrior Plane on one¡¯s hidden power, and the Knight Plane on one¡¯s transformed strength.


    The differences between these three strengths were apparent, and no single person could cheat the test. Since it wasn¡¯t a test of one¡¯s rank in a particular plane, a mock battle was also not required.


    ¡°The Wrestler Plane is the entrance into the path of martial arts. Congratulations, Mr. Chi.¡± The staff at the National Testing Agency congratulated him as she handed Chi Qiaosong a card.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The young boy took the hard plastic-like card with a huge fist drawing on its back that signified the Wrestler Plane.


    On the front was a two-inch photo of him and his brief information containing his name, gender, ethnicity, birth date, address, and Wrestler Plane ID number.


    ¡°220804-46620316-17527.¡± He read his ID out.


    The 22 represented the Jiangyou Province, while the 08 was the code for Fuliang City. The 04 was the Ink Ridge County, and 4662-03-16 was Chi Qiaosong¡¯s birth date, the 16th of March, Year 4662 of the Yellow Emperor Era.


    As for the 17527, it meant that among all the martial artists from Ink Ridge County, he was the 17527th person to reach the Wrestler Plane.


    Daxia Republic was established 112 years ago, excluding those who had reached the plane before that and those who had only registered after reaching the Warrior Plane. Around 150 martial artists would reach the Wrestler Plane every year.


    As a small county that only had around 300 thousand people, being able to produce 150 Warrior Plane martial artists every year was pretty impressive.


    Most were from the local clans that had been martial arts practitioners for generations.


    Some were from martial art gyms, but these places were expensive, and the success rate was low. Most successful martial artists would not start a gym of their own. Those who did were either those who couldn¡¯t become officials or abjected martial artists.


    A few years back, the Central Government tried to promote the establishment of martial arts academies to teach both literature and martial arts. However, that idea ended up in failure.


    The respective clans and warlords monopolized most skills. They would never teach an outsider without any reason.


    For Commander Zhu to set up military academies in the Grand Striding Region and even teach the city martial arts institute the Kuido Spear Technique that was passed down in his family was a bold move to make.


    However, that was how Chi Qiaosong was able to benefit from it.


    ¡°Mr. Qiao, congratulations.¡± A man stopped the young boy before the latter could even leave the center.


    ¡°You are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a guide for the Grand Stride Society assigned to the National Testing Agency. My name is Tao Yonghua. Here is my name card.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong accepted the name card with a confused expression and asked, ¡°Do you need something from me?¡± He had never heard of the Grand Stride Society and had no idea what kind of an organization it was.


    ¡°The Grand Stride Society is an organization consisting of the local businesses, and we are registered with the government. We are now recruiting martial artists, and we pay them very well. Would you be interested in hearing the detail?¡±


    Daxia Republic allowed a group of people to form organizations.


    For example, after taking over Fuliang, Guangxin, and Geyang Cities, Commander Zhu formed his own organization, the New Right Society.


    The New Right Society was a political organization. It was an organization with the highest level of confidentiality and security and could participate in any political activity held in the Daxia Republic.


    On the other hand, the Grand Stride Society was a business organization. It was built on a loose structure with the main focus on gathering the different businesses together. Other organizations in the county focused on various aspects such as literature, martial arts, and even logistics.


    According to an unwritten rule, a person could only join one political organization but was allowed to be affiliated with countless organizations of other aspects.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have the time now. Can we talk about this when I¡¯m free?¡± Chi Qiaosong refused as he wasn¡¯t doing business yet.


    ¡°If you are interested, feel free to call or send me a fax on the number on my name card. The Grand Stride Society will welcome you anytime.¡±


    When Chi Qiaosong returned, everyone stared at his card with admiration.


    ¡°This is so cool!¡± Li Weiwei exclaimed.


    Although the material used to make the card was low-quality, the card¡¯s meaning wasn¡¯t. A considerable difference existed between a mere civilian and a martial artist.


    It was similar to comparing a university student to someone who didn¡¯t know how to read and write.


    Just like an illiterate person might not be able to lead a comfortable life, an ordinary civilian has a lesser chance of achieving great success. However, just like getting a university degree, a martial artist had a higher chance to shine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up. You guys will have yours soon.¡± Chi Qiaosong put the card back into his pocket.


    The group then headed to the Great Bridge Restaurant to celebrate. As Chi Qiaosong was in a great mood, he had more alcohol than he usually would.


    However, he was still awake enough to refuse any event after that and returned to the dorm to rest.


    Not long after waking up the next day, Kong Hongcai summoned him.


    ¡°Originally, I planned to teach you my 6 Joints Mantis Hand and the White Rainbow Sword since these are compatible for you,¡± he sighed.


    The instructor was probably disappointed at himself for thinking that Chi Qiaosong had no talent in martial arts in the past.


    Because of that, he rambled more than usual. ¡°Being able to learn from Chief He is a form of good luck. He¡¯s a Knight Plane martial artist, after all. However, you know he¡¯s a busy person, and he might be unable to teach you all the time. Since I¡¯m considered someone who helped set you on the right path, you can continue to learn from me during your free time if you want. Your comprehensive ability is better than most people, so it¡¯s a good thing if you learn a few extra skills to protect yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Kong. I¡¯ll still have to trouble you a lot in the future.¡±


    ¡°I can handle that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Kong. Are you familiar with the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist?¡±


    Kong Hongcai laughed awkwardly and said, ¡°I practiced it a little when I was younger.¡± What he meant was that he wasn¡¯t familiar with the skill.


    ¡°Then, can you tell me which instructor is skilled with the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist? The chief instructor is planning to teach me that, so I¡¯m thinking of learning about the skill concept first.¡± After a moment of silence, the instructor replied, ¡°Xu Jingyang.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Kong.¡±


    ¡°Although the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist is an advanced version of the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, the training method and punching style are completely different. You¡¯ll have to pay more attention to that.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Also, you¡¯ll need to prepare more gifts. Xu Jingyang is a greedy person.¡± Kong Hongcai added.


    Chi Qiaosong nodded in agreement.


    The young boy had already witnessed how greedy Xu Jingyang was when he learned the Yu Sword Skill from the instructor. He had given two bottles of Hazy Wus and three packets of Gold Saints, which were worth more than a few hundred dollars in total.


    Even his tuition fee only amounted to 1500 dollars annually.


    After leaving Kong Hongcai¡¯s office, Chi Qiaosong headed to visit Liu Chun. However, the instructor wasn¡¯t in his office. The young boy checked the temporary dormitory, and the instructor wasn¡¯t there either. After asking around, he learned that Liu Chun had gone to a Taoist temple.


    There were three Taoist temples in Ink Ridge County, two in the mountains and one in the city. The one in the city was known as the Star Temple. This temple had received a lot of donations as wealthy families would send their children to the temple to learn about internal strength. Such a thing would require a hefty amount of assistance.


    The city directly managed the Star Temple.


    Most of the priests and householders of the temple were governmental officials. They were paid as they continued to enlighten themselves.


    Taoism in the new world was different from Earth¡¯s. The religious aspect of it mainly disappeared and was more like a martial arts clan. Their jobs primarily consisted of capturing demons and ghosts.


    Another of the temple¡¯s responsibilities was handling all of the strange phenomena inside the county.


    Since there was nothing for Chi Qiaosong to do at the academy, he decided to head to the Star Temple in the name of needing assistance from Liu Chun. The first thing he did when he arrived at the temple was to pray, as he was still a Serenity Cultivator in the Novice Plane after all.

 Chapter 29 - Fierce Tiger

    Chapter 29 Fierce Tiger


    Towards the Southeast of the city was a mountain known as Mount Star. that was where the Star Temple was built at.


    As it was hot during the summer, there weren¡¯t many people climbing the mountain to get to the temple.


    However, on either side of the stairs were lush green plants. The place gave off a celestial vibe.


    ¡°Can I get an incense stick?¡± Chi Qiaosong noticed a practitioner selling incense sticks when he entered the temple. In a temple, those who were going through cultivation were ranked by householders, priests, and masters, while those who weren¡¯t cultivating were simply known as practitioners.


    Nore


    The robes that these different ranks wore were visibly different as well.


    The practitioner, reading a newspaper, didn¡¯t even raise his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 dollars each from left to right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a 1 dollar one.¡±


    The young boy took out two five cents bill to purchase the cheapest incense stick.


    He lit the stick with the lighter on the table and prayed before sticking it into the cauldron surrounded by white smoke. The smoke inside the temple was so dense that Chi Qiaosong¡¯s eyes almost turned red.


    ¡°Excuse me, but can I know if Priest Liu Chun is here or not?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You are looking for Senior Brother Liu?¡± The practitioner lowered his newspaper a little to show his eyes.


    §Ñ


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m his student. I need to see him.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the practitioner nonchalantly replied and raised his newspaper back up. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is.¡±


    As the Star Temple was managed directly by the city, even a practitioner was a governmental official. It was almost impossible to join the temple if one¡¯s family wasn¡¯t prominent enough. That was why them treating commoners rudely was a common sight.


    Chi Qiaosong frowned and headed straight into the hall to search for his instructor.


    After asking around, he finally found Liu Chun in the Talisman Hall. The instructor was making a talisman at the moment. Although Taoist priests possessed Qi in their bodies, they weren¡¯t able to manifest it outside of their bodies. However, they could create talismans and infuse their Qi into them.


    The talismans made by a householder could last for three to five days.


    One made by a priest could last for ten days to half a month.


    And the master¡¯s talismans could preserve their effects for almost half a year.


    ¡°Who are you again?¡± Liu Chun was wholly focused on making his talisman that he wasn¡¯t even interested in his guest.


    ¡°Sir, my name is Chi Qiaosong. I¡¯m a student at the Military Academy who has just reached the Wrestler Plane. I happened to be able to sense energy fluctuations when I was practicing the Yu Sword Skill.¡±


    Liu Chun raised his head to study the student in front of him. ¡°Oh? You can sense energy fluctuations?¡± His eyes were judging the young man.


    There were two reasons why a Taoist priest like Liu Chun would teach at the Military Academy. One was that the commander established the academy, and the temple could not reject sending a priest to teach there. And the other was because Liu Chun had a lover, and he needed the extra income.


    As for the Purple Cloud Serenity, he never thought there would be a student who could master it.


    Many wealthy and powerful families sent their children to the temple to learn inner strength, but only a handful could master it. The requirement for getting inner strength was much harder than external skills.


    ¡°Yes. I can.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± Liu Chun put his brush down as his gentle expression was replaced with a serious one. ¡°Although our One Word Qi can¡¯t leave our bodies, it won¡¯t be hard for us to detect if you can detect energy fluctuations or not.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to lie, Mr. Liu.¡± Chi Qiaosong took his Wrestler Plane ID out of his pocket and showed it to the priest. ¡°I¡¯m already in the Wrestler Plane.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Liu Chun was still not convinced. ¡°Then, tell me, what does energy fluctuation feel like?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong then told the instructor in detail about how he sensed the fluctuation and what it felt like.


    ¡°Looks like you really can sense it. Energy fluctuation is the first step to achieving Qi. What you need to do now is follow the flow of the fluctuation and slowly cultivate it. You¡¯ll be able to gain your One Word Qi with that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The truth was that he had already generated his own One Word Qi and was now in the Novice Plane. However, he found no reason to disclose that.


    ¡°Also, your external skill training is going in the right direction since you¡¯ve already achieved the Wrestler Plane,¡± Liu Chun said. ¡°I suggest you don¡¯t give up on that too. Come to me if you find your external skill blocked by energy fluctuation. And when you finally gathered your own Qi, register yourself with the Star Temple.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong then continued to chat with Liu Chun for quite a while in the temple, mainly focused on internal strength.


    Unfortunately, the young man could not find an excuse to learn another internal strength skill. Instead, Liu Chun insisted that he focus on the Purple Cloud Serenity as, unlike external skills, jumping from one technique to another was not recommended for internal strength.


    That was because everyone had a single path to direct their skills. Mixing other paths would cause a conflict in one¡¯s Qi.


    It could cause one to lose their path.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be able to learn a higher-level technique once you have cultivated your One Word Qi,¡± Liu Chun said. ¡°Purchase a Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips from the temple on your way out. Learn how to create talismans and rites to prepare yourself for the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    On his way out, Chi Qiaosong purchased the book as his instructor had recommended.


    It cost him 25 dollars and eighty cents, and he still managed to convince himself to make the purchase.


    After heading down from the temple, he was about to head home when he noticed a bookstore. He entered the store, and it only took him a few minutes to find the same Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips published by the same publisher.


    However, it was priced at six dollars and fifty cents.


    After comparing the contents, he concluded that both were the same.


    He immediately rushed back up to the temple and found the practitioner in charge of selling the books. ¡°I want a refund!¡±


    ¡°No refunds!¡±


    ¡°What? This book is priced at six dollars 50 cents at the other places, and you¡¯re selling it for 25 dollars and 80 cents!¡±


    ¡°You only noticed the price difference, huh? I guess you don¡¯t know that all our books are blessed by a master. Reciting this book will bring peace to your family.¡± The practitioner flipped the book to the first page, with a talisman pattern on it. ¡°This is the Family Protection Talisman made by our abbot.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was slightly shocked when he saw the talisman.


    Although weak, he could feel Qi from the talisman, proving that it was real.


    However, he still felt like he was scammed for buying a Family Protection Talisman for more than 19 dollars.


    ¡°Fine! i¡¯ll at least show my instructor some respect. I¡¯ll return once I learn how to make my own talisman!¡± Chi Qiaosong clicked his tongue before he left.


    ¡°Like you can learn that!¡± The practitioner couldn¡¯t help but secretly scoff as he watched the young boy leave.


    ¡°Since the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist mimics the bull, you can guess that a tiger inspires the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist. That¡¯s why these two skills are different.¡±


    He Bozhao finally found time on a Wednesday to teach Chi Qiaosong and explain the skill to him.


    As a Knight Plane martial artist, he could mimic a tiger with every punch. It was as if he had a tiger¡¯s soul in him that would manifest whenever he threw his punch out.


    The young boy only had time to memorize the movements before the class ended.


    He Bozhao checked his watch and said, ¡°I have a meeting on Friday, so you¡¯ll have to practice on your own. Your first homework is to master the movement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Chi Qiaosong paused for a second. ¡°Sir, can I ask Mr. Xu Jingyang to help me with the skill too?¡±


    The chief instructor frowned. ¡°What? Do you think that I can¡¯t teach you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just that you are an extremely busy person, Mr. He. There¡¯s no way I can trouble you with all the small detail.¡± Chi Qiaosong truthfully replied, as he never liked relying on the instructors too. ¡°I can practice on my own once I get my basics right, and I¡¯ll only come to you if there¡¯s a problem I can¡¯t solve myself.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong wanted to understand the fundamentals of every skill instead of relying on the instructors¡¯ teachings.


    After a moment of hesitation, He Bozhao nodded.¡±Makes sense. I do need to handle all the lessons here. Even half of my time is spent on meetings. I¡¯ll let Xu Jingyang know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. You¡¯re my student, after all.¡±

 Chapter 30 - Degraded Lentils

    Chapter 30 Degraded Lentils


    ¡°Oh, right. Prepare everything you need to register for an organization,¡± He Bozhao said just as he was about to leave as if he had suddenly recalled it.


    ¡°For what, sir?¡±


    ¡°The New Right Society. You¡¯re only 15 this year, right? It¡¯s better for you to join earlier so that you¡¯ll have a chance to grow.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong hesitated. ¡°Is it alright for me to join at such an early age?¡±


    The young boy did not believe that the New Right Society would succeed. It was true that Commander Zhu was the center of attention at the moment, but with how fast the warlords were changing in the Jiangyou Province. There was a high chance that Commander Zhui might be replaced in a few years, and the New Right Society would also become past tense.


    It was as if He Bozhao had noticed what Chi Qiaosong was thinking about. The chief instructor stopped and smiled. ¡°The experience you¡¯ve accumulated by joining a political organization can be used everywhere. If you were to leave the New Right Society one day, other places would want you because of that experience.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Chi Qiaosong nodded.


    ¡°Go and get a sample from Mr. Xiang and study it. Hand your introduction essay to me next week, and I¡¯ll recommend you to the organization. Also, if organizations of other nature invite you to join them, refuse them. It¡¯s a waste to get tied to them now.¡±


    ¡°I will do that. Thank you, sir.¡±


    If he were to join a political organization at an early age, he could accumulate experience earlier than most people.


    However, joining other organizations was different. The benefit wouldn¡¯t be that great if the timing weren¡¯t right.


    That was the conclusion that Chi Qiaosong came to. Having the chief instructor as his master had a lot of hidden benefits. He was able to join the New Right Society earlier than others.


    However, the problem was that He Bozhao was a busy person, and he didn¡¯t have a lot of time to teach Chi Qiaosong. ¡°I¡¯ll still need Mr. Xu to teach me the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll go earn some money to buy the Gold Saints and Hazy Wus then.¡± Chi Qiaosong sighed as he mentally prepared to go hunting again.


    After giving it some thought, he suddenly said, ¡°Wait, maybe I should prepare more gifts and learn the White Rainbow Sword from Mr. Kong at the same time as well?¡±


    After leaving the academy, Chi Qiaosong headed back on a tricycle pulled by a donkey.


    On his way back, Chi Qiaosong admired the scenery as he thought about which path he should take in martial arts.


    The Wrestler Plane was a threshold, and training skills outside that threshold were known as forced learning. In contrast, the techniques and skills inside the threshold were known as threshold martial arts.


    Just like the martial artist planes, threshold martial arts could also be categorized.


    The Wrestler Threshold was where one would not break into the next plane by training them. The Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist was one of them.


    The Warrior Threshold consisted of martial arts that would help one advance to the Warrior Plane.


    And the Knight Threshold helped one break into the Knight Plane.


    Chi Qiaosong shook his head as only a few people mentioned these thresholds since martial arts weren¡¯t something that could be easily explained through words.


    ¡°In the end, the foundation of martial arts differs from one to another. Some can advance to the Warrior Plane by focusing on the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.¡±


    That was why he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist was considered a Wrestler Threshold or a Warrior Threshold.


    Some had trained that same skill for their entire lives and had never even understood its fundamentals. These people might not even reach the Intermediate Rank of the Wrestler Plane.


    Different martial arts had other starting points as well.


    Some martial arts only needed visible strength to train, while others also needed hidden strength to master. There were even a few that needed transformed strength.


    The coachman rang the bell when they were out of the city wall, and they started to head towards First Ridge.


    The sun was setting, and the Thousand Emerald Hill looked as if it was shrouded in a golden ray. It was so beautiful that it could be developed into a tourist spot on Earth. However, since the Daxia Republic had a lot of land but not enough population, beautiful sceneries as such were everywhere.


    ¡°What am I thinking so much for? I have a cheat, and with enough fertilizers, I can learn every martial art.¡±


    Once outside the First Ridge, Chi Qiaosong jumped off the tricycle, paid his fare, and walked back home with the bag of snacks in his hand.


    During dinner, Chi Qiaosong looked at the bok choy in his bowl and asked, ¡°Is this the one from the greenhouse?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We harvested some of the plants. We can harvest the cucumber, eggplant, and tomato soon. The plants in there sure grow up fast!¡± The aunt-in-law exclaimed.


    ¡°There should be enough for us to eat, right?¡± ¡°Yes, since they grow really fast. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Mr. Chi hesitated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    The father let out a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the jade lentils,¡± the uncle replied. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the jade lentils?¡±


    ¡°They were thriving before, you know? But they didn¡¯t grow for the past few days, and those¡­ group?¡±


    ¡°The control group?¡± ¡°Yes! The lentils in the control group caught up.¡± The uncle sighed, just like the father. ¡°I don¡¯t think the jade lentils will make it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll grab a flashlight and check it out after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Go tomorrow. It¡¯s already so late,¡± Mrs. Chi said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. I have to head there to guard the farm anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll go with him. Don¡¯t worry.¡± The uncle nodded.


    After dinner, the uncle and the nephew headed to the hillside plot, guiding their paths with a flashlight. Chi Qiaosong had already recovered the flashlight he had lost during the fight with the She-Viper. It had dropped into a puddle of mud, and after drying it by leaving it under the sun, it was still working.


    With the help of the light, Chi Qiaosong compared the jade lentils to the control group and realized the control group lentils had grown to the point where they were about to bloom.


    Also, the first few jade lentils they had planted had completely degenerated and were nothing more than regular lentils now.


    ¡°So? Find anything?¡± the uncle asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Chi Qiaosong shook his head. ¡°These lentils degraded once we moved them out of the greenhouse. It looks like we won¡¯t be able to become rich through planting jade lentils¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Chi Xiuyuan cried.


    Although he had guessed that the jade lentils had degraded, he still prayed that his feeling was wrong. However, having that confirmed by his nephew, it felt like his world had crumbled.


    Even Chi Qiaosong was disappointed as well. However, he had only lost one way of making money and still had many other options. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle.¡± He comforted. ¡°I¡¯m already a Wrestler Plane martial artist. Look, I even have my ID now. This is more than enough to make us rich.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know you¡¯ll become successful. It¡¯s just that I¡­ Forget it¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there something on your mind?¡±


    After a few persuasions, the uncle finally opened up. ¡°I was hoping that when the jade lentils can be harvested, I¡¯ll move back here and handle the entire First Ridge with you and big brother. I won¡¯t have to head into the city every day anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Managing dried food is indeed a hard job.¡± Chi Qiaosong nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about how hard it is. It¡¯s just hard for me to earn back the cost. I¡¯ve been waking up early and returning late these past few months to gather dried food and sell them in the city, but I was barely able to cover the cost of doing so¡­¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°I paid for the stocks, but when I distributed them to the sellers, they just signed an IOU with me, saying that their businesses weren¡¯t good and needed time to pay me back in full. I just don¡¯t have the asset for them to keep doing that.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Application

    Chapter 31 Application


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get your money back. You can¡¯t let them drag this out even further. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Chi Qiaosong said.


    It was already hard for his uncle to make money. There was no way the young boy would let other people make use of his uncle¡¯s kindness and honesty. He was angry at the people who would actually make his uncle, who would work before the sun rose until the sun had set entirely, go broke.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you worried about, Uncle? I¡¯m already a Wrestler Plane martial artist. There are only a few thousand in the entire county that is actually stronger than me. Also, my master is He Bozhao, the chief instructor of the Military Academy and a Knight Plane martial artist.¡±


    After Chi Xiuyuan thought about it, he realized his nephew was right. There was no way a shop owner would offend a martial artist over a few dozen dollars worth of debt.


    There was also the fact that Chi Qiaosong had already reached the Wrestler Plane despite his young age.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go together. We¡¯ll be able to get the money back.¡±


    ¡°Once that happens, you should stop working as a distributor. Why don¡¯t you just stay with dad and care for the farm?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. The farm isn¡¯t big enough for both of us.¡± The uncle shook his head.


    The farm was under Mr. Chi¡¯s name. Since Chi Xiuyuan didn¡¯t want to pay the farmer¡¯s tax and the profit from farming was low, he decided not to keep a piece of the land for himself and work in the city instead.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just take the whole First Ridge then.¡±


    ¡°Are we still doing that? Didn¡¯t the jade lentils fail?¡±


    ¡°So? We still have to get the entire First Ridge either way since this is where the Chi family¡¯s foundation lies. As for the money, just leave that to me.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was confident that it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to earn more money as a Wrestler Plane martial artist.


    He needed to own the entire First Ridge because the farm that came from his head would continue to expand.


    He would plant even more spirit roots, and all of those had to be kept a secret.


    ¡°But, it¡¯ll cost 75 thousand for a five-year contract. How are we supposed to find that money?¡±


    For the next few days, Chi Qiaosong accompanied his uncle to visit a few dry food and herb stores to get the money back.


    When he showed his Wrestler Plane ID, the owners¡¯ expressions would change immediately.


    They would then laugh awkwardly as they quickly pay their debts while saying something like, ¡°Mr. Chi, I have no idea that your nephew is a martial arts genius. I look forward to our cooperation in the future. I promise I will pay you when I get the products.¡±


    That actually managed to make Chi Xiuyuan have a change of heart. ¡°Qiaosong, isn¡¯t it better if I keep working on this?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s too exhausting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t feel any stability in farming. How can we know if the whole land is suitable for farming? Look at the lentils. There aren¡¯t even enough to use them as fertilizers.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, why are you such a worrywart?¡± Chi Qiaosong sighed. ¡°Think about it. How much money would we get if we sold the Place Subduing Noble and the She-Viper? It would at least take us a few years of farming to get that much money.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ You¡¯re not wrong on that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go back to the mountain to hunt more spirit beasts. Since I¡¯m officially in the Wrestler Plane now, it¡¯s time to use that to the full advantage.¡±


    However, it didn¡¯t go as the young boy had planned.


    He headed into the mountain for the next few days, to the point where he even headed to the Tenth Ridge, but he did not encounter even a single spirit beast. He had also been guarding the farmhouse, and no She-Viper tried to invade the farm either.


    It frustrated him, and he needed to calm himself down with a fan.


    ¡°Could it be that the spirit plants in the greenhouse are not alluring enough for them?


    He had always believed that the She-Viper and the Mountain Drum were both attracted by the farm. That was why he thought another spirit beast would try to do the same.


    Yet, after a whole week, he didn¡¯t even spot a normal wild animal trying to enter the greenhouse.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t run into a spirit beast, it¡¯ll take at least a few years to get enough money for the First Ridge by hunting normal animals.¡± Chi Qiaosong was a little frustrated.


    He had also considered using some of Earth¡¯s inventions to make a fortune in the new world.


    However, most of the necessities already existed in Daxia Republic. They didn¡¯t have things that couldn¡¯t be easily made, like handphones, computers, and even electric vehicles.


    Also, handphones and computers were already invented in the Daxia Republic. They just weren¡¯t normalized yet.


    He had also thought of writing novels, but he couldn¡¯t remember the detail of the novels he had read. He still tried to write Jin Yong¡¯s wuxia novels, but he couldn¡¯t even finish writing the prologue. He even felt he could finish telling the entire the Legend of the Condor Heroes story in 1000 words.


    Yet, he clearly remembered that that specific book had a million words.


    ¡°Man, this is a bust. Why can¡¯t I have like a super memory and can make an exact copy?


    In the end, he concluded that his only way to make money was still through his martial arts.


    Fortunately, he could still encounter a few wild boars and bears in the mountain and had made some money from selling those.


    At least he had saved up enough to buy the gifts for Xu Jingyang. ¡°When the tiger strikes, its muscles will tense up before launching a full-strength attack. The Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist follows that same principle¡­¡± Xu Jingyang started teaching Chi Qiaosong after accepting two Gold Saints and two Hazy Wus from the young boy.


    As long as there was enough gift, the instructor would teach the student everything he knew.


    Chi Qiaosong followed the instructor¡¯s teachings down to the detail. Having mastered three external skills, all of his joints had been loosened, and he could easily mimic all the moves.


    However, the lack of martial arts talent in his body was still slowing him down.


    ¡°You have only copied the movements and did not understand the concept behind each move!¡± Xu Jingyang shook his head as he watched Chi Qiaosong perform the punches. ¡°You are the best student in your year. Why do you look like you are worse than most of your peers?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because I struggle with the foundation but can quickly master the entire thing after that?¡¯ Chi Qiaosong quickly made an excuse.


    ¡°Maybe, but Xi Longlong is much more talented than you. He¡¯s already better than you in terms of mastering the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.¡±


    Xi Longlong was the second student to advance to the Wrestler Plane after Chi Qiaosong


    However, the second did not receive the same treatment as the first. The chief instructor didn¡¯t even pay attention to Xi Longlong, and another Knight Realm instructor became his master. The problem was that instructor wasn¡¯t that focused on teaching the student.


    That was why Xi Longlong would frequently visit Xu Jingyang.


    As a young boy, it was hard for Chi Qiaosong not to retort to that. ¡°I only need to use one of my arms to defeat him.¡±


    ¡°You sure have a big mouth.¡± Although Xu Jingyang didn¡¯t like that remark, he didn¡¯t deny it either.


    After Xi Longlong advanced to the Wrestler Plane, he wasn¡¯t happy that Chi Qiaosong had managed to beat him to it. He challenged Chi Qiaosong, thinking he could win his peer and become the eldest senior brother of the Military Academy.


    The result was Xi Longlong getting knocked out by Chi Qiaosong with a single punch in front of hundreds of students.


    Although they were both in the Wrestler Plane, Xi Longlong was only in the Low-grade Beginner Rank Wrestler Plane. He couldn¡¯t defeat Chi Qiaosong, who was in the High-grade Beginner Rank.


    From that day onward, Chi Qiaosong had secured his title as the eldest senior brother.


    A lot of students tried to befriend him, and he was even approached by many organizations, hoping that he would join them.


    However, he obeyed his master¡¯s suggestion and did not join them.


    Instead, he approached Xiang Cong, an instructor in the New Right Society, to assist him in writing an introduction essay totaling around 1500 words.


    Hao Bozhao had submitted the essay, and all he had to do now was wait for the New Right Society to approve his application.

 Chapter 32 - Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips

    Chapter 32 Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips


    After spending a whole day learning the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist from Xu Jingyang, Chi Qiaosong headed back that night just as always.


    Since he was officially now a day school student of the military academy, there was no need for him to stay in the dormitory anymore as it wasn¡¯t required.


    Once he returned to the farmhouse, he looked at the greenhouse that wasn¡¯t even lit by any light and saw the information about the farm.


    Level 2 Farm: 2/15 hectare


    Fertilizer Storage: 2 bags


    Spirit Roots(2): Bay Tree¡­), Saturn Peach Tree(¡­)


    External Spirit Root: None


    Spirit Plants: ¡­


    Since it wasn¡¯t September yet and he had yet to hunt a spirit beast to turn them into fertilizers, only two bags of fertilizers remained in the storage.


    He clicked on the dots behind the bay tree and saw that only the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, 12 Paths Spring Kick, and Yu Sword Skill were in the detailed information.


    The Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist was not on there.


    Even after two weeks of training, it was clear that he had yet to grasp the fundamentals of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist. It was harder to master a threshold martial art compared to physical martial arts, after all.


    One could not master a threshold martial art by simply training the same movement repeatedly. They would need to understand and master the visible strength changes in the movements.


    That was something that one would have to spend a lot of time thinking about as it was highly complicated. Time had to be spent as they continued to try and understand the skills.


    The young boy turned his attention away from the farm and headed back to the farmhouse.


    A few days back, he had directed electricity from his family house to the farmhouse and was now able to light the inside of the farmhouse with a 30 watts light bulb.


    At first, he was planning on writing some novels with the light, but once his plan of becoming a successful author failed, he started to read the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips at night under the light instead.


    There was no way he would waste the 25 dollars and 80 cents that he had spent to buy that book.


    To be more precise, the first half of the book contained, or 40% of the entire content, needed to be drilled into his mind. He¡¯d only have to memorize all of them as that 40% contained the talisman patterns meant to be used in drawing talismans.


    There were four patterns to construct a talisman: the variant texts, seal scripts, spirit symbols, and runes.


    Without understanding the detail, it would be hard for him to create a powerful talisman.


    an.


    He started reading the variant texts first.


    According to his understanding, variant text was a form of text made by combining different characters, forming almost infinite combinations.


    The content was even more complex than a dictionary, from how these characters were combined to the reduction of strokes and the replacement of punctuations and spaces.


    After studying for a while, Chi Qiaosong could feel his head hurting.


    He couldn¡¯t help but close the book and said, ¡°I finally understand why it¡¯s so hard to learn internal strength. This book is pretty much as hard as the heaven scriptures!¡±


    Even the science subjects back on Earth were easier.


    He could see that it would take him forever to finish reading the entire book.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Chi Qiaosong turned to look at the greenhouse through the window. ¡°I wonder if the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips is considered an internal strength?¡±


    If his guess was correct, it could grow on the Saturn peach tree and bloom.


    With that in mind, he walked out of the farmhouse to check on the peach tree. However, only the Purple Cloud Serenity could be seen on the tree and the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips was nowhere to be seen.


    Either the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips was not considered an internal strength, or he had yet to understand its fundamentals.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just wait and see. I¡¯ll have to read the whole book at least once first.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath to mitigate the pain in his head.


    The young boy turned his attention back to the book after that.


    The cicadas outside the farm had quieted as the night turned late.


    The light on the ceiling was radiating heat on top of Chi Qiaosong¡¯s head as if it were a mini fireplace.


    There was no fan or an air conditioner in the farmhouse.


    The boy had no choice but to take his clothes off and only wore a boxer. As he continued to read, sweat continued to drip to the floor. The mosquitos outside the farmhouse had detected his sweaty smell and were trying to get past the mosquito net that covered the door and windows.


    Underneath the table, half of the mosquito-repellent incense had been burnt, and the faint chrysanthemum aroma from the incense had filled the room.


    As time slowly passed, Chi Qiaosong yawned and fell asleep, resting his head on his arms.


    ¡°Hey! Over here!¡±


    A squirrel waved at another squirrel.


    CO


    Chi Qiaosong, still a little hazy, listened to the squirrels and realized he could understand them. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± the other squirrel replied. The two squirrels ran through the forest. They would pause on a branch from time to time to make sure that there was no danger nearby.


    Once they were sure that the surroundings were safe, they would continue running.


    After a while, they arrived at the fence made of bamboo and barbed wires. However, those weren¡¯t enough to stop the two little animals as they easily climbed past the fence.


    Chi Qiaosong also followed the two squirrels.


    In front of him was now a vast greenhouse that seemed familiar to him, but he could not remember where he had seen it before.


    The squirrels quickly entered the greenhouse and started munching the vegetables and fruits there. Chi Qiaosong stood behind them and watched them enjoy their feasts.


    Once the two little animals were full, one of them said, ¡°That¡¯s enough for me. How about


    you?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Me too. Should we go?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two squirrels quickly climbed over the fence and ran towards the forest. A few minutes in, one of the squirrels suddenly stopped and said, ¡°I want to go see little


    gourd.¡±


    The other squirrel nodded. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go see little gourd.¡± They changed direction, ran for a while, and stopped to check for dangers before continuing. Still fuzzy, Chi Qiaisong followed the animals to see the little gourd they were talking about.


    After a while, they finally reached a cave on the mountain and saw the little gourd. It was a gourd plant that wasn¡¯t big, and its vine was climbing up a dead tree next to it. The flowers on the vine had faint colors, but they were colorful.


    One of the flowers had already withered, and a small gourd was growing out of it. It was only the size of an eraser and would swing back and forth as the wind blew.


    ¡°Little gourd. So pretty¡­¡± The squirrels climbed up the vine and looked at the plant up close.


    The other squirrel reached its paw out to touch it. ¡°So pretty¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a hoot could be heard.


    One of the squirrels froze and said in a shaky voice, ¡°I-it¡¯s an owl¡­¡±


    ¡°O-owl?¡± The other squirrel started to tremble.


    ¡°Run!¡±


    ¡°Run!¡±


    The two little animals quickly ran out of the cave while Chi Qiaosong chased after them until his world began to spin, and he opened his eyes.


    The lightbulb was still radiating heat on the top of his head.


    The faint chrysanthemum aroma still filled the room.


    He wiped the drool off the corner of his mouth, and it took him a while to realize what had happened. ¡°I was asleep, and it was just a dream¡­ The dream felt quite real, though. The two squirrels came to my farm and ate some of the plants¡­¡±

 Chapter 33 - The Gourd Vine

    Chapter 33 The Gourd Vine


    ¡°Qiaosong!¡±


    Mrs. Chi, who came to pick vegetables in the greenhouse, suddenly shouted, ¡°Did the greenhouse get hit by thieves last night? Why are the vegetables in such a mess?¡±


    The thieves she was referring to were not real thieves but small animals that steal food.


    Chi Qiaosong, who had just finished practicing the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, was scooping water from the urn to wipe down his body. He walked over in a loose T-shirt and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Look here. The lettuce leaves have been gnawed. The unripe radishes have been pulled out. And here, the cabbage leaves were chewed up in pieces¡­¡±


    Mrs. Chi stood on the edge of the field, clearly angry and distressed.


    The vegetables in the greenhouse were very precious. They were the heart of the Chi family. Usually, they were meticulous when picking them for fear of being too rough and hurting these precious little seedlings.


    Now, a large area had been ravaged by some unknown small beasts.


    ¡°Nothing came last night, I don¡¯t think. The fence protects everything.¡± Chi Qiaosong frowned as he looked at the vegetables that had been damaged. He didn¡¯t detect anything amiss last night.


    Logically, large-sized animals could not even bypass the fence.


    Moreover, all the wild animals in the vicinity had been hunted down during his daily outings. Not even many rabbits were left.


    Suddenly, a thought flashed as he remembered his dream last night. In the dream, two little squirrels came to the greenhouse to steal food, and he followed behind the little squirrels and could see everything clearly.


    Looking at the vegetables that had been damaged, he silently compared them with his memory. He was surprised that these vegetables and the vegetables that the little squirrels ate were overlapping.


    The lettuce, radishes, cabbage¡­


    Whatever the little squirrels stole in the dream, that was the vegetables harmed in the greenhouse.


    ¡°Is this even possible?¡± Chi Qiaosong was astonished beyond words. He was clearly dreaming last night, so how could the things that happened in his dream actually happen in real life?


    Mrs. Chi was still muttering on the side. ¡°Oh, I should have known that you were so sound asleep at night that you couldn¡¯t hear anything. I should have your dad or your uncle come to take over the watch at night.¡±


    He ignored his mother¡¯s complaining.


    The more Chi Qiaosong thought about it, the more incredible it seemed. He carefully recalled the dream he had while he was resting last night and found that the dream was extremely realistic. He could clearly remember the many roads that the two little squirrels had traveled.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    He jolted abruptly.


    Then, he thought of another thing in the dream. ¡°The two little squirrels went to look at some gourd vines, and there were flowers of all colors on the gourd vines¡­My goodness, it can¡¯t be the gourd vines that bear the gourd babies?!¡±


    Thinking of this, he could no longer remain still.


    He knew now that this world had mountain spirits, demons, ghosts, and such. It was not entirely impossible to add gourd babies to that list.


    ¡°Mom, you stay here. I¡¯m going out.¡±


    ¡°Are you going hunting again?¡±


    ¡°No, just going out to take a look around.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong took the spirit tusk dagger and the machete and walked outside the fence. Based on his memory, he found the location where the squirrels had climbed over the wall and then walked deep into the mountains based on memory.


    Although his memory was clear, there were still many details that were not coherent, which caused Chi Qiaosong to take many detours.


    But the general route could still be discerned with some effort.


    He repeatedly searched and compared, over and over again.


    An hour later, he successfully followed the trail of the little squirrels in his dream and entered the valley north of First Ridge. There was a small creek in this valley that would eventually flow into the Great Striding Lake.


    ¡°It should be in this direction.¡± He stood by the creek to orient himself for a moment before firmly turning to the west.


    Overgrown with weeds, there were not many trees or plants in this area.


    Not long after he walked out of it, he entered a small forest. He now recalled entirely that it was in this small forest that the little squirrels saw the little gourd hanging off the dead tree.


    ¡°I have to find the dead tree first!¡± Chi Qiaosong searched slowly and methodically.


    The sun was hanging high above the sky, and the small forest was heated up to a state of anxiety. At this moment, a dead tree came into his view, along with the gourd vines that clung to its dead branches.


    Chi Qiaosong was overjoyed.


    Upon closer inspection, he found that these gourd vines was indeed the one from his dream. There were many small whitish flowers on the vines, but each seemed dazzled with a slightly different iridescence.


    A tiny small green gourd hung near the main vine.


    This gourd was covered in a fine fuzz on the surface and looked incredibly adorable.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but touch the leaves of the gourd vines with his hand. Immediately, he felt that the gourd vines had an unusual yet very familiar aura.


    Similar to the aura of the bay tree and the Saturn peach tree.


    Therefore, he reached a quick conclusion. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will yield gourd babies or not, but this is definitely a spirit root!¡±


    The Golden Finger in the field made the planting of the spirit root source and the external spirit root possible. The spirit root source was transformed by his own foundation, while the external spirit root was the spirit root transplanted from the wild.


    Previously when hunting in the mountains, he paid close attention to old trees and exotic flowers, but he never found another spirit root.


    He never expected that a dream would bring a spirit root to him.


    ¡°No, not a dream!¡±


    Standing next to the gourd vines, Chi Qiaosong clearly realized that last night he might not have been simply dreaming but had experienced something similar to an out-of-body journey.


    He had seen similar reports on Fox News.


    It was said that there were martial artists who cultivated the evil arts and used voodoo to harm others, pulling out their souls and slaying them. The victims would die without exhibiting any discernible wounds.


    There was also a tale of a woman who married a rat in her dream and lay with the rat every night in her dreams. She thought it was just some kind of strange dream, but later the woman really gave birth to a monster that was half human and half rat.


    Aside from that, the cultivation of the internal skills of martial arts to the Divine Plane and the Great Divine Plane meant that one could not only nurture divine thunders in the palms of one¡¯s hands, but one¡¯s nascent soul was able to travel outside of the body and roam among mountains and rivers overnight.


    ¡°But how can I have an out-of-body experience like that?¡±


    He was only in the Novice Plane, however.


    Chi Qiaosong frowned and thought, ¡°Was I attracted by the little squirrels? So, these two little squirrels were squirrel spirits? Or was I attracted by this spirit root, the gourd vines, and it was deliberately luring me over here?¡±


    All of them seemed to have some truth, but none seemed to be quite it.


    He suddenly thought of that two acres of field. ¡°Could it be because of the Golden Finger? Maybe the field sensed the aura of the spirit root from the little squirrels so that I had an out-of-body experience to find these gourd vines?¡±


    For now, he had no answers.


    But one thing Chi Qiaosong was sure about was transplanting the gourd vines into the field as soon as possible. However, since the field had not yet been upgraded, for the time being, there were only two acres of land, and only two spiritual roots could be planted.


    He already had the bay tree and the Saturn peach tree, representing the internal and external skills of his martial arts¡¯ foundations; they must not be moved.


    So, if he wanted to transplant the gourd vines, he had to wait for the field to upgrade first.


    The wait brought him to the beginning of September.


    Ara


    When the third bag of fertilizer appeared in the fertilizer storage, and after the spirit plants in the greenhouse were repeatedly harvested, they had finally accumulated enough experience to help the field to upgrade to Grade 3.


    Grade 3 field: 2 acres/3 acres (3 acres could be realized, and currently 2 acres had been realized; fields need to be connected)


    Fertilizer storage: Three bags


    Spirit root source (2): bay tree (¡­); Saturn peach tree (¡­)


    External Spirit Root (o): None


    Spirit plants: ¡­


    There were few changes in the upgrade, meaning the area had been expanded from two to three acres.


    The platform made here from the farmhouse was originally three to four acres in size. All they had to do was move the fence a bit, and an area of about an acre could be vacated for realization.


    But the most urgent task was to transplant the spirit root.


    Chi Qiaosong led his father and uncle, bringing shovels, poles, bags, and ropes with them, and quickly moved in the direction of the gourd vines.

 Chapter 34 - Spirit Treasure

    Chapter 34 Spirit Treasure


    ¡°Dig carefully, and keep digging deeper, but don¡¯t hurt the root of the gourd vines!¡± ¡°I know, brother. You just make sure you keep a good grip on it so the little gourd doesn¡¯t shake too much. If it shakes too much, it will fall off.¡±


    Next to the dead tree, Chi Qiaosong, his father, and his uncle were carefully digging at the root of the gourd vines. To protect the life of the gourd vines to the greatest extent, they were ready to dig out the root together with the surrounding soil.


    Because the gourd vines clung to the dead branches, they had to be sawed off along with it, or else the vines would be damaged.


    Each of the little flowers on the vines, in Chi Qiaosong¡¯s eyes, represented a gourd baby. Especially the tiny green gourd near the main vine might have a big baby hidden inside.


    A big gourd baby would be mighty. If he really materialized, the family would have someone who could work hard in the fields in the future.


    After much toil, they finally dug out the gourd vines with a large piece of soil attached. It was put into a bag, which was then carried by Mr. Chi and the second uncle with a pole. Chi Qiaosong held on to the dead branches and followed them along to protect the gourd vines.


    They walked, taking frequent breaks in between.


    Back and forth, it took three whole hours before the gourd vines were transported to the two-acre greenhouse in one piece.


    ¡°Water the vines, don¡¯t let them dry out.¡± Mr. Chi was panting from exhaustion. Still, he scooped some water with a ladle and poured it on the gourd vines to prevent them from being dried out by the sun.


    Just traveling this distance, the gourd vines had wilted considerably.


    ¡°Drink some water first, you three.¡± Mrs. Chi had already prepared a cooling herbal tea and brought it over to Mr. Chi, the second uncle, and Chi Qiaosong. ¡°Yuping and I have dug the pit already. Do you think it¡¯s big enough?¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ll widen it a little more.¡± The second uncle took a sip of the herbal tea before he took the shovel from the second aunt and enlarged the pit a little more. ¡°It¡¯s better now. Qiaosong, should I plant it?¡±


    The location of the gourd vines was picked out in advance by Chi Qiaosong.


    He had already realized the third acre of the field, next to the two-acre greenhouse. When he heard it, he nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s plant it.¡±


    The three of them worked together, and with the help of Mrs. Chi and the second aunt, they quickly planted the gourd vines. After they buried it in the soil, Mr. Chi and the second uncle buried the four wooden posts that were prepared ahead of time and then put loose strips of pine blanks on top to create an arbor of sorts for the vines.


    Then, he carefully removed the dead branches and wrapped the vines of the gourd around the pine planks.


    Now, everything was done.


    Looking at the little gourd with green skin gently swaying in the wind, Chi Qiaosong¡¯s mouth gradually turned up in a smile. This time, he finally perceived all the information about the gourd vines.


    Grade 3 field: Three acres


    Fertilizer Storage: Three bags


    Spirit root source (2): bay tree (¡­); Saturn peach tree (¡­)


    External spirit root (1): Rainbow Gourd Vines (¡­)


    Spirit plants: ¡­


    These gourd vines were called the Rainbow Gourd Vines, and when the ¡°¡­¡± was expanded, the information could be clearly seen.


    One was the introduction to the Rainbow Gourd Vines. ¡°The remnant seed of the ancient gourd spirit root that seized the opportunity between heaven and earth and broke through the ground. It may give birth to the Rainbow Gourds, all of which are considered spirit treasures.¡±


    Another piece of information was about the growth rate of the Rainbow Gourd. ¡°The red gourd is 12%, the orange gourd is 3%, the yellow gourd is 1%, the green gourd is 1%, the aqua gourd is 1%, the blue gourd is 1%, and the purple gourd is 1%.¡± ¡°Rainbow Gourd?¡±


    ¡°Spirit treasure?¡± Chi Qiaosong was stunned by this revelation.


    The evolution of this world was indeed extraordinary.


    The spirit root in plants seemed to have been propagated from ancient times to the present rather than cultivated from some ordinary plants. Of course, just a vine was not enough to prove anything.


    ¡°Qiaosong, once we planted these gourd vines, will another acre of vegetables grow in the greenhouse?¡± the second uncle asked with a smile.


    The question pulled Chi Qiaosong back to reality. He nodded as he replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The second uncle was immediately overjoyed. ¡°That¡¯s great news! Brother, let¡¯s go get some more materials and build a greenhouse ourselves. I learned all the techniques of building a greenhouse last time.¡±


    Ever since he listened to his nephew and stopped going out to collect dry goods, he always felt that just guarding the few acres of land at the First Ridge was not enough; they would starve one day.


    Now, the news that they could have another one-acre greenhouse pleased him to no end. He felt that if things progressed smoothly like this, they would be able to build greenhouses all over the mountains, and they would never have to worry about starving ever again.


    He and Mr. Chi, as well as the second aunt and Mrs. Chi, immediately began to discuss the matter of buying more materials for the greenhouse.


    A while ago, Chi Qiaosong had helped collect the second uncle¡¯s arrears. Now the second uncle had some money in hand. He could use this money to build the greenhouse, which would be considered his part of getting into the family business.


    However, Chi Qiaosong did not care much for these mundane affairs.


    With his parents, uncle, and aunt working hard on these matters, he was happy to focus on other things. As he stood under the gourd arbor and counted how many flowers were in bloom, he was surprised to find that there were actually thirteen flowers by now.


    ¡°It is clear that only seven gourds can be grown from the vines, but there are thirteen flowers¡­ Counting the first flower that had withered and given birth to a gourd, there are fourteen flowers.¡±


    ¡°That is to say, the other seven flowers would either bear no gourds, or the gourds they bore would be the ordinary varieties?¡±


    He had never had an experience like that.


    For now, he couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    After thinking about it for a while, he decided to apply a bag of fertilizer to the Rainbow Gourd Vines to speed up the growth of the gourds. However, he found out that the fertilizer could not be used on the external spirit roots but could only be used for the spirit roots source. ¡°What kind of restriction is this?!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong shook his head and sighed. He couldn¡¯t speed up the growth through fertilization, which meant he could only wait for the Rainbow Gourd Vines to grow at its own pace. Moreover, the Rainbow Gourd had already been determined as a spirit treasure. Gourd babies would probably not have much to offer compared to that.


    No matter what, finding an external spirit root was a happy event for the family.


    ¡°Mom, cook some of that bear claw from the Palace Suppressing Noble, and we will celebrate with some good eats,¡± he said with a smile. They had already eaten quite a lot of the four bear claws from the Palace Suppressing Noble.


    It tasted barely better than regular bear claws, but not by much.


    Facts proved that the spirit beasts were not as magical as people had imagined. It was a pure myth that a bite of the meat from the Mountain Drum could provide longevity. The meat from spirit beasts may be a little richer in nutrients and with some medicinal value, but that was about it.


    In light of such a happy event for their family, Mrs. Chi didn¡¯t argue. ¡°Sounds good. I will take care of it with your second aunt in a little while.¡±


    The second uncle washed his hands and said while drying his hands, ¡°Then I¡¯ll go down the mountain to get some home brew and bring it back. Qiaosong, you don¡¯t like to drink liquor, so how about I bring you a case of beer?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    Mr. Chi added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go directly to town, get the wine, and tell Yali and Yixiang to bring the kids over and have dinner together.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The second uncle wiped his hands and left.


    Dinner was held in the brick house of the Chi household.


    The elders were sitting at one table, and Chi Qiaosong was also seated at this table. Chi Qiaowu, Wen Moshan, Chi Xiaoya, Wen Ting, Wen Moshui, Chi Qiaodong, and Chi Qiaoshui were all eating at a smaller kids¡¯ table next to them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Chi Qiaosong is already in the Wrestler Plane,¡± little uncle-in-law, Wen Yixiang, said emotionally. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll have a drink with my favorite nephew.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong picked up the beer mug and paid tribute to his little uncle-in-law.


    Chi Yali, the little aunt, said proudly, ¡°You two did the right thing to send Qiaosong into the military academy!¡± The second aunt immediately added, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? In the future, all the children in the family will learn martial arts because learning martial arts can have great prospects. Look at Qiaowu and Moshan. They are becoming more obedient. Xiaoya and Wen Ting have only practiced for a few days but are already different in spirit.¡±


    The family drank and ate.


    The atmosphere was delightful.


    Chi Qiaosong felt an exceptional warmth in a time like this.

 Chapter 35 - Spirit Root Upgrade

    Chapter 35 Spirit Root Upgrade


    SUIIC


    ¡°Keep up with the pace, raise the sword to surround yourselves, and turn your body 90 degrees when you turn the sword 90 degrees as well.¡±


    Meanwhile, under the old pagoda tree in front of the farmhouse.


    Chi Qiaosong had brewed a pot of bitter tea while keeping an eye on the kids as he read. He was instructing them on their practice of the Yu Sword Skill, revitalizing martial arts within the Chi family.


    However, these kids were still too young to make anything of it. For now, this was no more than them getting used to the movements and exercising.


    The golden age for practicing martial arts was from the age of thirteen to eighteen. At this stage, the body developed rapidly, which allowed the martial arts to be imprinted firmly into the body¡¯s foundation.


    Those prestigious families with their own martial arts inheritance had laid the foundation since childhood.


    Not that they expected a hundred percent success in cultivation, but they had to be well-versed in the techniques and footwork before they could focus on physical fitness and strength.


    As soon as they were of age, they started to study and practice so that they could quickly master the martial arts. The goal was to break through the Wrestler Plane as soon as possible, change their physical fitness, and climb to higher heights.


    Especially for those who had shown promising talents in martial arts since childhood, their parents always kept a close eye on them. When they notice their children begin to exhibit characteristics suggesting the onset of puberty, they immediately focus on their physical fitness and aptitude. Martial arts itself had been studied and analyzed by scientists, and they believed that it had something to do with the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, but it also had something to do with the practitioner¡¯s own hormonal levels; it was far easier to reach their goals when their hormonal levels were elevated.


    But this was not something that had yet to be confirmed.


    Some years ago, when it was first determined that hormones could affect martial arts, some practitioners started to inject themselves with hormones. The result was that martial arts did not improve much, but many ended up neither men nor women.


    Later, with the Daxia government¡¯s efforts to continue educating the people, this craze for hormone injections was finally stopped.


    But some people didn¡¯t want to give up so quickly that they continued to inject hormones themselves secretly. For this reason, many other schools of unorthodox training were formed. Although the Daxia government had been cracking down on these unorthodox cultivators, unfortunately, they were not effectively banned.


    The red sun slowly rose in the sky, and the temperature gradually became unbearably scorching.


    Chi Qiaosong, under the old pagoda tree, raised his head and scolded, ¡°Wen Ting, why are you not moving?!¡± Wen Ting, who was only four years old, stood in the group practicing swords and remained motionless. When she heard Chi Qiaosong¡¯s chiding, she burst into tears. ¡°I don¡¯t want to practice swords! I don¡¯t want to practice swords¡­¡±


    Chi Qiaosong rolled his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t know what else to say. He was not good at babysitting, so all he could do was shout. ¡°Moshan, go and calm your sister down.¡±


    With disgust on his face, Wen Moshan pulled at Wen Ting¡¯s collar and said, ¡°You can stop crying now. You are such a crybaby. Look! No one else is crying except you!¡±


    The more he chastised her, the louder Wen Ting cried.


    Chi Xiaoya held her gently and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Tingting. The big brother is teaching us martial arts; aren¡¯t you the one who most wanted to learn about martial arts?¡±


    Chi Qiaowu played with the wooden sword in his hand and shook his head like a little adult. ¡°Girls just love to cry. They are so boring, big brother. How about not teaching them!¡±


    Before, if Chi Qiaowu had dared to utter such derogatory comments about girls, Chi Qiaosong would have definitely given him a good beating


    But he was pretty confused by Wen Ting¡¯s repeated crying. Right now, Chi Qiaosong somewhat sympathized with that overall sentiment. But it was just a little bit. He knew very well that it wasn¡¯t because that girl liked to cry but that Wen Ting was too little to understand.


    She was only four years old.


    Before, when he told his aunt and uncle that girls should also practice martial arts, his original intent was to wait a few more years when the girls in the family were a little older before actually training them. But then, his little aunt sent Wen Ting over and left her with them to live full-time so that she could practice martial arts with the rest of them right now.


    ¡°All right!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong said with a serious demeanor, ¡°I now announce that before the age of seven, no one needed to practice martial arts with me. After the age of seven, both boys and girls must practice martial arts with me. Xiaoya, take her home now.¡±


    ¡°But, big brother, I still want to practice martial arts with you,¡± Chi Xiaoya said rather dejectedly.


    ¡°Listen to me, you are too young right now, and it¡¯s useless to practice martial arts with me. I will teach you when you are seven years old.¡± Chi Qiaosong coaxed the two little girls and sent them away.


    Only Chi Qiaowu and Wen Moshan remained. Both of them had been trained to do whatever he asked them to do, so he need not worry too much about these two.


    The two boys continued to practice the Yu Sword Skill.


    Chi Qiaosong, on the other hand, continued to immerse himself in reading the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips. Now he had to read through the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips and then try to make some sense out of it to see whether he could make a small red flower on the Saturn peach tree bloom.


    Put-put-put.


    The sound of a tractor came from down the mountain.


    The second uncle and Mr. Chi brought back a carload of materials to build the greenhouse so they could start on the greenhouse for the third acre of land. Although it was at the height of summer right now, it was already September, and the weather would soon cool down.


    ¡°Number Two, build the fence first.¡± Mr. Chi was unloading the goods from the bucket.


    The second uncle replied, ¡°I got it.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was about to step in when the second uncle stopped him. ¡°Read your book. I¡¯ll do the work with your dad.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Uncle. I¡¯m not busy.¡± Chi Qiaosong had read for such a long time that he felt a little dizzy. He thought some physical work would help him to relax.


    But in the end, the second uncle could not be denied, and he was ushered to the desk again to continue reading the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips. When the fence was finished, and they started the work on the greenhouse, he was also not allowed to help.


    Basically, he was now excluded from any work that needed to be done at home.


    The second aunt told everyone, ¡°Qiaosong is a Wrestler now. In the past, wrestlers were all big bosses, served on hand and foot by the others. There is no reason for the big boss to work.¡±


    That was to say, if the family had the means, they would probably arrange to have maids or servants to take care of Chi Qiaosong.


    Three days passed in a blink of an eye.


    Finally, by the time he read through the entirety of the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips, it was already evening. The greenhouse for the third acre of land had been completed, and the soil was turned over. It was ready for the vegetables to be planted.


    Chi Qiaosong walked to the Saturn peach tree and searched carefully, but he did find any small red flowers.


    This suggested that either he had not fully understood the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips, or this book was not about cultivating internal skills.


    ¡°But the Saturn peach tree seems to be a little bigger?¡± He scrutinized the Saturn peach tree and felt it was bigger than before. Looking at the bay tree again, it, too, seemed to be a little bigger.


    Previously, the bay tree and the Saturn peach tree were like fake trees¡ªthey did not sprout new shoots or grow any fresh leaves.


    Because his own martial arts foundation formed them, Chi Qiaosong did not pay much attention to them and thought that this was how these two spirit roots should behave. He never expected that these two spirit roots would be growing.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right.¡±


    He suddenly thought of it. ¡°This is not natural growth. I have been looking at these spirit roots every day. I didn¡¯t find any new shoots or new branches; this was a sudden growth.¡±


    As for the reason for their sudden growth, he had some vague ideas. ¡°Perhaps it was


    the field has been upgraded. The bay tree, as it is right now, is clearly much larger than when I first realized the field.¡±


    As the field upgraded, these spirit roots naturally upgraded as well.


    But, he was unclear whether upgrading the spirit roots would bring about any benefits. Anyway, the spirit roots being upgraded had to be a good thing, after all.


    ¡°I am really looking forward to the day when both trees will be filled with inner and external skills.¡± With a slight smile, Chi Qiaosong suddenly had an idea.


    Sitting cross-legged, he silently recited the Purple Cloud Serenity to guide the Qi inside his body when the Qi was the most active.


    He stood up suddenly, with his two fingers together, mimicking a sword.


    Swing the sword with one hand and stepping into the footwork, his top half corresponded with the Ursa Major, while the bottom half corresponded with the four directions. He moved inside the field with ease with confidence. He was performing the entire set of the Yu Sword Skill.


    When the last movement ended with the sword pointing upward, he could clearly feel a breeze washing over him, blowing away all the dust off him.


    It was as if some heavy objects had been lifted from him, and a weight had been taken off him.


    At this time, he took another look at the bay tree and the Saturn peach tree.


    The information about the Yu Sword Skill on the bay tree was still showing complete, but the information about the Purple Cloud Serenity on the Saturn peach tree had been upgraded to complete.


    This sudden epiphany was the final step for him to fully comprehend the Purple Cloud Serenity, which delighted and surprised him. He wondered if this wasn¡¯t the benefit of the spirit root upgrade.

 Chapter 36 - The Zoo

    Chapter 36 The Zoo


    Bang! Bang! His legs slammed into the tree continuously. Chi Qiaosong was working hard on the 12 Paths Spring Kick. Before this, he had already practiced several rounds of Crazed Bull Heavy Fist and Yu Sword Skill.


    And he had also guided the Purple Cloud Serenity several times to regulate the Qi in his body.


    He always felt that the successful completion of these introductory physical martial arts might not be the limit. He wanted to use the benefits of spirit roots¡¯ upgrades, combining internal and external skills together to push forward and challenge the limit.


    However, no matter how hard he sweated over the practice, he didn¡¯t feel the limit whatsoever.


    Either completion was already the limit, or the opportunity for enlightenment could only be given but not worked for.


    When it was completely dark, Chi Qiaowu came over with a flashlight to tell him it was time to go home for dinner. The farmhouse was only a place to practice martial arts and sleep. There was no stove to do the cooking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong kept busy while he was still thinking about it on his way.


    There were three kinds of martial arts in this world: the advanced martial arts that brought peace to the world; the intermediate martial arts that ensured individual peace and health; the beginner martial arts that could defend against attacks.


    Beginner martial arts corresponded with external skills, which was the bay tree that grew in the field. Intermediate martial arts corresponded to internal skills, that was, the Saturn peach tree, which grew in the field. But he did not yet know what advanced martial arts corresponded to and what other spirit roots would grow in the field.


    Furthermore, in addition to the spirit root source that corresponded to the three martial arts foundations, were there other spirit root sources waiting to be discovered?


    He already had an external spirit root, the Rainbow Gourd Vines, which could produce spirit treasure gourds; what magical uses would this spirit treasure possess? If other external spirit roots were to be found, what would they do?


    All in all, everything made him look forward to what the future might bring.


    ¡°It¡¯s still the same thing, Chi Qiaosong. I don¡¯t think you are suited to practice the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist; you get the forms but not the essence. Why don¡¯t you talk to Chief Hao and switch to another type of martial arts?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong would inevitably hear this kind of negative comment in the military academy when he followed Xu Jingyang in practicing the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.


    However, he had been working at it for a month and had not yet gotten the hang of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist. Although he looked pretty impressive when he went through the motion, he lacked the spirit to make the moves come alive.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, what about Xi Longlong?¡±


    ¡°Better than you.¡± But after Xu Jingyang finished saying that, he added in disgust, ¡°But, it¡¯s all relative¡­ There really aren¡¯t many students with good potentials in this class; so much worse than the next county.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong did not deny that his own martial arts talent was less than ideal.


    But he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Mr. Xu, be patient with me. I think the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist is very suitable for me, I¡¯m just stuck at a juncture, and I haven¡¯t found a way to break through it yet.¡±


    ¡°You are pretty confident about yourself. But let me tell you from my experience as an instructor. Sometimes you get stuck at a point and are stuck there for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°No, I have a feeling that I¡¯ll be able to get past it soon.¡±


    He refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t grasp the tricks of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.


    As long as he could get a hold of a little bit of its spirit, he could pile on with fertilizers and get to the achievement of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you, but I¡¯m going to be brutally honest with you. You didn¡¯t pay enough, so I¡¯ll teach you another week, at the very most. You know what to do when the time is up, right?¡±


    ¡°A week, I feel, is enough.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t realize that you are so good at bullshitting.¡± Xu Jingyang took a sip of tea from the teacup and waved his hand. ¡°Class is over.¡±


    After the class finished and just as he was wiping off the sweat.


    Li Weiwei was already waiting for him outside. ¡°Qiaosong!¡±


    ¡°Have you bought the tickets?¡±


    ¡°I got them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the money for them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to.¡±


    ¡°Take it, or we can¡¯t be friends.¡± Chi Qiaosong handed the money over to him.


    Li Weiwei had no choice but to take the money, but then he grinned. ¡°If you consider me your friend, then okay, I¡¯ll take the money.¡± He had been trying hard to befriend Chi Qiaosong just to be considered a friend.


    That afternoon, the two got on the bus and went straight to the Fuliang City Zoo. They didn¡¯t arrive at the station until well after dark.


    ¡°This bus is really rickety; it is not so good. I heard that Pingjing City and Songhu City both have subways, and they say that it¡¯s really like a railway underground. The trains can run under the city buildings. My goodness, they say it¡¯s fast and stable.¡± Li Weiwei looked very envious just for the thought of it. ¡°Qiaosong, say, when do you think we will have an underground railway like that in Fuliang City?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong was very familiar with the subway system.


    He took it a lot for school and work in his last lifetime. He said lightly, ¡°Caisang, the provincial capital, may have a chance in ten years or more. As to Fuliang City, forget about it. Its population and economy are not up to par. Building the subway will only be a waste of money and workforce.¡±


    Li Weiwei echoed in a low voice, ¡°Yes, our Commander Zhu loves mining the most but is not so interested in building roads.¡±


    The newspapers had given Commander Zhu a new nickname recently: Commander Mine.


    The labors and efforts that were mobilized to explore the mines in the Great Striding Region had paid off; they did find a lot of resources, including mines for coal, iron, tungsten, natural gas, and rare-earth minerals.


    res


    As a result, several mining projects were introduced.


    They were preparing to conscript strong candidates from the civilian population and recruit migrant workers to go mining.


    In the past, the Chi family would have been living in fear again that someone in the family would be conscripted. Once upon a time, Mr. Chi and Mrs. Chi had both been conscripted and worked six years in hard labor.


    Now that Chi Qiaosong had been promoted to a wrestler, his family was exempted from conscription, and they no longer had to worry about being conscripted.


    ¡°Mining is a good thing. It shows that Commander Zhu is ready to take root in the Great Striding Region and will vigorously build it up instead of just recruiting troops and warring to make money.¡±


    The two of them spoke quietly for fear of being overheard by the others.


    The political atmosphere of Daxia Republic was a relatively high-handed one. It preferred those with no business in political affairs to stay out of it. Therefore, although the people were keen to discuss current affairs, they had to be very careful.


    They took a rickshaw from the station and went directly to the only zoo in Fuliang City.


    It was almost ten o¡¯clock when they arrived, and the zoo had already closed. Li Weiwei banged on the door of the guardhouse until an old man came out cursing. ¡°Who the hell is it? You don¡¯t sleep at night, but come to bother me! The zoo is closed already, and there is nothing to see here!¡±


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s me, do you remember? We had already agreed, and I have the money!¡± Li Weiwei took out a bundle of cash, which appeared to be at least thirty dollars or more.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, young man.¡± The old guard was quick to grab the cash. Then, he looked at the two suspiciously, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this kid next to you is the wrestler you told me about?¡±


    Li Weiwei puffed up his chest and said, ¡°Of course, my brother here is a genius.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong took out the wrestler¡¯s identification cooperatively.


    The old guard looked carefully before he opened the door. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you are a wrestler. I¡¯ll open the tiger¡¯s cage for you, but I¡¯m not responsible for you getting yourself killed in there. In addition, if you kill or harm the tiger, you must pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Understood, hurry up.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong came to the zoo for the express purpose of experiencing the tiger for himself.


    In the practice of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, he got the form but not the spirit. Therefore, he got the idea of experiencing the tiger himself. But, after searching high and low from the First Ridge to the Tenth Ridge, he had seen neither tigers nor leopards.


    There were cats in the village, but he couldn¡¯t get anything by looking at them, so he decided to try his luck at the zoo.


    A tiger in a cage was still a tiger, nonetheless. Maybe after observing it directly close-up, he could comprehend the true spirit of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.


    The old guard opened the door to the cage and warned him again with some worry. ¡°Okay, remember, I¡¯m going to lock the door. If you are being bitten to death inside, I¡¯m not responsible for it. If you hurt the tiger, you are monetarily responsible for that.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong nodded as he stepped into the tiger¡¯s cage.


    It was really not a cage, but a small courtyard for the tiger, with only one skinny tiger inside. At that moment, the tiger was sleeping in the concrete shed, and there was a strong urine smell around it.


    Click.


    The old guard quickly locked the door and waited outside with Li Weiwei.


    Chi Qiaosong covered his nose and walked directly into the concrete shed. Under the illumination of the dim light, he could see the scrawny tiger that was sleeping and snoring.


    The tiger had lost its innate alertness after being kept in the cage for a long time.


    When Chi Qiaosong stomped his foot on the ground a little harder, the scrawny tiger suddenly woke up, quickly got to its feet, jumped to a corner, and stared at Chi Qiaosong with cloudy eyes.


    It seemed a little confused and did not understand how this man had come so near it.


    It was not time to eat yet!

 Chapter 37 - Waist-Horse Unity

    Chapter 37 Waist-Horse Unity


    The man and the tiger stared at each other, surrounded by the smell of urine.


    The tiger hid in the corner, pacing back and forth as if it wanted to attack, but was not quite dare to do so.


    In the end, Chi Qiaosong couldn¡¯t stand the strong smell of urine any longer, and he took the prerogative to take a step forward. The tiger reacted in distress; it stood up and slapped its paws in tandem.


    The tiger¡¯s frame was thin, but its paws were enormous, its sharp claws shining.


    Boom!


    Chi Qiaosong sent out a pair of iron fists and quickly blocked the tiger¡¯s pawing with two moves, solidly catching the tiger¡¯s strikes. This skinny tiger¡¯s strength was great, but unfortunately, it was not as powerful as the Mountain Drum, the Palace Suppressing Noble, or the She-Viper.


    Its slaps proved to be useless.


    The tiger backed up decisively and ran out of the concrete shed.


    Chi Qiaosong followed unhurriedly behind the tiger, carefully observing the tiger¡¯s every move. When he saw the tiger retreating, he dashed over immediately to force the tiger to attack again.


    The two tossed and turned in the enclosure.


    The old man outside was sucking on a cigarette butt. As he watched what took place inside, a trace of reminiscence flashed across his cloudy eyes. He sighed. ¡°Martial arts¡­ is powerful.¡±


    Li Weiwei also had a cigarette in his mouth as he said with pride, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth? Wrestlers have a tremendous amount of power, and it¡¯s nothing for them to fight a mere tiger. My brother would not be here at the zoo to fight this skinny thing if it wasn¡¯t because we couldn¡¯t find any tigers in the mountains.¡± At this time, the old guard shouted. ¡°Hey, young man, don¡¯t hurt the tiger!¡±


    He could see now that the tiger was incapable of hurting Chi Qiaosong. His new concern was that Chi Qiaosong would exert too much force and kill the tiger, which would be very bad indeed if that happened.


    Even if Chi Qiaosong compensated them monetarily, the old guard would still be fired by the zoo.


    Meanwhile, inside the cage.


    Chi Qiao suddenly grabbed the tiger¡¯s tail, then kicked the tiger in the butt, which provoked the tiger instantly. After being teased like this several times, this tiger, though it had long been imprisoned to the point of being numb, its innate wild nature was now turning into anger.


    Roar!


    The tiger roared and leaped forward.


    At that moment, it seemed to have gone back to a time when it roamed the mountains and forests freely, and the whole mountain was its hunting ground. After being captured by humans, it hadn¡¯t had such a good stretch like this for a very long time.


    ¡°All right!¡± Chi Qiaosong¡¯s eyes lit up. Finally, he saw a hint of the tiger¡¯s ferocity.


    He responded calmly, kicking with both legs, thus neutralizing all the attacks from the scrawny tiger. Then, he tried to use the moves from the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.


    One punch and one kick.


    Still, he had just the form.


    However, the strength of the Wrestler Plane was unmistakable, and his attacks were so powerful that the tiger yelped and howled on the receiving end of them.


    Its sense of superiority withered just as quickly as it was found. The tiger began to run, dashing left and right in the cage, not daring to attack Chi Qiaosong head-on. Chi Qiaosong had just seen a trace of the feeling he was looking for, and he wasn¡¯t about to give up just like that. So, he chased the tiger around and continued to beat down on it.


    He didn¡¯t want to hurt it, but some physical contacts and flesh wounds were hard to avoid.


    The old guard outside the cage watched as he sucked on his cigarette nervously, ¡°Take it easy, take it easy! If you hit any harder, you¡¯ll kill the tiger!¡±


    ¡°The tiger will not be killed! My brother exercises just the right amount of control,¡± Li Weiwei held him back. ¡°Old man, don¡¯t you disturb my brother; we will pay if anything happens to the tiger!¡±


    The old man sighed and then went on smoking his cigarette in silence.


    Half an hour later.


    Chi Qiaosong was panting, and the tiger was lying on the ground, too tired to move. The poor beast finally understood that it was no different from a kitten in front of this human.


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    He let out a breath of stale air from his chest and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Chi Qiaosong took a little break before he took a step forward again and grabbed the tiger by the nape of its neck, picking it up like it was nothing. ¡°Come on! Couple more exchanges and I think I¡¯ll get the hang of it.¡±


    The tiger fought back feebly.


    Its paws waved aimlessly in the air.


    Its movements and expressions were both weak and powerless, but the affectations that were unique to the tiger were very real.


    Chi Qiaosong observed and imitated and was unaware that he had inadvertently thrown out a punch. It was the most common move in Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, the Black Tiger Steals Heart. The fist went straight to the top of the tiger¡¯s head.


    It was backed by the power of the waist-horse unity.


    The fist was dealt so fast that a gust blew past the tiger.


    The scrawny tiger only felt a vicious gust coming at it, and it instantly recalled the battle once upon a time when it had to fight another tiger for a mate. It had aroused a fierceness at that time, but now it was too weak that it could not resist the onslaught.


    All the tiger could do was open its eyes wide, watching the impending doom about to descend upon it.


    If the strike successfully smashed into the target, the power could definitely crack the tiger¡¯s skull.


    Nevertheless.


    Just when the drift of the fist pushed down the fur on the top of the tiger¡¯s head, the attack was stopped abruptly by Chi Qiaosong. He looked at the scrawny tiger and smiled as he pulled back his fist and remained still. He turned around and walked to the door of the enclosure.


    The old guard threw away the cigarette butt and looked at him eagerly.


    ¡°Sir, open the door.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°Qiaosong, is it done?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, amazing!¡± Li Weiwei did not forget to serve up some flattery. Chi Qiaosong turned around and glanced at the skinny tiger, still panting in the enclosure, and motioned Li Weiwei to take out some money and hand it to the old guard. ¡°Sir, please buy some good beef to give this tiger some good eats.¡±


    Early next morning.


    The two of them walked around Fuliang City. The tallest building in this city was the Drum Tower, which had more than ten stories.


    Compared with the high-rise buildings on this earth, Daxia Republic appeared a bit neglected and backward. The truth was that, because of the fighting waged between the warlords year after year, the economy was unable to prosper and flourish.


    Buses were the most common type of transportation. Occasionally, nice little sedans could be seen as well.


    However, there were no carts or carriages, as all kinds of carts had been prohibited from entering the city center of Fuliang. As a result, the city was overrun by rickshaws and anti-tricycles. Their drivers poured into streets and alleys.


    ¡°The entrance to the Municipal Martial Arts Institute is really magnificent!¡± Li Weiwei sighed in amazement.


    Now the two of them came to the gate of the Fuliang Municipal Martial Arts Institute, a place that was considered the martial arts holy land in the entire Great Striding Region. It was the only place certified to teach Guardian Plane-level martial arts.


    Chief Luo of the military academy in Mokan County was transferred to the Municipal Martial Arts Institute as a professor because he broke through to the Guardian Plane.


    The Kuidou Spear Technique, passed down by Commander Zhu¡¯s family, was also sent here for safekeeping and instruction.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± Chiqiaosong watched from a distance.


    In front of the Municipal Martial Arts Institute were guards standing watch, stopping anyone from loitering on the premise.


    ¡°Qiaosong, are you going to take the entrance exam to the Municipal Martial Arts Institute?¡± Li Weiwei suddenly asked, ¡°Or is Chief Hao going to nominate you to study there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You should go to Chief Hao¡¯s house more often. Chief Hao has the ability to make a direct recommendation.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Chi Qiaosong replied unenthusiastically.


    He was not the kind of person who was fond of using relationships as shortcuts. Although Hao Bozhao gave him the address to his house, he did not go there often. He always felt awkward when he was there.


    The few times he went to his house, Hao Bozhao¡¯s wife treated him like a day laborer and gave him tons of chores to do.


    In name, he was there for martial arts instruction. However, most of his time was spent doing chores. Whatever little time was left was taken away by Hao Bozhao¡¯s daughter. Hao Suyan, who just turned seventeen, and looking rather unremarkable.


    She either asked him to fetch milk tea or some other snacks.


    The most important thing was that she never paid for anything!


    Of course, Li Weiwei didn¡¯t know about any of it and continued encouraging him. ¡°If I can take Chief Hao as my instructor, I will live in his house and serve him, hand on feet, every day. Sooner or later, Chief Hao will recommend me for the opening¡­ Qiaosong, this IS the Municipal Art Institute, after all!¡±


    Commander Zhu once promised that outstanding students in the Three Disciple Planes from the military academy could be recommended for further study at the Municipal Martial Arts Institute.


    This recommended opening was up to the recommendation of the chief instructor.


    However, Hao Bozhao had never once mentioned this opening to Chi Qiaosong.

 Chapter 38 - White Rainbow Sword

    Chapter 38 White Rainbow Sword


    The Fuliang Municipal Martial Arts Institute had prohibited any visitation, not even when Chi Qiaosong had a wrestler¡¯s identification.


    After finishing lunch, the two of them returned to Ink Ridge County.


    Li Weiwei returned to the academy while Chi Qiaosong headed back home.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Chi Qiaowu and Chi Xiaoya greeted him while two-year-old Chi Qiaodong stumbled out the door.


    He was very close to his siblings, mostly because he would bring home snacks for them. Even though the original Chi Qiaosong was now replaced by the one from earth, he still took great care of them and would always buy things for them when he went home.


    ¡°Go have some fun.¡± Chi Qiaosong gave the snacks to his siblings. Since he was a 25-year-old man mentally, it was hard for him to play with children.


    ¡°Are you heading to the farmhouse? Dinner is almost ready,¡± the second aunt said when she noticed the young boy was about to head to the hillside plot.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to do first.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then tell your uncle to come back when you guys are done. He¡¯s at the farmhouse too.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡¯


    The greenhouse was 3/15 hectares big now and was one of the Chi family¡¯s most valuable assets. That was why, even when Chi Qiaosong was not home, his father and uncle would take turns guarding the farmhouse.


    ¡°Qiaosong, you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°A yellow flower has bloomed on the bay tree. It¡¯s quite an interesting sight,¡± the uncle told the young boy about what he had discovered.


    Chi Qiaosong wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear that.


    During his trip to the zoo, he did master the foundation of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist from the skinny tiger.


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ll go check it out first.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    Chi Qiaosong headed to the bay tree alone.


    A small yellow flower could be found on one of the tree¡¯s branches. When he focused on it, he could see the information on the tree.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, completed. 12 Paths Spring Kick, completed. Yu Sword Skill, completed. And, lastly, the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist is at 1 percent¡­¡±


    Just as he had expected, the flower representing the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist had bloomed.


    Without hesitation, Chi Qiaosong used a bag of fertilizer on the tree.


    The flower immediately fully bloomed and started to wither away. A fruit has now replaced the flower but has yet to fully mature. Checking it once again, he noticed that the progress for the skill had gone from 1 percent to 26 percent.


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the Purple Cloud Serenity. I¡¯ll need three more bags for it to fully mature.¡± It wasn¡¯t an unexpected outcome.


    Just like how internal strength was more challenging to train than external skills, the Threshold martial art was much more complicated to learn. So it was natural that more fertilizers were needed.


    After tossing the remaining two bags of fertilizer in, the progression reached 76 percent. The fruit had grown bigger as well and would be fully mature once he had another bag of fertilizer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can increase it by training every day, but it would be very slow. So using fertilizers is the quickest way.¡±


    That marked the end of his training of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.


    All he had to do was do the regular training from that day onward and look for a new Threshold martial art to train in. Then, once October arrived, he would be able to master the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist fully.


    ¡°I wonder if that would allow me to break through the Wrestler Plane and enter the Warrior Plane,¡± he wondered.


    From what he had learned, some martial artists had advanced into the Warrior Plane by mastering the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, but such an occurrence was very rare.


    Since he was limited by his lack of talent for martial arts, there was a low chance that he would be one in a million.


    Chi Qiaosong then returned to the farmhouse. ¡°Uncle!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I used a secret technique to help the flower fully bloom. There¡¯s fruit on it now. Please take good care of it. Don¡¯t let Qiaowu and Moshan pluck it, and be wary of the small animals too.¡±


    ¡°I know. Those three spirit roots are treasures to us. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The uncle tapped his chest a few times to show his confidence.


    The grown man did not ask his nephew about the secret technique.


    Mr. Chi had been telling his younger brother that the young boy had a revelation.


    That was why all they had to do was take good care of the farm and let the young boy handle the rest of the things that happened on the farm. Since miracle and ghost occurrences were a norm in the Daxia Republic, they weren¡¯t surprised by the revelation, especially not when newspapers like Fox News focused on writing revelations about martial artists.


    On certain days, there would be news of a commander raising a few levels by consuming herbs. The next day, news of a general taming a fox spirit or the child of a wealthy family using dark arts to harm his family would spread.


    There was a lot of weird news spreading around the country.


    The truth was that it was hard for an ordinary person to experience such an occurrence. It was only because the newspapers kept reporting the stories of survivors that caused people to think these types of events happened daily. When it was almost dinner time, Chi Qiaosong carried a bucket of water to water the Rainbow Gourd Vines.


    He also checked the growth rate of the gourds while he did that.


    ¡°13 percent for the red gourd, 4 percent for the orange, 1 percent for the yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.¡±


    It had been more than a week since he moved the gourds into the greenhouse.


    Only the red and orange had grown a little among seven of them, while the other five gourds remained the same. If things remained the same, all the gourds wouldn¡¯t be fully mature after winter had passed.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the rate I get a week, and there are only 52 weeks in a year, then these will only get to halfway after a year. Are you telling me that every gourd needs at least two years to mature? Something is wrong here¡­¡± Chi Qiaosong mumbled as he looked at the flowers on the Rainbow Gourd Vines. ¡°These little flowers have been at 1 percent for a long time. Even two years might not be enough for them to grow.¡±


    He would need even more time than he had expected for all the gourds to mature.


    Unfortunately, the fertilizers could not work on exterior spirit roots.


    All he could do was patiently wait.


    Even the weakest wind would make a person shiver during the night of late September.


    Chi Qiaosong continued to study the Cloudy Bookbag Seven Slips every night as he waited for October to arrive. During that time, he would continue to learn the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist from Hao Bozhao.


    However, he didn¡¯t need to learn from Xu Jingyang anymore.


    Instead, after giving a few gifts to Kong Hongcai, the class instructor for Class 7 of Year 57, he started to learn the White Rainbow Sword.


    Yet, Kong Hongcai felt that it was better for the young boy to learn the 6 Joint Mantis Hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Xu Jingyang that you want to learn another skill because you¡¯ve hit a brick wall with learning the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist,¡± Kong Hongcai said. ¡°I ran into the same problem when I was younger. Although the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist is an improved version of the Crazed Bull Heavy Fist, the two have different styles. Instead, I was able to advance to the Warrior Plane by mastering the 6 Joint Mantis Hands. So I suggest you take this route too.¡±


    ¡°But, sir, I still feel like I should learn the White Rainbow Sword instead since I have mastered the Yu Sword Skill. I think it¡¯s better to learn a few weapon-based martial arts,¡± Chi Qiaosong insisted.


    There were too many similarities between the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist and the 6 Joint Mantis Hands, so he didn¡¯t want to spend fertilizer on it.


    In the end, he would eventually master the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist in a month.


    ¡°You young people are just too impatient. This will bring you a lot of trouble when you grow up.¡± Kong Hongcai sighed.


    However, the instructor still treated Chi Qiaosong better than other students, as the successful student was taught by him.


    Also, Chi Qiaosong had given a lot of gifts as well. In the end, the instructor nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll teach you the White Rainbow Sword. If you manage to get to the advanced stuff, you¡¯ll be able to reach the Warrior Plane. This skill has a lot of firepower, but it¡¯s tough to master fully. Even I¡¯ve hit a wall after practicing it for ten years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to learn!¡± Chi Qiaosong insisted.

 Chapter 39 - Hes Not Going to Succeed

    Chapter 39 He¡¯s Not Going to Succeed


    With the sword drawn out of its hilt, Chi Qiaosong gripped the hilt tightly with a serious expression.


    Unlike when he learned the Yu Sword Skill, Kong Hongcai had the young boy practice with a real sword right away. ¡°The Yu Sword Skill is meant for children. The White Rainbow Sword, on the other hand, is meant for killing. Would it make sense to practice such a skill using a wooden sword?¡±


    The instructor then performed the movement for Chi Qiaosong first before infusing his hidden strength into the iron sword. The sword started to vibrate as he said, ¡°You¡¯ve only mastered the visible strength. You can cause an outburst of power with that strength, but you don¡¯t know how to hide it. That¡¯ll make it harder for you to learn this.¡±


    ¡°I have the time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re still young after all.¡± The instructor looked at the boy¡¯s young face and smiled.


    Kong Hongcai had taught Chi Qiaosong for a long time. However, despite the young kid being the first to attain the Wrestler Plane among his peer, the adult never once treated him as a talent due to how awkward he was with his training.


    However, the kid was still 15 years old after all and would be considered a genius.


    ¡°Self-confidence is the most important thing in martial arts training. You¡¯ve done well on this. Don¡¯t ever lose that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll learn the first form of the White Rainbow Sword, which is the Sun-piercing White Rainbow. This is actually a reflection of an actual event in the past. It¡¯s about how an assassin went all out with his one strike to repay kindness. The first form focuses on sending something out without expecting it to come back.¡±


    The movement of the first form was simple, but the usage of the user¡¯s strength was very meticulous.


    Although Kong Hongcai wasn¡¯t the strongest, his teachings were very clear. ¡°Since you only know how to use visible strength, the first form is perfect for you. The first few forms focus on the same concept, and you¡¯ll only start to move toward having defenses up during attacks and eventually to the point where defense is the best attack. It¡¯ll be extremely hard for you if you can¡¯t use your internal strength by then.¡±


    That was what Chi Qiaosong was looking for.


    Since he could just master an entire skill by fertilizing the bay tree, martial arts with a clear separation between visible and hidden strengths were the most suitable to help him advance to the next plane. ¡°Mr. Kong, I¡¯m quite a slow learner. Is it okay if I take my time learning the first form?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. Being slow is okay as long as you work hard.¡±


    ¡°Working hard is my motto!¡±


    A few days later, Chi Qiaosong was summoned to Hao Bozhao¡¯s office.


    ¡°Are you learning the White Rainbow Sword from Kong Hongcai?¡± the chief instructor asked with a deep frown.


    Chi Qiaosong did not expect Hao Bozhao to realize it that quickly. Although the academy did not prevent the students from learning other martial arts, it did encourage them to stay true to the skills they had chosen.


    ¡°I have not given up on the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, sir. I¡¯m just trying to use the White Rainbow Sword as a reference.¡±


    ¡°This is absurd!¡± Hao Bozhao scolded. ¡°Do you even know how to reference another skill? Are you trying to run before you can even walk? Martial arts aren¡¯t as simple as you think. What makes you think you can succeed if you can¡¯t be consistent? How are you sure that the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist does not suit you? Most would take three to five years to realize that! Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re special just because you got into the Wrestler Plane just a few months after you started learning and think that the Warrior Plane is the same. So what? Are you thinking of becoming a Knight Plane martial artist in three years? Do you know that you are nothing compared to the children of prestigious families?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong felt a little awkward getting scolded by the instructor. However, he did not get infuriated by it, nor did he change his mind. In the end, he understood that Hao Bozhao was doing his job as an instructor.


    However, the young boy was still a little angry from getting yelled at. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and said, ¡°Sir, I promise you I¡¯ll continue to do my best to learn the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, but I¡¯m not going to stop learning the White Rainbow Sword either.¡±


    ¡°Are you dumb or what? What do I have to do to make you understand?¡± Hao Bozhao roared.


    ¡°I understand what you mean, and I can tell you want me to succeed. But, I know the path that I should take.¡± Chi Qiaosong pointed at his brain. ¡°I don¡¯t have any talent, but I¡¯m good at understanding a skill. That¡¯s why learning different martial arts is the only path that I can take.¡±


    It was rare for Hao Bozhao to run into a student or a disciple who would argue back. That stunned the instructor a little, and it took him a while to react.


    ¡°I thought you were a kid who would listen to advice. It looks like you are just another arrogant one¡­ Technically, the New Right Society has approved your application. You¡¯ll be monitored for a few days. Learning different skills at once is a martial art¡¯s taboo. The assessment team might deem you unworthy of joining the organization.¡±


    ¡°The assessment team?¡±


    Chi Qiaosong had close to zero understanding of how the New Right Society worked and never paid any attention to the organization. It was his first time hearing that he would be monitored and assessed.


    Yet he wasn¡¯t worried about it. ¡°Sir, just give me a few days. Then, I¡¯ll ensure you are satisfied with the result in October.¡±


    ¡°My satisfaction isn¡¯t the point here. I don¡¯t care what I get from teaching you. My job here is to ensure the assessment team is satisfied.¡± Hao Bozhao sighed and waved his hand. ¡°Whatever, you¡¯ve paid your tuition fees after all, and you aren¡¯t even my disciple. You can do whatever you want. At least think about what I¡¯ve said today.¡±


    Since their opinions were conflicted, there was nothing more to say between them. The young boy was confident that everything would change once October arrived. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave first, sir.¡±


    After the student had left, the instructor took a deep and long sigh before leaving too.


    As the chief instructor of the academy, he would still need a few merits to hold that title. However, as Chi Qiaosong was able to advance to the Wrestler Plane at the age of 15, he was sure that the young boy was a talented individual.


    That was why, deep in the instructor¡¯s heart, he wanted Chi Qiaosong to succeed.


    That was why seeing Chi Qiaosong juggling between two martial arts annoyed the instructor. If the young boy were his disciple, he would¡¯ve punished him.


    Hao Bozhao returned home with pent-up anger.


    When his wife returned home and saw his angry expression, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you fight with the society members again?¡±


    ¡°No! We would still keep up a peaceful appearance even if we secretly hate each other.¡±


    ¡°Then, what¡¯s with that expression?¡±


    ¡°Because there¡¯s no good student in the academy! It¡¯s embarrassing!¡±


    ¡°I thought you fancied Chi Qiaosong? You even invited him here. I even thought you were going to take him in as your disciple. He¡¯s a good lad, though. The only problem is that he doesn¡¯t like to work.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not going to succeed.¡± The argument with Hao Bozhao did not affect Chi Qiaosong. He still went to learn the White Rainbow Sword from Kong Hongcai every day and spent the rest of his time at the First Ridge.


    He would hunt, study, train, and teach every day.


    And October arrived just like that.


    Chi Qiaosong took the bag of fertilizer out of his storage and used it on the bay tree. He watched as the fruit that represented the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist matured.


    He plucked the fruit and ate it.


    A warm wave of energy surged throughout his body while knowledge of martial arts entered his brain. It was as if he was watching a replay while his body moved along it.

 Chapter 40 - High Tier Advanced Rank Wrestler Plane

    Chapter 40 High Tier Advanced Rank Wrestler Plane


    Throwing punches while launching himself forward, Chi Qiaosong mimicked the movement of a tiger as he performed them outside the greenhouse.


    He performed the whole series of movements fluently, like the flow of water. Steam began to rise from his body, making him feel as if thousands of ants were climbing all over him. He was extremely uncomfortable, but that made him throw even harder punches.


    With a loud thud, he broke another old tree in half.


    He then looked for another tree to practice on. Both of his arms took on the illusion of a tiger¡¯s front legs. As he moved, one could faintly see the shadow of a tiger on him.


    His proficiency, along with his skill, continued to rise as the feeling of ants crawling all over his body persisted. Energy continued to flow toward his arms and legs and turned into visible strength.


    Unlike normal strength, visible strength was more of a buff.


    Whenever visible strength was activated, the user¡¯s power would multiply.


    That was how someone at the Wrestler Plane was able to fight more than ten, even 100 ordinary grown men alone, without any difficulty. Martial artists who could use visible strength were a few times stronger than ordinary people.


    The young boy¡¯s strength continued to rise as he moved.


    He was completely in a trance with his movements and felt as if he had been reborn.


    Black Tiger Steals Heart, White Tiger Claw, Fierce Tiger Turn, Angered Tiger Penetrate, Evil Tiger Emerge, Crazed Tiger Roll, Hiding Tiger Stance, Young Tiger Awake, Baby Tiger Stretch, Tiger King Aura, and more.


    Once he completed a set of movements, he would redo it again. In the third set, after performing the last movement, the Tigers Return, a clear illusion of a tiger could clearly be seen behind him.


    The illusion did not disappear right away.


    Instead, it turned to glance at Chi Qiaosong for a while before disappearing.


    About a dozen seconds after the tiger disappeared, crackles could be heard from the young boy¡¯s body. His height had instantly increased from 1.75 meters to 1.8 meters.


    He still looked slim, but underneath his loose shirt was a well-built body.


    The young boy was even exerting heavy pressure just by standing there.


    He closed his eyes and felt the changes happening inside of him.


    There were too many things for him to experience all at once to jump from knowing the fundamentals of the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist to fully mastering it.


    He couldn¡¯t help but find the feeling extraordinary.


    It was as if he had studied martial arts for so long that he could clearly understand every minor detail. As strength filled his body, he did not feel any discomfort.


    After a long while, he finally opened his eyes and looked at his hands. ¡°This is a little disappointing¡­¡±


    Although he had mastered the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist, which had enforced his Wrestler Plane¡¯s foundation, he remained where he was and was still a huge step away from reaching the Warrior Plane.


    However, he was already in the High Tier Advanced Rank.


    ¡°I really am not a one-in-a-million prodigy. I still couldn¡¯t enter the Warrior Plane even after mastering the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist.¡±


    It was disappointing, but he wasn¡¯t affected by it as he had already known he wasn¡¯t talented.


    With the farm, he would still be able to advance by mastering a lot of martial arts as long as there was enough fertilizer.


    There was no need for him to hurry.


    He smiled and suddenly remembered something


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I take this chance to visit Mr. Hao?¡± he said to himself. ¡°He won¡¯t yell at me for learning the White Rainbow Sword now that I¡¯ve mastered the Fierce Tiger Heavy Fist in two months, right?¡±


    The young boy went back home and looked for his mother. ¡°Mom! Can you help me harvest a few fresh vegetables? I¡¯m going to Mr. Hao¡¯s place later. I¡¯ll have to buy some new clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why do you need new clothes?¡±


    ¡°Look!¡± Chi Qiaosong extended his arms and legs to show his mother.


    Now that he was 1.8 meters tall, the sleeves were too short for him.


    ¡°What happened? These weren¡¯t like this just


    now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve reached a new stage in martial arts, and my body has strengthened.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a great thing?¡± Mrs. Chi exclaimed. ¡°Hurry up and go get a few new sets then. Do you have enough cash?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    Since Chi Qiaosong had been hunting during his free time, he had saved up quite a lot of money.


    He then headed into the city and bought two new sets of T-shirts, button-downs, and pants. After putting them on, he had to admit that a person could be transformed by wearing nice clothes. With his 1.8 meter height and fresh new clothes, he now looked dashing, especially when he already had an attractive face.


    On his way back, he attracted a lot of attention from the ladies. Even a few older women chatted loudly, saying, ¡°Hey! Look at that boy. Isn¡¯t he good-looking?¡±


    If Chi Qiaosong were to have his hair cut, he was sure he could attract even more attention.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the lifestyle he was aiming for.


    ¡°Hey! Kid! Stop!¡± someone suddenly yelled.


    Chi Qiaosong turned around and saw a man handing him a name card.


    ¡°I¡¯m a scout talent from Fuliang Fortune Studio. We¡¯re about to film a new television series and need handsome actors like you. Are you interested in joining our casting calls?¡±


    ¡°Me? Are you sure I¡¯m good enough for it?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m confident in my scouting ability. You¡¯ve seen the drama, Rice Family, right? I was the one who scouted the female lead, Liu Ying. She¡¯s super famous now and is frequently invited to reality shows hosted by Jiangyou TV.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know her?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a TV at home,¡± Chi Qiaosong honestly said, as a television was a luxury product that farmers could not afford.


    Since his family was still at the start of building their business, they weren¡¯t at the point where they could enjoy life yet. That was why the rice cooker was the only expensive electrical appliance they had.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. Just come to our audition and try it out. Then, if you manage to become the male lead, you¡¯ll have enough money to buy ten TVs if you want!¡±


    Chi Qiaosong put the name card into his pocket and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±


    ¡°Alright. But, don¡¯t take too long. The audition is happening soon, and you might miss your chance. So just contact me whenever you have the time. I¡¯ll only be here for a week.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Being scouted made the young boy¡¯s day. In his past life, he had always imagined how fancy his life would be if he were a celebrity. Since the Daxia Republic had invested in the film and television industry, many celebrities were in the country. However, it was still at a stage where the profession was still ridiculed by most.


    However, despite that, once a celebrity managed to step into the spotlight, they would still have a huge fanbase.


    Almost all scholars and warlords had a thing for actresses. They would spend a lot of money to entertain the actresses and do anything to date them.


    Actors were also fancied by ladies from prestigious families.


    The only difference between an actor and an actress was that the former had to be careful not to court the wrong woman. If that were to happen, they would most likely get a sack covered over their head on a random day and thrown into the river to be fed to the alligators. The strong martial artists were always known to be brutes as well.


    That was just a small event that happened on Chi Qiaosong¡¯s way back home. The moment he got home, he had already completely forgotten about it.


    He quickly took the bag of fresh vegetables and fruits that his mother had packed for him, got on his uncle¡¯s old bicycle, and headed to Hao Bozhao¡¯s house.