Chapter 4
Martial Artist! A Delivery!
“This is already the first level?” Qin Huai muttered to himself, his heart filled with joy. The higher his realm, the more experience he could collect.
He calmed his heart and condensed his Qi, feeling the changes in his body.
There was only a trace of ‘white line’ swimming in his eight extraordinary meridians and five viscera and six bowels.
‘This is called ‘nourishing Qi and expelling poison.’ In layman’s terms, this wisp of Qi is a needle and thread that clears the impurities in the body, removing the burden on the body and thus achieving the effect of prolonging life,’ Qin Huai muttered to himself.
He felt that his breathing was much smoother than before, and he was more sensitive to the smell of medicine in the apothecary.
‘This wisp of Qi is too thin now. The efficiency is too low.’
“As the number of levels increases, this wisp of Qi should gradually increase in size.” Qin Huai pinched his fingers. At this rate, he would only need ten days to become a martial artist that everyone envied.
After dawn, Master Liu Changyue, Senior Brother, and the rest dispersed.
Qin Huai began to follow the routine, cultivating on the rockery in the backyard at seven o’clock every day and going to the apothecary to gain experience. During the day, he would go back and forth between the main hall and the backyard to buy and sell medicinal herbs.
On the first day of each month, Qin Huai would take half a pound of his meat and cook a small barbecue in the courtyard. Now that he had become an internal affairs apprentice, he could eat his fill for every meal even though there was not much oil in his three meals a day.
In addition, there were not many entertainment activities in ancient times. With five hundred wen a month, Qin Huai could only spend a few dozen wen for snacks at most, and the rest was impossible to spend.
Because his senior brothers ‘cultivation level wasn’t low, Qin Huai was able to pick up a lot of experience every time.
The Qi cultivation skill’s experience bar only increased by 100 points each time. Therefore, he was on a level in the two heavens, three heavens, and four heavens.
In a short two months, Qin Huai’s Qi-nurturing technique had already reached the tenth level.
Qin Huai sat cross-legged on a fake mountain. The morning sun shone down, and it was as if holy light had descended upon the world. The clear sky gathered around him, and the Qi and blood in his entire body began to boil.
His entire body was red, and his Qi and blood began to transform under the light, like a silkworm chrysalis turning into a butterfly. Qin Huai was in high spirits.
“Martial artists, ah, ah, ” Qin Huai said, hot air coming out of his mouth and nose.
“Although there’s not much change in my physique, my body has obviously become much lighter.” Qin Huai tried to punch from the backyard.
The sharp sound of the wind accompanied his fists, and his strength was no longer the same.
He lifted the big rock he was sitting on and was as relaxed as his second brother, Gao Ruyang.
“I’ve finally broken through.” Qin Huai’s heart stirred as he looked at his personal panel.
Name: Qin Huai
[ Cultivation Method ]: [ Qi nurturing technique (level 10, 4/1000) ]
[ Skill: Alchemy (intermediate, 296/400) ]
[ Stage ]: Level 1 Blood Refinement Realm
“It seems like the experience increase from the Qi cultivation technique has stopped.”
Qin Huai looked at his Qi cultivation experience bar, which had stopped increasing, and he was delighted.
He felt the Qi in his body. It had changed from a wisp two months ago to a ‘white snake’ swimming in his body. When it was ‘fine’, it would coil around his dantian.
Qin Huai could control the white snake to devour the residue of the food they ate every day, as well as the impurities that were produced for no reason.
This was the profoundness of the Qi cultivation technique.
“If I were to cultivate the Qi strengthening technique to the 30th or 50th level, how strong would this ‘white snake’ be? Will my body really be able to hold it then?”
“It’s a pity that ever since alchemy was upgraded to beginner level, the experience that can be obtained from prescriptions has been very little.” Qin Huai frowned.
It was probably because the apprentices’ alchemy skills were too poor and could not provide the experience needed to level up to beginner level.
Qin Huai was also relieved. In any case, beginner-level medicinal skills were enough for him. It was not a problem for him to take care of small disasters and illnesses every day and prescribe medicine for himself.
In the past two months, Qin Huai had also tested it when he was collecting the experience balls. Gao Cheng, who had entered the door with him and had a better relationship with him, had given much more experience than the others.
The scores of the senior and junior brothers who had not interacted much with each other were very average. However, there was a person called Gu Erwa, whose experience points had been low for a long time.
Although he didn’t know what the problem was, this guy probably didn’t like him very much.
“This kind of life is really good, stable, and leisurely.” Qin Huai muttered to himself. He lifted the big rock he was sitting on and felt the power surging in his body.
“Huai ‘er has broken through the realm?!” Liu Changyue suddenly walked up from behind and saw Qin Huai casually lifting a big stone.
“Master!” Qin Huai quickly put down the stone.
“No need to be so polite, no need to be so polite!” Liu Changyue was excited and not as elegant as she usually was.
“I was just lucky. As I practiced, I felt like I was transforming.” Qin Huai was honest.
“Hehe, stop pretending with your master. Every time you reach a higher level in your Qi-nurturing technique, the ‘white snake’ in your body will grow stronger. It’s impossible that you didn’t notice it.” Liu Changyue smiled and shook his head.
‘He became a martial artist in two months, a martial arts genius. Unfortunately… Hehe… ‘
“Is there something wrong?” Qin Huai asked.
Liu Changyue’s expression was desolate as he explained, “It’s a pity that the cultivation technique is only an incomplete technique. Ordinary techniques can break through a realm after every ten levels, but the cultivation technique can only be cultivated to the first level of blood refinement. After that, no matter how profound your cultivation technique is, it will be useless even if you cultivate it to the thirtieth level.”
Realization dawned on Qin Huai. No wonder the experience bar for the eleventh level did not increase after he had reached the tenth level of his Qi-nurturing technique.
“But it’s also thanks to this that our Liu family’s apothecary can stand firm in Pingnan City. With us martial artists here, we are not threatened by gangs, and we have a good relationship with the eight major martial arts centers. With the help of the Qi cultivation technique, you’ll have a bright future!” Liu Changyue smiled and stroked his beard.
…
The next morning, Liu Changyue announced the news that Qin Huai had become a martial artist in the backyard.
“From today onwards, Qin Huai will be my fourth disciple!” Liu Changyue patted Qin Huai’s shoulder.
Liu Changyue had four disciples in total: Liu Xiaomei, Qin Huai, Gao Ruyang, and Zhang Gongcheng, the third senior brother who had been running around Pingnan City all year round and had not met Qin Huai yet.
“I’ve only been calling him Little Junior Brother for two months, and he’s already calling me Little Senior Brother?” Song Jia was stunned. Teaching Qin Huai how to handle matters in the medicine hall and how to communicate with patients seemed to have just been yesterday.
No, yesterday, he was still teaching Qin Huai how to deal with a patient who was a barbarian.
“Ai, the difference between people is really too great.” Song Jia could only sigh.
Gu Erwa, who had become an internal affairs apprentice only two days earlier than Qin Huai, had a bitter expression on his face. He stood in the corner gloomily and did not say a word.
He had entered the sect two years earlier than Qin Huai and had finally become an internal affairs apprentice. He had only reached the third level of his cultivation technique.
But this Qin Huai… He became an internal affairs apprentice in just a few days. How many days have passed? He had become a senior brother?
In the middle of the night, Gu Erwa grabbed a doll with the word “Qin” on it and stabbed it with a silver needle.
“Go to hell! Go to hell! Go to hell!”
…
A week after his master had informed the entire apothecary that Qin Huai had become a martial artist…
Eldest Senior Sister Liu Xiaomei came to the door with a bowl of medicine.
“Little Junior Brother, it’s time to drink your medicine!” Liu Xiaomei said softly.
“I’m not sick. Why should I take medicine?” Qin Huai was confused. The bright red medicinal soup in the bowl seemed strange.
“Didn’t anyone tell you? Here, look at my brain!” Liu Xiaomei patted her head. “This is vitality soup. It’s a medicinal soup that can increase a martial artist’s vitality.
“You should have felt it as well. When you break through to become a martial artist, your Qi and blood will transform. We call this the blood refinement realm.
“Every time I break through, the Qi and blood in my body will transform once. In other words, the stronger your vitality is, the higher the benefits you’ll obtain during the transformation,” Liu Xiaomei said patiently.
Qin Huai came to a realization. “What’s the price of this medicine?” He knew that this medicinal soup was definitely precious.
“Five taels a bowl.”
Qin Huai was shocked. He had guessed that the vitality-increasing medicinal soup would be expensive, but he did not expect it to be that expensive.
After he became Liu Changyue’s disciple, he could only earn two taels of silver a month.
‘It takes two and a half months to drink a bowl?’
The ingredients for the blood Qi soup were precious. Even the apothecary could only prepare one bowl for apprentices who were about to break through to the martial artist realm.
Liu Xiaomei explained, “You’re an exception because you broke through too quickly. It’s beyond our expectations. That’s why your two senior brothers are down there all year round, transporting medicine.” She sighed.
“How much money can the senior brothers get for transporting the medicine?” Qin Huai asked.
He definitely had to buy the blood essence soup. He would not let go of the opportunity to improve his strength. Moreover, everyone else was drinking it, but he didn’t.
Didn’t that mean that he would be weaker than others in the same realm? In this case…
In the future, when he fought with others, how terrible would it be if he was killed by someone who crossed the border?
“It’s a 40-60 split with the apothecary, and the apothecary gets 60,” Liu Xiaomei explained.
Qin Huai nodded. This was not bad. He immediately expressed his thoughts to his senior sister and went to deliver the goods.
…
In less than two days, Master Liu Changyue came to visit. It was time to inform them to deliver the goods to Bo Feng town.
Qin Huai took out some healing medicine from his own pocket in the main hall and personally ground some poison.
After hesitating for a moment, he used his own medicinal skills to get a few packets of strong aphrodisiacs. If one were to encounter a poison antidote that was immune to all poisons, an aphrodisiac could mess up the Qi and blood of a person. It was the best choice.
“It’s best if you don’t need it, though.” With a clap of his hands, Qin Huai hid several packets of aphrodisiacs in his sleeves.
He had a few taels of silver on him, but it was not enough for a bowl of Qi and blood soup. He might as well use them for life-saving things. The more aphrodisiacs and poisons he had, the better. He could use them at any time.
Qin Huai was ready and listened to his master explain the process again.
It was probably because of the customer’s family background, personality, the price of the medicine, and the bottom line if the other party suddenly lowered the price.
Then, Qin Huai took the two carriages that his master, Liu Changyue, had prepared and the six ordinary bodyguards he had hired to Bo Feng town.