"Tiger Subduing Fist entry-level achieved!"
After training the Tiger Subduing Fist for five days, Su Mu had brought this fist technique to entry-level, and more importantly, successfully birthed his first strand of power.
Delighted yet a bit surprised, Su Mu thought that the Tiger Subduing Fist, being Ninth-Grade Martial Arts, according to the cultivation technique's description, must be trained to an advanced level before advancing to the Ninth Grade Refining Force Realm.
Su Mu initially believed he needed at least Small Success, maybe even Great Success to birth power, but unexpectedly, he had already birthed power just as he reached entry-level.
"It seems the same martial arts can have different outcomes in the hands of different people; this is likely due to my comprehension..."
Su Mu exhaled lightly and immediately summoned his current status panel.
[Name: Su Mu (13 years old)]
[Lifespan: 43 years]
[Skills: Five Animals Qigong (Great Success 7%), Forging (Small Success 67%), Tiger Subduing Fist (entry-level 1%)]
[Comprehension: 5 (some potential)]
Upon opening the panel, indeed, the Tiger Subduing Fist had appeared in the skills column, showing entry-level progress, yet neither lifespan nor comprehension had improved as a result.
"It seems enhancing comprehension and lifespan isn't easily achieved... even Grade-Entering Martial Arts need to progress to Small Success."
Su Mu whispered and then carefully sensed the strand of 'power' within his body.
Su Mu quickly realized this power was quite weak. After some thought, he retrieved the Tiger Subduing Fist secret manual for review.
Not long after, Su Mu found the answer.
"I'm not yet truly in the Refining Force stage; instead, I'm in the 'Nourishing Force' phase... Only by continuously nurturing and strengthening this power will I actually qualify as an Entry Level Refining Power Martial Artist."
Refining Power and Transforming Force is the first realm for Grade-Entering Martial Artists. When Martial Artists refine their power, they can shatter rocks with their flesh, achieving this realm marks the true entry into the world of Martial Artists.
Qingshui Town is just a small place, Entry Level martial artists are rare, any Refining Power Martial Artist willing can join a gang or become a guard for a big family, earning high treatment and leading a better life.
Yet Su Mu cannot do so; he hasn't forgotten the deadly poison in his body, nor has he overlooked his real identity as a Death Warrior whose life is under control.
Born anew, and with such a comprehension panel, aiming merely for joining a gang or becoming a dependent family guard would be a wasted life.
"At the very least, I must first shed the pawn's identity... and grasp my fate in my own hands."
Returning to his inner thoughts, after cultivating the Tiger Subduing Fist, Su Mu's appetite began increasing. Now, with the birth of the first strand of power, Su Mu felt even hungrier, with his body demanding energy replenishment.
Turning back to the room, Su Mu fried three eggs with lard, then boiled a pot of water for a big bowl of noodles. Sprinkling a pinch of spring onions, Su Mu's appetite was piqued.
Slurp--------
Su Mu stood by the stove, holding the steaming noodles up for slurping, only needing three to five bites for a large bowl, and after devouring four to five bowls of noodles, he picked up the three fried eggs with chopsticks and ate them.
Sigh--------
After eating, Su Mu exhaled deeply, as a full belly brings a sense of happiness.
"Currently, it's the period for Nourishing Force, eating meat helps not only with energy supplementation but also with replenishing Qi Blood, greatly aiding Nourishing Force. I'll need to buy more meat and eggs in the future..."
With Su Mu's current monthly wage of 300 cents, eating ample meat isn't feasible. Fortunately, Sun Li generously handed over twenty-six taels of silver.
Eggs cost one cent for two, a pound of flour is five cents, and ready-made noodles are more expensive. Just tonight's meal would cost around six cents.
Nowadays, Su Mu eats breakfast at home first, as the breakfast at the iron shop isn't enough.
Even without meat, a day costs about ten cents, and monthly income of 300 cents is directly consumed, leaving not a bit of surplus.
Regarding meat, chicken is the cheapest on the market, a chicken weighs two to three pounds costing twenty to thirty cents, at fifteen cents per pound, followed by pork at thirty cents per pound.
Lamb is twice the price of pork at sixty cents per pound, as for the best among ordinary meats and most suitable for martial artists, beef costs a whopping hundred cents per pound, three times that of pork, and ten cents more.
Moreover, ordinary people find it hard to eat beef even if they have money, since the Great Yan Dynasty bans private slaughtering of plowing cattle, although this poses no problem for wealthy families and officials.
Su Mu estimated his food consumption, with an open meal he could easily eat three to five pounds of meat. Calculating by this quantity, with two added feeds per day, even with the cheapest chicken, it costs 120 cents a day.
A month would be a staggering 3,600 cents, equating to Su Mu's full annual salary, not even counting regular rice and noodle staple costs.
"Poor scholar, rich martial artist, ancient wisdom does not deceive... I need to forge the Ten-Refined Weapon quickly and find a way to earn more money!"
Su Mu originally thought that twenty-six taels of silver was already a considerable amount of silver coins, but upon careful calculation, the silver sponsored by Sun Li would not last for a few months. Eating meat helps to 'nourish force,' so when it comes to entering grade, Su Mu must consider earning more money.
A night passed without words.
The next day, even before dawn, Su Mu got up early, eager to practice the newly entry-level Tiger Subduing Fist in the yard.
After finishing his exercises, Su Mu stir-fried a pound of meat with green peppers, filled himself with several large bowls of rice, and then went to the town.
Clang!
In the forging room, Su Mu skillfully hammered the iron material on the forging platform, each strike sparking fire, followed by a crisp sound of metal clanging.
"Good lad, this guy has improved too fast recently!"
Because of Sun Li's disappearance, Zhou Mountain was worried, but upon seeing this scene, he couldn't help but show surprise, his brows relaxing.
The heavy hammer constantly swung up and down in Su Mu's hands, each strike rhythmically executed, even a layman watching could recognize Su Mu's proficiency in forging skills.
"That lad is called Su Mu, right?"
"Yes, he's called Su Mu. This boy's speed of progress is really astonishing; at this rate, I'm afraid that by the time next year comes, his skills could match ours!"
"Zhou Mountain truly has trained a promising talent."
Inside the forging room, many blacksmith masters couldn't help but cast their eyes over, expressing mixed emotions of amazement and envy. Zhou Mountain's heart blossomed with joy, for Su Mu indeed has a talent in forging; otherwise, he wouldn't have let him independently forge weapons after a mere half-year of training.
"As long as he doesn't fail this time, even if he can only complete a single weapon, it would be incredibly good."
From the beginning, Zhou Mountain didn't expect Su Mu to forge a decent weapon on his first attempt. As long as Su Mu could independently complete a blade's forging, that talent would be amazing!
As the center of discussion, Su Mu himself was engrossed in a wondrous state, fully devoted to the forging.
Suddenly, he had a moment of epiphany.
"Tools and weapons are extensions of fists... while forging, one can simultaneously practice Tiger Subduing Fist, and even harness that power to assist!"
Clang clanging!
Each hammer strike caused the forging platform to shake and made the impurities in the iron material erupt as sparks.
Power grows stronger with use; during the ongoing process of forging, Su Mu's power gradually increased.
Not long after, Su Mu was amazed to find that when he integrated the Tiger Subduing Fist and power into the iron-forging, what he estimated yesterday would take until the afternoon was completed in less than an hour this morning.
"Forging is also cultivation!"
Realizing this, Su Mu was even more motivated while forging.
However, after finishing a day of ironwork and returning home, Su Mu faintly felt something amiss; while practicing Five Animals Qigong and Tiger Subduing Fist, his muscles began to experience intense stabbing pain, which was especially noticeable when practicing Bird Play and Tiger Subduing Fist.
"Perhaps I just haven't adapted to this intensity yet, it will get better after a few days."
Su Mu gritted his teeth and persevered.
But after three days, the muscle pain intensified. His obviously swollen arms were hard to conceal, and both Zhou Mountain and other blacksmith masters in the workshop started to advise him.
"Lad, why don't you go home today and have a good rest? Too much is as bad as too little."
That morning ended with Su Mu being given a three-day leave by Li Tie, excusing him from the afternoon work at the smithy as well.
Su Mu did not refuse; he knew his own body better than anyone, and had already noticed something was wrong these days.
"The Five Animals Qigong consists of Tiger, Deer, Bear, Monkey, and Bird Play. Previously, while practicing Five Animals Qigong, there were no problems because it includes both the fierce Tiger and Bear Play and the gentle Deer and Bird Play for balance."
"But the Tiger Subduing Fist is bold and fierce, following a domineering path. During the day, I even incorporate iron-forging into practicing Tiger Subduing Fist, thus causing a severe imbalance..."
Su Mu quickly identified the problem, and the solution was simple.
"If I want to maintain the cultivation pace... I need to rely on medicinal aid next."
This world has martial dao, and naturally, there are medicines specially for martial artists. The problem that arose with Su Mu is not unique, just that he does not have a prescription at hand.
"With the afternoon off, it's a good time to visit the town's pharmacy."