Chapter 5: Getting Started! Medicinal Decoction

"Alright!"

Hearing Zhang Lingshan agree so readily, Shi Lei was overjoyed. He told him to wait and then scurried off toward the backyard in high spirits.

Once he was gone, Zhang Lingshan immediately focused his attention on the "+" symbol on the panel.

He clicked it with his mind!

*Whoosh!*

The panel changed instantly.

Name: Zhang Lingshan

Martial Arts: Zhengyang Stance (Entry Level)

Energy: 0.2

'To think it only took 0.1 energy to upgrade. This Zhengyang Stance is just too...'

Before Zhang Lingshan could finish his internal complaint, an inexplicable heat surged through his body, bringing a sense of relief to every limb and bone.

Unfortunately, the heat came and went even faster, vanishing in the blink of an eye before Zhang Lingshan could even savor it.

'As expected of the lowest-tier martial art; even at the entry level, it doesn't have much of an effect.'

Zhang Lingshan sighed inwardly.

But soon, he realized he had underestimated this Zhengyang Stance.

The pain in his body was not as intense as before, and his physique seemed to have become a bit sturdier.

An outsider might not notice anything, but he could clearly feel that his body was not as fatigued as before. He didn't feel pain with every movement, and he could even jump around.

Only when performing the more difficult movements of the Zhengyang Stance, such as the Pillar-Yang Pose or the Horizontal-Yang Pose, did he feel a stinging sensation; all other movements could be performed to standard.

He checked his skin again.

Zhang Lingshan noticed that the red marks had faded slightly.

'Good, practicing martial arts is indeed useful. As long as the body is strong enough and the blood and qi are sufficiently full, these strange red marks will disappear!'

Seeing the tangible change, Zhang Lingshan knew he hadn't chosen the wrong path. Encouraged, his spirits lifted, and he began to practice with even greater enthusiasm.

As time passed, it soon reached noon.

Although the late autumn sun wasn't scorching, it felt warm as it shone down.

By this time, Zhang Lingshan discovered that the red marks had faded even further, and he could perform all the movements of the Zhengyang Stance perfectly.

Although the marks hadn't completely vanished, they were not far from it.

His heart was filled with joy.

However, while his spirits were high, his body couldn't keep up. Not only were his limbs exhausted, but his stomach was also growling.

He needed to get some meat to eat.

Since he had used the twenty taels from Wang Datou and his companion to pay the tuition, the money saved at home remained untouched. With his funds currently abundant, it wouldn't be excessive to eat something good.

Moreover, eating meat could increase the energy value on his panel.

Therefore, he didn't just need to eat meat; he needed to eat his fill.

Since merely breaking through to the entry level of the Zhengyang Stance had the effect of fading the red marks, Zhang Lingshan was very much looking forward to the benefits of the next breakthrough.

'Shi Lei told me to wait for him to sell me the medicinal soup, so why hasn't he come back yet?'

Puzzled, Zhang Lingshan craned his neck to look toward the main hall.

Someone beside him suddenly said, "Don't bother looking. We haven't mastered the stance work yet; we're just apprentices who paid the fee. We have no status and no qualification to enter inside; we can only practice in the front yard. Only when you've mastered it can you be considered a registered disciple, and then you can pass through the main hall to enter the middle courtyard to learn real martial arts."

Zhang Lingshan turned his head to see a young man with a decent appearance, who was also one of those practicing the stance work in the front yard.

The man was tall, a full two heads taller than him.

Seeing Zhang Lingshan look over, he smiled slightly and said, "My name is Tie Feng."

"My name is Zhang Lingshan."

Zhang Lingshan quickly introduced himself. He was eager for someone to talk to him, so he immediately asked, "How long has Brother Tie Feng been here? You must be about to master the stance work and enter the middle courtyard, right?"

"Yeah, I've been here for over a month, so I'm just about there."

Tie Feng didn't hide it and spoke truthfully, a hint of pride on his face: "I plan to pass the assessment and enter the middle courtyard in a few days."

Zhang Lingshan said, "Then congratulations in advance, Brother Tie Feng."

"Heh, it's nothing, you can do it too. I see you're much smarter than the others here. Even though it's your first day practicing, you've already got the hang of it. Within three months, you'll definitely be able to master it. I'll wait for you in the middle courtyard. By then, we'll be official fellow disciples, and if you need anything, you can come to your Brother Tie."

He patted Zhang Lingshan on the shoulder, looking like a big brother encouraging a younger one.

Zhang Lingshan nodded in agreement, playing along perfectly.

In his eyes, these young men were just children; he didn't care what they said, only what he could get out of them.

Thus, he continued to play the role of an honest little brother, flattering him while asking questions at just the right moments.

Tie Feng was very pleased and answered all of them.

Only then did Zhang Lingshan learn that the martial arts school provided two meals a day—one at noon and one in the afternoon—and the food wasn't bad, well worth their tuition fees.

And this was just the treatment for apprentices.

Once the stance work was mastered and one became a registered disciple, the treatment would improve a notch. As one's strength grew, the treatment would get better and better, until eventually, the school would even invest money to cultivate you.

But that was a story for another day.

Tie Feng himself didn't know the details.

But one thing was certain: the stronger you were, the more you received.

Therefore, he had to compete!

As soon as he broke through a realm, he had to pass the assessment immediately to improve his status and treatment; only then could he become stronger.

"Alright, alright, enough chatting. It's time to eat. Hurry up and get in line."

Tie Feng gave Zhang Lingshan a nudge.

Zhang Lingshan saw someone bring two large basins into the main hall—one with white rice and one with a vegetable stew.

All the apprentices immediately ran to line up obediently, orderly, without any pushing or scrambling.

They were all hot-blooded young men, but they were more obedient here than they were at home, which showed just how strict the management of the Hong Family Martial Arts School was.

"Everyone only gets one bowl. Scoop as much as you want, but you can't go for seconds, and you can't leave any leftovers," Tie Feng explained to Zhang Lingshan.

So, Zhang Lingshan scooped a full, heaping bowl. After all, he had spent the money; wouldn't it be a loss if he didn't eat enough?

But he had overestimated his appetite.

The food here was not like the food at the Red Leaf Temple construction site; it had meat and oil, and he didn't know what else they added, but it was very filling. By the time he finished, Zhang Lingshan's stomach was as bloated as a frog's. He had to force himself to jump twice just to finish the last bit.

Just then, Shi Lei ran over with a bowl of medicinal soup, excitedly saying, "I got the medicine for you. Drink it while it's hot."

"..."

Zhang Lingshan was speechless: "I'm stuffed to the point of bursting right now. Will the efficacy decrease if I let this medicine cool down?"

"That won't happen, it'll just become even harder to swallow. But I don't care how you handle it; I've brought the medicine, so you have to give me the three *qian* of silver we agreed on."

"Fine."

Zhang Lingshan fished a few pieces of broken silver from his pocket, weighed them, and handed them over.

"Heh heh."

Shi Lei happily took them: "Junior brother is truly straightforward. If you feel this medicinal soup is effective, you can come find me again. But you'll have to wait three days."

With that, he left happily, though there was no telling what he was off to do.

Seeing him leave, Tie Feng immediately leaned in toward Zhang Lingshan, staring curiously at the bowl of medicinal soup and leaning in to sniff it.

"It smells bitter just from the scent."

He frowned and shook his head, giving Zhang Lingshan a sympathetic look.

In his mind, Zhang Lingshan was already synonymous with "a fool and his money." He didn't know if the medicine was effective, but it certainly wasn't worth the money Zhang Lingshan had just given Shi Lei.

This silly, short kid had clearly been scammed.

Zhang Lingshan didn't know what Tie Feng was thinking; he just sat honestly on the ground, guarding the medicinal soup resting on the stone stool.

Until he felt his stomach was no longer painfully bloated, he gulped the medicinal soup down in one go.

(End of chapter)