Chapter 10: Unexpected Harvest

Jiang Ning took a stance in the courtyard, instantly recalling in his mind the Five-Animal Boxing that Master Wang had just practiced.

In a flash, that scene appeared vividly before him, as if Master Wang were practicing the boxing in front of him once more.

"The effect of my eidetic memory is truly a massive help to my martial arts training!" Jiang Ning felt a surge of joy.

Immediately, he began to perform the Five-Animal Boxing according to the memories in his mind.

Every move and every form was an imitation of the images in his mind, combined with the breathing techniques recorded in the boxing manual.

Master Wang, standing to the side, watched Jiang Ning perform and nodded slightly from time to time.

Although every move Jiang Ning made appeared incredibly amateurish in his eyes—little more than a clumsy imitation—it was enough to satisfy him.

Because from Jiang Ning’s movements and the rhythm of his breathing, it was clear that he was on the right path.

Even if his posture was clumsy right now, he was still walking the correct road.

It took a full stick of incense's time for Jiang Ning to finish his first formal practice of the Five-Animal Boxing.

By now, his chest was heaving like a bellows, and his entire body was soaked in sweat.

Half an hour of continuous practice had long since pushed his body to its limit; had it not been for his sheer willpower, he would have stopped long ago.

Yet, he could vaguely feel that although he was exhausted, his body seemed to have grown slightly stronger, and his arms felt more filled with power.

【Five-Animal Boxing Experience +1】

【Skill】: Five-Animal Boxing (Not yet initiated 1/10)

When Jiang Ning saw this familiar prompt, a smile appeared on his weary face.

"Not bad! Truly not bad!" Master Wang nodded repeatedly in praise.

Jiang Ning panted, "This is all thanks to Master's excellent teaching!"

Master Wang nodded slightly. "You really did remember everything! It seems you weren't lying to me earlier; you truly have the talent of an eidetic memory!"

He then sighed with emotion, "With a talent like yours, you should be participating in the imperial examinations to seek fame and rank! That is the path most suited for you to get ahead."

Jiang Ning replied, "Master, you know how the world is today. Without some martial arts to rely on, one has no ability to protect oneself when trouble arises!"

Hearing this, Master Wang nodded in agreement. "That is true. In this day and age, one does need to learn some martial arts! Your reasoning is indeed correct."

He waved his hand. "Completing the boxing set on your first try takes a significant toll on your body's essence. Go and get some rest. Before you leave later, go to the kitchen and collect a bowl of medicinal soup. Tomorrow at noon, eat here at the martial arts hall. Remember, overdoing it is as bad as doing too little; it’s like indulging in nightly revelry—excessive diligence will damage your body's foundation."

"Thank you, Master! Thank you for your guidance! This student understands!" Jiang Ning bowed with a look of joy.

"No need to thank me! Once you've paid the tuition, I am responsible for your midday meals for six months so you don't have to run back and forth and waste time. As for the evening meals, you'll have to handle those yourselves after drinking the soup." Master Wang waved his hand. "You may withdraw now! Don't disturb my sleep unless it's important!"

"Yes!" Jiang Ning bowed and retreated.

After Jiang Ning left the backyard, Master Wang spoke to the woman beside him: "Li Qing, what do you think of him?"

"He's alright!" The woman nodded slightly. "There is some hope."

"Oh? Then I shall wait and see!" Master Wang lay back on his rattan chair and chuckled.

On the other side.

As soon as Jiang Ning appeared in the front courtyard, a man walked up to greet him.

He was dressed in a fine cyan robe with a hair crown on his head, looking dignified and imposing; at a glance, one could tell he came from a wealthy or noble background.

"Is this brother the disciple who joined the martial arts hall today?" The man in the cyan robe raised his hands and bowed to Jiang Ning.

"Yes, I am!" Jiang Ning bowed in return. "May I ask who you are?"

"Oh!" The man in the cyan robe smiled slightly and said, "My name is Zhou Xing. You can just call me Senior Brother Zhou."

Jiang Ning understood instantly. "I am Jiang Ning. It is a pleasure to meet you, Senior Brother Zhou!"

"So you are Junior Brother Jiang!" Zhou Xing, dressed in his cyan robe, smiled. "May I ask which family or clan in the city Junior Brother Jiang comes from?"

"I come from an ordinary family in the outer city!" Jiang Ning replied truthfully.

"So, the outer city!" Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing not only showed no signs of looking down on him but instead appeared even more enthusiastic. "For a Junior Brother from an ordinary family to scrape together the silver to join our Canglang Martial Arts Hall, it must have been full of hardships. I truly admire you."

As he finished speaking, he fumbled at his waist, and the next moment, he pulled a brocade box from his robes.

"Since I am your senior brother, and this is our first meeting—and you have just begun your martial arts training—I would like to gift you some wild ginseng. We should grow closer as fellow disciples in the future."

Zhou Xing handed the rectangular red brocade box he had pulled from his robes to Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning looked at him with surprise.

"Please accept it, Junior Brother Jiang!" Zhou Xing offered an approachable smile.

"In that case, thank you, Senior Brother!" Jiang Ning said.

"We are fellow disciples, like family. No need to be so formal!" Zhou Xing waved his hand, appearing quite carefree.

He then added, "I won't disturb you any further, Junior Brother Jiang. I am going to pay a visit to Master Wang. Study the boxing well, Junior Brother. When you pass Master Wang's test in the future and become a true disciple of the hall, I will treat you to drinks, and we won't stop until we're drunk!"

"Alright!" Jiang Ning replied.

"Senior Brother Zhou is truly generous! Giving away wild ginseng just like that!"

"Indeed! Among all the senior brothers in the hall, Senior Brother Zhou is the most righteous."

"That's right, and he treats people with the most warmth. Even toward us disciples from the outer city, he has never shown any contempt or disdain!"

"..."

After Zhou Xing left, Jiang Ning heard the surrounding discussions and began to understand!

"This Zhou Xing has built a persona of being righteous and generous. In this world, he is quite a clever man!" he muttered to himself.

He then opened the red brocade box in his hand and saw a ten-centimeter-long ginseng root lying inside.

"Truly generous. A wild ginseng like this must cost ten to twenty taels of silver!" Jiang Ning marveled inwardly. "I wonder what kind of background this Senior Brother Zhou has?"

He immediately tore off a few ginseng whiskers, about one-tenth of the root, and placed them in his mouth to chew slowly.

He had just performed the Five-Animal Boxing in its entirety while following the breathing technique, and now his body was drained of strength, soaked through with sweat.

But as he swallowed the chewed ginseng whiskers, he immediately felt his body beginning to recover its strength.

"It really is good stuff! No wonder they say 'the poor study, the rich practice martial arts'!"

Jiang Ning then carefully tucked the brocade box containing the ginseng into his belt.

Feeling his strength gradually returning, Jiang Ning went to the nearby ancient well and drank his fill of the cool water.

*ROAR—*

Suddenly, a roar erupted in his ears, sounding like a thunderclap.

Jiang Ning looked up and saw that the King of Beasts, which had been sleeping in the iron cage earlier, was now awake, letting out a ferocious roar at the people in the open space.

"Junior Brother Jiang, you see that? That is the fierce tiger that Master Wang caught with his own hands. Observing this tiger for a long time will help you grasp the spirit and form of the Tiger-Form Boxing. If you can grasp the spirit, you can master the boxing. If you master the boxing within six months, it means your comprehension is sufficient, and you will be qualified to become a true disciple of the hall and access the core inheritance!"

A woman's voice, slightly ethereal, sounded in his ear.

Jiang Ning didn't need to turn around to know that the speaker was the woman in the blue martial arts attire he had seen earlier—Senior Sister Li Qing.

He nodded, understanding.

"Senior Sister, does that mean the vast majority of people in the hall specialize in Tiger-Form Boxing?"

"Correct! Tiger-Form Boxing emphasizes explosive power. It is both a good training method and a boxing style suitable for combat!" Li Qing confirmed Jiang Ning's statement and continued, "That is why I also suggest you specialize in Tiger-Form Boxing. You were born neither rich nor noble! Whether or not you can become a true disciple of the hall is a result that can change your future destiny!"

As they spoke, Jiang Ning felt his strength gradually returning; in this short while, he had already recovered quite a bit.

"The medicinal effect of this wild ginseng is truly strong!" Feeling the changes in his body, he marveled inwardly once more.

"Did you eat the wild ginseng Zhou Xing gave you?" Li Qing asked suddenly.

"Yes! How did you know, Senior Sister?" Jiang Ning asked.

"Your face is flushed, your heartbeat has quickened, and there is heat rising from your head. It is obvious you have consumed a potent tonic!"

"Senior Sister, will there be any problems with this?"

"No problem. Zhou Xing's family is in the herbal medicine business; these are authentic wild ginseng roots. This kind of ginseng is a bit too potent for someone like you who hasn't started martial arts training yet, so you need to practice boxing to digest it! With the medicinal power of the ginseng, you won't damage your body's foundation no matter how you practice." Li Qing explained.

Hearing this, Jiang Ning felt relieved.

"Senior Sister, then I will go practice boxing to digest it now!"

Li Qing stepped back to make room.

She added one more piece of advice: "Junior Brother Jiang, it is best to specialize only in Tiger-Form Boxing. Only then will you have a chance to grasp the spirit and form of the fierce tiger within six months and reach the realm of mastery in Tiger-Form Boxing."