Chapter 38: Difficulties in Cultivation

When Meng Yifan had just transmigrated here a few days ago, he had quickly mastered the "Bull Strength" technique; this was because the original owner had already practiced it diligently for several years, but due to poor aptitude, he had been unable to guide Qi into his body to take the first step in the martial path.

Meng Yifan inherited the original owner's body and memories, which was equivalent to having practiced the "Bull Strength" technique for several years himself, and only then was he able to make the "Bull Strength" skill appear on his Game Panel so quickly.

As for the "Lingbo Microsteps" he was learning now, he could only rely on himself to figure it out. Meng Yifan calmed his mind, first focusing his attention on the footprints on the ground, walking slowly step by step, striving not to make a mistake with any step; once proficient, he would then find a way to increase his speed.

One step, two steps, three steps—Meng Yifan walked with great difficulty, but he gritted his teeth and persisted.

At the same time, he would glance at the Game Panel from time to time, hoping that the "Lingbo Microsteps" skill would appear in the skill bar above.

Unfortunately, because he had not yet mastered it, the skill never appeared on the Game Panel.

It seemed that this first step had to be taken by himself.

Meng Dayong was practicing the Bull Strength technique, while Meng Yifan was practicing Lingbo Microsteps nearby; the father and son did not disturb each other, both practicing diligently.

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was already midnight. Meng Dayong had circulated his True Qi through four Great Heavenly Cycles, and his True Qi had increased by a segment, becoming much more robust than when he was at the First Grade High Stage; most importantly, his skin had begun to turn a light bronze color, and his defensive power had greatly increased.

Circulating True Qi for four Great Heavenly Cycles was the limit for a Second Grade Lower Stage Martial Artist; if he were to continue practicing by force, it would not only be of no benefit but could instead lead to a deviation in cultivation, so Meng Dayong slowly withdrew his power and opened his eyes.

After this period of hard practice, Meng Yifan was finally able to walk through the eighty-one footprints on the ground at a snail's pace.

However, if he increased his speed even slightly, he would walk incorrectly or trip himself, which also caused him some distress. This body's aptitude was truly trash; it seemed that once he had more Experience Value in the future, he would really have to improve his aptitude.

If he could improve his aptitude, the proficiency of the techniques he practiced every day would also increase; furthermore, it could increase his comprehension, allowing him to quickly master a new skill, which was particularly important for Meng Yifan.

"Yifan, when practicing techniques, haste makes waste. It's already very late, so let's get some rest early," Meng Dayong said.

Meng Yifan nodded, walked through the eighty-one footprints in the specific order, and prepared to rest.

Before going to sleep, Meng Dayong lay on a straw mat while still dressed and asked, "Yifan, have you thought it through? Have you decided how we will survive in the city from now on?"

After Meng Dayong bought Pills, bought secret manuals, and bought a house, they only had a little over one hundred taels of silver left, and they still owed the property agency two hundred taels for the house; they had to pay back two hundred and fifty taels of silver in one year's time. This made Meng Dayong deeply worried. He had previously lived in Qinghe Village, and although he lived in poverty, at least he did not owe others money. Now, carrying a mortgage, he felt very uncomfortable and really wanted to pay off the mortgage as soon as possible.

In addition, the Meng father and son were leading thirty-two villagers to live together, and money was needed in many places. For example, many people currently had no beds or bedding at all. Today was their first day arriving, and many people were just lying directly on the ground, making do for the night.

This was definitely not a long-term solution. Tomorrow, no matter what, they had to arrange for people to purchase daily necessities: beds, bedding, tables, stools, bowls, chopsticks, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. Living in the city, every single thing cost money. If they just sat and ate through their current one hundred-plus taels of silver, they really wouldn't last long, so they had to come up with a way to earn money as soon as possible.

Regarding this problem, Meng Yifan had long had a plan and said, "Dad, this is what I'm thinking: we organize the able-bodied men to form a hunting squad and lead them out of the city to hunt. Now, there are Demon Beasts and Wild Beasts everywhere outside the city; as long as we are careful, we will definitely have a bountiful harvest."

Meng Dayong thought for a moment and said, "That's a pretty good idea. The men from our Qinghe Village are all good hunters, and plus we have the Elm Cannon and the new type of gunpowder; even if we encounter a Third Grade Demon Beast, we would dare to put up a fight."

"But, Yifan, didn't you say that the mark on your chest would attract Demon Beasts to take revenge on you? If you go out of the city, it's truly too dangerous. How about this: you stay in the city, and I will take the hunting squad out of the city to hunt. Once we earn money, we'll find a way to get someone to help you break the mark. Do you think that will work?"

Meng Yifan shook his head and said, "Let's go out of the city to hunt together. We are both Second Grade Lower Stage Martial Artists now; if we go out together, we can look out for each other."

What Meng Yifan did not say was that he had a Game Panel, and if he wanted to quickly increase his strength, he had to kill monsters to gain Experience Value. If he were left in the city, his safety would be guaranteed, but if he didn't go to kill monsters, where would he get Experience Value, and how would he increase his strength?

The Flying Tiger Demon left the mark on Meng Yifan just because it wanted other Demon Beasts to kill him, but if Meng Yifan's strength improved by leaps and bounds, then it wouldn't be the Demon Beasts coming to kill him, but him going to kill the Demon Beasts.

Additionally, Meng Yifan had Level 2 Shooting Technique, and his body had also had attribute points added; his strength, speed, and defensive power were all far superior to Meng Dayong's. He could hold the Elm Cannon and achieve precise shooting, while Meng Dayong could not. If he were to let him hold the Elm Cannon to shoot, not only would the accuracy drop sharply, but the recoil force from the Elm Cannon firing would also break his ribs.

In this small team, Meng Yifan was the undisputed top expert. Without his participation, the strength of the hunting squad would be greatly reduced, so he considered it for a moment and decided to participate in the hunt after all. At most, they would try their best not to go too far from the city, and if they discovered danger, they would retreat in time.

Meng Dayong tried to persuade him a few more times, but seeing that Meng Yifan's mind was made up, he stopped trying to persuade him and said, "Alright, then let's do that. Let's go to sleep early and get up early tomorrow to see if we can buy a few more elm tree trunks to build more Elm Cannons."

The father and son both lay on the straw mats, preparing to sleep. Before going to sleep, Meng Yifan got up and strung a thin thread at the doorway and window of the room, tying small bells to it. This way, if someone came in at night and touched the thin string, the bells would ring, and Meng Yifan and Meng Dayong would wake up in time.

Meng Yifan was still a bit uneasy, so he placed a few animal traps on the ground at the doorway and also set up a cocked crossbow aimed at the doorway. The trigger was linked to the door hinge, so as long as someone opened the door from the outside, the crossbow would fire a bolt at the doorway.

"Yifan, this is the city. There are guards patrolling at night, it's not like being in the wilderness. Is it necessary to be this jittery?" Meng Dayong asked, somewhat puzzled.

Meng Yifan said, "Dad, the city isn't necessarily safe either. It's better to be prepared."

Meng Dayong stopped talking and helped Meng Yifan set up the traps and mechanisms. Once everything was set up, the father and son blew out the candle and went to sleep in their clothes.