Chapter 546: Drinking Medicine

"Then... what about Ma Zhu?"

Aaron thought of that withdrawn youth again.

"Him?"

Zhai Yong recalled carefully for a moment before remembering who Ma Zhu was: "He also failed to make progress in martial arts... He suddenly left on his own recently. The silver he paid still had a month left on it!"

'Could he... really have left on his own?'

Aaron was slightly suspicious, but since it was none of his business, he let it be and stopped asking.

The two went straight into the Inner Courtyard and arrived at the main hall.

"Hehe... since you have become an official Disciple, we are family, so why be so formal?"

Xue Qingshan, who looked like an old farmer, drank his tea unhurriedly and looked at Aaron: "You are Fang Yu? Entering Strength in about half a year, that is acceptable."

"Greetings, Ge Lao!"

After about half a cup of tea, he opened his eyes: "This dose of 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction' is roughly equivalent to the effort of ten days of me refining Qi and Blood into strength... but to pay with years of my life for it, it is not worth the loss!"

Those hands had thick knuckles and dark skin, which even made Aaron think of the color of refined iron.

The only difference was probably his pair of hands.

Aaron muttered to himself, then began to set his stance, using 'Quicksand Intent' to convert Qi and Blood into strength.

Aaron exchanged a few more polite words with Xue Qingshan, received some pointers on practicing the "Black Sand Palm," and then purchased a five-day supply of Medicinal Sand before taking his leave.

'I had better continue to study on my own on the lake...'

Great Senior Brother Ding Shan was standing by, and the few fellow Disciples following him were also familiar faces—they were none other than Li Qinglan and Song Sanjin!

Seeing Aaron walk in, their faces still held traces of surprise.

"Many thanks, Master."

'It feels completely incomparable to the Red Blood Carp.'

Aaron followed behind Zhai Yong into the hall. The first thing that caught his eye was a huge plaque hanging in the main hall, inscribed with the four large characters: 'Stopping Conflict Through Wu'.

"Still haven't given up?"

Amidst this intense pain, strands of subtle heat surged forth.

Ge Lao was weighing medicinal herbs with a small scale; seeing Aaron walk in, he actually remembered him.

"I am indeed a Disciple."

"I ate a Red Blood Carp recently and luckily entered the stage of Entering Strength," Aaron answered honestly.

Aaron smiled without a word, watching as Ge Lao shook his head while pouring the decoction into a bowl and bringing it over.

"That works too."

'If I were to act like Li Qinglan and Song Sanjin, just thinking about currying favor with the Master, I really couldn't do it...'

Xue Qingshan took the teacup and sipped: "From now on, you are my official Disciple. Are you prepared to enter the Inner Courtyard for advanced martial arts training, or will you return to study on your own?"

Aaron took the tea from the side, bowed, and offered it.

Xue Qingshan said with a smile, while Ding Shan on the side took the silver without ceremony before handing the secret manual to Aaron.

"No wonder... you have good fortune," Xue Qingshan smiled: "Are you here this time to sincerely take me as your master?"

Aaron blinked; the gap between the factory price and the retail price was simply incredible: "We only sell them to the gang for a few dozen taels..."

Ge Lao sighed and said with a touch of loneliness: "This tiger-wolf medicine can still be used by a Martial Disciple to break through to Entering Strength... but once one becomes a Force-Entering Martial Artist, no one comes to patronize it anymore."

His body was stimulated by this, and his Qi and Blood began to surge slightly...

Fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, he looked at Aaron: "Eh? I always feel like something is wrong with you, kid..."

Ge Lao shook his head repeatedly: "Good intentions cannot save a ghost destined to die! You wait... I will go get your medicine now!"

Aaron did not hide anything; after all, his talent was what it was: "This Disciple is a Fisherman of Taize Lake. A few days ago, I was lucky enough to get a Red Blood Carp. After eating it, my Qi and Blood increased greatly, and it was only through this opportunity that I was able to successfully enter the stage of Entering Strength."

"Sigh..."

However, a trace of jealousy flashed in the eyes of Zhai Yong and Song Sanjin.

After all... a Red Blood Carp is better than any Great Tonic Soup!

Unfortunately, the person had already eaten it, and one couldn't exactly make them spit it back out!

"Two hundred taels?"

"Oh? It's been a while since I've seen you, kid."

"A few dozen taels is not bad either," Ge Lao replied without looking up: "If I were you, I wouldn't have eaten that fish, but would have sold it, then gone to the countryside to buy a few acres of land, set up a house, take a wife, and live a happy little life... One lives a lifetime, isn't it just for peace and joy?"

"So that's how it is..." Ding Shan nodded, looking as if it were only natural.

"Senior Brother, you came at a good time. Master is currently here. I will go report..."

He went to the back hall, grabbed a dose of medicine, and brewed it himself.

In the main hall hung a huge piece of calligraphy, with a 'Longevity' character written in a bold, flowing style.

Well, being able to leave the Taize Lake, where one's life could be at risk at any moment, and become a farmer on stable land was indeed the dream of many fishermen.

Zhai Yong entered the main hall first, then came out: "Master says you may enter!"

He took the medicine bowl, waited until it was slightly cooler, and then, ignoring the heat, drank it in one gulp.

On the grand armchair to the side sat a figure with graying hair and a wrinkled face, resembling an old farmer.

"Red Blood Carp, good stuff," Ge Lao said with a look of reminiscence: "If you go to the 'Golden Fish Gang' to buy one, you can only pre-order, and one costs two hundred taels!"

'It still feels like a teacher-student relationship, just promoted from the primary class to the advanced class...'

"This Disciple's purse is empty, so I can only return to fishing..."

Xue Qingshan's expression was indifferent. He had heard about Fang Yu from Ding Shan and knew that his physical talent was poor and his future achievements limited, so he didn't care much: "The martial art of this sect after Entering Strength is called 'Black Sand Palm'! The first three levels train External Energy, and the last three levels train Dark Energy! It requires the use of this sect's unique 'Medicinal Sand' to practice... I will first pass the secret manual for the first three levels to you. Hmm, as for the 'Medicinal Sand,' follow the rules of the Inner Courtyard: ten taels of silver per portion, which lasts for five days..."

"I am naturally sincere. Please accept this Disciple, Master."

"Many thanks."

Aaron feigned a look of shame.

Aaron did not waste words, pulling the last tael of silver from his pocket: "Give me a bowl of 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction'!"

"This medicine must be drunk while boiling hot; the medicinal power is best then."

Aaron bowed again, and seeing Xue Qingshan take out a hand-copied Secret manual but not bestow it, he naturally understood the intent, offering up the broken silver he had specifically gone to the money shop to exchange: "As a new Disciple who has just entered the gate, please accept this apprenticeship gift, Master."

"Being a farmer is much longer-lived than being a Martial Master... Those Martial Masters not only shorten their lives, but are also fond of bravery and fighting, often dying violent deaths, unable to meet a natural end."

"Good."

Bitter!

The moment the 'Qinglong Life-Snatching Decoction' entered his mouth, the first sensation was bitterness, more bitter than ten catties of coptis!

Then... Aaron clutched his lower abdomen, feeling as if several small steel knives were scraping inside his Stomach.

'As expected... even a formal Disciple cannot compare to a Personal Disciple, let alone when my talent is truly mediocre...'

But among them, this did not include Aaron.

He walked out of the Qingshan Martial Arts Hall, but did not go straight back, instead coming to the 'Huichun Hall' nearby.

"If the side effects of this medicine weren't so great, I'm afraid even you, Ge Lao, wouldn't be able to keep it..." Aaron comforted.

Ge Lao gave a bitter smile: "That is also true..."

(End of this chapter)