Chapter 10: Qi Rises from Blood, Breakthrough!

"These boots, they're pretty strong!"

Weaving through the crowd, Li Yuan's eyes lit up as he controlled the 'Six Harmonies Boots.'

This was a more immediate boost than even the practice hammer or bone-chopping blade; every step felt as if someone were pushing from behind—saving effort, and the speed was fast to boot.

The one flaw was that a single shoe did affect things somewhat...

"Tsk tsk, flying steps. Is the boost from a graded weapon this direct? And this is just one boot—if it were a pair, wouldn't the speed be even faster?"

One step and he shot forward three or four meters; feeling the strong 'push in the back,' Li Yuan's eyes gleamed, the muddy slickness of the snowy ground not affecting him in the slightest.

"A first-tier Weapon Mastery Register can only control one weapon at a time, and switching costs two days of cooldown... I need to rank up, I need to make money!"

Li Yuan was delighted, yet also a little troubled.

Money is hard to earn—true in every age.

Over the past month, aside from joining the kitchen and greatly improving his food and drink, it wasn't't as if he hadn't tried other methods.

But the skills he'd learned in his past life—whether performing funerary rites or assisting in childbirth—were of no use here.

Buy low, sell high? He had no capital; and even if he did, there was an unavoidable threshold.

The gangs!

In Gao Liu County, the hundred trades had long been carved up by the various factions; fishing and chopping wood were controlled by the Firewood Gang and Fishery Gang, who took their cuts—other trades went without saying.

"Liang Liang Ashui's here!"

Suddenly, someone shouted in the market.

Li Yuan looked up and saw the dark mass of people converging toward the youth carrying several fish baskets on the west side.

Sturdy build, slightly dark complexion—it was indeed the Liang Liang Ashui he'd seen before, quite famous these past few months at the Firewood and Fishery Workshop.

"He didn't catch another spirit fish, did he?"

Li Yuan muttered to himself.

He was a regular buyer here, so naturally he'd heard of Liang Liang Ashui's deeds.

They said his parents had died early, yet he'd honed a fine skill at fishing; catching three spirit fish in a row, he'd not only renovated his house but also been admitted into the 'Lihe Martial Hall,' one of the three great martial halls in the inner city.

Even the Fishery Gang that had designs on him could do nothing about it.

"Red-Browed Fish? Qin Mou's luck isn't bad—how much silver for this fish? I'll take it!"

Amid the clamor, Li Yuan heard a familiar voice, very resonant—if it wasn't Qin Xiong, who else could it be?

Among the passersby on the street, most just over five-foot-five, Qin Xiong, at a full six-foot-five, stood out like a crane among chickens.

Wherever he went, pedestrians scattered, letting him walk right up to Liang Liang Ashui.

"A spirit fish."

Glancing at the dark mass of people, Li Yuan felt a twinge of longing.

The price of spirit fish both daunted and tempted him—the money came so fast! One fish was worth over a dozen apprentices' three years of monthly wages!

"Too bad, I've never seen a weapon related to fishing..."

Li Yuan watched from afar for a while, then turned and left.

Li Yuan tucked the silver away, first stopping by the Weapon Forging Shop, then picked up two cured fish, asked for leave, and made his way through alleys and streets to his second brother Li Lin's courtyard.

The midday sun was fine; the city's accumulated snow was gradually melting, and people were shoveling snow before their doors in every alley and street.

Li Lin was pushing snow out toward the alley entrance; looking up and spotting Li Yuan, he broke into a smile:

"Come inside and rest first; I'll push this bit of snow out and then make you something to eat!"

"No need, Second Brother, I just ate."

Li Yuan stuffed the two cured fish into his second brother's hands, snatched the shovel, and started clearing the snow.

"Good lad, your strength has really grown!"

Li Lin was taken aback, then laughed as he took the cured fish and said:

"Then you sweep the snow, I'll go cook these two cured fish for you—perfect, your sister-in-law bought two catties of fat pork yesterday..."

"I really did eat; would a kitchen helper go hungry?"

Li Yuan was helpless, but didn't stop Li Lin; he could only work briskly to clear the snow, and by the time he entered the courtyard, he already smelled the fragrance of fish and meat.

"Go wait inside for a bit, it's cold out here."

Li Lin bustled about without looking up:

"The snow came early this year; the winter clothes were just finished—they're by the bed, go try them on and see if they fit."

"Second Brother!"

Li Yuan spotted the winter clothes inside at a glance, and his heart tightened involuntarily.

"Second Brother, you—where did you get all this money?"

Firewood, rice, oil, salt—firewood comes first; clothing, food, housing, transport—clothing leads. A winter garment isn't cheap; even the cheapest fabric plus cotton padding costs over a tael of silver, enough for an ordinary household's grain for half a year.

"Charcoal prices were good before winter; these past few months I chopped extra firewood, and with your sister-in-law's wages, what's a cotton coat?"

After setting the cured fish to stew, Li Lin came back inside, closed the door, picked up the cotton garment and draped it over Li Yuan, smiling:

"A growing lad shoots up a size every month—good thing your sister-in-law made it a size bigger, otherwise it'd be a tight fit!"

"I don't want this cotton coat; the Weapon Forging Shop issues one winter garment after winter sets in. This one—alter it and let sister-in-law wear it; washing clothes for others is hard work for her."

Li Yuan shook his head and took the garment off.

"What good clothes could an apprentice get? Take it and wear it!"

Li Lin glared, but seeing his third brother's frown and silence, knowing his stubborn temperament, could only soften his tone:

"Our family's been down on its luck for years; your sister-in-law still married into it. If I treated her poorly, wouldn't I be struck by lightning? Take it—just accept it."

Seeing Li Lin's firm resolve, Li Yuan could only accept, but he held his second brother's hand:

"Second Brother, tell me the truth honestly, did you borrow money from someone?"

"Who told you? That Fatty..."

Li Lin frowned, but quickly smoothed his expression; he glanced at the doors and windows, lowered his voice, and said:

"I borrowed some money from Qian Bao in the front street. Nine out, thirteen back, a normal market rate. It was agreed to give it to him before winter next year... Although our family has fallen on hard times, we still have some savings left. You..."

As Li Lin spoke, he coughed. Footsteps came from outside the door; it was Second Sister-in-law returning.

"Second Brother, you..."

Li Yuan wanted to ask for clarification, but seeing the beautiful woman push the door and enter, he could only suppress it for the moment.

"Sister-in-law."

Li Yuan greeted her.

"Mm."

The woman went to the kitchen herself to fetch warm water to soak her hands, which had frostbite, and replied without turning her head:

"Since you are here, just take that cotton-padded jacket, so your Second Brother doesn't have to make another trip! I don't know what bad luck struck..."

"Thank you, Sister-in-law."

Li Yuan hurriedly thanked her, automatically ignoring the rest of her words.

Regarding his own Second Sister-in-law, he held her in high respect.

After the Li family fell on hard times, she did not renounce the marriage contract; instead, she brought her dowry and married his Second Brother. The previous external debts were also filled by her using her own dowry.

"The fish is ready, I'll go serve it!"

Li Lin kept his head down, dared not speak, and dashed off to the kitchen.

"Sister-in-law, I ate at noon, so I'll leave first."

Li Yuan also wanted to run.

Two fish and two jin of meat looked like a lot, but if he stayed, the couple probably wouldn't eat much, and that was not what he wanted.

"Eat before you go, eh?"

"You brat!"

Behind him came the shouts of his elder brother and sister-in-law. Li Yuan, holding the cotton-padded jacket, left the alley without turning his head.

With the "Healthy Steps Like Flying" buff, Li Lin chased out but couldn't even see a shadow, so he could only stamp his feet and return to the room.

"Qian Bao? Lives in the front street, seems to be a small leader of the Fisherman Gang? Nine out, thirteen back, that's actually considered fair in my memory?"

Outside the alley, Li Yuan slowed his pace, recalling, and felt slightly relieved.

In his memory, although his Second Brother appeared simple and honest, he was no ordinary person. Being able to shoulder a mountain of debt and raise himself alone after his father and grandfather died and his eldest brother went missing, he shouldn't have borrowed money he couldn't repay, right?

But can loan sharks be good people?

Recalling some rumors from his past life about loan sharks chasing debts, Li Yuan immediately felt a sense of urgency rise in his heart.

"I need to make money!"

Li Yuan gritted his teeth:

"Before that, first refine the Bai Yuan Cloak to the entry level!"

"Hoo!"

"Haa!"

Moonlight shone on the accumulated snow, very bright. In the small courtyard, Li Yuan stood in the Ape Form Stance, constantly adjusting his breathing.

"The book records that only when the Ape Six Breathing Method completely replaces the original breathing method is the Ape Form Cloak Hammer considered fully mastered, but Fatty Sun's breathing seems quite normal..."

Relaxing his muscles and bones, Li Yuan turned thoughts over in his mind.

After about a quarter of an hour, feeling the vibration of the Military Register, he slightly closed his eyes, took off the 'Six Harmonies Boots' on the gray Dingxin Dingxin Shitai, and re-wielded the 'Training Hammer'.

"In an instant, decades of hammering experience flooded his heart. This kind of power..."

Feeling the iron hammer in his hand, Li Yuan adjusted his breathing.

Hoo!

At a certain moment, the hammer head broke the wind, the ape form swung its arms.

Patches of accumulated snow were flipped into the air. Li Yuan stood in the stance and danced the hammer. The Master-level hammer technique did not include a breathing method, but the hammer technique itself was inherently linked to the breathing method.

Gradually, his movements became faster and faster, the commotion so loud that it woke Fatty Sun inside the house.

But very quickly, his movements ceased, and he stood still.

"Eh?"

Fatty Sun narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Hoo!"

"Haa!"

Li Yuan was immersed in his own breathing sound.

He felt as if he had turned into a current of Qi, sinking into his four limbs and hundred bones through his respiratory tract; his perception became extremely sensitive,

he could even 'hear' his own blood ringing?

Buzz!

At a certain moment, Li Yuan widened his eyes, feeling as if a faint, almost imperceptible gas had been born from within his own blood!

"It's done!"

(End of this chapter)