Free Web NovelChapter 11: Chapter 11: Minor Success in Stone Armor Skill
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
Liang Cheng’s days were as regular as a clock: practicing the Posture Stance at 5:00 AM, training his fists at 7:00 AM, studying literacy in the afternoon, taking a medicinal bath at 5:00 PM, and doing extra training on his Stone Armor Skill at night.
The effects of the medicinal baths gradually became apparent.
The special formula prepared by Yang Wei had been nurturing the old injuries in his waist and knees. Now, there was almost no stagnation when he exerted his strength, and his Qi Blood flowed more smoothly than ever.
[Mixed Element Posture Minor Success (102/500)]
[Fierce Bull Force Minor Success (23/800)]
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment) Beginner Level (199/200)]
The Stone Armor Skill was about to break through the Stone Skin Style and enter the next stage, the Stone Muscle Style.
Late at night, Liang Cheng slipped away to a reef cave on the barren shore.
He took out the hidden wooden stick and medicinal paste. After smearing the paste on his body, a searing pain pierced his flesh. He assumed the Stone Skin Style stance, grabbed the stick, and began to beat his body.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
The sound echoed inside the cave. His skin turned from red to purple, and sweat poured down him like water. He gritted his teeth and pushed on.
With the last strike, he used all his strength to slam the stick against the left side of his chest.
CRACK!
The wooden stick snapped in two.
It felt as if a hard shell under his skin had suddenly shattered. Immediately after, a warm current surged through his entire body. A grayish-white, rock-like glow appeared on the surface of his skin, lasting for about three breaths before slowly fading away.
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment) Minor Success (1/800)]
[Unlocked: Stone Muscle Style]
’Success.’
Liang Cheng exhaled a breath of turbid air. His flesh felt much firmer, as if he had gained a thin layer of armor, but his skin color had returned to normal, no longer a conspicuous grayish-white.
An ordinary punch or kick probably wouldn’t even leave a red mark now. He wiped the medicinal dregs off his body and threw the broken stick into the sea.
Next, cultivating the Stone Muscle Style required an Iron Sand Bag filled with ten catties of iron sand mixed with wood shavings for him to beat his body with. The medicinal paste also needed an upgrade.
The paste would be made with a base of Sea Clam Powder and coarse salt, with Iron Bone Vine Juice and Blood Sand added in. However, the cost had suddenly jumped to a whole new level.
Liang Cheng let out a breath, cleaned up all traces of his activity, and returned to the Martial Arts Hall.
Early the next morning, in the front courtyard, Big Head was getting an earful.
"You’ve been practicing the Posture Stance for seven days and you still look this pathetic!" Zhou Hu glared. "Have you even been training with any heart?"
Nearby, Li Mao couldn’t help but sneer, "What’s a pauper doing trying to practice martial arts?"
Big Head lowered his head and clenched his fists, his eyes turning red.
He had trained desperately for the past seven days, but unfortunately, his Root Bone was too poor, and his progress was despairingly slow. But his family had borrowed money to pay his tuition, so he had to persevere no matter what.
It was a pity that even when he secretly trained at night, practicing his stance until his legs gave out and he collapsed, his waist was still weak and his legs still trembled.
Just then, Liang Cheng passed through the front courtyard and saw Big Head’s predicament, but he didn’t step forward to help. ’Not everyone is as lucky as me, with the Mayfly Life Chart as a safety net.’
’If he can’t even get past this hurdle, what’s the point of practicing martial arts?’
’It would be better for him to give up early.’
...
The next day, Liang Cheng walked into the apothecary.
"Iron Bone Vine Juice?" the old physician asked, looking up.
"Yes."
"One tael and one mace," the old physician said as he retrieved an earthenware pot from under the counter. He broke the wax seal, and a pungent odor wafted out. "One mace per use, every other day."
Liang Cheng paid five taels of silver, then went to another place to buy Blood Sand. He also bought iron sand and sewed a cloth bag.
It was a good thing he had that windfall; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to afford it at all.
That night, at the rocky hollow.
He mixed the dark red medicinal paste according to the formula and applied it to his skin. The searing pain was twice as intense as before. Liang Cheng assumed the Stone Muscle Style stance, his breathing short and deep.
He slammed the Iron Sand Bag down on himself.
THUD!
His skin reddened, and a sharp pain pierced his muscles. Veins throbbed on his forehead, but his hands didn’t stop as he continued to beat his limbs, chest, and back.
When the beating was over, his entire body was crimson, and a mixture of sweat and medicinal paste dripped to the ground. But his muscles were gradually warming up, and a faint, hot current was darting between the fibers.
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment) Minor Success (2/800)]
The progress was slow, but it was real.
In the following days, Liang Cheng once again fell into a regular routine: practicing the Posture Stance and his boxing during the day, and cultivating his Stone Armor Skill at night, making steady progress.
Without him realizing it, another half-month or so went by.
[Mixed Element Posture Minor Success (145/500)]
[Fierce Bull Force Minor Success (63/800)]
[Stone Armor Skill (Fragment) Minor Success (19/800)]
At one point, the Martial Arts Hall had stopped distributing the medicinal soup. This applied to all disciples except for Zhou Hu and Zhao Yuan. Otherwise, his own progress would have been even more significant.
But Liang Cheng didn’t dwell on it. He was focused on making steady, solid gains and wasn’t thinking about anything else.
In the front courtyard, Big Head’s struggle grew even more brutal.
He practiced his horse stance until his legs trembled, and ramming the Kaozhuang post left him with a bloody nose and swollen face. He even caught a cold at one point and, after being sick for three days, gritted his teeth and forced himself back up.
Despite his persistence, during a sparring session, he was defeated in three moves by a fourteen-year-old boy who had joined after him. He ended up squatting in a corner, burying his face in his knees.
Liang Cheng happened to be passing by. "Feeling bad?"
"Am I just not cut out for martial arts?"
Big Head’s voice was tinged with bitterness.
"Out of a hundred people who join the Martial Arts Hall, only three to five ever reach the Bright Force stage," Liang Cheng said with a calm expression. "If you leave now, no one will laugh at you."
Big Head was silent for a long time, but in the end, he was unwilling to give up. "I’ll try for one more month."
"What about the money?"
Liang Cheng’s question was blunt, like a knife twisting in Big Head’s gut. Big Head opened his mouth, but couldn’t get a single word out.
His family had already borrowed money to scrape together his tuition. If his training had been going well, it would have been one thing, but now, he didn’t have the confidence to ask for more.
"I..."
His throat felt a little dry.
"Without money, practicing martial arts is just empty talk," Liang Cheng said calmly. "Can you really bear the consequences of failing and being in debt?"
Big Head’s eyes reddened. "Then what should I do? How did you manage it back then?"
Liang Cheng was very direct. "I have good comprehension. We’re not the same."
Big Head fell completely silent.
"Think it over carefully. Then come find me."
After saying that, Liang Cheng turned and left.
Big Head stood there, stunned. He watched Liang Cheng’s retreating back, then suddenly gritted his teeth and turned to run toward the training grounds.
’There are still a few days left before the month is up. I’ll give it one more try!’
...
On the way back to the rear courtyard, Liang Cheng was also doing some calculations in his head.
The Iron Bone Vine Juice was five taels, the Blood Sand was two taels, and the Iron Sand Cloth Bag was another expense. Of the twenty-some taels of silver he had "acquired" from Liu Biao, he had already spent half.
Cultivating the Stone Muscle Style required medicine every day, which would cost at least fifteen taels a month.
’I’ve got to make some money.’
Liang Cheng hadn’t expected that even after becoming a Disciple of the Martial Arts Hall, he would still be facing the same problem he had when he first transmigrated.
The old saying about "wealth, companions, technique, and location" really holds true.
In fact, Disciples of the Martial Arts Hall could take on jobs from the hall each month, like escorting caravans, patrolling the streets, or clearing out small groups of Sea Bandits.
The pay depended on the difficulty, ranging from three to five taels for easier tasks to several dozen taels for harder ones. The Martial Arts Hall would also take a cut; otherwise, where would the money for the disciples’ medicinal soups come from?
Besides, for the Martial Arts Hall to maintain its standing, it had to flex its muscles and reduce unnecessary trouble.
However, accepting a mission meant leaving the Martial Arts Hall, which would delay his cultivation. Moreover, swords and sabers have no eyes. Although the Stone Armor Skill could resist blunt attacks, against sharp weapons...
Liang Cheng clenched his fist. He could feel the tough resilience flowing faintly beneath his skin.
’My Stone Armor Skill has reached Minor Success. It should be safe enough.’
The next afternoon, Liang Cheng found Zhou Hu.
"Looking to take on a mission?" Zhou Hu wasn’t surprised. After all, learning martial arts was immensely expensive, and it was difficult to get by on just the standard Disciple’s stipend.
He and Zhao Yuan were exceptions. One was the head disciple, and the other was the most highly-regarded and talented disciple, so Yang Wei naturally treated them differently.
"For a new disciple’s first mission, it’s best to choose ’Street Patrol’ or ’Dock Assistance.’ They’re the safest, and the pay is two taels."
Liang Cheng looked at the notice board.
[Street Patrol]: Patrol the three eastern streets of the town from 7:00 PM to Midnight daily to prevent theft and fights. Monthly pay: two taels.
[Dock Assistance]: Assist the Town Protection Station in maintaining order at the docks and handling disputes. Monthly pay: three taels.
[Caravan Escort]: Escort a merchant caravan to the neighboring county. Three-day round trip. Pay: five taels. Requires a Martial Artist at Bright Force Middle Stage or above.
[Extermination]: Reports indicate a small group of Sea Bandits is causing trouble on Black Reef Island. A five-person team is needed to go and eliminate them. Pay: ten taels.
Liang Cheng’s gaze lingered on "Extermination."
Ten taels was enough to last him half a month, but the situation was unknown and the danger was too great. He immediately dismissed the idea. At this point, Liang Cheng had already made up his mind.
"I’ll take ’Dock Assistance’ for now."
