Bitter!
Truly bitter!
However, as the medicinal soup passed down his throat and into his stomach, he could clearly feel a surge of warmth flowing out.
The warmth continued to flow down into his intestines, then spread to his abdomen and chest, finally diffusing into his limbs and throughout his body.
This feeling was exactly the same as when his Zhengyang Stance first broke through to the getting Started stage.
The difference was that this time the effect clearly lasted longer than before.
Zhang Lingshan was both surprised and delighted.
He had initially worried that Shi Lei might be trying to trick him, but to maintain a good relationship and give his future Senior Brother Face, he would have accepted being tricked.
But now it seemed he had misunderstood the other person.
This medicinal soup was truly worth more than its price; three silver coins were well spent.
Because he checked his panel and found that in this short time, the 0.2 energy on the panel had suddenly become 0.3.
In addition, he also found that his stomach was no longer bloated, as if this medicinal soup had also accelerated digestion.
Unfortunately, after the energy changed from 0.3 to 0.4, the medicinal effect seemed to disappear, and the warm feeling throughout his body was gone.
Zhang Lingshan secretly sighed in his heart, feeling unsatisfied, and really wanted another bowl.
He planned to ask Shi Lei when he returned if there was a way to get another bowl.
Although Shi Lei said the next bowl wouldn't be available for three days, it shouldn't be a problem if he was willing to pay more.
For the rest of the time, Zhang Lingshan waited for Shi Lei while continuing to practice the Zhengyang Stance.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt a bit hungry again, and then suddenly realized that there had been another change on his panel.
Name: Zhang Lingshan
Martial Art: Zhengyang Stance (getting Started+)
Energy: 0.5
'How did I suddenly get another 0.1 energy? Is it from digesting the lunch meal?'
Zhang Lingshan was surprised and delighted.
He hadn't expected the Hong's Martial Arts School's food to be so good; no wonder he felt so full after eating so little at noon. There must have been good things added to it, but he didn't know what. If he could get those good things and eat them separately, it would definitely be more valuable than eating a large pot of rice.
Pulling back his thoughts, Zhang Lingshan's mind stirred, and he clicked on the "+" next to Zhengyang Stance (getting Started).
In the blink of an eye.
Whoosh.
0.5 points of energy were completely consumed.
A scorching hot current suddenly swept through his entire body, as if a fire had ignited inside him, releasing wave after wave of heat that made Zhang Lingshan almost cry out in comfort.
His whole body felt warm and cozy, even more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring.
However, before Zhang Lingshan could continue to savor it, this strange feeling slowly receded.
He checked the panel.
Name: Zhang Lingshan
Martial Art: Zhengyang Stance (Xiaocheng)
Energy: 0
The Zhengyang Stance at the Xiaocheng level felt completely different from the getting Started level. Every time he practiced it, Zhang Lingshan felt his body warm up a bit.
As for the red marks on his body, they had faded to the point of being almost invisible, and the pain in his body was barely noticeable.
'If I could continue to break through another Realm in one go, would the red marks disappear completely?'
Zhang Lingshan couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
Unfortunately, Shi Lei didn't return until after he had eaten dinner, so the medicinal soup seemed out of the question.
Zhang Lingshan had no choice but to go to a pharmacy on his way home and get a prescription for a medicinal decoction called Bazhen Tang.
Bazhen Tang can benefit qi and resolve blood stasis.
According to Zhang Lingshan's thinking, the red marks on his body were blood stasis, so resolving stasis was exactly the right treatment.
As for the effect of benefiting qi, it could strengthen his qi and blood.
If he was lucky, after taking this dose of medicine, the red marks on his body should completely disappear.
Filled with anticipation, Zhang Lingshan walked briskly, rushing home.
Walking through Qinghe Road again, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat, fearing that what happened yesterday might happen again.
If he didn't have to take this road to get home, he really wouldn't want to come here.
Fortunately, he was overly worried.
There were far more pedestrians on the road today than yesterday, and the sky was still bright. There were even stalls set up on the street, with people coming and going, making it very lively.
Zhang Lingshan couldn't help but be surprised.
He never would have expected the yamen's handling speed to be so fast.
In less than a day, the tragic situation of the Zhao Family had been cleaned up. Except for the Zhao Family's main gate being nailed shut and sealed, everything seemed to have returned to peace.
Were people not afraid?
Perhaps it was just because they had no choice for their livelihood.
Just like he had to take this road to get home.
He passed through Qinghe Road, entered Changning Street, and finally returned home.
He saw his younger sister, Zhang Lingyu, doing needlework in the courtyard in the setting sun. She smiled when she saw Zhang Lingshan come in: "Brother, you're back."
"Mm, where's Mother?"
"She's cooking."
"Mother, I bought a chicken. You and Younger Sister should eat well tonight."
Zhang Lingshan said, taking the chicken to the kitchen and setting up a stove to start boiling the medicine.
His Mother asked, "Where did you get the money to buy a chicken?"
"Father was invited by the Lei Family to work as a long-term laborer, and he advanced a lot of money."
"You still shouldn't spend money carelessly. Your sister and I don't go out all day, so we can eat whatever is available. There's no need to eat meat. But you've started learning martial arts, so you should eat well. By the way, was your apprenticeship at Hong's Martial Arts School today successful?"
"It was successful. The Master, Hong Zhengdao, officially accepted me as a disciple and even provides meals. The Hong's Martial Arts School's meals are particularly filling; I was stuffed, so I won't eat dinner."
Zhang Lingshan reported only the good news.
But Mother Zhang saw him boiling medicine and couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Practicing martial arts must be very tiring. You need to drink medicine on the very first day. Did you get injured somewhere?"
Saying this, she pulled at Zhang Lingshan's body, carefully checking where her child might be injured.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. This is a tonic. Practicing requires supplementing qi and blood."
"That's good, that's good."
The two chatted casually.
Zhang Lingshan learned from his Mother that the families of Wang Datou and Li Xiaole actually didn't know that their children were dead. Instead, they had come to their house to ask.
Mother Zhang also didn't know what was going on, so she said they should be like Father Zhang, also invited by the Lei Family to work as long-term laborers.
Zhang Lingshan secretly wondered: 'Could it be that the yamen treated those bodies as Zhao Family members?'
The yamen was really irresponsible.
But for him, it was good news.
With such a hasty conclusion to the case, no one would investigate him. Otherwise, if they really found him, he wouldn't be able to explain himself at all.
【Energy +0.1】
'Only +0.1?'
Zhang Lingshan's Face turned ugly.
This Bazhen Tang was not cheaper than the medicinal soup Shi Lei gave him. He had boiled the medicinal herbs until they were like clear water, yet the effect was greatly reduced, only half as effective.
A single meal at Hong's Martial Arts School could give him +0.1 points.
From this, it was clear that there must be good things inside Hong's Martial Arts School. They might not be much to Hong's Martial Arts School, but to him, Zhang Lingshan, they were absolute treasures!
Or perhaps, this was the secret to how Hong's Martial Arts School had stood prominently in the Outer City for many years?
'I must master the Zhengyang Stance as soon as possible and enter the interior of Hong's Martial Arts School to receive more training and absorb more energy.'
That night.
Zhang Lingshan continued to stand in the Zhengyang Stance in his room until he couldn't hold on any longer before collapsing into sleep.
The next day, early morning.
Thump!
He suddenly woke up from his dream, covered in sweat, having dreamt again of himself with arms growing all over his chest.
Hiss!
Perhaps because he got up too quickly and strained his muscles and bones, Zhang Lingshan gasped in cold air and touched the skin on his body, only to see that there were indeed red marks again.
'Damn it!'
Zhang Lingshan's Face was extremely grim.
What on earth was clinging to him? The red marks had almost disappeared yesterday, but they had reappeared today.
Fortunately, after achieving Xiaocheng in the Zhengyang Stance, his Physique seemed to have improved to a certain extent, and his pain tolerance had become stronger.
Although the red marks were still there, the pain had significantly lessened.
Thinking this, he immediately got out of bed and resumed standing in the Zhengyang Stance.
As he completed a full set of the Zhengyang Stance, the red marks indeed began to fade again, and the pain also decreased.
'Good thing.'
Zhang Lingshan breathed a sigh of relief, ate a simple breakfast, and then rushed back to Hong's Martial Arts School.
He wanted to quickly find Shi Lei and ask for another bowl of medicinal soup.
Once his energy increased and the Zhengyang Stance broke through again, it should bring him a pleasant surprise.