Chapter 20
[The simulation is over. You can choose one of the following.]
[1: Obtain Trait (Not Selectable)]
[2: Obtained attribute points]
[3: Obtain any part of the life experience.]
[Current Balance: 1 tael of gold]
To be able to mobilize three Blood Tempering martial artists, they must be a large faction in the inner city or a top faction like the Chen Family Fort outside the city.
Should he get involved?
Han Zhao hesitated.
“Forget it. We’ll talk about it after we get to the bottom of it.”
As long as the enemy did not have a Force Tempering Martial Master, he would do it!
In any case, when he was 21 years old, he would definitely reach the Blood Tempering Realm, let alone grasp Internal Force.
“No Trait?” Seeing that [Option 1] was not available, Han Zhao slapped his head. “Sigh—I forgot to burn incense!”
“Two.”
[Attribute Point +2]
Martial Arts: Life Nurturing Technique (Second Level Small Mastery 99%. Upgradeable; Special Effect: Body Strengthening Level 3)
Looking at the progress of the Life Nurturing Technique on the system interface, Han Zhao muttered, “Upgrade the Life Nurturing Technique.”
As the 2 attribute points returned to zero, the martial arts column changed.
Martial Arts: Life Nurturing Technique (Second Level Perfection 82%, Upgradeable; Special Effect: Body Strengthening Level 4, Lifespan Extension 10 years)
“Second Level Perfection? It didn’t break through?” Han Zhao was stunned. He didn’t expect that even two attribute points didn’t allow the Life Nurturing Technique to break through to the Third Level.
“Huh? What’s going on? Hiss!”
Before he could look at the changes in his attributes, he suddenly felt a tearing pain all over his body, as if someone had used a small knife to scratch his muscles.
Every inch of his skin, flesh, and bones felt intense pain.
He collapsed onto the bed, his body arching up as he convulsed.
“Ah!” Han Zhao gritted his teeth tightly, but he still squeezed out some pain from between his teeth.
Pain!
It was too painful!
Although there was a pain the last time he leveled up, the duration was very short. This time, it really made Han Zhao want to scream in pain, but he could only endure it.
After an unknown period of time, Han Zhao was covered in sweat, and the pain in his body quickly subsided like a tide.
Han Zhao panted as he sat up from the bed. He thought to himself, “Is this the price of cheating? This feeling is really…”
“It’s wonderful!” Han Zhao felt full of energy.
He took off his wet shirt and saw that the muscles on his upper body, which were originally not obvious, had become well-defined. The lines of his six-pack were clear, and his chest muscles were probably even larger than when Xu Ling was wrapped in the cloth.
“Body Strengthening Level 4! Extended lifespan by 10 years!” Han Zhao looked at the special effect behind the status screen. It actually increased lifespan by 10 years!
When the Life Nurturing Technique was at the First Level, the special effect was Body Strengthening Level 1.
At the Second Level, the special effects could go up by another three levels.
At the Third Level, the level of special effects would probably continue to increase.
“Is this really the Life Nurturing Technique?” Han Zhao could not help but wonder if true qi cultivation methods were all so abnormal.
At the thought of this, Han Zhao picked up the wooden pillow he had taken a corner of.
This time, he did not use his true qi. He only relied on his pure physical strength to squeeze.
Click.
The imprint of his palm clearly appeared on the pillow. With a little more force, the pillow was crushed like bubbles. He did not feel anything when the wooden splinters poked his palm.
“My strength has increased again.”
“Right now, I should be a little stronger than the top Bone Tempering martial artists. I just don’t know how strong a quasi-Martial Master in the Blood Tempering Realm is. Will I be able to defeat him if I cultivate both externally and internally?”
Currently, Han Zhao had never fought a Blood Tempering expert.
Ever since Zhao Yuantu broke through, he basically wasn’t in the martial arts school. Han Zhao didn’t have anything to refer to.
As for Lu Yi, he naturally would not spar with a Skin Tempering martial artist like him.
However, judging from the difference in treatment between the Bone Tempering Realm and the Blood Tempering Realm, the difference between the two should be quite large.
“According to this progress, the Second Level of the Life Nurturing Technique will be completed in nine to ten months.”
Han Zhao got off the bed to adapt to the changes in his body. He felt uncomfortable from the sweat and prepared to take a shower.
When he opened the water tank, he realized that there was no water inside.
He could only pick up the pole leaning against the wall, hang up two buckets, and go to the river to fetch water.
After some thought, he took off the towel from the shelf and draped it over his shoulder. He was about to go downstream to take a shower.
“You carry the load, and I’ll lead the horse to welcome the sunrise and send the sunset away!”
Birds chirped as they flew across the sky. Under the setting sun, Han Zhao hummed a song and carried the water home.
…
The next day.
Han Zhao woke up early and left the city.
It was a pity that he did not have the money to buy a horse, let alone raise one. Otherwise, he would have been able to cover the distance of dozens of miles very quickly.
However, with his current stamina, he could run dozens of miles from beginning to end in less than half an hour.
His current endurance was comparable to a bull or a horse.
Soon, Han Zhao arrived at Edge Sharpening Manor.
This place was less than five kilometers away from the Nine Links Mountain.
The Zhao Family Fort’s Nine Links Town was at the foot of the Nine Links Mountain.
Looking at the heavy city wall that was four to five meters tall in front of him, Han Zhao was a little speechless. The factions that could establish themselves outside Blackrock City were not simple. They either had strength or background.
If not for the fact that there were martial artists in this world, Edge Sharpening Manor’s 100-odd people could rely on the terrain to resist the enemy’s attack with ten times the number of troops.
As for now, Han Zhao only needed to borrow the force once to easily cross this height.
Han Zhao took out Edge Sharpening Manor’s token, and the people on the city wall put down the suspension bridge.
A burly middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties walked out. He had a saber on his waist and wore a black vest, revealing his muscular arms and chest muscles.
“I’m Zhu Kangsheng. Greetings, Brother Han.”
The person who came was Edge Sharpening Manor’s vice owner.
“Greetings, Manor Master Zhu.” Han Zhao cupped his fists at the other party and asked directly, “I wonder what trouble Manor Master Zhu has encountered and what you need me to do?”
Zhu Kangsheng said, “I invited Brother Han here this time because I want you to accompany me to the Nine Links Mountain to give the allowance.”
“What allowance?” Han Zhao was stunned. There was only one Flying Dragon Stockade on Nine Links Mountain. Could it be that the contact in the simulation was to send money to the bandits’ nest?
“In order to ensure safety, the manor has to send regular allowance to the Flying Dragon Stockade every year. Each person has to pay two taels of silver a year,” Zhu Kangsheng gritted his teeth and said.
Han Zhao asked in confusion, “Why don’t you report it to the government? The county magistrate, the Wu family, has a Force Tempering Martial Master. It’s better to give this money to the Wu family than to the bandits, right?”
Zhu Kangsheng sighed. “We have to pay the Wu family too. Four taels of silver per person per year! However, the moment the soldiers leave the city, the bandits of the Flying Dragon Stockade will hide. When the soldiers return to the city, we’ll suffer.”
‘Good lord!’
Han Zhao’s expression changed slightly.
“Fifteen years ago, we resisted for the last time. We stopped paying the Zhang Family and sent all the money to the Chen Family Fort. In the end, the Chen Family only went through the motions. Now that the Zhang family is backing the Flying Dragon Stockade, we can’t resist at all.” At this point, Zhu Kangsheng’s body was trembling.
“The Zhang family? The Zhang family in the inner city!” Han Zhao asked.
“Other than that Zhang family, which other Zhang family could it be?” Zhu Kangsheng said hatefully.
“Why don’t you go on strike?”
“If I’m really alone, I’ll fight them with my life! But who doesn’t have a few family members behind them? There can’t be too many people living in the manor. There will always be people living outside.”
Han Zhao understood.
No wonder Edge Sharpening Manor’s hundred-strong men did not resist.
There was indeed no way to resist!
If a Bone Tempering martial artist wore leather armor, he could beat up ten to twenty ordinary people with weapons without being directly surrounded.
Unless these ordinary people wore armor or used crossbows to attack from afar.
However, crossbows and armor were both prohibited items. As the saying went, ‘one armor can withstand three crossbows, and three armors can go to hell’.
Han Zhao only asked Edge Sharpening Manor to make a set of leather armor for him and then put on the protective goggles and iron plates himself.
Archery was not an issue, but practicing archery took at least three to five years.
These blacksmiths were already in a terrible fix just by handing in their silver. Every day, they worked hard to forge iron without a break. How could they have the time and energy to practice archery?
As for practicing martial arts, other than resources, one also needed foundation and comprehension.
To flatten the Flying Dragon Stockade, one had to be a quasi-Martial Master at the Blood Tempering Realm. Moreover, one was probably not enough.
Furthermore, the Flying Dragon Stockade had the Zhang family backing it up.
This world was really hard to explain in a few words.
Han Zhao clenched his fists as he listened.
In this world, martial arts was the only way to survive!
[He pays you to work, defeat the evil forces that oppress the commoners, rob the rich to help the poor, and enforce justice on behalf of the heavens.]
“I can’t deal with the Zhang family now.” Han Zhao sighed inwardly. He really couldn’t afford to offend the Zhang family now. After all, the Zhang family had five experts in the Blood Tempering Realm.
He would have to wait at least another year or two!
At that time, he could indeed enforce justice on behalf of the heavens.
“This time, Flying Dragon Stockade wants to collect more money, so I want to ask you to go with us and help mediate. You’re Master Lu’s disciple, so they should give you face, right?” Zhu Kangsheng sounded a little uncertain.
Han Zhao was stunned. “You also learned martial arts at the Mountain Shaking Fist Academy?”
“Yes, I went to practice martial arts for two years more than ten years ago. However, I learned martial arts too late, so I only reached the Skin Tempering Realm. At that time, the martial arts school was not called this. It was called the ‘Mountain Splitting Saber Academy’.” Zhu Kangsheng explained, “Unfortunately, the Martial Masters who opened the school in the city only taught martial arts and did not directly participate in the battles between forces.”
Zhu Kangsheng looked regretful.
“In that case, let’s go.” Han Zhao didn’t say anything else.
“Let’s go.”
