“Martial Artist?”
Wang Sheng, who aspired to become a martial artist, was extremely sensitive to the term. As soon as Li Wenguang mentioned it, his attention was instantly captivated.
At the same time, he felt a bit strange.
Hearing the term martial artist from Li Wenguang’s mouth wasn’t unusual, as everyone in this world wanted to become one.
What was crucial was that Li Wenguang was suggesting that he could become a martial artist.
Due to the progress bar, it was now possible for him to become a martial artist.
But Li Wenguang didn’t know about this!
Or could it be that he had seen through him?
“Uncle Li, are you sure you didn’t misspeak?”
“Of course I didn’t misspeak. The requirements for a martial artist are a Cultivation Technique and resources, right? Your aunt and I have discussed this, so we prepared this for you.”
As he spoke, Li Wenguang placed the book he was holding on top of an earthenware jar and handed it over.
“The book on top is a Cultivation Technique my father came across in his youth called ‘Plum Flower Step’. Although I, your Uncle Li, haven’t achieved much with it, it might be different for you. After all, becoming a martial artist is a matter of fate and talent. No one knows until they try. As for what’s inside this earthenware jar…”
The jar looked well-preserved, not shabby at all, with some moisture on top and a bit of mud on the bottom.
From the rope tied around the mouth of the jar, it was apparent that the jar was quite old.
“Inside this jar is something called Tiger Bone Ointment. Use a small scoop each time, dissolve it in water and drink it. It was left by my father, hoping that our descendants could become martial artists. Unfortunately, I’m not competent enough, and neither is your Brother Li. We’ve used about half of the Tiger Bone Ointment, but to no effect. It did, however, strengthen our constitutions somewhat, barely enough to manage a living as hunters.”
Speaking of this made Li Wenguang feel somewhat melancholic. Was becoming a martial artist really that difficult?
Such a thing, by rights, should be a precious family heirloom. But seeing someone he had watched grow up possibly heading in that direction, he ultimately softened his heart.
Of course, this was after discussion. Even though he was the head of the family, he still didn’t like taking action alone. Otherwise, he felt it would only cause disunity between him and his family.
He himself had agonized over it for two days, discussed it with his wife for one, and even sought the opinion of his son. In the end, the family unanimously agreed to give these items away.
They had watched Wang Sheng grow up, and it was just too hard to bear.
Wang Sheng didn’t know how to describe his emotions.
Regardless of whether these two items were genuine, the affection alone was enough to be envied.
“Having accepted you, I accept your karma.”
Wang Sheng suddenly understood the true meaning of this phrase.
By assuming this body, he had entered the network of relationships it was entangled in.
Seeing Wang Sheng’s hesitation, Li Wenguang thought he was feeling shy and said, “Take it. I can’t vouch for the Cultivation Technique, but this Tiger Bone Ointment was made from tiger bone herb, personally made by my father. Even if you don’t practice martial arts, it can improve your physical constitution… Even if you fail, it can still give you some ability to protect yourself when fleeing.”
It must be said that as neighbors for so long, he understood the old Wang Sheng very well, who would never have accepted the demands of the Sun Family.
But he had also underestimated just how much stronger the original Wang Sheng’s pride was than he had imagined; he chose to die on the spot, literally.
As for Li Wenguang’s Cultivation Technique and Tiger Bone Ointment—
His choice was to accept.
He didn’t have the strong pride of the original body; he just wanted to survive.
He wouldn’t give up on things that could help his own progress.
“Uncle Li, thank you!”
He directly accepted the earthenware jar.
Seeing Wang Sheng accept the Tiger Bone Ointment, Li Wenguang’s reluctance suddenly disappeared.
“And here are the chrysanthemum seeds you wanted. I don’t know what you plan to do with them, but you should still focus all your attention on martial arts. The chances of becoming a martial artist within a month are less than ten percent, but not zero.”
Wang Sheng clenched the bag of chrysanthemum seeds and said, “I will, Uncle Li!”
“That’s good. There’s still work to be done in the fields, so I’ll be going now. I hope you succeed!”
Li Wenguang left, and Wang Sheng returned to his house with the three items.
Chrysanthemums were definitely going to be planted. Wang Sheng knew very well the importance of having a righteous cause; many issues could be simplified just by having righteousness on your side.
But Li Wenguang was right about one thing.
That was, he needed to place martial arts at the center of his efforts.
In this world, as much as righteousness matters, fists matter even more.
So, Wang Sheng immediately opened the “Plum Flower Step.”
With the help of the progress bar, the Cultivation Technique wasn’t that important, but he still wanted to see what the Cultivation Techniques of this world were like.
But after flipping through a few pages, he gave up.
This “Plum Flower Step,” true to its name, was a Step Technique, not a true Cultivation Technique at all.
How could Li Wenguang and his son expect to become martial artists by practicing a Step Technique?
This was the consequence of having no legacy; they knew about martial artists, knew about Cultivation Techniques, but didn’t know the details, so they couldn’t succeed.
Wang Sheng also saw through this, thanks to the influence of his previous life.
Then came the “resource” – the Tiger Bone Ointment!
He had high hopes for it. He knew the physiques of Li Wenguang and his son Li Yongfeng; they were strong as bulls.
He initially thought it was genetic, but now it seemed that it was the effect of the Tiger Bone Ointment.
He opened the lid of the jar, and a fragrant medicinal scent burst forth, invigorating him.
Inside the jar was a white, lard-like substance, and he wondered what was used to make it.
Without hesitating, Wang Sheng wanted to try it immediately.
Following Li Wenguang’s instructions, he scooped a little into a bowl and dissolved it in water.
Something miraculous occurred. The white paste turned into a red liquid upon being dissolved in water, and the initial medicinal fragrance became even more intense.
Wang Sheng gulped down the entire bowl of red liquid in one go.
After drinking, he felt a warm sensation throughout his body, which gradually turned to intense heat.
He didn’t hesitate and began to perform the Eight Brocades of Exercise.
The Eight Brocades of Exercise, useful for breaking limits, helped ease the burning sensation after a few sets, and he could clearly feel his body growing stronger.
Thud!
It wasn’t long before Wang Sheng heard a drum-like sound.
This was a sign of reactivating his Qi-Blood. However, this time Wang Sheng didn’t feel hungry, thanks to the Tiger Bone Ointment—a small amount was enough to support one training session.
About fifteen minutes later, feeling the medicinal effects wear off, he ended his exercise.
Looking at the Tiger Bone Ointment afterwards, his eyes were filled with eagerness.
The ointment’s effect was even better than he had imagined.
The jar wasn’t small, and there was still quite a bit of Tiger Bone Ointment left. This amount was more than enough to help him become a martial artist, and perhaps even progress further among martial artists…