"Yes, Master. I understand."
Qin Fang said with sincere respect, "Master, you first pulled me back from the Ghost Gate, then saved me from mortal danger, and even gave me a place to live. The weight of your kindness is as heavy as a mountain... You've already done more than enough for me. How could I dare to trouble you any further?"
Qin Fang's words made Elder Wu glance at him several times. He waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, alright... Ahem, as long as you understand..."
Evidently, Elder Wu was still a bit uncomfortable with Qin Fang's sudden declaration.
With that, he turned and looked around. His eyes landed on the roof, where more tiles had fallen off. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Do you have any living family?"
Qin Fang shook his head. "I don't know. While we were fleeing, a massive fight broke out among the refugees. I was injured and knocked unconscious in the chaos. When I woke up, I was separated from my family. Now... I don't know if they're alive or dead."
Elder Wu instinctively turned to look at him. After a moment of silence, he said, "Fortune favors the good. Don't worry too much. For now, just focus on staying alive. We can talk about everything else later."
"Yes."
After another brief silence, Elder Wu suddenly asked, "Hmm... what about your Identity document?"
Qin Fang froze for a second before taking the Identity document from his clothes and respectfully handing it to Elder Wu.
Elder Wu took it, glanced it over, and tucked it into his sleeve. "I'll take care of getting your status settled. For now, just focus on recuperating here... Hmm, and you can start eating meat now."
The supplies Elder Wu had brought before hadn't included any meat. It wasn't because he was stingy, but because Qin Fang couldn't handle overly greasy food at the time.
Months of starvation had left his stomach incredibly fragile. He was also just recovering from a major injury, and his body was at its absolute weakest. If he had eaten anything too oily back then, it would have only put more strain on his system and might have caused a complete collapse.
He had to be nursed back with light foods, allowing his body to adjust and recover on its own.
Now that he was mostly recovered, he could naturally start eating some meat to slowly build his strength back up.
Hearing the word "meat," Qin Fang's eyes instinctively darted to the pile of pork on the side, and he couldn't help but swallow.
"Alright, that's all for now. Focus on your recovery. And don't eat too much of this meat at first. Start with a little at a time and slowly work your way back up to a normal portion... I'll be going now. I'll come back in a couple of days."
After speaking, Elder Wu rose and headed out of the courtyard.
Qin Fang quickly saw him to the courtyard gate. He only stopped when Elder Wu told him to go back inside before walking away slowly, hands clasped behind his back.
After seeing Elder Wu off, Qin Fang closed the gate and let out a long breath.
A glint appeared in his eyes.
'Becoming Elder Wu's disciple—this was something I had never expected.'
'But there's no doubt about it... for me right now, becoming Elder Wu's disciple is a situation with nothing but upsides.'
'I have to admit, though... my motivations for becoming a disciple were largely pragmatic.'
'Elder Wu holds a transcendent position in True Martial and has vast connections. Having a patron like him would be the best possible thing for me.'
'But... pragmatic or not, the gratitude is real.'
'Elder Wu has already done so much for me. I'll naturally remember this kindness.'
'It's just that I can't really help him with anything right now. I can only keep it in mind and repay him in the future.'
Then, unable to hold back any longer, he grabbed the side of pork and ran into the kitchen.
It had been too long since he'd eaten meat; he was beyond eager.
The last batch of supplies from Elder Wu had included seasonings like salt, so Qin Fang quickly started a fire and put a pot of water on to boil.
He knew his body still couldn't handle anything too greasy, so he only cut off a small piece.
Elder Wu had brought mostly pork belly, so he decided to make a small bowl of braised pork.
Elder Wu had also bought some scallions, ginger, and other aromatics—just enough for what he needed.
And so...
An hour later, a bowl of fragrant, glistening braised pork was ready.
To go with it, he had a steamer full of cornbread buns.
Qin Fang was practically drooling. Unable to resist any longer, he picked up a piece of braised pork and popped it into his mouth...
The pork was braised until it was fall-apart tender. A single bite filled his mouth with savory juices—rich, but not greasy.
An unprecedented feeling of satisfaction washed over him.
Qin Fang couldn't help but let out a soft moan...
'It hasn't been easy!'
'The first taste of meat in this life!'
He devoured three large pieces one after another before starting on the buns.
In the end, he scraped the small bowl of braised pork completely clean.
And then...
Qin Fang was stuffed to the gills.
He sat on the courtyard steps, leaning back...
'Having some fat in his stomach made a world of difference.'
This time, he felt truly 'full,' not like before when he had just stuffed his stomach with weeds that provided almost no energy.
He felt a pleasant warmth spreading through his entire body.
It was a feeling of pure 'contentment'.
After sitting for a little while, Qin Fang let out a soft breath and stood up.
"Eating meat has really given me more Strength. In that case... I'll get my 'Hidden Weapon' skill to 'Minor Achievement' today."
Qin Fang retrieved the Darts and began his daily practice.
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
THWACK THWACK THWACK!
He was gradually getting used to the intense focus required for his training. Slowly, the numbers on the panel began to tick upward...
'Hidden Weapon (Darts) (entry-level): 488/500'
'Hidden Weapon (Darts) (entry-level): 489/500'
...
A steady increase.
Before he knew it, the afternoon had passed.
The number on the panel reached '499'.
Just one more point to break through 'entry-level' and reach 'Minor Achievement'!
Qin Fang glanced at it, a flicker of anticipation stirring in his heart.
But he quickly regained his focus.
SWISH SWISH SWISH...
He lost track of how many more he threw.
The number on the panel suddenly jumped from 499.
It became...
1.
'Hidden Weapon (Darts) (Minor Achievement): 1/1000'!
The next moment, Qin Fang's mind went blank for an instant. Then, a wave of sudden enlightenment washed over him.
'The technique for Darts isn't just about flicking them out. In different situations, you can use different methods to release them.'
'And aiming... it's a more ineffable feeling, not just a matter of aiming with your eyes. Aiming by sight is prone to error.'
'Different grips also affect the power of the throw to some extent... some grips result in a throw with more force and greater speed...'
This whole series of thoughts flashed through his mind in the blink of an eye.
It left him stunned on the spot.
It took him a long moment to snap out of it.
Then, his eyes burned with intensity as he stared at the target five meters away.
The next moment, he gripped a dart in his right hand. Without any large, obvious motion, his wrist trembled, and his right Middle Finger snapped forward with sudden force!
A simple 'flick' using only the Middle Finger would have been incredibly weak.
But he had integrated a turn and snap of his wrist into the process.
This way, it wasn't just the finger's Strength... the Strength of his entire arm was naturally focused and channeled into the dart.
Instantly, the dart shot forward.
SWISH!
THWACK!
The dart embedded itself firmly in the bullseye.
And this method of release was, without a doubt, far more discreet than before!
'Hidden Weapon... Hidden Weapon...'
'Why call it a 'Hidden Weapon' and not an 'Obvious Weapon'?'
A sharp glint appeared in Qin Fang's eyes.