「Two hours later.」
"Qi, is this really going to work? This is our last bit of savings. I was originally thinking that if your martial arts training didn't work out, we'd need to flee Celestial Sea and have some money left for travel. Now we have no way out at all."
Zhao Qin had a worried expression on her face. She spoke as she watched Zhao Qi, who sat across from her, stuffing his face with a table full of food as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Her little brother had been acting strangely ever since he woke up. His personality and behavior seemed to have changed somehow. But she didn't dwell on it. Zhao Qi's memories and way of speaking were all normal, so it wasn't like he was possessed. As for things like transmigration or reincarnation, that was too much of a stretch for people of this era.
She just thought that maybe after such a serious illness, Zhao Qi had truly had a breakthrough.
"Sis, would I joke with you about something like this? Look at me. Aren't the bruises from before all gone? Don't worry. With this food, my body will recover. And once my body recovers, passing the Martial Arts Hall's assessment won't be a problem."
"And as for fleeing again, don't even think about it. In this world, where could we possibly run to? If we get away from Deng Zhuo, won't there just be a Li Zhuo or a Zhao Zhuo?"
After speaking, Zhao Xuanqi stuffed two eggs into his mouth in one go, shoveled down half a bowl of rice, then picked up a wooden basin the size of his face and GULP GULP GULP-ed down a large mouthful of sugar water.
Watching Zhao Xuanqi's gluttonous display, Zhao Qin couldn't help but swallow. It was only then that Zhao Xuanqi remembered. To support Zhao Qi's martial arts training, Zhao Qin hadn't touched a scrap of meat in half a year. She saved all the good food for Zhao Qi, leaving herself with just thin porridge and some pickled vegetables every day. Over the past six months, she had grown a full size thinner, and even her once jet-black hair had turned somewhat dull and yellow.
Seeing this, Zhao Xuanqi's heart softened slightly. He spoke up, "You should eat some too."
"No, no, you eat. There's still meat broth, I'll just have some... Mmph..."
Zhao Qin shook her head repeatedly, but before she could finish, a large piece of pork was accurately stuffed into her mouth, silencing her.
"I told you to eat, so eat. Stop with the nonsense. You think in the future I'm going to let you go hungry?"
Zhao Xuanqi muttered, then buried his head and continued to gorge himself.
Zhao Qin felt the aroma of the pork fill her mouth. She didn't refuse any longer and began to nibble at it in small bites. Watching Zhao Xuanqi slurp a whole chicken leg down in one go, her eyes curved into crescents.
...
...
By the evening of the next day, the ingredients purchased with the siblings' last savings were gone, and Zhao Xuanqi's body had finally recovered.
In truth, if possible, he could have eaten continuously for a day and a night without stopping. Unfortunately, this body couldn't handle it.
His digestive system was indeed capable of providing incredibly strong digestive power. However, the transportation of nutrients, the body's metabolism, and so on all required coordination with other bodily functions. And these other functions were not as "naturally gifted" as his digestion. Ordinary food contained too many "impurities," making it difficult to metabolize. Eating large quantities could very well lead to overload and failure of other organs.
Therefore, Zhao Xuanqi's current digestive ability was actually only about five times that of an ordinary person his age. He would need to slowly strengthen his other bodily functions before he could improve it any further.
'It would be great if I had enough Medicinal Materials to concoct some Secret Medicine.'
Zhao Xuanqi shook his head. The nutrients provided by Medicinal Materials were purer, and when properly mixed, they contained fewer impurities, making them much easier for the body to metabolize.
Unfortunately, with Warlords in power, most restorative and strengthening medicines were controlled. The prices on the black market were astronomical, and without connections, they were difficult to obtain.
This made joining the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall all the more necessary.
He walked out of his room and found that Zhao Qin had already gone to bed early. He then pushed open the door and walked out into the small courtyard, taking his position.
He arched his body, assumed a T-stance, sank his shoulders, tucked his chin, and formed his hands into Tiger Claws, one forward and one back.
This was the fundamental Stance taught by the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall: the Nine Tiger Forms.
Zhao Xuanqi let his Qi sink to his dantian. His eyes were half-closed, half-open. His seemingly relaxed posture concealed a terrifying ferocity.
Still as a maiden, swift as a fleeing rabbit!
With the soles of his feet as the base, Force was transmitted through his entire body, flowing through each joint.
Every bone seemed to become a lever, transferring the power link by link, ultimately concentrating it in his Tiger Claws.
Ferocious! Violent! Furious! Ruthless!
In his previous life, Zhao Xuanqi had cultivated the Hundred Beasts Fist, of which the Tiger Form was one of the most important essences. Now, even though the Stance of the Nine Tiger Forms was slightly different, he still grasped its key principles quickly.
Master one technique, and you will understand ten thousand!
Fierce Tiger Exits the Cave!!
Furious Tiger Piercing the Forest!!
Fierce Tiger Presents its Claws!!
Evil Tiger Tail Cutting!!
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
With every Technique he executed, the ends of his limbs would strike the air, creating explosive cracks like firecrackers. When this kind of fist landed on a person's body, the Force was crisp and Fierce, its destructive power immense.
As the fist manuals say: a single crack is harder to buy than a thousand gold pieces!
If one's Fist Technique could produce a crack, it was a symbol that their Physical Ability and Force had reached the entry-level.
The Nine Tiger Forms, one crack per form.
The assessment for the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall was related to these cracks.
After half a year of training, as long as one could produce Three Sounds with the Nine Tiger Forms, they were considered qualified and would be formally accepted into the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall as an Outer Disciple.
Previously, Zhao Qi had trained desperately for half a year and could at most produce two cracks. The second crack was inconsistent, sometimes there and sometimes not.
But now, with Zhao Xuanqi's Martial Dao experience from his previous life, even in Zhao Qi's weak body, he had still managed to double that result!
On the path of the Martial Dao, strength and skill are both indispensable.
Even if the body was frail, as long as one's technique was strong enough to perfectly control their Physical Ability, they could still defeat the strong as the weak. This was the very charm of the Martial Dao.
'Are Four Sounds the limit?'
Zhao Xuanqi stopped his movements and let out a long breath. Fine beads of sweat covered his body, and his muscles felt intensely sore and swollen.
The passing mark for the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall's assessment was Three Sounds. Being able to produce Four Sounds wasn't an amazing result, but it was safely above the line.
'This body is still too weak. I could probably force out a fifth crack, but I'd most likely injure myself. The assessment is tomorrow morning. Just passing is good enough.'
Zhao Xuanqi shook his head. While producing more cracks would certainly earn him more importance from the Martial Arts Hall and a greater share of resources, a sudden, overly outstanding performance could easily arouse suspicion. Four Sounds should be just right.
'Now, I just have to wait for tomorrow's assessment.'
Zhao Xuanqi stretched, yawned, went back to his room, and fell straight asleep.
The night passed without event.
The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, Zhao Xuanqi was woken by Zhao Qin. She had been bustling about since early morning, looking even more nervous than he was.
After eating the breakfast Zhao Qin had made, he calmed her nerves and told her to wait at home for news and not to go anywhere. Only then did Zhao Xuanqi put on the tan Martial Arts Uniform of a Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall Named Disciple and walk out the door.
Following the route from his memory, he crossed three long streets and walked for nearly half an hour before finally arriving at the main gate of the Xiaolin Martial Arts Hall.