Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

"Boss, the brothers at the stronghold in the west of the city are all trustworthy. They keep a low profile most of the time. We transport supplies there at night so outsiders can't tell."

The subordinate responded in a low voice, and then he couldn't help but add:

"Boss, a few brothers asked me to ask you if they could be given some serious work to do while they're stuck in the stronghold all day."

Song Qing glanced at him sideways: "These bastards really have no self-control. By the way, there is something I need them to do recently."

"Please give your orders, Master."

"I heard that Rock Martial Arts Academy recently took in a disciple with exceptional talent and aptitude. Go and find out his name. I heard he comes from a poor family, so don't worry about it. Find a chance to kill him."

"The gang leader? This... attacking the martial arts school's disciples? What if that old bastard Yang Huaichuan finds out?"

"So what if you find out? All you need to do is cripple his bones. How many times have the three major martial arts schools done this kind of thing?"

The Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School, along with the Rock Martial Arts School and the Black Dragon Martial Arts School, are known as the three major martial arts schools in Songjiang County. They have always been rivals, and if one of them recruits a martial arts prodigy, the other will inevitably resort to underhanded tactics.

"Martial arts school students value physical constitution, while gangs value comprehension. High comprehension and physical constitution... Our gang has its own ways to solve the physical constitution problem, but high comprehension and better training in fighting techniques are the key to our gang's future growth."

"We don't lack Ming Jin (a type of martial arts skill), what we lack are the best Ming Jin practitioners."

******

The outer courtyard of the martial arts school.

The disciples stood in a row, all eyes fixed on Xiao Hua before them. Master Yang Huaichuan, with a pleased expression, addressed the group:

"Master has some news for you today. Last night, Xiao Hua, an outer disciple, broke through to the Ming Jin level. You should know that he has been in the academy for only a little over ten days, which is shorter than your time. He has been cultivating diligently and has successfully passed the test."

"After that, he entered the inner courtyard to cultivate. You disciples in the front courtyard should take him as an example and practice martial arts diligently every day. Don't think that just because you are fifteen or sixteen years old, you have plenty of time to waste. You must know that the foundation of cultivation is built in just a few years. Once it is delayed, it will be difficult to pick it up again."

"..."

Master Yang Huaichuan spoke earnestly, somewhat like the "other people's child" from a previous life.

Ye Ci calmly looked at the boy named Xiao Hua. His aptitude and comprehension were both excellent. He didn't put in much effort to practice martial arts and broke through to the Ming Jin level in just over ten days.

congratulations.

The boy's lips curled up, a hint of pride barely perceptible in his gaze, as he surveyed the crowd.

He was then led into the inner courtyard.

After everyone left, Wang De came over again, his lips pursed so much they could almost hold an oil bottle, his eyes gleaming with jealousy.

"What's so special about it? It's just that Master is biased, giving him medicinal baths and tonics. If I were given the same tonics, I would be faster than him."

"You want us to learn from him? He doesn't even practice martial arts as diligently as I do!"

"I'm going to tell my dad later that if he wants me to pass the martial arts exam, he'll have to spend a lot of money!"

"Are you paying me to be lazy?" Ye Ci asked.

Wang De: "..."

"Don't rest, everyone needs to step up their game."

Second Senior Brother Fang Cheng clapped his hands and shouted.

"Practice martial arts."

Ye Ci suppressed his emotions, took a deep breath, and assumed a fighting stance.

He practiced stance training tirelessly all morning.

As Ye Ci watched his proficiency increase little by little, he felt a warm sensation throughout his body, but at the same time, his limbs also began to feel somewhat tired.

We've had lunch.

The aroma of medicine wafted from the inner courtyard. This was a secret herbal soup from the martial arts school, made from a variety of medicinal herbs, specifically designed to relieve fatigue and accelerate the recovery of qi and blood.

"Senior Brother Fang."

Ye Ci called out to Fang Cheng, then handed him ten taels of silver: "Senior brother, I'd like to try the medicinal bath; it's for ten days..."

The price is the actual price, and disciples from the outer courtyard often spend money to buy medicinal baths a few times.

Fang Cheng paused for a moment when he saw the silver, then smiled:

"Okay, I'll go tell the master."

He didn't doubt where Ye Ci's money came from, and he also knew that Ye Ci went home to hunt every day, and that hunters often caught big catches that could be sold for a lot of money.

A short while later, Ye Ci arrived at the bathhouse, led by Fang Cheng.

The bathwater was as black as ink, emitting an enticing, rich medicinal aroma.

"You'll be sharing a room with Junior Brother Xiao Hua. You can ask him if you don't understand anything. By the way, you can't drink the medicinal bath... it's for irritating the skin and will upset your stomach."

Fang Cheng left after saying that, closed the door, and went out.

The whole room was filled with mist.

Two huge bathtubs were steaming, and Xiao Hua was already soaking in them. When he saw Ye Ci come in, he didn't say anything.

Ye Ci took off her clothes and soaked in the bathtub, immediately feeling her whole body burning hot.

In less than 15 minutes, his pores were bulging, and he felt a thoroughly enjoyable and refreshing sensation.

As a warm current spread throughout my body, the medicinal power seemed to seep into my bones through my skin, and my heavy spine immediately relaxed a lot. With a slight movement of my joints, I immediately felt smooth and unobstructed, and the fatigue from the entire morning's cultivation was swept away.

Ye Ci was overjoyed. Was this the effect of the medicine?

If he had the aid of herbal medicine, his cultivation efficiency would definitely increase significantly, since he usually needs to rest after cultivating for a while in the afternoon and evening.

Because he also kept in mind what Fang Cheng had said: he couldn't ruin himself through training.

Across from him, Xiao Hua observed Ye Ci, noticing the joy on her face, and then asked:

"Did you pay for the medicinal bath?"

Ye Ci opened his eyes and looked at the once dark and thin boy. In just over ten days, his shoulders and back had broadened considerably, and he had changed a lot since they first met.

"One tael of silver for a bath is a bit expensive."

"These have been free since the day I started."

Xiao Hua smiled and said casually, "Practicing martial arts is really a simple thing. You don't need to work too hard. Those who put in a lot of effort are actually less likely to succeed."

Ye Ci paid no attention to this showing off, and simply squinted his eyes slightly to enjoy the medicinal bath.

Adam Silver was clearly not satisfied with this attitude.

He knew that Ye Ci was the most diligent cultivator in the front courtyard. Yet, this person showed no sign of his talent. You should know that when his exceptional talent was discovered, even the senior brothers in the inner courtyard showed expressions of shock.

"My master said that I will not only become a martial arts scholar, but also have a good chance of passing the imperial examination. It can be said that with my talent and aptitude, I am destined for great success. In other words, some people are born superior to others..."

Which village are you from?

Ye Ci suddenly spoke up. He guessed what Xiao Hua was going to brag about, probably nothing more than saying that he was born in Rome.

He bluntly pointed out that Xiao Hua was also born into poverty, a statement that nearly choked him to death.

"Splash..."

Xiao Hua suddenly got up, washed himself clean, put on his clothes, and left.

Ye Ci watched his retreating figure, her eyes slightly narrowed.

If he were an honest child, he might remind him that what changes one's destiny is never ability, but status.

Many strong men died on the front lines. Among them were generals, but some were daredevils... The one who truly commanded the central army was none other than his father, who sat in the imperial court.

Those who disagree are traitors.

Are you sure you were born to be successful?