From a slave to the Great Qian Martial Saint

Chapter 4 Poor Scholars, Rich Warriors

"Is it a key?"

"Pah, you little pervert, what are you thinking?"

Cui Nong spat lightly, her expression darkening again, her eyes filled with desolation.

"If we don't get the indenture back, even if the lock is unlocked, we'll just become someone else's plaything, or we might even be sold to a brothel."

"A contract of servitude..."

Chen Shi was stunned for a moment, only then realizing that Cui Nong also had a contract of indenture in Gu Chengze's hands.

Yes, if she hadn't been forced into this situation, why would she have to suffer this humiliation?

"Yes! I will definitely help Sister Cui Nong get her indenture back!"

Chen nodded firmly, his voice exceptionally resolute.

His indenture was still in Gu Chengze's hands, so how could he help Cui Nong get it back?

But he really wanted to help Cui Nong, no, to save her, and this desire was exceptionally strong.

Perhaps it was because he felt a long-lost warmth and closeness from Cui Nong.

Perhaps it was because Cui Nong was his first woman.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

Cui Nong smiled and gently pulled Chen Shi's head into her arms.

After a moment, he released Chen Shi and said with a serious expression.

"Next, I will teach you how to establish yourself in the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion and how to climb the ranks step by step."

"Climb up..."

Chen Shi paused, his eyes widening slightly.

Master Ze only asked Cui Nong to teach him how to please women, but he didn't say he was going to teach him how to climb the social ladder.

As a lowly stable boy, his life was precarious, and he dared not dream of climbing the social ladder. But who would willingly remain a slave for life?

Moreover, if he can't make a name for himself, how can he help Cui Nong get back her indenture?

He wants to climb up!

But how exactly did he do it?

"Practicing martial arts?"

"That's right, it's martial arts! Mastering both literary and martial arts skills allows one to serve the emperor, and the same applies to this marquis's mansion."

Cui Nong, with a serious expression, explained in more detail.

"The gates of a noble family are as deep as the sea. If you want to make a living in the noble family, you need to have someone to rely on. You are new here and have no backing. Even if you gain Gu Chengze's favor for a while, it won't last long. You have to be strong yourself. Only by developing your own skills can you stand out among the servants in the Jing'an Marquis's mansion."

"You are a slave. Even if you have the talent to become the top scholar, you won't be able to take the imperial examinations. So the only option is to learn martial arts. Besides, the problems in this world are ultimately solved by force. Only when you have a strong fist will others respect you."

"Sister Cui Nong is absolutely right."

Chen Shi nodded with a serious expression.

After Cui Nong's guidance, he suddenly understood.

Not to mention anything far off, like last night, if he had any martial arts skills, how could Lu'er and the others have beaten him up like this?

But then, Chen Shi frowned and looked troubled.

Learning martial arts is not that easy.

The saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" is not just a simple description in this world, but an undeniable fact!

Martial arts practitioners are ranked from the lowest to the highest rank, from nine to the first grade.

A ninth-rank martial artist can lift a stone lock weighing several hundred kilograms, while a high-ranking martial artist can even kill with his blood energy.

If one's martial arts skills cannot reach a certain level, they will ultimately be disregarded by others.

To reach the lowest rank, even the ninth rank, one must be an exceptionally gifted martial arts prodigy. Ordinary people cannot succeed by practicing blindly on their own; they need specialized martial arts manuals.

Even the most basic martial arts manual costs over a hundred taels of silver!

Putting that aside for now, the real challenge lies in the expenditure of time and energy during martial arts training.

Practicing martial arts and improving one's physique is an extremely physically demanding process, requiring the intake of large amounts of food. This is why martial artists often have enormous appetites.

If the diet is insufficient, it will deplete one's own foundation! It's like having a monster inside you; if you can't get food from the outside world, it will start to devour your own flesh and blood.

Therefore, some people, as they practice, become increasingly thin and weak, until they die from blood depletion!

As servants of the Marquis of Jing'an's household, their food and lodging were provided by the household, but they only ate two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, and these were coarse foods with little nutrition, which were far from enough to meet their needs for martial arts training.

Furthermore, as their strength increases, their energy needs grow, and simple meat is no longer sufficient; they must be combined with various medicinal herbs.

Chen Shi only had two hundred coins a month, so how could he afford to buy anything?

In this world, learning martial arts is a privilege reserved only for the children of wealthy families.

"I have heard some things about the costs of practicing martial arts."

Knowing what Chen was worried about, Cui Nong smiled and said.

"I do have some personal savings, though not much, but it should be enough to support your entry into the sect."

"Sister Cui Nong..."

Chen Shi was stunned, his face full of surprise. When he came to his senses, he was moved again.

But then, Chen shook his head vigorously.

"No! I can't use your money, sister."

"What? You think my money is dirty?"

"No! How could I!"

Chen Shi quickly shook his head in denial, afraid that Cui Nong would misunderstand, and lowered his head to say.

"Life is hard now. You are a weak woman with no one to rely on. What will you do if you spend all your money?"

"If I spend all my money, will you support me?"

"..."

Chen Shi suddenly raised his head and looked at Cui Nong in surprise.

For a moment, I had an urge to nod and pat my chest immediately.

But then Chen Shi's expression darkened. He was just a lowly riding slave, barely able to make a living, so how could he dare to make any promises to Cui Nong?

"I was just kidding, look how scared you are."

Cui Nong smiled faintly, then took a deep breath and said with another smile.

"If you can't master martial arts and achieve a certain rank, how can you stand out in the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, and how can you help me get back my indenture?"

"I will definitely help my sister get back her indenture, but I won't use her money!"

Although Chen Shi's voice was not loud, his gaze was exceptionally resolute.

"you……"

Cui Nong opened her mouth, angrily poked Chen Shi's forehead. He usually seemed quite honest, but he was actually quite stubborn.

He wouldn't even give me money if I gave it to him for free, what an idiot!

Despite her annoyance, Cui Nong smiled again, which further proved that she had not misjudged Chen Shi; he was a man of integrity and loyalty.

"Forget it, we'll talk about that later. You need to learn a martial art first."

Cui Nong waved her hand, thought for a moment, and then said.

"If I remember correctly, as a servant of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion, one can receive a martial arts skill from the mansion for free."

"Um."

Chen Shi nodded; he did know that.

Once sold into servitude, one becomes a member of the Marquis's household. If the servants in the household possess martial arts skills, it is a good thing for the Marquis's household.

Therefore, the Jing'an Marquis's mansion offered some low-level martial arts manuals, which all servants in the mansion, regardless of rank, could apply for themselves.

However, not many people actually applied for slaves, and the reason was naturally that they could not afford the needs of cultivation.

For the sake of one's life, martial arts are not something to be practiced casually.

After some discussion, the two decided that after Chen Shi returned to the Marquis's residence, he should first apply for a martial arts manual. Whether or not he would practice it after obtaining the manual would be decided later.

"Then I'll go back and ask."

Chen Shi said something, then looked down at Cui Nong's lower body and couldn't help but say something else.

"Sister Cui Nong, wearing that thing for a long time is bad for your health."

"Aside from being uncomfortable to sleep on at night, what's wrong with it?"

Cui Nong pretended to be relaxed, then gave a defiant snort.

"Now I can finally have some peace and quiet!"

"Wrapping yourself up like that can easily make you sick."

"What illness?"

"Leukorrhea".

"Pah! You little brat who's barely grown any hair, what do you know?"

Cui Nong was taken aback, her face immediately turned red, and she spat lightly.

"I'm serious."