Martial Arts Awakening, Bloodfire Fist Master

After returning home, Zhang Qingshan slowly examined the things his sixth senior brother had given him.

A porcelain bottle the size of a palm had a note stuck to its surface with a line of words written on it—first, the three large characters "Qi Xue Dan" (Qi and Blood Pill).

There is also a line of smaller print: Made by Tongxin Wuyou Pharmacy. It can be taken by martial artists of level 10 or even ordinary people. The interval between doses depends on the time it takes for the qi and blood to fully recover.

I counted them briefly; there were twelve.

Inside the martial arts school, after paying two taels of silver for living expenses, meals were indeed provided.

In addition, if you have the money, you can also order a special nourishing meal from the martial arts school's kitchen. It is said that they even have legendary monster meat, and you can also order the martial arts school's special nourishing soups.

Besides these, you can also purchase some pills and elixirs through martial arts schools.

However, Zhang Qingshan had never experienced any of these things.

The main reason is poverty. They've only been out of poverty for a short time, so how could they afford to think about such trivial matters?

The secondary reason is 'gifted talent'.

With the help of martial arts brothers who are "born with martial arts and Taoist bodies", I feel like I can break through even by eating tofu, soybeans and eggs, so I don't particularly pursue these things.

There's a saying in the market that "the poor study literature and the rich study martial arts," but Zhang Qingshan also knows that the path of martial arts isn't entirely determined by wealth. It's said that some people are born with extraordinary talent, some have amazing comprehension, and some have incredible recovery abilities, and so on.

The richer version focuses more on the early stages of martial arts, allowing people to overcome the insurmountable barrier between themselves and ordinary people in martial arts training, making it easier to enter the realm of martial artists, to advance in the early stages, and to lay a solid foundation of abundant qi and blood.

If we look to the infinite future, after reaching a certain level of martial arts, which strong person will be poor?

Reaching the top is not solely determined by having money; opportunity, luck, innate talent, comprehension, secret techniques, wealth, willpower, and so on are all indispensable.

Zhang Qingshan was aware of his shortcomings. Although he had broken through, he lacked nourishment and felt that his body's qi, blood, and vital energy were not particularly strong. Not to mention being invincible among his peers, he was actually a little weaker than others of the same level.

He wasn't sure if the lack of nourishment but the presence of a cheat code would affect his potential, but if he could get nourishment and eliminate any potential problems, that would definitely be better.

He poured out a pill and was about to feed it when he hesitated for a moment. He went out and bought a rooster, then scraped off some pill powder and mixed it into the rice before feeding it to the rooster.

After a short while, the rooster, which had been listless and lifeless, became proud and energetic. After observing it for a while and finding that there was indeed no problem, Zhang Qingshan began to take the medicine.

After swallowing a pill, streams of heat erupted from the stomach and intestines, then swept through the entire body.

The whole body is warming up, and something is being replenished and nourished within the body. The already vigorous physical strength and spirit become even more harmonious, and there may be a slight increase in physical strength.

And then, that was it.

It's not some kind of miracle cure, and I'm not exhausted or collapsing, so there's definitely no way there could be any terrifying phenomena.

Even so, it's still pretty good. My body is full of energy, as if I've washed away some of the dust. I feel great.

This single pill is worth at least five or six taels of silver. A whole bottle of it is worth much more than Zhang Qingshan's entire net worth.

If I don't have any cheat codes, I can use these twelve Qi and Blood Pills to strengthen my foundation and increase my Qi and Blood Vitality. If I also practice the Water Soft Fist diligently, I can still reach the fourth level of martial artist.

Thinking of this, Zhang Qingshan smiled and shook his head. Without a cheat code, even if he were lucky enough to raise ten taels of silver to enter the martial arts school, he would not be able to get this bottle of Qi and Blood Pills.

The reason why my sixth senior brother gave me this bottle of Qi and Blood Pills is because, whether it was given by the martial arts school or by him, it is essentially because I have demonstrated value, have value to be valued, and have value to be invested in.

Zhang Qingshan didn't think there was anything wrong with this. He had no relatives or friends, and this was the logic by which the world operated and developed.

He also has a grateful heart.

Therefore, what I need to do now is to continuously become stronger in order to repay the investment and attention given to me, which is also a way to increase my own value.

Cultivate yourself.

The movements of the Water Soft Fist should be gentle and slow at the beginning, not large and sweeping, so that it can be practiced in a small room.

"Perhaps I should change my accommodation. Although the neighbors in the shack compound are nice, it's not particularly convenient as I've been making more and more noise while practicing martial arts."

.....

Time flowed on relentlessly, and more than ten days passed as Zhang Qingshan cultivated and waited.

That day, Zhang Qingshan had just returned to the compound in the evening when he saw Wang Quan from the labor team in the compound, accompanied by a boy who looked to be a year or two younger than him.

The boy was carrying a tattered bag. Old Wang and Old Liu were chatting casually, and the boy had his head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Wang Quan had been whipped by Master Ma, and Lao Liu had also been threatened by Master Ma, so Zhang Qingshan knew that the two had shared a strange sense of camaraderie during these days, and their relationship grew closer.

Upon seeing Zhang Qingshan return, Wang Quan's face lit up with surprise: "Brother Zhang, you're back."

As he spoke, he seemed to be staring intently at Zhang Qingshan's face, observing his reaction after hearing the words "Brother Zhang".

Seeing that Zhang Qingshan was not displeased, but instead responded with a smile, he seemed relieved.

He leaned closer to Zhang Qingshan, looked him over from left to right, and then whispered, "Brother Zhang, I have some good news for you."

Just as Zhang Qingshan was about to ask, Wang Quan hurriedly said, "It's not convenient to talk here. Can we go to your room?"

After arriving at Zhang Qingshan's house, Wang Quan looked around the scene and sighed:

"No wonder they all say that Brother Zhang, you haven't forgotten your original intention. Look at you now, you're a martial arts master, and there's been no change in your room. Unlike some people, who, as soon as they become successful, immediately distance themselves from their poor brothers, afraid that people will know about their impoverished past."

"It's only because I know that Brother Zhang hasn't forgotten his original intentions and is still so kind and reasonable to his old friends and neighbors that I, Old Wang, dared to come to you."

This piqued Zhang Qingshan's interest: "Old Wang, just say what you have to say."

Wang Quan pulled over the young man beside him. The young man was about the same height as Zhang Qingshan before he started practicing martial arts, very thin, and about two or three centimeters shorter than Zhang Qingshan at that time, around 1.67 meters tall.

The only special thing is that her arms and legs are long and slender, with a sense of resilience, and her breathing is also relatively long.

"Qingshan, this is my nephew Wang Zhi. As you know, my family is located in Wangjia Shuitang outside Qinghe City. The people there live their lives around the Qinghe River and are all good swimmers. My nephew is fifteen years old this year. He is naturally good at swimming and diving. He is like a mudfish in the waves. His swimming skills are really something. No one in our village can compare to him."

No wonder his breathing is long and deep, and his body is thin but resilient; he is a good swimmer and diver.

"He joined the Clear Water Gang's Water Ghost Team six months ago to make a living. While salvaging a shipwreck, he found a large clam nearby. He didn't think much of it at first, but after taking it home, he discovered it possessed a mystical quality; it might be a water spirit."

As Wang Quan spoke of these things, the man named Wang Zhi looked at Zhang Qingshan with a mixture of envy and worry.

Zhang Qingshan now knew the reason.

Wang Quan was also observing Zhang Qingshan. Seeing that he didn't seem particularly greedy, he felt a little more at ease.

"Brother Zhang, do you know the kind of people in our Green Water Gang? They're all heartless bastards. Even if we hand them over now, not only will we not get any benefits, but they might also turn on us and kill us. At best, they'll whip us; at worst, they'll silence us. Sigh, even if we sell them, our worthless lives will likely attract unwanted attention. Besides, the good stuff in the river is bought by the Green Water Gang's stalls. If we sell it randomly, sigh!"

Zhang Qingshan understood and nodded.

Are you suggesting I sell myself? But I don't know who to sell to, and there's a chance the Shimizu Gang will find out...

Wang Quan rubbed his hands together. "Brother Zhang, we've also secretly inquired about it. This thing is called a Silverback Spirit Clam. Whether it's a spirit clam or a spirit fish, you martial artists really like to buy these for nourishment. It's said that it's a good thing for both training and healing."

"You're a martial artist, so you'll definitely need this. I've heard that those spirit fish sell for at least thirty silver dollars at some big restaurants or directly to martial artists. And that's the lowest price. We can give you a discount, just please keep it a secret."

"Bang!"

The boy named Wang Zhi knelt down on the ground: "Martial Arts Master, I don't ask for the original price, I only ask for half price."

Fifteen yuan? Zhang Qingshan happened to have that much.

The loot from the Black Mountain bandits and the money given to them by the leader of the Mountain Forest Gang totaled about twenty yuan. After giving some home, there was still some left.

After thinking it over, Zhang Qingshan spoke frankly:

"I was originally a laborer myself, so you don't need to do that. Why don't you just take them to the martial arts school to sell? Don't worry, I know a few fellow students there who can help you get introductions. Maybe you can sell them for more money."

Wang Zhi and Wang Quan exchanged a glance, their faces flashing with worry and fear, probably because they had already weighed the options before coming.

"No, Brother Zhang, we trust you. We don't want anyone else to know. People like us can't afford to take any risks. What if word gets out..."

Zhang Qingshan was not a greedy person. He preferred to act openly and honestly, and besides, he had a cheat code, so he didn't really have any particular desire for these things. After considering it for a while, he decided to stop.

"Are you worried about word getting out and being targeted? Here's what I can do: I can help you sell them. I'll give you whatever I sell, as a way of thanking you for reporting me that day, Old Wang."

Old Wang hasn't replied yet.

"Bang! Bang!"

His nephew, Wang Zhi, kowtowed twice more, his forehead turning red, his face filled with urgency, and a hint of wariness deep in his eyes.

"Master, really, there's no need. Please just buy it. I... I desperately need money. I've brought the spirit clam with me. Fifteen silver dollars, cash on delivery."

Wang Quan opened his mouth but didn't say anything, his face full of pleading.

Zhang Qingshan understood the other party's concerns. They were worried that he would break his promise or deny the debt, or that something might happen. At this moment, they wanted to keep the money in their hands first.

Since that's the case, I won't say anything more. I'll just count out fifteen silver dollars and give them to the other party.

After carefully checking each piece, they thanked Zhang Qingshan profusely. Wang Quan then emphasized again that they must not mention them.

Watching them leave happily, Zhang Qingshan felt a mix of emotions. He was sure he had come out ahead this time. He understood their wariness. He sighed and then looked at the spirit clam.

They weren't worried that the spirit clam was fake and that they were being deceived; they didn't have the guts to deceive martial artists.