CHAPTER 25: CHAPTER 24: HUNGRY TIGER SECRET MEDICINE! MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL SPARRING!

Jiang Shu left school without a sound.

But his deeds quickly spread from senior year to the juniors and sophomores. Some students who had originally wanted to switch to Martial Arts Students felt even more determined.

In their minds, they built up image after image:

Jiang Shu stood proudly.

Jiang Shu lifted a desk with strength.

Jiang Shu talked and laughed with the principal.

Jiang Shu was...

Jiang Shu was giving a massage.

"OUCH... AH... Right, that’s the spot... HISS..."

In the bedroom, Jiang Yongyi, bare-chested, clenched his teeth. His entire back was flushed red from the blood circulation induced by Jiang Shu’s masterful massage techniques.

"Take a break, take a break. Shu, where did you learn these techniques from? How are you so skilled?"

"Dad, I’ve been practicing martial arts for more than three months. Practicing martial arts requires a thorough understanding of the body, so knowing some acupoints is perfectly normal. Your back is too stiff; it really needs more massaging."

"Sigh, I’m used to it. Anyway, this old body of mine is yours to work on. Shu, you say Martial Artists get so many good benefits. Do you think our Xia Country will eventually send Martial Artists to the battlefield?"

Every now and then, he exhaled a deep breath. Jiang Yongyi, his back to Jiang Shu, couldn’t help but ask. During the massage, his son had been telling him about the content of that day’s lecture: the division of Martial Arts Realms, the benefits afforded to Martial Artists, and Xia Country’s emphasis on Martial Arts, all of which had completely refreshed his understanding.

Undoubtedly, in terms of benefits, Martial Artists were treated even better than average civil servants. But he wondered what price they had to pay for such enjoyment. Pies don’t fall from the sky. Nearing fifty, he understood this principle very well.

"Dad, I don’t think you need to worry too much about that. In this age of firearms, even a Martial Artist with ’open strength,’ supposedly possessing over a thousand pounds of force and punches that make the air crackle—how would that compare to sniper rifles and rocket launchers? If it really came to war, trained soldiers would definitely be more formidable than a disorganized group of Martial Artists who can only rely on individual might."

"The Martial Artist Subsidy, as the name suggests, is a benefit one can enjoy without having to give anything specific in return. And Dad, don’t be fooled by that ten thousand; it might seem like a lot, but for Martial Artists, this amount is hardly enough."

"A Martial Artist’s living expenses are more than ten times those of an ordinary person. Dad, look at how many clothes and shoes I’ve gone through and how much meat I’ve eaten recently. And I haven’t even officially become a Martial Artist yet."

"Besides, even if it comes to the scenario you mentioned, Dad, where Martial Artists are needed on the battlefield, that would undoubtedly mean a dire situation. In such circumstances, as a Martial Artist, I’d surely have a better chance of protecting myself than an ordinary person, right?"

Jiang Shu explained while continuing the massage. In his view, directly becoming a high school Martial Arts teacher with a Martial Artist Subsidy of ten thousand per month was just the most basic benefit. If a Martial Artist relied solely on this income, they would only live slightly better than an ordinary person. It was far from enough to make any real progress in Martial Arts.

Just listening to the names of the resources Zheng Yanbo had mentioned made that clear:

Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine.

Exotic beast meat.

Clearly, these weren’t cheap items.

If one had enough Talent and reached the ’Qi Blood Great Circulation’ throughout the body in college, one could enjoy Xia Country’s subsidies for several more years. They could also obtain a certain quota of Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine and exotic beast meat at very low prices, or even for free.

But what about after leaving school and entering society?

Ten thousand a month.

Compared to the cultivation resources needed...

A drop in the bucket.

"That’s true. And that’s assuming they even manage to become a Martial Artist. There are surely many people who work hard for years and still can’t become Martial Artists. They never reach the most basic threshold, having wasted a lot of their investment."

"But don’t you worry, Shu. If you want to pursue Martial Arts, Dad absolutely supports you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t become a Martial Artist; strengthening your body is a good thing too. You don’t want to reach my age and find aches and pains everywhere—it’s truly awful."

"Do you have enough money? Dad will transfer a few thousand to you. This is from my own private stash, so don’t tell your mom, okay?"

As Jiang Yongyi spoke, he picked up his old phone, one he hadn’t replaced in three or four years, and happily transferred six thousand to Jiang Shu.

"Thanks, Dad. And you don’t have to work so hard either. Your son probably has some Talent in Martial Arts."

Bending down, Jiang Shu gently massaged Jiang Yongyi’s head.

Currently, I’ve only mastered Qi Blood Transport. Jiang Shu thought. If one day I can cultivate internal force and use it to massage Dad, perhaps these hidden injuries of his will slowly heal.

At this thought, Jiang Shu’s mind began to wander.

Jiang Yongyi, also enjoying himself with his eyes closed, murmured, "Ah, this is so comfortable. Shu, once you become a Martial Artist, Dad will stop driving for DiDi. I’ll go fishing every day and make those guys green with envy!"

"When your mom gets tired of running the shop, I’ll take her on a trip around the country. We haven’t had much chance to travel since we got married. I’ll book the tickets secretly and surprise her. Ever since she opened the shop, she really hasn’t taken a single day off, not even during New Year. If you and Xiaoyue are both successful, it’ll be time for us to finally take a break.

"But it’s still early days, Shu. Take your time. Your mom and I are still young enough; we can work for several more years. We’ll save up more money to get you a bigger house.

"At the very least, we need to save up for a down payment."

「After dinner」

Jiang Shu chatted with his parents and younger sister for a while. Once everything was tidied up, he returned to his room, locked the door, and chose to transmigrate.

「Qu She Alley」

The Green Snake Gang’s search had not yet ended. In every alleyway under the jurisdiction of Poison Tooth Hall, three to five gang members were gathered, their eyes fixed on every poor commoner and vagrant passing by. Anyone with short hair was immediately seized for questioning.

Jiang Shu, wearing a wig that looked completely real, walked steadily toward the inner city, his expression unchanged.

「Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School」

The atmosphere today seemed somewhat different from usual. The apprentices in the main courtyard were all gathered on either side, leaving the central area open. Heads together, they whispered amongst themselves.

"Brother Luo, what’s going on?" Jiang Shu approached a somewhat dark-complexioned young man and asked softly.

Having trained at the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School for nearly a month, he naturally hadn’t spent all his time just burying his head in practice. Luo Yongcheng was the first friend he had made there. Twenty-two years old, he had started martial arts training late. So, despite his exceptional diligence and over a year of relentless practice, he had only achieved small success in the Hungry Tiger Sits in Cave stance and was still at the Qi Blood Transport stage.

"Ah, Jiang," Luo Yongcheng said when he saw Jiang Shu approach. He scooted over to make a little space and replied in a low voice, "Right, you’ve only been training at the Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School for a short time, so you wouldn’t know. On the first day of every month, the apprentices in our school must participate in sparring matches, with pairings decided by Elder Qiu drawing lots.

"Senior brothers who have achieved the ’Qi Blood Great Circulation’ throughout their bodies can be rewarded with the Hungry Tiger secret medicine. If someone impresses Elder Qiu during the sparring, they can even become an official Disciple on the spot.

"As for those at the Qi Blood Transport stage, as long as they win their sparring match, they can also be rewarded with the Hungry Tiger secret medicine.

"Don’t underestimate the Hungry Tiger secret medicine. What we take daily is merely the lowest grade, and it’s mixed into meat broth. You know, I studied medicine for over ten years before I started practicing martial arts. I can naturally tell that several of the medicinal ingredients in the Hungry Tiger secret medicine are substances prohibited in the county town.

"With the nourishment from this secret medicine, one’s Qi Blood will strengthen rapidly, allowing one to become a Martial Artist at the fastest possible speed..."

Luo Yongcheng’s voice trailed off.

Just then, Elder Qiu rose and walked into the main courtyard. Two senior brothers who had achieved the ’Qi Blood Great Circulation’ also stepped onto the platform and saluted with clasped fists.

Tiger-Form Three Moves:

POUNCE!

FLIP!

SNIP!

Their fists and feet moved like the wind, kicking up dust everywhere.

Luo Yongcheng watched the two figures on the platform, his hands clenched tightly, his eyes filled with unconcealed envy!