The gates of Pingyin County had already closed; there was no way he could enter the city at this hour. Fortunately, there were some merchants from out of town outside the walls who, unable to enter, were now setting up camp to rest.
Chen Fu snagged a spot by a bonfire. Listening to the hushed voices around him, his tense nerves gradually relaxed.
Quite a lot had happened today. If not for his breakthrough in strength, Chen Fu would already be lying stiff and cold on Pingyin Mountain.
Thinking of this, Chen Fu could not help but look at his panel.
【Name: Chen Fu】
【Class: Martial Artist】
【Techniques: Jishan Fist (Proficient 307/1000), Jishan Breathing Method (Great Perfection)】
【Realm: Skin Tempering (2/1000)】
Jishan Fist had reached the level of Proficiency, and insights related to the fist technique were still echoing in Chen Fu's mind. He could only say that this simplification function was truly powerful.
"The progress of my Skin Tempering realm hasn't changed at all."
Seeing his cultivation realm, Chen Fu's brow furrowed slightly. Before his breakthrough, the Great Perfection stage Jishan Breathing Method could grant about 10 points of cultivation growth per day. Yet from his breakthrough until now, half a day had passed, and it had only increased by 1 point.
"Has the Jishan Breathing Method fallen behind as my realm rises?"
This thought surfaced in Chen Fu's mind. After a moment's consideration, it was actually quite possible. After all, this breathing method was truly basic—so basic that the Jishan Boxing Gym taught it openly to all its students.
If it were some profound breathing method, how could it be obtained for such a paltry tuition fee?
"Observing for a few days will tell me how much cultivation the Jishan Breathing Method can provide."
Chen Fu shifted his gaze away and did not sleep. He had just collided with a guiyi—even though he was now at the foot of Pingyin County, he dared not fall asleep. Not wanting to waste time, he sat beside the bonfire and began lightly swinging his hands.
Threads of insight into Jishan Fist slowly surfaced in Chen Fu's mind as he swung his hands. This feeling of effort yielding rewards drew Chen Fu in involuntarily.
The people around him looked at Chen Fu oddly, completely unable to figure out what this young man was doing, constantly waving his hands there. Had he come down with some illness?
At that thought, some of them subtly edged a little further away from him.
When one is immersed in something, time always passes extremely quickly. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the sky had begun to lighten, and the gates of Pingyin County opened.
Chen Fu entered Pingyin County with the crowd and immediately headed to the Qingzheng Medical Hall.
"So, you were the only one who survived last night? Everyone else is dead?" Cui Sanjie looked at Chen Fu, his expression grim.
Menservants might be cheap, but they were still assets of the medical hall. Now more than a dozen were dead, and worse, the herbs hadn't even been gathered. For the medical hall, this was an extremely troublesome matter.
When the main family came to question them later, he would likely bear some of the blame.
"I don't know whether the others lived or died, but by the city gates last night, I indeed saw no one else," Chen Fu said in a low voice.
"Everyone else died—how is it that you came through perfectly fine?" A hoarse voice rang out, its words carrying an accusatory tone.
Chen Fu looked up. It was Pu Liao, a guard of the medical hall. Chen Fu cupped his hands and said, "This humble one broke through to the Skin Tempering realm, and thus escaped that calamity."
As he spoke, Chen Fu threw a punch, and a muffled sound rang out in the air.
The expressions of those around him stirred slightly. An ordinary person could absolutely not produce that kind of fist force. What surprised them was that among the menservants, someone had actually raised his martial cultivation to the Skin Tempering realm.
The Skin Tempering realm might be nothing remarkable, but it had, after all, surpassed that of ordinary people. Without a certain talent for martial arts, it truly couldn't be reached.
And at the Skin Tempering realm, by being careful, one could indeed evade some guiyi.
"Not bad."
Cui Sanjie nodded, his expression softening slightly. The appearance of a Skin Tempering martial artist among the menservants somewhat offset the loss. Menservants could always be hired again, but recruiting a Skin Tempering martial artist was considerably more difficult—their value was simply different.
"I will report this matter to the main family. As for you, from now on, serve as a guard here at the medical hall."
Cui Sanjie said this, then turned to look at Pu Liao. "Having shed his menservant status, he now has the qualification to access some of the legacies of our Qingzheng Medical Hall. Pu Liao, teach him a few moves of our Qingzheng breathing method and techniques."
"Fine." Pu Liao nodded, glanced at Chen Fu, and said nothing more.
A smile could not help but appear on Chen Fu's face. Before returning, he had considered whether to stay at the Qingzheng Medical Hall or go to the Jishan Boxing Gym.
Having reached the Skin Tempering realm, Chen Fu now had the right to choose.
The only thing to consider was the pros and cons of each.
If he stayed at the Qingzheng Medical Hall, he could already access part of its legacy. Though certainly not profound, it was still better than things like the Jishan Breathing Method.
But if he stayed at the medical hall, his status would remain that of a servant, and his freedom would be somewhat restricted.
If he went to the Jishan Boxing Gym, he would have full freedom. The gym was essentially a semi-sect arrangement, and its legacy was probably no worse than the medical hall's. But leaving the medical hall meant Chen Fu would have to pay a steep contract-break fee.
It had taken Chen Fu nearly four months to reach the Skin Tempering realm—such talent was merely mediocre in the Jishan Boxing Gym. The gym would not pay the fee for him, and Chen Fu himself had no money.
But the more important reason Chen Fu decided to stay at the medical hall was that there he could learn a certain amount of medicine and alchemy—things Chen Fu valued far more.
After Cui Sanjie and the others asked Chen Fu a few more questions, they gradually left.
"I don't have much free time lately. Come find me in a few days, and I'll teach you the techniques then."
Pu Liao walked up to Chen Fu, said this flatly, then turned and left.
Once everyone was gone, Chen Fu quietly let out a breath of relief. This hurdle was considered passed. Without the cultivation of the Skin Tempering realm, a round of beatings and curses would have been absolutely unavoidable just now.
Because he had gained some value, all of that was waived.
The medical hall arranged a private room for Chen Fu. Though still small, compared to his previous treatment it was like heaven and earth. Chen Fu was quite satisfied, because this way he didn't have to worry about anything leaking out while he cultivated.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Apart from standing guard in the medical hall's main hall to prevent troublemakers, Chen Fu spent most of his time hiding in his room, cultivating.
Three days wasn't long, but it was enough for Chen Fu to cultivate Jishan Fist to the Great Perfection level.
With Skin Tempering cultivation paired with Great Perfection Jishan Fist, Chen Fu's combat strength had risen by more than half compared to before. Even among those in the Skin Tempering realm, his current strength was not poor.
After all, not everyone in the Skin Tempering realm could cultivate a basic fist technique to Great Perfection.
The only thing that left Chen Fu somewhat dissatisfied was the growth of his cultivation. In three days, the experience of the Skin Tempering realm had increased by only 3 points.
1 point a day. The Skin Tempering realm's experience bar held 1000 points. Relying solely on the Jishan Breathing Method, Chen Fu would need three years to advance to the next realm.