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"Awesome, I mastered it in just one day!" Wei Yuan was beyond excited. He was dying to go find Li Degui and move on to the next stage of training.
"Can't rush it. Better wait half a month before going back—don't want to draw too much attention." Wei Yuan took a deep breath, calming himself and suppressing the excitement.
The next few days were super chill. Wei Yuan either trained his strength using stone weights or practiced calligraphy and reading.
Besides copying Master Zhong Su's handwriting, he also secretly studied the styles of other calligraphy masters and picked up a new hobby—drawing.
He got the idea after overhearing Mr. Qin lamenting about how society was going downhill, saying that now it was trendy to paint nude portraits of women. Apparently, a bunch of skilled artists he knew had "fallen from grace."
Wei Yuan's interest was instantly piqued.
Before he knew it, half a month had flown by.
That day, Wei Yuan went to find Old Man Li and told him he'd already mastered the three moves.
"You really learned them?" Li Degui looked genuinely surprised. Based on Wei Yuan's earlier progress, he figured it would take at least two months to fully grasp those three techniques.
"Well then, show me." Li's expression turned serious as he sat up straight.
Wei Yuan performed the moves right away—smooth, precise, like flowing water.
Old Li nodded over and over. "Not bad, you really got it. Looks like your comprehension isn't half bad. You've got some talent, kid."
Wei Yuan grinned, "So, does that mean I can start learning the next part now?"
Li Degui nodded, then turned to the cabinet, took out a sealed jar, popped the lid, and pulled out a waxy pill about the size of a glutinous rice ball. The outer layer was made from honey, hardened into a waxy shell you could eat directly.
"This is a secret medicine made exclusively by our Baji sect. Starting today, you'll come to me every day and take one of these. After taking it, you'll feel hot all over, maybe even a little unhinged or irritable—totally normal. Just remember this: after you take the pill, immediately practice the three moves to absorb and refine the effects."
Wei Yuan raised an eyebrow. "So just by taking this and practicing the three moves, I can mutate my blood?"
"Exactly," Old Li nodded. "These pills are super expensive to make. The five taels you pay every month? That's basically the cost of the medicine."
Got it. Wei Yuan took the pill and, without hesitating, popped it into his mouth.
It melted instantly.
At first, there was the sweet taste of honey, bouncing and swirling on his tongue. But right after that came a nasty flavor—bitter, astringent, and a little fishy. No idea what was packed inside that thing.
Wei Yuan forced it down without spitting it out.
Gulp.
As the pill slid down his throat and into his stomach, it was exactly like Old Li said—an intense, burning heat exploded in his gut, spreading through every inch of his body.
He started sweating like crazy, skin flushing red and hot.
Taking a deep breath, Wei Yuan launched into the three moves.
After one round, the heat subsided a little. He did a second round. Then a third.
As time passed, the burning sensation finally faded, and his skin cooled off.
But then, a strange hunger hit him like a truck.
He was starving.
Old Man Li clearly expected this and had a servant bring over an oiled paper packet. Inside was an ounce of mutant beast meat.
Wei Yuan had no idea what kind of creature it came from, but he was too hungry to care. He wolfed it down without a second thought.
To his surprise, it tasted amazing. Not greasy, but not dry either—kind of hard to describe, but seriously delicious.
Old Li chuckled, "That one ounce of meat—you probably won't even finish digesting it today. No need for lunch or dinner now."
Wei Yuan patted his stomach—yeah, that checked out.
After a moment of silence, he asked, "Old Li, how long does it usually take to mutate your blood?"
Old Li stroked his beard and said slowly, "That really depends on the person. Some can do it in 100 days. Others… 10 years or more. Not trying to scare you, but there really are folks who never manage it, no matter how long they train. Look around the courtyard—tons of people come here to learn martial arts, but only a handful ever make it."
Wei Yuan nodded thoughtfully.
He could tell—this time, Old Li was being completely honest.
After a pause, Old Li added, "Let me give you one more piece of advice. The first time you take this secret pill, it'll be the most effective. After that, the effect gradually wears off. If you take it continuously for three years and still can't mutate your blood, then honestly, you should give up martial arts. Of course, if you're still dead set on it, you can try switching sects. There are three other masters around—you could give one of them a shot."
Wei Yuan hadn't expected Old Li to say something like that. It made him respect the old man a little more.
Then Old Li remembered something else and added, "Oh, right—about that mutant beast meat. I've got plenty, and it's one tael of silver per tael of meat, no haggling. Sure, you can find it cheaper out there, lots of folks sell it on the black market.
But here's my one warning—no matter where you get the meat from, make sure it's cooked. I'm dead serious. No rare, no medium rare—cook it all the way through. Got it?"
Wei Yuan quickly nodded and promised he'd only buy beast meat from Old Li.
"....."