[Lifespan: 40 years]
[Skill: Five Animals Qigong (Small Success 36%), Forging (Small Success 1%)]
[Comprehension: 3 (Average Aptitude)]
Su Mu's lips curved slightly upward as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. After three months of relentless effort, he finally achieved a breakthrough in his forging skill.
"Advancing from entry-level to small success in forging has increased my lifespan by two years."
"More importantly, my comprehension has improved once again, now it's three times what it was initially. From now on, any skill I learn will improve at half the previous effort."
Su Mu felt very satisfied in his heart. He knew that with his increased comprehension, it wouldn't take long for Five Animals Qigong to break through again. This time, he had a faint premonition that once it does, his comprehension might have a significant leap.
"What is the next level after average aptitude?"
Su Mu felt very much anticipation, and over the course of those three months, he had grown a bit taller, no longer looking so weak and sickly. Though he couldn't be described as robust, he at least appeared more solid and healthy.
"Five Animals Qigong played quite a role in this!"
Taking a few deep breaths to adjust his breathing, Su Mu continued to wield the hammer.
His comprehension enhanced, Su Mu's thoughts became more agile; some of the forging knowledge explained by Master Zhou a few days ago suddenly became clear in his mind.
As the fog in his mind dissipated, Su Mu's eyes grew brighter, and he gained a deeper understanding of forging.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew; Su Mu enthusiastically hammered away at the hoe on the forging platform until it took shape. He then used tongs to clamp the hoe and placed it in a vat of cold water for quenching.
Sizzle.
After a series of crisp sounds, Su Mu cheerfully retrieved the hoe to examine it.
"It's done!"
"Oh, let me take a look?"
At that moment, a slightly surprised voice rang out. Su Mu turned his head to find it was his master, Zhou Mountain, who had already approached. He immediately handed over the hoe.
Holding the hoe with the tongs, Zhou Mountain's expression turned serious. After carefully inspecting inside and out, he nodded slightly to Su Mu.
"This hoe can be considered satisfactory. You've made considerable progress in these last three months." Zhou Mountain paused, "I'll give you two choices. Starting tomorrow, you can begin forging farming tools on your own. I'll speak to Shopkeeper Li for you."
Su Mu felt exhilarated. Being able to forge farming tools independently meant Zhou Mountain recognized him as a quasi-blacksmith—essentially, graduating.
The blacksmith shop would pay a quasi-blacksmith who could forge farming tools independently 300 cents a month. If there were many orders, additional bonuses could be earned. During the busy farming season, orders might even reach 500 cents a month.
"The second option is to continue assisting me while I forge blade soldiers."
Upon hearing this, Su Mu didn't hesitate and immediately spoke up, "Master Zhou, my forging skills are still shallow, insufficient for independent work. I wish to continue learning forging art with you and assist you."
Zhou Mountain nodded discreetly, satisfied with Su Mu's response, "Alright, I'll also talk to the shopkeeper to see if I can secure some monthly pay for you."
"Thank you, Master Zhou!"
"There's no need to thank me; this is the result of your own efforts."
That day, Shopkeeper Li Tie met Su Mu alone in the courtyard, "Master Zhou has told me about your situation. Since your skills have reached the apprenticeship standard, your monthly pay will be the same as other masters forging farming tools—300 cents a month."
"Graduating in just three months shows you have a promising talent for forging. This tael of silver is your apprenticeship reward. You're at an age where you're growing, use this money to buy some meat, eggs, rice, and flour to nourish yourself."
"Indeed, thank you very much, Shopkeeper."
Under the night sky, Su Mu carried the meat and eggs bought in town as he returned to the village. Upon entering the house, he inexplicably felt a chill down his spine.
"Ding Shisan."
A somewhat icy voice came from behind him. He found a tall, slender man dressed in black, wearing a gray wolf mask. The figure presented a token in front of Su Mu.
Su Mu put down the meat and eggs, feigned a respectful expression, and knelt on the ground.
"Ding Shisan greets the lord."
"Stand."
Su Mu complied as the man in black fumbled around him, infusing a cold stream into Su Mu's body, seemingly inspecting something, "This is your antidote for the next six months."
"Thank the lord for the reward."
"I heard you've graduated in forging today... very good, keep it up."
The visitor lightly patted Su Mu's shoulder, then, like a ghost, vanished into the night.
"This person should be a Grade-Entering Martial Artist. But what grade martial artist?"
Once the man in black left, Su Mu's respectful expression faded. He squinted his eyes, recalling the man's silhouette, comparing it with everyone in the blacksmith shop and surrounding establishments on Juren Street.
But he found nothing; he couldn't match the silhouette with any person.
"Perhaps he's not from Juren Street..."
Su Mu thought to himself. It seemed that while the man in black congratulated him on graduating, it was also a warning, telling Su Mu that his every move was under surveillance.
Lowering his head slightly, Su Mu's gaze fell on the two bottles of antidote at hand, "One pill a month, three pills per bottle, given half a year's worth of antidote at once, followed by a deliberate warning—looks like this fellow might be leaving the area soon."
"During this time, also keep an eye on whether there are shops near Juren Street where someone has recently left..."
"This might be an opportunity, but we mustn't act too hastily..."
...
Time flies like a white horse galloping past, and in the blink of an eye, winter passes and spring comes. It's March again, and Su Mu is thirteen years old.
[Five Animals Qigong (Small Success 99%)]
The early spring in Qingzhou remains chilly, with snow beginning to fall from the sky as night descends. After returning to the village from the blacksmith shop in town, Su Mu consistently cultivates the Five Animals Qigong despite the wind and rain.
Initially, Su Mu was covered with goosebumps due to the cold, but as he entered the state, he felt a faint flow of air moving within his body. Soon he couldn't feel the cold anymore, as the chill was kept outside his body.
Day after day of cultivation, after more than half a year, Su Mu was already extremely familiar with the Five Animals Qigong. Each move flowed naturally without the slightest sense of stagnation.
At a certain moment.
Buzz---------
Su Mu's whole body suddenly trembled. A familiar warmth generated in his abdomen, but this time the warmth exceeded any previous time, even to the point of being scorching hot.
So much so that on the cold snowy night, Su Mu felt so overheated that he wanted to take off his clothes. He closed his eyes and carefully felt the warmth circulating in his body's meridians, finally slowly rushing to his forehead.
At this moment.
The muscles and bones all over Su Mu's body trembled slightly, giving him an indescribable sense of comfort, as if he had been completely reborn.
Slowly opening his eyes, whether it was an illusion or not, he only felt that the world before him was clearer, every snowflake in the sky visible more distinctly, and the spider webs at the eaves' edges were also clearly visible.
"Did this breakthrough really have such a big reaction and change?!"
Su Mu was astonished and immediately called up his attribute panel to check.
[Name: Su Mu (13 years old)]
[Lifespan: 43 years]
[Skill: Five Animals Qigong (Great Success 1%), Forging (Small Success 55%)]
[Comprehension: 5 (Slight Potential)]
After painstaking cultivation of the Five Animals Qigong for more than half a year and breaking through to Great Success, Su Mu's lifespan increased by three years. More importantly, Su Mu's comprehension also increased by two points, rising from three points to five points.
This sudden increase in comprehension changed from being unremarkable to having slight potential!
"No wonder I had a feeling of rebirth this time; previously, my unremarkable state was only slightly better than average, at a medium level among ordinary people. Now, with slight potential, I should be considered at a high level among ordinary people."
Su Mu suddenly realized that this two-point increase was crucial, resulting in a qualitative leap that elevated his comprehension to a new level.
Right then and there, Su Mu attempted to continue cultivating the Five Animals Qigong. He lowered his body and dashed forward, his claws crisscrossing down like a tiger pouncing, a move from the Tiger Play.
Whoosh------
His claws sliced through the air, creating a slight breeze. When the Tiger Pounce landed, it stirred up a wave of air, raising dust half a meter high in the small courtyard.
Next, Su Mu tried running.
"Deer Play, Deer Run!"
Su Mu leaped forward in a bow step, his arms swinging back like a deer galloping, as a gust of wind hit his face. He became as agile and swift as a deer weaving through a forest, easily breaking the hundred-meter-ten-second speed barrier.
Such a tremendous change left Su Mu shocked. His body now was worlds apart from half a year ago, strong and agile at the same time, truly reborn and remade.
"I now have slight potential, capable of being considered a genius among ordinary people. If I continue to cultivate, I am bound to undergo more transformations. To what extent can I reach in the future?!"
Su Mu's breathing became somewhat rapid as he realized through this half-year cultivation that success is a combination of effort and talent, though it is often that one percent of talent that is even more crucial than ninety-nine percent of effort.
"Comprehension is very important... I need time to grow."
...
The next day, Su Mu entered the forging room early to start hammering.
Zhou Mountain watched Su Mu's hammer-wielding movements, which flowed like floating clouds and flowing water, and felt astonished. Moreover, he was amazed at how in half a year, Su Mu had seemed to develop a lot of strength.
After observing for a while, a gleam of light flashed in Zhou Mountain's eyes, as Su Mu had indeed improved greatly over the past six months.
He pondered for a moment and then stopped Su Mu.
"Su Mu, starting today, you don't have to assist me anymore. Try independently forging a blade."
Su Mu was overjoyed. Compared to forging farm tools, forging blades was the most profitable business for the blacksmith shop. A blacksmith master who could forge blades earned a stable salary of two taels of silver monthly, almost seven times that of a quasi-blacksmith.
A Ten-Forged Blade could easily sell for several taels of silver. For this reason, the blacksmith shop rewarded each master for forging blades: every Ten-Forged Blade forged came with an additional reward of 300 cents, equivalent to a quasi-blacksmith's monthly salary.
"Yes, Master Zhou, I will strive to forge well and not let you down!"
Zhou Mountain's lips curled into a slight smile. He was increasingly optimistic about this kid Su Mu.
Footsteps paused outside the forging room, and a figure stood still. Sun Li showed a strong expression of jealousy on his face.
After the same half a year, Sun Li still struggled to forge farm tools independently, yet the master had allowed Su Mu to start independently forging blades!
"No way, I mustn't let him successfully forge this blade."