"Medicinal herbs for external use include Qianghuo, Jingjie, Fuzi, Ephedra, Bone-penetrating Grass...
They need to be ground into fine powder, placed in three cloth bags, and then boiled in a clay pot for foot soaking or bathing.
For internal consumption, brew Spatholobus Stem, black bean ginger, Shen Jin Grass into a decoction."
Back in the clay room, Bai Qi took out a slightly yellow prescription.
With the dim lamp light, he carefully identified and memorized it.
Luckily, these herbs are not expensive, nothing valuable like "mountain goods."
For example, wild ginseng, Birch Mushroom, Old Lingzhi, and the like.
Overall, it only costs about seven to eight hundred coins to brew a batch.
Compared to the money spent on medicinal decoctions at the martial arts hall, it can be said to be a drop in the bucket.
"Qianghuo, with spicy and bitter properties, warms and disperses, vigorous and intense...
Jingjie, effective in relieving rash, itching, sores, and removing stasis..."
Bai Qi lowered his head, repeatedly reciting the herbs on the prescription.
About a dozen times later, his spirit suddenly shook.
The profound mystery ink talisman flashed overwhelmingly, instantly inspiring waves of insight.
The nature, function, and efficacy of various herbs, and how they complement each other as sovereign, minister, assistant, and guide.
All appeared clearly in segments, deeply etched in his mind.
[Familiar with the prescription, analogous comprehension, mastering the skill of ’identifying herbs’]
"Hmm?"
Bai Qi was slightly surprised, his eyelids fluttering, summoning the ink talisman.
Sure enough, a faint glimmer appeared again.
He focused his gaze.
[Skill: Identifying Herbs (Beginner)]
[Progress: 7/800]
[Effects: Examine its body, observe its shape, smell its color, taste its flavor to derive the method]
"To effortlessly acquire a skill, it seems that after achieving a small accomplishment in literacy, it indeed has some enhancement on my perception and understanding."
Bai Qi’s eyes slightly shifted, the ink talisman flowed.
[Skill: Literacy (Small accomplishment)]
[Progress: (163/800)]
[Effects: Read a hundred times, the meaning naturally appears, analogous comprehension, gradually becoming accomplished]
"Different skills complement each other, able to achieve the effect of getting twice the result with half the effort.
If I can master hundreds and thousands of ’skills’!
That would be so amazing!"
A strange color rose in Bai Qi’s eyes as he lowered his head in contemplation.
Currently, for a living, fishing;
His own skill, literacy;
And martial arts, Eight Stage Skill and Golden Core Great Strength inner strength.
All are encompassed within ’skills.’
As long as the practice methods are mastered, they can continue to steadily improve.
"Accumulating skills, stacking effects, the benefits that can be brought, definitely not limited to this."
Silently gazing at those few clusters of floating lights, Bai Qi suddenly felt inwardly fulfilled, his whole body full of vigor.
As long as one does not overexert oneself, keep pushing!
Golden Core Great Strength inner strength!
Start practicing!
Inside the room, Bai Ming held a bowl and ate, looking up at the figure standing outside the house.
Those eyes, clear as black and white, filled with admiration and worship.
"Ah Brother, is truly hardworking..."
...
...
"Ah Qi, you are so diligent!"
Early the next morning, Xiaotou came to the clay room by the riverbank and saw Bai Qi wearing short pants and lamp-like trousers standing in a pose.
"I heard someone say, Liang Sanshui’s father accepted you as a disciple?"
He circled around a few times, as if trying to discover the secret.
"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"
Bai Qi had no time to respond, he pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, leaving a slight gap between his teeth.
A large stream of air was sucked in, making a sound like "cuo."
Then, closing his mouth tightly, exhaling slowly through his nose.
Inhaling and exhaling, driving the Qi Blood throughout the body swiftly.
Making the massive muscles taut, faintly like an iron plate and golden bell, forming a unified whole.
Such cycles continued several dozen times, until sweat seeped through the pores, soaking the coarse cloth shirt.
"So tired! I thought my Qi Blood was cultivated nicely, but couldn’t even stand half an hour!"
Bai Qi felt somewhat exhausted, promptly stopped his stance, and turned to Xiaotou, full of envy:
"Who made up that nonsense? I just caught a Silver Sand Carp and sold it to the East Market Shop.
Brother Shui’s father has severe dampness and wind chill in his body, and must use the treasured fish to brew a soup to treat the root of the illness.
This is how I got some connections, how could I become a godfather!"
Xiaotou asked skeptically,
"How did you learn martial arts?"
Bai Qi casually replied,
"Elder Liang cared for me and saw my frail body, so he taught me a Health Cultivation Skill.
It’s only practice, no combat."
Xiaotou stepped back two steps, seriously eyeing the muscular and robust Bai Qi:
"You call this weak? You could at least take on three of me!"
Ha, probably more than three!
Bai Qi suppressed the urge to smile; with his mastery of Qi Blood and the beginning of Refined Power training, he had the strength of at least ten Xiaotous.
"Elder Liang said I’m weak inside, with energy leaking out.
It doesn’t show on the outside, but it’s like a leaking wooden barrel, sigh.
I’ve only told you about this, don’t let it slip."
Xiaotou widened his eyes, seemingly surprised by Ah Qi’s embarrassing condition.
He immediately became serious, pounding his chest forcefully:
"I, Xiaotou, am renowned for loyalty, I won’t spill a word!
Hey, turns out you also found the treasure fish.
I was just going to tell you, my dad’s been watching Mihun Bay for a while and caught two Ghost Pattern Fish last night!
We offered one to Yangquan, and the other can be sold for money, so I can go to the Martial Arts Hall and find a teacher!"
Bai Qi raised an eyebrow:
"Impressive! Catching Ghost Pattern Fish at Mihun Bay takes some skill!"
Upon hearing his father praised by Ah Qi, Xiaotou didn’t seem overly pleased, and he lowered his head gloomily:
"My dad hasn’t been home for about ten days, some talk of Water Ghosts scaring Chen Da and the others, making my mom unable to sleep well!
Ah Qi, I’m starting to worry about practicing martial arts; what if I can’t make something of myself and waste money?"
Kids from poor families grow up fast.
Though Xiaotou had his parents and two sisters to rely on, and hadn’t suffered much.
He still understood reality and knew how hard money was to come by.
Bai Qi comforted him:
"Going to the Martial Arts Hall is finding a way out for yourself; you don’t fish, working as a laborer at the dock just to scrape by would be tough.
Once your parents are old, can they still go downriver every day?
We have to learn some useful skills to earn a living.
That’s called preparing for a rainy day."
Xiaotou’s eyes brightened, seemingly persuaded, nodding continuously:
"Ah Qi, you’re right! Once I master the Songshan Sect’s Iron Crotch Skill, I’ll bring you in!
Senior Brother Cao said the Iron Crotch Skill can... stabilize essence and restore vitality, strengthen the kidneys and boost energy!
It’ll definitely cure your problem!"
Bai Qi didn’t reply, knowing that the Martial Arts Hall outside the city usually didn’t offer real skills.
But learning a few tricks and having a senior brother’s protection ensured not being bullied easily.
If he could land a job guarding homes, or carrying out guard duties, he could earn decent money.
For Xiaotou, this was indeed a path.
"Come on, my dad catching treasure fish is cause for celebration, he specially cut some fish meat! Come over for lunch!"
Xiaotou pulled Bai Qi eagerly towards Datian Bay.
These low-status fishermen who couldn’t settle in the outer city of the county often lived by the river.
They’re close together, forming a patchwork of mud huts and thatched houses.
At first, when Bai Qi was new here, sick with half a foot in the Ghost Gate Barrier.
Ah Di Bai Ming knelt and pleaded with people; only Xiaotou’s dad and Old Yu, among a few others, each contributed and pooled half a liter of rice.
The villagers were not cold-hearted, but simply couldn’t afford extras with their own struggles.
A life-saving meal, a gratitude he always remembered.
"Sure, I have some things to discuss with Uncle Changshun."
Bai Qi walked briskly along the ridge, thoughts swirling.
He’s now training in martial arts while fishing, inevitably distracted.
Learning martial arts is important, but making money also matters!
If he could collaborate with Xiaotou’s dad, choose the best fishing spots, then have Uncle Changshun catch the fish.
He’d save a lot of time.
When the catches increase.
Sell the small boat, and buy a larger vessel.
Grow bigger and stronger, create brilliance!
Not a problem!
"Hehe, Bai’s Fish Shop... sounds great!"
The two, young and vigorous, walked briskly.
Soon enough, they saw Xiaotou’s family’s thatched house.
Yellowish-brown low walls enclosed by a fence, two or three mud houses standing side by side.
Before they got close, a farmer-dressed old man shouted:
"Xiaotou! Hurry back, your dad got beaten!"