After a while, Hua Sichong regained his composure. He patted Hua Shirong on the shoulder and said, "All this messy stuff is giving me a headache! Let's go for a run. Let's strengthen our bodies, and if anyone dares to trouble us, we'll beat them to the ground!"
"Aren't you worried about the Lingshi family?" Hua Shirong asked cautiously.
"Didn't you say they were punished and sent to the mines? They won't be back for at least another half a month. Who knows, maybe the mine will collapse during that time? If they all end up buried inside, what revenge are we talking about? We should be happy, not worrying about things that haven't happened yet. That's called unnecessary trouble!" Hua Sichong laughed heartily, comforting Hua Shirong.
Hua Shirong had a feeling that after recovering from his injuries, Hua Sichong seemed like a different person. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed, though. His face was still thin and his physique hadn't changed. He wasn't any taller or shorter either. But why did he feel something odd when Hua Sichong spoke?
His voice... hadn't changed either!
After running a lap, both of them were exhausted, panting heavily with their hands on their waists.
Hua Sichong was dissatisfied with his weak body. With this level of physical fitness, not to mention wandering the jianghu, even leaving Yishui Town would be a problem.
"No more running, no more! Practicing martial arts is much easier than this," Hua Shirong sat down on the ground, gasping for breath, waving his hand repeatedly. After running that lap, both of them felt terrible, and Hua Shirong decided to call it quits.
Hua Sichong didn't force him to continue.
Physical fitness couldn't be improved in just a day or two. It required gradual progress. As he surveyed the training ground, Hua Sichong made a rough estimate in his mind.
The lap they just ran was equivalent to six kilometers, which would be considered decent on Earth, but it wasn't impressive on the Nine Continents.
The people on the Nine Continents had much stronger physical fitness compared to Earthlings, by a significant margin. Considering this, a six-kilometer run could only be considered a warm-up and wouldn't provide the desired exercise effect.
Ten kilometers!
After careful consideration, Hua Sichong had a definite answer in his mind.
In other words, if they wanted to improve their physical fitness, the amount of exercise needed to be tripled compared to today.
Typically, morning exercises lasted for only one hour. To complete a ten-kilometer run within that time would be quite challenging unless they extended the duration or increased the speed.
Increase the speed?
Hua Sichong sighed bitterly in his heart. With his current physical condition, just being able to keep going was already good enough. Speed was something he couldn't even consider.
In the end, Hua Sichong could only sigh and say, "There's always tomorrow."
Encouraged by his own determination, Hua Sichong persevered and ran another lap. By the time he stopped, there was no one left on the training ground.
The morning exercise had come to an end!
Looking at the empty training ground, Hua Sichong couldn't help but sigh lightly. The difference between his current state and his goal wasn't just a four-kilometer distance; it also involved the physical endurance.
He patted his swollen and tired legs and slowly made his way back to the dormitory.
Typically, morning exercises lasted for one hour, but there was an hour of free time between morning exercises and the early classes, mainly for students to freshen up and have their meals.
The dormitory was empty, so Hua Sichong quickly rinsed himself off, changed into fresh clothes, and before he could leave the dormitory, the bell for the early classes rang.
Well, breakfast could be skipped.
Hua Sichong walked out of the male students' dormitory and looked at the hurried figures of young boys and girls. Dragging his slightly sore legs, he headed towards the Intermediate Teaching Building.
The layout of Yishui Academy's campus was well thought out.
Facing the academy's main gate was a six-story building made of blue bricks and red tiles, serving as the administration building. At the top of the building, there was a large sculpture of a fierce and mighty mythical beast with wings spread as if ready to take flight, and its sharp eyes gazing down on the world. The first floor of the administration building also served as the mission hall.
Hua Sichong recalled the embroidered painting he saw on the canopy in his room. Wasn't it depicting such a fierce beast? It seemed to be called the "Golden-Clawed Red-Beaked Sculpture."
There were rumors that this kind of mythical beast was an auspicious creature that became powerful after reaching adulthood and could protect humans.
However, this auspicious beast hadn't been seen for many years, and it was believed to be extinct.
Adjacent to the administration building was the Intermediate Teaching Building, also six stories high, with a spacious lecture hall on each floor, capable of accommodating thousands of people for simultaneous classes.
Further back was the Primary Teaching Building, and both of these buildings were not far from the male and female students' dormitories.
The Advanced Teaching Building, however, was located in the northeast corner, facing the training ground, while the dormitory area for male and female students was in the southwest corner of the academy. The dormitories and the Advanced Teaching Building faced each other from a distance, requiring a considerable amount of time just to walk between them.
There were broad cobblestone paths and flower gardens between the buildings, which added visual appeal and prevented monotony. The distance that usually looked nice became a huge obstacle for Hua Sichong now.
He finally understood the meaning of "haste makes waste."
The consequence of forcing himself to increase the intensity was severe leg pain. Every step required double the effort.
Hua Sichong could only walk slowly to alleviate the torment of pain.
Just as Hua Sichong approached the Primary Teaching Building, a small figure rushed past him from behind and quickly dashed ahead.
Hua Sichong felt a stir in his heart and called out, "Stop!"
The figure abruptly halted, reluctantly turning around.
It was a student around seven or eight years old, with an anxious look in their eyes.
When they saw it was Hua Sichong, the worried expression on their face immediately turned into a friendly smile. They hurriedly approached and greeted, "Greetings, Uncle Sichong!"
Hua Sichong was considered a younger generation in the family, but some of his cousins and relatives of the same generation who married early and had children were older than him.
The child before him was one such example.
Hua Sichong recognized the child as the eldest son of his cousin, named Hua Jingren.
Hua Jingren was from a branch beside the West Courtyard, so when he encountered someone from the main branch, he naturally had to show respect, although he didn't truly feel it in his heart.
Hua Sichong knew that several younger members of the family, who were a generation below him, seemed to have entered the academy this year, and Hua Jingren was one of them.
He was only fourteen years old and already being referred to as "Uncle" by someone else. It was quite unbelievable.
"Skipping again, huh? Or did you oversleep?" Hua Sichong put on a stern face, assuming the role of an "uncle" and lecturing him.
Hua Jingren's eyes showed a hint of urgency, occasionally stealing glances towards the Primary Teaching Building, but he had to answer Hua Sichong's questions.
"Just before class, Little Liuzi suddenly had a stomachache, so I went to the 'Infirmary' to fetch the physician, and then I went to the cafeteria to get him some food. It happened suddenly, and I..."
Hua Jingren hurriedly explained.
Hua Sichong nodded, not wanting to say much. He looked at the Intermediate Teaching Building, which was still a considerable distance away, and then glanced at the nearby Primary Teaching Building. After some thought, he asked, "What is your class about today?"
"It's about pharmaceuticals, Uncle."
Hua Sichong pondered for a moment but realized that he had no concept of pharmaceuticals in his mind.
It seemed that Hua Sichong's focus was more on martial arts, and he had no interest in pharmaceuticals, alchemy, or talisman drawing. Come to think of it, most of the students in the academy seemed to share this sentiment.
A subject that needed to be learned and mastered from a young age must have its reasons for existing, otherwise, there would be no need for learning it.
It was just because he was still young and couldn't understand the purpose behind it.
Existence is reasonable! This is something Hua Sichong still believes in.
Although he had only been at the school for less than two years, it wasn't too late for him to delve into the subjects and understand their practical applications in this continent.
"Let's go, I'll come and listen to your class."
"Huh? You... Uncle... You want to come and listen to our class?"
Hua Jingren seemed to be confused and asked Hua Sichong in return.
"Is it not allowed?"
Hua Sichong narrowed his eyes, assuming the posture of an "uncle."
"Can... can, of course you can! Uncle, please."
"Just support me a bit."
Hua Sichong gestured to Hua Jingren.
"Huh?"
While Hua Jingren was still puzzled, Hua Sichong had already placed his right hand on Hua Jingren's shoulder. Hua Jingren quickly extended his small hands to support Hua Sichong's waist, and they slowly made their way towards the Primary Teaching Building.
As they walked, they talked.
"Uncle, is your leg injured?"
"Yes!"
"Uncle, I remember your injury was on your head, not your leg, right?"
"Yes! Head injury, leg out of control."
"This morning... during the morning exercise, I saw Uncle and Uncle Sichong running..."
"Exercising while sick, admirable spirit, right?"
Someone shamelessly boasted.
"..."
The little child fell silent.
Most of the primary pharmaceutical classes were located on the ground floor, saving Hua Sichong the effort of climbing stairs.
Upon entering the classroom, the instructor for the pharmaceutical course had not yet arrived. A sea of young, innocent faces turned towards Hua Sichong, who was supported by Hua Jingren, their gaze filled with curiosity and innocence.
Hua Sichong glanced around the classroom and found that only the back row had available seats. With Hua Jingren's assistance, he made his way to the back row and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It wasn't easy, but he could finally take a break.
Hua Jingren returned to his seat among the younger members of the Hua family, and his friends looked at him with inquisitive eyes.
He had to quietly explain the situation, and Hua Sichong could feel the occasional glances from the younger generation directed towards him.
All of them were seven or eight years old, still not too curious. After a brief discussion in hushed voices, they let it go.
After a while, a slender figure hurriedly entered the classroom, continuously apologizing, "Sorry! Sorry! I was delayed because I went to collect some medicinal herbs."
As he spoke, he raised a pouch in his hand.
Hua Sichong didn't have much information about the pharmaceutical course in his mind, but he recognized this instructor. His name was Lü Chicheng, fifty years old. He couldn't determine his cultivation level, but it was said that he had been teaching at Yishui Academy for over twenty years.
The classroom setup was quite different from what Hua Sichong had imagined. Apart from a podium with a cushion that covered an area of about one zhang, there was nothing else. There wasn't even a basic lectern or blackboard.
Lü Chicheng walked directly to the podium, then proceeded to take out several medicinal herbs from the "pouch."
Lü Chicheng said, "Today, I will talk to you about the basics of spiritual herbs. What are spiritual herbs? What are their functions? How do they impact reality?"
"This is a spiritual herb!"