In a small courtyard in Yicheng, Alex returned carrying a large package. He moved quietly, careful not to disturb the sleeping neighbors.
Upon entering his small room, Alex changed into clean clothes and placed the package on the stone table in the courtyard. He then began practicing Tiger Fist to absorb the remaining medicinal effects.
"Squeak"
The courtyard gate opened, and Teng Qingshan walked in with a large 'package.'
"You're here!"
Alex smiled and nodded at him, then walked over to release this 'hostage.'
Chu Xin (Li Qingyu) glared at Alex, her teeth clenched as she wanted to bite him. She had recognized Alex and Teng Qingshan as two of the mountain villagers she had helped earlier that day.
"These ungrateful wretches! Not only did they kill Qin San, but they also kidnapped me. How outrageous!" Chu Xin's anger made her look adorable, tempting Alex to tease her further.
After securing the restrained Chu Xin beside him, Alex smiled at Teng Qingshan and said, "Qingshan, take a look at what's on the table and see if you need anything!"
Teng Qingshan glanced over and shook his head. "No, I'm still young, and my body isn't fully developed. Using these herbs recklessly might harm my growth. These should be for you, cousin."
"I see," Alex nodded, understanding. Since Teng Qingshan declined, he didn't hesitate to use the herbs himself, knowing they would boost his strength significantly.
"Cousin," Teng Qingshan advised, "we shouldn't go too far with some things... otherwise, we're no different from bandits." He looked at Chu Xin, worried Alex might harm her.
"What are you thinking?" Alex laughed, patting Chu Xin on the shoulder. "I'm not that desperate. If I wanted a woman, there are plenty in the brothels. Speaking of which, Qingshan, we gained so much this time, how about I take you out for some fun?"
Alex's suggestion made Teng Qingshan uncomfortable. After a quick reply, he returned to his room.
"Boring!" Alex muttered once Teng Qingshan left. He had noticed Teng Qingshan's attempt to persuade him to abandon the inner strength techniques and focus solely on internal martial arts. Alex changed the topic to avoid the conversation.
In the long run, Teng Qingshan wasn't wrong, but Alex was in the Main God Space. He couldn't afford to spend years reaching the master level of internal martial arts. Besides, mastering inner strength techniques didn't mean abandoning internal martial arts. If anything, they might complement each other.
However, until he could prove this, he couldn't convince Teng Qingshan.
"Alright, little darling, it's late. We should get some rest."
Alex picked up the package and, under Chu Xin's murderous glare, pinched her nose playfully before dragging her to his room.
"Stay away!" Chu Xin shouted, realizing she had regained full mobility, and curled up in a corner.
"Go ahead and scream. Scream all you want..." Alex's eyes gleamed with mischief as he cornered her.
"Help! Help..." Chu Xin cried, covering herself, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You may take my body, but you'll never have my heart."
"I don't need your heart. Enjoying your body is enough," Alex taunted, leaning in as if to kiss her.
Chu Xin shut her eyes in fear but opened them when nothing happened, finding Alex smirking at her.
"See? That's what you get for trying to trick me earlier," Alex teased, tapping her forehead.
"You..." Chu Xin was speechless, a mix of anger and amusement. This man held grudges over the smallest things, yet he hadn't truly harmed her.
"You'll sleep here tonight. It's late, get some rest," Alex said, moving to the table where he placed five jade boxes. He opened one and took out a large golden ginseng.
"Don't you dare eat that!" Chu Xin was shocked. Consuming such potent medicine recklessly was dangerous.
Alex ignored her, swallowing the ginseng whole before beginning his Tiger Fist practice. The powerful medicinal effects made him break out in sweat, his face flushed and eyes reddened. Chu Xin watched in fear, worried he might lose control.
After a long while, Alex exhaled deeply, feeling rejuvenated. He had gained significant strength, reaching a new level.
"I've gained over a hundred pounds of strength from one ginseng, crossing into the thousand-pound force level. And I haven't fully absorbed its power yet..."
Alex stretched, feeling great, and saw Chu Xin pretending to sleep. He shook his head, smiled, and left the room to wash up. By dawn, he returned, feeling dizzy, and lay down beside her.
"Just a couple of wanderers in the Jianghu, no need to be formal," he thought, justifying his actions.
"You pervert!" Chu Xin muttered, noticing Alex had no further intentions. She adjusted her clothes and, cautiously, fell asleep, still wary of him.
"Hahaha~~"
In a small courtyard in Yicheng, a hearty laugh echoed, causing Chu Xin (Li Qingyu), who was practicing her martial arts, to look surprised.
"That lecherous tiger! He's had another breakthrough. The difference between people can be so vast!"
"This is the second-level realm!"
Alex glanced at the now-empty jade boxes on the table, feeling satisfied with his gains. In nine days, he had absorbed the medicinal properties of five precious herbs and mastered the basics of the "Meteor Knife" technique from the heavenly secret manual fragments he obtained from Brother Lang. Now, with a strength of three thousand pounds, he was a genuine second-level martial artist.
"Qingshan has taught me all his techniques. Once we resolve the matters at the Li family, there's no need to stay in Yicheng any longer."
In these nine days, Alex didn't just focus on training. Through his persistent persuasion, he had earned Teng Qingshan's full trust and received valuable teachings.
[Xingyi Quan](Includes Twelve Animal Forms, Five Elements Fist, Three-Body Posture)
Type: Internal and External Cultivation Method
Quality: 3c Grade Technique (Three-Star Peak)
Note: This skill is uncertified and can only be used in this world. It cannot be taken back to the Main God Space.
Certification Requirements: 3,000 points, one Silver Medal
Tiger Form Divine Art
Type: Internal Cultivation Secret Art
Quality: B Grade Technique (Four-Star)
Note: This skill is uncertified and can only be used in this world. It cannot be taken back to the Main God Space.
Certification Requirements: 1,000 points, one Silver Medal
Indeed, Alex had learned the complete and genuine internal family tradition of Xingyi Quan from Teng Qingshan.
The Xingyi Twelve Forms, Five Elements Fist, and Three-Body Posture were the essence of Teng Qingshan's future divine-level manual. Though not perfected yet, they held immense potential.
According to Chu Xin, she had never seen a C-grade technique requiring three times more certification points than a B-grade one. Of course, her understanding was limited as the reincarnation phenomenon was still new.
From Alex's perspective, the relationship between the genuine Xingyi Quan and the Tiger Form Divine Art was akin to the Nine Yin and Nine Yang Divine Skills. The former was comprehensive, containing numerous divine skills, while the latter specialized in one area.
The Tiger Form Divine Art was a secret technique only master-level internal martial artists could practice, rapidly enhancing the practitioner's physical attributes. However, once reaching this level, further improvement through the Tiger Form Divine Art was impossible, and physical deterioration could occur with aging. In essence, it was a technique to unlock the body's potential.
Alex pushed open the door and walked toward Chu Xin, who was practicing Xingyi Quan.
In nine days, their relationship had eased. After Alex generously shared Teng Qingshan's apprenticeship tasks, they reached a consensus in the task world and became teammates.
Alex valued Chu Xin highly. Her ability to sense good and evil, even faintly, could be incredibly useful in specific situations, potentially yielding unexpected results.
"Hmph~"
Seeing Alex approach, Chu Xin deliberately ignored him, crossing her arms and turning away when he stood before her.
"Chu Xin, Little Xin, Xin Xin darling..."
Alex began, his words dripping with saccharine sweetness.
"Shut up, you lecherous tiger!"
Chu Xin turned her head, unable to withstand his cheesy words. "Just say it. What do you want from me?"
Alex chuckled, "Can't I just miss you?"
"Stop it! I'm not some naive girl who falls for sweet words. Get to the point."
Chu Xin rolled her eyes playfully, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Come on, what's up? Knowing you, if it wasn't important, you'd be practicing."
Alex smiled inwardly, pleased with his progress in winning her over. "You know me so well, my dear Xin!"
"Don't say that! Who's your dear Xin?" Chu Xin protested, blushing harder.
Alex stepped closer, breathing in her faint fragrance. "We've already shared a bed. There's no turning back now!"
"You!" Chu Xin fumed, embarrassed. "You're so shameless!"
"Alright, enough teasing."
Alex naturally pulled the little beauty into his arms. In the real world, Chu Xin was a 'good girl' who hadn't even graduated high school, strictly controlled by her mother and focused solely on studies. This inexperience made her easy for Alex to charm.
"I do have a reason for seeking you out."
Alex spoke softly, "I've planned our next target, but it's dangerous."
Chu Xin turned, "Where is it?"
Alex led her to the stone table, spreading out a map marked with various lines—showing the wilderness.
"Iron Arm Monkey Mountain and Silver Horn Mountain."
Chu Xin frowned as she looked at the map's endpoints. "I've heard from my Guiyuan Sect mentor that the wilderness is extremely dangerous. With our strength, entering it is a death sentence."
"What's in there that you're so interested in?"
Alex pointed to Iron Arm Monkey Mountain with a small stick. "Here, a group of Iron Arm Monkeys guards the Zhuguo, a treasure capable of pushing a person's dantian to the limit and reaching the first-class post-heavenly realm."
"Zhuguo!"
Chu Xin's eyes sparkled. As a low-level martial artist, she craved strength improvement and was excited by Alex's proposal.
Alex then pointed to Silver Horn Mountain. "As for here, it might be the key to completing our main quest. I suspect there's crucial information."
Alex hadn't forgotten the Main God Space's task: exploring the world's mysteries and finding key points. Initially, he thought the target was a 'protagonist.'
But after interacting with Teng Qingshan, he realized it wasn't that simple. Although Teng Qingshan was important, he didn't seem to be the key point in the Main God's eyes.
Alex considered that the key point might not be a person but a place or object. In the world of Nine Cauldrons, the most mysterious items were the nine small cauldrons transformed by the nine spirit veins.
If his guess was right, the small cauldron in Silver Horn Mountain might be their main quest target.
"The main quest, huh?"
Chu Xin's eyes narrowed as she pondered. Finally, she smiled and declared, "If that's the case, we have no reason to back out!"
Initially, Chu Xin, cautious by nature, was hesitant about the wilderness expedition. Although Zhuguo was valuable, she valued her life more.
But with the main quest at stake, she couldn't remain indifferent. She didn't want to experience being forcibly thrown into the task world by the Main God again. She wanted to reclaim her other self.