"That's some fresh mutton soup! Young man, did you make this? Oh, there's even blood pudding in it. From the taste, this isn't just ordinary mutton, is it?"
The speaker was Doctor Li, the physician from the city clinic.
"It's Yellow Goat. I'm glad it suits your taste, sir."
"Oh? That's quite rare."
Despite his advanced age, Doctor Li stood tall and straight, with sharp eyes and keen hearing, his voice resonating clearly.
Clearly, he had some martial arts training.
Li Da Niu introduced: "Old Li, don't let my brother's young age fool you. He's incredibly accurate with Flying Stones and Flying Knives. Though he learned knife skills from me, he's already surpassed me. The mutton on the table is from a hunt he made just a few days ago."
"Oh? Flying Knives and Flying Stones?"
Seeing Doctor Li's interest, Li Da Niu quickly winked at Tang Wen: "Old Li, let's eat first. After the meal, my brother can show you his skills."
The table was laden with a sumptuous spread. Li Da Niu had brought out everything edible from his home.
However, Doctor Li showed little interest in the other dishes, focusing mainly on the Yellow Goat meat and blood pudding.
After the meal, he went to check Sister-in-law Li's pulse.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Da Niu whispered to Tang Wen: "Brother, this Doctor Li used to be a captain of the guards."
Tang Wen nodded, understanding Li Da Niu's implication.
Performing with Flying Stones and Flying Knives was no big deal.
In fact, Tang Wen was also eager to ask Doctor Li about the martial arts he practiced and whether he could learn them.
When Doctor Li returned from checking the pulse, he saw Tang Wen in the snowy courtyard, having planted several red-hot wooden stakes.
Then, standing far under the eaves, Tang Wen casually flicked his wrist, sending stones flying through the air, extinguishing three of the stakes in succession before smacking against the wall.
"Not bad," Doctor Li smacked his lips, adding, "Both accuracy and strength are commendable."
"Are your Flying Knives at the same level?"
"Hmm, about the same." Both were expert-level skills.
"At your age, that's quite impressive. Though you are a bit thin."
At this point, Doctor Li paused and then asked, "Do you have any more Yellow Goat meat? Bring some for this old man. I won't take it for free; I can teach you a Health Cultivation Stance."
"A Stance? Yes, yes, yes!" Tang Wen agreed without hesitation, not even asking what kind of Stance it was. He blurted out, "I'll go get it right now!" and turned to leave.
Tang Tang, standing nearby, blinked her eyes, not understanding what a "Stance" was.
But she also thought her brother was a bit too thin and hoped that whatever the old man taught would be beneficial.
"Hah, this kid!"
Within minutes, Tang Wen returned, carrying a basket covered with a white cloth on his back.
The basket was placed on the ground, still swaying slightly.
He pulled off the white cloth, revealing a small goat inside.
"Alive? Excellent, excellent." Doctor Li looked very pleased.
He wasn't short of mutton; there were specialized farms in the city, but wild Yellow Goat was rare.
Tang Tang leaned over to take a look, confirming it was the smallest goat from their home, and stepped back slightly reassured, though her little face still showed some reluctance.
After all, this was worth several hundred pounds of Foxtail millet!
Seeing this, Doctor Li felt a bit embarrassed and stroked his beard, feeling somewhat like he was taking advantage of the young.
But giving up the Yellow Goat was out of the question; he could only compensate Tang Wen a bit more.
He stepped forward, had Tang Wen stand straight, and patted him all over before nodding, "Good bone structure, but a bit too thin. I'll teach you the Life-Nurturing Stance and give you a herbalist's pass from the medical hall, allowing you free entry into the inner city. How does that sound?"
Exchanging a small goat for a stance technique already felt like a great deal to Tang Wen, but he never expected to also get a pass for unrestricted city access.
"Great, great! I'll follow your lead, Old Li!"
"Also, remember to bring me any Yellow Goats you catch in the future. You won't be short of benefits."
"Absolutely, I'll make sure to bring them to you."
Tang Wen nodded vigorously, already deciding not to eat the Yellow Goats at home anymore. Instead, he would send one to Old Li every now and then.
Old Li led Tang Wen into a side room and began instructing him on the stance: "To cleanse the marrow, start with the stance!"
"Don't underestimate the stance. Master it, and it will strengthen your body and prolong your life. If you ever become a guard, you'll be stronger and faster than others."
"Open your legs shoulder-width apart. Relax your neck, tuck your chin slightly. Finally, remember to Guard the One."
Tang Wen memorized the stance posture in one go.
Old Li praised him but didn't say much more. He had seen many quick learners in his time, and a stance was nothing extraordinary.
"Old Li, what does Guarding the One mean?"
"Relax your breathing and clear your mind."
"Keep practicing, and I'll see if there's anything wrong."
Tang Wen immediately assumed the stance, his hands forming a virtual embrace.
But as he settled into stillness, his thoughts surged like a tide. One moment he wondered if mastering the stance would boost his attributes, the next he pondered what the city was like and whether he should take a look since it wasn't far from his home.
After a quarter of an hour, his stance was already standard. Old Li advised, "If you can't clear your mind, focus on your breathing. As you exhale, silently say 'exhale' in your mind."
Tang Wen followed the instruction but still found it easy to get distracted.
Another quarter of an hour passed, and suddenly, his experience panel reacted:
[Skill: Life-Nurturing Stance, Beginner (0/500)]
"Remember the posture and practice diligently. The medical hall is at Shop No. 8 in the city. If you have Yellow Goat meat or other rare game, just come find me there!"With that, Old Li tossed him a round copper badge inscribed with the character 'Medical' and the number thirty-five below it."
"Thank you, Old Li."
"No need for thanks. It's just my preference! I'm off." Old Li led the Yellow Goat away.
The harsh winter had turned the snow and mud on the ground into solid ice.
Tang Wen practiced daily at home.
As a beginner in the Life-Nurturing Stance, he needed to practice more.
The Eight Section Brocade couldn't be neglected either, and his sword technique was close to leveling up, requiring diligent practice. There just wasn't enough time!
Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, the half-hour spent teaching Tang Tang swordplay was Tang Wen's rare break.
"The mutton at home won't last much longer. Should we slaughter another one?" Tang Tang gnawed on a sheep's hoof at the dinner table.
"Let's keep the goats for now. I'll go out for a walk."
"It's winter!"
"I'll be back before dark."
After a while, the young lady reluctantly lowered her head, "Alright."
"Don't worry."
The next day, before dawn, Tang Wen arrived at the camp entrance.
The snow outside was thicker, sinking up to his calves with each step.
Venturing out in this would be exhausting just from walking.
Tang Wen took out a pair of large wooden snowshoes from his backpack and strapped them onto his cloth shoes.
With the increased surface area, his feet wouldn't sink into the snow.
Relying on his abundant stamina, he quickly made his way to a high point, took out his binoculars, and began scanning the surroundings.
However, after a thorough search, he found nothing.
He continued deeper into the forest, climbed a tree, and observed the area.
After changing positions several times, he still found nothing.
So, he took out a fire starter, lit a small flame, and began warming some roasted sweet potatoes and potatoes on it.
The aroma became even more enticing in the quiet forest.
Tang Wen crumbled the roasted sweet potato into pieces and scattered them into the wind.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck..."
After a while, the familiar sound of a chicken reached his ears.
Tang Wen casually flicked a stone with just the right amount of force, hitting the pheasant on the neck and knocking it out.
By the afternoon, he had caught three pheasants, a pair of wild rabbits, and about twenty Red-billed Finches.
He wasn't satisfied. As the saying goes, "poor scholars, rich warriors." Practicing martial arts required a lot of meat.
This amount of game, if rationed, would only last a few days.
Thud, thud.
Something was approaching. As if sensing no danger, it rushed to the extinguished fire and began greedily eating the sweet potato skins on the ground.
"A roe deer?"
Thwack, thwack!
Two stones struck the deer, causing it to kneel down.
Only after kneeling did it react, its white tail puffing up in alarm, but it remained motionless, not even attempting to struggle or flee.
"Silly roe
deer, just like the legends say."
"Huh~"
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound with a long trailing note echoed through the air.
"A Whistling Arrow?"
"Are there guards nearby?"
Tang Wen frowned, quickly tied up the roe deer, and stuffed it into his backpack.
(End of Chapter)