The adobe house was simple, but it still had a main hall and separate rooms.

In the moonlight, he could see it was fully furnished with a table and chairs. The bedroom had a cot with a quilt on it.

The quilt felt damp and cold to the touch... but that was to be expected.

After all, it was right next to the great river, so the air was heavy with moisture.

For Qin Fang, just having a place to stay was more than good enough; he had no room to be picky.

Besides... Qin Fang had survived the harsh life of a refugee. What was this in comparison?

There was also a table in the room with an oil lamp on it. After setting down his bundle, Qin Fang took out a flint and, with a little effort, lit the lamp.

The room was immediately filled with a dim, yellow light.

He gave the place a quick look-over. The environment was decent enough. The only issue was the dirt floor, which was frozen hard and cold...

Paying it little mind, Qin Fang got onto the bed and lifted the quilt... The inside was dry; only the outer layer was a bit damp and cold.

He first opened the bundle his master’s wife had given him. Inside was a brand-new set of cyan clothes made of cotton, soft and comfortable to the touch. It was a complete set, including a belt, shoes, socks, and undergarments...

Qin Fang’s expression softened as he touched the clothes.

His master’s wife had made them for him...

He looked at them for a long while before carefully folding them again and placing the bundle beside his pillow.

Then, he took out his current worldly possessions from his inner robes...

Besides the bottle of Qi Blood Pills, there were also some Silver Notes and gold items...

He had kept twenty taels of Silver Notes for himself, and he hadn’t touched the gold items.

Just now, he had lifted over forty taels of Silver Notes from Deng Chuan’s robes.

...It was true what they say: a man can’t get rich without a windfall.

’Forty taels of Silver Notes... that’s enough for four Qi Blood Pills!’

’Making money in a relatively chaotic area is indeed much easier than within True Martial County... it’s just a bit more dangerous.’

A glint flashed in Qin Fang’s eyes.

’I haven’t even reached Mingjin yet. Even with my skill with Darts, I can’t get careless... After all, there are many experts in the gangs, even Anjin Martial Artists.’

’I should focus on training my Pile Skill to Minor Achievement first.’

’That should count as truly entering the Mingjin realm,’ Qin Fang thought.

Thanks to his master’s support, he now had a total of 31 Qi Blood Pills on hand.

Based on the calculation that one Qi Blood Pill could increase his proficiency by at least 15 points, 31 pills meant 465 proficiency points.

His proficiency in the Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile was already at 124 points... he could definitely grind his way to Minor Achievement!

A look of anticipation appeared in Qin Fang’s eyes at this thought.

’Master once said he would be very satisfied if I could reach Mingjin within three years... but at this rate, taking one Qi Blood Pill a day, I can reach Mingjin in twenty-something days at most... If Master found out, I wonder what his expression would be?’

A hint of a smile appeared in Qin Fang’s eyes...

That day his master had come specifically to make him practice his Standing Pile, and he had clearly seen the astonishment flash in his master’s eyes.

Although the little old man forced himself to remain calm afterward, Qin Fang knew just how shocked he had been.

The little old man was that shocked just because he achieved the entry-level quickly.

’If I reach Mingjin in just over a month... I wonder if the little old man will lose his composure completely?’

He thought with a touch of wicked amusement.

A moment later, he put away the Elixirs and Silver Notes, hiding them close to his body...

It was, of course, best to keep such precious items on his person.

After all, this was the market, a gathering place for gangs. It would be normal for someone to break into an empty house.

Then, Qin Fang took off his outer coat, slipped under the quilt, and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling beams.

After a long while, he let out a soft breath, his gaze firming.

’No matter what, I must survive... and not just survive, but live better and better!’ he thought.

「The next day, before dawn」

Qin Fang was awakened by the commotion outside. He woke up and looked through the window lattice. The sky was still dark, but a cacophony of noise already filled the air outside.

He was dazed for a moment before remembering where he was... He was no longer inside True Martial County, but at the market outside the city walls.

He got dressed, pushed the door open, and stood in the courtyard.

Because the courtyard walls were low, he could see the endless stream of people outside at a glance.

They were almost all fishermen, carrying nets and fish-spears as they walked about.

Qin Fang was a bit stunned... Since arriving in True Martial, he hadn’t seen so many people in a long time.

The air was thick with the bustling scent of a marketplace.

At one point, someone even saw him over the courtyard wall, and their eyes met.

The person froze, then a look of awkward, fawning respect clearly appeared on their rough, dark face. Their thin frame seemed to bend over quite a bit as they nodded and bowed to Qin Fang, as if greeting him.

Qin Fang was taken aback for a moment before he came to his senses...

’That’s right.’

’Senior Brother said that Xu Meng is in charge of a small fish market.’

’And this house was arranged by Xu Meng.’

’So naturally, the people who frequent this fish market would know who this courtyard belongs to.’

’They must have mistaken me for a member of Xu Meng’s little gang, which is why they’re acting so subservient.’

Qin Fang’s expression was impassive. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

...Gangs like these were clearly built on the oppression of ordinary people.

But he felt calm.

He knew very well that one’s considerations depended on one’s position.

Human society has always been a world where people eat people.

Forget this World... wasn’t it the same in his past life?

It was just that in this World, it was all the more blatant and direct.

Instead of wasting time wallowing in self-pity, blaming fate, or letting his inner saint run wild with sympathy for others... it was better to focus on how to live a better life himself.

...Someone who can’t even fill their own stomach won’t care if others slept well last night.

And right now, he was only just beginning to be able to eat his fill.

’But I need to train later. This courtyard wall is too low; people can see inside from the outside... I’ll have to ask Xu Meng to get someone to raise it a bit.’

He wasn’t comfortable practicing his Martial Arts and Standing Pile in front of others.

Besides, he also needed to practice his Darts.

The market was this crowded every day before dawn; he didn’t want to be stared at all the time.

It made him very uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the Standing Pile didn’t require much space. He returned to his room. The main hall was also quite large; after moving the table and chairs, there was plenty of room for him to practice.

So he began his daily routine of physical activity...

His body had now almost completely recovered to the level of a normal person, perhaps even beyond it.

For example, he could now do three hundred push-ups, three hundred sit-ups, and three hundred squats in one go... and only be slightly out of breath, with just a thin layer of sweat on his body.

He couldn’t have done that in his past life!

...The original owner of this body couldn’t have done it either!

It was hard to imagine that just ten days ago, he was a weakling who got winded just from walking...

He had lamented more than once about how unscientific this World was.

A person who was sickly just ten days ago could undergo such a drastic transformation in only ten days?

There was absolutely no scientific logic to it.

But the Martial Arts and Qi Blood Pills of this World had allowed him to do it.

...He could only marvel at the miracle of Martial Arts and Elixirs.

Thinking of Elixirs, he took out the Porcelain Bottle and tipped one out.

...’What exactly is in this thing that possesses such miraculous power?’

A flicker of curiosity rose in his heart.

But in the end, he just shook his head and didn’t dwell on it.

He swallowed it in one gulp.

And began today’s Standing Pile.

...

’Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile (Lower Grade Root) (entry-level): 125/500’

’Wild Bull Qi Strength Pile (Lower Grade Root) (entry-level): 126/500’

Qin Fang was completely absorbed, feeling the flow of Strength within his body. With the Elixir taking effect, this sensation was incredibly clear. A warm current surged, traveling with each breath through every inch of his bones and skin.

THUMP THUMP THUMP... The Skin Membrane Drum Sound occasionally echoed during the process.

Moreover, after so many days of training, he discovered that the scorching heat from the Qi Blood Pills, which felt like his entire skeleton was about to melt, had noticeably diminished over time.

...’I wonder if it’s because I’ve taken so many that I’m developing a resistance? Or is it because my Physique is gradually getting stronger and I’m slowly adapting?’

He had only just started on the path of cultivation, and he knew far too little about Elixirs.

Before, he could ask his master. Now that he was alone, there were many things he would have to figure out on his own.

...

Half an hour passed in one session of the Pile.

Qin Fang let out a long breath.

A white mist shot out one or two feet before dissipating.

He glanced at his proficiency. As expected, it had increased by another 15 points, reaching 139.

’If I can maintain this efficiency, I’ll definitely be able to reach Mingjin in just over twenty days,’ he thought.

Just then, there was a knock on the courtyard gate.

A voice could be heard calling out faintly.

"Master Qin, Master Qin... Are you awake?"

Qin Fang paused. The voice was familiar. ’Was it those three from last night?’

He put on his clothes and walked out of the main hall.

At a glance, he saw the three men standing outside the gate.

Seeing Qin Fang, they immediately broke into respectful smiles.

"Master Qin."

"Master Qin."

They greeted him respectfully one after another.

Qin Fang walked over and opened the gate. "What is it?"

One of them, a dark and skinny young man who looked to be in his twenties, quickly said with a smile, "Master Qin, the boss was busy with gang affairs last night, which caused a delay, so we’re only just now arriving... Master Qin, here are your Darts. Five of them. We found them all. Please take a look."

As he spoke, he respectfully presented the five Darts with both hands.