'Cultivating the Martial Dao really is something else!'
Xu Yang was finally experiencing the wonders of the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture.
His physique was strong enough from his time mining that he could work for an hour or two without a break. But after practicing the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture for just two or three minutes, he felt like his whole body was about to fall apart. His muscles ached terribly, and his lungs burned with an unbearable heat.
Sun Tao went around guiding the ten of them in turns. Within the hour, he had corrected Xu Yang twice.
He lost count of how many times he practiced the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture. Whenever he couldn't hold it any longer, he would stop to rest for a bit before continuing again once he recovered.
He must have practiced it at least a dozen times, but the progress for the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture on his panel was still at "0."
By now, he was so exhausted he felt like he was going to collapse—more tired than after a full day of mining. And he was starving.
"Alright, everyone stop. It's time to eat," Sun Tao announced.
After the Root Bone assessment at the Huang Family's residence and a long morning of training here, it was finally noon.
The mention of food revitalized everyone, and they followed Sun Tao to the dining hall.
Along the way, Sun Tao began pointing out the various locations within Weiyuan Hall.
"This is the Medicine Hall. For those of you with an allotment of Strengthening Soup, come here after the meal to register your information. In the future, someone will notify you when it's time to drink it.
"Of course, the Huang Family is paying for your share. If you have extra silver and want to buy more, you can do that too. You can ask for the details here..."
Sun Tao had taken a deliberate detour, so by the time they reached the dining hall, Xu Yang and the others had a decent grasp of Weiyuan Hall's layout and the services it offered.
Soon, Xu Yang saw what a meal worth one piece of silver looked like.
A bowl of beef, a large bowl of bone broth, a bowl of greens and tofu, and all-you-can-eat rice and steamed buns.
With the exception of Lu Ren, everyone else's meal was the same, all at the one-silver-piece level.
As for Lu Ren's meal, it wasn't actually that different from theirs.
They had unlimited rice but a limited amount of side dishes. Lu Ren, on the other hand, had unlimited meat; he could eat nothing but meat if he wanted.
The variety of meat was also much richer: chicken, duck, fish, beef, and pork. There was even a bowl of medicated ox blood, which was excellent for replenishing one's qi and blood.
'A good Root Bone gets you better food than us. Is there any justice in this world?'
Many of them watched Lu Ren with envy. Eating this well, he was bound to pull far ahead of them very quickly.
Someone got curious and asked about the cost of Lu Ren's meals. It turned out to be three pieces of silver a month.
Xu Yang got his food, found a random table, and immediately started digging in.
After just a few bites, he noticed something different. He could clearly feel his stomach, like long-parched earth, rapidly absorbing the nutrients from his food. It was a sensation he'd never experienced before.
'So it really is about eating. No wonder Master Lin said what he did.'
Others gradually joined his table, all of them also sponsored by the Huang Family. No one spoke; they all just shoveled food into their mouths like starving ghosts.
While eating, Xu Yang observed the dining hall. He realized Weiyuan Hall was quite large, with at least forty people present.
Most of them were from the Outer Courtyard—nearly thirty people. The Inner Courtyard probably had about a dozen.
The meal was over quickly. Everyone ate until they were stuffed. Recalling Lin Cheng's words, Xu Yang had also eaten his fill, stopping only when his stomach could hold no more and he felt nauseous.
'If only I could eat nothing but meat!'
Even though he was nauseous, he felt like he could still eat more if it was meat. His body seemed to be instinctively rejecting the rice.
They rested in the dining hall for about fifteen minutes until the bloating in their stomachs subsided. Then, the ten of them left for the Medicine Hall to register. They were told they could come for their Strengthening Soup after dinner that evening.
After some careful consideration, Xu Yang took out one piece of silver to spend on extra Strengthening Soup.
He originally had two and a half pieces of silver. After receiving half a piece from Zhou Shunchang last night and another full piece today, he now had a total of four. He could certainly afford to spend one on more Strengthening Soup.
This way, he could have six bowls of Strengthening Soup this month, the same amount as Zhang Yong.
"My parents didn't know I'd be chosen, so they didn't give me any money. I'll bring some tomorrow to buy extra Strengthening Soup too."
Luo Dehu spoke up. He just hadn't brought money with him; besides, everyone knew Xu Yang's silver had come from his uncle.
Xu Yang shot the jerk a look but didn't say anything.
The ten of them left the Medicine Hall and went to the Outer Courtyard, where they found a shady spot to sit and rest.
Xu Yang leaned against a wall and closed his eyes, both to digest his food and to recover his energy.
"I'd kill for a nap right now!" someone said.
After a whole morning of training, a midday nap was ideal. Weiyuan Hall had bunks for disciples to rest, but they weren't free, and the Huang Family hadn't covered that expense.
"So, how's everyone's practice of the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture going? Has anyone memorized the whole thing yet?" Luo Dehu asked, changing the subject.
"I haven't memorized some parts yet!"
A young man named Qian Jiaxing admitted quietly, and several others chimed in that they also hadn't memorized the entire Turtle and Snake Grand Posture yet.
"I've memorized the whole thing, but I can't string it all together when I practice. I keep messing up," said Zhang Hong, the last of the three with a Lower C-class Root Bone.
At his words, the few who hadn't even managed to memorize the whole posture looked at him in amazement. Clearly, not everyone's Comprehension was the same.
They had all received the same instruction, yet their results were completely different.
"I've memorized it all, too."
Zhang Yong spoke up coolly. As the one with the second-best Root Bone, he naturally didn't want to be outdone by Zhang Hong. They were young, after all. Who wouldn't want to show off a little?
"Me too. I've already mastered some of it," Lu Ren added.
He was flushed and energetic, as if he'd found a new lease on life, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
This was exactly why the Huang Family valued his Root Bone so highly!
Under the same training intensity, everyone else was half-dead with exhaustion, yet not only did he not feel tired, he seemed to be getting more energetic.
The gap between them was already beginning to show.
"What about you, Xu Yang?" Luo Dehu asked, nudging Xu Yang, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.
Xu Yang was annoyed at being disturbed.
Before, he'd just seen Luo Dehu as a clown, something to be watched with detached amusement. Now, though, he was starting to find him genuinely obnoxious.
He opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Luo Dehu's overly familiar face. "Memorized it all," he said flatly.
There was no point in being secretive about it; it wasn't a big deal. He just hated people with no manners.
No one was surprised by this. After all, his Root Bone placed him in the third tier.
"I propose that those of us who've already memorized it should help those who haven't," Luo Dehu said, looking toward Zhang Yong and the others. "Like I said before, we're brothers and should help each other out."
In reality, he hadn't memorized the entire Turtle and Snake Grand Posture either. The proposal was entirely for his own benefit.
But he didn't mention this. For one, it would be a loss of face for someone with a third-tier Root Bone. Second, it would reveal his selfish motives. And third, he wanted to curry favor with the few who hadn't memorized the posture.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, those few trainees looked at him with gratitude.
"Sure!" Lu Ren was the first to agree.
Hearing this, an imperceptible smile touched the corner of Luo Dehu's lips. His efforts to put Lu Ren on a pedestal that morning were already paying off.
"Boss Lu Ren is so magnanimous!" he exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up. A smile spread across Lu Ren's face at the praise.
"If you want to tutor someone, go ahead. Just don't count me in. I don't have time for it."
Zhang Yong wasn't falling for Luo Dehu's act, even though Lu Ren had already agreed.
"Same here. You want me to teach you? Sure. Ten copper coins."
Zhang Hong said with a smile, making it sound like a joke.
But he wasn't joking at all. He was dead serious.
For one, he didn't want to offend Luo Dehu and Lu Ren directly. For another, he actually wanted to earn some money, as he was quickly learning its importance.
'Lu Ren's letting Luo Dehu prop him up as the boss, but he lacks foresight. Zhang Yong is cold and rational. Zhang Hong is shrewd. And Luo Dehu is a calculating snob.'
Listening to them, Xu Yang had more or less figured out their personalities.
"Fine, don't teach then! Why all the talk? With Boss Lu Ren here, we don't need you anyway! Besides, Brother Sun Tao is going to keep teaching us this afternoon. I was just trying to help us brothers bond a little."
Having been shot down by both Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong, Luo Dehu was getting annoyed. This time, he didn't bother asking Xu Yang.
Xu Yang shook his head to himself. 'So much for being brothers. It hasn't even been a day, and rifts are already forming.'
'Luo Dehu is really something else,' he thought. 'If it weren't for that jerk stirring things up, the ten of them wouldn't be having problems this quickly. If they'd been left to get along on their own, maybe they could have become real friends and progressed together. But now, that seemed impossible.'