Chapter 70 - 69: Sibling’s Daily Life

Chapter 70: Chapter 69: Sibling’s Daily LifeThe Tiger Form Three, at the Break Limit level! The Famished Tiger Extinction Claw, at the Small Success Level! The Famished Tiger Roar Mountain Strength, at the Small Success Level! Jiang Shu’s fighting grew smoother with each exchange. Every punch he threw contained ferocious power, as if a fierce tiger were roaring forth. The air in the small courtyard crackled with relentless pops. BANG! BANG! BANG! Qi Yuan gasped for breath. In less than ten minutes, Jiang Shu’s fierce punches and kicks had repeatedly forced him to retreat. His face was filled with horror. He was arguably the person in all of Pingling County who best understood Jiang Shu’s martial arts progress. From achieving the great circulation of qi and blood throughout his body, to advancing to the Leather Hide stage, and now to the Stone Hide stage. How long had it taken? This junior brother of mine... was such a genius! Even the martial arts prodigies from prominent families probably couldn’t compare! "Senior Brother, don’t get distracted!" Jiang Shu’s punches were like a tiger’s pounce. Previously, he always gained something every time he sparred with Qi Yuan. Unfortunately, as of today, Qi Yuan was no longer his match! The Tiger Form Three, at the Break Limit level, had laid a solid foundation for him. The Famished Tiger Extinction Claw, at the Small Success Level, was the icing on the cake. BANG! BANG! BANG! Qi Yuan was forced back again and again! He stomped his foot hard on the ground, arresting his backward momentum. Looking at Jiang Shu, a bitter smile had already appeared on his face. 「Half a month later.」 Someone from the Da Jing Dynasty arrived. A man about fifty years old, with cold and sinister snake-like eyes, County Magistrate Nie, took up his post in Pingling County. In just a few days, County Magistrate Nie reached agreements with the prominent families at the various banquets they hosted. Pingling County returned to its former state. The gangs in the outer city ceased their infighting and resumed exploiting the impoverished people who had fled from other small towns. The young masters from the prominent families in the inner city, carrying birdcages and parading their pets, once again swaggered arrogantly through the bustling streets as if no one else existed. The Yao Family went even further, hosting a banquet and betrothing a legitimate daughter, who was of marriageable age, to County Magistrate Nie as a concubine, thus successfully forging an alliance with him through marriage. In no time, business at the Yao Family’s restaurant boomed, and friction with the Zhou Family’s restaurant also increased. 「Xuanxing.」 「Ji City.」 「Qingjiang Gardens.」 "Brother, you haven’t been ripped off, have you? This Blood Flower Pig pork costs a thousand yuan per pound?!" Jiang Yanyue stared at a dish of braised pork on the table, her eyes wide as saucers. She glanced at Jiang Shu, then back at the braised pork, feeling a pang in her heart. This is just the early stage of his martial arts practice, and a pound of meat already costs a thousand yuan! If he reaches the next realm, wouldn’t it cost ten thousand yuan per pound? No way, Brother, not even a "four-legged gold-swallowing beast" could consume money like you! What kind of massive business will your little sister have to build to support your Martial Arts training?! Jiang Yanyue felt a wave of despair. So young, yet already burdened with so much. After all, Jiang Shu’s monthly martial arts allowance is only ten thousand yuan. How much meat can that even buy? Imagining her arduous entrepreneurial journey ahead, Jiang Yanyue couldn’t resist picking up a small piece of braised pork and popping it into her mouth. This meat is so expensive; I have to taste what it’s like! The moment she took a bite, a wave of warmth spread from her stomach to her limbs. Her blood seemed to flow more gently, and her whole body felt cozy, as if she were basking in the winter sun on a balcony. She felt so comfortable that she instinctively closed her eyes. "Jiang Shu... you Martial Artists really eat this well." Jiang Yanyue swallowed, but her chopsticks didn’t reach for another piece. Pork at a thousand yuan a pound... it really is something else! Once I start my own business and make money, I’ll buy about an ounce or two to taste every day! Oh, it’s so delicious! Much better than any buffet, hot pot, or barbecue. No, wait! What if this Blood Flower Pig pork was used to make barbecue or hot pot?! Jiang Yanyue’s eyes lit up for a moment, then quickly dimmed. Such a lifestyle would cost an absolute fortune! I haven’t even started high school yet. Who knows how long it will be before I can start my own business? And even if I do, there’s no guarantee I’ll make money. This is too hard! "Well, as long as you find it tasty, half this plate of braised pork is yours." Snatching the largest pieces of meat, Jiang Shu placed the plate in front of Jiang Yanyue and said, "From now on, eat about an ounce or two of this Blood Flower Pig pork every day, and practice your Martial Arts stances for about two hours." Over the past half-month, all the exotic python meat had been consumed by him. Jiang Shu’s qi and blood had surged tremendously. Although he hadn’t sparred with a Martial Artist at the Iron Skin Level, he was confident he wasn’t weaker than them. On normal days, even holding back fifty percent of his strength, he could still easily suppress Senior Brother Qi Yuan. For him, Blood Flower Pig pork was now like ordinary pork; it no longer brought him any improvement. "Ah? I still have to practice stances and Martial Arts?!" "Yes. Once Mom and Dad are back, I’ll have them supervise you in the evenings. They’ll learn too," Jiang Shu nodded, stating it as if it were a matter of course. He used to practice Martial Arts alone because he lacked sufficient resources. Reaching his current level was entirely thanks to the proficiency from his panel. But now, this exotic python meat had saved him a vast amount of credits. He could easily use these credits to exchange for Blood Flower Pig pork to show filial piety to his parents and help his sister, Yanyue, embark on the path of Martial Arts earlier. After all, the world was on the verge of a great change. Even if one didn’t become a Martial Artist, achieving a great circulation of qi and blood throughout the body would prevent many ailments. "With this Blood Flower Pig pork to supplement your qi and blood, your stance practice won’t be too tiring," Jiang Shu said, rolling his eyes at his sister. The reason stance practice was tiring was that it depleted the body’s qi and blood. But with the direct replenishment from Blood Flower Pig pork, once she got the hang of it, stance practice would only become more and more comfortable. Practicing Martial Arts is a pleasure. At least, that’s how I see it. "Mom and Dad are getting older, so a little practice is fine for them. You, on the other hand, are at the perfect age for Martial Arts practice. With the resources your brother is providing, not to mention anything else, as long as your Talent is sufficient, becoming a Martial Artist should be quite easy for you." Jiang Shu spoke casually; by now, he had the confidence to make such a statement. "Jiang Shu, you’re really kind." Shoveling another bite of Blood Flower Pig pork into her mouth, Jiang Yanyue said with her head lowered, her voice hesitant and slightly muffled as she ate, "Brother, what if... just hypothetically... is there a chance that... I eat lots and lots of this meat, and I practice stances, and I train... but I... I don’t become a Martial Artist? Wouldn’t that... all be a waste? This little piece of pork costs so much money..." Jiang Yanyue spoke cautiously. The Jiang Family wasn’t extremely poor, but they definitely couldn’t afford such a massive expense. If she ate an ounce or two of meat a day, that was a hundred yuan. And this was just the early stage of training. If her Horse Stance reached the Small Success level, or even the Great Success level, wouldn’t she need to eat even more? Several hundred yuan a day? If, in the future, she couldn’t even become a Martial Artist, this entire investment would be a complete loss. "That day you gave me eight hundred yuan, did you ever think that if I failed in Martial Arts, those eight hundred yuan would be a total waste?" Jiang Shu ate very quickly, finishing a bowl of rice in just a few mouthfuls. "Not at all," Jiang Yanyue answered promptly. Jiang Shu wanted to practice Martial Arts. As his younger sister, wasn’t it perfectly normal for me to offer what little support I could? She looked up at Jiang Shu, unsure what he was trying to say. The next moment, Jiang Shu spoke, a note of fond exasperation in his voice, "So, what’s all this nonsense cluttering your little head? This whole ’if I don’t become a Martial Artist, it’s all a waste’ idea. When your brother gets even more formidable, this Blood Flower Pig pork? I’ll have it made into pork jerky for you to eat as snacks! Now, hurry up and eat! Once you’re done, go practice your stances!" "Oh." Jiang Yanyue lowered her head and complied. After finishing all the braised pork on her plate, she couldn’t help but look up at Jiang Shu again, "Jiang Shu." "Hmm?" "Do you think... if this Blood Flower Pig pork were made into pork jerky, would it still taste this good?"