Longevity by Grinding Skills-Chapter 37: Food Tonic

Upon entering Qinghe Courtyard, he spent half a day digging a five-meter-deep tunnel beneath the main house. He then expanded it into a modestly-sized space, which he reinforced with some timber to create a rudimentary secret chamber.

Only then did Xu Yunfan disguise the chest of silver coins and, under the cover of darkness, store it away in the tunnel beneath Qinghe Residence.

With everything done, Xu Yunfan felt a wave of relief and plopped down in the secret chamber.

He had been in this world for almost two months, and he finally had a place to settle down, a residence to call his own.

He couldn’t help but marvel at the irony. He couldn’t afford a house in his past life, but he’d managed it so easily in this one. The thought made him feel wistful for a good while.

Once his weapon was forged, he would have to ask around and see what formidable sects existed in Qingzhou. As for joining the imperial Court or the like, Xu Yunfan had no intention of doing so.

He was, after all, a wanted man. Even if he changed his name, if he joined their ranks, it wouldn’t take long for a determined person to investigate his past. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, one’s background was considered of utmost importance for an official career, so that path was out of the question for him.

Taking a rare day off, Xu Yunfan skipped his Cultivation and went to the Changfeng Tavern. He got a private room and ordered a table full of wild game.

In particular, a plate of meat the waiter had just brought over truly captured his attention. It gave off an unusual, tantalizing aroma that made his mouth water.

Seeing this, the young waiter smiled and said, "It must be your first time seeing this, sir. This is meat from the Exotic Beast Cyan Cloud Deer of the Jiyun Mountain Range. It feeds on grass and dew, absorbing the essence of plants, which makes its meat exceptionally tender. When carefully prepared and slow-cooked with medicinal herbs like Ginseng and Astragalus Root that enhance Blood Qi, it can strengthen a person’s Blood Qi and is excellent for Strengthening the Root and Nourishing the Essence.

All your dishes are served now. Please, enjoy your meal, sir."

This single, palm-sized plate of meat alone cost Xu Yunfan nearly fifty taels of silver.

After picking up a piece and eating it, Xu Yunfan felt a rich flavor lingering in his mouth.

What surprised him most was that a moment after eating that single piece, a warmth spread from his stomach, slowly flowing out to his limbs.

’You have consumed a piece of Exotic Beast Flesh. Your Constitution has improved by a minuscule amount.’

Xu Yunfan’s eyes lit up as he saw the system notification appear in his field of vision. This was the first time his Attribute Panel had ever shown an increase in his Constitution.

But the warm current in his body faded as quickly as it appeared. One slice of Cyan Cloud Deer meat was far too little.

’Perhaps I can find a way to go to Jiyun Mountain and hunt some Exotic Beasts to supplement my training.’

After finishing the plate of Cyan Cloud Deer meat, Xu Yunfan felt pleasantly warm all over. Several more system notifications popped up, each indicating a minuscule increase in his Constitution.

’If I ate this Exotic Beast Flesh every day, I could definitely shorten the time needed to cultivate the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer to the Realm of Perfection and achieve the Golden Skin State.’

The Skill Level required to advance from Great Success to the Perfection Realm had multiplied several times over. Advancing from Minor Achievement to the Great Success Realm only required one thousand Skill Points, but reaching the Perfection Realm demanded five thousand—a total that encompassed all the Skill Points needed for every stage of the Martial Arts before it.

After his meal, Xu Yunfan looked at the bill for nearly one hundred and twenty taels of silver. He paid it with a calm expression, went straight back to Qinghe Residence, rested for a bit, and then began practicing his Hammer Technique.

By the fifth day, Xu Yunfan snapped to his senses, realizing something was very wrong.

In five days, just his lunch and dinner meals alone had cost him over one thousand taels of silver.

This was no small sum. For an ordinary family of four, if they were frugal, that amount of silver would be enough to live comfortably for half their lives.

"The cost of these meals is too damn high!"

Xu Yunfan muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed in a deep frown.

However, when his gaze landed on the Attribute Panel and the string of notifications announcing his rising Skill Level, his tense expression gradually relaxed.

’You have diligently cultivated the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer, discovering a previously unnoticed knack. This has guided the flow of your Blood Qi. Your Skill Level in the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer has increased.’

’You have practiced the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer day and night. Through this relentless tempering, your control over your power has become more acute. Your Blood Qi grows increasingly active as you execute your Hammer Techniques. Your Skill Level in the Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer has increased.’

Looking at these notifications, Xu Yunfan mused to himself, ’It’s a huge expense, but my efficiency has at least doubled.’

In just five days, his Skill Level had increased by nearly eighty points.

Ever since he reached Great Mastery of Skin Cultivation with his Red Rope Copper Body Cloak Hammer, the amount of Skill Level he gained from daily Cultivation had been decreasing, the rate of growth slowing more and more. An increase of nearly eighty Skill Level points in five days was astonishing.

"Thank goodness I have this Attribute Panel. Anyone else would probably train for a lifetime and struggle to reach Skin Cultivation Perfection, let alone achieve the Golden Skin State."

Xu Yunfan murmured to himself, a flicker of gratitude on his face.

But even so, at his current rate, reaching Perfection would likely still take more than half a year.

"More than half a year!"

Xu Yunfan couldn’t help but let out a long, helpless sigh. ’My Cultivation speed is still too slow. It seems my natural talent really is as bad as that old Daoist Bi Sheng claimed. Is my aptitude really that poor?’

Then again, he recalled Li Haomiao once saying that many peerless geniuses could strive their entire lives and never reach the Realm of Perfection, wasting their years in the attempt.

’Hmm, half a year? That’s actually not bad at all.’

The worried look on Xu Yunfan’s face faded.

But a new worry soon took its place.

He was spending money far too quickly. One thousand taels of silver in five days. At this rate, the thirty thousand taels of silver he had on hand wouldn’t last long at all.

’Looks like I’ll have to pull another job when the opportunity arises,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I won’t be able to keep up with these Cultivation expenses.’

’Spending so much on food supplements every day probably isn’t the best way to cultivate. Seeking out things like Elixirs and Treasure Medicines is the more common path.’

Xu Yunfan calculated silently.

But for now, filling his stomach was the priority.

Xu Yunfan straightened his clothes and strode toward the main gate, preparing to head to Changfeng Tavern again.

He had just taken a few steps, not yet reaching the courtyard gate, when a series of slightly urgent knocks suddenly rang out. The sound was particularly jarring in the relative quiet of Qinghe Lane.

A flicker of doubt rose in Xu Yunfan’s heart. He quickened his pace and reached out to open the gate.

In an instant, a cold light flashed before his face. A Longsword, imbued with a biting aura, chopped straight down at his head. At the same time, a cry full of hatred rang out: "Give my brother his house back!"

Xu Yunfan’s pupils constricted. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. With no time to think, his right leg shot out like lightning, striking first despite his attacker having the initiative.

Before the Longsword could fall, his kick landed squarely on the attacker’s chest.

With a muffled grunt, the girl’s body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string. She sailed five or six meters through the air, rolling several times on the ground before coming to a wretched stop.

Immediately after, a mouthful of blood sprayed from the girl’s mouth, splattering the ground in a shocking patch of crimson.

Only then did Xu Yunfan get a clear look at his attacker. It was just a young girl, no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.

Her young face was flushed red with fury, and her eyes were fixed on Xu Yunfan, burning with a righteous rage as if she wanted to eat him alive.