Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Linfeng Hall, the front courtyard.

Li Linfeng called out to Shen Qing, who had not yet left.

Shen Qing did not know what Li Linfeng wanted and turned around, respectfully saying, "Uncle."

Li Linfeng asked calmly, "I forgot to ask just now, where did you learn the Nine Skills from?"

Shen Qing thought Li Linfeng was concerned about the difference in sects and felt a sudden pang of anxiety in his heart.

After careful consideration, Shen Qing still decided to tell the truth, "Replying to uncle, I had no one to teach me, I just studied and practiced based on the illustrations in the manual, and unexpectedly I cultivated some Qi-Blood."

Even Li Linfeng, who was usually unflappable, showed a hint of emotion on his face, revealing a trace of skepticism.

The Great Zhou Court controlled the Martial Mechanism, and the true greater paths of Martial Arts were all within the court.

The cultivation methods they held were also closely guarded, not daring to be shown to others lightly.

As a result, apart from the government and those Martial Arts Halls that complied with official training, there wasn't much knowledge about Martial Arts available on the market.

Even if some martial arts knowledge occasionally leaked out, there would be many secret codes or keys known only to martial masters.

The entry-level Nine Skills was neither difficult nor easy.

Yet without someone to guide, it was not an easy task to train well.

Li Linfeng looked Shen Qing up and down and continued, "So you're saying the Nine Skills book you have was bought outside? When you bought this Cultivation Technique, didn't the person who sold it to you teach you any tricks?"

"The Nine Skills weren't bought by me; I seized them from someone else," Shen Qing explained.

Li Linfeng's burly face paused with a flicker of surprise.

To be able to cultivate Qi-Blood to this degree just by practicing with the manual, he found himself somewhat at a loss for words.

This child's comprehension must be much higher than he had anticipated.

Seeing Li Linfeng silent, Shen Qing feared he wouldn't believe him and that the arranged martial training would fall through, so he quickly pointed to Shen Xiaohu and said, "I snatched the Nine Skills from the Chen Family Brothers. My cousin can also vouch for me; I definitely did not seek instruction from other Martial Arts Halls or have someone else's teaching."

Shen Xiaohu hastily assured, "Yes, yes, yes, that was eight days ago. The whole village knows about it, everyone can testify."

"Eight days! Self-taught?!""

Even Li Linfeng, who was usually composed, couldn't help but be emotionally stirred at this point.

The hands hidden in his sleeves clenched tightly.

He knew all too well the mediocrity of the Nine Skills.

Some of the key points could lead one astray by a wide margin if not explained properly.

Without guidance, any critical juncture could hold someone up for months, struggling and failing to understand.

This comprehension was monstrous.

He had stumbled upon a treasure!

"Good," Li Linfeng looked at Shen Qing and after a moment's pause said, "Since you're already cultivating your Qi-Blood, you should take some prescriptions to consolidate it. A Fu!"

"Master!"

In the front courtyard, the man with prominent brow bones who had initially opened the gate for them, heard the call and quickly ran out, standing before Li Linfeng with a bent waist and respectful posture.

"He's been accepted into the inner courtyard; go get him some good medicine for nourishing the Qi-Blood to consolidate," Li Linfeng ordered.

A Fu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, master."

Having given these instructions, Li Linfeng left without saying more.

A Fu turned to Shen Qing and said, "Young Master, please wait here for a while, I'll go get the medicine for you."

Being addressed as 'Young Master' for the first time made Shen Qing feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Unfamiliar with the specific protocols here, he humbly said, "I'm not any 'Young Master,' my name is Shen Qing, just call me Qingzi."

"Other than his direct disciples, our master has never treated anyone else like this. Those medicinal essences are expensive. You might not be a Young Master now, but you will definitely be one in the future," A Fu said with a smile, not explaining further to Shen Qing as he tucked his hands into his sleeves and hurried to a small room in the front courtyard.

Direct disciple?

Shen Qing was taken aback.

Shen Xiaohu, standing beside him, muttered softly, "I didn't expect our uncle to seem fierce but actually be quite nice!"

...

Shen Qing came out of Linfeng Hall with his mind full of the matter of becoming a direct disciple.

He had not expected to encounter such fortune.

When he returned to the streets at this time, watching the young masters and ladies dressed in silk, he no longer felt envious.

Seeing that it was already noon, Shen Qing bought some steamed buns at the store, and the three of them made do for lunch.

Then he went straight to the market selling sundries and sold the two beast fur coats he got from the Chen Family, earning one and a half taels of silver.

Having done this, Shen Qing did not linger.

With the money he had exchanged, he bought some rice, flour, grain, oil, and also picked out a new cotton garment for his elder sister to improve their living conditions a bit.

With that, all the money was basically spent, even the money from selling goods back in the village had been used up.

But relatively speaking,

today's trip to the county town was a full harvest, securing the great matter of his future martial arts training.

Just for that, no matter how much money was spent, it was worth it.

As for the prices of the hunters' goods in the village, thanks to the Chen Family's generosity, he still had six or seven silver taels, which could fill this gap nicely.

After such a hustle, Shen Qing was "as poor as a church mouse" again, falling into a state of lacking money.

After returning to the village, he would have to find a way to go into the mountains to hunt more and increase some income.

Shen Qing's thoughts shifted, and the water-ink characters concerning his skill slowly emerged and unfolded before his eyes.

[Skill: Hunting (Small Success)]

[Progress: 89/200 points]

[Status: Cannot be improved]

[Note: Keep practicing for comprehensive breakthrough. There is a certain chance that some hunting skills will undergo a transformation.]

There's still some progress to go.

Next, he must hurry up and work hard on his ability to make a living.

As the wheels collided with the rough stone road, Shen Qing, sitting on the bumpy cart, steadied his body and put these thoughts aside.

In just the time it took for a pot of tea to brew, Shen Qing had already leisurely passed through the bustling street and arrived at the city gate.

The city gates of Taiping County were scheduled to close around five periods before sunset, approximately a third quarter of Shen Hour, which is around five to six o'clock in the afternoon.

The sky was still bright at this time, and it was clearly too early to close the city gates.

But Shen Qing did not dare to leave the city too late.

It would still take some time to return to Hongshan Village from Taiping County.

When he reached the city gate, Shen Qing stopped and looked at the dilapidated shanties outside the city, his expression gradually becoming serious and furrowed.

After thinking for a while, he turned to Zhang Shuyuan and asked, "Can you drive the cart for me?"

Zhang Shuyuan, who knew about the brothers' entry into Linfeng Hall, had become much more subdued than before and wasn't as lazy, "What do you want to do?"

"After we leave the city, you drive," Shen Qing handed the reins to Zhang Shuyuan.

"What about you two?"

Shen Qing took out the bow and arrows he had obtained from the Chen Family Brothers and felt their balance in his hand, "Xiao Hu and I will each take a bow and keep watch. The area outside the city is a mess, and I don't feel very reassured."

Recalling the grim-faced group that had surrounded them when they first arrived, people who grew bolder to the point of making moves,

if someone harbored bad intentions and they were outnumbered, it would be easy for them to be at a disadvantage.

So, it would be better to take precautions in advance to feel more secure.

Shen Qing tried the Elm Wood Bow and Arrow in his hand; the craftsmanship was similar to the one at home, and it was a bit better than the one Shen Xiaohu currently held.

He did not hesitate nor feel pained about it, passing another bow to Shen Xiaohu, instructing, "Once we leave the city, whoever approaches us with ill intentions, you shoot, don't hesitate."

"You have to appear fierce."

Having witnessed his cousin's abilities first hand, Shen Xiaohu now respected Shen Qing immensely and nodded earnestly, "I understand."

Shen Qing patted Zhang Shuyuan on the shoulder and said, "Drive well, sir. Later, when I go to the mountains to hunt some good things, I will reward the sir."

After confirming everyone's roles, Shen Qing hooked an arrow onto the bowstring, feeling more at ease.

"Alright, let's leave the city now."