Entering Qinghe Courtyard, Xu Yunfan spent half a day digging a five-meter-deep tunnel beneath the main building, expanding it to create a moderately large space. He then secured it with some wood, creating a preliminary secret room.
Xu Yunfan then concealed the box containing the silver and money, and under cover of night, he arrived at the Qinghe Courtyard tunnel and placed the money there.
Once everything was complete, Xu Yunfan felt a sense of relief and plopped down in the secret room.
Almost two months had passed since he traveled here, and he finally had a place to stay, his own residence.
He couldn't have afforded a house in his previous life, yet he could easily afford one in this one, leaving Xu Yunfan feeling a sense of gratitude.
Once his weapons were forged, he would inquire about the most powerful sects in Qingzhou. As for joining the imperial court, Xu Yunfan had no intention of doing so.
He was already a criminal, and even if he changed his name, anyone interested would be able to find out. Officialdom in the Great Zhou Dynasty placed great importance on family background,
so naturally, he didn't consider it.
Today was a rare occasion for Xu Yunfan, who hadn't practiced at all. Instead, he requested a private room at the Changfeng Tavern and ordered a table full of wild game.
The waiter had just brought a plate of meat, overflowing with its exotic aroma, which captivated his attention and made him salivate.
The waiter smiled and said, "Sir, this is probably your first time seeing this! This is the meat of the Biyun Deer, a rare beast native to the Cumulus Mountains. Feeding on grass and dew, it absorbs the essence of plants and trees, resulting in a tender and fresh meat.
Carefully prepared and simmered with herbs like ginseng and astragalus, it strengthens the blood and strengthens the body.
The dishes are here, sir, enjoy your meal."
Just this palm-sized plate of meat cost Xu Yunfan nearly fifty taels of silver.
After picking up a piece and taking a bite, Xu Yunfan was filled with a lingering fragrance.
What surprised him most was that, moments after consuming such a large piece of meat, a warmth spread from his stomach, slowly spreading through his limbs and bones.
"You've consumed a piece of exotic beast meat. Your physical fitness seems to have improved slightly."
Xu Yunfan's eyes lit up slightly as the system notification popped up in his vision. This was the first time his stats panel had indicated an improvement in his physical fitness.
But the warmth within him faded as quickly as it came. A piece of Biyun Deer meat was still too little.
Perhaps he could find some exotic beasts in Jiyun Mountain to whet his appetite.
After devouring a plate of Biyun Deer meat, Xu Yunfan felt nothing but warmth, even the system notifications of the slight improvement in his physical fitness popped up.
If he ate this exotic beast meat daily, he would be able to master the Red Copper Body Cloak and Wind Hammer technique and achieve the golden skin state, which would definitely shorten the time it would take him.
The proficiency required to reach the Great Completion stage had unexpectedly increased several times. While the Minor Completion stage required only a thousand proficiency points, reaching the Great Completion stage required five thousand proficiency points, covering the entire martial arts requirement.
After dinner, Xu Yunfan looked at the bill for nearly one hundred and twenty taels of silver. He paid with a calm demeanor and headed straight back to Qingheju, where he rested briefly before resuming his hammer training.
It wasn't until the fifth day that Xu Yunfan suddenly realized something was amiss.
Just lunch and dinner alone had cost him over a thousand taels of silver in five days.
This was no small sum; for an average family of four, if they were frugal, this amount would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
"The food bill is too high!"
Xu Yunfan muttered, his brow furrowed in a frown.
However, as his gaze fell on the attribute panel, the continuous pop-up notifications of his proficiency increase gradually eased his tense expression.
"You've diligently practiced the Red Copper Cloak Wind Hammer, discovering a previously unnoticed key, and invigorating the flow of your blood and qi. Your proficiency in the Red Copper Cloak Wind Hammer has improved."
"You've diligently practiced the Red Copper Cloak Wind Hammer day and night. With this relentless practice, your control of strength has become more acute, and your qi and blood are becoming more active under the hammer's influence. Your proficiency in the Red Copper Cloak Wind Hammer has improved."
Xu Yunfan pondered these instructions. While the effort was immense, the efficiency was at least doubled compared to before.
In just five days, proficiency had increased by nearly eighty points.
Since achieving mastery in the Red Copper Cloak Wind Hammer, the proficiency gained from daily practice had become increasingly smaller, and the rate of increase had become increasingly slow. A nearly eighty-point increase in five days
was astonishing.
"Thank goodness I have this attribute panel. Anyone else would have practiced their entire lives and still never reached perfection in skin training, let alone attaining golden skin,"
Xu Yunfan muttered, a hint of relief on his face.
Even so, at the current rate of progress, reaching perfection would likely still require more than half a year.
"More than half a year!"
Xu Yunfan couldn't help but sigh, feeling frustrated. "My cultivation is still too slow. Is my talent, like what Taoist Bi Sheng said, truly too poor?"
Then he thought, remembering Li Haomiao's words, that many geniuses and unskilled men never reach perfection in their entire lives, wasting half their lives in pursuit.
"Hmm, half a year? Not bad."
The worry on Xu Yunfan's face faded.
But soon, he fell into a new worry.
He seemed to be spending money too quickly, having spent a thousand taels of silver in five days. At this rate, the thirty thousand taels he had on hand wouldn't last much longer.
"Looks like I need to do another job if I get a chance, otherwise I won't be able to cover the expenses of this cultivation."
With such high daily food costs, perhaps this isn't the best path for cultivation. Seeking elixirs and precious medicines is the main focus,
Xu Yunfan thought to himself.
For now, filling his stomach is the most important thing.
He straightened his clothes and strode out, ready to head back to the Changfeng Tavern.
Just as he took a step, before he even reached the courtyard gate, a sudden, somewhat rapid knock sounded, standing out from the relatively quiet Qinghe Alley.
A wave of doubt welled up in Xu Yunfan's heart, and he quickened his pace, reaching out to open the courtyard gate.
Instantly, a cold flash struck him, and a longsword, wrapped in a chilling momentum, slashed down upon him. Simultaneously, a cry of indignation rang out, "Give me back my brother's house!"
Xu Yunfan's pupils narrowed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Without a second thought, he lifted his right leg like lightning, striking first.
Before the long sword fell, he delivered a precise kick to the person's heart.
With a muffled groan, the girl flew backward like a kite with a broken string, flying a full five or six meters. She rolled several times on the ground before coming to a messy stop.
Immediately afterwards, a mouthful of blood spurted out of the girl's mouth, splattering a shocking red on the ground.
Only then did Xu Yunfan get a clear look at the attacker: a girl no more than fourteen or fifteen years old.
Her face flushed crimson with anger, and her eyes stared intently at Xu Yunfan, burning with a different kind of rage, as if she wanted to devour him alive.
(End of Chapter)