Chen Changsheng gulped down the five elements soup; it tasted sweet—pretty good.
A warm current immediately surged in his lower abdomen.
Amazed at how fast the medicine took effect, he hurriedly seized the moment to practice the Five Elements Origin Cultivation Art!
After a full set of stance training, he felt refreshed and exhilarated, his whole body buzzing with vigor.
"Nice—training needs supplements!"
He nodded in satisfaction; at this rate, just the power of this single bowl of five elements soup, taken daily for two years, would push him to Major Achievement in the Skin Refining Realm.
Reaching Major Achievement in two years was already excellent—hadn't the top-talented Chuanwu taken a whole year?
Chen Changsheng called over his wife and second son, had each of them knock back a bowl of five elements soup, and let them experience how potent a tonic could be.
When Second Son felt how much faster his stance work advanced, he was thrilled.
Chen Changsheng told them that one day they'd have enough five elements soup to drink a bowl and pour one away… because he'd already decided: buying herbs was too expensive—he would grow them himself!
But right now the family had thirty mu of tea fields plus twenty mu of dry land, and he simply couldn't manage it all.
So he made a decision: follow the landlord's example and hire long-term laborers.
Back in Kaoshan Village, he found the village elders and announced his terms—thirty taels of silver a year.
That wage was no small sum; many well-off farmers who tilled their own land earned only that much in a year.
From then on, people came every few days to recommend themselves.
Chen Changsheng picked and chose, finally hiring three laborers.
The first would handle the family's twenty mu of dry fields—the grain land had to be farmed.
The choice was Li Yilian's uncle, an honest, hardworking man.
The second would look after the thirty mu of tea fields—the family's cash crop. Tending tea was lighter than field work, yet Chen Changsheng still paid thirty taels, mainly for reliability.
This worker was his cousin; the man's father had only ten mu for two sons, far from enough to live on, so Chen Changsheng lent a hand, hoping gratitude would buy loyalty.
The last would plant medicinal herbs on the remaining thirty mu of hillside—an accelerator for the whole family's Cultivation Technique.
Growing herbs was tricky; every plant was precious, needing intimate knowledge of properties and habitat.
Chen Changsheng specially went to the county town and, at sixty taels a year, poached an old herbalist for the job.
From that day on, villagers addressed him as Master Chen.
The title secretly delighted him for days—he had become one of the gentry.
With manpower in place, the Chen family entered rapid development.
Together with the old herbalist he planted all kinds of Five Elements herbs on the hill, instructed his cousin Double Happiness in tea care, and whenever possible bought extra herbs to brew five elements soup and train.
As expected, Liu Jinshan made no further move against him for the moment.
——————
Liu Family Courtyard.
Liu Hongtu, face flushed with anger, smashed his teacup and snarled:
"Father, are we going to keep watching that dirt-legged nobody live in a big Courtyard House and rake in silver?"
He had come specifically to urge Liu Jinshan to act; he coveted Chen Changsheng's Courtyard House and tea fields.
Now that everyone called Chen "Master Chen" and praised his rise from poor peasant to gentleman, Liu Hongtu's earlier taunts about the "prodigal son" looked ridiculous.
"Patience, my boy. Nothing should be rushed."
Liu Jinshan sipped his tea unhurriedly, the picture of confidence.
In truth he was puzzled: sending Liu Ergou to deal with a mere peasant should have been easy—why had the man simply vanished?
The wily old Liu suspected someone was secretly helping Chen Changsheng; until he found out who, he would not strike again.
"Watch him raise a tall building, feast his guests, then watch the building collapse!"
"Do you think the villagers admire him? Mostly they envy him. We'll nurture that envy; when the time is ripe, one small push will burn him alive!"
A vicious glint flashed in Liu Jinshan's eyes—peasants could be crueler than the rich when their malice was roused.
He had already chosen another method; he only needed time and opportunity.
"Besides, your uncle's official career hangs in the balance; we mustn't make a stir and cause trouble. Once he's promoted, a mere Chen Changsheng will die of fright!"
Liu Hongtu still seethed. "Let Second Brother come back from the county and slaughter the whole Chen family—one Martial Artist against them is like killing chickens."
Liu Jinshan's face darkened; he slammed down his cup. "Fool! Wiping out the Chen family is child's play, but your brother is serving with your uncle—his career is paramount!
A mere thousand taels of silver—how does that weigh against your brother's future and reputation?"
At his father's fury the useless Liu Hongtu shrank back like a quail.
——————
While Liu Jinshan waited for his moment, Chen Changsheng shot ahead.
All profit from the tea fields, after setting aside a reserve, was spent on herbs to brew five elements soup.
Chen Changsheng, Second Son, and his wife all trained while taking the tonic.
Even Eldest Son received generous supplies of Blood-Qi Pills, standard supplements for Martial Artists.
Thus, in the blink of an eye, three years slipped by.
Liu Jinshan had never imagined what those three years would let the Chen family become.
On the late-autumn Reunion Festival the Chen family gathered for their feast.
Though this world had no Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Changsheng had brought the custom with him.
"Eldest, still haven't broken through to the third stage, Bone Refining?"
He sipped strong chinese liquor and eyed Chen Chuanwu, who was gnawing a big bone.
Three years had passed; Chen Chuanwu was now a Flesh Refining Martial Artist, striving for Bone Refining.
At only fourteen he was top-tier talent.
"Father, Bone Refining is hard; my master says if I manage it by twenty that'll be outstanding,"
Chen Chuanwu replied, still demolishing the bone.
"Big brother, your Cultivation Technique must be lacking—look, I've reached Flesh Refining too; I've caught you up!"
Chen Chuanwen teased with a grin; with middling talent and the aid of five elements soup he had broken through.
"I could beat five of the likes of you,"
Chen Chuanwu retorted, holding up five greasy fingers in disdain.
The Chen family's Five Elements Origin Cultivation Art contained no combat techniques, and Chuanwen's flesh refinement was inferior, so he stood no chance.
Chen Changsheng watched the two bicker, smiling faintly; he and his wife, aided by the soup, had entered the Skin Refining Realm.
Their family could now be called a fledgling martial Clan.