With a nearly inaudible sound, a dark figure dropped down from the courtyard wall.
Chen Erya, who had been watching the courtyard from her window, was startled by the dark figure.
"Who is it?!"
The little girl's heart leaped into her throat.
It was the middle of the night, and her brother wasn't home. She was just a little girl, all alone. What would she do if a burglar broke in?
In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through the little girl's mind.
Just as she was about to hide and try to buy herself some time, the bright moonlight illuminated the dark figure's face, and she saw him clearly.
"Brother!"
The little girl cried out with delight.
'It's so late. The little girl should be asleep by now.'
Chen Ping'an thought to himself in the courtyard. Children were still growing and needed more sleep than adults, so he hadn't planned on waking her. But to his surprise, he had only taken a few steps when he heard her call out for her brother.
The voice was full of delight. It was Nannan, Chen Erya.
A small figure rushed out of the room and threw herself into his arms.
"Nannan, why are you still up so late?"
"I was waiting for you to come back, Brother."
The little girl buried her head in Chen Ping'an's chest, her voice slightly muffled.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Ping'an sensed that something was amiss with her mood.
"You scared me to death! When you climbed over the wall, I thought it was a burglar."
Chen Erya pulled away from Chen Ping'an's embrace, her clear eyes fixed on him.
Looking at Chen Erya's heart-wrenchingly pitiable expression, Chen Ping'an's heart melted.
"Nannan, that was thoughtless of me."
Chen Ping'an said apologetically.
He could hardly imagine the mental turmoil the little girl must have gone through, thinking a burglar had broken in.
"It's okay. I don't blame you, Brother."
The little girl clung to Chen Ping'an, unwilling to let go.
Since Old Chen's death, it had just been the two of them, a brother and sister relying on each other for survival.
Placing a hand on Chen Erya's head, Chen Ping'an remained silent for a long while.
"Nannan, don't you worry. I will do everything in my power to give you the very best!"
...
"Brother, did everything go smoothly?"
"It did. Don't worry. Go to sleep now, I'm here."
"Mm, okay."
With Chen Ping'an back, Chen Erya could finally relax completely. He stayed and chatted for a little while until the little girl passed out, dead asleep. It was clear she was exhausted.
Chen Erya was sound asleep, but Chen Ping'an's tasks for the night were not yet over.
After his Iron Cloth Shirt reached Minor Achievement, his condition had returned to Perfection. He still had one more Iron Cloth Shirt training session to complete.
Walking into the small courtyard, Chen Ping'an removed his shirt and began to temper and refine his body.
After reaching Minor Achievement in Iron Cloth Shirt, he no longer needed to bind himself with cloth wrappings. Each rub of his palms was directly on his skin.
However, now his skin was as tough as thin leather, and training just by rubbing with his hands had a somewhat diminished effect compared to before.
Nevertheless, after an hour, the familiar +1 Experience Points appeared again.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Qi Blood First Level Perfection
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt Minor Achievement (1/40)
...
After finishing one session, Chen Ping'an realized he hadn't reached his limit yet. His skin, which would normally be bright red after a training session, showed no significant change.
'Could it be...'
A trace of excitement appeared on Chen Ping'an's face.
"Again!"
With that, he continued to rub his body with his hands, resuming his Iron Cloth Shirt training.
Another hour passed, and +1 Experience Points appeared again. The Experience Points on his panel changed from 1 to 2.
Only after training twice in a row did Chen Ping'an finally feel his entire body grow hot and his skin begin to burn.
'It seems that after reaching Minor Achievement in Iron Cloth Shirt, I can already handle two training sessions in a row. At this rate, with a morning and evening session, I can gain 4 Experience Points a day. That's double my previous speed!'
Chen Ping'an's face was filled with utter astonishment and delight.
'To reach Great Success in Iron Cloth Shirt, I need 40 Experience Points. This means... what would have originally taken twenty days to achieve Great Success will now only take ten!'
'Ten days...'
'Also, according to the Cultivation Technique's description, after reaching Minor Achievement in Iron Cloth Shirt, I can proceed to the next stage of training: rolling in sand and gravel to temper the body, polish the skin, and circulate Qi Blood.'
'Yes, tomorrow I'll get some sand and gravel. I'll see if this new stage of training can earn me even more experience.'
"..."
The doubling of his efficiency in gaining Experience Points filled Chen Ping'an with excitement. It meant that the great gates of the Martial Dao were slowly swinging open for him.
After quickly wiping down his body, Chen Ping'an, still buzzing with excitement, fell into a deep sleep.
As his physical constitution improved and his Qi Blood grew more abundant, he found that whenever he felt even slightly drowsy, it only took him a dozen breaths to fall completely asleep.
Most importantly, he still maintained a certain level of alertness even while asleep.
Early the next morning, Chen Ping'an began his routine Iron Cloth Shirt practice. On a normal day, his schedule was quite tight; he would finish one session and then have to rush to the Garrison Commandant's Office to report for duty.
Today, however, was a rest day, so there was no rush.
After completing two consecutive sessions of Iron Cloth Shirt and seeing the Experience Points on his panel change from 2 to 4, Chen Ping'an headed out.
The new stage of Iron Cloth Shirt training required sand and gravel, so he was heading out to get some.
There were plenty of places outside the city where sand and gravel were abundant. All it would take was a few rounds of sifting to make it usable.
However, getting the materials from outside the city would be time-consuming and laborious—too much of a hassle. Besides, he didn't know when Young Master Xiao Hu might show up, so Chen Ping'an opted to just buy what he needed.
Coincidentally, Uncle Zhang, who lived west of Pear Blossom Lane, worked as a sand and gravel hauler. A man in his line of work was sure to have plenty at home.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Chen Ping'an knocked on Uncle Zhang's door.
A moment later, the door opened, and a small child peeked out.
"Who are you looking for?"
The child couldn't have been more than four or five years old, with a round, closely-cropped head that was rather endearing.
"Is Aunt Zhang home?"
Chen Ping'an asked with a smile.
"Grandma? Yeah, she's here."
The little child said in a high, piping voice, stepping aside to let him in.
"Who is it?"
A voice called out from inside the house.
A rather stout-looking old woman emerged from an inner room, just in time to see Chen Ping'an about to step over the threshold.
"Well, look who it is! If it isn't young Brother Chen."
Among the families of Pear Blossom Lane, Uncle Zhang's was considered quite well-off.
Their son and daughter-in-law had made them proud, securing steady work as kitchen assistants in one of the city's restaurants.
He himself earned a hard-living as a sand hauler, while Aunt Zhang did needlework at home to supplement their income.
With the whole family working together, they lived a prosperous life.