The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 14 Approaching Perfection
Han Qing put the medicine soup aside, sat down on the stool opposite Master Fang, grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth.

"You little rascal, you eat like a starving wolf every time. Do you think you'll go hungry?" Master Fang said irritably.

Han Qing didn't say anything, just kept stuffing his mouth with food. He reached out and twisted off a chicken leg, took a big bite of chicken, and his mouth was instantly filled with fragrance. In a word, it was awesome!

The other apprentices went a month without meat, but he had meat with every meal. In his heart, Master Fang was more than just a benefactor; he was like a second parent.

Master Fang seemed to have plenty of money, so Han Qing ate as much as he wanted without saying anything. His portion size had been calculated in advance.

After a while, Han Qing stuffed the last bite of the white steamed bun into his mouth, and drank several large mouthfuls of mixed vegetable soup. Finally, he couldn't eat anymore.

Grandpa Fang drank the large bowl of medicinal soup in one gulp and felt his head lighten up a bit.

Over the course of the month, Han Qing's herbal decoction gradually took effect, and the frequency of his headaches decreased significantly.

"Han Qing, tell me the truth, how long will it take to cure this disease?" Master Fang asked.

"A year." Han Qing wanted to say it for a longer period. He understood that Master Fang treated him so well because he was reliable, had shown remarkable martial arts talent, and could cure diseases.

If he lacked any one of these three things, he wouldn't have such a comfortable life.

However, he didn't want to lie to Master Fang, so he chose to tell the truth.

"A year? That's not long. You're really a skilled doctor. You've had meat with every meal for a month and a pot of medicinal wine every week. How far have you progressed in your Nine Yang True Skill?" Master Fang asked again.

Han Qing immediately got up and performed a set of Nine Yang True Skill. His movements were smooth and swift, like flowing clouds and water, without the slightest hesitation.

"Not bad, you're not far from achieving great success, are you?" Master Fang asked with a smile.

"Hmm." Han Qing nodded, and with a thought, the panel appeared.

【Name: Seven Killings Stele】

[Rank: Rank 1 47.8%]

[Monument Inscription Owner: Han Qing]

[Realm: Initial Realm]

Martial Arts: Nine Yang Manual (Mastery 83.6%), Wild Goose Technique (Mastery 82.3%), Green Wood Longevity Skill (Mastery 86.5%)

[Skills: Qingnang Suiyu Jing (Medical Proficiency 45%), Chen's Famous Physician's Notes (Perfect 100%)]

He did not kill anyone in the past month. After all, although the security situation in Baiyun County was not good, there were not death row inmates every day.

However, with Master Fang's support and his own superior physique, his progress was still very fast, and he has now achieved great success.

However, after reaching the peak, the difficulty of further improvement increases dramatically, and he has recently felt that his progress has become very slow.

"Tsk tsk, you're almost at the Great Perfection level in just one month. No wonder Yang Wu values ​​you so much. Looking across the entire Shu region, there are only a handful of people who can achieve this speed. Anyway, I haven't heard of any. You should try not to spread this around, lest you attract unnecessary trouble." Master Fang sighed and then gave another instruction.

"Yes." Han Qing nodded.

This matter didn't require Fang Ye's instructions; he always kept a low profile and never wasted his breath on others.

“With your skills, you could have chosen any position in Class Three in the past. But you’re a bit unlucky this year. There were supposed to be five spots, but four have already been decided internally, leaving only one spot for the axeman in Class Three. You have to compete with that kid Luo Ying for it.” Master Fang continued to speak to himself.

Han Qingxin said he only wanted to be an executioner; he wouldn't want to go anywhere else, especially not the police force. Luo Sheng wasn't a good person, and the Luo family was even more corrupt. He was afraid of getting involved and losing control.
He lost his life.

“That kid Luo Ying is extraordinary. He had already studied the Nine Yang True Skill for four years before entering the yamen, so he must be at least proficient in it. His talent is not bad either. It’s a pity that this kid is a lazy good-for-nothing. If he had been half as diligent as you, he wouldn’t have been caught up with.” Master Fang said to himself again.

He knew Han Qing wasn't talkative, so he didn't need her permission and just kept talking. Han Qing only needed to listen quietly. "However, there's still more than a month until the assessment. If you can maintain this momentum, Luo Ying will definitely be eliminated by you."

"But I must also warn you, Luo Ying's uncle Luo Sheng is no pushover. After a while, as your martial arts skills grow stronger and your physique becomes more robust, you won't be able to hide it anymore. Luo Ying will definitely find a way to force you to give up, whether through bribery or coercion, to ensure that his Luo family members can smoothly enter the government. I've seen this kind of tactic countless times before." Master Fang said, squinting his eyes.

Han Qing cursed inwardly, thinking that Luo Sheng was a real scoundrel and the Luo family was utterly wicked. Didn't the county magistrate want to do anything about it?
He knew that the county magistrate's surname was Qi and that he had no connection with the Luo family, but he didn't know any more inside information.

"Kid, did you hear me? If Luo Sheng comes looking for you, what are you going to do?" Master Fang asked.

"Just do what needs to be done," Han Qing finally said.

Doing this would inevitably offend Luo Sheng, but he has the Seven Killings Stele and will definitely fight for the position of Axeman. How could he just give it up?

So be it if we become enemies. In this life, we shouldn't cause trouble, but we also shouldn't be afraid of trouble.

As I said before, we'll develop peacefully for half a year. What Yin-Yang Dao, what Luo family? When the time comes, anyone who dares to make a move will be slapped to death!

"Good, that's exactly what I was thinking. You'll have to stay in the yamen, otherwise if my illness relapses, who will I go to treat me? But I'll teach you a trick!"
"Luo Sheng will definitely try to bribe you first. He'll give you money, so just take it. Then tell him you don't want the position of executioner, and that you'll just do what you're supposed to do during the assessment," Master Fang laughed.

Han Qing smiled inwardly. Good heavens, that's despicable. I like it.

"As for what will happen in the future, you don't need to worry. The Luo family can't control everything in Baiyun County, and Luo Sheng can't do anything to you in the yamen. If he dares to use force, Magistrate Qi and Yang Wu will be there to protect him," Master Fang instructed.

Han Qing nodded, agreeing with his point. However, he also understood that might makes right, and only by becoming strong enough would the Luo family not dare to threaten him.

...

In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

As early winter arrives, snow falls from the sky, just as the saying goes, "Suddenly, like a spring breeze, thousands of pear trees bloom."

Under the moonlight.

In a vacant lot in a side courtyard, Han Qing was practicing the Nine Yang True Skill over and over again.

It was late at night, and Master Fang and his many apprentices were already asleep.

"This is the fifth time."

Han Qing exhaled, sweat dripping from his forehead.

He was wearing only thin clothes, but he didn't feel cold. Snowflakes that fell on him would immediately melt into a ball of water and roll down his skin.

"The sixth time!"

As he finished the last movement, a muffled groan came from his body, and another acupoint was opened. In an instant, a mysterious power circulated throughout his body, nourishing his physique and causing his body and bones to transform and grow stronger silently.

He felt his body getting hot, and eventually his skin became scalding hot, so much so that the snowflakes on his clothes dried out, and wisps of white steam rose upwards.

"The 32nd acupoint has been opened!"

After a moment, the strange feeling subsided, and Han Qing slowly exhaled.

"The further you practice a martial art, the more difficult it becomes, and my progress in martial arts has inevitably slowed down," Han Qingxin thought.

This month, he has been practicing martial arts diligently, but he still hasn't reached perfection. In fact, this progress is already quite fast, but Han Qing is used to the Seven Killings Stele's assistance, which allows him to make rapid progress, so he still feels that it is very slow. If other teenagers heard this, they would probably be so angry that they would vomit blood.

If approaching perfection in two months is considered slow, then what about those who struggle to even get started after six months?
(End of this chapter)