Martial Arts: My talent multiplier increased

"Bang!"

A dull sonic boom echoed in the backyard of the Grade A courtyard.

Fang Yuan withdrew his right fist, his blood and qi surging like boiling water, then slowly calming down along his meridians.

The third level of "Stacked Wave Fist".

In just five days, he mastered a high-grade Yellow Rank martial art that required six months of rigorous training for even a core member of the main family to learn.

Double the physical constitution plus double the talent for stance training.

The restoration of Qi and blood and the mobilization of the physical body reached an extremely terrifying balance.

Fang Yuan looked down at his palm, where a layer of bluish-black luster was faintly visible beneath the skin.

His initial stage of the Flesh Refining Realm was completely solidified, and he had even reached the threshold of breaking through to the middle stage.

"elder brother!"

A crisp sound came from the front yard.

Fang Ying rolled into the backyard like a red meatball. She was wearing a brand-new padded jacket made of the finest brocade from Liangshui City, and soft-soled deerskin boots.

The little girl held a candied hawthorn stick in her hand, with half a sesame seed stuck to the corner of her mouth.

This is the fifth day since we moved into the Grade A courtyard.

Fang Yuan was allotted three bowls of the highest-grade Qi and Blood Soup every day. He drank one bowl himself, and his mother, Meng Wan, stewed the remaining two bowls with ginseng and astragalus to make medicinal cuisine.

Fang Lin and Meng Wan's complexions visibly became rosy, and Fang Lin's previously slightly hunched back had straightened considerably in the past few days.

Money can solve 90% of the world's problems.

In the world of martial arts, strength is money.

Fang Yuan wiped his sweat and rubbed his sister's head.

"How about you play by yourself for a while? Your brother has to go out for a bit."

He changed into a clean blue long gown, hung the black iron token of the core disciples on his waist, and walked out of the courtyard gate.

The library in the inner courtyard of the main house.

Today he plans to investigate the distribution of medicinal herbs and the rules of trade around Liangshui City.

If you want to make the business of "power pills" public, you have to understand the market first.

After passing through two corridors, Fang Yuan stopped.

Ahead lies the main gate of the Fang family mansion.

The usually tightly closed vermilion gate was now wide open, the threshold had been removed, and the bluestone street outside was swept spotless, with not a single stall or other idle person in sight.

Street cleaning.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes and stepped behind a thick pillar.

At the very center of the main gate, the patriarch, Fang Zhengkun, stood ramrod straight, dressed in his most formal black suit, his hands folded in his sleeves.

The First Elder, Second Elder, Third Elder, and even the Fourth Elder Fang Shou'an, who had just suffered a setback a few days ago, all lined up according to their seating order and stood behind Fang Zhengkun.

These powerful figures, whose mere presence in Liangshui City could cause an earthquake, all bowed their heads slightly, their expressions revealing an undisguised subservience.

It could even be described as awe.

Fang Yuan's mind immediately started working on his calculations.

The three major families of Liangshui City are Fang, Li, and Zhao. Even if the head of the Li or Zhao family were to arrive in person, Fang Zhengkun would at most stand on the steps and bow.

There is only one possibility that could make the entire Fang family's top brass adopt such a servile demeanor.

People from above have arrived.

"Clatter, clatter."

The heavy thud of hooves came from the end of the street.

The hoofbeats were so deep that each thud carried a subtle tremor, even causing the dust on the corridor to fall in a flurry.

A convoy came into view.

The chariot was pulled by three strange beasts, each over ten feet long. Their bodies were covered in bluish-gray scales, each had a single horn on its head, and the air they exhaled from their nostrils turned into white mist in the early autumn air.

Blue-scaled horned beast.

Fang Yuan had read about this kind of ferocious beast in "The Book of Strange Beasts". It is extremely difficult to tame such a beast, which is comparable to a martial artist at the peak of the Bone Refining Realm when it grows up.

Now it's being used to pull carts.

The carriage was made entirely of lightning-struck wood, with no superfluous carvings on the surface, except for a single character embroidered in gold thread in the center of the curtain.

"Forest"

The convoy stopped in front of the Fang family's gate.

Fang Zhengkun immediately took two steps forward, bent down at a 30-degree angle, and spoke in a loud but cautious voice.

"The Fang family of Liangshui City welcomes Miss Lin."

Several elders bowed in unison.

The carriage curtain was lifted by a fair hand.

A young girl slowly stepped down from the carriage.

She wore a plain white dress without any patterns, and her long hair was casually tied up with a jade hairpin. Her features were extremely beautiful, but that beauty was devoid of any warmth.

She stood there, and the air around her seemed to cool down.

Fang Yuan watched the girl from behind a pillar.

He was only ten feet away when he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. His internal energy and blood began to stagnate uncontrollably.

The gap is too big.

Fang Yuan suppressed his breathing to the lowest possible level.

This girl's realm is definitely far beyond the Qi and Blood Realm, and she may have even touched the barrier of the True Essence Realm.

A True Yuan Realm cultivator in his teens?

The heads of the three major families in Liangshui City are all at the peak of the Qi and Blood Realm, and they have been stuck at this level for half their lives.

Is this the true value of being a world-class prodigy?

Lin Qingxue did not look at Fang Zhengkun.

Her gaze casually swept over the Fang family's tall gatehouse, as if she were looking at a dilapidated earthen kiln.

"Go in."

There were no formalities, no return gifts.

But Fang Zhengkun felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and immediately stepped aside to make way for the main path, gesturing with his hand.

"Miss Lin, please."

The group walked in a grand procession towards the inner courtyard.

Fang Yuan didn't follow along to join the fun.

He was very clear about his position. A prodigy of this caliber must have a special purpose in coming to a poor and remote place like Liangshui City.

He's not even qualified to be cannon fodder now.

The smartest thing to do is to stay away from it.

Fang Yuan turned around and walked along another path toward the library.

Just as we turned through a moon gate, we heard a deliberately hushed argument coming from the corner of the side hall ahead.

"I already said, the head of the family has distinguished guests and won't see anyone!"

"Not going anywhere? The Fang family certainly has a lot of airs!"

Fang Yuan stopped in his tracks.

Judging from the voice, it's Fang De, the steward of the Imperial Household Department.

The other voice was harsh, with obvious anger.

Fang Yuan leaned against the wall, tilting his head slightly.

Fang De, sweating profusely, stood blocking the entrance to the side hall. Opposite him stood a gaunt old man in a gray robe. The old man had the character "Li" embroidered on his chest.

The owner of Li Family Pharmacy.

"Manager Li, please calm down. We can discuss this after our distinguished guest has left..."

"What are we discussing?" The gray-robed old man shoved Fang De's hand away. "Where did that brat Fang Yuan from your Fang family's martial arts hall get the nerve?"

Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Looking for me?

Fang De stamped his feet anxiously: "Manager Li, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Fang Yuan is a core member of our Fang family now."

"Does having a 'core family member' give them the right to break the rules?"

The old man sneered, pulled a dark pill from his sleeve, and smashed it directly into Fang De's chest.

"Smell this! It's our Li family's unique premium Yellow Dragon Pill, mixed with some dregs of other medicine, and kneaded into mud balls."

The old man took a step forward, his spittle almost landing on Fang De's face.

"One tael of silver per coin? Is your Fang family desperate for money, or are you planning to cut off our Li family's source of income?"

Fang De caught the black mud ball, and his expression changed instantly.

Fang Yuan stood behind the wall, his fingers gently stroking the black iron token at his waist.

Li Family Pharmacy.

First-grade Yellow Dragon Pill.

The substance he extracted from the pile of medicinal dregs in the backyard actually matched the formula of the Li family's unique elixir.

The old man's voice continued to rise.

"If Fang Zhengkun doesn't give me an explanation today, I'll report this to the City Lord's Mansion tomorrow, and we'll see how your Fang family handles it!"