Fantasy: Starting with a bowl, you can exchange it for endless cultivation.

"Exchange." Gu Chen chose to exchange.

The blood-strengthening soup in the copper bowl disappeared, and a surge of cultivation energy flowed into his body, allowing his blood and qi to grow stronger once again.

At this speed.

If he could obtain a bowl of Blood-Strengthening Soup and exchange it for a day's worth of pure cultivation every day, he should be able to break through to the "Mid-stage Blood Refining Realm" within a month.

Next, Gu Chen planned to go to the guard of the Treasure Medicine Pavilion to have him teach him swordsmanship.

Now that his strength has reached the early stage of the Blood Refining Realm, he can be considered a proper cultivator.

You can't get by without a martial arts skill to rely on.

Upon finding Guard Zhou, Gu Chen clasped his hands in greeting and explained his purpose: "Greetings, Guard Zhou. I am a newly promoted guard from a menial servant to a new guard in the Medicine Pavilion. I would like to ask the Guard to teach me swordsmanship."

"Newly promoted guards." Zhou Hong recalled that today seemed to be the last day for this batch of laborers to be promoted to guards this year.

She glanced at Gu Chen; he was quite handsome, but his hands were empty and he made no move. She was secretly displeased!

How can this newcomer be so ill-mannered?

Zhou Hong waved to Gu Chen and said indifferently, "I'm busy today. Come back another day."

Seeing this, Gu Chen had no reason to suspect anything and could only leave dejectedly.

Back in the courtyard.

Seeing Wang Chao practicing his swordsmanship, Gu Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "Brother Wang, when you went to ask Protector Zhou for swordsmanship instruction, did he refuse?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chao sheathed his sword and said, "You just went to ask him for advice on swordsmanship, but he declined?"

Gu Chen nodded: "Head Guard Zhou told me to go another day; he doesn't have time today."

"Didn't you offer him any money?" Wang Chao asked Gu Chen.

"Uh, no." Gu Chen shook his head. He used to work as a handyman and didn't get paid. He was dirt poor, so where would he get the money to support him?

Wang Chao said, "If you want to learn swordsmanship from Protector Zhou, you have to pay him a bribe."

"Our newly promoted guards can get an advance of one month's salary from the Treasure Medicine Pavilion. You can apply directly to Manager He. Once you have the money, spend one tael to bribe Guard Zhou, and he will teach you swordsmanship."

"Of course, if you really don't want to give him money, you can directly ask him for the sword technique manual and take it back to practice on your own."

"However, with only the sword technique manual and no one to guide your practice, your progress will be very slow. Since you've given Zhou the silver, you can ask him for guidance if you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation," Wang Chao pointed out the way for Gu Chen.

"Understood, thank you, Brother Wang." Gu Chen thanked Wang Chao and turned to leave the courtyard.

Upon finding Manager He, Gu Chen directly received an advance of one month's salary, three taels of silver.

The newly recruited guards at Baoyao Pavilion receive a monthly allowance of three taels of silver. Here, one tael of silver has the purchasing power equivalent to one thousand yuan in my previous life.

Three taels of silver is equivalent to a monthly salary of three thousand in my previous life.

Having received the advance payment, Gu Chen went to see Protector Zhou again.

At this moment, Zhou Hong was in the training ground of the Treasure Medicine Pavilion, instructing a group of guards in practicing swordsmanship.

When they met Gu Chen this time, he still came empty-handed.

Zhou Hong said impatiently, "Didn't I already tell you that I'm busy today? You can come another day."

Gu Chen said, "I wonder if Protector Zhou has a copy of the secret manual? I'd like to take a copy back and practice it myself."

"You want to practice by yourself?" Zhou Hong scoffed upon hearing this.

The other guards understood what was happening.

They all looked at Gu Chen with disdain.

Gu Chen looked unfamiliar; he must be a greenhorn who had just been promoted from a menial servant to a guard today.

They really don't know their own limitations, actually wanting to practice swordsmanship on their own.

Did he think that his promotion from a menial servant to a guard meant he was a once-in-a-million genius?

ridiculous.

Swordsmanship is not something that can be easily mastered!

It wasn't that no one had previously chosen Gu Chen's approach: to save the money meant for Zhou Hong by taking the sword technique manual back and practicing it themselves.

After practicing diligently for several months, they found they couldn't even get started. In the end, they had no choice but to return dejectedly and spend even more money to have Zhou Hong guide their cultivation.

Gu Chen was promoted to guard at the last minute today, and his talent is among the worst of all the guards!

He actually wanted to save the money he was supposed to give to Zhou Hong and instead try to figure out his own swordsmanship. In their eyes, he was a complete fool.

"Take this, return it to me in a day. Don't blame me if you can't learn it." Zhou Hong took out a sword technique manual from his pocket and tossed it to Gu Chen.

Although he was a guard, the Baoyao Pavilion had a rule that he had to teach swordsmanship to any new guard.

Do not deliberately withhold information!

Since Gu Chen is so ungrateful, let him learn on his own. If he fails to learn it, we can't blame him.

If Gu Chen tries to cultivate the sword technique himself without success and then comes to ask him for help, it won't be a problem that can be solved by a few taels of silver.

He would never teach Gu Chen swordsmanship without ten taels of silver!

Gu Chen left with the copy of the sword technique manual.

He returned to the courtyard where he and Wang Chao lived.

Gu Chen went straight into his room and took out the sword technique manual.

Place it in a copper bowl.

According to the description of the copper bowl's function, it can help him comprehend martial arts techniques and skills.

However, it requires spending silver.

Since the copper bowl can help him comprehend the truth, why doesn't he just give the copper bowl the silver instead of using it to curry favor with Zhou Hong?

The copy of the knife technique was placed in a copper bowl, which then emitted a golden glow.

[The "Lightning Five-Strike Combo" can be exchanged for a "Beginner" level of insight for one tael of silver.]

The copper bowl provided feedback to Gu Chen.

One tael of silver can be exchanged for an introductory level of insight.

Gu Chen took out one tael of silver and put it into the copper bowl, then selected to exchange it.

One tael of silver disappeared, but the manual remained, and the manual shone with golden light.

A tremendous surge of insight into swordsmanship immediately poured into Gu Chen's mind from the copper bowl.

He grasped it instantly, as if he had been practicing this sword technique for years.

This allowed him to successfully learn the basics of this sword technique.

With his talent, if he were to practice this sword technique, he could master it within a few months with guidance.

Without guidance, it might take one or two years to get the hang of it.

This one or two taels of silver saved him a lot of time practicing swordsmanship, allowing him to master basic swordsmanship ahead of time, which was worthwhile.

In the outside world, reaching the early stage of the Blood Refining Realm and mastering a basic martial art is enough to be considered a third-rate expert, capable of taking on six or seven strong men by himself.

He can now be considered a third-rate expert.

Every year, one or two menial servants at the Precious Medicine Pavilion are promoted to guards.

However, newly recruited guards are usually just second-rate martial artists who have just refined a wisp of blood and qi. It would take them at least one or two years to reach the early stage of the Blood Refining Realm.

The same applies to mastering a martial arts technique.

With the help of the copper bowl, Gu Chen, who had just been promoted to guard today, already possessed the strength of those veteran guards who had been promoted to guard a year or two earlier than him.

If a guard at the Treasure Medicine Pavilion reaches the level of a third-rate expert, their monthly wage can be increased to five taels of silver after reporting to the Treasure Medicine Pavilion.

My monthly income went directly from 3,000 to 5,000.

However, Gu Chen did not intend to reveal his strength. He had just acquired this sword technique and had mastered it in the blink of an eye!

His rise has been so rapid that no one would believe he wasn't up to something.

The secret of his possession of the golden bronze bowl must never be revealed.

After mastering the basics of knife skills, a new feedback appeared on the copper bowl:

[For two taels of silver, you can exchange for the "Minor Success" level of the "Lightning Five-Strike Combo" skill.]

"With just two more taels of silver, I can exchange for a minor level of enlightenment!" Gu Chen was overjoyed again and continued to exchange.

He put the remaining two taels of silver into the copper bowl.

The silver disappeared, and the manual once again shone with golden light, as an even greater understanding of swordsmanship surged into his mind.

It made him feel as if he had been practicing this sword technique for more than ten years.

His swordsmanship has reached a minor level of mastery.

After achieving a basic level of proficiency in swordsmanship.

Feedback reappeared within the copper bowl:

"For five taels of silver, you can exchange for the mastery of the 'Lightning Five-Strike Combo'."

However, he had no money left and had to give up.

He has mastered the basics of swordsmanship. If he were to advance his cultivation to the mid-stage of the Blood Refining Realm, he would be considered a second-rate expert in the outside world.

One can earn ten taels of silver a month at Baoyao Pavilion.

"Zhou Hong only gave me one day to comprehend this sword technique. I have to return the sword technique manual to him tomorrow. I wonder if Xiao Wan can still exchange for the later insights since I have already mastered the sword technique without the original." Gu Chen took out the sword technique manual from Xiao Wan.

With a thought, he wanted to exchange the bronze bowl for further insights into swordsmanship.

The copper bowl continued to provide him with feedback:

[For five taels of silver, you can exchange for the ultimate understanding of the "Lightning Five-Strike Combo".]

"Okay, all set!" Gu Chen exclaimed in delight.

As long as he has already mastered a martial art, even if he no longer has the original, the copper bowl can still be used to exchange for further insights.