I was told I'd be a late bloomer, but I was born with the potential to achieve great things!

dusk.

"This person's appearance is not good news for us."

On the training ground, Liu Xuehui, who was ranked among the top ten, watched Zhou An being escorted away by a group of poor boys under the orange-red sunset. He then spoke in a deep voice to the group of finely dressed boys beside him.

"What are you worried about, Brother Liu?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Youde, who was standing next to him, smiled and said.

"Does Brother Liu perhaps think that this peasant with no martial arts foundation can surpass us?"

"Brother Qian, aren't you worried at all?"

Liu Xuehui looked puzzled.

"This person is just an example set up by Captain Guo to appease those peasants. Haven't you noticed that after this person appeared, the hostility in the eyes of those peasants has decreased a lot?"

Brother Liu, instead of worrying that this person will catch up with us, you should worry about them.

At this point, Qian Youde glanced at the group of elegantly dressed young men ranked behind Liu Xuehui and said with a smile.

"Compared to those peasants, they are our formidable enemies."

A medicinal meal reward worth one or two taels of silver would be a great thing for those peasants, but it's nothing to us.

If they're willing to pay for it, they could probably close the gap with us very quickly.

"This... can't be, right?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xuehui's expression changed.

"This medicinal cuisine is a reward that only the top ten players can obtain. Do you really think they'd willingly pay for it?"

"Brother Liu is too naive. When have you ever heard Coach Guo say that you can't buy things on your own initiative?"

Qian Youde chuckled, patted Liu Xuehui on the shoulder, and slowly walked forward while the latter looked on in astonishment.

"Even if they couldn't buy it before, they'll probably be tempted now that they've received this person's reward."

Therefore, I say, Brother Liu, instead of worrying about those "exemplary figures" among the poor, you should worry more about the threats coming from our own people.”

"Brother Qian, wait for me!"

As Qian Youde walked further and further away, Liu Xuehui's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately chased after him while calling out.

......

"One serving of meat, one serving of vegetables... In addition, Coach Guo said that with this token, I can get an extra serving of medicinal cuisine."

In the cafeteria, Zhou An, who had just arrived at the food serving window, couldn't wait to speak to the lady in charge of serving food.

"The token is correct."

After Sister Ge, who was in charge of serving meals, confirmed that the token Zhou An handed over was correct, she immediately handed Zhou An a medicinal meal served in a ceramic bowl.

"Thank you, elder sister."

With the medicinal food in hand, Zhou An felt relieved. He quickly thanked them and then asked again.

"Excuse me, ma'am, after I finish eating, could I get some more rice while the cafeteria is still open?"

"Um?"

Sister Ge's brows twitched, and a look of doubt appeared in her eyes.

"Well, I get hungry easily after practicing martial arts, so I wanted to ask if I could eat a few more meals."

Don't worry, I don't want meat or vegetables, I just want to eat more white rice.

Zhou An said with an expectant look on his face.

One full meal can never compare to a full meal every day.

Although we received a medicinal meal as a reward today, once everyone has memorized the basic moves of Tongbei Changquan, this reward will naturally disappear.

"There's only one bowl of meat, but you can eat as much rice as you want... You can eat more within half an hour, but there can't be any leftover rice."

If we catch them even once, they can forget about the next meal.

"Thank you, sister. I will definitely save food and not waste a single grain of rice."

Zhou An's eyes lit up, and after thanking him repeatedly, he finally found a seat and sat down with his food, completely satisfied.

As soon as Fang Yi sat down, Zhou An eagerly opened the white porcelain bowl containing the medicinal food.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a faint aroma of medicine wafted out.

Zhou An picked up his chopsticks and stirred the mixture, discovering that it contained something resembling black-boned chicken, eel, and medicinal herbs.

Although he couldn't understand it, his stomach, stimulated by the aroma of the medicine, immediately started growling.

"Good stuff, really good stuff."

Feeling the craving in his body, Zhou An swallowed and immediately picked up a piece that looked like black-boned chicken from the medicinal food and swallowed it.

A burst of fresh flavor filled my mouth, followed by a warm sensation spreading outwards.

Zhou An's eyes lit up immediately.

"Brother Zhou, is this medicinal cuisine delicious?"

At this moment, Qian San, Sun Shi, and others, who had also prepared their meals, arrived. Seeing Zhou An enjoying his food so much, they asked him with envy.

"Uh-huh."

Zhou An nodded, but his chopsticks moved quickly as he focused on his work.

"Brother Zhou, we're roommates. You can eat all the meat yourself, but at least share some of the broth, okay?"

Tang Shan, who had followed along, watched Zhou An eat until his face was flushed, and after glancing at the eager crowd, he couldn't help but lick his lips.

"Brother Zhou?"

"Gurgle gurgle".

Zhou An remained silent, but after drinking the remaining medicinal soup in one gulp, he let out a long sigh of satisfaction.

"What did Brother Tang just say?"

"No, it's nothing."

Tang Shan's lips twitched slightly, then he turned and left.

"When I received the medicinal meal just now, I saw that there were more than 11 bowls of medicinal meal there. It's a pity that I don't have any money. If I did, I think I could have bought one."

After saying something to everyone, Zhou An picked up his rice and began to eat meat and vegetables in large mouthfuls.

Want to get something for free?

Impossible, he has no relatives or friends... no one can get something for nothing from him.

The fact that Zhou An was willing to offer guidance already shows that he still has some conscience.

"Can I still offer to pay for it myself?"

Everyone looked on in disbelief, even the teenagers who had been watching closely were filled with astonishment.

"Anyway, asking won't hurt us."

Zhou An replied, puffing out his cheeks.

"Time is of the essence, so I'll focus on my meal."

After saying that, Zhou An ignored everyone else.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, all the meat and rice in the bowl were completely devoured.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll head out now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou An quickly left the canteen and eagerly began practicing Tongbei Changquan (a style of Chinese martial arts) under a large tree in the courtyard outside the canteen.

【Tongbei Changquan (Mastery 168/300)】

【Tongbei Changquan (Mastery 169/300)】

......

As soon as Fang started practicing, his progress in Tongbei Changquan (a style of Chinese martial arts) began to increase at a visible rate.

"As expected of a medicinal meal worth one tael of silver that is equivalent to ten servings of meat, after finishing it, I not only did not feel hungry at all, but the warm current throughout my body was even stronger."

"Hurry up, hurry up, try to eat a few more meals, and sense your Qi and blood before going to bed tonight."

After finishing the first round of practice, Zhou An dared not slack off and immediately concentrated on his cultivation again.

The warm current in his body increased, and his progress in boxing skills increased at a visible rate.

Unlike the leisurely pace of martial arts practice in the afternoon, this time there was not a single flaw in either speed or power.

Gradually, Zhou An became completely focused, with only the Tongbei Changquan fist technique remaining in his eyes and mind.

"Look, Zhou An is practicing his boxing outside the cafeteria."

Soon, this action attracted the attention of the teenagers eating in the cafeteria.

"Seriously? Do we have to work this hard even during mealtimes?"

"To attract attention and gain popularity."

Tang Shan, who was also drawn to the scene, snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain.

If Tongbei Changquan were truly so easy to master, why would the Seven Mysteries Sect recruit so many people at once?

Despite saying that, after eating a few bites of food, Tang Shan, like everyone else, kept his eyes glued to Zhou An practicing his boxing under the big tree.

【Tongbei Changquan (Mastery 272/300)】

Soon, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn passed. After completing the tenth round of the fist technique, Zhou An, who was drenched in sweat, clearly felt that he had lost a lot of energy and was also feeling a faint hunger in his abdomen.

"Just one more meal and I'll have mastered the basics of boxing and be able to sense the flow of qi and blood."

Under the big tree, Zhou An took a deep breath.

After calming his agitated heart through breathing exercises, he rushed to the cafeteria, picked up two empty bowls, and started getting white rice and vegetable soup from the side.

Rice with soup, the more you eat, the more delicious it becomes.

After finishing three large bowls of rice, Zhou An finally held his slightly bulging belly and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Want some more?"

Looking at Zhou An who brought over the bowls and chopsticks, Sister Ge from the cafeteria asked him with a strange expression.

"Is there still time?"

Hearing this, Zhou An was stunned for a moment.

"There's still almost two incense sticks' worth of time before we finish cleaning up."

"I'll keep these bowls and chopsticks for now; I reckon we'll be having another meal later."

Zhou An thanked him repeatedly, put the bowl and chopsticks back on the dining table, and then ran into the yard.

"Is this kid serious?"

Watching Zhou An's hurried figure, Sister Ge and the others in the canteen exchanged glances and immediately burst into laughter.

"Two incense sticks' worth of time is enough."

Arriving under the big tree, Zhou An ignored the onlookers' stares and resumed his cultivation.

There are 28 progress points remaining to reach the minor mastery of the fist technique.

If all goes well, three tries should be enough.

"Talent, show me your limits."

With this thought in mind, Zhou An clenched his fist, veins bulging on his arm, and with an indomitable spirit, slammed it out with a loud bang.

"Are you crazy? Is it really worth it just to have one more bite to eat?"

Qian Youde, who was chatting and laughing with Liu Xuehui, subconsciously opened his chin.

I don't understand, but I respect it.

"If this person can continue to persist like this, he might become a formidable opponent for me."

Liu Shuqing, who was ranked second on the list, glanced at Sun Wenhao, who was ranked first, and her expression gradually became serious the moment her gaze fell on Zhou An.

Having been well-versed in literature since childhood, he keenly observed that Zhou An, who came from a poor family, possessed extremely smooth boxing skills, unlike someone who had just begun practicing.

Tongbei Changquan (a style of Chinese martial arts) uses the form of an ape stretching its limbs and arms, adopts the momentum of an eagle striking, and the agility of a cat or tiger pouncing. It emphasizes the open front and ample rear, as well as twisting the waist and closing the hips.

With a flick of the wrist and a shake of the arm, the strike can be long-range, direct, and agile, with a crisp, clear force...

Once, twice, three times...

While practicing, Zhou An carefully recalled the key points of the boxing technique that Coach Guo had explained, gradually integrating them into his own body.

There is only one style of boxing, but people are all different, so boxing styles vary from person to person.

Before he had even finished typing it for the third time, a sudden inspiration flashed through Zhou An's mind.

With a flick of the wrist and a twist of the waist, the force moves with the shoulder, and the long arm and fist strike out like a heavy hammer.

Before the fist even landed, Zhou An clearly felt a warm current flowing out from within his arm, moving with the force.

"Snapped!"

The clothes and arms made a crisp, muffled sound as they were hit.

"I can sense the flow of Qi and blood."

Zhou An's heart stirred, and he could clearly feel a warm current flowing through his body as he unleashed his fist technique.

Soon, the third round was finished.

[Tongbei Changquan (Minor Success 8/500): Practice ten times daily, can be mastered in three months]

"Your boxing skills have reached a minor level of mastery."

Zhou An slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Coo coo!"

I'm hungry again.

No wonder it is said that the foundation of martial arts lies in strengthening one's own qi and blood. Having just condensed the power of qi and blood, I immediately felt hungry.

"As expected, I still need to eat more meat and medicinal cuisine... But at least I can get a good night's sleep tonight."

Thinking of this, Zhou An sighed and walked towards the cafeteria.

The continuous sprints in a short period of time not only severely depleted his physical strength, but also took a toll on his mental energy.

When he stopped, Zhou An clearly felt that his brain had been working too hard, and he felt dizzy.

It seems I need to be more cautious from now on.

"Brother Zhou, would you like to eat more?"

At the entrance of the cafeteria, Qian San, Sun Shi, and others asked with strange expressions.

"Eat, of course you should eat. It's really effective to practice your skills after you've eaten your fill. I suggest you all practice it in the future."

Because I can clearly feel that my boxing technique will not have any flaws.

Looking at the group of dumbfounded teenagers, Zhou An said confidently.

There's no escaping the fact that today's event will be a highlight, so... we'll just have to let everyone get involved.

The more tightly he curls his hair, the less noticeable he will be.

"There's some minced meat and vegetables here, I'll give them to you too, so we don't have to go through the trouble of cleaning them up."

Seeing that Zhou Anzhen was preparing to have a second meal with vegetable soup and rice, Sister Ge handed him a bowl containing minced meat and vegetables.

"Thank you, elder sister. My name is Zhou An. May I ask how you should address me?"

Zhou An licked his lips and said with a grateful expression.

Indeed, hardworking and polite people tend to have good luck.

"Just call me Sister Ge."

"Thank you, Sister Ge. I'll just have two more bowls. It won't take up much of your time."

Meeting Sister Ge's gaze, Zhou An revealed a simple and honest smile, bowed sincerely to the canteen staff, and then turned to walk towards his table.

The villagers all liked the honest and polite child. Whenever he showed that sincere smile, they would often eat more.

"No rush, no rush, eat slowly."

Sister Ge's smile was very kind.

Soon, Zhou An returned with three clean bowls and chopsticks.

"I ate a lot today, and I don't have anything to do tonight, so I'll stay and help you wash the dishes, Sister Ge."

"You ate so cleanly, no need, you can help again next time."

Sister Ge looked at the bare bowls and chopsticks, smiled and waved her hand.

Zhou An did not insist. After bowing again to express his gratitude, he left the cafeteria under everyone's watchful eyes.

"With my boxing skills reaching a minor level and the successful sensing of Qi and blood, I might be able to compete for a spot in the next ranking."

Looking at the orange-red sunset on the horizon, which resembled fish scales, Zhou An ignored the gazes of the group of teenagers and thought to himself.

......