Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Cultivation is All About...
The news of the veteran constable from the Martial Arts Arena’s death didn’t cause much of a stir.
In fact, there were plenty of people throughout the Government Office who had known Song Rong for decades without ever learning his real name.
The duty of watching over the Martial Arts Tower was handed over to an older Government Constable, and the Grass Hall Travelogue was naturally taken back by Song Zongwu.
Taking advantage of the downtime, Ren Qing’s daily routine became more regular.
Aside from his medicinal baths once in the morning and once at night, he didn’t neglect his Contemplation of the Eyeless Method.
He could clearly feel his Magic Technique steadily improving.
His skin and muscles gradually grew firmer. While not yet able to block the slash of a sharp weapon, his resistance to blows from clubs and staves had greatly increased.
As for the Divine Sutra, he temporarily halted his nocturnal cultivation of bathing in the moonlight. This was because he lacked the Beast Blood needed to aid its practice, and on top of that, a few unfamiliar Fireworkers from Hexing Street had moved into the courtyard, making things inconvenient.
Additionally, Ren Qing would go to the Martial Arts Tower to look through Martial Arts Manuals. Even if the techniques weren’t necessarily effective, they still contained the experience of his predecessors.
Ren Qing focused his remaining energy on the Taotie Technique.
Around Noon, the scent of meat would begin to permeate the Firework Hall.
Passing Government Constables felt deeply unsettled. It was a place for cremating corpses, so the smell of meat was terrifying if you thought about it too much.
But Bo Feng and the others were already used to it.
However, they couldn’t help but worry about Ren Qing’s behavior lately.
The impression Ren Qing had always given the Li Brothers and Xiaowu was one of physical weakness.
In the past, he would cough uncontrollably when moving heavy objects and had even fainted outright before.
They had thought that after a period of recuperation, Ren Qing’s body had mostly recovered. Even the occasional medicinal bath was normal.
But they never expected that the medicinal baths wouldn’t be enough, and that he would then turn to dietary therapy. It was a clear sign of someone so desperate they would try any remedy.
At that moment, however, Ren Qing was acting as if nothing was wrong, squatting in a dim side room with a window cracked open for ventilation.
The time from afternoon to evening was specifically dedicated to cultivating the Taotie Technique.
Song Zongwu would also stand guard nearby to prevent a sudden case of ruptured intestines, which in a severe case could even be life-threatening.
Cultivating a Cultivation Technique was no game; it was fraught with risks at every turn.
Within just a few days, Ren Qing had clearly gained more than ten jin, and his stomach in particular was swollen like a woman six months pregnant.
Song Zongwu was lounging on the bed, taking occasional sips of wine.
In front of Ren Qing was a large iron pot, in which more than ten jin of pork was simmering—mostly lean meat from the leg.
On a nearby table lay about a hundred jin of pork, ready to be thrown into the pot at any moment.
Ren Qing reached into the boiling pot, grabbed a piece of pork weighing several jin, dipped it in a bit of seasoning, and began to wolf it down.
At the same time, he asked indistinctly, "Elder Song, have you found any trace of Song Rong?"
Song Zongwu shook his head and said, "It’s difficult. There have been no strangers coming or going in Sanxiang City or the surrounding villages."
Ren Qing swallowed the pork and said, "With the Hundred-eyed Man’s abilities, he can easily deceive others. Finding him won’t be simple."
"There’s nothing to be done. For now, we have to prioritize the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area."
URP.
Because Ren Qing was eating such a large amount of food, his stomach was constantly stuffed, which inevitably made him uncomfortable.
’But this is the only way to cultivate the Taotie Technique. After all, it’s unrealistic to think I can just use the Information Flow to level it up without any cover.’
Ren Qing couldn’t help but feel grateful for the stewed meat business he had with the Blood Dog Gang.
Otherwise, buying pork in such large quantities would have been extremely troublesome, requiring him to run around to every district.
But now, he just stayed in the Government Office every day, and one of Butcher Zhang’s assistants would deliver the meat. All he had to do was send Xiaowu to pick it up.
Seeing Ren Qing grab another piece of pork and stuff it into his mouth, Song Zongwu couldn’t help but remind him, "Don’t be so hasty. Cultivating a Cultivation Technique isn’t something that can be done in a short amount of time."
"It’s fine, Elder Song. I know my own body very well."
Ren Qing switched from a sitting position to lying down. This was to prevent his stomach from pressing against his internal organs, which could easily cause injury.
Song Zongwu looked like he wanted to say something but held back. ’I only gave him the Taotie Technique a few days ago. Don’t tell me he’s trying to master it before we go to the Disaster Mitigation Forbidden Area? That’s impossible... Oh well. If it really comes down to it, I’ll just have Ren Qing stay at the Government Office to cultivate the Taotie Technique. I’ll just have to inform Clerk Zhao.’
"I’m going to buy some medicinal herbs to help with digestion. At the frantic pace you’re going, I’m afraid your stomach is going to burst."
"Thank you, Elder Song."
Ren Qing sighed.
He had already memorized the Taotie Technique until he knew it by heart, but its contents didn’t specify exactly how much the stomach needed to be stretched.
’But the important part of the Taotie Technique is the Contemplation Technique. I haven’t grasped it yet—at least, I haven’t shown Song Zongwu that I have. Otherwise, why would I need to torture myself so deliberately? I would have mastered it long ago using the Information Flow.’
Refusing to give up, Ren Qing closed his eyes and recalled the contents of the Taotie Technique, his mouth and nose imitating the breathing of the Exotic Beast Taotie.
His Heart Spirit gradually focused, and his body began to emit a low humming sound.
Ren Qing could feel his stomach squirming as if it were a living creature, grinding the food within into smaller and smaller particles.
’Now!’
[Expend 30 days of Lifespan to master, bypassing requirements.]
Song Zongwu was about to head to the apothecary when his expression suddenly turned to one of astonishment.
Just moments ago, Ren Qing had been unresponsive, but now the sounds he was emitting grew more and more distinct, and the surrounding furniture began to vibrate slightly.
’The Taotie Technique?!!’
’Impossible...’
The swelling on Ren Qing’s body subsided at a visible rate. His stomach deflated like a punctured balloon, returning to its normal size in moments.
After steadying his Heart Spirit, Song Zongwu was once again shocked by Ren Qing’s talent.
’No wonder his breakthrough with the No-Eyes Technique to the Half-Corpse Realm was so unbelievably fast. At this rate, couldn’t he advance to the Ghost Envoy Realm within a year?’
Song Zongwu closed the gaps in the door and windows to prevent outsiders from noticing anything unusual.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ren Qing stopped making the strange sounds. However, he still didn’t move, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
A terrifying appetite surged through his mind, almost destroying his sanity.
Seeing this, Song Zongwu spoke, "Ren Qing, hold fast to your true self. Magic Techniques are but a minor path; only the self is the Great Path."
Immediately, Ren Qing felt his mind clear. The all-pervasive appetite receded like a tide, and his hunger vanished completely.
[Ren Qing]
[Age: Seventeen]
[Lifespan: Six years, three hundred and eleven days]
[Skills: No-Eyes Technique (Repeater), Divine Sutra (Wolf-footed Man), Human Skin Book, Taotie Technique]
Another tender sapling had appeared in the Mutated Tree, but if Ren Qing willed it, he could reach the level of a Secondary Stomach User in an instant.
Ren Qing let out a long breath and said, "This Magic Technique really wasn’t hard to master. But I have to thank you for acting as my Dharma Protector, Elder Song."
On the surface, Song Zongwu forced himself to look calm and offered no praise, so as not to let Ren Qing become arrogant about his talent.
"Cultivation is about the Body and Soul. Sometimes, a Cultivator’s constitution is more compatible with a certain Magic Technique, which can lead to mastering it more quickly."
Ren Qing couldn’t help but ask, "Elder Song, if my Magic Technique advances again in a short period, there shouldn’t be any negative effects, right?"
Song Zongwu said with a hint of helplessness, "You should still focus on solidifying your foundation. Otherwise, if you encounter a tribulation, it will be easy for your body to perish and your Dao to be extinguished."
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