Rapid progress

Chunlan looked at Xie An, who was lying on the bed, feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Master Xie, you know how it is. The eldest young master is studying at the county's martial arts academy, preparing for the martial examinations. The expenses for martial arts training are enormous... so the master's intent is to cut costs wherever possible. You will have to pay for your own medicine from now on. Do you think that’s feasible?"

"That’s fine. I’ll buy the medicine myself from now on."

Xie An did not argue; he had no room to argue. In this world, the costs of practicing martial arts were a bottomless pit. A single dose of high-quality medicinal supplements could easily cost ten or dozens of silver pieces, and they needed to be taken regularly. Some superior elixirs cost dozens or even hundreds of silver pieces for just one pill. Even a prominent family in town like the Li residence found such costs difficult to bear, let alone an ordinary person.

Seeing Xie An agree so readily, Chunlan felt even more troubled. "Master Xie is a reasonable man... it’s just that..."

Xie An sensed that Chunlan had something difficult to say and feared even worse news was coming. "Miss Chunlan, please speak plainly. This old man can handle it."

Sighing, Chunlan lowered her head. "Master Li said... if your condition does not show improvement, he will have to find another appraiser to take charge of the shop."

Xie An’s heart sank. Although he had anticipated this, actually facing it still brought an indescribable sense of desolation and distress. Based on his recovery over the past seven days, Xie An could clearly feel his body mending rapidly and his strength returning. In another two or three days, he would surely return to his pre-stroke state and be able to work normally.

But the Li residence seemed to have lost patience.

Being replaced meant losing his livelihood in his old age, and it also meant Xie An would no longer be able to live in the small room in the pawnshop's backyard. With no income, having to rent a place outside, and purchasing daily necessities—all these things combined would be a significant expense. For Xie An, who only had fifty silver pieces in savings, this was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

Noticing Xie An’s pained expression, Chunlan couldn't help but say, "The master of the Li residence wouldn't have been this hurried. But recently, that apprentice of yours has been frequently visiting the Li residence to bring gifts to the son-in-law, even showing off his appraisal skills. The master listened to the son-in-law, so... he is only willing to grant you three months of leave."

Generally, recovering from a stroke takes at least half a year to a year. Three months was clearly too short; it was a mere gesture.

All of this... Zhang Bing!

Xie An narrowed his eyes slightly. "Very well. Three months it is. I will buy my own medicine during this time. If I am still unable to work when the time is up, I will move out on my own."

Chunlan hesitated several times, then finally took out a few pieces of broken silver and pressed them into Xie An’s hand. "Take these two taels of silver. Whether you use it for medicine or... to prepare for your final arrangements, the choice is yours. By the way, be careful of Zhang Bing; his heart has turned crooked recently."

Without giving Xie An a chance to refuse, she turned and left.

***

Watching her retreating figure, Xie An felt a slight warmth in his heart. He and Chunlan had no real relationship, other than the fact that five years ago, when Chunlan had been punished by Master Li to kneel for three days for a mistake, Xie An happened to pass by and, seeing she was faint with hunger, gave her a flatbread he was holding. He hadn't expected her to remember it for five years.

After putting away the silver, Xie An began to calculate.

"Three months... that is more than enough."

In truth, even if Xie An went to work now, his body could handle it. Resting for three more months would only make things much better. As for paying for his own medicine... that was entirely unnecessary. Xie An no longer needed medicine.

"My apprentice... you are too impatient."

Even without this "cheat," Xie An was confident that he could secure his position as long as he showed his unique skills to Master Li and passed them on to an apprentice of his choosing. Xie An had spent thirty years studying his appraisal craft and was confident that few in Qingwu County could rival him. Naturally, he wouldn't take these secrets to the grave. The only reason he had delayed teaching them was to see the true nature of his apprentices when he was old and dying—to see which of them would be willing to care for him in his final days.

Moreover, now that he had this golden finger, Xie An’s perspective and ambition had begun to shift.

"Since Master Li has given me three months, I will make full use of them. As for Zhang Bing... let the bullet fly for a while."

Xie An’s life became peaceful again. He rarely went out, spending most of his time in his room practicing the Five-Animal Frolics. Aside from He Chunli bringing him three meals a day, only the shopkeeper, Chen Yuan, would occasionally stop by for a chat. As for Zhang Bing, he never stepped into the backyard to visit Xie An, though occasionally, one could hear his voice growing louder and more authoritative as he issued orders in the pawnshop.

As his training intensity increased, so did his appetite. He couldn't sustain himself without meat, so Xie An would privately give He Chunli some silver to secretly buy some meat and poultry. He always bought enough for two, cooking and stir-frying it on the small stove in his room, sharing it with He Chunli, and occasionally teaching the apprentice bits of appraisal knowledge.

He Chunli, who was just an apprentice, rarely got to eat meat once a month. Now that he was enjoying such benefits with his master, he was naturally grateful, and assuming Xie An didn't have much time left, he served and accompanied him with even greater devotion. He had no idea that his master had greater ambitions.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Early one morning, before dawn, Xie An rose early. Clad in thin undergarments, he practiced the Five-Animal Frolics in his room. At times he moved like a pouncing tiger, at others like a giraffe stretching its neck; with every movement of his hands and feet, a series of "cracking" sounds echoed. Even while performing such vigorous movements, Xie An breathed steadily, his motions coordinated and precisely executed.

This was the sign of mastering the foundation. By today, he had long since discarded the hot water bag. His withered skin had become fuller, many wrinkles had vanished, and a few strands of black hair had sprouted amidst his snow-white locks.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.*

After finishing the set of Five-Animal Frolics, Xie An clearly felt heat surging through his muscles and bones. The warm current lingering in his lower abdomen was several times stronger than it had been half a month ago. Even in the late autumn, he didn't feel cold in his thin undergarments.

After concluding his practice, Xie An moved his limbs, feeling invigorated and powerful. The old age, numbness, and exhaustion were gone; his body felt filled with solid strength, and a single swing of his arms already carried a force of one or two hundred jin.

He walked over to a stone lock nearby, rubbing his hands together. "This stone lock weighs two hundred jin. Let me test it..."

He planted his feet and gripped the handle. Drawing strength from the ground, he channeled it through his waist and into his arms, lifting with all his might.

*Clack!*

The two-hundred-jin stone lock was suddenly hoisted above Xie An’s head. Although it was a bit of a struggle, he held it steadily.

The minimum requirements for the Chen Family Martial Arts School to recruit apprentices were two: the ability to lift one hundred jin and being under twenty years of age. Xie An was over fifty, had taken no medicine, and had no famous masters to guide him, yet he could lift two hundred jin. Even against a full-grown, burly man, he would not be at a disadvantage.

Setting the stone lock down, Xie An let out a long breath and looked at the panel before him:

[Five-Animal Frolics: Initial Entry (67/100)]
[Remaining Years: Four]

With the progress, a figure for his remaining lifespan had appeared for the first time. It meant that under normal circumstances, he would live at least four more years. Although the time was short, compared to the state of imminent death from a month ago, this was a fundamental improvement.

The fear of dying from old age slowly faded. The heart that had been tightly coiled finally relaxed. He felt an indescribable sense of comfort.

"Although health-cultivation techniques don't compare to standard martial arts for combat, they still fall under the category of martial arts. Furthermore, they have greatly increased my strength and speed... If I persist, I may well develop the ability to fight."

"However, the progress has slowed down significantly in the last few days. If I can find suitable medicinal supplements, I would surely get twice the result with half the effort."

Having lived in this world for thirty years, Xie An knew clearly that relying solely on practice had limited efficacy; one must combine it with corresponding medicinal supplements to achieve the best results.

Thinking of this, Xie An took a silk pouch from under his pillow and, carrying his life savings, headed out. This money was his lifeline; he had never been willing to invest it in supplements before because he was saving it for his funeral.

But now... why worry about a funeral? Investing in himself was the most profitable thing he could do.