Chapter Fourteen: The Secret Decoction

The White Cloud Dojo possessed a total of thirty-three strength-training manuals. As long as one registered as an outer disciple and completed the basic training, they could freely choose which manual to cultivate. Among these thirty-three manuals, Chen Fan even recognized the Fierce Tiger Fist he had mastered—it was listed among the nine second-tier manuals, but ranked at the very bottom! However, since Chen Fan had already reached the sixth form of the Fierce Tiger Fist, its quality had increased considerably and its ranking would surely rise as well.

In addition, there were other manuals Chen Fan had practiced, such as the Great Hand Seal and Duck Walk Fist, but these were only classified as third-tier. “All these manuals are common and not particularly rare,” Chen Fan mused with a sigh of relief, though he was startled and amazed at the same time. The Fierce Tiger Fist occupied only a middling position among the thirty-three manuals—there were nine manuals superior to it!

No wonder, then, that the subsequent manuals he’d practiced had less and less effect on his body—it turned out the grade was too low. Even though the Fierce Tiger Fist was only at the bottom of the second tier, it was still far better than any third-tier manual; practicing three or four third-tier manuals might barely equal the effect of this one.

Among the thirty-three manuals, only one occupied the highest tier: the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm. When it came time to choose a discipline, more than twenty members of the Black Cloud class almost all selected the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm for cultivation.

“Just as I expected,” Feng Cong said with a smile as he looked at the assembled students. Anyone willing to pay dozens of taels of silver to enroll at the dojo surely harbored ambitions. Everyone wanted to practice the best manual! Even if they failed, they wanted to at least try their hand at it.

“I must remind you all,” Feng Cong continued, “that while strength-training manuals are the foundation of martial cultivation, they each have their own thresholds. Generally speaking, the higher the quality of the manual, the better the results, but the more difficult it is to master. Higher-tier manuals not only increase strength more effectively, but their techniques are also more powerful. The gap in strength and future prospects can be vast. If you cultivate inner energy from a second-tier manual, you will be far stronger than someone who only achieved the first or second stage of martial arts through a third-tier manual.”

Since they were all beginners, Feng Cong did not go into detail about the first and second stages of martial arts. Instead, he continued, “At the half-month and three-month marks after choosing your manual, I will assess your progress. If you lag behind and fail to make any headway, I’ll recommend that you switch to a different manual. Let me warn you: based on the usual success rates, it’s rare for even one student in a class to master this technique!”

The White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm was unique to the White Cloud Dojo. Even possessing the manual, it was difficult to make any progress without the special decoctions provided by the dojo. This was why, even though some noble families might obtain the manual, their heirs still needed to come here to learn.

Despite the high tuition, the number of applicants to the White Cloud Dojo never dwindled. Of course, paying the fee did not mean one could train indefinitely—the dojo placed requirements and restrictions on its outer disciples. Anyone unable to master a single manual within a year would not be allowed to remain.

Feng Cong smiled at the gathered students. “Does anyone have other questions?” Chen Fan raised his hand. “May I cultivate two manuals at once?”

Feng Cong gave a slight smile, noting the coarse linen under Chen Fan’s robe, and surmised he was a commoner. He patiently answered, “Outer disciples may freely borrow strength-training manuals. These manuals enhance vitality and lay the foundation for martial arts, and indeed, one can train in more than one. However, human energy is limited, and strength-training is only the entry point to martial cultivation. If you waste too much time at this stage, you may gain little in return. Thus, there is a customary rule in the martial community: eighteen years of age is the cutoff. If you can master one or two strength-training manuals before eighteen, your foundation will be that much stronger. If not, it’s better to give up. Besides, the human body has limits; once your vitality has increased to a certain point, even if you train in more manuals, the effect will become negligible.”

Chen Fan nodded in understanding.

Following Feng Cong’s guidance, Chen Fan practiced the form of the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm, and the manual was immediately unlocked for him. Were it not for the fact that he still had three other disciplines unfinished, he would have started progressing in it right away. Although he could not idle-train it yet, since it was now unlocked, he could see the efficiency rate for idle training. As expected, it was much slower than the Fierce Tiger Fist—daily progress was less than 4%, two or three times slower than when he started with the Fierce Tiger Fist.

This astonished Chen Fan. The White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm had only six forms, not many, yet the progress was so slow that, by his estimate, it would take five or six months to fully master. “Truly extraordinary,” he thought. After all, the third-tier manuals he was currently practicing took less than a month to complete, and even the Fierce Tiger Fist, before he increased his training efficiency, took only two months. Yet this one required nearly half a year—even after his body had been strengthened many times over by mastering seven strength-training manuals already.

His anticipation grew. In about ten days, he would free up a training slot, and then he could truly devote himself to the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm and see what effect it would yield.

…

The next day, as part of his cultivation of the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm, Chen Fan received his first bowl of the dojo’s secret decoction. For the first six months after enrollment, each student was entitled to one bowl of this special medicine every month to assist their training. This decoction had miraculous effects on strength-training, and mastering the White Cloud Pine-Crane Palm required it. Even so, the difficulty remained high—most students still could not make any progress, even with the decoction.

Of course, those with money could purchase extra bowls—one tael of silver per bowl, with a minimum interval of one week between doses. This astonished Chen Fan greatly. His previous monthly wages had been around three taels, which was already a considerable sum among commoners. In his previous life’s terms, a tael of silver equaled about a thousand yuan. To think that a single bowl of soup could cost a tael—what kind of soup was this?

Staring at the steaming, bitter-smelling medicinal decoction, Chen Fan was filled with amazement before downing it in one gulp. As soon as he drank it, he felt a surge of heat radiate from his belly, and, unusually for someone with his appetite, experienced a feeling of fullness. Looking around, he noticed that his classmates who had taken the decoction were all flushed.

Feng Cong smiled at them. “Begin practicing the form I taught you today!” The purpose of the decoction, after all, was to be absorbed throughout the body during constant practice, thus maximizing its effect.