6kv Chapter 3: The Landscape Scroll
Chapter 3: The Landscape Scroll
The panel in front of him, which Chen Luo brought with him when he transmigrated, clearly displays his progress in martial arts.
At first, Chen Luo thought this was his cheat code, and that he could add something to it.
However, later verification revealed that the sole function of this data panel was detection, like a high-precision detector, capable of presenting his martial arts progress in an extremely precise digital form.
However, this presentation is not entirely useless; it allows him to clearly see the results of his martial arts training.
For example, since he transmigrated to the present, he has practiced martial arts for a total of one year, and his progress in the Nine Yang Strength has increased from 31 points in his predecessor to 73 points.
So even though Zhou Xiaoliang always teased him about his lack of progress in martial arts, only he knew that his efforts had actually yielded results, just not very noticeable ones.
It was this small positive feedback that motivated him to come to the private school to practice martial arts every day and never give up.
"I don't know if I can get to 74 points today."
Chen Luo sat in a horse stance, closed his eyes and calmed his mind, focusing his entire being on the cultivation of Qi in his Dantian.
The martial art he practiced was called "Nine Yang Strength," which mainly emphasized "using strength to generate power." Each level of strength could allow the practitioner to unleash power far greater than their own.
It is worth noting that the Nine Yang Strength is a basic martial art publicly known in Qingshan County.
Whether in private schools or charitable institutions, the martial arts practiced by their disciples are basically the Nine Yang Force.
This has led to the fact that the progress of cultivating the Nine Yang Strength has almost become the standard for judging a person's martial arts strength.
The first level of strength is the entry-level skill, which can enable a child to unleash the power of an adult.
The Triple Strength is considered a minor achievement, indicating considerable strength. One can rival wild beasts like lions and tigers, qualifying them for a position in the Mountain Guard and ensuring a life free from want.
The Sevenfold Strength is also the culmination of the Nine Yang Strength, enabling a person to lift four thousand catties, which is beyond the scope of ordinary martial arts practitioners.
Only those who cultivate to the seventh level of strength are qualified to enter the Qingyun Martial Arts School and have a chance to enter the realm of martial arts.
Beyond that, Chen Luo wasn't quite sure.
All he knew was that almost half of the disciples who graduated from Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy failed to reach the first level of strength, and only a very few could reach the third level.
It is said that only one or two disciples can reach the seventh level of strength each year.
His current progress is at the level of "one step at a time".
There was nothing he could do. Even with the panel's assistance, his physical constitution and talent were mediocre, and his comprehension was also rather average.
I've practiced for a whole year and made some progress, but only a small one; I haven't even mastered the basics yet.
"Hmph!"
Just then, Zhou Xiaoliang shouted and threw a punch!
The force of the punch was accompanied by a muffled thud, sending dust flying all around.
The force of that punch clearly indicated the power of a second-level expert, drawing envious glances from many of the surrounding disciples.
"This force is even stronger than last time. It looks like you're about to reach the third level of power," Chen Luo said with a smile.
Compared to ordinary disciples like myself, Zhou Xiaoliang actually has some talent in martial arts, and there is a high probability that he will be able to work in the Mountain Guard in the future.
"It's still a long way off." Zhou Xiaoliang shook his head. "I've been stuck at the second level of strength for almost a year. There is indeed hope for the third level, but most likely I'll only ever reach the third level in my lifetime."
"What about the fact that I haven't even mastered the basics after a whole year?" Chen Luo rolled his eyes at him, then continued to concentrate on following Li Shen's demonstration on the stage, punch by punch.
Time flew by, and about an hour later, the evening practice ended.
The instructor on the platform, Li Shen, moved to the inner courtyard of the martial arts school, followed by more than twenty disciples.
Those disciples were the most promising students at Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy. After evening practice, Li Shen would stay behind to give them individual guidance.
That's right. Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy has a system for cultivating outstanding students. The instructors do guide their students, but they only guide those with potential.
The other ordinary disciples also left in twos and threes, and the training ground quickly became empty.
Chen Luo was still there.
He took a deep breath, silently recited the incantation of the Nine Yang Force, and threw out his last punch of the day.
But the fist was silent, still without any so-called internal energy.
He glanced at the panel: [Nine Yang Strength (Beginner): 73/100].
Another day without progress, Chen Luo sighed, wondering how long he would be stuck at this hurdle.
But I've gotten used to it.
On average, it takes him about a week to increase his proficiency in the Nine Yang Force by 1 point.
Moreover, the further you practice and the closer you get to the threshold, the slower your growth rate will become.
"Go home and have dinner before practicing. Martial arts training shouldn't be overexerted."
Zhou Xiaoliang, who was waiting nearby, offered some advice, and Chen Luo nodded. The two then left the martial arts school.
It was already dark outside the mansion gate, and several households had already lit their lamps. The barking of dogs sounded somewhat desolate.
Chen Luo lived in the suburbs of the county, about four or five miles away from the private school.
After parting ways with Zhou Xiaoliang, when they arrived at the outskirts of the county and passed by a house, a young man under the eaves called out to them.
"Ah Luo, you're home so late today."
Chen Luo looked at him and greeted him, "Oh, it's A-Chen."
The young man was Huang Chen, whom Zhou Xiaoliang had mentioned before. Huang Chen was one of his former friends and lived near his home. He had given up martial arts because of his mediocre talent and was now serving as the grain chief in the suburbs of the county, which was an official responsible for collecting taxes and urging payment.
That's right. Although Zhengyang Martial Arts Academy doesn't charge tuition fees and has no entry requirements, learning martial arts is itself a time-consuming activity.
Therefore, there will always be people who give up martial arts for various reasons, such as Huang Chen.
This has nothing to do with right or wrong, it's just a matter of personal choice and judgment.
Huang Chen's gaze lingered for a moment on Chen Luo's sweat-soaked clothes. "Have you... still been going to the private school to practice martial arts every day lately?"
He looked nonchalant, as if he were just asking casually.
Chen Luo smiled and said, "Yes, I just got back from practice."
"You're working so hard! How's the progress? You should have made some progress by now, right?" Huang Chen asked again.
"Don't even mention it." Chen Luo shrugged and said helplessly, "I can't even generate a single layer of force; I haven't even entered the basics yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Huang Chen seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief. He then added, "By the way, it's time to pay taxes again. A'Luo, can you pay the four months of miscellaneous taxes you owe?"
"I'm in luck today; I'm able to pay the taxes for January." Chen Luo took out a string of coins from his pocket and said with a wry smile, "As for the rest, I'll probably have to wait a while longer."
Unfortunately, the income from snake catching and other hunting jobs in the mountains is not stable. How much you can earn each day depends to some extent on the weather.
If you're unlucky, it's common to go up the mountain empty-handed nine times out of ten.
The original owner of this body was already a month behind on taxes, and now that he has transmigrated here, he has even more air force personnel, bringing the total amount owed to four months of taxes.
Huang Chen took the money, took out a tax book from his pocket, crossed it out, and looked at Chen Luo, "Luo, don't delay paying your remaining taxes. You have to pay them as soon as possible, or you might be forced into labor."
"Corvée labor? Why is that?"
Chen Luo frowned immediately. "Isn't it normal to allow for delays of several months?"
"That's right. Because of the recent disturbances caused by monsters in the mountains, the government has summoned some martial artists to patrol the mountains, which has resulted in a shortage of mountain guards for supplies."
As he spoke, Huang Chen glanced at him with a complicated expression, "Then, according to the magistrate's instructions, this time the mountain labor service will be recruited from those who owe taxes."
"Mountain service?" Chen Luo's heart sank upon hearing this.
Mountain servants, one of the corvée laborers in this world, are mainly responsible for following the patrolling warriors and helping with logistical work such as providing food and clearing roads in the deep mountains.
It doesn't sound like much, but the key point is "deep in the mountains".
Qingshan County is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with mountains stretching for hundreds of miles. Within forty miles of these mountains are low hills, which is the area where he usually catches snakes and hunts.
Although there are dangers in the low-lying areas, large wild animals are relatively rare, and there are no monsters at all.
But the situation is quite different in the deep mountainous area forty miles away.
Although he had never been there, in his memory, his predecessor had grown up listening to stories of demons and monsters in the deep mountains.
A python thicker than a water bucket, a black bear taller than a house when standing up, a leopard that can swallow a whole person whole in one gulp...
Ordinary people walking in the deep mountains are no different from the food of wandering monsters.
Of course, according to the rules, the patrolling warriors would protect the mountain guards. If they encountered any monsters, the mountain guards would just hide behind them.
But who can be sure they can protect them? Who would dare to entrust their life to someone else?
For example, Uncle Liu, who lived nearby, had served several months of hard labor in the mountains when he was young because of a crime. When he returned, he had lost an entire arm.
"Ah Chen, you're the grain manager, could you please put in a good word for me?" Chen Luo couldn't help but ask.
"This is what the higher-ups want; pleading won't change anything."
Huang Chen shook his head and advised, "I think you should stop going to the martial arts academy all day. You'd be better off spending that time making a living."
Chen Luo ignored his advice and simply asked, "How long do I have to pay the taxes?"
"Seven days." Huang Chen held up his hand to indicate a number. "Including this month's miscellaneous taxes, it's a total of four months. If the payment isn't made up within seven days, he'll be sent to do a month's worth of mountain labor."
"Okay, I understand."
The tax for January is 120 coins, and for four months it is 480 coins.
Earning 480 coins in seven days is almost impossible, even without martial arts skills, if you stay on the mountain from morning till night.
You should know that his usual monthly income from hunting is only a little over 600 coins. After deducting miscellaneous taxes of 120 coins and mountain taxes of 150 coins, he only gets a little over 300 coins.
After deducting basic living expenses from the 300-plus coins, the income was already insufficient to cover the expenses.
It seems I'll have to borrow money from someone, Chen Luo sighed.
Although I am an orphan, I still have some distant relatives and friends, so it shouldn't be too difficult for me to raise 480 coins.
The difficulty lies in how to bring it up.
And, after borrowing money, how should one repay it?
After the two said goodbye.
Not long after, Huang Chen's mother came out of the house and immediately saw Chen Luo's departing figure.
"Is that kid, Xiao Chen, still practicing martial arts at the martial arts academy?"
"Mm." Huang Chen nodded.
"Have you mastered anything yet?" his mother asked hurriedly.
"No," Huang Chen replied perfunctorily.
"Hey, I knew it!"
His mother grinned, a hint of mockery in her smile, "Little Chen's talent is not as good as yours. He runs to the martial arts school all day long, really thinking he can become a martial artist. He's just putting on a show."
After saying that, she glanced at Huang Chen and said, "I told you, I advised you a long time ago not to learn martial arts, but you wasted a whole year at that lousy martial arts school. You should have used that time to help me till the fields!"
When we went to the martial arts school together to learn martial arts, weren't you the one who supported us the most?
Huang Chen wanted to refute, opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
He found himself inexplicably pleased by what his mother had said.
"Anyway, if Xiao Chen comes to our house to borrow money, you absolutely mustn't lend it to him!"
Seeing that Huang Chen remained silent for a long time, his mother reminded him.
……
Chen Luo arrived at his house under the cover of night. His house was small, but it was built brick by brick, so it was enough to keep out the wind and rain.
But he still couldn't sleep soundly.
Because Qingshan County is surrounded by mountains on the west, north, and south sides, and the suburbs where he lives are located on the west side of Qingshan County, right next to the continuous mountain range, they may also face the risk of monsters from the mountains attacking the city.
Not to mention monsters, he couldn't stand just a tiger or a wolf running down the mountain.
"I wish I could live on the east side," Chen Luo said wistfully.
The area to the east, bordering the main road to the county seat, was relatively safer. It was inhabited by wealthy families.
The first thing I did after entering the house was to start a fire and cook.
It was more like a thicker porridge than a meal, served with a plate of cabbage, three eggs, and four steamed buns. The taste wasn't great, but at least it was filling.
When Chen Luo first transmigrated, he wasn't used to this simple life. However, people are indeed very adaptable to their environment, and he gradually got used to it without realizing it. He was happy to occasionally buy an extra steamed bun.
Tonight will be even happier, because tonight I can have a steamed bun with some lynx meat.
He rarely eats meat. When he catches snakes or other wild game, he can't bear to eat it himself and usually sells it to buy rice.
They would only be willing to try the lynx meat that couldn't be sold.
Chen Luo felt a pang of melancholy, longing for the days when he could eat meat at every meal.
This is also one of the reasons why he practiced martial arts.
I heard that the disciples of Qingshan Martial Arts School and some private schools can eat well-cooked pork and mutton every day, and even ribs.
Shaking his head, Chen Luo didn't think any further. He took the lynx carcass out of the bamboo basket, quickly plucked all its black fur, washed it clean, and then picked up a kitchen knife to prepare to skin and gut it.
But then, he couldn't help but pause in surprise.
I don't know if it was just my imagination, but the moment the cleaver cut the lynx, the lynx's tail...
It seems like it moved slightly?
Chen Luo was immediately filled with doubt and uncertainty. The caution typical of a snake catcher compelled him to take two steps back, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the kitchen knife in his hand.
Suddenly, a change occurred!
The lynx, which had seemed dead beyond any doubt, suddenly split open between its brows, revealing a blood-red vertical pupil.
As its vertical pupils opened, its tail behind it also stood up, and in the blink of an eye, it strangely split into three tails, which swayed slowly and intertwined in a chaotic manner.
Three-tailed vertical pupils!
The next instant, a strange howl rang out!
It suddenly arched its body and lunged at Chen Luo!
What the hell!
Chen Luo felt a jolt in his heart, but he didn't have time to think. His experience as a snake catcher allowed him to make the right reaction almost instantly.
There's no way to dodge it; the only option is to attack!
He swung his shoulder and arm sharply, raising the cleaver horizontally to the right, instantly integrating the muscle memory he had developed from a year of martial arts training.
Chen Luo felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen, and as the blade flashed, a powerful burst of energy suddenly erupted!
Nine Yang Force, First Level, Breakthrough!
--boom!
The cleaver sliced through the air, a flash of cold light, and in the blink of an eye, it collided violently with the swiftly pouncing lynx.
Immediately afterwards, a tremendous shock traveled from the hilt of the knife to Chen Luo's wrist, causing his tiger's mouth to split open and blood to gush out. His body was also shaken so badly that he staggered back several steps.
Simultaneously.
With a mournful howl, blood splattered everywhere, and the lynx collapsed heavily to the ground.
A kitchen knife was still stuck in the top of the lynx's head, its three-inch blade completely embedded, almost splitting its head in two. Blood kept gushing from the wound, and it looked like it was dead beyond any doubt.
Chen Luo was panting heavily, still shaken, and dared not relax for a moment, fearing that the strange lynx might come back to life again.
But then, another unexpected event occurred.
Suddenly, a streak of light appeared out of nowhere and slowly floated in mid-air.
Accompanied by a vast and melodious chant—
Mosquitoes, snakes, and rats—all are creatures with short lives.
[May your lonely soul be blessed by all living beings]
[The scroll painting of mountains and seas is being loaded...]
[Loading successful]
【Mountains and Seas Scroll, Scroll Owner: Chen Luo】
[Spirit detected: Red-faced Cat (Huan), integrate?]