Chapter 1: Perception!

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception[1]: 98 (Ordinary and Unremarkable)

Lu Changsheng stared at the status panel before him, his expression tinged with mild bewilderment.

"Ordinary and unremarkable?" he muttered under his breath. "It's 98. How could that possibly be ordinary and unremarkable? What? Is the standard one hundred?"

He had a rough idea of what "Perception" referred to, but what use was this status panel supposed to have?

He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

It had been over a month since he arrived in this world. When he first got here, he'd been nothing but a ragged beggar, clinging to the edge of death. Then Miaoshou[2]Garden had begun recruiting apprentices. Lu Changsheng, relying on his sharp instincts, managed to secure a place.

Miaoshou Garden was run by a family with a long-standing tradition in medicine, and under it operated numerous medicinal shops spread across the entire Nanyang City. Even several cities surrounding Nanyang had Miaoshou Garden's shops.

Though being an apprentice was exhausting and kept him busy all day, it guaranteed three meals a day, for which Lu Changsheng was grateful.

However, apprentices were not paid. Only after they graduated from the position or were transferred to another role within the organization would they begin earning wages.

Back when Lu Changsheng first arrived, he had gone through days with barely anything to eat, so he was already quite content with how things were going now. What puzzled him was the mysterious status panel. It hadn't changed once since he first discovered it. Perhaps he hadn't yet figured out how to use it properly.

He was still contemplating this enigma when a series of loud knocks came from the door.

"Wake up! Time to get up!"

The steward's shout echoed through Miaoshou Garden.

Lu Changsheng's eyes snapped open. He sprang from his bed, dressed in a hurry, and jogged off to the plaza to assemble with the others.

It was only the Rabbit Hour[3], roughly five in the morning.

At Miaoshou Garden, all apprentices had to rise at this hour and begin a full day of work that would stretch into the night.

Fifteen minutes later, the plaza was packed. The steward arrived and began the roll call.

"Chen Zhao. Chen Zhao!"

He called the name several times, but no one responded.

A moment later, a young man came running in, face flushed as he stammered, "Steward, I... I'm here."

The steward glanced at him and demanded coldly, "Name."

"Chen Zhao," he replied.

"Late without a reason. Ten paddle strikes[4]. No food today."

Chen Zhao's face turned pale. Two burly men dragged him aside and proceeded to paddle strike him hard before everyone's eyes.

"

Agh...

"

Chen Zhao's screams sent chills down the spines of the other apprentices.

Miaoshou Garden was good in every way, except that its rules were much too strict. Tardiness, laziness, or defiance were met with brutal punishment. Repeat offenses could even lead to being beaten to death.

By the time Chen Zhao was dragged off half-dead to the backyard, the entire plaza had gone completely silent.

The steward swept his cold gaze across the apprentices.

He said, "You've been here for over a month. Your bodies have recovered. From today onward, you will start formal martial arts training.

"Miaoshou Garden is an organization with a long tradition in medicine. But medicine and martial arts have always been inseparable. To be a true physician, you must first cultivate a strong body.

"For the next month, Instructor Liu from the guard unit will teach you martial arts. Pay close attention, as this may be your only chance to change your fate."

Despite his stern expression, the steward wasn't a heartless man. He had even gone out of his way to stress the importance of this training to the apprentices.

It seemed his words had even managed to lift Lu Changsheng's spirits.

Martial arts?

I've heard there are martial artists in Miaoshou Garden, especially the guards. I didn't expect that even apprentices would get the chance to learn martial arts. This is a real opportunity, one I cannot let slip away...

The others seemed to share his resolve. Every apprentice straightened up, and their eyes locked onto the old man stepping into the center.

Old Liu was in his sixties; his hair was snowy white, yet his complexion was rosy and youthful. His presence exuded a quiet strength.

"

Hehe,

as Steward Zhang already said, medicine and martial arts go together. Mastering martial arts will benefit you greatly, whether you join the guard unit or become a physician later.

"Enough talk. I'll begin by teaching you the Great River Blood Fortification Art..."

As Old Liu demonstrated the first technique, the apprentices followed along and began practicing.

Lu Changsheng imitated Old Liu's every move methodically. The movements did not come naturally and demanded calmness and focus. Oddly, as he progressed, an inexplicable agitation stirred within him. His heart grew restless. But he pressed on, pushing through the discomfort. Finally, he completed the entire set of techniques in the Great River Blood Fortification Art.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the status panel appeared before his eyes.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 98 (Ordinary and Unremarkable)

[Skills]

Great River Blood Fortification Art: Dormant

He had just completed a full cycle of the Great River Blood Fortification Art, and it seemed rather effective. Although the movements were awkward, he felt warm throughout his body, and somehow even stronger.

More importantly, the art had now appeared in his status panel as Dormant. Still, it was progress.

"Your bodies are weak," Old Liu announced from the front of the plaza. "You may only train for two hours per day. More than that, your bodies won't be able to take it.

"To truly learn this art, you must sense your blood qi[5]. Once you do, you'll be able to execute the art at will without these tedious motions."

He paused, letting that sink in. "These movements are only to help beginners sense their blood qi. If any of you can sense it within a month, come see me immediately. Now, keep practicing."

With that, Old Liu settled onto a wooden chair at the edge of the square and crossed his arms, eyes scanning the group like a hawk as they resumed their training.

Time slipped by. Before long, two hours had passed.

Lu Changsheng still hadn't managed to initiate any real breakthrough in the Great River Blood Fortification Art. After two hours of practice, his whole body ached with a dull throb, which was enough to convince him that this art was not something to be practiced excessively.

Once the training session had concluded, the apprentices dispersed and began their daily chores.

The tasks weren't particularly strenuous, but they were varied and complex. Each day, the apprentices had to identify herbs, cultivate them, dry them, and prepare them for use. In short, they worked from dawn till dusk with hardly a moment's rest.

By nightfall, Lu Changsheng collapsed onto the shared bedding, exhausted. The one sleeping next to him was a fellow apprentice named Zhou Sheng.

Zhou Sheng had a somewhat slick personality; he loved snooping around for all sorts of information and had a habit of showing off.

The room was pitch dark, and most of the apprentices were preparing to sleep when Zhou Sheng suddenly spoke up. "Do you guys know why Old Liu wants us to master the techniques within a month?"

Swish.

Now no one felt like sleeping anymore. Anything concerning martial arts naturally piqued their interest, and this topic seemed especially relevant to their futures.

"Zhou Sheng, you've got something?" someone asked.

"Come on, Zhou Sheng, tell us what's going on."

"I saved a piece of meat from lunch for you."

"Yeah, I saved a piece of bone too. It's yours."

"I've got a piece of candy I saved from the other day. Please take it."

The apprentices eagerly offered up their hidden treasures, most of which were food. After all, they weren't paid. The only way they could enjoy a treat was to secretly set aside scraps from meals.

Zhou Sheng grinned smugly and said, "Alright, give me everything and I'll explain it all properly.

"Old Liu is more important than what he looks like; he's the instructor of the guards. I heard most of the martial artists in the guard unit were personally trained by him.

"The reason he gave us a one-month time limit is actually to screen for apprentices with martial arts talent. Anyone who manages to learn the Great River Blood Fortification Art within that month will be brought into the guard unit and trained as an official member.

"That's basically a shortcut to heaven. Even as an apprentice in the guard unit, you'll get monthly wages and eat medicinal meals every day. Everyone there is tall and muscular. I heard the food's amazing, lots of meat every day–

ahem

. Just imagine..."

At the mention of meat, the apprentices couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

While Miaoshou Garden did provide meals, meat was rare and limited. Clearly, being chosen as a guard meant treatment far superior to the rest of the apprentices.

"So that's how it is."

"Then we'd better train hard in the Great River Blood Fortification Art."

"Joining the guard unit would be the best outcome. Otherwise, to go from a menial apprentice to an apothecary's apprentice and then finally become an apothecary would take at least ten years, maybe even longer if we fail. We could end up stuck doing menial jobs forever..."

Though they had only recently arrived, the apprentices were already beginning to compete with one another.

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng wanted to practice the Great River Blood Fortification Art again, but the moment he tried, his entire body ached.

He understood that haste makes waste.

Old Liu said two hours of training is the limit. More than that would harm the body and be counterproductive. But there has to be a way to progress more quickly,

Lu Changsheng thought to himself in silence.

1. In this case, it refers to one's comprehension abilities. It measures mental acuity and insight rather than physical senses. ☜

2. 妙手 (Miaoshou) literally means "marvelous hand" or "skilled hand." This term is traditionally used in Chinese to praise someone with extraordinary technical skill. It conveys a sense of finesse, precision, and near-supernatural ability. ☜

3. 卯时 (mao shi), One of the twelve traditional Chinese time divisions known as the Earthly Branches (地支), 卯时 refers to the time period from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM. It is associated with the East direction and the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. In traditional Chinese medicine and Daoist practices, this time is often linked to the liver meridian and is considered a period of renewal and awakening. ☜

4. In old-style or institutional Chinese settings, paddle strikes are a form of punishment or disciplinary measure. ☜

5. 气血 (qì xuè) is a specialized term within this novel's cultivation system. Unlike its conventional use in traditional Chinese medicine, where it refers to the interplay between vital energy or qi (气) and blood (血). Here, it denotes a fused, potent life force unique to martial arts. It serves as the foundation for physical strength, resilience, and vitality, and can be actively cultivated, tempered, and weaponized. ☜