A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 49: First Medicinal Bath, Poor Guy Bai Qi
Following Lao Dao’s footsteps, Bai Qi arrived at the backyard of Tongwen Hall.
Perhaps due to its proximity to the Black Water River, the overall layout was centered around water.
Wide pools and lush waters, lotus flowers planted everywhere, shaded paths, vines entwined, various landscapes blending together, creating an extremely tranquil atmosphere.
Bai Qi passed through several winding water corridors and entered the eastern building. Inside, it was spacious and bright, with long windows adorned with finely carved boxwood panels, showcasing an antique elegance.
The grand courtyard where the Instructor stayed was far more impressive than he had imagined. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the most luxurious in Black River County.
"Young Master Qi, this is the place. When you’re tired from training, you can rest here for a while. The bed and bedding have all been recently replaced."
Lao Dao took out a key to open the door, leading Bai Qi inside.
Inside, the main bedroom for sleeping was separated, with a four-poster red lacquered bed against the wall, furnished with tables, flower stands, and clothes racks, partitioned by a landscape screen.
On the other side was a small room with a large wooden tub for bathing.
Outside was a more conventional hall, complete with tables, calligraphy, ancient shelves, writing tools, all kinds of decorations in abundance.
If Bai Qi hadn’t seen the world in his previous life, given his origins as a Fisherman from a humble family, he might have been intimidated by this overwhelming opulence, tread carefully with fear.
Afraid of dirtying or breaking something, unable to afford compensation at that time.
Lao Dao chuckled and said:
"The water is ready, stored in the large tub, with some herbs added as instructed by the young master.
Once Young Master Qi finishes bathing and puts on the specially prepared clean clothes, you can go to the main hall for a meal."
A herbal bath?
Such good treatment?
Bai Qi nodded cautiously, waiting for Lao Dao to leave and close the door before entering the small room inside.
Amidst the rising steam, he took off the loose robe bought by Brother Sanshui and casually placed it on the clothes rack.
He immersed himself in the large wooden tub, involuntarily letting out a comfortable long sigh.
"So this is the daily life of truly wealthy households?"
Bai Qi rested his hands on the edge of the bath. Inside, there was a small stool-like wooden board, allowing him to sit steadily, with the herbal liquid turning a verdant color, faintly emitting a pine resin-like aroma.
He was still savoring the teachings of Ninghai Zen under that golden black plaque, with three rules profoundly intense, vast in stature, like the impression of a blade or axe carving deeply into his mind.
"What is the origin of Tongwen Hall?"
How could extraordinary people like Ninghai Zen willingly stay in Black River County?
Better to be the head of a rooster than the tail of a phoenix?
Bai Qi dismissed this notion, even if the instructor dominating Martial Arts Hall were placed in Yihai Prefecture, they would be widely renowned as formidable figures.
With the ability to glare a practitioner to death, this near-supernatural skill may very well be the Fourth Training Great Success of Circulation of Qi.
"Seems like I’ve acknowledged an incredible master..."
Bai Qi lowered his eyelids and summoned the Nameless Ink Talisman within his mind.
Fishing, literacy, identifying herbs, Eight-Duan Skills, Golden Core Great Strength Skill, Evil-Breaking Spirit Eye, Beng Fist, Arhat Hand Nourishment Training...
Various skills converged into larger or smaller points of light, slowly reflected in his eyes.
"Fishing, literacy, these two skills have considerable potential, haven’t really seen an upper limit yet.
The Eight-Duan Skills seem to have reached a peak; further progress won’t provide much more insight.
Besides the fixedly unbreakable ones like Evil-Breaking Spirit Eye and Beng Fist, it’s the Golden Core Great Strength Skill and Arhat Hand Nourishment Training that can be internally and externally complemented, requiring urgent practice."
Bai Qi stared at the Nameless Ink Talisman within his mind, inexplicably giving rise to a thought:
"Can the skills mirrored into it merge up and down? For skills like Eight-Duan Skills and identifying herbs that haven’t much room for exploration, can they undergo further deduction for a breakthrough?"
Before he could delve deeper, a tingling pain like needle pricks swept through his entire body!
The expanded pores absorbed the medicinal power, finally showing results!
"Oh... my!"
Initially, Bai Qi maintained calmness, soothingly enjoying the hot streams permeating his muscles, gradually relaxing them.
But about the time of half a cup of tea later, the body soaking in the tub suddenly quivered, feeling as if coated in a layer of molten wax, intensely hot and painfully sharp.
"Endure a moment of bitterness!"
Bai Qi leaned his head back, gripping the bath tightly with both hands, nearly squeezing out blurred fingerprints.
The normally flowing Qi Blood within suddenly roared turbulently under intense stimulation!
His skin burned, muscles expanded, like an inflated water bag being stretched open!
"It feels like it’s about to burst!"
Bai Qi clenched his teeth, his complexion flushed, the surplus of Qi Blood from the herbal bath almost tangible, seemingly rushing out from seven orifices.
Like ordinary people overreplenished with energy might cause a nosebleed.
"I have a lot of anger right now... What kind of herbal bath is this? It’s ten times stronger than the foot-washing method of the Golden Core Great Strength Skill!"
...
...
Half an hour swiftly passed, and Bai Qi finished his bath, changed into a black straight-collared robe, tied with a cloud-patterned belt, and stepped into the main hall of Tongwen Hall’s front courtyard.
Though his complexion remained the weathered bronze from the sun and rain, with hands and feet calloused, far from the pampered pale softness of noble young masters.
Yet clothes make the man, and a Buddha relies on gold ornaments.
Shedding the short rough linen attire of Bai Ahqi the Fisherman, now he had some of the vibrant elegance and spirited air.
"Looks decent, not like Ah Cheng with his unattractive appearance, unpresentable."
Ninghai Zen sat in the main seat with a grand demeanor, on a great red sandalwood armchair.
Behind him hung a scroll with the ink-splashed words, naturally standing among the best, only I am equal with Heaven in longevity!
"Greetings, Master."
Bai Qi had previously gazed into the mirror for a long while, stunned. He was wearing a complete outfit for the first time—underclothes, outer robe, long pants, and boots. Looking at the broad-shouldered, strong-backed young man reflected inside, he almost didn’t recognize himself.
Is this me?
Too unfamiliar.
Just like the young hero often described in the Jianghu tales!
"How was the medicinal bath?"
Ninghai Zen lifted his teacup, scraping the lid twice:
"Even from afar, one can smell the medicinal aroma. It seems well-marinated, flavorful."
Bai Qi’s face twitched. His master clearly knew the initial medicinal bath was intense yet didn’t offer any warning.
Sure enough, waiting for this moment to mock and jest.
"Whole-body comfortable, pleasantly ethereal! Thank you, Master, for your medicinal gift!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
He raised his head, a look of composed calmness written on his face, as if he had entirely forgotten the soreness of his muscles and veins feeling swollen with blood.
"No need to thank me; that bucket of water costs eighty taels of silver, deducted from the tuition paid by Old Liang."
Ninghai Zen casually dropped the first sentence, causing Bai Qi’s composure to shatter instantly.
"Eighty taels!"
"Dried Rehmannia Root ground to powder, Danggui used to boil the medicinal water, sliced Polygonum multiflorum and White Peony Root, with added Codonopsis... all are good things for nourishing Qi and blood, strengthening muscles and bones, slow-cooked on low heat for three hours.
Apart from Lao Dao’s processing, and excluding Tongwen Hall’s exclusive formula, charging you eighty taels is already a very fair, bargain price.
If I were willing to sell, plenty of people would beg to buy for three to five hundred taels, enough to flatten the threshold."
Ninghai Zen leisurely took a sip of tea, speaking naturally.
"...Master, may I ask how much silver Elder Liang gave in total?"
Bai Qi thought the medicinal bath was a benefit for apprentices, unexpectedly it was a charged service.
The instructor, indeed, acted in unconventional ways, hard to predict.
"Six hundred and fifty taels, almost half of his family’s assets."
Ninghai Zen answered softly:
"The bad news is, you have at most eight opportunities to take the medicinal bath before the money runs out;
The good news is, your physique is better than previously thought, it only requires soaking four times to be enough, saving half of the silver."
Bai Qi slightly relaxed; six hundred and fifty taels for eight baths, even the young master of the fishery wouldn’t be so generous?
"But there’s another bad news."
Observing his disciple’s heart aching expression, Ninghai Zen smiled broadly:
"Today’s meal includes a dish of white lotus seed excellent tonic soup.
Schisandra, Desert Cistanche, Cyathula, red ochre, Hai Shrink sand, Guang wood incense... properly paired in usage, simmered on low heat for an hour.
Equivalent to fifty taels."
"..."
Bai Qi seemed already to see the day of his bankruptcy arriving, unable to maintain composure:
"I spent a hundred and thirty taels in less than a day?"
Ninghai Zen slightly nodded, his eyes showing serious expression:
"You are a student of Tongwen Hall, personally taken in by me as an apprentice. Either you don’t train and don’t touch martial arts, or you should reach great perfection, demonstrating exceptional talent.
Using the finest medicinal and nutritional supplements to fill the gaps from before is only the first step.
Don’t think that eating meat at every meal, and eating to fullness, is sufficient.
Grass eaters are foolish, meat eaters are fierce, Qi eaters are long-lived... you grew up poor, as a fisherman exposed to wind and rain, rising early and sleeping late, if not for good physical strength, you might not have survived till now.
Although relying on post exercises, inner strength, and outer practice, fully nourishing the Qi and Blood, and consumption of great supplements, has improved you by thirty to forty percent.
But the foundation is far from solid, when the time comes to break through barriers, it’s easy to lack follow-up strength.
This is also the reason why those Great Martial Arts Halls say your potential is lacking.
Of course, they only choose small talents, not understanding how to select great talents.
We at Tongwen Hall always take only great talents, those able to transcend the ordinary through martial arts!"
Bai Qi ruminated on these words, clarity appeared in his eyes.
Training is like filling with water, the process of breaking through levels is like replacing oneself from a wooden barrel to a water tank, then excavating a pond, expanding into lakes and seas, ultimately becoming an ocean.
That’s why the Martial Arts Hall includes potential assessment as a rule for granting direct disciple status.
This represents the upper limit of future achievements.
"Aren’t you a skilled fisherman? Why, does Bai’s Fish Stall’s young boss have a habit of playing poor?"
Ninghai Zen teased with a joking statement.
"Don’t expect the master to do everything, paving the way for you.
Tongwen Hall, with such a large business, everything costs money.
No matter how renowned the instructor, there’s no extraordinary ability to turn stone into gold.
The third lesson upon entry, having wealth doesn’t necessarily equate skill, but having no funds guarantees mediocrity.
Making money is difficult, so how can one talk about training? Sit down, eat."
Looking at the bowl of excellent tonic soup Lao Dao served, Bai Qi held back tears, taking big gulps of the soup painfully, slurping away without leaving a drop.
This was fifty taels of silver!
Not a single drop could be wasted!
