Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 136 - 135 - No Need to Study, How Great!

Chapter 136: Chapter 135 - No Need to Study, How Great!

After finishing the drink, two Ghosts carried the drunken Yu Daoning down the mountain back to the City God Temple.

Since one Ghost was carrying Yu Daoning’s legs on his shoulders and the other was pulling his arms, it wasn’t long after they left the cave that Yu Daoning’s rear end hit the ground seven or eight times.

The two Ghosts had to find a straw mat, wrap Yu Daoning in it, and then carry him down the mountain.

The scene looked exactly like they were going to dump a body at Mass Burial Mound.

Inside the cave, Zhang San, holding the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone previously purchased by the Ghost, began to write the complete version of the Tiger’s Life Spirit Gang for Hu.

But as the Ghosts weren’t knowledgeable about paper, some sheets were normally colored while others looked a bit odd, leaving Zhang San to write while marking the page numbers.

Just as Zhang San finished writing the Secret Manual, Hu, inside his cave, kept searching until he finally found something and happily ran to Zhang San’s side.

"Zhang San, here’s this for you, and this, both are great things!"

Zhang San couldn’t help but feel curious. What else could you possibly have here besides Tiger Whip Wine?

However, when Zhang San looked up, he was stunned.

All he saw was Hu handing him a painting along with a Jade Scroll.

"Zhang San, you’ve come a long way to bring me the Secret Manual and even wrote it personally, I can’t just take it for nothing. This painting was a gift to my parents from their neighbors, and this Jade Scroll was given to me by my neighbor when I was born. I’ve practiced the techniques inside it, and they are quite good."

Zhang San was slightly baffled.

What kind of species could be neighbors with your family of Tiger Demons without being considered a reserve food supply?

Zhang San opened the painting and was surprised to find it was a human acupoint chart, which marked all 720 human acupoints and included the cultivation technique for these points.

Clearly, this was a Body Refinement Technique.

Zhang San had never dealt with a Body Refinement Technique before.

He had always thought that in this fantasy world, though there are various cultivation methods, they still depended on Martial Style Techniques and Runes, mainly seeking advancement in realm.

As for physical constitution, being a bit stronger was enough.

But now, it seemed that the path of cultivation might be much broader than he had imagined.

This painting only had a simple explanation and didn’t describe whether there was a specific order to cultivate these acupoints, nor did it explain what effects could be achieved after cultivation.

And at the signature area, there was only a sloppily written "Peng," probably left by the author. [Note 56]

Zhang San then examined the other Jade Scroll, and despite staring at it for a long time, he had no idea how to use it. After all, it was just a piece of jade.

Seeing Zhang San’s anxious expression, Hu walked over, took the Jade Scroll, and said to Zhang San, "Stick your head out."

Zhang San paused for a moment and then, after determining the gender of the Tiger Demon, extended his head forward.

The Tiger Demon placed the Jade Scroll at the spot between Zhang San’s eyebrows and whispered, "Close your eyes and look."

The moment the Jade Scroll touched Zhang San’s forehead, he felt a very special cultivation technique appear in his mind instantly — Gold Liquid Returning Core. [Note 57]

At that time, Hu reminded him, "You need to be careful when practicing this Secret Technique. It primarily requires absorbing the Essence of Sun and Moonlight, supplemented by some herbs or other nourishing substances that enhance physical constitution. I initially absorbed too much Essence of the Sun, and it turned my fur golden yellow! You see, even the ’king’ character on my forehead isn’t visible anymore."

Hu said this with a sad face.

"Otherwise, with my strength, I might have been able to transform into the form of a White Tiger."

Zhang San couldn’t help but feel curious and asked, "Tiger Brother, why are you so committed to wanting to transform into a White Tiger?"

Hu replied with a wry smile, "The White Tiger is one of the Four Holy Beasts. If you are a White Tiger, other Demon Beasts dare not provoke you, even without needing your strength to be very powerful."

"But if you’re just an ordinary Tiger Demon, it’s different. If you are strong, other beings might not submit to you, and conflicts are often unavoidable."

"This world is just that unfair, you humans think it’s unfair, do you think we Demons have it fair?"

Zhang San, although unwilling to admit it, still instinctively nodded.

After all, he had seen far too many cases in his past life where acts of bravery led to expulsion, while bullying only warranted a warning.

Of course, he had seen them, but Zhang San didn’t remember any details that could disrupt unity, like whether it was 21 or 110,000.

What Zhang San remembered was the respectful manner he had towards Wang Ziteng at Lu Qingquan’s trial at the Town Martial Office, the shift in his attitude towards Ling, and his commanding presence around White Shadow.

The world was not as beautiful as he had initially imagined.

Although he now understood that enhancing his strength was the only way to stand above others, the thought of such a world still somewhat irked him.

Thus, Zhang San turned his head and saw Hei, who was just about to sleep, lying on the ground in the cave.

Zhang San tiptoed over, careful not to disturb him, and then...

Bam!

Zhang San kicked Hei, waking him up just as he was about to fall asleep.

"At your age, how could you be sleeping?"

Hei looked confused, thinking, I was actually sleeping.

I had just fallen asleep; I was even dreaming.

Then, Zhang San took out a secret manual from the Gluttonous Bag and tossed it to Hei.

"You can read the characters, right?"

Hei nodded.

"This secret manual is called ’Xun Wind Breathing Technique.’ Although it’s a cultivation technique for the human race, since you can transform, you should have no problem practicing it. However, some of the martial styles and techniques might not entirely suit you. First, master the cultivation technique, then focus on the Swift Wind Technique. Swift Wind Technique suits you well. Study it hard, got it?"

Hei had originally thought his master was somewhat irritable, always either sleeping or drinking alcohol, similar to those men rumored to beat women at home.

But now, it seemed he had misunderstood his master.

He had actually found a secret manual suited for him and even gave it to him at no cost.

Such a master, if Hei could follow him for a lifetime, would be even better.

At that moment, Zhang San thought of something and added, "When you first started following me, we agreed you would be my steed for three years, and afterwards, I would still pay you riding on you. But this secret manual is not ordinary; it’s worth at least a year’s wages. So, you won’t have any salary for the first year, understood?"

Hei nodded repeatedly, indicating he understood.

However, Hei knew that those secret manuals of the human race were invaluable, and one that suited him costing just a year’s salary was quite generous of his master.

As for the salary, what was that, something he had never heard of, possibly something unimportant.

Then, Zhang San looked at Hei, who was seriously reading his handwritten ’Tiger’s Life Spirit Gang,’ and Hu, also studying by lamp late into the night.

They were all studying hard, while he could lay down and sleep.

The feeling of others staying up studying while he didn’t have to, was truly great!

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[Note 56]Reference Explanation

This setting is derived from the ’Search for the Supernatural,’ featuring Peng Zu’s immortal chamber. The purportedly 700-year-old Peng Zu had two tigers regularly appearing near his chamber, and it was said that one could still see the tigers’ paw prints there later on.

[Note 57]Reference Explanation

The reference to Gold Liquid Returning Core comes from the Ming dynasty’s ’Essential Instructions on Life and Destiny: Primary Collection’: "Through symbolic methods, the essence of taiyin is harvested; with the arrangement of the crucible, the energy of taiyang is enticed to converge in the divine chamber, mixing endlessly, producing infinitely. From wood, the soul is born, from metal, the spirit develops, soul and spirit coalesce, transforming into ni-yo, assembling myriad treasures, known as Gold Liquid Returning Core."