Opening stance,
Step one: Hands press up to the crown, regulating the Triple Burner...
Tang Wen performed the full set of the Eight Vajra Techniques with the grace of flowing water.
If he had worn a Daoist robe and recorded a video of this for the internet, he probably would have gotten over a hundred thousand likes, no problem.
Xiaowen... he was really different now.
Tangtang squinted. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but her little brother's movements were clearly much more refined than before.
'He's gotten stronger, too.' She felt a wave of relief, thinking that the sixteen jin of grain hadn't been wasted after all.
[Skill: Eight Vajra Techniques, Beginner (36→43/1000)]
It used to take him seven or eight minutes to complete one set of the Vajra Technique. In the morning, he could practice it three times at most.
By the time he finished the third set, the sky would already be bright.
Not wanting others to see him practicing, Tang Wen would go back inside to eat before heading out.
Today, Tang Wen practiced a full six sets in one go. Steam was starting to rise from the top of his head, yet the sky still wasn't fully lit.
After drinking some Maize porridge and eating a roasted Red-beaked Sparrow, he prepared to leave.
After his feast the day before, their supply of grain at home had dropped to below sixty jin.
'Right, I need to trade for more grain today.'
However, fate was not on his side. Throughout the entire morning, Tang Wen only came across a single flock of Red-beaked Sparrows—just three of them.
He aimed and threw!
CRACK!
A sharp sound echoed.
The stone, about half the size of an egg, struck a branch as thick as an arm, snapping the dry wood instantly.
The startled Red-beaked Sparrows fluttered away, circling the tree before flying off into the distance.
They didn't give him a chance to land a finishing blow.
'Hmm, my strength has increased, and my throwing speed is faster than before.'
He analyzed the reason for his miss.
For the first time in ten days, he was returning empty-handed.
On the way back at noon, a few dead branches suffered his wrath. Tang Wen repeatedly smashed them with stones, then gathered the pieces to take back to the camp as firewood.
When he got home, Tangtang saw that he hadn't brought anything back. Her heart leaped into her throat, but she said nothing.
She made lunch as usual, with the same portions as always.
The two of them ate in silence.
Finally, Tang Wen spoke up. "Sis! Help me roast some Maize kernels."
"Still hungry?" Tangtang glanced down at her own bowl, where half a portion of porridge remained. 'He can have this.'
"No, it's to lure birds."
"Ohh," Tangtang understood. She put down her bowl, turned, and grabbed half a handful of Maize. Without needing to weigh it, she knew it was a full liang.
"Sis, that's not enough."
"Well, will the Red-beaked Sparrows even recognize this as food? What if it doesn't work? How about I go down to the water this afternoon and catch some insects for you?"
Tangtang fired off a series of questions but still obediently turned and added another handful of Maize.
The lightly roasted Maize gave off a unique, fragrant aroma.
Tang Wen carefully wrapped the Maize in separate linen pouches, tucked them inside his clothes, and went out. He followed a small path deep into the jungle, chose a clearing where the trees were sparse, opened one pouch of Maize, and gently scattered it on the ground.
Then he continued forward for a few hundred paces and scattered another handful of Maize.
After that, he found a tree to lean against midway between the two spots and waited quietly.
GOK GOK GOK GOK...
A sound came from nearby. Tang Wen looked over, his eyes filled with surprised delight. It was a pheasant!
He stood up and crept closer. Two hundred paces, one hundred paces, fifty, forty... close enough.
WHOOSH!
The stone struck the pheasant's body.
The pheasant cried out in alarm, flapping its wings and kicking its legs, trying to take flight.
WHOOSH!
Another stone hit it right on its outstretched wing.
It tumbled sideways to the ground.
Tang Wen rushed over, grabbed its wings, and was about to wring its neck.
Suddenly, he saw the text on his Experience Panel:
[Skill: stone throwing, Master (959→973/1000)]
'Fourteen experience points?'
The pheasant struggled in his hands.
'In that case...'
He took a spare bag of stones from his clothes, tied it to one of the pheasant's wings, and after making absolutely sure it was secure, tossed the pheasant away.
The newly freed pheasant held its head high, eagerly flapping its wings, desperate to fly.
It was like a new employee who had just been fed empty promises by their boss; the moment they got back to their desk, their morale was soaring.
But the heavy bag of stones tied to its wing threw it off balance. It struggled for a long time but couldn't fly more than half a person's height, nor could it fly fast. After all, it was a whole bag of twenty or thirty pebbles.
"GOK GOK GOK, GOK GOK GOK!"
The pheasant was frantic, its cries rapid and sharp.
But no matter how much it cried, it couldn't get off the ground.
It was like a veteran employee, worn down by years of overtime and late nights. When he gets home, no matter what his wife says, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
WHOOSH.
GOK, GOK!
Tang Wen scored a precise hit. The pheasant shrieked and collapsed to the ground.
[Skill: stone throwing, Master (973→986/1000)]
Another thirteen experience points.
'This really is a great chance to grind for EXP!'
'Usually, a single stone is enough to kill a Red-beaked Sparrow.'
'But this pheasant is big, and its Life Force is tenacious!'
The pheasant flapped its wings, thrashing on the ground. The last stone had hit its body and grazed its sharp beak.
It had stopped crying out.
It just struggled to get back on its feet, trying to fly.
Its clumsy appearance was as pathetic as a middle-aged man long tormented by life.
"Get up! You can do it! Come on... Three more times! No, just two more, and my Skill will level up!"
Tang Wen genuinely cheered it on, not feeling the least bit cruel.
He had heard similar words many times before.
Back when he had a job, his boss was always encouraging him to work more overtime, to struggle harder. But Tang Wen knew that as long as he worked himself to the bone, burned the midnight oil every day, and performed well, he'd definitely be "rewarded" with an occupational illness by the end of the year.
And his boss? He wouldn't just get a new wife; he'd also buy a few more houses, drive up the property values, and then rent one of his spare apartments back to him...
Finally, in the forest, after resting for a while, the pheasant once again wobbled into the air.
Tang Wen let out a long breath as a stone flew from his hand.
GOK!
A short, miserable cry.
The pheasant plunged headfirst to the ground, its legs kicked once, and then it went still.
[Skill: stone throwing, Master→Mastery (1/3000)]
[Skill: Flying Locust Stone, Mastery (1/3000)]
'It leveled up!'
'Nice, the last hit gave me fifteen experience points.'
'The Skill can change names?'
'Flying Locust Stone definitely sounds much better than stone throwing!'
Tang Wen marveled inwardly, but his movements didn't pause for a second. He hurried forward, picked up the pheasant, managed to stuff it into a cloth bag, tucked it inside his clothes, and quickly left.
'I made a bit of a commotion just now. Better not attract anyone's attention.'
It was still early. Using his last pouch of Maize, Tang Wen finally managed to attract a flock of Red-beaked Sparrows.
WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH...
He threw a rapid succession of stones, and the flock scattered in chaos.
A Master Level Skill was a world of difference.
Five stones in a row all found their mark. His hands never stopped, targeting the agilely flying Red-beaked Sparrows in the air and continuing to launch stones.
CHIRP! CHIRP!
The Red-beaked Sparrows shrieked and fell from the sky.
He had used two liang of Maize as bait and gotten one pheasant and seven Red-beaked Sparrows in return.
He had really struck it rich this time.
Tang Wen quickly left the forest, hurrying along until he passed through the camp gate without any trouble.
It was only then that he belatedly realized he didn't feel tired at all today.
'It seems this is the benefit of an increased Physical Attribute.'
Back at their small house, Tangtang was so excited to see the pheasant that she leaped into the air.
She chattered about how much firewood she'd gathered and how many buckets of water she'd fetched, all while spinning in circles looking for something.
After a moment, it dawned on her. "Xiaowen, we don't have a cleaver. We can't butcher the chicken."
They did have a small knife, about half a chi long, which was fine for handling fist-sized birds, but it wasn't up to the task of processing a pheasant.
"We should just sell it."
"Sell it? That's too dangerous! What if someone targets us?" Tangtang disagreed.
Tang Wen thought for a moment. "I'll take it to the blacksmith to trade for a knife. I'll cover my face and go when it gets a little darker."
Tangtang shook her head. "No, go during the day. Smear some mud and ash on your face. Trade it for a pair of scissors. When you come back, I'll cut your hair, and no one will recognize you."
"Alright."
After a flurry of activity, Tang Wen went out with his face blackened.
He first visited two grain shops and traded for a few jin of grain to bring back.
As soon as he entered, he saw Tangtang stuffing firewood into a bamboo back-basket.
"Sis, what are you doing?"
"Shh," Tangtang whispered. "I put the chicken in here. You can carry this on your back to the blacksmith's shop."
"Smart."
"Hehe..."
Tangtang's eyes curved into crescents.