Early the next morning.
Ms. Chen did something out of the ordinary and made breakfast. She boiled two eggs and simmered a pot of vegetable soup.
She also took out some of the family's cured fish, preparing a feast they usually only enjoyed during the New Year or other festivals.
This meal was made specially for Fang Yue.
"Mom, I'm already full. Why don't you and Sis have these two eggs?"
Under Ms. Chen's watchful eye, Fang Yue forced himself to eat two flatbreads. The two eggs were also for him.
But how could Fang Yue keep a luxury like eggs all to himself? In the village, eggs were usually reserved for the sick or for pregnant women who needed the extra nutrition.
He was perfectly healthy; eating them would be a 'waste'.
"Hmph, getting a mind of your own now, are we? Daring to disobey your mother. You're off to learn from Mr. Fang Hu. How will you have any strength if you don't eat up?"
"Alright then, I'll just eat half."
Ms. Chen insisted, but Fang Yue couldn't be swayed. He ate only half and refused to touch the rest, no matter what she said.
"I'm full. I'm leaving now, or I'll be late."
As he spoke, Fang Yue didn't give Ms. Chen time to object. He immediately stood up and quickly left the house.
* * *
Fang Hu's courtyard wasn't far from Fang Yue's, situated at the very edge of the village.
His yard was massive, however—a full mu in size.
A rammed-earth wall blocked the view from the outside, making it impossible to see into the courtyard.
The inside of the courtyard didn't look like a farmer's yard, nor a hunter's. Instead, it resembled a Martial Arts Arena.
On the east side was a row of Stone Locks. Next to the Stone Locks stood a weapons rack holding three types of weapons—sabers, spears, and staffs—as well as two wooden training dummies.
On the west side of the courtyard were three targets.
"Fang Yue, you're here. There are Stone Locks in the yard. Go ahead and try them."
Fang Hu was already in the yard when he arrived. Seeing Fang Yue, he cut straight to the chase and had him test his strength.
But perhaps because he was preparing to take him on as a disciple, the way he looked at Fang Yue was naturally different.
Before, he had called him by his nickname; now, he called him Fang Yue.
"Start with the three-hundred-jin one. Know your limits and don't overdo it. Let me see how much strength you have."
There were ten Stone Locks in the row, starting from one hundred jin, with each one a hundred jin heavier than the last. They were much more uniform than the stone Fang Yue had used for Training Strength by the river.
Moreover, the Stone Locks had specially made handles to make them easier to grip and exert force. They looked very professional at a glance.
A moment later, Fang Yue focused his mind, mustered his strength, and with both hands, lifted the Stone Lock marked "three hundred jin".
He did it easily, without much effort.
After putting it down, Fang Yue moved to the four-hundred-jin Stone Lock.
This time, he struggled a bit. His breathing became unsteady, but he still managed to lift it.
However, he could only hold it for ten breaths before he couldn't anymore.
"Indeed, your Talent is good. Without cultivating a Breathing Technique, you have nearly four hundred jin of strength, same as yesterday. To have such strength after only a month of training... this is innate Divine Power."
Martial arts training has always emphasized Talent. A person without Talent who forces themselves to cultivate will only end up harming their own body.
Fang Yue's performance proved that his Talent for the Martial Dao was extraordinary. If he truly began to cultivate, his progress would surely be rapid.
In the future, his achievements would certainly surpass his and Ergou's. He might even be able to pass the Martial Examination and fulfill his long-held wish.
"You have a good foundation, but if you want to actually hunt in the mountains, your current strength is far from enough. You'll need to be able to draw a Five-Stone Bow at the very least."
"Oh, right. You can't read, can you? I'll start by teaching you your characters."
As he spoke, Fang Hu took out a thin booklet and began explaining it to Fang Yue, referencing the text.
'I can't believe I'm illiterate.'
At this moment, Fang Yue listened as Fang Hu patiently went over the first two lines of text in the small booklet again and again.
After explaining, he even had Fang Yue use a tree branch to practice writing them in the dirt.
It was only then that Fang Yue realized: in this life, he was illiterate!
It seemed he could only write his own name and a few simple numbers. He'd never given it any thought before, so the issue had never crossed his mind.
Now, looking at the booklet in Fang Hu's hands, he realized he could barely recognize a few characters without the other man's explanation. That's when it truly hit him that he was illiterate.
He truly never would have expected this. In his past life, he had at least gone to college and earned a degree.
He wasn't a great scholar, but he was well-read.
Now, he was illiterate.
How unpredictable life was. It was enough to make one sigh.
"Alright, that's enough for today. We'll start with these twenty characters. Now, listen to me and breathe according to this rhythm..."
Ending the literacy lesson early, Fang Hu began to teach Fang Yue how to stand in a pile stance.
And while holding the stance, he had him adjust his breathing to a unique Breathing Technique, one with a certain rhythm and cadence.
Although Fang Yue was illiterate, his comprehension was good.
He quickly got the hang of it.
'This kid's Talent is good. I didn't expect his comprehension to be so high, too. I was right to choose him.'
Fang Hu noticed that even though Fang Yue couldn't read, he was a quick learner. So, he increased the original literacy lesson plan from ten characters a day to twenty.
He could have increased it further, but there was no need. Rushing things without properly absorbing the information would be counterproductive.
As for the Pile Skill and Breathing Technique, this was just scratching the surface, meant to let Fang Yue get a feel for it.
To truly get started, it would take at least ten days to half a month.
* * *
Meanwhile, Fang Hu sat down on a stone stool in the shade and began to slowly sip his tea.
Over here, Fang Yue held his stance, following that unique breathing rhythm.
He felt his body growing slightly warm, and the flow of his qi and blood began to speed up.
It seemed as if his body was changing, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He just felt a little awkward. Gradually, his muscles began to ache, making it difficult to hold his stance. He couldn't help but wish it would end soon.
After persevering for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he was already drenched in sweat.
He was finally about to give out.
"Alright, you can stop."
Just then, Fang Hu's voice called out.
He stood up, his expression serious and his tone heavy. "You can't hold it any longer? Look how little time has passed. I haven't even finished this pot of tea."
Fang Yue immediately felt a little ashamed. Feeling the ache spreading through his body, he couldn't imagine how anyone could hold such a posture for any longer.
He had thought his Talent was quite good, almost reaching one hundred points—a one-in-a-hundred level of aptitude.
That should have been pretty good, right? But after hearing Fang Hu's words, it seemed he was still lacking.
'Pride comes before a fall. I absolutely can't become complacent and slack off just because I have a Golden Finger.'
A sense of gravity washed over him, and the arrogance that had been building within him these past days instantly vanished.
"Mr. Fang Hu, I will work hard!" Fang Yue promised.
"Mm, that's all for today. You must be thirsty. Here, drink this tea." Fang Hu handed him a cup.
"Thank you, Mr. Fang Hu."
Fang Yue took the tea and drank it all in one gulp.