Chapter 5  : Intermediate Gale Knife Technique

taels. This amount of money would greatly relieve their financial difficulties.

At least Xu Ning would have the means to marry a wife in the future.

“You are not allowed to spend money like this in the future.”

Xu Lian put the silver notes back on the table and reprimanded Xu Ning.

“I got it, Sis.”

Xu Ning responded.

“It’s always good to make money…” Tao Yunchuan said, “Since this is the case, Xu Ning, you keep the silver notes.”

.

Tao Yunchuan pushed the silver notes back towards Xu Ning.

taels was too much. Tao Yunchuan did not plan to use Xu Ning’s income for himself and his wife.

“I don’t need it, you guys take it.”

Xu Ning refused. “I live and eat with you guys so I have nothing to spend the money on. It should be used to help the household live better.”

“Oh that is not appropriate.”

Tao Yunchuan waved his hand.

“Tao Yunchuan, you…”

Xu Ning still wanted to try to persuade him, but Xu Lian spoke first.

“Okay enough, this money stays with me.”

Xu Lian collected the hundred-silver taels note.

Obviously, Xu Lian was not greedy for her brother’s money. She just planned to save the money for her brother, for him to use when he eventually would get married.

“You take the rest.”

Xu Lian put the fifty-tael note in front of Xu Ning.

“Um… Okay.”

Xu Ning thought about it before putting the money away.

He understood Xu Lian’s intentions.

“I’m going to my room.”

After a brief exchange, Xu Ning returned to his room.

“This kid has all grown up.”

After Xu Ning left, Xu Lian’s face gradually revealed a smile.

Even if she didn’t spend the 100 taels, just having it made her feel at ease.

“Yeah…”

Tao Yunchuan looked at the silver note in Xu Lian’s hand with a thoughtful expression.

“What are you thinking?”

Xu Lian noticed that Tao Yunchuan was thinking about something.

“I think Xu Ning should practice martial arts in the village.” Tao Yunchuan said, “In this world, martial arts training is the best way to success. Xu Ning didn’t go to the training camp in the past because of the family’s financial conditions. But now that we have more than 100 taels of silver, our financial difficulties have been mostly covered, so letting him practice martial arts is the right choice.”

Xu Lian nodded when she heard these words. She also felt that what her husband said was reasonable.

“Okay…” Tao Yunchuan calculated in his mind and finally decided, “Put this hundred taels away and save it for Xu Ning. Then take out 50 taels of silver from our savings and give it to me. I will give it to the village tomorrow, so that Xu Ning can join the training camp.”

“Okay.”

Xu Lian answered.

…

Xu Ning didn’t know anything about the plans of his sister and his brother-in-law.

The next day, Xu Ning went to Yunze Mountains again and picked the remaining Heal-all Plants.

This time he had better luck. Although he encountered a beast, it eventually left after a brief confrontation.

Xu Ning brought the Heal-all Plants to Guo Ye’s medicinal shop.

This time, the total weight of the Heal-all Plants was around 23 pounds, but Guo Ye still gave him 150 taels.

“You made 300 taels in two days, wow…”

Guo Ye’s tone was full of envy and jealousy.

Xu Ning did not put away Guo Ye’s silver note immediately.

“Did my sister come here?”

Xu Ning asked.

“Yes, she did.” Guo Ye patted his head. “She came in the morning and asked about you selling the Heal-all Plants. She was afraid that there was something suspicious with how you made the money. But after I told her, she was relieved.”

After hearing this, Xu Ning asked, “You didn’t say that I still have more Heal-all Plants that I can pick and sell to you, right?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Guo Ye responded.

“Good, don’t tell her.”

Xu Ning said.

Guo Ye noticed something wrong. “Why, this time you made another 150 taels. You don’t want your sister to know?”

“Sort of…”

“By the way, I have something to ask you…” Xu Ning didn’t wait for Guo Ye to speak. He said, “Uncle Yungang is in the medicine business, so he should be able to get his hands on spirit medicine, right?”

If Xu Ning wanted to increase his strength, he needed energy points, and absorbing the energy in spirit medicine was the only method Xu Ning knew to obtain more energy points.

He wanted to see if Guo Ye had spirit medicine here and whether it could be absorbed.

“He can…”

Guo Ye nodded. “But I have rarely seen any. Generally, when we receive any, we sell it to the county city immediately. Why do you ask? The price of spirit medicine is not low; it’s at least 200 taels of silver.”

“200 taels of silver…”

Xu Ning was a little intrigued.

Right now he had two hundred taels of silver in his hands.

“Are there any in the store now?”

Xu Ning asked.

Guo Ye eyebrows furrowed. “There are… Do you want to buy some?”

“Let me see it.”

Xu Ning smiled.

Guo Ye realized that Xu Ning wasn’t joking so he said, “You don’t want your sister to know about this batch of silver because you want to buy spirit medicine?”

Xu Ning answered with silence.

Guo Ye looked at Xu Ning with an astonished look, and after a second, he said, “Wait right here…”

He turned around and went to the backyard. He then brought back three wooden boxes.

Guo Ye put the three wooden boxes on the counter and opened them one by one.

“Three spirit medicine plants.”

Guo Ye explained.

Xu Ning leaned forward.

“These three are Star Clover, Spiky Thorn, and Swallowtail.”

Guo Ye introduced them to Xu Ning separately.

Xu Ning looked at the three spirit medicine and was intrigued.

He carefully pressed his finger on the emerald green Star Clover.

—

Discovered energy: 3 units

Absorb?

Yes/No

—

A white light flashed in front of Xu Ning’s eyes.

‘I knew it. The energy-absorbing panel came out again!’

Xu Ning looked at the 3 units of energy absorption reminder. He suddenly felt uncertain.

Once the energy was absorbed, the Star Clover would wither instantly, and his own secrets would be exposed.

Xu Ning controlled himself.

He turned to Guo Ye. “How much is the Star Clover?”

Guo Ye couldn’t see the Martial Arts Panel floating in front of Xu Ning. He only saw that Xu Ning’s expression changed after touching the Star Clover.

“This is a little more expensive, 400 taels.”

Xu Ning felt chills in his body.

‘So expensive.’

He then touched the Spiky Thorn.

—

Discovered energy: 2 units

Absorb?

Yes/No

—

“This is 230 taels.”

Guo Ye took the initiative to tell him the price.

“230 taels…”

Xu Ning put down the Spiky Thorn in his hand.

From a cost-benefit perspective, the Spiky Thorn was obviously more cost-effective than the Star Clover.

Xu Ning then looked at the Swallowtail.

—

Discovered energy: 3 units

Absorb?

Yes/No

—

‘This is also 3 units of energy…’

There was still a gap between Xu Ning and the intermediate realm of the Gale Knife Technique.

“Swallowtail, this one is cheap, 190 taels.”

Xu Ning was overjoyed by Guo Ye’s words.

“Perhaps because of its characteristics and rarity, the energy units contained are the same, but the price difference is huge.”

Xu Ning finally understood now.

He closed the wooden box of Swallowtail Flower and said to Guo Ye, “I want the Swallowtail fFower.”

“You really want it?”

Guo Ye had an incomprehensible expression on his face. “This spirit medicine is useless to you. My uncle said that only those who practice internal skills can use the Swallowtail Flower to improve their health.”

“Don’t worry about it, I have my own uses.”

Xu Ning took out the 50-tael silver note returned by Xu Lian from yesterday.

Combined with the 150 taels in his hand, a total of 200 taels were handed to Guo Ye. “Give me change.”

“Um…”

Guo Ye originally wanted to persuade him otherwise, but when he saw Xu Ning’s firm expression, he finally shook his head. “Okay… If you regret it, just come back and refund it.”

Guo Ye gave 20 taels back to Xu Ning. “180 taels total.”

“Thanks.”

Xu Ning understood Guo Ye’s concern for him. He would remember Guo Ye’s good intentions.

After receiving the goods, Xu Ning did not stick around. He quickly went home.

After returning home and greeting Tao Tao, Xu Ning closed his door tightly, took out the wooden box, and pinched the Swallowtail Flower.

—

Discovered energy: 3 units-

Absorb?

Yes/No

—

“Yes!”

With the goods in Xu Ning’s hand, he did not hesitate.

—

Name: Xu Ning

Martial Art: Gale Knife Technique (elementary)+

Available energy: 6 units

—

“I have 6 units of energy…”

Xu Ning looked at the “+” sign besides the Gale Sword Technique.

—

Consume 6 units of energy to level up the Gale Knife Technique?

Yes/No

—

“Yes!”

Xu Ning confirmed his selection.

Wow!

Just like the last time he was promoted.

In Xu Ning’s mind, his knowledge and understanding of the Gale Knife Technique had risen to a new realm.

His body had gained more instinctive models of the Gale Knife Technique.

In just a few seconds, Xu Ning’s Gale Knife Technique was improved from elementary to intermediate realm!

Xu Ning had a feeling that if he met the same six black wolves again, relying on his intermediate realm Gale Knife Technique, he could easily avoid injury and defeat them swiftly.

‘I feel so relieved!’

Xu Ning’s heart was full of pleasure after his sudden increase in power.

“Other than those prodigies, going from the elementary realm to the intermediate realm takes a martial artist three to ten years, but I only took a few days!”

Although Xu Ning already knew the strength of the Martial Arts Panel, he still felt overwhelmed.

As long as he had enough energy, his increase in power was only a matter of time.

“I have to get more energy!”

Xu Ning’s eyes were full of enthusiasm.