Chapter 1  

[Host: Lu Changsheng]

[Comprehension: 98 (average)]

Lu Changsheng looked at the attribute panel in front of him with a strange expression.

With a comprehension value as high as 98, yet being labeled as “average,” it could only mean that the standard value should be 100.

Comprehension, Lu Changsheng could roughly understand what it meant.

However, what use did this attribute panel have?

Upon careful consideration, he had been in this world for over a month now.

At the beginning, Lu Changsheng was a beggar struggling on the brink of death. A little over a month ago, Miaoshou Garden recruited a large number of apprentices, and Lu Changsheng, with his cleverness, was taken in as an apprentice by Miaoshou Garden.

Miaoshou Garden was a prestigious medical family with many pharmacies under it, spread throughout the city of Nanyang.

Even in several other cities around Nanyang, there were pharmacies of Miaoshou Garden.

Becoming an apprentice of Miaoshou Garden, although it was tiring and kept him busy all day, at least ensured three meals a day.

However, apprentices did not receive any wages.

Only after becoming a master or transferring to another position within Miaoshou Garden would there be a salary.

But when Lu Changsheng first arrived, he had experienced the feeling of going hungry, so he was quite satisfied with his current life.

The only thing he hadn’t figured out so far was this attribute panel.

It seemed that he hadn’t found the right way to use it, as the attribute panel hadn’t changed at all.

“Bang, bang, bang.”

“Wake up, wake up.”

The shout of the steward resounded within Miaoshou Garden.

Lu Changsheng abruptly opened his eyes, quickly got up, put on his clothes, and hurried to the courtyard of Miaoshou Garden.

It was already the early morning hours, around five o’clock.

But in Miaoshou Garden, all the apprentices had to get up early in the morning and start a busy day of work from dawn until evening.

Fifteen minutes later, all the apprentices gathered in the courtyard.

The steward called out names one by one.

“Chen Zhao, Chen Zhao.”

The steward called “Chen Zhao” several times in a row, but there was no response from anyone.

After a while, a young man arrived late, his face flushed, and he said, “Steward, I… I’m here.”

The steward glanced at him and said coldly, “Name.”

“Chen Zhao.”

“For being late without a valid reason, you’ll receive ten lashes and won’t be allowed to eat today.”

Chen Zhao’s face turned pale, and he was then dragged to the side by two burly men, who proceeded to lash him severely in front of everyone.

“Ah…”

Chen Zhao’s screams sent a shiver down the spines of all the apprentices.

Miaoshou Garden was good in many ways, but it had strict rules.

Latecomers, slackers, and rule-breakers would be severely punished.action

If someone continued to violate the rules, they might even be beaten to death.

Chen Zhao was left barely conscious and was dragged back to the backyard, leaving the entire courtyard in stunned silence.

The steward scanned the crowd and then spoke, “You’ve been at Miaoshou Garden for over a month now, and your bodies are mostly recovered. Today, we’ll begin formal martial arts training.”

“My Miaoshou Garden is a medical family, and in our tradition, medicine and martial arts go hand in hand. If you want to become a good physician, you need a strong and healthy body.”

“For the next month, the Miaoshou Garden security team will instruct you in martial arts under the guidance of Master Liu.”

“Remember, study diligently. This could be the opportunity that changes your fate!”

The steward, in fact, had a stern appearance but a warm heart. He had even explained the “importance” of this martial arts training to all the apprentices.

Lu Changsheng’s expression brightened.

“Martial arts?”

“I’ve heard that Miaoshou Garden has martial artists, especially in the security team, where all of them are martial artists.”

“I didn’t expect us apprentices to have the opportunity to learn martial arts too?”

“This is a chance we must seize…”

Like Lu Changsheng, those who were recruited into Miaoshou Garden as apprentices were not stupid. They immediately understood the importance of “martial arts,” and each one of them focused intently on Master Liu.

Master Liu was already in his sixties, but he had a youthful appearance, full of vitality.

“Hehe, Steward Zhang has already made it clear earlier. Medicine and martial arts are closely related. If you excel in martial arts, whether you join the security team or become a physician in the future, there are significant benefits.”

“Alright, no more talking. I will start teaching you the Grand River Vitality Technique…”

As Master Liu began to demonstrate martial arts, many apprentices started following along.

Lu Changsheng meticulously imitated the movements, which felt awkward and required deep concentration. But for some reason, the more he practiced, the more restless he felt.

Finally, after completing the entire set of the Grand River Vitality Technique, Lu Changsheng suddenly saw his attribute panel in front of him.

[Host: Lu Changsheng]

[Comprehension: 98 (average)]

[Grand River Vitality Technique: Unacquainted]

Practicing the Grand River Vitality Technique seemed to have some effect.

Although it was awkward, Lu Changsheng felt a warm sensation throughout his body, as if he had gained more strength.

Moreover, the attribute panel now displayed the Grand River Vitality Technique, but it showed “Unacquainted.”

“Your bodies are still weak, so you can only practice the Grand River Vitality Technique for one hour each day. Practicing more would be detrimental to your health.”

“To master the Grand River Vitality Technique, you must be able to sense your own qi and blood. Anyone who can sense their qi and blood will be able to move it actively, without the need for these cumbersome movements.”

“These movements are only meant to help beginners better sense their qi and blood. Within a month, anyone who can sense their qi and blood should come to find me.”

“Now, continue your practice.”

After saying this, Master Liu sat in a chair, supervising the apprentices’ practice.

Soon, an hour passed.

Lu Changsheng still hadn’t mastered the Grand River Vitality Technique, and after an hour of practice, he felt some soreness in his body. This martial art couldn’t be practiced for too long.

After the one-hour practice session, the apprentices began their daily chores.

The tasks at Miaoshou Garden weren’t too strenuous, but they were complex.

Every day, apprentices needed to identify various herbs, cultivate them, dry them, and process them into medicinal materials.

In short, they worked from early morning until late at night, with hardly a moment’s rest.

By evening, Lu Changsheng lay on the large bed.

Beside him was a fellow apprentice named Zhou Sheng.

Zhou Sheng had a somewhat shrewd personality and enjoyed gathering all kinds of information. He also liked to show off.

The room was pitch black, and most of the apprentices were getting ready to sleep. However, Zhou Sheng suddenly spoke up, “Do you guys know why Master Liu asked us to master martial arts within a month?”

Now, the apprentices were wide awake.

Anything related to “martial arts” naturally piqued their interest.

Especially since it seemed to affect their future.

“Zhou Sheng, do you have some information?”

“Zhou Sheng, what’s going on?”

“I saved a piece of fatty meat for you at lunch.”

“Yes, I saved a bone for you too.”

“I still have a piece of candy from a few days ago, that’s for you as well.”

The apprentices took out the little treasures they had saved, most of which were food items.

After all, apprentices didn’t receive wages, so they had to secretly save some food.

Zhou Sheng was pleased and said with a smile, “Alright, give me your stuff, and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Master Liu is no ordinary person; he is an instructor for the security team. I heard that many martial artists in the security team were trained by Master Liu.”

“The reason Master Liu gave us a one-month limit is to select apprentices with talent in martial arts. Anyone who can master the Grand River Vitality Technique within a month will be taken to the security team by Master Liu and trained as security personnel.”

“That’s a huge step up. In the security team, even apprentices receive a salary every month, and they have various medicinal diets every day. They all have robust and strong physiques. I heard the food is excellent, with plenty of meat. Oh, the taste…”

As soon as “meat” was mentioned, the apprentices couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

Although Miaoshou Garden provided meals, meat was scarce.

Clearly, being selected for the security team offered much better treatment than the other apprentices.

“So that’s how it is.”

“We need to practice the Grand River Vitality Technique diligently.”

“Getting into the security team is the best choice. Otherwise, we’ll have to start as miscellaneous apprentices, then become pharmacist apprentices, and finally pharmacists. It would take at least ten years or more, and we might not even become pharmacists. We’d continue doing miscellaneous chores…”

Although the apprentices had only recently arrived at Miaoshou Garden, they had already started competing with each other.

Lu Changsheng, upon hearing this, also wanted to practice the Grand River Vitality Technique more. However, after trying to practice, he felt sore all over.

He understood that haste makes waste.

Master Liu had said to practice for one hour each day, so he would stick to that. Overdoing it would harm his body.

“There must be a way to progress faster in mastering the Grand River Vitality Technique…”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.