Tiger Fist Touching Tiger [Requesting Recommendation Votes]

The greatest truths are the simplest.

[Su Yang]

[Martial Arts/Skills: Herbal Recognition (Perfect), Tiger Form Fist (Beginner 0/100)]

[Simplified point: 27.4]

"simplify!"

Su Yang looked at the 27.4 simplification points on the panel and immediately confirmed it. These simplification points were accumulated over the past few days by taking the remaining two pills given to him by Honglan, plus the daily servant's simple meals and today's medicine boy's meal.

[You consumed 10 Simplification Points to simplify Tiger Fist... Simplifying... Simplification successful... Tiger Fist = Touching the Tiger!]

"Touching a tiger??"

"this........."

Su Yang was stunned when he saw the simplified result.

Where can we find tigers in Jingling City?

Even if he did, wouldn't it be like giving a tiger extra food if he, a novice medicine apprentice, went to touch it?

"Huh? I can't catch the tiger, so... what's on a tiger... tiger skin, tiger bones, tiger claws, do they count as a 'tiger'?"

Su Yang frowned for a long time, then suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him, and he thought to himself.

He remembered that in the medicine cabinet against the wall in the medicinal cuisine room, there was a drawer with the words "Tiger's Shin Bone" clearly pasted on it.

Old Zheng had already rested, and the sound of his even, long breathing could be heard from inside the room.

Su Yang suppressed the urge to touch it immediately.

Moving around the medicine cabinet late at night would be too noisy and might disturb Old Zheng, which would only make things worse.

It would be better to wait until tomorrow and openly use the opportunity of dispensing medicine to touch it.

.........

The next morning, before dawn, Su Yang got up.

He tiptoed to the medicinal cuisine room and cleaned it first.

Just as I finished wiping the medicine cabinet, Zheng Shanfu's voice came from the doorway: "You're up early."

"Good morning, Mr. Zheng."

Su Yang quickly bowed.

Old Zheng nodded, walked into the room, and glanced at the neatly arranged medicine shelves. A look of satisfaction appeared on his face. He asked, "How was the Tiger Form Fist manual I gave you yesterday?"

"The little one read it several times last night, and memorized the diagrams and formulas."

Su Yang answered truthfully.

"Write it down, that's just the first step." Old Zheng said, walking to an open space in the courtyard. He slightly lowered his body, bent his knees, arched his back, and placed his hands lightly on his sides: "This is the 'Tiger Crouching Stance.' Do it as I see it."

Su Yang put down the rag in his hand, walked to Old Zheng's side, and struck the same pose.

Although it was his first time practicing, the system simplified Tiger Form Boxing to "touching a tiger," which seemed to give him an instinctive affinity for the "tiger form." In this stance, although his legs and feet were unsteady and his waist lacked strength, his "lying down and gathering power" posture had a certain flavor, unlike the stiffness and looseness of a beginner.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed across Old Zheng's eyes.

He walked to Su Yang's side and gently pressed his left hand on Su Yang's lower back: "Don't be rigid here, be relaxed but not slack, like a bow that has not yet been drawn."

He slapped the outside of his thigh with his right hand: "Sink your hips, stabilize your base."

Su Yang adjusted as instructed and immediately felt his lower body become more stable, and his waist and back also felt more relaxed.

"Maintain this posture, breathe deeply and evenly, and visualize a tiger lying on a hillside, waiting for its chance to strike." Old Zheng stepped back two steps: "Stand for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

For the first few dozen breaths, Su Yang was able to maintain his strength.

But soon, my thighs began to ache and tremble, my back felt like it was carrying a heavy load, and my breathing became erratic.

He closed his eyes, trying hard to recall the image of a crouching tiger in the boxing manual, and the meaning of "as heavy as a rock, as fast as thunder" in the mantra, gritting his teeth and persevering.

Tiger Style Boxing (Beginner Level 1/100)

At the same time, Su Yang noticed that the Tiger Fist skill had gained a little more proficiency on the panel.

Old Zheng watched quietly from the side, thinking to himself, "Nine out of ten people who practice standing meditation for the first time will find their form and energy scattered within ten breaths. This boy may have weak bones and muscles, but his temperament is steady, and his posture has not fallen apart... That's quite rare."

Before an incense stick had burned out, Su Yang was already trembling slightly, his inner shirt soaked with sweat.

Tiger Style Boxing (Beginner Level 13/100)

At the same time, he noticed that the panel in his mind was flashing.

Seeing this, Old Zheng said, "That's enough, stop and get up."

Su Yang slowly straightened up, feeling soreness and numbness in his waist and legs, but a faint warm current was flowing in the place where he had exerted the most effort.

Old Master Zheng rarely showed a hint of approval: "Remember this feeling. If you practice boxing but not stance training, you'll have wasted your life. Stance training is the foundation."

"I will remember this."

"Hmm." Old Zheng turned and walked towards the medicine cabinet: "Today we need to prepare 'Strengthening Tendons and Bones Powder'. First, go and get three ounces of tiger shin bones and grind them into coarse powder."

"Yes, Elder Zheng."

Su Yang's heart skipped a beat. He quickly walked to the medicine cabinet and opened the drawer labeled "tiger bone".

Inside, there were seven or eight neatly arranged, fist-sized pieces of tiger bone, waxy yellow in color, heavy in texture, and emitting a faint fishy smell.

He reached out and picked up a piece.

It feels cold and hard to the touch.

Just the instant the fingertip touches the bone.

Touching the tiger's bones increases Tiger-Style Fist proficiency by 1.

[Martial Arts/Skills: Tiger Form Fist (Beginner 14/100)]

A notification panel quietly appears!

"Feeling the tiger's bones really works!"

Su Yang suppressed his excitement and remained expressionless. He touched it three more times, increasing his proficiency by three points.

But Old Zheng was weighing other medicinal herbs not far behind him, so he couldn't rub them repeatedly.

Su Yang's mind raced. While selecting tiger bones, he deliberately picked out a slightly smaller piece, about the size of a pigeon egg, and secretly held it in his left palm.

The right hand is used for normal medication dispensing and weighing.

Old Zheng did not notice anything unusual.

After finishing breakfast, Su Yang worked while tucking his left hand into his sleeve and repeatedly rubbing the small tiger bone piece in his palm with his fingertips.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

……

Each successful touch brings a little more skill.

Tiger Style Fist (Proficient 1/500)

At 10 a.m., Old Master Zheng was called away by his wife to discuss matters. Su Yang was alone in the medicinal cuisine room, touching tiger bones as he looked after the food. Suddenly, the panel in his mind flashed.

at the same time.

A stream of information flowed into his mind, and a warm current suddenly gushed out from the soles of his feet, coursing through his limbs and nourishing his bones.

He felt his muscles becoming firmer and his strength doubling.

"Wow! This simplification is really great!"

"The Tiger Form Fist at the proficient level has strengthened my body, doubling my strength. Now, if I were to deal with Chen Le, it would be as easy as catching a chick!" Su Yang felt the surge of power emanating from his body, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

This feeling of having control over power is just so exhilarating!

This made him even more eager to learn about the Tiger Form Fist at the Lesser Completion stage.

Just as Su Yang was feeling the newfound power within his body, the door to the medicinal cuisine room was pushed open.

Old Zheng returned, his face bearing an unusual solemnity.

"Su Yang, put down what you're doing." Old Zheng sat down, picked up his teacup, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Madam just summoned the stewards of each household for two matters."

Su Yang stopped what he was doing and listened respectfully.

"First, the troops of Du Fuwei of the Jianghuai Army have been stationed in the 'Black Wind Ridge' area, a hundred miles away from Jingling. Although they have not attacked the city, refugees have already appeared, and people are in a state of panic. The prefecture must strengthen its defenses."

Du Fuwei!

Su Yang felt a chill run down his spine.

This was a powerful figure at the end of the Sui Dynasty. If he were to approach Jingling, wealthy families like the Huang family would inevitably be the first to suffer.

"The second item."

Old Master Zheng looked at Su Yang with a particularly deep gaze: "To protect the family, the master has decided to increase the number of guards, raising the quota to fifty. There may be more if needed later. All male servants and medicine boys in the manor can apply. This time it is different from the past - all those who are admitted, regardless of their original status, will be freed from slavery and become official guards in the manor. They will sign a contract, receive a monthly salary, and can learn martial arts."

Su Yang's heart skipped a beat!

Free yourself from slavery!