Chapter 0007: The Path of Martial Arts is in Progress

After advancing to the intermediate level of martial artists, the disparity in strength is no longer critical. Historically, three out of the four recorded individuals perished due to being besieged. The host has invested a significant amount of time and resources in this, resulting in a very low cost-performance ratio

3. Discover the simplest and most direct method for muscle and bone training, known as the 'Hammering Medicinal Bath Method.' This involves arranging for others to continuously and evenly strike the host's body with a blunt instrument during their practice, enhancing the muscle and bone's resistance to impact. Additionally, the medicinal bath will further strengthen this effect. Following this method, the host is expected to reach the first rank in approximately one month. Currently, three medicinal bath recipes have been collected; please prepare the medicine according to the recipes.

As for why Lin Ze did not join in the festivities, it is indeed because a legitimate son does not have the qualification to sit at the same table as esteemed guests. Lin's father could advocate for him to such an extent only because he is the first male descendant of the Lin family and currently the only heir, as there is not yet a legitimate son in the Lin residence

Father Lin first looked at Lin Ze with surprise, then felt somewhat relieved, and immediately promised: "Alright, the collection of books at home, including the martial arts manuals, is in my study. Starting tomorrow, you can come and go freely to read them. If you have any questions, you can ask Grandpa Lian or Uncle Wu. As for some secret martial arts techniques, now that you have the 'True Explanation of the Dragon Turtle,' you need not read more. Additionally, I will ask your two adoptive uncles for two tokens tomorrow, so you can access the libraries of Marquis Wucheng and Marquis Zhongxin, and I will also take the opportunity to introduce you to your two adoptive uncles. As for the residence of Lord Wuan, I will have your grandmother arrange it for you."

Lin Ze rolled his eyes, thinking it shouldn't be the case. Having a solid foundation established early on would definitely yield significant benefits; it must be that you haven't realized it yet. I'll go and empty a few more libraries tomorrow, and then you can analyze it thoroughly. Although Lin's father is a young genius, his foundation is still too weak, so he still needs to seek support from powerful figures. Lost in thought, Lin Ze looked at the two plaques in his arms and couldn't help but smile happily.

Initially, the reform was carried out by appointing Shang Jun, Chancellor Lü Chunqiu, and Chief Justice Li Si in political matters, while military leadership was entrusted to generals such as Gongsun Qi, Wang Jian, and Meng Ao. The focus was on strengthening internal capabilities and expanding territory externally, seizing resources. After a span of 260 years, the world was finally unified under one rule, with the exception of remote areas and the seas. In this world, only one voice governed, that of Emperor Qin Zheng. Throughout the four seas, both aristocratic families and sects bowed their heads in submission.

Without hesitation, I immediately ran to the back courtyard to find Father Lin and Gongsun Yue: "Father, Mother, Ze'er has just begun to learn martial arts and feels that his knowledge is insufficient. I would like to broaden my horizons and sincerely request your assistance in reading the family and friends' collection of books"

Lin Ze obediently called out "Uncle," and Wang Ben responded with a hearty laugh: "You’ve already met on your first day in Chang'an. If you need anything in the future, feel free to look for me. Don’t let your stepmother bully you." Lin Ze broke into a cold sweat, and Lin's father was at a loss for words: "Forget it, what does the feud between the Marquis of Wu'an and the Marquis of Wu Cheng have to do with dragging a child into it"

Finally, a prompt sound rang out from Xiao Jin: "Data analysis complete. Based on the current situation of the host, there are three main points: First, correct the host's previous misconception of possessing a tremendous strength of one hundred thousand pounds at the third rank. All data indicates that only a few individuals in historical records have reached this level at the peak of the third rank, including the usurper Da Yi from the mid-Daxia period, the last emperor of the Shang Dynasty, Di Xin, the ancient war god Chi You, and Kong Qiu, who is known as a sage in later generations due to his innate dual pupils. It is estimated that it will be very difficult for the host to reach this rank, and it is advised that the host should not aim too high.

After finishing her dressing, she hurriedly had breakfast and then followed Father Lin to open the door, waiting by the entrance. Before long, two carriages approached from a distance, one in front of the other. The front carriage was drawn by two brown high-headed horses, approximately over 2 meters tall and more than 3 meters long, moving slowly with great strength. The carriage was also adorned with somewhat austere metallic decorations; the rear carriage was pulled by two pure white horses, and its decorations were primarily made of jade.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries among the three, Father Lin quickly pulled Lin Ze out and introduced him to the two: "This is my son Lin Ze, and from now on, I hope you two brothers will take good care of him." After saying this, he pointed to General Wang and introduced him: "This is your uncle Wang Ben, the heir of the Duke of Wucheng, currently serving as a Zhonglang General, a truly formidable figure, whom you can occasionally rely on for support."

Wang Ben laughed heartily and said, "I really appreciate your straightforwardness, Third Brother. Just ask for what you want directly; it's much better than Second Brother's hesitance. I have a plaque here that I will give directly to my nephew Ze'er. He can read the books in the library as he pleases, for as long as he wants. When I return, I will inform the doorman properly. If he wishes to go, he can simply take a carriage, and someone will guide him there."

From the carriage, one can discern the personalities of the two guests. Indeed, the first to alight from the first carriage was General Wang, whom Lin Ze had encountered that day, and the second to emerge from the second carriage was indeed a dashing young gentleman.

Lin Ze briefly glanced at a portion of it. Aside from the introduction of other historical figures at the beginning, most of the content focuses on the great achievements of the contemporary great figure, Emperor Qin. There are also the illustrious deeds of the 13 official masters of the present age, among whom more than one has the experience of slaying a master. Perhaps a few of them are not merely masters, but even reach the divine soul realm as described in the final part of "The True Explanation of the Dragon Turtle"

As various feudal lords rose to power, they vied for supremacy over the realm, leading to incessant warfare, during which numerous heroes emerged, a period historically referred to as the "Chaos of the States." Although the Qin state steadily grew stronger in its early years, it remained in a disadvantaged position, suffering territorial losses and reparations at the hands of neighboring strong states such as Chu, Zhao, and Wei, until the ascension of the greatest emperor of the age, Qin Shi Huang.

Fortunately, this time Lin's father's vacation happened to be consecutive. Perhaps he explained the situation to his superior, as the very next morning, he called Lin Ze to get up, changed him into new clothes, shoes, and socks, dressing him in a pure light blue silk outfit, and secured his neatly styled hair with a hairpin, making him look even more like a young nobleman.

Father Lin hurriedly approached, only to see General Wang embrace both individuals and loudly exclaim, "Second brother, Third brother, it has been a long time!" His tone was filled with warmth, yet it sent shivers down Lin Ze's spine; surely, societal norms were not this liberal.

Lin Ze was overjoyed and quickly bowed, saying: "Thank you, Father and Grandmother." After speaking, he contentedly returned to rest, awaiting the surprise of the following day

Gongsun Yue also nodded in agreement. She then called for Wu Bo to arrange for people to deliver documents to the residences of Marquis Wu Cheng and Marquis Zhong Xin, agreeing to meet at the Lin residence for a drink the following day. Gongsun Yue then summoned Aunt Liu, instructing her to make some arrangements for a visit to the residence of Duke Wu An with her stepson in a few days.

The Zhou Emperor Ji Chang led his people to destroy the Shang Dynasty, which had the Xuan Bird as its totem, and established the unified Zhou Dynasty. He promptly granted fiefs to his meritorious subjects across the four seas. The ancestors of the Qin were assigned to the far west, and over the years, as they engaged in constant warfare with the western Rong tribes, they gradually grew stronger. In contrast, the Zhou Dynasty weakened step by step with the passage of time. The royal family of Zhou began to assert their independence, and with the death of the last great master, Duke of Zhou, the dynasty reached its nadir. Eventually, the northern Di tribes allied with the western Rong tribes to invade Yin capital, plundering extensively. Although they were ultimately defeated due to the intervention of the feudal lords, the Zhou Dynasty never recovered and eventually faced annihilation. The ancestors of the Qin, through their continuous battles with the western Rong tribes, steadily grew in strength, while the Zhou Dynasty, over time, became increasingly frail. The royal family of Zhou declared independence, and following the death of the last great master, Duke of Zhou, the dynasty weakened to its utmost limit. Ultimately, the northern Di tribes collaborated with the western Rong tribes to conquer the Yin capital, engaging in rampant looting. Although they were defeated due to the assistance of the feudal lords, the Zhou Dynasty never regained its former strength and ultimately met its demise.

A brief introduction: As a group of people entered the living room, the servants had already served tea and snacks, attending to them. It was the host, Father Lin, who spoke first: "Today, I have invited both of you brothers over not only to catch up after a long time but also because my son has just arrived in Chang'an, unfamiliar with the place and still young. As I have been residing in the palace for a long time, I have not had the time to look after him. Therefore, I kindly ask both of you brothers to take care of him more often. Additionally, Ze'er has just begun his martial arts journey and wishes to read more books to broaden his knowledge. Our household has a limited collection of books, so I also request both of you brothers to assist in borrowing some from your residences."

Additionally, the current information is limited. Please expedite the collection of other data, and Xiao Jin will further seek methods to accelerate the host's evolution

It is uncertain whether Gongsun Yue does not wish to meet with Lin's two sworn brothers. Throughout the entire day, Lin Ze was unable to find her, and others also did not know where she had gone. He could only return to the courtyard to practice on his own. Moreover, Grandpa Lian was also drinking with Lin's father and the others, so he had not been taught for a short while.

While speaking, he stuffed a plaque into Lin Ze's arms. Lin Ze took a look and found it was a square plaque made of high-quality pure gold, with "Wu Cheng" engraved on the front and "Ben" inscribed on the north side, likely a personal token of Wang Ben. He promptly tucked it safely into his bosom, considering that even as gold, it should be worth at least 10 gold coins. It would be good to exchange it for money someday if it was not needed. He wondered if Wang Ben would give him a beating if he knew what he was thinking at that moment.

Lin Ze also called out "Second Uncle" as instructed, and couldn't help but roll his eyes. Are you sure you haven't time-traveled or been reborn? You've even managed to get both of these strong legs for yourself.

After a brief glance, it indeed met Lin Ze's expectations. This is a historical book that narrates the history of the Great Qin from its founding to its unification of the world. It is largely similar to the history Lin Ze has read, resembling a mythical version of ancient times, with the existence of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.

Wang Ben snorted and said, "Fine, I will give you face today and not say anything. They in the residence of Lord Wu'an know what they have done themselves"

Lin Ze quickly took it over, nodding in agreement, his heart filled with joy. Reincarnation is indeed a skillful endeavor; modern people do not deceive me. I effortlessly obtained what I desired. It is a pity that my cheap father could be a bit more socially connected. However, I also have a stepmother with a strong background, which combined represents nearly a quarter of the entire power of the Great Qin. The information obtained should be sufficient to optimize the cultivation method and accelerate the speed of my training.

Father Lin, feeling helpless, could only introduce another person: "This is your second uncle, Meng Tian, the heir of the Marquis of Zhongxin. He currently holds a position in the Shaofu and is well-versed in knowledge. If you encounter any issues in martial arts in the future, you can seek his assistance."

After Lin Ze realized that there are no shortcuts in martial arts, he settled down and repeatedly practiced the "True Explanation of the Dragon Turtle." Finally, with a hint from Xiao Jin, he reached the limit of his physical capabilities for the day. Looking back, he saw his comprehensive physical data as 1.0 (1.5). The gains from the first day of practice were immense, but Lin Ze ultimately could not suppress the temptation induced by Xiao Jin. The allure of a hundred thousand pounds of strength was overwhelming. Since he wanted to embark on this path to explore the scenery of martial arts, why not pursue it even better?

In Lin's father's study, there were not many books, with a total of about 300 volumes across several bookshelves. Among them, those related to martial arts constituted only half, and the vast majority were of the fire attribute. Xiao Jin completed the scanning in just two minutes. The information scanned by Xiao Jin allowed Lin Ze to view it in his mind at any time, but it was not directly inserted into Lin Ze's brain. While Xiao Jin was organizing the information, Lin Ze picked up a copy of "The Great Qin Chronicle" to read, which was the thickest book in the room.

Meng Tian also took out a jade pendant from his bosom and said with a smile: "With this jade pendant, you can access most areas of the residence, but there will be someone to guide you. The residence is large and crowded, so please be a little cautious when you go."

After the matter was settled, Lin Ze was dismissed. The three brothers began to discuss martial arts, and Grandpa Lian, who was staying at the residence, was also invited over. This had nothing to do with Lin Ze, as their weakest member was at the fifth rank, and he wouldn't understand even a casual remark. Lin Ze obediently went to his father's study to read books.

Subsequently, Lin Ze did not adopt the "hammering medicinal bath method" proposed by Xiao Jin. Although it sounds somewhat reasonable, in the absence of sufficient information, who knows if it might be a trap? I am only five years old this year, and I still have plenty of time ahead.