Chapter 0009: On the Importance of Martial Arts Resources

The resources for martial artists' training are primarily divided into three aspects: 1. Grains. Since the ancient sages domesticated the five grains, grains have always been the most important source of energy for human consumption, without exception, used to sustain life and become stronger, refined through countless experiments and improvements.

Gongsun Yue thought that it was still manageable for the time being, while Xiao Yang and Xiao Liu let out a sigh of relief, knowing that they would not have to compete with this young master for a piece of meat in the future, as he would have consumed it all.

Lin Ze couldn't help but feel his face flush with embarrassment. He consciously sat down at a smaller table, next to which were the two maids assigned to him, who were busy serving soup, cutting meat, and plating the food.

Lin Ze approached while contacting Xiao Jin in his mind. Xiao Jin, who had copied so much information, immediately sent a message to Lin Ze.

Before Gongsun Yue was a large bowl of fragrant fine rice, not because Gongsun Yue was treating him poorly, but because Lin Zewu's martial arts level was very low, and consuming fine rice was entirely a waste.

Lin Ze followed Gongsun Yue into the side dining hall. The Qin people emphasize separate dining, which essentially means each person has a small table. Both tables were already filled with dishes, and a strong aroma continuously assaulted Lin Ze's sense of taste and internal organs. It was quite embarrassing that Lin Ze's stomach began to grumble restlessly, drawing the attention of the waitresses in the dining hall.

Upon returning to the Lin residence, Lin Ze did not linger for long. Taking advantage of the remaining time today, he consulted with Gongsun Yue and then called upon Wu Bo to assist in preparing a carriage to head towards the residences of the other two义伯. He did not even have lunch, taking only some snacks before departing

Gongsun Yue, seeing that he was not moving, impatiently said, "Hurry up and go, what are you standing there for?" Lin Ze hurriedly shook off the sorrowful emotions in his mind, wondering what was happening; how had he become so sentimental after getting younger? He then quickly followed her.

In the deep mountains and forests of Northeast China, there exists a nation established by indigenous people of the wilderness. It is said that the citizens are slender and tall, hence the country's name is Goryeo. As early as the time when the Qin state unified the realm, over one hundred beauties, led by a princess, were sent to the Qin Emperor as tribute, declaring their allegiance. Therefore, they were not subjected to military campaigns. Of course, there were also reasons related to the difficulty of marching large armies in the deep mountains and forests, making war a costly endeavor.

Lin Ze couldn't help but ask, "What is this made of? It smells really good." Xiao Yang quickly brought him a bowl of soup and said, "Young Master, this is a nourishing soup made by simmering various top-grade medicinal herbs with large bones, which can assist in accelerating the cultivation of martial arts."

Lin Ze smiled in response and said, "Hmm, thank you, stepmother." Lin Ze was indeed very grateful to this stepmother, as she had done exceptionally well, providing advanced martial arts techniques, an excellent mentor, and preparing the necessary resources for cultivation

The abundant energy within Lin Ze filled him with excitement, and he became enthusiastic about eating. He directly dismissed the maid's assistance in cutting the meat and picked up a whole thigh to gnaw on. Even Gongsun Yue was taken aback, watching him consume it bit by bit, which was a portion prepared for five adults.

Having thought this through, I feel somewhat better. Moreover, Lin Ze is just a child beginning his journey in martial arts; how much resources can he possibly consume? At most, I can allocate a portion of the profits from the shops and farmlands that I brought as my dowry to support his training. Well, it is decided in such a pleasant manner.

Edible grains are now classified into four grades: ordinary rice, good rice, superior polished rice, and excellent tribute rice, which respectively promote the martial arts training of ordinary individuals and martial artists of ranks one, two, and three, and now also serve as a symbol of grade classification

He then spoke to comfort Lin Ze, "You need not worry; since the matriarch has agreed to nurture you, she will certainly not fall short in providing for your needs"

Martial arts, simply put, is a process of continuously cultivating one's own body and achieving evolution. The vital energy of a martial artist is limited and is entirely refined from the food consumed into vital energy for training. This is also what is often referred to in Daoism as "refining essence into energy," which involves refining high-energy foods to maintain and enhance one's strength.

Xiao Jin immediately transmitted a prompt, detecting that the host was consuming high-energy substances. Due to the host's limited ability to digest and absorb, assistance was needed. Lin Ze immediately asked, "How much can you absorb?"

In addition to this, there are the endless jungles of the south, inhabited by the southern barbarian tribes of the Baiyue, the oases of the western deserts, which produce rare jade, said to assist in mid-level cultivation, and the boundless grasslands of the north, home to the nomadic peoples such as the Xianbei, Xiongnu, Mongols, and Jurchens.

Among them, various types of materials are classified into three categories: those used for low-grade purposes are collectively referred to as medicinal materials; those useful for mid-grade purposes are called earth treasures; and those beneficial for masters are collectively known as heavenly materials. Warriors enhance themselves by collecting various supplements for external bathing and internal consumption

The demon beasts are similarly classified by rank according to their size and strength. It is said that there exists a master-level demon dragon in the East Sea, and the number of demon beasts of various ranks in the Hundred Yue jungles is countless

Every year, officials from various regions of the empire collect the grains from the world into storage. Only the royal family and the major noble families with masters are qualified to receive a portion of the tribute rice. It is said that the Qin Emperor consumes tribute rice at every meal, and it is a commodity that is available in name only in the market

Gongsun Yue looked at him with great interest, while instructing the kitchen to prepare another portion, thinking to herself, with such an appetite, he should not be lacking in other areas as well. Suddenly, it seemed she remembered something, damn it, her level was still low, and this was already enough for several people.

The guards arranged by Wu Bohe were waiting for him at the door. After Lin Ze came out, he was directed to the residence of the Duke of Zhongxin. Meng Tian even took the time to meet him for a moment, engaging in some pleasantries. In the end, Lin Ze declined the invitation to the dinner and, after spending an hour in the library, took his leave.

When Lin Ze was halfway through his second serving, he suddenly noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him, occasionally glancing at his belly. He realized that he had attracted attention by eating too much, and he couldn't help but smile awkwardly. So, he pretended to burp and finished the serving before putting down his chopsticks, wiping his hands and mouth. Almost as soon as he set down his chopsticks, everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief.

Lin Zeke is a grateful youth nurtured by the mainstream socialist civilization ideology. Regardless of the circumstances, in the future, he must treat her and her children with double the kindness. As for whether he can achieve success in martial arts, come on, after all, he is a person who has crossed over and been reborn with a golden finger. If he doesn't manage to do well, he might as well hang himself from the southeast branch.

Although Gongsun Yue found it strange why Lin Ze was in such a hurry, she did not pay much attention to it. Instead, she instructed Wu Bo to accompany him to ensure Lin Ze's safety. Regardless of the circumstances, Wu Bo could still leverage some of the influence of the Marquis of Wu'an's residence to intimidate a considerable number of people in Chang'an.

If I were to break through to the middle grade in the future, would I be bankrupted by him? I originally thought that the shops, farmlands, and gardens I brought as dowry would easily support an additional Lin Ze. It seems that when my father returns, I must definitely ask him to lend a hand.

On the way back, Lin Ze remained silent throughout the journey, quietly waiting for Xiao Jin to analyze the various books borrowed.

To the east lies a vast ocean. This year, it is said that the Eastern Sea Maritime Office has discovered a large island, having eradicated the indigenous resistance forces on the island, and has officially established Dongyi Prefecture, which is directly governed by the Eastern Sea Maritime Office

In such a vast world, humanity occupies only a small portion of the land, while the majority is dominated by mountains, forests, and wild beasts. According to incomplete statistics, the total population of the Great Qin is approximately 30 million, which translates to over 300 million people, averaging only three individuals per one hundred thousand square meters

The second category is meat, and the classification of meat is quite simple. It is divided according to the martial arts level of the flying and terrestrial animals during their lifetime. Indeed, this world is certainly not inhabited solely by humans; in addition to the common domesticated animals such as chickens, ducks, pigs, and fish, there are also a large number of wild animals, collectively referred to as demon beasts.

It seems that the powerful and wealthy prefer to store their books underground. In a similar three-level basement, with bookshelves resembling those of a library, Lin Ze also spent over an hour inside. After finishing his scan, he found an excuse to leave.

The territory of the Great Qin is divided into 36 provinces, said to span approximately ten thousand miles in all directions—east, west, south, and north. Roughly calculated, it is several times larger than the later Huaguo, and this is still within the relatively prosperous region of this continent

Polished rice is a coveted item among major families and sects, occasionally circulating in the market, but its price is exceedingly high, often exceeding that of ordinary rice by a hundredfold. In contrast, good quality rice is the standard configuration for most families and sects, and while it is widely available in the market, its price is approximately twenty times that of ordinary rice

By the time Lin Ze returned to the Lin residence, it was already dark. He got off the carriage and noticed a familiar figure waiting for him at the door. Gongsun Yue said softly, "It’s good that you’re back, come eat with me," and after saying that, she walked inside. Lin Ze couldn’t help but feel a bit moved, tears welling up in his eyes. In his previous life, whenever he returned home late, his mother would wait for him at the door like this, but now he could never go back.

Xiao Jin replied: "The assistive device aids in absorption, capable of storing energy, and in principle, it can store up to one hundred times the energy naturally consumed by the human body, with an energy material conversion rate of 90%"

Lin Ze was moved to tears upon hearing this, realizing that his golden finger had proven to be immensely useful once again. Generally, the conversion rate of food for an average person is only 20 to 25%, and the amount that can be consumed is also extremely limited. Lin Ze decisively chose to use an auxiliary device to assist with absorption

Lin Ze arrived at the residence of the Marquis of Wucheng, riding in a carriage towards the center of the imperial city. Although he was equally astonished by the grandeur of the place, he felt little inclination to appreciate it. Moreover, his adoptive uncle did not appear, and there were no random onlookers pointing fingers at him. With the token in hand, he smoothly entered the library, and others, upon seeing his stature, did not even bother to conduct a thorough inspection.

With the assistance of Xiao Jin, the digestion was completed smoothly. At this moment, Xiao Liu had already handed over a plate of sliced meat. Lin Ze grabbed it and stuffed it into his mouth, finishing it in a matter of moments. Seeing this, Xiao Yang and Xiao Liu were taken aback and hurriedly continued to slice the meat, inevitably quickening their pace

If there are no resources to assist in cultivation as mentioned above, it is one thing for a martial artist to cultivate slowly, but for those who cultivate quickly, it is essentially a path to death, as they will soon deplete their vital essence and perish.

As for ordinary rice, it is a necessary sustenance for those without wealth or power. The annual production of the four types of grains is inversely proportional to their price and rarity. What lies before Lin Ze now is a large bowl of rice cooked from fine grains, exuding a fragrant aroma

On the other side, Gongsun Yue was also feeling gloomy, her mind filled with the words her mother had privately spoken to her. The implication was clear: she should not nurture Lin Ze. Her mother repeatedly emphasized that Lin Dong was Lin Dong, and Lin Ze was Lin Ze, asserting that only the child in her own womb was the legitimate grandson of the Gongsun family, deserving of the family's resources for cultivation. Hmph, when my father returns, I will tell him about this; he will surely support me.

Lin Ze was unconcerned and began to dig into the large bowl of rice in front of him. Indeed, it was good rice; even without any side dishes, it was exceptionally fragrant. Lin Ze held the edge of the bowl with one hand while using the spoon with the other, taking large spoonfuls to eat. Before long, the large bowl of rice was nearly empty.

3. Various tonics, these are also treasures left to humanity by nature, said to have been discovered and compiled into the classic "Shennong's Herbal" by the ancient sage Shennong.

Most warriors rely on hunting monsters for their livelihood, while only noble families can afford to raise monsters. However, most can only raise low-grade monsters, and only wealthy families have the means to raise mid-tier monsters. The royal family raises their monsters in a large area to the south of Chang'an, which is governed by the official agency known as the Shaofu, also referred to as the Shanglin Garden

Lin Ze picked up the large bowl that Xiao Yang handed him, drank it down in gulps, and immediately felt a warm current rise from his stomach