Chapter Eleven: Breakthrough (Part One)

“Hm?”
Qin Yi:
Five Qi Returning to Origin Fist: Mastery
Energy: 1
“Why is the energy point still 1?”
A portion of pork worth one tael of silver can yield 1 energy point. Yet, two portions of medicine valued at an equal price fail to grant even a single energy point!
“It seems this secret medicine isn’t suited for me,” Qin Yi thought silently. With his cheat, he could break through his cultivation technique to perfection using energy points alone.
But for others, a single secret medicine was absolutely worth five hundred coins, or even more!
After all, ordinary people didn’t possess cheats. Secret medicines were the only way to accelerate their cultivation.
...
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
In the rear courtyard, eight shirtless men practiced the Celestial Pivot Palm.
Indeed, in these days, two junior brothers had gradually managed to run five laps carrying sandbags, and could now formally train in the Celestial Pivot Palm alongside Qin Yi and the others.
Bang!
Qin Yi withdrew his fist from the sandbag and wiped the sweat from his face. “Senior Brother Zhao, how did I do?”
“Not bad. You’ve rehearsed the moves ten times in a row without a single mistake. Your breathing and energy flow are correct. You’ve entered the basics!” Senior Brother Zhao replied calmly.
Regarding Qin Yi’s talent, Zhao Shaojie truly found it difficult to comment. Among the first batch of five, Qin Yi was the slowest, taking half a month just to grasp the twenty-six forms of the palm technique.
The most gifted, Lin Fan, needed only five days to get started with the Celestial Pivot Palm.
Zhang the Broadsword was not far behind, mastering it in six days!
“I owe it to your guidance, otherwise I’d have taken even longer,” Qin Yi said sincerely. When he first studied the Five Qi Returning to Origin Fist, it took a month and a half, mainly because Uncle Qing Song taught so slowly—sometimes only rehearsing it once a day, more when he was in a good mood. Had Qin Yi not shamelessly sought private instruction, it might have taken even longer to get started.
With Senior Brother Zhao, the teaching was patient and attentive.
“No need for flattery. You’re only at the threshold, just beginning your cultivation journey. The rest will be slow, steady work. If you have money, you can buy some secret medicines to aid your practice—they’ll speed up blood nourishment, tendon forging, and bone strengthening. Ultimately, it’s up to you,” Zhao Shaojie advised.
“Yes!” Qin Yi nodded. After this time together, he knew Senior Brother Zhao was genuinely warm-hearted; his words surely held truth.
However...
That afternoon, Qin Yi returned to his room and closed the doors and windows.
Now a formal disciple, his afternoons were free except for morning and evening lessons and morning martial practice.
“System!”

Qin Yi:
Five Qi Returning to Origin Fist: Mastery
Celestial Pivot Palm: Beginner+
Energy: 1
“Breakthrough!” Qin Yi murmured inwardly.
The energy immediately vanished to zero, and in the next moment, Qin Yi sensed a figure in his mind, endlessly practicing the Celestial Pivot Palm, day after day, year after year.
Within his body, a warm current rose from his abdomen and surged into his palms.
Ten minutes passed quietly.
Qin Yi opened his eyes and checked his panel.
Qin Yi:
Five Qi Returning to Origin Fist: Mastery
Celestial Pivot Palm: Proficient
Energy: 0
He then practiced the Celestial Pivot Palm in his room, finding the twenty-six forms flowed like water, with a newfound understanding in breathing, energy flow, transitions, and more.
“Though it doesn’t add much to my strength, I now have three years’ worth of diligent work in the Celestial Pivot Palm!”
Seeing that his energy points were depleted, Qin Yi decided to make a trip down the mountain in the coming days.
...
Walking through Jinyuan County,
Qin Yi noticed the pedestrians were all in a hurry, and the market was far less crowded than before. Upon entering the city, he had seen a refugee settlement outside the gates, with over a thousand displaced people gathered, unable to enter.
They were said to be fleeing war from the north.
He’d just heard that coarse grain was now priced at twenty coins a pound, while fine grain cost twenty-eight coins per pound.
Pork had risen to fifty coins a pound!
“Prices are still soaring crazily!” Qin Yi felt that if things continued like this, disaster would be inevitable.
He arrived at the Elegant Scholars’ Hall.
Once again, he met the old man named Sun Wushou.
“Master Qin, back to sell manuscripts?” Sun Wushou noticed Qin Yi’s appearance and thought to himself how quickly the young man wrote!
Last month, the young man had brought dozens of pieces; though his prose was average, the stories were novel, earning a fair sum in manuscript fees. Truly, when the writing isn’t enough, quantity makes up for it.
“Yes, this time about five stories,” Qin Yi replied, handing over the manuscripts.

In recent days, he’d written most of the entertainment novels whose plots he could recall from his previous life. The new stories he could invent were becoming fewer.
“Let me see.” Sun Wushou took them and began to read.
After a while,
“Not bad, your stories remain fresh, but I’ll only take four. This one, I don’t see much market for.”
“That’s fine,” Qin Yi nodded.
“In these troubled times, prices are rising, and fewer people buy books. The market’s not good, so our manuscript prices have dropped. I can only offer three taels of silver per book. Are you willing to sell?” Sun Wushou explained.
“Is that so?” Qin Yi frowned.
Such leisure novels could never be staple food; with hard times, dwindling sales were inevitable.
He knew Sun Wushou had no reason to deceive him. The situation in the city was plain for all to see.
“Very well, I’ll sell.”
Soon, Qin Yi left the hall with twelve taels of silver.
Including the leftover tael and some change, he now had over thirteen taels.
But during the conversation, Sun Wushou had told him they didn’t know how much longer they could keep buying manuscripts. If sales kept declining, they would suspend purchases for a while, which left Qin Yi feeling helpless.
“This time, I’ll buy a batch of medicinal herbs to experiment!”
He soon arrived at a venerable herbal shop.
“Shopkeeper, how much is a ten-year-old ginseng?” Qin Yi asked the manager.
Hearing he wanted ginseng, the manager became enthusiastic. “Sir, a ten-year-old ginseng is two strings and a half!”
“I remember not long ago, ten-year ginseng was just two taels of silver!” Qin Yi frowned. Two strings and a half meant two taels plus five hundred coins.
A five-hundred coin increase—half a tael of silver more!
“Sir, these days, with war and chaos, all herbs are rising in price. Our cost price is up too, nothing to be done,” the manager said helplessly.
“Do you have any prescriptions for nourishing blood and qi, for strengthening the foundation?” Qin Yi asked.
“Sir, is it for a lady or for yourself?”
“There’s a difference?”
“Of course!”
“For myself, recommend a few,” Qin Yi said after thinking.
“Certainly. Our hundred-year-old shop has nourishing blood decoctions at fifty coins a portion, Eight Treasures Qi Soup at one hundred coins, and Yang-Strengthening Foundation Soup at one hundred twenty coins. Which would you prefer?” The manager introduced the options.