In the following seven days, Jiang Chi experienced the most comfortable time since arriving in this world.

There was meat to eat, a gentle and beautiful woman to warm his bed, and every time he opened his eyes, his skills improved.

Just one night's sleep was equivalent to a year of hard cultivation for others.

The feeling was indescribably satisfying.

During the day, Su Qianxue embroidered inside the house.

Jiang Chi began to get accustomed to the techniques he had learned.

He practiced the Deer Form from "Minor Mastery" to "Great Perfection."

His agility increased, and with one step, he was faster than a galloping horse, leaving afterimages all over the courtyard.

He tested moving from one end of the courtyard to the other, his feet barely touching the ground, his figure flickering as he arrived.

Su Qianxue came out with a bowl of porridge, only to see a gust of wind, and then Jiang Chi was standing in front of her.

"Weren't you just over there?" she blinked, thinking she was seeing things.

Jiang Chi smiled but didn't explain, only saying he was exercising.

Now, his Tiger Form in the Five-Animal Transformation Art had also reached a threshold.

The momentum of his pouncing kill was already at fifty percent proficiency.

When he punched, the air buzzed as if a fierce tiger was growling in his throat.

The old locust tree in the courtyard had its bark stripped off by his punches, revealing the white wood underneath.

Jiang Chi stood in front of the tree, looking at the calluses on his fists.

Seven days ago, even turning over was painful.

Now, he was confident he could crush a wolf's skull with one punch.

It felt like a drowning man finally surfacing for air.

[Ding! Sleep Cultivation Complete.]

[Five-Animal Transformation Art Progress: 30%.]

[Mastered Forms: Deer Form (Great Perfection), Tiger Form (30%).]

[Current Realm: Body Tempering Layer 9.]

Jiang Chi looked at the status panel and clenched his fists.

Power flowed through his meridians, warm like a great river, much wider than seven days ago.

He took a deep breath, Spiritual Qi surged in through his nose and mouth, circulated within, and then dispersed through his pores.

His entire essence, energy, and spirit were vastly different from seven days ago.

This was the uniqueness of the Five-Animal Transformation Art.

Ordinary techniques draw Spiritual Qi into the body to slowly nurture the meridians, like water dripping through stone, taking eight to ten years to see results.

The Five-Animal Transformation Art was different.

It mimicked the forms and spirits of five animals—deer for agility and alertness, tiger for ferocity and brutality, bear for strength as solid as a mountain, ape for flexibility and variability, and the ability to conceal breath and form.

When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Each form was an extreme way to temper the body.

Practicing the Deer Form made his movements light and agile.

Practicing the Tiger Form made his muscles and bones resonate, and his strength surged.

Rotating through the five forms was equivalent to practicing five techniques at once, five times the efficiency of others.

Plus, with the Effortless Gain System, he cultivated automatically in his sleep—others trained for a year, he slept for a night.

Seven days equated to seven years for others, reaching Body Tempering Layer 9.

No one would believe this speed if he told them.

Jiang Chi clenched his fists and then relaxed them.

Body Tempering Layer 9.

Equivalent to the level of an ordinary martial academy apprentice.

Soon, he would surpass the household guards by one realm.

Most of the Jiang Family's guards were between Body Tempering Layers 3 to 7.

Gatekeepers, errand runners, and general helpers were at this level.

Martial academy apprentices were different; they were nurtured by the Jiang Family, ranging from Body Tempering Layers 6 to 9, with the potential to break through to the Martial Apprentice Realm and become true warriors.

Jiang Chi was now at that level.

But he knew this was just the beginning.

One more night's sleep, and he could reach the Martial Apprentice Realm.

The Martial Apprentice Realm involved opening the Dantian and condensing True Qi.

By then, even the Jiang Family's disciples wouldn't be his match.

However...

Jiang Chi looked at the desolate mountains outside the courtyard.

The old house couldn't be lived in for long.

In the past seven nights, he had heard wolves howling in the distance more than once.

One night, he got up to relieve himself and saw a pair of glowing green eyes staring at him in the dark.

They stared at each other for a long time before the creature ran off.

Wolves were manageable; with his current strength, he could kill one or two easily.

But what about bandits?

Twenty miles outside the city, with no neighbors or help.

A couple of petty thieves were manageable, but if a group came, he couldn't protect Su Qianxue alone.

Moreover, living there was inconvenient.

These seven days, they had the wild wolf to eat, but buying salt and rice required a twenty-mile trip to town.

A round trip took most of the day.

Su Qianxue couldn't even find a place to buy needles and thread.

They had to move into the city.

Su Qianxue came out of the house, her face veiled.

During the day, she always wore a veil, even though Jiang Chi had said he didn't mind. He knew how beautiful she was, but Su Qianxue insisted.

Unable to change her mind, Jiang Chi agreed.

Su Qianxue held several pieces of embroidery, spreading them out on the stones to dry.

The stitches were fine, and the flowers and birds were lifelike.

Especially the piece of mandarin ducks playing in the water, the ripples shimmering, the feathers distinct, as if alive.

"Beautiful work," Jiang Chi said, and Su Qianxue's ears turned red.

"It's... it's okay."

"These should sell for thirty or forty coins. I want to go to the city to buy some coarse rice and salt."

Jiang Chi shook his head.

"No need to buy!"

"Why not?"

"We need to move back to the city. It's too inconvenient and unsafe out here."

Hearing about moving back to the city, Su Qianxue was naturally happy.

But the realistic problem was, where would they live in the city?

The Jiang Family and Su Family would never allow it. They'd rather they died outside to save trouble.

Jiang Chi knew Su Qianxue's concerns and reassured her.

"It's okay. We'll find a small place to rent in the city. I can find a job to support us."

In fact, Jiang Chi had already made plans in his mind over the past few days.

First, they had to move into the city.

Find a place to stay. If they couldn't buy, they would rent.

Renting a small courtyard would cost about half a silver a month.

Where would the money come from? Su Qianxue's embroidery could sell for a few dozen coins, but it was a drop in the bucket.

He couldn't reveal his strength or let anyone know that the "useless" Jiang Chi could fight.

That would only arouse suspicion from his second uncle and others.

He couldn't do anything requiring force.

So he had to find a job.

What kind of job was best? One that didn't expose him, didn't attract attention, and preferably allowed him to sit and sleep.

Jiang Chi suddenly thought of someone.

Zhao Tieshan. A former acquaintance of his father, an apprentice from the Jiang Family Martial Academy who later opened his own escort agency, the Iron Mountain Escort Agency.

As a child, his father had taken him to meet Zhao Tieshan once.

The man was burly, laughed like thunder, and patted Jiang Chi's head, saying, "This boy will definitely surpass his father."

Later, his father died.

And he never saw Zhao Tieshan again.

But Jiang Chi heard that Zhao Tieshan was a nostalgic person.

During holidays, he would send someone to pay respects at his father's grave.

If he went to him, asking for a job...

Jiang Chi had no other options.

He could work as a handyman at the escort agency, sweeping, moving goods, guarding the door, anything.

He wouldn't be in the spotlight, wouldn't attract attention.

People came and went at the escort agency; no one would care about a "useless" doorman.

Moreover, the agency had a training ground.

He could secretly watch others practice martial arts and learn in secret.

Guard the door by day, sleep and gain skills by night.

Once his strength was sufficient, he could make other plans.

The next morning, Jiang Chi tied up the wolf skin, Su Qianxue carried a bundle, and they locked the ancestral home's door, leading a lame donkey toward Qingyang City.

Twenty miles took over an hour.

Qingyang City's gate was the same as ever, the tall stone walls inscribed with the large characters "Qingyang."

The guards glanced at Jiang Chi, then at Su Qianxue on the donkey's back, smirked, but said nothing.

They entered the city.

The streets bustled with people, vendors shouting one after another.

Su Qianxue sat on the donkey, veiled, head lowered, not daring to look at anyone.

Jiang Chi led the donkey, walking ahead.

He didn't go to the market or set up a stall; he headed straight to the west of the city.

The Iron Mountain Escort Agency was in the alley ahead.

Jiang Chi took a deep breath and stepped forward to knock on the door.