“I was right, I really did gain ten jin. Nathaniel Clark, what about you?”

Nathaniel Clark said, “I should have gained at least ten jin as well.”

He was telling the truth—sixty jin could also be considered a base of ten jin.

“To be able to gain so much strength on the first day, then reaching five hundred jin in three months should be easy.”

William Parker rolled his eyes. “It’s not that easy. We only had such miraculous results because it was our first day with the martial arts manual. The further we go, the slower the gains. My uncle said that practicing martial arts is a long-term endeavor. It requires grinding your muscles and bones day and night, taking it one step at a time.”

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” Nathaniel Clark added.

William Parker clenched his fist. “Exactly, that’s what I mean. I didn’t expect you to be so good at summing things up, Nathaniel Clark. Let’s work hard together and aim to become martial masters in three years.”

Nathaniel Clark: ……

Chapter 6: Making Money, Not Being Stingy

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

Nathaniel Clark and William Parker lived a simple routine every day.

At mealtimes, they went to the academy’s dining hall to eat, and after eating, they returned to the dormitory courtyard to practice martial arts.

All the students at the academy did the same—their first goal was to pass the five-hundred-jin assessment in three months.

On the fifteenth day, William Parker’s “Bull Demon Strength” reached the second level.

Nathaniel Clark, however, was still stuck at the first level.

This made Nathaniel Clark realize that his aptitude for martial arts wasn’t high, but he wasn’t discouraged, because he had a cheat.

A lifespan of ten thousand years, plus the daily increase in strength, could make up for his lack of talent in martial arts.

After breaking through to the second level of “Bull Demon Strength,” William Parker’s strength had reached 320 jin, while Nathaniel Clark’s “Bull Demon Strength” was still at the first level, but his strength had already reached 280 jin.

You should know that when he entered the academy, his starting value wasn’t two hundred jin, but one hundred jin.

Comparing the increase in strength, he had surpassed William Parker.

On the thirty-fifth day, Nathaniel Clark’s “Bull Demon Strength” finally broke through to the second level.

At this point, his strength had reached 300 jin.

……

On the sixty-third day.

Nathaniel Clark’s strength reached 390 jin, while William Parker only had 380 jin.

With one month left, Nathaniel Clark knew that as long as he broke through to the third level of “Bull Demon Strength,” five hundred jin would be no problem.

On the contrary, William Parker was starting to get anxious.

……

On the sixty-fifth day.

“Nathaniel Clark, let’s go buy some beef from the dining hall.”

William Parker wanted to supplement his diet. He had already used up all his medicinal herbs, and relying solely on the free meals provided by the dining hall—though there was some meat, the portions were pitifully small—he was afraid he wouldn’t reach the five-hundred-jin requirement in three months.

Beef was good for strengthening bones and increasing strength. Before coming here, his uncle had told him that he could spend money to buy beef from the dining hall.

“You go ahead. I’ll pass. My family didn’t prepare that much money,” Nathaniel Clark said with a smile, shaking his head.

The academy did provide meat and medicinal herbs, and he had seen quite a few students buying them, but the prices were nearly ten times higher than outside. He only had one or two taels of silver on him, which wasn’t even enough to buy the amount of beef in a bowl of Lanzhou noodles at the academy.

William Parker fell silent. He knew Nathaniel Clark was telling the truth. After living together for over two months, he already knew about Nathaniel Clark’s family situation.

……

……

At dinnertime, William Parker didn’t go to the dining hall with Nathaniel Clark.

Usually, Nathaniel Clark would eat eight bowls in one meal, but this time he ate ten, making himself completely full.

After dinner, Nathaniel Clark didn’t rush back to the dormitory. Instead, he walked past the dining hall and headed to the “A” dormitory area.

Only students who scored over 250 jin in the assessment could live in the “A” dorms, and each had a room to themselves.

For the seven students living in the “A” dorms, reaching five hundred jin in three months wasn’t difficult. So, unlike those in the “B” dorms like Nathaniel Clark, who trained desperately, the “A” dorm students would often visit each other and socialize.

Nathaniel Clark pondered for a moment, then knocked on the door of Room 6 in the “A” dorm area.

“Brother Lin, is that you? Hold on a moment.”

A voice came from inside. Soon, the door opened, and a young man in a silk undershirt appeared. But when he saw Nathaniel Clark standing at the door, the smile on his face disappeared.

“Who are you? Why are you knocking on my door?”

“Brother Reed, I’m a student from the ‘B’ dorm…”

“Stop right there!” Stephen Reed interrupted Nathaniel Clark directly. “We’re not acquainted, so don’t call me ‘Brother Reed.’ If you have something to say, say it quickly.”

Nathaniel Clark understood then that, in the minds of the “A” dorm students, they probably didn’t even consider the “B” dorm students as classmates.

“Young Master Reed,” Nathaniel Clark changed his address, “someone of your noble status should focus on martial arts. How could you be expected to do chores like fetching water? I can do it for you—one tael of silver per trip.”

William Parker chose to buy beef to supplement his diet, and Nathaniel Clark also needed to plan ahead. If “Bull Demon Strength” couldn’t break through to the third level soon, he would need to rely on dietary and medicinal supplements as well.

After thinking it over, he decided he could make money by fetching water for the students in the “A” dorms.

The academy’s servants weren’t allowed into the student dormitory areas—this was something Nathaniel Clark had learned from the gatekeeper when he sent a letter home last time.

Even if the “B” dorm students had money, they would probably spend it on themselves, while the “A” dorm students had no such worries and weren’t short on money.