A New Training Method

"Brother Chen, is this enough? If not, this old man still has more," Uncle Zhang asked. "Hmm..." Chen Ping'an eyed the sand and gravel piled in the corner of the courtyard. The second stage of training in Iron Shirt required him to strip off his clothes and roll continuously in sand and gravel. He had to let his shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, and arms grind repeatedly against the rough stones so his flesh could adapt and transform through friction. On top of that, he had to cast himself forward and backward, slamming into the gravel so that every bone and tendon throughout his body grew progressively solid. Practicing like that would require a substantial amount of material. "I'll need quite a bit more. Bamboo baskets like this—probably another four or five of them." Glancing at Uncle Zhang, Chen Ping'an added, "Uncle Zhang, tell me how much silver it costs, and I'll pay you all at once." "We're neighbors! What's all this talk about money? It's just some sand and gravel, and this old man has plenty of it!" Uncle Zhang replied heartily. Chen Ping'an's status as a temporary runner might not have amounted to much in the eyes of Little Tiger and his ilk, but among the neighbors in the alley, it still carried a fair bit of weight. For a small favor that required little extra effort, Uncle Zhang was more than willing to earn his goodwill. "I can't let you take a loss, Uncle Zhang," Chen Ping'an said, not pressing the argument. "Uncle Zhang, do you have any spare baskets at your place? If you do, I'll go along with you to save you an extra trip back and forth." "I have more at home. That works out nicely, then," Uncle Zhang said with a chuckle. "Nannan, I'm going with Uncle Zhang for a moment," Chen Ping'an called out, leaving those words behind as he walked out with the old man. Behind Uncle Zhang's house lay a sizable open yard where heaps of sand and gravel were stacked. Unremarkable though the material seemed, it had plenty of practical uses, so Uncle Zhang had stockpiled quite a bit. "Brother Chen, the baskets at home are rather large. Take this pair of mine; it'll save you some effort." Uncle Zhang brought out two baskets that were noticeably bigger around, lined with coarse cloth around the rims to keep the sand and gravel from spilling. "It's fine. Uncle Zhang, don't let my lean frame fool you—I still have a good bit of strength," Chen Ping'an said, thumping his chest. Having perfected the first layer of qi and blood, carrying these two baskets was child's play; he could have handled four at once without breaking a sweat. Doubt showed plainly on Uncle Zhang's face. The baskets he had originally used were already a size larger than normal, but the two he had just brought from home were extra-large. The woven bamboo was specially reinforced with cord, and once filled to the brim, even a burly grown man would struggle severely under the load. Much less the seemingly frail Brother Chen before him. Uncle Zhang had hauled sand for years, and even he found those two baskets grueling. Having labored all day today, using the extra-large baskets would have been even more taxing, which was why he had not used them when delivering sand to the boy's door earlier. Even so, Uncle Zhang did not argue. Assuming the young man was merely saving face, he handed the baskets over to Chen Ping'an. Taking up a shovel, Chen Ping'an filled both baskets to the brim. "Brother Chen, sand and gravel might look easy, but in truth, it's far from light," Uncle Zhang cautioned. "No matter," Chen Ping'an replied. Once Uncle Zhang's own baskets were full, the two shouldered their loads together and headed out. *He actually hoisted it up,* Uncle Zhang thought, glancing sidelong at Chen Ping'an. He had expected Chen Ping'an to quickly give out under the weight. To his astonishment, all the way back to the Chen house, Chen Ping'an did not even heave for breath, looking entirely untaxed from start to finish. "This..." Uncle Zhang went entirely numb with shock. Now he had truly seen something formidable. *As expected of someone serving in the Suppression Office—truly out of the ordinary.* *** With the sand and gravel settled, Chen Ping'an could hardly wait to test the new training method for Iron Shirt. He spread the sand and gravel flat across the ground, stripped off his clothes, and lay bare upon it. An ordinary person doing so would have found it agonizing; after all, sand and gravel were far from soft earth, filled with sharp edges and rough angles. One careless move could easily split the skin. Yet to Chen Ping'an, who had attained lesser mastery of Iron Shirt, it felt entirely ordinary—even somewhat soothing. "Skin tempering accomplished, like thin cowhide" was no mere figure of speech. Lying naked among the rough stones, Chen Ping'an began to roll. To train Iron Shirt with true effectiveness, the sand and gravel had to make full contact with his shoulders, back, chest, abdomen, and arms. Every roll thoroughly and effectively conditioned each part of his body. Compared to rubbing his flesh with his hands, this efficiency was incomparably faster. Iron Shirt primarily forged the upper body; while it also tempered the lower half, the effect was far more modest. Chen Ping'an rolled across the stony ground, using the friction to relentlessly abrade his flesh. Off to the side, Chen Er Ya was struck completely dumbfounded. This was sand and gravel! If her brother kept rolling in that, wouldn't his skin be torn to shreds? The little girl could not help worrying. Yet as she watched, the gruesome scene she had envisioned never came to pass. Her brother's skin looked smooth and fine, yet in this moment it displayed an indescribable toughness. How long had her brother been practicing martial arts? First he had gained the strength to lift a water vat, and now his skin had turned this resilient. Her brother... He truly was a martial arts genius! The new training method for Iron Shirt indeed provided tremendous aid. In just under an hour, a "+1" experience symbol flashed across Chen Ping'an's vision. Checking his physical state, Chen Ping'an did not stop, choosing instead to press on. After just under an hour more, the "+1" experience symbol surfaced once more. "Again!" Though his skin had begun to ache, the pain remained well within his threshold of endurance. Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth, hardened his resolve, and decided to continue. And so, in just under an hour, the "+1" experience symbol appeared again. When Chen Ping'an rose from the gravel, his skin was flushed a vivid crimson, looking utterly frightful. "Brother!" Distressed, Chen Er Ya rushed toward him, but seeing his skin beet-red and laced with faint traces of blood, she halted halfway in her tracks. "Are you all right? Does it hurt?" The little girl was heartbroken with worry. "I'm fine." Chen Ping'an smiled, revealing a row of spotless white teeth. Though he looked battered on the outside, his gains were exceptionally gratifying. Name: Chen Ping'an Realm: Qi and Blood First Layer, Perfected Martial Art: Iron Shirt, Lesser Mastery (8/40) *** *Three full points of experience in one breath!* Chen Ping'an was invigorated. This meant the new conditioning method for Iron Shirt had once again accelerated the rate at which he accumulated experience in martial cultivation. *Still...* Chen Ping'an looked down at his flushed, blood-streaked skin. *I can only train like this in the evening. In the mornings, two rounds will have to be the limit!* He had to go on duty in the morning. If he turned up looking like this, it would be far too terrifying. Clothes could conceal his torso, but they could not hide his arms.