"Tin ware isn’t worth much, could you add another qian of silver?"
"Alright!"
Zhao Ya paid the silver and then left.
The iron tiles and iron armor Zhao Ya crafted today were actually the training tools recorded in the Swallow’s Three Dips secret manual.
In the manual, they are called the Iron and Tin Stele.
However, according to the records in the book, ordinary people without a foundation should start with lead tiles made from lead blocks, and only after getting used to them can they upgrade to iron tiles.
Zhao Ya, of course, didn’t need to bother with that and went full throttle right from the start.
The tin tiles, on the other hand, were prepared for Zui’Er.
After all, Zhao Ya had received modern education and knew that lead was toxic, particularly affecting fertility.
Once he arrived at the Escort Agency, everything was as usual, marking another idle day.
After work, Zhao Ya once again declined Luo Feng’s enthusiastic invitation and headed to the iron workshop.
Everything was ready. Zhao Ya inspected it and found that it was well-made, obviously the blacksmith had put in some effort.
So Zhao Ya gave a little extra reward before carrying everything home.
After getting home, Zhao Ya instructed Zui’Er to sew cotton padding according to the size and dimensions of the Iron and Tin Stele.
Once finished, Zhao Ya tried it on.
Ten iron tiles plus a set of iron armor weighed about forty to fifty pounds in total.
When Zhao Ya first put it on, he didn’t feel anything, but as soon as he moved, he felt the weight pressing down, greatly restricting his movements.
A thought flashed in Zhao Ya’s mind, and he began practicing the Eight Vajra Skills in this state.
The Eight Vajra Skills was Zhao Ya’s innate cultivation technique, and he had practiced it to a refined skill level. Every move was deeply ingrained in his mind, extremely familiar.
But this time it was different.
The actions that were previously relaxed and free now became slightly distorted due to the presence of the Iron and Tin Stele.
Although the distortion was minor, accumulated over time, it became a significant error.
So, to correct this distortion, Zhao Ya had to use greater strength and more precise muscle control to execute the moves.
This unconsciously gave him a deeper understanding of each movement in the Eight Vajra Skills.
Seventy-two times through the movements later, Zhao Ya was drenched in sweat, yet he couldn’t hide the joy on his face.
[Eight Vajra Skills Proficiency +10]
Except for when he first started practicing, this was the first time Zhao Ya had gained so much proficiency.
Overjoyed, Zhao Ya immediately began practicing the Five Tiger Fist.
[Five Tiger Fist Proficiency +8]
Sure enough, the Five Tiger Fist proficiency increased as well.
Thus, Zhao Ya enthusiastically went through the Gale Saber Technique and even the Grasshopper body technique, all yielding higher gains.
Tang Zui’Er watched Zhao Ya in the courtyard, mesmerized by his swift movements.
At some point, she realized she couldn’t sleep soundly without hearing Zhao Ya practicing his martial arts each night.
When Zhao Ya went out on an escort job before the New Year, Tang Zui’Er almost had sleepless nights, waking up frequently even when asleep, imagining someone knocking at the door outside.
That’s why she was so excited when Zhao Ya returned safely.
Finally, after finishing his daily routine, Zhao Ya’s clothes were soaked with sweat.
Tang Zui’Er quickly handed over a warm towel she had prepared earlier.
"Ya, wipe off your sweat first!"
"Mmm!"
After wiping all the sweat off his face, Zhao Ya threw a piece of cured Green Bamboo Snake into his mouth, feeling refreshed and revitalized.
Name: Zhao Ya. Age: 17 years old. Remaining lifespan: 40 (+69 days) years
Skills: Eight Vajra Skills (Mastery 601/2000) Five Tiger Fist (Mastery 1456/2000) Gale Saber Technique (Mastery 67/2000) Lightweight Grasshopper Skill (Minor Achievement 12/1000)
[Heart Unlock Progress: 10%]
Not only had various martial arts skills improved, but even the heart unlock progress had increased by 1%.
This made Zhao Ya very excited.
At this pace, it wouldn’t take long to unlock his heart.
Zhao Ya calmed his thoughts and said to Tang Zui’Er, "Come, I’ll teach you some basic moves first."
"Alright!"
Although Zhao Ya wanted Tang Zui’Er to develop in the direction of Lightweight Skill, basic strength training was still essential.
Especially since body technique greatly relies on leg skills.
So, Zhao Ya first taught Tang Zui’Er some leg stretching and bending exercises to loosen up her stiff muscles.
To his surprise, Tang Zui’Er completed these exercises quite effortlessly after only a little practice.
She easily split her legs into a perfect side split and then looked at Zhao Ya with a puzzled expression.
"Ya, what are these moves for?"
Glancing at her long legs, Zhao Ya coughed lightly, shifted his gaze, and said a bit awkwardly.
"Oh, it’s to build a foundation, but it seems like your foundation is already good, so let’s move on to the next step."
"Mmhmm!"
Tang Zui’Er nodded, sensing that Zhao Ya seemed a bit strange, as if he didn’t dare to look at her directly.
"All body movement techniques start with the basics of running, which also has its tricks. First, when running, there is a center of gravity line in the body, which is very important. If your foot placement is too far from this line, it creates a backward force that hinders your progress."
"Therefore, we should try to keep the foot placement close to the center of gravity line, ideally right beneath it. When landing, quickly bend your knees for cushioning..."
Zhao Ya began explaining the essentials of running in detail, often demonstrating it personally.
Tang Zui’Er listened attentively, asking questions whenever she didn’t understand.
After an hour, watching Tang Zui’Er running around the courtyard skillfully, Zhao Ya felt like he had found a treasure.
This girl couldn’t just be described as clever; she was a genius.
She understood everything he explained quickly, learned even faster, and could master the skills quickly, even improving upon them.
This made Zhao Ya feel a bit defeated.
He knew he was progressing rapidly thanks to the Golden Finger.
Even so, it took him considerable effort to grasp the techniques when he first started.
The issues that once troubled him didn’t seem to matter to Zui’Er, as she resolved them with ease.
Was this what they called exceptional talent?
Zhao Ya felt genuine envy.
Soon, after ten laps, Tang Zui’Er stopped, catching her breath.
"Ya, what do we learn next?"
"That’s it for today; it’s getting late, so you should rest early!"
"Huh? Is that it? You’re only teaching a little today?" Tang Zui’Er seemed surprised.
She felt like she had only just started learning, wondering why it was already over.
Zhao Ya: "....."
Then he took out a piece of Earthworm Dried Meat.
"You’re just starting to cultivate; you don’t need much energy yet. You can divide this piece into three portions."
"I don’t want it!" Tang Zui’Er declined firmly.
"Why?" Zhao Ya felt a bit puzzled.
"Because it’s for your cultivation. I can eat something else, so keep it for yourself, Ya."