Chapter 90: Thrice-honing
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In his room.
Fang Ping cultivated the Methods of Honing over and over again.
Previously, he cultivated it only once daily—a single tempering used up a lot and exhausted him, even if he had a full Mentality.
This time, however, Fang Ping had continuously cultivated the Methods of Honing thrice already.
‘Break already!’
Fang Ping roared inwardly. He had been stuck at the boundary to 200 for a long time already!
Ever since he got the system, it did not matter if the boundary was 149 or 179, he did not have to spend more than a few days on it.
It was just 199 that had him stuck for almost a month!
...
An hour passed.
Two hours passed...
After Fang Ping completed the sixth tempering of his meridians and bones, suddenly, his skeleton started moving.
Yes, his bones were moving.
His muscles were wriggling too.
Fang Ping, who had gone through twice-honing, was overjoyed. The thrice-honing had started!
Dots of black, tainted blood squeezed out to the surface of his skin.
Fang Ping did not dare to dally and hastily got to his feet to do stances.
This was also when the stances’ effects worked the best.
...
Twenty minutes later, Fang Ping had become “black”.
His entire body was covered in hardened, black, darkened blood.
Still, Fang Ping was overjoyed!
“It’s finally done!”
“Thrice-honing! Even Old Wang can’t compare to me!”
“Ha ha ha...”
Fang Ping rarely displayed his happiness, but he was really happy this time. He had been stuck for too long!
Fang Ping hurriedly checked his stats. Very quickly, his new stats were reflected in his eyes:
Wealth: 2200000
Vitality: 182cal (205cal)
Mentality: 175Hz (209Hz)
“Its effects are astonishing!”
Completing the third bone-honing increased his Vitality’s limit by 6cal and increased his Mentality’s limit by 10Hz!
This meant that Fang Ping’s overall physical fitness had been improved.
After all, being able to increase so much in one go above 200cal was extremely difficult.
‘I’ve completed the thrice-honing. I shouldn’t continue grinding.’
Fang Ping had determined to breakthrough to martial artist while it was still early.
This thrice-honing cost a large amount of his Wealth points and time. If he had chosen to breakthrough to Rank-1 in June, he could have had hope to be on the road to Rank-2 by now.
Thrice-honing was enough. It did not matter if he could not have another bone-honing. Even if he could, Fang Ping would not continue.
Fang Ping knew the advantages of bone-honing in the early stages.
It was the foundation for his future full-body tempering. During the aspiring martial artist period, the more bone-honings one had, their tempering of limbs and torso in the future would go faster.
Wang Jinyang had vaguely revealed that more bone-honing was also very beneficial to skull tempering in the later stages.
Skull tempering was the most difficult of the human bone tempering.
Rank-1 and Rank-2 tempered the limbs, Rank-3 tempered the torso. Whether or not the skull would be tempered in Rank-4, Wang Jinyang did not say, so Fang Ping did not know either.
However, the skull absolutely had to be tempered, and it might even be during a higher ranking.
Tempering the brain was not a small matter. If it was attempted, it would be extremely dangerous.
Now that Fang Ping had completed a thrice-honing, he would have a big advantage for his future skull tempering.
He had cultivated starting from the middle of April until the middle of August. After four months, Fang Ping had completed thrice-honing!
“Replenishing my stats would use up too many Wealth points. I won’t replenish for now and rely on my own body’s maintenance for a couple of days. I should rest more for these two days.
“I’ll wait till school starts before I breakthrough to Rank-1. I can ask for resources from the school too as Magic City Martial Arts University provides free medicinal pills and elixirs for Rank-1.
“This way, I can save a Bone-honing Pill and a Rank-1 Vitality Pill.”
Fang Ping did not wash up, instead staying on the floor and muttering to himself.
There were only more than 10 days left until registration started, which was why Fang Ping was so anxious for a breakthrough.
A part of it was because an aspiring martial artist was not a martial artist, so it was not quite convenient to do some things.
For instance, his courier company. Despite there being not much difference between a twice-honed and a Rank-1 martial artist, he was not a martial artist and did not have the capacity of intimidation a martial artist possessed.
Fang Ping could guarantee that troubles would come when his company opened for business.
It was not as if the university town did not have courier companies. A third-party like him was not going to give any notice to his competitors and would start competing for business immediately.
Would others agree to this?
An aspiring martial artist could not intimidate these people. On the other hand, a martial artist—a Magic City Martial Arts University martial artist—could probably intimidate them. After all, it was just in the vicinity of the ten or so universities near MCMAU.
When the news spread to the whole university town, Fang Ping’s power would increase yet again and could suppress these dissatisfactions.
Fang Ping did not want to only start preparing when the time came. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain in early preparation for being troubled by others.
Moreover, his thrice-honing allowed him to choose better teachers in the martial arts university and let him be taken more seriously.
After all, the whole of Magic City Martial Arts University only had this one martial artist who completed a thrice-honing, and it was done under the circumstances of the school providing a large number of resources.
Weighing the pros and cons, Fang Ping mocked himself slightly. “I don’t even know if I’m suitable to be a martial artist since I’m so profit-oriented.”
He liked to weigh the pros and cons before doing things. He lacked the impulsiveness of some youngsters.
People like Wang Jinyang also said he was not like a young person because his mind was not that of an impulsive teenager.
“Forget it, I won’t dwell on this. I’ve completed my thrice-honing assignment.
“My goal of earning money is still quite far away. It’s fine as long as I can set up the platform. Hopefully, Li Chengze can surprise me more.”
Fang Ping packed away his worries. Today was worth rejoicing, not worrying.
“Oh yeah, what should I name the company?”
Fang Ping also thought about this.
“Fang Ping Express? Ping Fang Company? Sounds awful...”
“Yuan Fang? Fang Yuan? Yuan Ping? Ping Yuan?”
“The word Yuan is not good either. How about Distance?”
Fang Ping stroked his black-painted chin, mumbling, “This seems pretty good. One naturally has to look at how things will fare in the long-run while doing them, and the company must progress with going the distance in mind.
“Distance Express, Distance Dining, Distance Group...
“Uh-huh, this it shall be then. It’s only a name after all.”
Fang Ping carelessly made this decision. He did not place much importance on external appearances like names.
...
In the next few days, Li Chengze took a few days of leave.
With this old Magic City citizen’s help, their efficiency improved at an abnormal rate.
Although the Magic Martial Hotel’s manager was not a big name, he was currently working for a Magic City Martial Arts University student. Adding Magic City Martial Arts University’s reputation to that, in the university town, not many would take him lightly.
The registration of the business was very quick. They decided not to use Express in the name, just calling it Distance Ltd.
Their business scope was quite extensive—F&B, courier services and IT were all included. Fang Ping did not know how Li Chengze managed it.
Li Chengze was not in a hurry to hire people either, choosing to renovate the company instead, wanting the distribution center and office to be simply furnished.
If new hires arrived and saw the mess it was currently in, even the fact it was a martial artist’s company was not enough to keep them in a place so dirty.
Moreover, hiring someone a day later also meant saving a day’s wages.
Li Chengze knew Fang Ping did not have much capital, so he had done some meticulous calculations. He was keen to start hiring on the day itself, train them on the second day and officially start work on the third.
They would keep busy till the end of August. Only then, will the preparations be done.
Currently, there were less than three days until the martial arts university’s official registration.
Prior to the registration, students and their parents have started to stay at the hotel one after another.
Not everyone was like Fang Ping, who came to school alone. These newly-graduated, privileged children had not yet gotten used to the change in their status.
Many of them were regular people. Vitalities of 130cal, no experience with combat techniques—they were no different from normal people.
Which was why quite a number of them came with their parents.
...
August 30th.
Upon noticing Fang Ping coming down from upstairs, entering the restaurant and receiving better dishes on his table than they had.
One of the parents who had been observing for a few days was displeased and finally asked, “Waitress, that person is also a student of Magic City Martial Arts University, right?
“Why are his lodgings and meals better than ours?”
At first, they did not know whether or not Fang Ping was a student.
After a few days of being there, they all knew that he was also a new student this year.
Since he was also a new student, why did Fang Ping stay in a better room and eat better food?
The Magic Martial Hotel was free-of-charge, this they were all clear on.
The school’s official registration only started the day after tomorrow, but their accommodations at school were already ready during these two days. Fang Ping was too lazy to move at the moment, so he remained here.
Their children did not stay here, but they did come over for meals occasionally.
However, these privileged children felt ill-at-ease eating for free. They were not as thick-skinned as Fang Ping and often went out with their parents to eat.
The parent who had asked the question earlier had her son with her. She had not wanted to come to eat here and desperately wanted to eat out.
Dining out cost an arm and a leg these days, going up to several hundred in a day.
Seeing Fang Ping have better food and lodgings here, the woman felt it was unfair. She was even cursing inwardly. How could this brat eat here so unabashedly?
The waitress did not dare to offend these Magic City Martial Arts University students’ parents and started explaining immediately. “Mr. Fang is a Rank-1 martial artist, so...”
Yes, Rank-1.
Fang Ping’s martial arts license stated he was Rank-1 during check-in. Li Chengze did not bother to explain to them.
In front of Fang Ping, Li Chengze bowed and scraped. Towards these regular staff members, on the other hand, he felt it unnecessary to explain it clearly.
“Martial artist!”
The second these words appeared, everyone started buzzing.
Everyone knew martial artists and aspiring martial artists were as different as night and day.
Although their children had also been admitted into Magic City Martial Arts University, they lacked a lot in comparison with a martial artist.
To be able to become a martial artist during the Gaokao, their family backgrounds would not be average either. They would not stay at this place that served for free.
Fang Ping was an exception. In the many years since it opened, the Magic Martial Hotel almost never served a new student martial artist nor a student who had been twice-honed.
This was also one of the reasons Li Chengze had sucked up like crazy when he came across Fang Ping.
When high-level students arrived, they did not acknowledge Li Chengze, so only Fang Ping was nice to talk to.
Fang Ping overheard their conversation.
However, Fang Ping could not be bothered. He started considering if he should move out.
He ate well and lived well here, and it was all free. Aside from the distance of more than ten minutes from the school, there were no other downsides.
If he stayed at school, he would have to stay in a six-person room. Could it compare to here?
Of course, Fang Ping now figured, was it possible it would not be a six-person room and would be a four-person or two-person room instead?
After all, a martial artist’s cultivations were quite personal. Living in groups was not very suitable.
Still, it did not matter how many people shared a room—could it be better than the presidential suite?
He did not know if it was possible. If it was, that would be great.
As he was contemplating this, Li Chengze stepped into the restaurant.
The service staff hurriedly greeted him. Li Chengze smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
After a while, Li Chengze stopped in front of Fang Ping and said softly, “President Fang, the renovation is nearly complete. Would you like to take a look?”
“No need. It’s fine if you are okay with it. I’ll be preparing during these two days to start classes in the best possible condition.”
“About tomorrow’s hiring...”
“You’re also in charge of that. There are few people in the early stages. Human resources aren’t complicated and finances are simpler, so there’s no difference whether I go or not.
“When some foundation has been laid down, then I’ll go take a look.
“Also, if there’s not enough money...”
Fang Ping’s head hurt a little. Half a beat passed before he said, “Call me if there’s not enough. I’ll come up with something.”
He still had some Vitality Pills. He would see if he could sell them.
“Alright, I got it.”
When he had finished, Li Chengze spoke again. “When you’ve entered MCMAU, I’ll officially resign. The procedures can be completed very quickly.”
“Can I continue staying here?”
Li Chengze was stunned for a moment before he nodded. “Of course you can, but... But this isn’t very appropriate, is it?
“At school, it’ll be more convenient for you.
“Furthermore, once I leave, you staying here for a long time might be...”
He did not say what it might be, but if Fang Ping adamantly stayed here for the long-term, it would easily allow others to look down on him.
Was this necessary?
Fang Ping did not say any more. He would assess the situation. If the school accommodations and dining were not troublesome, he would go to the school. It really was no big deal.
After exchanging a few simple sentences, Li Chengze left.
Fang Ping finished his meal and did not go out after. He went back to his room and resumed cultivating.
His pole-standing seemed to be nearing the breakthrough to the firm stance.
If he could breakthrough in these two days, he could enter the martial arts university with thrice-honing, the firm stance in pole-standing and minor success in leg technique. It was possible that nobody would be stronger than him among the new students.
Of course, this was excluding things out of his expectations. After all, this was Magic City Martial Arts University, the gathering grounds of geniuses!