Seeing that the Golden Finger Panel really worked, Chen Ping'an wanted to press his advantage and continue practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt.
But he hadn't felt it a moment ago. Now that he had paused, he realized his entire body was aching fiercely.
He unwrapped the garment bound tightly around his chest and back and saw that his skin was bright red, with some areas faintly broken.
'No wonder it hurts so much!'
'I can't train anymore. I have to wait for it to heal!'
'If I keep this up, it'll be a real problem if my skin breaks completely!'
Chen Ping'an decisively abandoned the idea of continuing his Iron Cloth Shirt practice.
Looking at the crumpled, ruined cloth, Chen Ping'an knew it was completely done for. It couldn't be worn again.
'I'll keep it for my Iron Cloth Shirt training!'
"Brother, have some water."
Seeing her brother stop, Chen Erya, who had been watching from the side, walked over with a bowl full of clean water.
Chen Ping'an took it without hesitation and immediately began to GLUG GLUG GLUG it down. Water dribbled from the corners of his mouth, spilling slightly.
At that moment, Chen Ping'an was bare-chested, his skin flushed red. Though he was thin, he had a somewhat heroic and uninhibited air about him.
Chen Erya looked at her brother, her face filled with heartache.
'To look like this... how much must he be suffering!'
Chen Ping'an drank all the water in the bowl, handed the empty bowl back to Chen Erya, and patted her on the head.
"Nannan, I'm going to take a nap. Don't wait for me for lunch. There's still some rice in the pot, so go ahead and eat."
He hadn't slept at all the previous night, too excited because of the Golden Finger, but his spirit had been able to hold up. Now, however, right after practicing the Iron Cloth Shirt, the drain on his mind and body hit him the moment he relaxed, and an endless wave of exhaustion washed over him.
"Brother, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll go and buy it."
Chen Erya asked. Usually, when Chen Ping'an was away on his official duties, she was the one who did most of the grocery shopping.
Chen Ping'an was about to reply with "whatever's easy," but he suddenly realized that now that he was starting to practice Martial Arts, his physical exertion was immense. He needed a good supply of Qi Blood and couldn't be careless about his food.
"Go buy some beef, and a half-dozen eggs. We'll have a good, nourishing meal tonight."
"Okay."
Chen Erya nodded.
Chen Ping'an went into the house. The moment he lay down on his bed, drowsiness washed over him, and he was fast asleep in no time.
...
By the time Chen Ping'an woke up, the sky had already started to darken.
'How many hours did I sleep!'
As he got out of bed, Chen Ping'an felt his body was a little sore. It seemed his body wasn't used to such sudden, intense exercise after so long without it.
However, the pain had subsided quite a bit.
'I wonder if my body just recovers quickly, or if it's a hidden benefit of the Golden Finger.'
Speaking of the Golden Finger, besides the fact that every bit of Cultivation yielded a reward—with progress once made being permanent and never regressing—it had another benefit.
It could conceal his Cultivation Realm and adjust his physical state, allowing him to present whatever appearance he wanted to others.
'A handy tool for ambushing people!'
'But for the current Chen Ping'an, it's pretty useless!'
'I haven't even reached the Entry Level of Cultivation. What is there to hide?!'
"Brother, you're awake! Here, have a steamed bun to tide you over."
Chen Erya noticed the moment Chen Ping'an woke up. She brought a white-flour steamed bun from the kitchen and handed it to him.
Chen Ping'an took it and noticed it was still faintly warm.
"I bought it from Aunt Wang on my way back from grocery shopping this afternoon."
Chen Erya said with a grin.
"Mm."
Chen Ping'an nodded, and in a few quick bites, the steamed bun was gone.
After finishing the bun, he found he was still a bit hungry, so he stood up.
"Nannan, come lend a hand. Let's start the fire and cook dinner!"
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing this, Chen Erya straightened up respectfully, like a little soldier ready for the front lines.
Chen Ping'an's home wasn't large. A small courtyard, one bedroom, and a half-sized kitchen made up the entire layout.
Living in the County City was no easy feat.
For ordinary commoners, having such a home was already worthy of envy and praise.
Most commoners lived with several other families, sharing a single courtyard. In worse cases, a family of six, old and young, would be crammed into half a room along the street.
In comparison, the fact that Chen Ping'an and his sister had such a private dwelling to themselves was already the envy of many.
This was all thanks to the legacy left by Old Chen.
After a flurry of activity from the brother and sister, a fragrant dinner was on the table.
Two bowls of fragrant white rice, a plate of braised beef, a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a bowl of bone broth. In addition, there was one egg for each of them.
Before they had even picked up their chopsticks, Chen Erya was already drooling.
"You little glutton, go on and eat."
Looking at Chen Erya's expression, Chen Ping'an tapped her little hand and said with a smile.
"Okay, thank you, Brother."
Chen Erya, who had been barely holding herself back, looked as if she'd been granted a royal pardon. She immediately picked up her chopsticks and began to eat like a whirlwind.
Though Chen Erya's movements were swift, Chen Ping'an noticed that her first bite was from the plate of vegetables.
'This girl... her sensibility is almost heartbreaking.'
"You little glutton, drooling like that and you're not even eating the meat."
Chen Ping'an picked out two pieces of beef and placed them in Chen Erya's bowl.
"Brother... I don't need this much."
Chen Erya looked at Chen Ping'an with wide, pleading eyes.
Ever since Old Chen passed away, they rarely ate meat in order to pay off their debts. On the rare occasion they did, most of it was saved for Chen Ping'an.
He was the man of the house and needed to go on duty during the day, which consumed a great deal of energy. He needed to eat well to have strength.
"I told you to eat, so eat."
Chen Ping'an put on a fierce expression.
"Don't worry, our lives will get better. Soon, we'll be able to eat meat with every meal!"
Seeing Chen Erya still hesitating, her chopsticks unmoving, Chen Ping'an added another sentence.
"What? You don't believe your brother?"
"I believe you."
"If you believe me, then listen to your brother and eat."
"Mm-hmm."
Chen Erya nodded emphatically.
The little girl buried her head in her bowl and began to wolf down her food.
Halfway through her meal, she didn't forget to remind Chen Ping'an.
"Brother should eat too."
"Mm, okay."
Chen Ping'an replied and also started to dig in.
To be honest, he was starving.
In the small courtyard, the aroma of the food wafted through the air. The siblings' occasional exchanges added a touch of warmth to the fragrance.
After dinner, Chen Ping'an and Chen Erya cleared the dishes, wiped the table, and moved the wooden table and stools back into the house.
After moving around a little to let the food digest, Chen Ping'an began his Iron Cloth Shirt practice once again.
It was the same method, the same Cultivation technique.
He wasn't sure if it was because he'd injured himself slightly during the first session, but the moment he started this second time, he felt a faint pain begin to spread through his body.
Chen Ping'an gritted his teeth and persevered.
Compared to the pain in his body, he was more afraid of a life without hope.
With force in his palms, he continuously and vigorously rubbed and slapped his body up and down.
His palms grew numb, his Qi Blood churning!
Again and again.
Finally, just as he had hoped, a "+1" symbol flashed in Chen Ping'an's vision.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: None
Martial Arts: Iron Cloth Shirt (Not yet Entry Level) (2/5)
...
'This feeling of being rewarded for your efforts... it's truly addictive!'