Chapter 9

"Chuckle."

Shi Yun pulled out the bottle stopper.

He poured out the secret medicine inside.

The secret medicine was a green, oily paste.

It had a very unpleasant and somewhat irritating smell.

However, when Shi Yun applied the secret medicine to the wounds on his hands, he felt a cool and refreshing sensation.

It was like applying menthol, making him feel very comfortable.

Even the pain in his hands was significantly reduced.

After applying the secret medicine, according to the rules, Shi Yun needed to rest for an hour.

He had to wait for the medicine to be absorbed by the skin on his hands.

Shi Yun also began to observe the apprentices in the courtyard.

Whether they were practicing with sand or tree trunks, their fingers would get injured.

Then they would all have a small bottle of secret medicine, applying it to their wounds.

"Hey, are you new here?"

Shi Yun looked up.

He saw a man who looked to be under twenty.

He was dressed simply, with a sharp and lively gaze.

Shi Yun knew that the man was also practicing with sand.

However, he must have come earlier than Shi Yun.

"Yes, I just arrived today."

"My name is Zhao Hong. I came a bit earlier, about ten days ago."

"Ten days? You've been here for ten days and are still practicing with sand?"

Shi Yun's eyes narrowed slightly.

Ten days, and he was still practicing with sand.

He only had fifteen days in total.

If he couldn't pay the remaining five taels of silver after fifteen days, he would have to leave.

But what good would it do to keep practicing with sand here?

"Hehe, these ten days are nothing."

"You just got here, so you don't know yet."

"I've already found out that the time for practicing with sand can be long or short."

"The short ones, I heard, can meet the requirements in three to five days and move on to practicing with tree trunks."

"As for the long ones, the longest one has been here for half a year, still playing with sand."

"What about the average case?"

Shi Yun asked.

Extreme cases are not representative.

"In the average case, it takes at least a month. Or a bit better, about twenty days."

Shi Yun fell silent.

Playing with sand to toughen the skin takes twenty days to a month.

Even longer if one's talent is slightly worse.

But the Golden Finger Sect doesn't care how long it takes.

As long as you pay, you can stay.

If you don't pay, you'll be immediately expelled from the martial arts hall.

Shi Yun had no money, so he naturally wanted to make the most progress in the shortest time.

At least, he couldn't keep "playing with sand" to toughen his skin, as that would be meaningless.

Shi Yun's mind stirred.

He was different from others.

His red aura could break through bottlenecks.

If toughening the skin has a bottleneck, he could use the red aura to directly break through it!

But the prerequisite was that he must practice toughening the skin until he reaches the bottleneck.

Shi Yun had another conversation with Zhao Hong.

Toughening the skin also has a bottleneck.

For example, practicing with sand is the first stage of toughening the skin.

Practicing with tree trunks is the second stage.

The first stage of toughening the skin can take just a few days to reach the second stage.

That's a genius!

The longer ones might take half a year or even a year.

Some never reach the second stage.

So, toughening the skin has a bottleneck, but it's not too difficult.

Most people can reach the second stage of toughening the skin.

Since the first stage of toughening the skin has a bottleneck, Shi Yun felt relieved.

He would now diligently toughen his skin, striving to reach the bottleneck of the first stage as soon as possible.

Only by reaching the bottleneck could he use the red aura to break through it and advance to the second stage.

Shi Yun continued to rest quietly.

Toughening the skin requires endurance!

After all, toughening the skin with sand means both hands must endure the friction of the sand.

How painful that must be!

Each time he inserted his hands into the sand, it was not a pleasant experience.

Ten fingers are connected to the heart.

The pain was bone-deep!

Even with Shi Yun's strong will, he occasionally felt a bit shaken.

Time passed slowly.

Shi Yun noticed that the wounds on his hands were healing rapidly.

Yes, healing.

They were even starting to scab over.

And this had only been an hour.

"Secret medicine!"

"The secret medicine of the Golden Finger Sect can quickly heal the wounds on the hands."

"No wonder the Golden Finger Sect can use this method, which is almost self-mutilation, to practice martial arts."

"Turns out there is such a miraculous secret medicine..."

Shi Yun looked at the bottle in his hand, a glint of surprise in his eyes.

It seems the Golden Finger Sect does have some substance.

Next, Shi Yun gritted his teeth and continued to toughen his skin.

After about half an hour of toughening, his hands would be bloody and raw, and he would need to apply the secret medicine.

Otherwise, his hands would be ruined.

Time passed slowly.

Soon, the sun set.

The practice time for the day was over.

The "Xia Brother" appeared from somewhere and drove everyone away.

He wouldn't give them even a minute more.

"Brother Shi, see you tomorrow."

Zhao Hong winced as he greeted Shi Yun.

It hurt!

After all, toughening the skin with sand left his hands bloody and raw.

Shi Yun nodded.

On the first day, he only got to know this talkative Zhao Hong.

But if Zhao Hong weren't so talkative, Shi Yun wouldn't have learned about the common knowledge of the Golden Finger Sect.

After leaving the martial arts hall, Shi Yun didn't go home immediately.

He wandered around the streets until it gradually got dark, then slowly made his way home.

However, due to malnutrition, Shi Yun had a bit of night blindness.

In the evening, he couldn't see things clearly.

He had to rely on his memory to slowly return home.

Shi Yun opened the door and looked at the empty room, with no sign of his sister.

"Second Sister?"

Shi Yun called out his sister's name.

But there was no response.

Shi Yun's face changed slightly.

He searched the room again.

No one!

His second sister was gone!

Many thoughts raced through Shi Yun's mind.

Did the lecherous Xu Ergou do something to his second sister?

If that were the case, what should he do?

Should he immediately confront Xu Ergou, or seek help from his older sister?

At this moment, Shi Yun deeply felt how helpless he was.

In his current state,

with a lame leg,

he was completely helpless against Xu Ergou.

"Creak."

At that moment, someone pushed the door open.

"Second Sister? Where did you go?"

Shi Yun looked closely.

It was his second sister returning.

Shi Hui was holding a large bundle of clothes, a smile on her face. "Today, Aunt Li next door introduced me to a big job."

"Look, there are so many clothes. If I wash them, I can earn at least thirty copper coins."

"If I also mend some clothes, I might be able to make another tael of silver."

"Then, the cost for your martial arts practice for the second half of the month would only be three taels of silver short."

"Let's think of a way. I can borrow some money or pawn some things. Maybe I can gather the five taels of silver needed for you to stay in the Golden Finger Sect for another half month."

Shi Yun looked at his second sister's already pale hands, not knowing what to say.