Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey! Chapter 4 4 Yang Chun Skill

Chen Jie exited his home and glanced back at the rundown dwelling, couldn't resist letting out a sigh, "Indeed, the household is down to nothing but empty walls."

Chen Jie wasn't one to dwell in negativity; he'd weathered tough periods in the past. Back when he quit school midway, he possessed zilch. Yet, via his unyielding hard work, he eventually reached a point of monetary independence, no longer fretting over meals or attire.

He'd tasted both destitution and abundance, grasped the roots of being broke, and knew the paths to riches. Hence, the path ahead held no mysteries for him.

Still, the immediate priority remained tackling the basics of sustenance and shelter.

Keeping that in focus, Chen Jie made a beeline for the rear hills.

En route, Chen Jie eyed the fields around the villagers' abodes. The plants were thin and unripe, signaling another poor harvest. *He pondered how little surplus the folks might retain post-tax gathering by officials.*

Beyond Xiantao Village lay a vast peak called Dahei Mountain, belonging to the sprawling Daba Mountain chain. It harbored all sorts of perilous creatures, and starting from the mid-slopes, a deadly toxic veil repelled any common folk from venturing in.

Not even the famed Master Martial Artist from town would plunge too far inside.

Yet, legends spoke of valuables beyond that toxic shroud. A person once harvested a crimson Lingzhi from within, which the Master Martial Artist snapped up for ten taels of silver, turning them wealthy in a flash.

In essence, this mighty range blended perils with prospects.

That, though, bore no relevance to Chen Jie. His destination this day was a ravine nestled at Dahei Mountain's base.

Chen Jie soon reached Black Bear Gully, just as the intel indicated.

The spot earned its title from sightings of bears by locals.

Once there, Chen Jie beheld towering woods crammed together thickly, and the villagers shied from collecting kindling here due to the regime's levies.

All timber in Black Bear Gully fell under official ownership. Rumors held that residents owed an annual firewood duty, with payments scaling up by how much they felled.

Farmers endured over a dozen burdensome impositions yearly, leaving them starving.

*Reflecting on these mind-boggling exploitative tributes, Chen Jie could only utter one saying, "Tyranny surpasses the ferocity of tigers."*

The foliage in Black Bear Gully diversified, yet locust trees clustered in a single zone. Chen Jie hastened there and lifted a rabbit felled by collision with a massive locust trunk.

Chen Jie grasped the rabbit. It felt substantial, roughly seven or eight pounds; once skinned and gutted, it'd yield three to five pounds of flesh, sufficient for a couple of days' meals.

Such prospects lifted his spirits somewhat. At minimum, nourishment for the coming pair of days was secured.

Recalling the pair of sisters back home, *having meat on the table would surely bring joy.*

Mid-thought, Chen Jie prepared to return yet halted abruptly. *Considering the cautious looks the sisters gave him at home, he spotted a thick tree root and settled upon it.*

*Allow them some space to settle their nerves.*

*Without his presence, they'd likely feel more at ease than with it.*

Holding that notion, Chen Jie reclined against the sturdy trunk and accessed his system.

Back at the house, the chaos had left no room for a thorough system review. Now proved ideal to acquaint himself, as it'd underpin his future sustenance.

He examined the system.

Sure enough, it revealed helpful elements.

To start, the system's intel tier stood at Level 1, offering merely five updates per day, and upgrade requirements remained unclear.

Next, intel appeared to register only through direct encounters, such as viewing, handling, or traversing. He speculated if auditory or mental inputs might trigger refreshes too.

Finally, Chen Jie's top delight was the system's inclusion of a personal stats display.

"Panel."

He called up his stats.

[Chen Jie]

[Realm: Not yet admitted]

[Cultivation Technique: Yang Chun Skill]

[Evaluation: You seem to have learned some medicine, but also seem not to have learned it]

This bare-bones display left Chen Jie somewhat sheepish, particularly that superfluous remark at the close. *What's with 'I seem to have learned medicine, but also seem not to have learned it'?*

*Is it toying with quantum medicine on me?*

Nonetheless, one detail captivated Chen Jie greatly: the Yang Chun Skill, undoubtedly a prized martial arts tome!

Martial Arts Secret Manual, Yang Chun Skill—he possessed such a gem!

Chen Jie mulled it over briefly and recalled suddenly. On his seventh birthday, his grandpa instructed him in a respiration method.

But laziness struck, and he skimped on practice, faking it for days until his grandpa's abrupt death led him to abandon the breaths entirely.

Hold on, his grandpa had handed him a faded ancient tome that day. Correct, that had to house the Yang Chun Skill's secrets.

Struck by realization, Chen Jie rose swiftly.

Then he bolted toward home.

In his prior existence, novel readings taught him the vital role of cultivation methods in bygone eras, particularly in a high-martial realm such as this.

Chen Jie's awareness of this high-martial setting stemmed from embedded recollections affirming that Master Martial Artists commanded utmost esteem here.

Master Martial Artists wielded might far beyond mortals, hoisting hundreds of pounds effortlessly and vaulting to roof peaks with one leap.

Even the County Magistrate deferred to such masters.

Consequently, villagers yearned to master combat skills, though entry eluded most.

Learning resources lay gripped by authorities, noble clans, and wandering sects. Paths to arts involved enlisting in forces, serving elite houses, or pledging to sects.

Barring those, martial pursuits stayed out of reach, barring one from true artistry.

As for academies, they were fantasies, and any existing ones merely fleeced the naive.

A destitute tiller seeking authentic training must indenture to those dominant entities.

They imparted skills not for profit from your coin but to bolster their ranks with expendable fighters.

And claiming, "I've funds to employ a teacher," rang hollow sans martial safeguard—how else accumulate wealth?

Fine, suppose inherited riches like Chen Jie's; dominant factions could seize it via decree.

Absent matching prowess for defense, vulnerability reigned.

Officials might single you out for tribute, resistance equating rebellion.

Sects could extort safeguarding dues, defiance inviting beatings.

Clans could claim reparations, refusal triggering networked ruin.

Even ruffians might lure you to ruinous wagers, stripping all.

*He embodied that fate firsthand.*

Thus, in this realm, lacking martial might rendered all efforts vain; the Yang Chun Skill offered destiny-altering potential.

Hence, locating the Yang Chun Skill was imperative!

To thrive amid such chaos, mastering arts and gaining strength stood essential!