"Ming Ge, youre so domineering today!" Lin Xiaodong kept saying as they walked along the road.

  Lin Ming did not speak, but in the afternoons speech he naturally spoke with great momentum. However, wanting to surpass Zhu Yan was a very difficult thing, and for this, he had to put in an enormous amount of effort.

  Hard work and hardship are nothing to be afraid of, but hidden injuries cannot be solved by faith alone, medicine is needed, and each kind of medicine is not cheap.

  Lin Xiaodong seemed to have guessed what Lin Ming was thinking, and he said: "Ming brother, you just focus on cultivating, the money issue, Ill think of a way to solve it, dont worry, my old man may not be very capable in the family, but hes still got some business skills, a few hundred taels of gold is nothing to him."

  Lin Mings footsteps paused slightly, and he turned his head to look at Lin Xiaodong. In life, there are many people who add flowers to the brocade, but those who send charcoal in the snow are only a few. Between brothers, saying thank you seems pretentious, yet Lin Ming still stopped in his tracks and said sincerely: "Xiaodong, thank you."

  "Alright, stop it, I cant take this. This life of mine doesnt have any great ambitions, taking the Seventh Rank exam at Wuhun Hall is just to give my old man some face. Ming Ge, Im counting on you, in the future when you become a master, just cover for me and thats enough, haha."

  Lin Ming also smiled brightly, "Yeah! For this brother of mine, I will definitely continue on the path of martial arts."

  ……

  When Lin Ming returned to his residence, it was already evening. This was the house he rented. In these days of signing up for the exam at the Seven Profound Martial House, accommodations in Tianyun City were extremely scarce, and hotels were fully booked, with room rates inflated by half. Therefore, many examinees would choose to rent a house, which wasnt cheap either.

  Lin Ming rented a single room with only ten square meters, the room was very simple, Lin Ming got on the bed and was about to meditate when someone knocked on the door.

  Lin Ming opened the door to find that it was his landlady, a middle-aged woman in her forties or fifties, who was extremely obese. Normally, this landlady always had a fierce and stingy expression on her face, but this time she had a flattering smile, which made Lin Ming feel somewhat unusual.

  "Landlady, is there something?"

  "This... young fellow, sorry about this, but could you take a look and see if you can vacate the house?"

  "Hmm?" Lin Ming slightly furrowed his brow, "Why?"

  "Haha, sorry about that. Ive rented this house." A somewhat piercing male voice cut in, and Lin Ming looked up to see a man with pointed ears and a mischievous grin walking out of the main hall, his face full of playful laughter.

  Lin Ming slightly stunned and recognized the person, this was a servant who followed behind Zhu Yan and another young man during the day, seemingly that unknown young mans person. At that time, the young man didnt interrupt, but his eyes looking at Lin Ming and Lin Xiaodong were full of disdain.

  Theres no doubt that this young man, in order to curry favor with Zhu Yan, sent someone to annoy himself. As long as he offered several times his own rent, this greedy and selfish landlady would naturally want him to move out.

  Its the day for Qi Xing Wu Fu to sign up, and housing is in short supply. Its not easy to change places, and even if you do, this dog leg might still make trouble.

  Lin Mings face was slightly gloomy, and he coldly looked at the landlords wife who was usually sharp-tongued and sarcastic. He said: "We agreed to rent for five months initially, and I also paid the rent for five months in advance. There are still three months left, you want me to leave?"

  The landlady smiled apologetically, "Well... of course I know that. How about this? For the three months you didnt stay here, Ill refund your rent, what do you think?"

  "Humph! Three months rent, youve calculated it quite well!" Lin Ming was truly angry. If the landlady had been forced by circumstances, then he would have left, but now she had a greedy face, which made Lin Mings stomach burn with anger.

  "Hey, whats with the way youre talking? It was just a verbal agreement before, no written contract. This house is mine, I can rent it to whoever I want!" As the capital of Tianyun Country, the landlords of Tianyun City have an inherent sense of superiority, thinking that people from outside the city are country bumpkins who look down on everyone else. They speak with great confidence, and with this rich and powerful persons underling by her side, the landladys backbone is naturally very straight.

  At this time, the man with pointed ears and a monkey face also laughed loudly: "Those who know whats good for them will leave quickly. Im not afraid to tell you, Ive got my eye on you. Even if you can find another place to go, Ill have the ability to drive you out again. From signing up at the Wu Fu to taking the exam, these three months, youd better sleep on the streets with a clean butt, haha!"

  The man laughed with gleeful abandon.

  The aristocratic class naturally forms a sense of superiority from birth, but their sense of superiority is often expressed in the form of temperament. Even when they lose their composure, they still maintain a dignified demeanor, just like Zhu Yan, who although overbearing, always speaks with decorum. On the other hand, the underlings of the aristocratic class, if they try to be arrogant, its just **naked arrogance**, and theres no better example of currying favor than this.

  Lin Ming stared at the man who looked like a monkey, his eyes gradually turning cold.

  "What are you looking at? Want to hit someone? Dont be afraid, Ill tell you, my young master is the second son of the commander of the Tianyun City Guard. If you dare to hit my young master, he will make you..."

  "Get out!" Lin Ming shouted, throwing a punch that landed squarely on the monkey-like mans nose. With a loud "crack", the man flew backward like a monkey, accompanied by a series of crashing sounds as wooden furniture and porcelain shattered all over the floor. The man lay amidst the wreckage, his hair disheveled, his face covered in blood.

  A fist capable of shattering ironwood, when it landed on a persons face, the consequences were predictable. The monkey-headed mans nose was flattened instantly.

  The landlady was stunned, her eyes wide with a dead pigs stare, and she remained still for several breaths before bursting out in a scream like a slaughtered pig, "Save me! Murder!"

  The landlord rushed out like a meatball, but his fat legs were not very agile and he was tripped by the scattered debris, thudding to the ground with a plop.

  Lin Ming stepped forward, approaching the monkey-like man. He was currently at the first stage of Body Tempering, and although it was only the beginning of his martial arts journey, the first stage of Body Tempering wasnt something to be taken lightly. After all, most people in Tianyun Country werent suited for martial arts training, but Lin Mings innate talent was one in a hundred, and with his diligence, it was unlikely that even one person out of a thousand of the same age could surpass him in terms of strength. This monkey-like man was just a subordinate of a military officers son, and for Lin Ming to deal with him would be like childs play.

  The man groaned constantly, he never dreamed that Lin Ming would dare to hit him. He stretched out his bloody fingers, pointing at Lin Ming and trembling with rage, saying: "You... you dare to hit me, you... youre done for."

  "I dont know if Ill be finished later, but now I know youre finished." Lin Ming kicked the mans abdomen with one foot, and the man let out a miserable cry, flying out like a monkey again. This time he directly smashed through the wooden door and was kicked out of the house.

  Lin Ming didnt say a word, went back to his room and packed up his things casually, then left in big strides. The whole house was already in disarray, the landladys heart was bleeding, she plucked up her courage and said: "You...you cant just leave like this, you...have to...compensate."

  Lin Mings footsteps paused, and he turned around to glance at the old woman who had curled up into a ball on the ground, "Compensate?"

  "Comp...comp..." The landlords voice was getting weaker and weaker, she felt the young mans gaze was like a deep abyss, making her shiver.

  Lin Ming didnt say a word, and suddenly punched the wall with a loud thud. The beam above was shaken off a layer of dirt, and the brick wall was directly punched through by Lin Mings fist. The landlady let out a scream, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

  Lin Ming walked out of the room with his luggage, without even looking at the monkey man who was lying on the ground unconscious.

  He was very clear that he had hit this person today, and the master behind him would not let it go easily, which would bring trouble to himself, but Lin Ming did not regret it.

  As a human being, one must learn to endure. If todays opponent were a highly skilled martial artist and Lin Ming was no match for him, he would choose to endure. This loss had to be swallowed, but the one who came was just a low-ranking servant with three-inch kung fu skills, relying solely on the power behind him. If he endured again, what was the point of practicing martial arts?

  This does not conform to Lin Mings martial heart.

  He strode out of the residential area, casually tossing his bag aside, and began to consider the issue of accommodation. He needed to find a place to stay, but hotels were basically full and too expensive. As for sleeping outdoors, although he didnt mind, Lin Xiaodong would definitely not approve and would pull him to go live at his own place.

  If its over, then the military commanders son will definitely send someone again. At that time, Lin Xiaodong wont have to stay either, and the two can sleep on the big street together.

  Whats more, he has just stirred up trouble, and it is possible that the son of the military commander will directly send someone to deal with them. For these people, beating someone into disability is nothing unusual, and Lin Ming does not want to implicate Lin Xiaodong.

  Then where can I live?

  Lin Ming thought for a moment and finally came up with a place to stay - one of the most luxurious inns in Tianyun City, Daming Xuan.

  The Da Ming Xuan is extremely expensive, and the people who come and go are either rich or noble. The background of the place itself is also very grand, so someone with such power would naturally not be able to move a military commanders son.

  Lin Ming couldnt possibly spend money to stay at the Da Ming Xuan, he came here to work. Lin Mings parents were innkeepers, and Lin Ming could cook, with a pretty good taste too. However, he didnt think he could compare to the master chefs of Tian Yun City...

  ……

  When Lin Ming arrived at the Daming Pavilion, the Daming Pavilion was still brightly lit, and it would be open for business until dawn. It was the best tavern in Tianyun City.

  Lin Mings attire was really ordinary, when he entered the shop, the waiter looked at Lin Ming with some unusual eyes, because this dressed and packaged person didnt seem to be able to eat at Daming Xuan, and more importantly, the other party was only about 15 years old.

  However, the hospitality was still quite good, and he walked over to ask: "Is this young brother here with his parents?"

  Lin Ming shook his head and said: "Im here looking for a job."

  Even if the service is very good, its frowned upon. What can a 15 or 16-year-old kid do? The beautiful girls who carry plates are all over 10 years old, and the waiters are all tall and handsome guys in their 20s. As for the chef, can a 15 or 16-year-old kid be a chef?

  "Go away and dont come back to bother me." He waved his hand impatiently.

  "Ill really get to work, you can let me try in the kitchen."

  "What can you do?" asked the unhappy host.

  Lin Ming smiled slightly and said, "Bone Dissolution."

  "What?" The host was stunned.

  ……

  Deboning is a very niche profession, and not every restaurant has it set up. This job is actually to dismember the slaughtered livestock or hunted game into pieces of meat.

  In the past, there was a story about Cook Ding dissecting an ox. A master butcher can easily dismember an entire cow with ease, while a good butcher may also be able to do so but would need to change their knife after a year. An average butcher, however, would need to change their knife every month and work very inefficiently, taking half a day to deal with just one cow.

  But Da Ming Xuan, many times the dismembered are not cows, but ferocious beasts. Many ferocious beasts have a delicious taste, but their scales, skin, bones and tendons are extremely tough. Ordinary people would exhaust themselves to dissect just a small piece, let alone martial arts masters who would never stoop to doing such work. Even if they did, without understanding the texture and seams of the muscles and bones, they would only have brute strength, often ending up with a mess of uneven pieces, unable to create exquisite cuisine.

  Lin Ming first came into contact with martial arts from bone release, in his parents wine shop, bone release was his daily practice, and he had been doing it for many years.

  This is a very tiring job, not easier than playing golf! Lin Ming never thought he had any extraordinary talent in martial arts, what he could rely on was only his own diligence, practicing again and again, his solid foundation in martial arts was practiced out in this knife by knife.

  Unable to get rid of Lin Ming, he had no choice but to bring him into the kitchen...

  "Lan sister, this little brother wants to come and apply for a bone-setting job."

  "Whats with the beggar?" In the kitchen of the Great Ming Pavilion, a beautiful woman in her early twenties, wearing a bright cheongsam, looked up and down at Lin Ming. Seeing his simple clothes and refugee-like appearance, she frowned slightly and said to the servant who brought Lin Ming in, "What are you doing? Youre bringing anyone into the kitchen. Give him some loose change and send him away."

  This beautiful woman apparently took Lin Ming as a child in distress, and the waiter who was scolded had a bitter face. In fact, he wanted to push Lin Ming out, but found that Lin Mings feet were like taking root, and couldnt be pushed at all.

  "Good." A young man who was deboning was about to come over and drive away Lin Ming, but just as he felt a flash in his eyes, his hand lightened, and the deboning knife that was originally nestled in his hand was actually snatched away by the boy.

  The young man named Dongzi didnt understand what was going on, Lin Ming said: "Im not here to beg for food, Miss, take a look at my craftsmanship before driving me away."

  The beautiful woman was slightly startled, and this kid really practiced. She glanced at Dongzi and said, "Really useless, cant even handle a child, go to the warehouse and lift a pig." When she said this, she turned to Lin Ming and said, "If you can settle it within half an hour, Ill let you stay in Daming Hall."

  Dongzi knew he had lost face and sulkily turned around to lift the pig, at which point Lin Ming said: "No need, that one will do."

  Lin Ming said, pointing to a Qilin beast not far away.

  The beautiful woman was shocked, the Jiao Jin beast is a second-level fierce beast, with many muscles all over its body. These muscles are extremely tough and resistant to sword damage. However, if specific medicinal materials are added and simmered over low heat for three days and nights, it will produce a rich and delicious broth.

  This ferocious beast would be difficult for even a master of dissection to deal with, and yet this young man is still so reckless.

  "What a joke, this tendon beast is worth over 100 taels of gold, can you afford to compensate if its ruined?" Dongzi said indignantly, still resentful about Lin Ming taking his knife.

  The beautiful woman gave Dongzi a glance and said in an ill-tempered tone: "Are you done ruining things yet?"

  Dongzis voice paused, and he suddenly stopped speaking. The Jiaoren beast was not a pig or cow or sheep, ordinary people couldnt even break its scales with a knife, let alone destroy it, which wasnt something an average person could do.

  The woman turned to Lin Mingdao and said: "Ill let you cut!"

  Lin Ming nodded, picked the best deboning knife in the kitchen, and started to cut the Jiao Jin beast. He had only cut it twice before, both times at banquets celebrating the birthdays of prominent figures in the Lin family, as this ferocious beast was not something ordinary people could afford.

  Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming carefully stroked the scales of the Qilin beast, feeling the bulging tendons beneath. This process lasted for a full incense sticks worth of time, during which he formed a mental map of the tendons. This map matched the one he had memorized from before.

  But in such waiting, some people got impatient, "Whats going on? Still not cutting?"

  "Stop being vague and get to work."

  Its no wonder these people are impatient. A fifteen-year-old boy comes to do the dissection, and the object of dissection is still a second-level fierce beast. No matter how you look at it, it seems like an evil prank.

  Lin Ming ignored these doubts. When he picked up the knife, his eyes had already become extremely focused, dissecting bones was the same as his cultivation.

  After verifying the good meridian diagram, Lin Ming finally made his move, without using an axe or a chopping knife, he only used a difficult-to-use scraper knife.

  It was this ordinary dagger that became extremely sharp in Lin Mings hands, and when the blade fell, the scales of the Jiao Jin beast were split open by Lin Ming with a single knife!

  Seeing this scene, the people who originally questioned him suddenly shut up. Just to achieve this point, it requires a strength of no less than 300 catties on the wrist. Normally, dissecting the tendon beast would require an axe or a saw.

  The blade slid along the gap between the tendons, the speed of the knife was smooth and unparalleled, like cutting paper, only to hear the sound of "hua hua hua", the white tendons one by one had already appeared inside the body of the python.

  Looking at Lin Mings effortless appearance, the man who called Dongzi rubbed his eyes hard, suspecting that he had seen a mirage. Did this kid really cut out the Qiu Jin Beast?

  Lin Mings movements were as smooth as flowing clouds, occasionally encountering a few inescapable beast tendons. At this time, he would use brute force to snap them off. In this way, after using less than half an hour of effort, the beast tendon creature was cut into pieces by Lin Ming. Next to the pieces lay several segments of white silk, which were the most valuable beast tendons on the beast tendon creatures body. These beast tendons were uniform in length and almost undamaged.

  This scene was really astonishing, Lin Ming made it look easy, but people knew how massive a project it was to dissect the Qilin beast, usually requiring four or five strong men working together for half a day, yet that young man just had a slightly red face, looking like he could handle another one or two with ease!

  At night, Daming Xuan was no longer busy. Many people in the kitchen were watching. The whole house was quiet when they saw this scene. At this time, Lin Ming put down his knife and said: "Can I stay here now? I can only work for two hours a day, with a monthly salary of five taels of gold. I have another condition, which is to provide me with food and accommodation."

  The beautiful woman thought for a moment and then nodded: "Okay!"

  Lin Mings conditions were not low, but they were absolutely worth it. With Lin Mings speed, two hours was enough to accomplish a lot, and the loss of key ingredients was minimal, which was very important.

  So, Lin Ming started working at the Great Ming Pavilion. Two hours wasnt considered a waste of time, as this was also cultivation. The tree stump training tempered his fierce strength, while the Bone Forging training honed his clever strength.

  That night, Lin Ming was in the warehouse, cutting three first-class ferocious beasts in one breath. At this time, he was already sweating profusely and his arms were numb. He prepared to cut the last one and then went back to his residence to rest.

  Finally, he chose another secondary fierce beast - the golden-backed pangolin. This fierce beasts teeth could crush stones and drill through mountains like drilling into tofu.

  Because of the excessive consumption of true yuan, Lin Ming spent nine cows and two tigers strength to cut open the abdominal scales of the Golden Backed Mountain Lizard. He chose this second-level fierce beast with the intention of forcing out his own limits.

  After cutting open the scales, it became much easier. The blade of the knife slid along the gap between the muscles and moved to the abdomen of the golden-backed pangolin, but at this moment, Lin Ming felt that the knife had stopped, as if it had hit something hard.

  Bones? No, there shouldnt be bones in the abdominal cavity.

  So is it a stone? Not that either, the golden armadillo occasionally swallows stones, but they are crushed early on, and even if not crushed, they would be corroded by the strong stomach acid, there wouldnt be such a big piece, so could it be...

  Inner Elixir?

  Thinking of this, Lin Mings heart was slightly excited. The inner elixir of a second-level fierce beast was very valuable. If he didnt sell it and swallowed it instead, it would be greatly beneficial to his body.

  Lin Ming put on his gloves and carefully avoided the stomach acid, taking out the hard object. However, upon closer inspection, Lin Ming was greatly disappointed to find that it was a square-shaped object, which clearly couldnt be an inner dan as they were usually round in shape.

  It seems to be true stone, but this stone is a bit strange...

  A grey cube, with edges and corners that are a bit too neat, as if cut by a knife. The six faces of the cube are engraved with strange black inscriptions, giving off an air of mystery.

  Is it metal?

  Lin Ming carefully observed it and found that it didnt seem like metal, nor did it quite resemble stone. Perhaps it was a type of jade?

  The new book doesnt have much essence, thank you everyone for your support, this week cant be refined.

  －