Taking it Seriously

It was quite similar to soaking in a hot bath in his previous life—a tingling warmth that washed away all fatigue.

However, the color of the medicinal bath was deeper, and the scent was more unique. As he soaked, a slight but persistent burning sensation emanated from the surface of his skin, as if countless gentle needles were activating his dormant meridians.

But this heat was not uncomfortable; instead, it felt like a deep awakening.

As his breathing gradually steadied, he followed the method taught by Regg, coordinating with the rhythm of the White Snake Breathing Technique to guide the medicinal power seeping into his body to circulate slowly along his meridians.

Inside the room, the faint scent of cypress and herbs quietly permeated the air.

The water rippled slightly, reflecting the deepening twilight outside the window.

Matthew leaned against the edge of the wooden tub, feeling the medicinal power seep into his muscles and skin in fine strands.

He estimated the time. He needed to soak for about another half hour. Reaching out to take his pocket watch from beside the tub, he checked the time and noted it in his mind. Then, he closed his eyes slightly, letting his mind settle in the steady rhythm of his breath, allowing his thoughts to unfold slowly.

The youth from the Blood Hand Gang today was nothing more than an insignificant interlude to Matthew.

The so-called threat was almost negligible in his eyes.

At this point, Matthew had been undergoing medicinal baths for a week. He only needed to wait another week or so before he could begin attempting to break through to the Silver Rank.

At that time, with another leap in his life level, his physical fitness would experience a qualitative transformation. As long as he was given a little more time to accumulate and temper himself, his combat strength, in his view, would be enough to be called the strongest person below the Gold Rank.

Although Matthew's accumulation of life energy had not yet reached its peak—he estimated that at his current progress, it would take at least half a year to touch the barrier of the Silver Rank.

However, with the support of his attribute panel, his continuous hard training, and the ongoing nourishment of the medicinal baths, his physical foundation was already rock-solid and completely sufficient to carry the next step of the breakthrough.

Furthermore, he still had the goat demon crystal core in his possession. The energy contained within was enough to compensate for any shortage of life energy, providing critical assistance for the breakthrough. Moreover, there would be no lack of life energy after the breakthrough.

...

The medicinal bath ended quietly amidst his deep thoughts. Matthew slowly opened his eyes. The temperature of the medicinal liquid in the tub was no longer as scalding as it had been at the beginning, leaving only a gentle warmth enveloping his body.

He looked down at the color of the water—the dark brown hue seemed to have faded slightly, as if the medicinal power had been integrated into the depths of his body through his breathing and guidance.

The warm current brought by the medicinal bath slowly settled into his limbs and bones. Beneath his skin, it felt as though new power was quietly stirring.

Matthew rose from the water, droplets sliding down his taut muscles. He could clearly feel the flow of life energy within him was smoother and more temperate than before.

After drying his body and changing into a clean linen shirt, the hands of his pocket watch pointed exactly to half-past nine. The lobby downstairs had long since fallen silent, with only the occasional sound of the wind outside making the night seem even quieter.

Just as he was buttoning his shirt, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by two restrained knocks.

“Come in.”

Aidan pushed the door open and entered, his movements much more agile than a month ago. He nodded slightly and reported in a low voice, “Big Brother, everything is normal over at Shizhong Road. That mother and daughter have a regular routine. No strangers have been seen coming or going, and there are no suspicious movements in the area.”

Matthew nodded, not surprised by this. He walked to the window, looking at the scattered lights of the outer city. After a moment of silence, he spoke, “Starting tomorrow, find some time to look into the Blood Hand Gang.”

His tone was calm, but a hint of solemnity flickered in his eyes. Although the Blood Hand Gang was not worth fearing, he had to guard against that potion of unknown origin and the forces that might be involved behind it.

Strategically, one could despise the enemy, but tactically, one had to be cautious. It was better to understand their roots than to respond passively in the future.

Hearing this, Aidan immediately replied, “Understood.”

At this moment, he was no longer the green youth from the countryside. More than a month of continuous investigating, tailing, and dealing with people had added a bit of composure and sharpness to his features. He spoke without haste, his gaze was steady, and even his posture while standing revealed a sense of experienced proficiency.

Matthew glanced at him, having noted Aidan's progress. With a shift of his mind, he asked, “How much longer until you become a Class holder? Can you circulate the life energy in your body freely?”

Upon hearing this, a look of pride immediately surfaced on Aidan's face. He straightened his back and replied, “Brother Matthew, I already succeeded a week ago!”

Seeing Aidan's expression, Matthew couldn't help but feel a bit amused. After all, for more than a month, Aidan had been provided with food and lodging, and every meal consisted of prime magical beast meat supplements—and it wasn't even the lowest-tier monsters like Shadow Wolves.

Such conditions were already far beyond what ordinary people could compare to. Matthew thought to himself, when he first stepped onto this path, when had he ever had such abundant resources?

However, since he had the attribute panel, he couldn't judge things by common logic. Suppressing his thoughts, he asked again, “How is your understanding of combat techniques?”

Aidan replied respectfully, “In this past month, I've practiced diligently whenever I had free time. I've gradually started to get the hang of it... I wouldn't dare say I'm proficient, but it's certainly much smoother than before.”

Matthew nodded. He had unreservedly passed on all his insights and experiences from practicing Melting Slash to Aidan. All Aidan lacked now was the refinement that comes with more practice.

After all, Aidan had experienced the baptism of life-and-death moments on the grasslands, and his understanding of actual combat had long since accumulated enough foundation. Such a speed of progress, paired with such resources, was not considered slow. It was enough to see the hard work Aidan had put in privately.

With these thoughts, Matthew said, “Go and rest. Act according to the situation tomorrow. Priority is stability in everything.”

“Yes.” Aidan withdrew efficiently, his footsteps fading away.

The door closed, and silence returned to the room, leaving only the deep, dew-heavy night outside the window. Matthew walked to the bedside, took off his outer clothes, leaving only his undershirt, and then sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed.

By the dim moonlight filtering through the window, he glanced at the hands of his pocket watch—ten o'clock. Then, he closed his eyes. His aura grew heavy, and his breathing gradually slowed and lengthened.

His consciousness, like a trickling stream, slowly sank into the depths—the Elemental Meditation Method began to operate quietly.

...