8: Chapter 8 Improving Destiny

Becoming an apprentice at the Medicinal Cuisine Hall for this past month has been the most relaxed month since Jiang Hanzhou's Transmigration.

Nominally, an apprentice is still just a helper, but he did not have to wake up early to go fishing, he could eat meat for nourishment every day, and even had one day off every ten days.

What was even more valuable was the one qian of silver he received each month.

Compared to before, the treatment was truly like heaven and earth.

However, although he now had days off, Jiang Hanzhou did not go out, nor did he immediately go to dig up and use his money.

This was because the forces at the Three Rivers Estuary were currently surrounding and capturing the Black Water Stronghold.

This was the same group of water bandits that had looted the Canglang Water Dock cargo ship a month ago.

With his small arms and legs, Jiang Hanzhou did not want to run into the blade of either side at this critical moment because of that ill-gotten loot.

He had to wait; once things calmed down, he could use those three hundred taels of silver as he pleased.

Meanwhile, over this past month, by relying on eating meat and the occasional leftovers of medicinal cuisine, Jiang Hanzhou's Tidal Breathing Technique had occasionally improved, and he felt he had already touched the edge of the second layer.

The Tidal Breathing Technique has four layers in total and is the Cultivation Technique used by the Canglang Water Dock to build a Foundation, primarily for tempering Qi and blood.

Once these four layers reach Perfection, Jiang Hanzhou would be able to reach Qi Refining Perfection and could begin Cultivating for the Iron Bone Realm.

But that was a story for another time and had nothing to do with Jiang Hanzhou for now.

Pharmacist Qu Fengchun did indeed value him somewhat, but this appreciation was more like admiring a good piece of Materials, casually tossing it on the workbench and letting it polish itself.

Most of the time, Jiang Hanzhou worked under a medicinal apprentice named Old Wu.

Old Wu was in his thirties and had been at the Water Dock for nearly ten years; he was an old hand at the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, with average Aptitude, but his strength lay in being steady and experienced.

He was not bad to Jiang Hanzhou, but he definitely was not warm either. The tasks he assigned were mostly chores like grinding medicinal powders, sorting and drying common Materials, or cleaning pottery jars and medicine mortars.

"Little Jiang, sort these Earth Root Grasses into three piles according to their quality. Pick out the withered leaves and worm-eaten ones and put them separately."

Old Wu pointed to half a sack of roots in the corner that still smelled of mud, his tone flat.

"This is for preparing basic 'Dampness-Dispelling Powder' for the River Patrol Squad. The quality cannot be sloppy; they are on the river all year round, and their bodies are important."

"Yes, Master Wu." Jiang Hanzhou replied, rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.

He worked very carefully; his movements were not fast, but the finished product he sorted was clean and neat.

The slightly bitter scent of the Earth Root Grass lingered at the tip of his nose. While his hands were busy, his ears were perked up, capturing the fragmented information in the Medicinal Cuisine Hall.

This place was like a dock where information converged.

Guards coming to collect medicine would casually complain about the hardships of searching on the river.

The errand boys responsible for purchasing would mutter about the slight rise in the price of medicinal Materials due to the unstable waterways.

Even when other medicinal apprentices chatted, they would let slip some news.

Therefore, after spending a month and a half at the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, Jiang Hanzhou finally received the news that the Three Rivers Estuary ban had been lifted and many forces had returned victoriously.

"Hey, have you heard? It was noisy at the dock this morning; something big happened!"

"Did the search party return? I seem to have seen a fleet entering the dock this morning, and the flags were all tattered."

"It is more than just returning! My brother is in the Second River Patrol Squad and just secretly sent me a message. The Black Water Stronghold's nest has been wiped out! It was right there at Wild Boar Shoal. Forces from several families at the Three Rivers Estuary, plus our Water Dock's Instructor Hong personally overseeing it, pulled off a beautiful encirclement and annihilation!"

"Completely wiped out? Didn't they say those leaders were very slippery?"

"Heh, no matter how slippery, they could not withstand being surrounded like an iron bucket! I heard the Black Water Stronghold's leader, 'River-Turning Dragon', had his heart pulse shattered by a master's palm strike and died on the spot."

"The second and third leaders tried to take advantage of the chaos to escape by water, but they ran into the Patrol Inspection Division's fast boats. After a fight, they were both taken down. The underlings were scattered or captured; in short, the Black Water Stronghold brand has been wiped from the Three Rivers Estuary!"

Jiang Hanzhou listened to the news silently while his hands kept working, but he thought to himself: "It is finally time."

The third day after receiving the news happened to be a day off.

Jiang Hanzhou was packing his things in his room.

After joining the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, he had moved out of the Fisherman's large dormitory and was living in this four-person room.

However, he was very lucky; of the three people who moved in, one was from the Water Dock's inner courtyard and did not live here, and another's home was right in the Medicinal Cuisine Hall—his father was a pharmacist, so he did not live here either.

As for the third person, he had fallen ill from seeking pleasure on his day off, lost face for the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, and had his limbs broken and was thrown out.

Therefore, although it was a four-person room, Jiang Hanzhou lived alone; it could not be better.

He took the dagger and shovel, put them in his bosom, left the Canglang Water Dock, and then used Black Mushroom Grass powder to disguise himself before renting a covered boat and returning to the reed beds in the deep water area.

He opened the package, took out all the gold leaves and loose silver, and planned to spend it all today.

His Tidal Breathing Technique had reached a Bottleneck and needed medicinal cuisine and Medicinal Pills to achieve a Breakthrough.

At the same time, Jiang Hanzhou had Cultivated all the ordinary Martial Skills he could learn to Perfection, and it was time to come into contact with those ranked martial arts.

...

Flying Fish City, built around the Three Rivers Estuary, is very large.

It was built on the perilous terrain where three rivers converge, with towering city walls and a busy dock. The three great rivers, like arteries, continuously transported wealth, goods, and all kinds of people into this massive city.

The layout within the city is complex, with commercial ports, market squares, martial arts halls, Gang headquarters, and official Patrol Inspection Division offices intersecting, dividing spheres of influence, both overt and covert.

Among them, the West Market of Flying Fish City is a bustling commercial area.

There are many medicine halls, with shops lining both sides of the street, and signs bearing names like "Renji Hall," "Hui Chun Pavilion," and "Wanyao Studio."

Jiang Hanzhou had changed his appearance, and with his already wind-and-sun-weathered skin, he looked like a weary, middle-aged man struggling to make a living.

After walking about half a street, he entered a pharmacy called "Jishi Hall."

A short while later, he came out again, carrying a bag of medicinal herbs, and then turned and entered other pharmacies.

Influenced by what he saw and heard at the Medicinal Cuisine Hall, he had pieced together information and secretly learned a Qi and blood medicinal cuisine called "Warm Sun Broth," which was more effective than common Qi and blood soups.

Jiang Hanzhou prepared to make the medicinal cuisine himself.

He took the medicinal cuisine and did not return to the Canglang Water Dock immediately, but instead turned and walked into various places selling treasures.

However, he came out not long after, a trace of regret on his face.

Because these places did not sell Yellow Rank or higher Cultivation Techniques or martial arts; this was the rule of the aristocratic families and Sects.

Fortunately, no one followed him because of this; after all, there were many dreamers among the commoners, and it was impossible to send someone to track every single person who asked.

But he was not without gains; he had purchased ten new ordinary Martial Skills.

Although these Martial Skills could not enhance his combat power, they could increase the progress of his fate, which was excellent.

Therefore, after returning to the Canglang Water Dock, Jiang Hanzhou did not go out for two consecutive months.

Besides Cultivating Martial Skills, his Cultivation Technique, the Tidal Breathing Technique, was also about to reach Perfection.