Chapter 59: What Difference Is There Between Strength and Weakness?

"Have you heard? Old Zhou's son from the neighboring village, Zhou Zijie, is doing really well out there—every month he earns tens of thousands."

"You mean that young man? I've seen him. He's built solidly, though he's a bit rough around the edges."

"What kind of work does he do to earn so much every month?"

"Some of the young folks in his village say he's a duck now. Apparently, he's got real skill, and plenty of wealthy young women and married ladies like to visit him."

"A duck, huh! Well, at least that's a craft. I wonder if it's roast duck or braised duck."

"By the way, Shen, is it true you're not planning to go back this time?"

"Of course not! At your age, you should be out exploring the world. My second aunt's granddaughter knows Zhou Zijie—how about I introduce you so you can learn the trade?"

"......"

Listening to the elders, Shen He waved his hands repeatedly. "No need, I'll be leaving in a couple of days anyway. Besides, I'm not cut out for duck work!"

At that, one of the old ladies chimed in, "True enough. Folks from the neighboring village say every time Zhou Zijie comes home, he looks dead tired. Seems being a duck takes real stamina."

The other old men and women nodded seriously at her words.

Shen He couldn't help but twitch his lips as he listened. The more he heard, the more he felt that the young man doing duck work in the neighboring village was not exactly frying up ducks in the kitchen.

Suddenly, a string of small words appeared before his eyes.

[Ding-dong! Daily Task Two: Gather Information]
[Completed]
[Reward issued]
[......]

Seeing this, Shen He was instantly delighted. He hadn’t expected he’d guessed correctly; just sitting here chatting with the elders was enough to finish the task.

The reward, however, was meager—only 100 points.

Excusing himself to go home for dinner, he got up and left the village’s advanced intelligence bureau.

After dining at Shen Dali’s house, he returned home, hesitating whether to open a blind box.

The blind box cost 100 points for each attempt.

In theory, a ten-draw was best; at least the odds of striking gold would be much higher.

Yet with these 100 points, he couldn’t resist the urge to open a blind box. It was just like playing Cloudtop—few could resist the temptation to roll.

He washed his hands in the bathroom, lit incense in front of his family’s photos, and then spent the 100 points to open a blind box.

As the points vanished, a blind box appeared before him, visible only to his eyes.

Shen He felt a flicker of nervousness.

The box opened quickly.

[Congratulations, player, you have gained +1 skill attribute point.]

Shen He’s eyes widened instantly.

This reward was both good and not so good. The skill point would clearly be added to “Martial Artist.”

But his “Martial Artist” class was currently facing a job change; everything would have to wait until after the transfer.

And what would things be like after that, he still didn’t know. Who knew what other class panels lay beyond “Martial Artist”?

Since unlocking the system, he’d encountered plenty of tough characters: the Venom Queen, the Storm Queen, the Gemini Twins, and Martial Artists among them.

Though “Martial Artist” sounded more like something earned through training, who could say if the others weren’t also job classes?

Glancing at his player panel, Shen He saw he now had 4 free attribute points and 1 skill point.

He felt quite flush.

Thinking for a moment, he distributed the 4 free points across all his attributes.

[Player: Shen He]
[Strength: 11.2 (+2)]
[Stamina: 11 (+2)]
[Agility: 11.1 (+2)]
[Spirit: 11.2 (+2)]
[Free attribute points: 0]
[Skill attribute points: 1]
(Evaluation: Congratulations, player, you have reached Tier One. You can now barely survive in this chaotic world.)

……

In an instant, all his attributes jumped to around 11.

After allocating the points, a brief tingling sensation passed through his body and soon faded away.

Survival Guide popped up before him again.

[Survival Guide: Oh, heavens! You finally understand that in this unpredictable world, going all in is the only way. I appreciate you more and more.]

Ignoring the guide, Shen He began familiarizing himself with his body’s enhanced attributes.

His condition was excellent.

He stood in his room practicing the eighth-level stance for a while, and at around two o’clock, he set out for the training grounds.

On the open ground, Jia Gui had apparently been waiting a while. Seeing Shen He arrive, he tossed over a practice halberd.

Shen He caught it and examined it carefully.

Though it was meant for practice, it was a real halberd—the only difference being that his had no sharpened edge.

Before sharpening, it was just a training tool, a collectible. Afterward, it was a regulated weapon.

The main difference between a halberd and a spear, besides the spear tip, was the crescent-shaped blade on the sides.

Best suited for thrusting and sweeping strikes.

The most famous user was the formidable Lü Bu of the Three Kingdoms, whose tale of shooting the halberd at the gate is still passed down today.

However, rumor has it that Lü Bu’s ornate halberd weighed around forty jin.

Come to think of it, he wasn’t as impressive as Luo Wushen, who wore over twenty jin of armor and could easily wield a thirty or forty jin spear single-handedly.

No doubt, the entertainment industry raises its people well.

Jia Gui said, “You practiced the spear this morning. I saw your progress—it was fast. With that foundation, learning the halberd isn’t difficult. This afternoon’s lesson is as Liu Yi arranged: basics first, then halberd techniques.”

Shen He nodded. “Alright.”

Jia Gui entered the arena and began demonstrating the fundamentals of halberdsmanship.

It was, undeniably, impressive.

After watching, Shen He recalled the movements and quickly mastered the basics.

He didn’t even need Jia Gui to correct his posture.

Though Jia Gui had anticipated this, seeing it in person was still startling.

He felt like an old wave washed up by the new tide.

Once sure that Shen He’s fundamentals needed no adjustment, Jia Gui began teaching him halberd techniques.

It took two full hours.

Just as before, Shen He thoroughly learned every move; all he lacked now was sparring experience.

Unfortunately, Lin Helu and the others, after their initial bouts, were unwilling to face him again.

Simply put, it was too discouraging.

Evening.

Lin Helu and his fellows gathered, looking at Shen He with complicated expressions. “You’ve pretty much learned all the skills my brothers and I have. From here on, just practice more.”

Shen He smiled. “Thank you, masters.”

Zhao Qian glanced at him. “You’re not really planning to challenge those people next, are you? Who will you start with?”

Shen He thought for a moment. “Let’s not call it a challenge—it’s just sparring.”

“For kicking techniques, I’ll pick the one who practices Taekwondo.”

Zhao Qian paused in surprise. “Why choose someone so mediocre? With your skills, shouldn’t you aim for someone stronger?”

Shen He cast him a glance. “What difference does strength make in front of me?”