"Oh my god, I can't go on!"
Du ke dragged his weary and heavy body, stepping up the stairs one step at a time.
The current him felt like even lifting his legs was as heavy as a thousand catties. Not to mention lifting them was impossible, even moving a little made him gasp for air twice.
"What I thought before was just what I thought, it seems my current limit is refining pills twice. After the third time, my strength will be drained."
After tasting the sweetness of refining book pills, Du ke picked two more books from the book hall. One book's medium was oracle bones, the other's was bamboo slips.
When refining the first book pill, he already knew his own limit. But he didn't expect that after refining two more pills, he would be completely exhausted.
Not to mention going up the stairs now tired him to death, his whole body was sour and weak, even lifting his legs and stepping took great effort, as if he was carrying a thousand catties on his body.
"It looks like in the future I can only refine pills twice, and I also need to find a way to strengthen my physique."
"However, what Su Xiuwu said today, no matter which one I learn, won't end well for me."
"But when Su Xiuwu was saying those words, he was clearly biased. I can't completely believe him, but I also can't completely not believe him."
"It looks like I have to find a way to explore my own path!"
Du ke lay flat on the floor. While catching his breath and resting, he also thought about many things.
When he felt he had regained some strength, he once again propped up his weary body and walked toward Su Qiluo's room.
Su Qiluo's room was on the top floor. He still had to climb three more floors to get back to Su Qiluo's room.
"Damn it, who designed this building with so many floors? What's the point, aren't they afraid of fires? There's no way to escape right?"
Du ke complained in his heart while with great difficulty dragging his heavy body to climb three floors.
However easy going he was while walking downstairs earlier, going back up was equally miserable now.
After climbing up three floors with great difficulty, Du ke realized he didn't even have the strength left to open Su Qiluo's door.
"F*ck!"
Du ke collapsed in front of Su Qiluo's door, lying on his back and looking up at the closed door in front of him. He felt very frustrated.
"I must find a way to become stronger. If I can't find a way to become stronger, I have to at least make my physique stronger."
Du ke's thoughts were disorderly. He concentrated and transferred the two refined book pills from the black cauldron space out and swallowed them one by one into his stomach.
The knowledge contained within the two book pills also quickly flowed into Du ke's mind, quickly taking root, and transforming into Du ke's own knowledge.
"Hmmm..."
Du ke closed his eyes, comprehending the newly obtained knowledge.
"Xian Yu Zhuan...this is just a novel. Hmm, but this second one, Xun Xian Za Ji, is a bit interesting. It's like a popular science book with ten thousand whys, not bad."
"I refined three books tonight, one history, one fiction, one science. There's a little gain...a little."
Du ke's consciousness gradually quieted, and he fell asleep curled up like a cat. He subconsciously curled into a ball and just slept there in front of Su Qiluo's door.
...
The next day, morning.
"General, General, General!!!!"
A series of shouts woke up Du ke with great difficulty. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Su Qiluo's small face.
"Meow~~"
Don't bother me girl.
Du ke lifted his paw to brush Su Qiluo's face away, then went back to sleep.
His current body was just over a month old kitten with limited strength. After refining three pills last night which drained his strength, now he just wanted to sleep and rest well.
"What's wrong with the general?"
Su Qiluo picked up Du ke with a worried look on her face, "Don't tell me you're sick?"
"Young lady, when I came this morning to serve you washing up, I saw the general guarding your door. He must have been keeping watch over your peace all night, that's why he's so tired now."
Qiu Shui standing next to them holding a basin laughed and said. Su Qiluo's expression turned from cloudy to sunny. She immediately smiled happily and kissed Du ke.
"Alright, young lady, let the general rest well. It's time for you to wash up and have breakfast, then start your morning lesson."
Yun Shan had a gentle smile all along. After lightly reminding them, Su Qiluo also stroked Du ke's head affectionately.
"Okay, then after I carry the general back to his nest!"
"Very well, young lady!"
After Su Qiluo carried Du ke to his special cat nest, Du ke immediately curled up into a ball of white sticky rice, falling into deep sleep.
Su Qiluo took a hard look at Du ke twice, then turned around to go wash up and have breakfast before starting her morning lesson.
After washing up and eating breakfast, Su Qiluo went to her practice room.
This practice room was no different from the second floor of the Martial Pavilion, with thick cloth spread on the floor and several wooden post stands erected.
"Young lady, pills."
Yun Shan took out a small wooden box. Inside were rows of red pills, round and red, emitting a special sweet fragrance.
"Okay."
Su Qiluo picked one and popped into her mouth. After swallowing with a gulp, the pink, chubby cheeks turned visibly red before their eyes.
Feeling the rampaging qi and blood in her body, Su Qiluo spread her stubby short legs shoulder width apart and raised both hands over head. Then she shouted and sunk down, white smoke also slowly coming out from her head.
Yun Shan watched her young lady do pole standing. What Su Qiluo practiced now was the entry level pole work of their Su family's heritage martial art Immortal Warrior Strategy. It could generate internal power and temper skin and flesh. Combined with the specially formulated Blood Qi Pill, it would allow her cultivation to advance leaps and bounds every day.
As Yun Shan looked at Su Qiluo whose body enveloped in steaming hot qi with constant warping and bulging under skin from the dual tempering of pills and pole work, he sighed internally.
Su family descendants stood at the finish line the moment they were born. Children from outside who wanted to practice martial arts would have to spend all their family possessions to even get in the door, and still not necessarily succeed.
Martial arts, pills, coaching, none of those could be missing. And even with everything, success was still not guaranteed.
But it was different for Su family descendants like Su Qiluo. Starting from the mother's womb they received supplements via the mother's body. Once born, before they even reached one month old, they would soak in special medicinal baths. This continued until one month old.
After one month old, every meal was carefully prepared to strengthen their constitution and enhance potential.
And all this was just some minor preparation by the Su family to allow these children to start their path of cultivation by age sixteen, seventeen.
Aside from everything else, just one of those pills she held in her hands, if thrown out, would have those so-called Jianghu people fighting desperately to obtain it.
When Yun Shan thought this far, he looked at Su Qiluo again. At this time, Su Qiluo slowly exhaled a long white mist. Then she stretched her hand out again towards Yun Shan.
"One more."
"Yes, young lady."
After swallowing another pill, Su Qiluo continued her pole standing. Under the dual effects of the pill potency and pole work tempering her skin and flesh, one hour passed swiftly.
When Su Qiluo gestured asking Yun Shan for the fourth pill, he directly closed the box. Su Qiluo blinked her eyes, "So fast?"
"That's because the young lady is so talented, one hour here matches the progress an average person makes in one whole day."
"I see. Then prepare hot water for me, I want to take a bath."
After ordering, Su Qiluo hurriedly left the practice room. Seeing her like this, Yun Shan knew she was going to see her cat general. However, the most important thing for servants was to follow orders.
The young lady had ordered it to be done, so things should be done as she said.
On the other side, Su Qiluo carrying her sweaty smell charged into the room and crouched in front of Du ke's cat nest, looking at the curled up Du ke.
She poked Du ke with her finger and felt the softness and smoothness pushing back against the pad of her finger. An O came to her face unknowingly.
"General is so soft!"
Su Qiluo poked him again. "General, why are you so cute!"
"My general is amazing!"
"Hehehe!"
Su Qiluo fell on all fours in front of Du ke's nest, staring at the still sleeping Du ke and poking him repeatedly with her finger.
But Du ke still remained fast asleep, completely oblivious to all of Su Qiluo's mischief.
"Young lady, the bath is ready."
Qiu Shui came to Su Qiluo's room door, reported respectfully, but Su Qiluo asked: "Qiu Shui, why is the general sleeping so dead?"
"He was probably too tired from standing guard for you last night!"
"Should he take medicine then?"
Su Qiluo looked up at Qiu Shui. Qiu Shui blinked, uncertainly saying: "This servant really doesn't know!"
"Miss, you don't need to worry too much about the general. The general is just overworked and needs more sleep."
"Overworked..." Su Qiluo's little face wrinkled into a ball as she furrowed her brows. At the same time, she also stroked Du ke's fur, "Then there should be no problem giving him medicine, right!"
"The elixir I take every morning gives me a lot of energy. As long as I give the elixir to the general, he will definitely wake up."
As Su Qiluo spoke, her eyes grew brighter. Children always have wild imaginations, and once an idea pops into their heads, they can't restrain it anymore.
"Qiu Shui, go get my elixir for me."
"But miss...."
Qiu Shui showed an awkward expression. Su Qiluo stood up with her hands on her hips, "Go quickly, or I won't be nice to you anymore!"
"Yes, miss, this servant will go now."
Qiu Shui couldn't resist Su Qiluo, so she turned to fetch the elixir.
Soon, Qiu Shui returned with a crimson elixir in hand.
"Miss, the medicine is here."
"Mmhmm!"
Su Qiluo took the elixir and directly pried open the curled up Du ke. With her little hands pinching Du ke's mouth open, she stuffed it inside.
"General be good, general eat medicine, eat medicine then no more sleep sleep!"
After Su Qiluo stuffed the medicine in Du ke's mouth, the sleeping Du ke reflexively bit down and swallowed the elixir.
Then, Du ke opened his eyes, filled with bloodshot veins. Feeling a fire burning in his stomach, he let out a howl.
"Awoo!"
Burning all over from the fire, Du ke immediately leapt out of his cat bed and started running wildly around the room.
As she watched Du ke frantically running around the room, puzzlement filled Su Qiluo's eyes. Just then, Yun Shan walked into the room. Seeing Du ke dashing everywhere, she was also shocked.
"Miss, what did you do?"
"I just fed him the medicine I eat, wanting him to get better quickly."
"Miss, you can't randomly feed those elixirs. If one can't withstand the medicinal strength, they'll explode and die!"