Qi of Extreme Yin, Purple Qi of Extreme Yang

[Captured a wisp of Little Azure spiritual qi. Absorb? Once absorbed, it cannot be replaced.]

A gentle breeze came from afar. Tran Mac wandered around in the deep mountains and only discovered three types of innate spiritual qi: grass-wood spiritual qi, Little Azure spiritual qi, and water spiritual qi.

Seeing no new innate spiritual qi appearing, Tran Mac felt an urgent desire to choose one of these three types to absorb.

But deep in his heart, a thought told him, "Don't rush, don't rush."

While pondering, Tran Mac suddenly felt a fierce gust of wind sweep over from the distance.

He reacted quickly, drawing the Tang Dao from its sheath, adopted a stance, and stared into the distance, his eyes vigilant.

At this moment, from the bushes, a white tiger with fierce, upturned eyes walked out. Its fur was variegated, with clear black stripes running from head to tail, measuring about eight or nine thước in length.

Tran Mac's eyes narrowed; this tiger looked very familiar.

He remembered.

The first time he went up the mountain, the tiger he encountered looked just like this one.

"Roar." That tiger let out a low growl from its mouth, clearly having set its sights on Tran Mac.

The corner of Tran Mac's mouth twitched upwards. He sheathed his dao, then beckoned to the old tiger with his hand.

This tiger skin couldn't be damaged. He wanted to test his strength after his breakthrough.

Unlike last time, this time the old tiger hadn't caught any prey. Seeing a two-legged beast deliver itself to its door, it had no intention of letting it go.

It had encountered two-legged beasts several times before. In its impression, this type of two-legged beast was very weak; some couldn't even withstand a single swipe of its paw.

It didn't immediately launch an attack but circled this two-legged beast once. Feeling it had discovered the two-legged beast's opening, it suddenly pounced towards its prey.

A few breaths later.

"Bang!"

Tran Mac executed a shoulder throw, fiercely slamming the over five-hundred-catty old tiger to the ground, sending dust and leaves flying.

The old tiger was thrown into utter disorientation, its head ringing.

It couldn't understand; this two-legged beast before it was much more formidable than those it had seen before.

However, in the next second, its vision went black.

Tran Mac knocked it unconscious with a single punch.

Tran Mac held back, not intending to kill it in the mountains; he was still waiting to bring it back to bleed it.

...

An unknown amount of time passed. When it woke up again, it instinctively let out a low growl. Then it heard two screams. Opening its eyes, a sharp dao pierced its throat.

Tiger blood flowed from its throat into the wooden basin placed below.

Tran Mac held a dagger, personally wielding the knife to skin it.

Having watched Tong Dien skin an animal once, Tran Mac, relying on his memory, maneuvered clumsily.

Han An Nuong shielded Tong Man behind her, patted her chest, a hint of fear on her face: "Uncle, this tiger... how is it still alive?"

"Deliberately left it with one breath to bring it back for its blood," Tran Mac said.

"Brother Mac is truly formidable." Truong Ha wasn't flattering; in his heart, he revered Tran Mac more and more.

In Truong Ha's heart, this tiger from the mountain was much more intimidating than Brother Ho and his men whom Tran Mac had killed.

Tran Mac, ultimately not a professional, expended half a day's effort to finally skin the tiger. Though tiring, fortunately, the pelt was not damaged.

Afterwards, he opened its chest and abdomen. The tiger's heart, liver, and penis – Tran Mac stored them all separately, along with the tiger skin, to take to the county town tomorrow to sell.

...

Night came, main room.

"Uncle, don't you have an appetite tonight?" Han An Nuong looked at her uncle, who previously ate from a basin, now eating so little. She couldn't help but feel puzzled. Then she picked up a piece of tiger meat and tasted it: "The taste is still okay."

"Little Man, Brother Thuy, you two try some too." Han An Nuong worried that tonight's food wasn't cooked well, which was why uncle ate so little. So she had Tong Man and Truong Ha taste it as well.

"Delicious."

"Sister-in-law Han's cooking is really not just for show."

Tong Man and Truong Ha both gave their praise.

However, the reality was that before absorbing a mouthful of innate spiritual qi, Tran Mac's meat consumption no longer increased his experience.

To save a little, Tran Mac decided that before figuring out the innate spiritual qi, he would first stop gorging himself, just eating enough to fill his stomach each day.

"Sister-in-law, I'm used to eating meat and fish every day. These two days, I want something lighter," Tran Mac said.

...

At night, the moonlight was bright; it was still a full moon.

Han An Nuong hadn't seen a full moon for a very long time and opened the window.

[Captured a wisp of Qi of Extreme Yin. Absorb? Once absorbed, it cannot be replaced.]

The two sat on the bed. Tran Mac embraced Han An Nuong's waist from behind, gently sniffing the faint fragrance amidst her hair. He, who was just thinking about how to "bully" Han An Nuong, was suddenly startled.

Qi of Extreme Yin.

Hearing the name, one knew this innate spiritual qi was extraordinary, its class extremely high.

Tran Mac glanced at the full moon in the sky; this Qi of Extreme Yin must be related to it.

However, before figuring things out, Tran Mac still didn't intend to absorb it yet.

But in his heart, he had already selected the Qi of Extreme Yin. If he didn't get the answers he wanted in town tomorrow, then he would absorb it.

"Uncle, such a beautiful full moon," Han An Nuong murmured softly.

Hearing this, Tran Mac's thoughts drifted. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt homesick.

However, he was no longer a sentimental person. To change his thoughts, Tran Mac roughly pushed Han An Nuong against the windowsill.

"Sister-in-law, it's your turn to open your singing voice."

"Uncle, don't... close the window, close the window..."

A soft, melting, charming voice, tinged with shyness and playful anger, suddenly sounded from the main bedroom.

The night was hazy, the bright moon clear. Gentle moonlight bathed the great earth, but for some unknown reason, dark clouds suddenly obscured the full moon. A light rain began to fall, pattering, pattering, on the small grass growing by the courtyard wall.

...

The next day, Tran Mac woke up very early. Under Han An Nuong's service, he dressed and put on his shoes, walked out of the room, and pushed open the main door. The newly risen morning sun shone in, striking his face.

[Captured a wisp of Purple Qi of Extreme Yang. Absorb? Once absorbed, it cannot be replaced.]

Tran Mac frowned.

Purple Qi of Extreme Yang!

This seemed even higher class.

"Brother Mac Ca, you're awake." Tong Man had woken up even earlier than him and was squatting at the kitchen entrance washing rice. Seeing Tran Mac, she greeted him, then said, "Brother Mac Ca, wait a moment, I'll boil water for you to wash your face."

"Little Man, no need. I'm not that delicate. Cold water is fine."

After brushing his teeth and washing his mouth, and when breakfast was ready, Tran Mac ate a few mouthfuls of rice, took the tiger penis, liver, heart, and also the unprocessed tiger skin, picked up his Tang Dao, and went out the door.

He went to Truong Ha's house, called him out, and asked him to look after things a bit.

...

Entering the city again, Tran Mac found the city entry fee had already risen to twenty wen.

The price of grain in the city had more than doubled.

And the largest grain merchant in Binh Dinh County was the Vuong family.

In Vuong Family Village outside the city, almost more than half the villagers were tenant farmers for the Vuong family.

But the Vuong family, when the Thanh Ha Gang had previously searched the village, had not stepped out to protect Vuong Family Village.

Conversely, during this recent conscription, Vuong Family Village had provided the fewest men.

He had originally wanted to sell the tiger skin to Ly Muc.

But then he learned that the Ly family had already moved away from Binh Dinh County...