Duan Rong completely ignored Kong Bin and the others, focusing solely on his own matters.
Only when the sky was fully bright, and the servant disciples in the dormitory got out of bed one after another, heading to the dining hall in the front yard for breakfast, did Duan Rong follow the crowd and leave the courtyard.
Duan Rong held a bowl of thin porridge and two cornbreads, squatting in a corner, quickly finishing his food in a few swift bites.
Yet, he still felt a hollow emptiness in his stomach.
The two cornbreads and bowl of porridge seemed like they had been thrown into a bottomless pit.
"Wasn't it never like this before?"
Duan Rong noticed that his appetite was particularly strong this morning, and after blinking, he immediately understood the reason behind it.
Because, his morning's training was truly effective; previously, although he practiced, it had no real effect.
But now, things were different. He had the entry-level experience of the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber in his mind.
He was practicing according to genuine entry-level martial arts, which meant the consumption on his body was significant, far beyond that of the previous superficial training.
Therefore, his strong appetite was a good sign, indicating he was on the right path.
However, it's also a problem; if he continues to consume energy like this without replenishing it through food, his body will eventually run into a deficit.
Duan Rong placed the empty bowl in a large wooden basin not far away, where servant disciples from the kitchen would collectively wash the dishes daily.
Turning a corner from the side gate, Duan Rong left the courtyard of the dining hall, passed several corridors, then turned east at a screen wall, and after walking a while, he began to hear the faint sound of horses snorting.
Duan Rong walked into the horse stable, where Old Man Sun, responsible for the stable, had already started soaking the fodder.
Old Man Sun, already in his fifties, had a slightly hunched back, surrounded by graying hair with a bald and shiny top.
He was also a servant disciple who had entered years ago, and having not been selected as an apprentice, he had spent his whole life doing miscellaneous tasks at the Yuan Shun Escort Agency.
When Duan Rong entered, Old Man Sun only glanced at him and continued with his work.
Neither he nor Duan Rong were ones for idle chatter.
In fact, Old Man Sun quite liked Duan Rong, who worked diligently and was straightforward; he thought that if Duan Rong wasn't selected in the upcoming assessment, he would stay at the horse stable, providing him with a capable helper.
Old Man Sun never expected Duan Rong to be chosen as an apprentice, given how difficult it was for a servant disciple to be picked.
This assessment was personally selected by the Chief Tutor of the Escort Agency, Xiao Zongting.
That stubborn old man wouldn't show any leniency.
"Old Sun, I'd like to request half a day off," Duan Rong said respectfully, standing by Old Man Sun's side.
Old Man Sun frowned; Duan Rong had already missed several days due to illness, and now he requested leave again.
Turning his head, with an odd look in his eyes, Old Man Sun barely opened his mouth before Duan Rong, with a smile, quickly said, "Don't worry, I'm truly attending to personal matters, not shirking work. Just handle the fodder; I'll clean the horse manure when I come back this afternoon!"
Old Man Sun's words stuck in his throat as he watched Duan Rong's cheerful demeanor, leaving him unable to say anything further. After pondering for a moment, he nodded, "Go ahead."
"Thank you, Old Sun." With Old Man Sun's agreement, Duan Rong acknowledged gratefully and walked out.
Watching Duan Rong's back, Old Man Sun mumbled, "One fever, and his thinking seems to have clarified. This kid wasn't this slick with words before!"
Duan Rong exited the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, heading east along the street.
Servant disciples naturally have days off, allowed two days off per month without deductions in salary. But having been ill, Duan Rong had already used up three days.
Now requesting leave again, Old Man Sun could have easily refused him.
However, Duan Rong knew well that his predecessor was consistently hardworking, leaving a good impression on Old Man Sun, which he relied on to make this request.
Duan Rong's home was somewhat distant from the Yuan Shun Escort Agency.
The parents of his predecessor had long passed away, leaving him alone in the world.
The family once owned a few acres of poor land, sold to treat his father's illness, yet the father's condition continued to worsen, leading to his demise.
Following his father's illness, the family became even poorer, and the relatives ceased visiting.
Now, Duan Rong possessed only an empty, dilapidated house.
Using his predecessor's memories, Duan Rong took about the time of an incense stick to walk to his home's entrance.
Duan Rong took a key from his inner pocket, unlocked the door, and walked inside.
Heading directly to the inner room, Duan Rong crawled under the bed, feeling around in a corner for a dust-covered jar.
Opening the jar, he retrieved some pieces of broken silver from the bottom.
After a glance, Duan Rong estimated they totaled slightly over one liang.
This was all his predecessor had left.
Duan Rong sighed. "Economic foundation determines the superstructure. This bit of money is just enough to treat myself a little in the coming days."
Duan Rong had already calculated that this money would only last for a few days, barely enough for two lamb soup bread bowls per day.
But once he advanced to an apprentice, his monthly salary would increase, making things less tight.
After all, as a servant disciple, one only earned sixty coins in monthly salary, while as an apprentice, it would be three taels of silver—a fivefold increase.
This wasn't due to the Escort Agency's generosity but because training harshly as an apprentice leads to dismissal if not passing the three-month qualification, and lacking adequate monthly wages for food could easily ruin one's health.
Duan Rong was quite confident about being selected as an apprentice, given his entry-level experience with the Five Tigers and Sheep Saber. He just needed to enhance his physical fitness to unleash this experience.
So the most crucial thing was to endure this current period!
Although this silver was all his predecessor owned, while the predecessor's temper would have never spent it lavishly, Duan Rong's outlook differed; he believed the best investment was in himself.
Even this property, due to its old and remote location in the county town, was hard to sell and fetch a good price. Otherwise, he would definitely sell it, converting it into silver coins for sustenance.
Why should he care if this house was the predecessor's father's memory left to him?
After all, both had died, but he was still alive. Is the memory of the dead more important than his life?
Having secured the silver coins, Duan Rong exited his house, buying two meat buns from a street vendor.
The steaming meat buns, wrapped in dry lotus leaves, satisfied his cravings and kept him full. Duan Rong ate while pondering certain issues.
Recently, many worries had indeed been nagging him—not just the approaching assessment but also grappling with the Inner Power Heart Method.
However, at this moment, he was contemplating another matter regarding his ability to Devour Artifact Spirit.
The ability to Devour Artifact Spirit was undoubtedly the foundation of his soul's development in this world, and he must understand and fully master this ability.