>>5537226 >>5537267 >>5537299 >>5537512 >>5537982Displaying one's strength can certainly be beneficial, particularly in a hiveless society - one is their own best advocate after all - but it comes with its own set of risks. And, ultimately, you believe that the risks outweigh the benefits here. You are a foreign entity in these lands, and neither Takigi nor his family have the strength to protect you if someone truly powerful discovers you. If you wish to retain your freedom, then the safest option is to maintain a low profile.
<span class="mu-i">I cannot recommend such a course of action. Attention may feel good, but it can also be dangerous. If someone stronger than yourself were to discover my existence... well, I'm sure you can guess what would happen.</span> The excited thoughts in Kinzou's mind are washed away, and soon he goes into a somewhat melancholy sleep. A shame to force a youngling to think about such concerns, but necessary sooner or later.
A week of recovery and stabilization passes before Kinzou feels that he has a measure of his new strength and returns his focus to cultivation. The family's manual sits in front of him as he stares intensely at the many intricate words, lines, and illustrations contained within. As he traces the book with his fingers he does his best to sense the spiritual energy contained within. An easy task for your shell, but one more difficult for untrained human senses.
「So, I have to choose a part of my body to make better?」<span class="mu-i">More or less. Such a choice is not necessary now, but is essential before undergoing one's first tempering.</span> Kinzou thinks intensely as he looks through the manual again. 「What did dad pick?」<span class="mu-i">Your father has chosen to temper his meridians first, given his age and talent. It will still be some time until his first tempering is over with though.</span>
「Hm. So the earlier I temper something, the less I improve it?」<span class="mu-i">Yes. But at the same time, the earlier you receive that increase in ability. Thus, those who don't expect to make it through many temperings will generally prioritize what tempering would be most immediately useful. This is the opposite of those who expect to make it further, who will put off the most beneficial temperings for as long as possible, so to as increase the extent to which those parts of the body are tempered.</span>
Kinzou begins muttering to himself, as he considers the issue of what tempering to undergo first. 「The muscles would be cool.... but maybe I should save that for later. Hmm..」
Perhaps your input on which part of the body Kinzou should temper first would be useful.
>The Meridians. Tempering the meridians may force the meridians partially open, as well as strengthening them. This can make it easier for a Body Tempering cultivator to absorb and manipulate spiritual energy, among other things. Due to the difficulty of tempering the meridians in other ways, and the cultivation benefits, those able to tend to leave it for last. 