Chapter 118 The Fetal Form Truly Appears, The Furnace is Opened for Alchemy
Lady Wen admired the flowers under the moon. In the courtyard, there was a "Spring-Staying Tree" with yellow flowers on it, which was delicate and beautiful. The flowers and plants under the tree were lush and full of life.
The moonlight, like water, spills onto the tree trunks. A gentle breeze blows, and the branches sway, creating a tranquil and beautiful scene with a unique charm.
This tree that preserves spring is no ordinary species. It can even be considered a "treasure." If you cut off its heartwood and stew it, you can make a pot of pure soup, which is very beneficial to cultivation after consumption.
Besides this, it has another use: retaining youth.
Within a mile radius of this tree, spring seems to linger forever. No matter if it's windy and rainy outside, unbearably hot, or bitterly cold, the area around the "Spring-Living Tree" is always vibrant with springtime.
The inner courtyard is not spring-like all year round, but rather spring-like all year round.
Wen Caishang used the flowers from the tree to soak fine wine, thus obtaining a jar of "Spring Fragrance Wine." Lady Zhejian possessed a wide range of skills, some profound and some superficial.
The art of winemaking is considered quite sophisticated. Among the many businesses under Yihe Manor, the "wine business" is the largest, and it's one of her methods of accumulating wealth.
Martial arts, martial techniques... contain the philosophy of heaven and earth. Just as there are a thousand faces in a person, there are also a thousand faces in martial arts. Martial arts moves often contain many insights and understandings of the Tao.
Those who become great masters are invariably those with a wide range of interests.
Wen Caishang drank a cup of wine. The aroma of wine mingled with the fragrance of flowers, lingering on her lips and teeth.
His gaze fell on the two swords lying on the ground, entangled together.
"This sword technique is truly superb. When the swords are combined, they exude a tender sentiment that evokes deep emotions and inspires contemplation. That young man is quite handsome. If he comes from a prestigious family and met me when he was young, and we were brought together by this sword technique, it would surely have become a beautiful story."
Madam Wen scoffed:
“Who am I, Lady Broken Sword, now? How could I be easily moved by love, let alone by a mere boy? But if this boy’s swordsmanship continues to improve, continuing to train with him will also benefit me.”
"We must not let this fine swordsmanship go to waste."
With a flick of her sleeve, the two longswords broke into several pieces, sinking deep into the earth.
...
...
[The Fallen Sun and Bloodstained Sword - Level 1]
[Proficiency: 806/3000 Mastery]
"The combination of these two swords is truly formidable."
"It's only been one night, and your proficiency has increased so quickly. If you practice for a longer period of time, what will happen?"
On the way home, the burning sensation that had been building up for so long subsided for Li Xian. Feeling relaxed, she was naturally in a good mood.
His swordsmanship has improved significantly.
It was already summer.
But at night, the temperature is cool and refreshing. Although the walls of the village are high, they cannot block the gentle breeze. It blows against your skin, invigorating your spirit.
Li Xian passed by a lake and saw that the fish in the lake were still awake, surfacing and blowing bubbles, also admiring the moonlight. He suddenly felt like playing.
He bent down and gently splashed the lake water with his palm.
His hand movements were small, but each gentle flick caused the lake to ripple, and the water became increasingly agitated. Li Xian was using the "Azure Palm," the force of his palm striking the water and spreading along the water's surface, creating this scene.
Li Xian reached out to grab the fish. The fish darted towards the deeper part of the lake, and Li Xian laughed, "Trying to escape?" He swirled his hands, creating a whirlpool in the water, which pulled the fish towards him.
The poor fish was spinning so much it saw stars.
"Playing like this is going too far," Li Xian quickly stopped. He didn't know what kind of fish were in the lake. Killing them would be a huge mistake.
He wiped his hands clean, picked a sprig of water lily from the lakeside, put it in his mouth, and strode into the courtyard. At that moment, he resembled neither a commander nor a mature elder brother, but simply a cheerful young man.
He increasingly realized that martial arts are derived from and return to the universe. Martial artists capture sparks of inspiration from all things in the world, and then create their own martial arts.
But martial arts are not only used for fighting and killing enemies. They are also used to interact with the universe...
Li Xian's Azure Wave Palm technique is powerful and his wave-pushing skill is also quite good.
It's also a good use for swimming...
...
...
[You consumed 'Extreme Water Carp Essence Soup', skill proficiency increased by 57.]
[You consumed inferior meat; your skill level increased by 87.]
It takes anywhere from ten to twenty days to prepare a concentrated soup.
That day, the lady ordered the cauldron to be started again, and Li Xian acted swiftly and decisively, overseeing the entire process of boiling the broth. This time, the boiling was very quick; the cauldron was started in the morning and finished by evening.
The training of martial artists is truly brutal.
Charcoal, a cauldron, and water are of utmost importance. Li Xian once asked his wife how long it would take to cook the lowest grade of "fine meat" using firewood, water, and a pot.
Madam Wen scolded him for talking nonsense and having wild thoughts. But then she thought that at his age, he was naturally full of curiosity about everything.
Since she had nothing urgent to attend to at the moment, she casually offered her answer. From what she understood, it would take at least a month.
Keep the firewood burning and the water supply constant for a month. The iron pot will definitely burn out during this time, and you'll need to replace it frequently...
The iron pots used by ordinary people are fine for everyday cooking. However, they cannot withstand prolonged exposure to intense heat and will break after a few hours.
The human, material, and mental resources consumed during this period amount to only a few strands of the essence of heaven and earth after a month.
It is a despairing thought.
However, if one uses the firewood and charcoal of a martial artist, or a large cauldron, it can be done in less than a day, or even half a day. If the charcoal is of higher quality, it can be done even faster.
As for the pots of "crab treasures" that Li Xian personally cooked, they weren't even considered lean meat. Martial artists wouldn't even look at such a thing, and clay figurines wouldn't use it.
Li Xian, however, took it all very seriously by accident.
Every time the broth was ready, the lady would give Li Xian a piece of lean meat the size of a finger joint.
And 30% thick broth.
[Prenatal Washing Diagram]
[Proficiency: 26/81]
The impurities of the fetus are washed away by the essence of heaven and earth. The "handwashing" ritual is now complete, and the "footwashing" ritual is also more than halfway finished.
The time for me to consume sperm is just around the corner!
Li Xian's clay sculpture is becoming increasingly authentic. His facial features remain unchanged, but his overall demeanor is becoming more and more refined.
After seeing this, Madam Wen often praised Li Xian frankly and began to pay more attention to him. She was experienced and knew that, although a martial artist who "consumes essence" was already unattainable for ordinary people.
But... in her eyes, it was quite common. It was because she had seen all sorts of martial artists who consumed essence that she knew that not everyone who underwent "rebirth" would experience significant changes.
Some people...only after washing away the impurities of their past lives do they realize that their true form is also flawed and incomplete.
Li Xian gradually exuded an ethereal and otherworldly aura. Her appearance remained unchanged, but she gave off an increasingly extraordinary feeling.
Madam Wen guessed that once the embryonic impurities were completely shed, its true form would certainly be quite good. Perhaps... it would even reveal a rather impressive [rebirth appearance].
The lady's recent soups seem to all be of the "water element." They're either turtles or carp, or other aquatic monsters.
"Um?"
After consuming the essence, Li Xian rubbed his eyes.
He suddenly felt a slight itch in his eyes, but the sensation quickly disappeared. He didn't pay much attention to it.
...
...
This day.
The lady is about to start refining elixirs!
The path of martial arts is vast and profound... Ultimately, cooking fine food requires strength and wealth; one can simply throw money at it. For those like Li Xian, who have no connections or means, it's as difficult as ascending to heaven. They yearn with bated breath, yet a pot of fine food remains elusive.
But for the lady, resources, connections, power, and money were all abundant. She simply let it go and handed it over to her subordinates.
But "alchemy" is different.
The lady clearly values it more and needs to devote more energy and time to it.
Madam Wen asked, "Have any petty thieves or scoundrels been appearing near my Yunxiang Pavilion lately?"
"No, there are people patrolling this place every twelve hours. I've added three more patrol routes, making it even more secure than before. Not even a mosquito can get in," Li Xian said with a smile, cupping his hands in greeting.
Yunxianglou was a place for storing "herbal medicines". Located on the northeast side of the estate, some of the rare herbs required strict storage conditions and adhered to feng shui principles.
Therefore, Yunxiang Tower is quite far from the inner courtyard where the lady resides. However, it is a key patrol area for the guards, with people on guard almost every hour of the day, without stopping for a moment.
"Such a young age, yet you speak such exaggerated words. Is it really true that not even a mosquito can get in?" Madam Wen scoffed, then added, "You must pay extra attention while I am refining pills. If anyone disturbs my pill refining, I will punish them."
A fragrant breeze wafted by, and they had already entered Yunxiang Tower.
She spoke gently to Pang Long, but for some reason, she was quite rude to Li Xian.
Sometimes, punishment and scolding are just words on their lips.
"Yes!" Li Xian nodded.
"Come up with me," Madam Wen's voice echoed back.
"I?"
Li Xian was taken aback, thinking, "Yunxiang Tower is a very important place in the manor. Commander Pang once told me that even he is not allowed to set foot inside. He can only patrol outside the tower. Why does Madam want me to follow her?"
Puzzled, he followed anyway. The lady walked in front, while Li Xian stepped back and followed behind, able to catch a whiff of her delicate fragrance.
The building was pitch black.
The lady took out a tinderbox, blew on it gently, and a flame appeared. The flame was yellowish-white and exceptionally bright. However, the Yunxiang Pavilion was very large, and it could not illuminate everything.
With a flick of her sleeve, the lady extinguished the tinder. But the flame within it split into dozens of tiny sparks, each landing precisely on a different oil lamp.
The entire Yunxiang Pavilion was instantly illuminated.
"What amazing skills!" Li Xian saw through the trick and realized the martial arts prowess involved was unfathomable. He almost clapped and cheered, but he held back and only applauded in his heart.
"Among the herbs in the building, there are many rare and precious ones, which I treasure here."
"Many possess strange toxicity; do not touch them carelessly."
Madam Wen gave a reminder and headed towards the second floor of the pavilion.
The storage of medicines should be based on their properties.
Some medicines cannot be separated from the earth's energy and are therefore stored on the first floor. Other medicines cannot be exposed to the earth's energy and are therefore stored on the second floor.
Yunxiang Pavilion is entirely made of wood, but it is made of "golden silk jade wood". This wood is as smooth as jade, can be used to store incense and repel insects, and cannot be burned. It is a common type of wood used to build medicine cabinets.
Walking through it feels like stumbling upon a golden palace.
Rows of medicine cabinets held over a thousand kinds of medicine. Li Xian, who possessed wisdom from two lifetimes, was astonished beyond words by this display.
Suddenly, a croaking sound came from inside. Li Xian looked up and saw a red frog-like beast imprisoned in a golden cage.
This frog has a strange appearance, with two feathers and a blue horn on its forehead. Its croaking is not loud, but it sends chills down one's spine.
"This creature is the Mind-Bewitch Frog."
Madam Wen said, "I obtained it several years ago when I passed through a village. The croaking of this frog has the power to bewitch people. When I passed through that village, I found that the villagers communicated entirely by the sound of frogs, so I knew that this thing was not far away, and that's how I got it."
"This beast tried to bewitch me with its voice when it saw me come in, but I ignored it."
Li Xian thought to himself, "There are such strange things in the world." He took a second look.
Madam Wen asked, "Aren't you afraid?"
Li Xian said, "I'm not afraid."
Madam Wen nodded: "Not bad." She gazed at Li Xian for a moment, then continued forward. The pavilion contained a great many medicinal herbs, which she wouldn't introduce one by one.
Upon arriving at an area, she said, "Help me select four herbs. The prescription is here; take the correct amount according to the prescribed weight."
(End of this chapter)
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