Chapter 124 Accumulated Water Forms an Abyss, Drawing the Sword
Fine food is precious in this world, but skilled martial artists have their own ways of obtaining it. If one is willing to endure some hardship and hunt inferior, low-grade, or even lower-class demons for food, the resources of fine meat will be even more plentiful.
It's a bit more troublesome when you're just starting the pot to boil water.
but…
The treasure box used to seal the finest food was extremely precious.
Once the lean meat is cooked, the essence of heaven and earth will gradually dissipate. If it is not consumed in time, it may eventually disappear completely.
It must be sealed in a specially made box to be preserved for a long time.
Li Xian took the secret box.
It's palm-sized, yet surprisingly heavy. The surface is inlaid with jade and carved with floral patterns, carrying a subtle fragrance mixed with the lingering scent of the lady.
It was clearly extraordinary at first glance. The fine meat inside was a gift from Zeng Tai'an of Fulaizhuang.
For some unknown reason, the lady did not consume a single drop. The entire contents were sealed in a secret box and now handed over to Li Xian.
“Treasures are hard to come by in this world. Your generosity must mean you are in a good mood.”
"That's right... She made me take action just now, which was a pointless 'snatching food from a tiger's mouth.' I'm afraid it was just to make me hated. Without her, I would be retaliated against in an instant."
The lady was shrewd. Li Xianshi was also shrewd and quickly figured out the lady's intentions. But after putting away the "storage box", he felt no resentment or anger.
The world is cruel. All of Madam's decisions were based on her own circumstances, which is perfectly understandable.
Even for oneself, for every bit of effort put in, don't one also desire a bit of return?
Li Xian drove the carriage, traveling between heaven and earth. His mind was clear. He didn't care about anything else. He just wanted to seize the opportunities around him and strengthen himself.
They have been here for several days.
It will take a few days to return.
The return journey was uneventful, so they deliberately changed their route to avoid the Huanglong Army. However, along the way, they seemed to have discovered traces of the rebel army again.
They just didn't meet face-to-face.
...
...
at night.
Li Xian and Madam Wen returned to the manor through the back gate. Madam Wen was also somewhat tired from the journey.
He stepped off the carriage, using a red jade stool as a footrest.
"Li Xian, you have worked very hard on this trip. Go to the accounting office tomorrow and collect your reward of ten taels."
Back at their estate, Madam Wen said to Li Xian.
"lady."
The maid Qiuyue approached and bowed respectfully.
Madam Wen nodded slightly, then said to Li Xian, "Did you gain anything from this trip?"
Li Xian said, "With your guidance, Madam, I have learned a lot about the rules of the martial world."
Madam Wen said, "Reading ten thousand books is not enough; one must also travel ten thousand miles. Your journey has only shown you the tip of the iceberg. Cultivate yourself well, and once you have entered the realm of spiritual essence and shed your physical form, you will have achieved some real accomplishment. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will take you to see a wider world."
The two walked one after the other, appearing quite close. During this trip, Madam Wen frequently observed Li Xian, and in her eyes, Li Xian was no longer the same as Pang Long, Qiu Yue, and others.
Qiu Yue's face was grim. She quickly caught up with him and said, "Madam, you must be tired from your journey. Would you like me to massage your muscles and tendons?"
Madam Wen stopped and said, "No need." Turning to Li Xian, she said, "When you were cleansing your body, your pure energy overflowed, which is a sign that your true form is quite good. It surprised me a bit."
Li Xian nodded and said, "It is thanks to Madam's guidance that I am who I am today." Madam Wen raised her eyebrows slightly, thinking to herself, "That's only natural."
Qiu Yue then said, "Madam, about your cultivation..." Madam Wen paused slightly, "Now that you mention it, it is indeed time for me to cultivate. Let's do it after I've finished refining the elixir."
Qiu Yue finally chimed in, giving Li Xian a triumphant glance.
Li Xian was well aware of Qiu Yue's thoughts and had no interest in paying attention. However, he couldn't help but wonder, "The cultivation matter Qiu Yue mentioned, I wonder if it's related to…"
Madam Wen said, "I will rest for three days and then go upstairs to start refining pills. I have observed that your Sunset Blood Sword seems to be making steady progress. I will give you another instruction the day after tomorrow. After I start refining pills, I cannot be distracted. I will temporarily entrust you with the management of all affairs in the manor. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you accountable."
...
...
Back in their own courtyard.
"Commander Li, I heard that you were favored by the Madam and went out with her?"
Upon hearing of Li Xian's return, the guards all came to the residence to greet him.
The crowd chattered amongst themselves, filled with envy. The lady, high above, kept her out of the way, and no one dared to speak. But they couldn't help but speculate that Li Xian's early appointment as commander indicated he was certainly quite capable…
But the more likely reason was his handsome appearance, which is why the lady valued him. And everyone knows that the lady did indeed praise Li Xian's appearance.
"It's not exactly a favor, just doing odd jobs along the way." Li Xian stretched his body, his bones cracking and popping.
It was too late.
Li Xian dismissed everyone, splashed himself with cold water, and began to concentrate on practicing martial arts.
Traveling with my wife broadens my horizons and expands my knowledge. However, there are also many trivial matters, making martial arts practice less enjoyable.
"The lady also said that martial arts are the foundation of everything; only by mastering martial arts can one truly become powerful!"
In a corner of the courtyard stands a wooden sculpture.
The dots and circles on it were all acupoints on the human body. Li Xian, standing more than ten feet away, held a pebble and threw it at the wooden carving.
[Your shooting of stones and striking acupoints increases your Cloud Hands proficiency by 2]
Cultivating the Cloud-Soaring Hand.
Although this martial art is basic, it perfectly compensates for Li Xian's weaknesses. His Four Directions Fist and Gentle Breeze Kick are both close-combat techniques. The Azure Wave Palm has a slightly longer range; with full internal energy circulation, it can strike targets more than ten feet away…
However, it consumes a great deal of internal energy. With Li Xian's five-zhang-long body, he would be exhausted after striking seven times. If he were to exert all his strength to make his martial arts manifest and increase its power, he would reach his limit after four strikes.
While long-range attacks can involve archery, no matter how skillful your archery is, there will always be the process of drawing the bow, nocking the arrow, and pulling the bowstring, and you will be limited by the number of arrows you can fire.
Zongyun Shou is different.
The ground was covered with pebbles, and anything within reach could be used to cause harm. Moreover, the skill of using stones to strike holes was very effective in catching people off guard.
[Zongyun Hand]
[Proficiency: 997/1000 Mastery]
After a period of practice.
[Soaring Cloud Hand] breaks through the shackles and successfully enters [Minor Success].
[Proficiency: 2/1500 Minor Success]
The Qi Lake grew slightly stronger, which was better than nothing.
"The amount of internal energy a martial artist possesses often determines their endurance in combat. Even if their physical strength is exhausted, they can still cope with enemies if they have enough internal energy to sustain them."
"Therefore... every martial art is learned in vain. It will make my Qi Lake stronger. As the saying goes, water dripping wears away stone and water accumulating into a deep pool."
"Quantitative change eventually leads to qualitative change; the convergence of a hundred rivers into the sea is just such a principle!"
Li Xianti comprehended the growth of internal Qi.
Keep your mind calm and peaceful, hold onto hope, be down-to-earth, and remain humble and composed.
"As for that Sunset Blood Sword... I think I don't need to deliberately hide it."
"This sword technique was taught to me by Madam. In fact, my mastery of this sword technique is something I achieved through my own hard work and practice. There's no need for me to hide it. Madam must be considering nurturing me now."
"I should work harder to perform and seek more opportunities!"
Li Xian practiced both methods.
It was well into the night.
The training left me drenched in sweat, my body burning like a furnace. It would be much more bearable on a cold winter's day.
Fortunately, there was a wide lake next to the house.
Unable to bear the heat any longer, I simply climbed over the courtyard wall and soaked in the cool lake water. However, it was summer, and at night the lake shore was teeming with snakes, insects, frogs, and other wild animals.
Even with martial arts skills, one must still be wary.
Be careful not to get bitten by a poisonous snake.
...
...
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The proficiency level of the [Sunset Blood Sword] has been accumulated to over [2368].
My body felt like a furnace.
Today, Sang Nu returned to the village to report on the mulberry orchard to the lady. The village was bustling with activity, filled with the sweet voices of young women.
In Yihezhuang, the position of "Sang Nu" was considered a desirable one. She was not a servant, but a hired hand.
One mulberry maid is enough to support a family of three, and every few days they can have a pot of meat.
Women passing by couldn't help but glance at Li Xian, who exuded masculine energy, their faces flushing with embarrassment. Many women's eyes lingered, finding this commander incredibly young and handsome.
When a man's yang energy is abundant, he will have an invisible attraction to the opposite sex.
If we consider Li Xian as a porcelain vase.
The bottle was now brimming with yang energy, causing his heart to race and his blood to surge rapidly. He felt as if he possessed the strength of an ox or a tiger throughout his body, but in the process, his blood and energy were gradually being depleted.
Even if the blood is sealed and the orifices are closed, it is difficult to completely stop the flow of qi and blood.
If this continues, one's hair will gradually turn white, and one will wither prematurely. Just like a piece of charcoal burning fiercely, it shines and heats brilliantly when it burns.
But after its decline, it returns to the earth, scattered by the wind, leaving people sighing.
Li Xian hid in the shade, daring not to bask in the sun at this moment. By the time the mulberry maidens had left, it was already evening.
He then entered the inner courtyard to find his wife.
"Why did it take you so long to arrive?"
The lady's tone was accusatory. Today, her long hair was loose, making her even more beautiful, but she lacked her usual dignified air and instead exuded a sense of languor.
Lady Wen was indeed a very vain person. Or rather, there is no beautiful woman in the world who doesn't cherish her reputation.
She said that Zeng Tai'an neglected his martial arts training because of raising birds, which was very bad. But she did the same when she was adorning herself.
The maidservant was highly regarded for two reasons: first, sericulture was the pillar industry of the village, bringing in considerable profits; second, the best silk was always enjoyed by the lady first.
Woven into fine silkworm garments…
Yihezhuang had many businesses, including farming, sericulture, horse breeding, firewood making, and more. Some of these businesses even extended to the prefectural city.
Among them, the most profitable and largest-scale businesses were mulberry cultivation, winemaking, and rouge production.
Li Xian made up an excuse. After exchanging a few more words, the lady got straight to the point.
"Have you encountered any problems while practicing martial arts lately?" Madam Wen asked.
Li Xian feigned shame and said, "Madam, after your guidance last time, my swordsmanship has indeed improved a lot. But... as I practice, I can't help but feel a burning sensation in my body again. I can't figure out why. Could it be... that my talent is too poor?"
"Whenever I think of this, I feel very ashamed and deeply regret not having done justice to your upbringing."
Madam Wen thought to herself, "If you don't feel a burning sensation in your body, you'll be letting down my efforts in nurturing you." Her beautiful eyes swept over him, and she couldn't help but show a look of surprise: "This lad, without any guidance, has been able to make steady progress in practicing superior martial arts. It truly amazes me."
"If it were any other martial art, I wouldn't mind giving you pointers. But with the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple Sword, I've already mastered the Yin version, so I can't master the Yang version anymore. I know very little about the Yang version. Besides, men and women are different, so their methods of practicing this technique are also different. My guidance... might not be accurate."
“I will watch him progress every day. Let’s see how far he can go and how much he can learn.”
This superior martial arts manual was created by the Yin-Yang Immortal Couple. Once you begin to learn it, you cannot stop. Because the sun and moon alternate, and Yin and Yang rotate, you must constantly harmonize them.
Lady Wen had forcibly mastered the Yin Sword Technique, reaching the third level thanks to her innate talent and comprehension. As a result, she suffered greatly, her body injured by the Yin energy, and she barely managed to suppress it.
But he always coveted this sword technique.
"You're such a blockhead, you really don't get it."
"Very well, since that's the case, I'll give you some pointers one more time."
Lady Wen gathered her hair and secured it with a silver hairpin. With a flick of her toe, a long sword flew into Li Xian's hand.
(End of this chapter)
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