"Go! Get some exercise." Qin Huaiyu and the other two, whose little faces were also flushed after eating two large bowls of food, were shooed aside by Qin Mu.
This wasn't the first time Sanxiao had experienced this situation, so he naturally knew what to do. He put down his chopsticks, grinned, and ran off to the side to practice his martial arts.
This was naturally not a problem for Qin Mu, who picked up his bowl and had another one.
"You guys scoop it yourselves! Do you expect me to do it?" Qin Mu said, his eyes wide and his head slightly tossing.
Although his tone sounded like a reproach, Qin Yong and his companion knew that wasn't what he meant. Overjoyed, they quickly began to eat. Even as retainers of the Qin family, they rarely had the opportunity to eat such delicacies; they usually relied on ordinary tonics and wild game for sustenance.
Gratitude goes without saying, but as a retainer, I have already handed everything over to my master. Apart from secretly resolving to work hard, I have no other way to repay him.
The two men were skilled martial artists, so it wasn't until they had drunk four bowls of soup that they felt their blood and qi surging and they could barely control it. Only then did they stop and run to the side to practice their fists and feet.
This is also what distinguishes martial artists from other cultivators. Their cultivation primarily involves movement; while moving, their mental techniques circulate, transforming the medicinal power into the energy the body needs to nourish its flesh and blood. Other cultivators, on the other hand, must sit still and absorb as much of the medicinal power as possible into their dantian (energy center).
This is also a shortcoming of Confucian practitioners: few medicinal herbs can directly nourish the vital energy; at most, they can only repair and heal the physical body.
There is a risk of drug resistance when taking medicinal herbs, and the first dose is the most effective. However, there is no such limitation with meat, although different types of animals may have different effects.
If a food is highly beneficial to the human body, then its inevitable fate is extinction. Of course, when its numbers become scarce, artificial breeding will emerge. For example, there were numerous royal breeding farms north of Chang'an.
The meat of wild beasts was considered nourishing, leading to a surge in hunters, though many also perished each year. It was the most popular food among the wealthy, ranking first among wild beast meats. Li Shimin shamelessly asked Qin Qiong for the meat of a monster, having heard it was an enormous beast—the first time he had ever seen one—and naturally unwilling to miss the opportunity, as the larger the beast, the more potent its life force. Only the meat of ferocious beasts was uneaten, because its malevolent energy was considered harmful to humans.
Qin Mu was also silently circulating the Beast Revolving Technique, trying to transform the medicinal power into pure spiritual energy as much as possible, which would save him a long period of arduous cultivation. You must know that opening up the meridians while compressing spiritual energy takes a very long time.
While Taoism emphasizes fundamentals and requires steady, step-by-step cultivation and advancement, it also advocates following the natural way, using various natural substances to refine elixirs for consumption, which is one aspect of its practice.
The medicinal power continuously transformed into wisps of pure spiritual energy, entering Qin Mu's dantian. Qin Mu secretly marveled at how such a large monster truly possessed immense energy; the essence within its bones had been extracted entirely through the boiling of the medicinal herbs.
Qin Mu hadn't expected the results to be so good; his original intention was simply to nourish his family. The soup and bones, prepared with medicinal herbs, were far more effective than the meat itself.
"Hoo!" Exhaling a breath of stale air, Qin Mu opened his eyes, got up, and reached his hand towards the large vat again.
"Haha! Where is my nephew? Let me see him." Qin Mu didn't want to continue eating, but rather wanted to put the food away, but the sudden voice interrupted his actions.
Looking back, he saw a tall figure striding in from outside the courtyard, followed by his father and two others.
The man at the front was tall and much more robust than Qin Qiong. Qin Mu went to meet him and found him to be a middle-aged man with a prosperous-looking face and an honest demeanor. However, a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes, clearly indicating that he was not a simple person.
"Uncle Cheng!"
"Uncle Cheng, Father!"
"Uncle Li, Master Yan!"
Upon seeing the newcomers, the three children hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects. Qin Mu also came up. Of the four, the last three, apart from Qin Qiong, were quite refined, especially the last one, who was much younger than Qin Qiong and the others. Qin Mu found him somewhat familiar.
"Father!"
"Mu'er, let me introduce you. This is Duke Cheng Zhijie of Lu, your Uncle Cheng!" Qin Qiong nodded and introduced with a smile.
Although he had some guesses, Qin Mu still didn't expect that the wealthy-looking, burly man was Cheng Zhijie. He raised an eyebrow slightly, then bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Uncle Cheng."
"Little guy, what's wrong? You don't seem to trust Old Cheng?" Cheng Zhijie reached out and grabbed Qin Mu's shoulder, giving him a gentle pat.
With his keen observation skills, Qin Mu knew that he was not as honest as he appeared. However, he did not expect that Cheng Zhijie, who was said to be a constant figure in the ever-changing Tang Dynasty, would be so handsome. He was not as ugly as the legends said. In fact, with his physique, he had a strong and heroic feel.
"No, no. I've just heard that Uncle Cheng is incredibly brave, and I was quite surprised to see him in person for the first time," Qin Mu said, shaking his head.
"Haha, my nephew, you're quite the smooth talker. I'll take your words as true." Cheng Zhijie laughed heartily.
"This is Duke Li Ji of England, your Uncle Li," Qin Qiong said with a smile, shaking his head as he continued the introduction.
"Greetings, Uncle Li." Qin Mu was secretly surprised, then bowed again without showing any emotion, but he couldn't help but take a closer look at this commander who was on par with Li Jing.
"No need for such formalities, Huai Dao," Li Ji said with a gentle smile, extending his hand to help him up.
"This is Yan Lide, the chief craftsman of the Crafts Bureau," Qin Qiong introduced the last middle-aged man.
"Greetings, Master Yan."
"Hehe, my younger brother wrote to me, saying that Huai Dao is exceptionally intelligent and has unique insights into construction, making him a truly rare talent. He specifically advised me to pass on this skill to you. I wonder what you think, Huai Dao?" Yan Lide nodded slightly, then asked with a smile.
Qin Mu was taken aback by Yan Lide's directness, and then asked directly, "I am deeply honored to be valued by Master Yan and your brother, but there is one thing I don't understand."
"you say?"
"The two master craftsmen are in their prime, there's no need for them to be in such a hurry to find a successor, so why do they value me so much?" Qin Mu asked, voicing his doubts.
Qin Qiong did not stop them, and watched quietly with Cheng Zhijie and the others. Seeing that Qin Mu had hit the nail on the head and asked the key question, the three of them couldn't help but nod slightly.
"Alas! To be honest, in our Yan family, the art of construction is a family tradition. However, my second brother and I only enjoy calligraphy and painting. We only learned this family tradition because of it. Neither my son nor his son has any interest in it, nor any talent for it."
"We can't let each generation be worse than the last, so three years ago my second brother and I discussed and decided to find a suitable person to pass on this skill. We never intended to build up the Yan family into a major sect or to make it flourish, but we also couldn't bear to see it decline. So even if you learn this skill, it won't prevent you from learning others," Yan Lide explained with a wry smile.
People who love art have a quirk: they have absolutely no desire to learn anything unrelated to their interests. Yet, the brothers were forced to accept this family tradition.
“Even so, there’s no need for you two to rush. Besides, there are so many outstanding young people in Chang’an. Surely there are plenty of people willing to learn from you. Why would you find me?” Qin Mu thought for a moment and asked with some understanding.
"There are indeed many talented people in Chang'an, but those who are willing to learn may not necessarily be interested in it, which is different from our original intention. Whether it is music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or anything else, talent comes first, followed by interest."
"The reservoir you helped build at Juyongguan was very distinctive in both its concept and method, which shows that you have considerable talent and a passion for this area. You were undoubtedly the perfect choice," Yan Lide explained.
Another purpose of finding a successor was to reduce their own troubles. Furthermore, Qin Mu's background wouldn't harm their family, unlike others who preferred to rely on the Yan family's connections. Therefore, Yan Lide agreed to the idea after receiving the letter. Today, meeting Qin Qiong, they conveniently discussed it.
Qin Qiong certainly wouldn't make the decision for Qin Mu, so he brought him here to ask him himself.
Knowing that the Yan brothers were skilled in calligraphy and painting, and guessing that they might have some of the peculiar traits of artists, Qin Mu nodded understandingly and said, "I see. But what I really wanted was a Confucian scholar, so I'm afraid I'll disappoint you."
“Huai Dao, you don’t need to rush to refuse. Building a path is like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting; the key is talent, having a boundless imagination. As for the basics, they are actually very simple. You mentioned Confucianism, mathematics, and painting, which are things you should learn anyway, so there’s no conflict. As for how to accommodate formations, those won’t affect you either,” Yan Lide advised.
"Thank you for your kind words, Master Craftsman. I'd like to consider it further." Qin Mu thought for a moment but still didn't agree immediately.
“Alright, take your time to think it over. I can promise you that you don’t need to become our disciple; I’ll accept you as a disciple on behalf of my father. That way, it won’t affect your ability to find other masters.” Yan Lide smiled with satisfaction as he saw that Qin Mu was somewhat tempted, and then raised his offer.
"This..." I didn't expect Yan Lide to make this decision. In this way, wouldn't he be a generation younger than Qin Qiong for no reason?
"It's alright, we'll each handle our own affairs. The Duke of Yi and I are colleagues, so it won't affect anything," Yan Lide waved his hand. He didn't care much about external titles and such. The key was that the Yan family's legacy couldn't be lost.
"If I still refuse, I would truly be ungrateful. Qin Mu greets Senior Brother!" Qin Mu took a deep breath, bowed deeply, and clasped his hands in a deep salute.
"Haha! Good! Good! Junior brother, no need for formalities. I'll take you to offer incense to my father another day." Yan Lide laughed happily and stepped forward to help Qin Mu up.
"Congratulations, Master Yan! Congratulations, Second Brother Qin!" Cheng Zhijie and Li Ji offered their congratulations with clasped hands.
Qin Mu had heard Qin Qiong mention that they also had a sworn brotherhood in Wagang, but there were only eighteen of them, not sixty-four.
"Haha, thank you, thank you. I will choose an auspicious day later and ask Duke Lu and Duke Yingguo to be our witnesses," Yan Lide said with a smile in return.
"Definitely, definitely." Cheng Zhijie and Li Ji nodded in agreement.
Things happened so fast that everyone else was stunned. In just a short while, Qin Mu had become Yan Lide's junior brother, and Qin Huaiyu couldn't help but admire his elder brother even more. You must know that Yan Lide was the head craftsman of the Crafts Bureau. Although his status was not high, he was still a powerful figure, a fourth-rank official at least.
Qin Qiong was naturally pleased that Qin Mu had become an apprentice of the Yan family. As the head craftsman of the Imperial Workshop, he was independent and had a powerful backer. Moreover, his skills were considerable. The Yan family mansion was said to be as fortified as the imperial palace.
"What were you doing just now?" Cheng Zhijie asked curiously. As soon as he came in, he saw the three children practicing their martial arts, and two guards were also sparring with them. Moreover, the three children had rosy complexions and were full of energy; they could tell that this was clearly the result of taking supplements.
"Uncle Cheng, you've come at the perfect time. I've prepared some medicinal cuisine," Qin Mu greeted them with a smile. He then led the way to a corner.
"The Cheng family has such a keen sense of smell!" Yu Chi Huan exclaimed.
"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Qin Huaiyu asked in a low voice as he watched the group walk away.
"Pfft! It's common knowledge that the Yuchi family can't speak properly, but they're not stupid either," Li Dejiang chuckled.
Yu Chi Huan rolled his eyes at the two of them, thinking to himself, "Say it to their faces, I'm not asking for trouble. I can't say anything about Old Devil Cheng."
"Shall we go over there?" Qin Huaiyu asked, looking at the group who were almost in front of the large vat.
“Go!” Li Dejiang said after a moment’s hesitation. They were genuinely afraid of Cheng Zhijie; there were very few people in Chang’an City, young and old, who hadn’t been dealt with by him.
"Let's go! If we don't go soon, they'll probably eat us all up," Yu Chi Huan said through gritted teeth.
"Okay." Qin Huaiyu thought about how this was her home and mustered up her courage to agree. Then the three of them joined them.
"What's this! It looks pretty good." Looking at the trembling meat jelly in the bowl, Cheng Zhijie said curiously, then opened his mouth wide and swallowed the whole bowl of meat jelly.
"You really can't judge a book by its cover. Looks like an ordinary mouth, but it can open so wide," Qin Mu thought to himself. But he didn't stop working and scooped out more food for Qin Qiong and the others.
"Great stuff! Great stuff! Could this be the one that made you younger, Brother Qin?" After swallowing it, Cheng Zhijie smacked his lips, savored the taste, and exclaimed with a bright smile.
"No!" Qin Qiong, who had just picked up the bowl, took a slow sip and said.
"Nephew, give me another bowl," Cheng Zhijie said, handing over the bowl.
Fortunately, the two vats of large bones yielded about two and a half vats of broth, so Qin Mu wasn't worried about him eating too much and kept adding more for him. Not only for him, but also for everyone else, since the bowl wasn't very big.
"Slap!" Qin Qiong reached out and slapped Cheng Zhijie's wrist. It turned out that he had eaten two bowls, but finding it troublesome, he picked up the ladle and tried to eat directly from it.
"How are we supposed to eat if you keep doing this?" Qin Qiong said irritably.
"Hehe!" Cheng Zhijie smiled sheepishly, poured the contents of the ladle into the bowl, and muttered, "Nephew, you're so stingy, using such a small bowl."
"What do you think this is? It's meant for the children, who knew you wanted to eat it?" Qin Mu didn't know how to respond, but Qin Qiong naturally had to protect her son.
"It's alright, there's still plenty left. If it's not enough, I'll just cook more tomorrow," Qin Mu said with a smile.
"Hehe! My nephew is so straightforward." Cheng Zhijie's eyes lit up as he scooped up some more without any hesitation.
In just a short while, he had already felt the benefits. The medicinal power was now spreading and surging within his body. Although it wouldn't increase their strength by much, those traces of pure medicinal power were nourishing their flesh and blood. Even their vital essence was affected; one could imagine how beneficial it was.
You have to understand that at their level, it's very difficult for their muscles, bones, or blood to improve any further. The fact that their bodies could absorb this medicine shows just how difficult it was.
Medicines weaker than their physical strength will not be absorbed by them; it's a natural rejection from their bodies. It's like a density issue: how can something of low density penetrate a substance of high density?
Qin Mu was generous; he kept adding more food after eating, including the little ones, giving each of them another bowl.
When the vat was empty, Qin Qiong and the others put down their bowls and chopsticks. Li Ji and Yan Lide began to meditate with their eyes closed, while only Qin Qiong and Cheng Zhijie remained unperturbed.
With a ruddy complexion, Cheng Zhijie, as if he had drunk two ounces of strong liquor, patted his belly contentedly and shifted his gaze away from the remaining large vat.
“Even if you eat it all, it won’t be enough to advance your level.” Qin Qiong walked to the side and sat down, watching the three little ones practicing their martial arts. He nodded and smiled, then said to Cheng Zhijie.
"Hehe! Hehe!" Cheng Zhijie smiled sheepishly.
"You have a habit of grabbing anything good you see," Qin Qiong retorted, then ordered someone to prepare food so they could eat at Qin Mu's place instead.
Soon, many more maids arrived and began preparations. Qin Mu had someone send a bowl of bone broth to Aunt Zheng, and then had the rest carried in and put away.
For Li Ji and Yan Liben, the absorption of the medicinal energy was quick, but judging from their smiles, they were very satisfied.
"Junior brother, this is the Yan family's identity token. Please accept it." Yan Lide took out a wooden token the size of a baby's palm from his pocket and handed it to Qin Mu.
Qin Mu accepted it without hesitation. Li Ji and Cheng Zhijie's expressions changed slightly, while Qin Qiong couldn't help but smile.
Qin Mu didn't understand, thinking it was just a marker of his status as a descendant of the Yan family. But Qin Qiong and the others understood the meaning behind it.
Even though Yan Lide accepting a disciple on behalf of his father does demonstrate Qin Mu's relationship with the Yan family, it doesn't mean Qin Mu represents the entire Yan family. With this token, things are different. Once Qin Mu displays the token, it's equivalent to making a decision on behalf of the Yan family, and both Yan Lide and his brother will subsequently approve. In other words, the Yan family fully supports Qin Mu's decision.
"Mu'er, this token must not be shown to anyone easily, nor should you use it to do anything reckless," Qin Qiong instructed.
"Senior brother, this..." Upon hearing Qin Qiong's words, Qin Mu vaguely sensed the meaning behind them and hesitated for a moment.
"It's just an identity token. I trust my junior brother won't act recklessly. Besides, not many people in the Yan family care," Yan Lide said, waving his hand.
Turning his head and seeing Qin Qiong nod, Qin Mu then put the item into his robes and cupped his hands, saying, "I understand."
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