Chapter 25 Breaking Up a Couple
"When I was little, I was still too young to practice stance training..."
Pei Guanli's voice was barely audible.
If it weren't for the quiet of the night, Chen Yi would have almost missed it.
He glanced at the lower edge of the bell around her neck and said, "You don't need to rush to open up the four main meridians. First, open up your dantian and then fill in any gaps."
"oh."
Pei Guanli seemed to notice his gaze and awkwardly raised her hand to fiddle with the bell around her neck.
Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.
The crisp sound of bells echoed through the tranquil bamboo grove, a sound more powerful than silence.
Not long after.
After Chen Yi finished instructing Pei Guanli on her movements and martial arts, he said:
"That's all I can tell. Try cultivating for a few days, and I believe you'll make a breakthrough soon."
"Brother-in-law, I'll listen to you." Pei Guanli nodded vigorously, a hint of respect showing in her eyes as she looked at him.
Brother-in-law, you're really amazing.
He only watched me practice once, yet he discovered so many problems and pointed out ways to correct them. He's more capable than my grandmother and brother.
Chen Yi glanced at the sky. "That's enough for today. Remember to hide well so you don't get discovered."
Pei Guanli said with a grin, "Brother-in-law, don't worry, I'm very confident in my agility."
"But if they are discovered, I can poison them and make sure they don't remember anything."
Chen Yi asked thoughtfully, "Your poisons are of a high grade, aren't they?"
"Of course, this is what my grandma gave me for self-defense. Even a low-level cultivator would faint if they got a little bit of it."
Pei Guanli's eyes darted around twice. "Brother-in-law, do you want some? I brought quite a few with me this time."
Chen Yi stretched out his hand, "I want it!"
If it can knock out a third-grade cultivator with a drug, why not take it? Consider it payment for his guidance on stance training and techniques.
Then Pei Guanli excitedly pulled out a bunch of bottles and jars from the inner lining of her waist and began to describe them one by one:
"This bottle contains the sleeping potion, and next to it is the poison, made from five kinds of poisons. Just a little bit, about the size of a fingernail, is enough to kill a cultivator below the eighth rank."
"And this bottle is the most potent. It contains Gu worms cultivated by Grandma. They can cause unbearable numbness and itching all over a person's body. Even a sixth-grade cultivator would find it difficult to resist once they are affected..."
Chen Yi's gaze grew increasingly strange as he listened. He was truly grateful to her for showing mercy in order to subdue this girl that night.
Otherwise, there would be no need for that bottle of Gu worms; a little bit of sleeping potion would have been enough to make him lie down.
Thinking it over, Chen Yi only took the bottle of sleeping potion and the corresponding antidote, and asked Pei Guanli to take everything else back.
"Brother-in-law, just let me know if you need anything, don't be shy."
"good."
After leaving the bamboo grove, the two quietly returned to their respective rooms.
Chen Yi didn't rush to rest. He leaned against the window, looking at the two palm-sized bottles of sleeping pills in his hand.
How did that girl manage to hide so many bottles and jars on her waist? You couldn't tell at all from the outside.
After much thought, I can only attribute it to her extraordinary talent.
Chen Yi tucked the sleeping drug and antidote into his sleeve, recalling the martial arts and agility Pei Guanli had just displayed.
After thinking for a moment, he began to practice slowly in the side room.
The fist and foot techniques were not difficult. After practicing twice, he found the knack, which was a palm technique that focused on dexterity.
However, the lightness technique took some effort, taking a full half hour. It wasn't until almost midnight that he began to grasp the basics.
[Successfully mastered the Hundred Flowers Palm technique (Mystic Rank), Level: Beginner]
[Successfully mastered the movement technique Meteor Butterfly Step (Earth Rank), Level: Beginner]
Chen Yi glanced at the information on the light screen, then stopped and slowly calmed the restless energy and strength within his body.
"Since there is no separate 'Martial Arts Palm', it seems that all fist and foot skills should be classified as fist arts. Hmm... I'll learn a leg technique when I have the chance."
Thinking about it, he chuckled inexplicably.
Fist, palm, and leg combined into one, three parts returning to the original energy, right?
However, he learned Pei Guanli's techniques and movements, and even took a bottle of sleeping potion from her, intending to find a way to return it to her later.
Just then, the sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside the door.
Chen Yi focused his attention on the panel again, checking the intelligence updates that had appeared that day:
[Daily Intelligence - Mid-Grade Profound: At noon, the third-ranked scholar Li Huaigu strolled through the streets, enjoying unparalleled prestige. Returning home full of pride, hoping to use this opportunity to marry his beloved, he was met with fierce opposition from his mother. A small amount of good fortune may be obtained.]
"Oh?" Chen Yi's eyes lit up, "Mid-grade Xuan level?"
This was the highest-level intelligence he had seen in recent months, bar none.
His previous two encounters with low-grade Xuan-level items yielded considerable rewards, so he imagines the opportunities for mid-grade Xuan-level items will be even more plentiful.
He pondered for a moment.
Chen Yi looked at the bright moon outside the window and thought to himself, "It seems I need to pay my respects to the old Marquis tomorrow."
...
Nothing was said that night.
Half past Yin Shi (3-5 AM), Chen Yi woke up as usual, stretched his limbs, and then, with Xiao Die's help, washed up and dressed.
"Has anything noteworthy happened in the manor recently?"
"Young master, have you forgotten?" Xiaodie said with a smile as she straightened the wrinkles in his clothes.
“The birthday poem you wrote for the old master a few days ago has already spread throughout the mansion, and many people are praising your son-in-law for his exceptional poetry.”
"Yeah?"
Chen Yi was slow to realize what was happening; he had been completely oblivious to what was going on around him for the past few days.
I suppose Xiaodie mentioned it before, but he probably didn't pay much attention because of other things.
"More than that."
Xiaodie straightened his clothes and then began to mimic the words of those people.
Some say the old master was very pleased. He ate a lot of food with Old Master Zhang and Mr. Sun Fu that day, which made the physician in the manor very happy. He said that the old master's increased appetite meant that his depressed mood had been relieved.
Several masters from the second branch of the family personally copied the poem and took it to the yamen the next day to show off to their colleagues, so much so that it was sung by many people in Shuzhou City.
Even the top courtesan in the brothels of the southern city could compose a song in the shortest amount of time, attracting many talented scholars to come and support her.
Chen Yi was speechless. "The tune is already out?"
Xiaodie wrinkled her little nose and hummed in agreement: "Those people are so inconsiderate. The master's birthday hasn't arrived yet, and the son-in-law hasn't even sent over the lyrics, but they've already started singing the song."
Chen Yi chuckled and said, "Once the lyrics are written, they will be known to the world. It doesn't matter if others copy them or sing them. Just consider it as them celebrating the old master's birthday."
Xiaodie nodded, her hair swaying, and smiled sweetly, "Young Master is so insightful; I hadn't even thought of these things."
Chen Yi smiled and walked outside.
Given the Xiao family's status and position in Shuzhou City, they have plenty of ways to prevent people from spreading the story.
The fact that the birthday greeting is still being sung in Shuzhou shows that the Xiao family doesn't care.
Or perhaps, it was done intentionally by the people in the Xiao family.
In either case, it would be entirely beneficial for him as the creator.
One hour of standing meditation has passed.
Chen Yi washed up again and had Xiao Die wake Xiao Wuge so they could have breakfast in the pavilion.
He remembered the melon-eating incident and looked at Xiao Wuge, saying, "The old master should be up by now. Come with me to pay my respects."
Last time, because Xiao Wuge followed him to the brothels in the south of the city, he was unable to conceal his whereabouts and was punished by being forbidden from leaving the mansion.
This time, he's going to go to the old man to try and get his confinement lifted, and he'll have to drag Xiao Wuge, the culprit, into it no matter what.
Xiao Wuge, not even bothering to wipe his mouth, exclaimed happily, "Brother-in-law, you finally remembered to go find Grandfather!"
"What? Is the old man talking about me?"
“When my brother, the Crown Prince, came over yesterday, he said that my grandfather and my grandfather, the Duke, have been talking about you these past two days… about the poem you wrote, and they even want to eat meat with every meal.”
Xiao Wuge couldn't help but smile as he recalled Zhang Heng's words—the runaway groom had made something of himself.
Chen Yi chuckled to himself, never expecting that a poem could rekindle the old man's ambition.
"Come on, the old man was still angry the last few times and didn't have time to see me. I hope he won't turn me away this time."
"No, no... Grandfather is overjoyed."
(End of this chapter)
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