Chapter 328 Swordsman Chen Qingzhou (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Chen Yi was unaware of Xiao Jinghong's whereabouts.
But he knew that Xiao Jinghong would definitely return in a few days.
The reason is simple.
Liu Hong's hair turned white overnight, and he stopped caring about politics. He was like a grasshopper in autumn, not going to be able to jump around for much longer.
Zhu Hao's situation was similar.
Furthermore, Kyoto Prefecture is closer to Hirohara Prefecture.
If the imperial court were to send someone to Shu Prefecture, their first stop would definitely be Guangyuan.
Once things settle down in Guangyuan, Xiao Jinghong will return to Shuzhou to oversee the Xiao family and prevent Liu Hong from launching a counterattack.
The only thing Chen Yi wasn't sure about was who should get credit for bringing down Zhu Hao.
"I reckon my elder brother Chen Yunfan is more likely to have made the first contribution."
"After all, the lady is now the commander of the Dingyuan Army, and there is no room for advancement. At most, she can receive some insignificant rewards."
Chen Yi saw things clearly, so he focused on his own business.
During the day, he plays chess, plays the zither, paints, fishes, and reads; at night, he practices the Four Symbols Kung Fu and various martial arts techniques.
The harvest was considerable.
Although the Four Symbols Technique he cultivated was only an Earth-rank technique, with the blessing of the Perfected Martial Arts Body, his cultivation speed was still quite fast.
However, after reaching the fourth rank, it is no longer just about accumulating true essence, but also about the enhancement of "spirit"—the four divine positions of the Yintang acupoint.
The breakthrough will take longer than ever before.
It takes him about half a month to advance to the next minor realm.
Whether he was satisfied or not, Chen Yi didn't dwell on it. He just wanted to work harder while Xiao Jinghong was away.
Fortunately, the practice of techniques is not restricted by the cultivation method.
It can be described as progressing by leaps and bounds in a single day.
He mastered the Great Spear Stance Technique, the Xuanwu Breath Concealing Technique, and the Four Symbols Technique to perfection.
After absorbing the profound mysteries of the spear technique at the Perfect Realm, the Heavenly Rank Falling Dragon Spear Technique has also been cultivated to the Perfect level.
Although the Mountain Collapse Fist has reached the Heavenly Rank, it has been limited by the Great Completion Fist Dao and has not made any further progress, remaining at the Proficient level.
The same applies to techniques like the Hundred Flowers Palm, Dragon and Phoenix Play, Meteor Butterfly Step, and Embroidered Spring Knife Technique in the Heavenly Rank.
Of the four arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and medicine, only chess requires him to find time to play and absorb its profound mysteries.
When you think about it, aside from reading, practicing the Four Symbols Technique, and fishing, Chen Yi doesn't spend that much time on technical skills each day.
late at night.
Inside the purple bamboo forest.
After Chen Yi finished practicing all the techniques without encountering a sudden enlightenment, he checked the light screen:
[Opportunity: 346]
Chen Yi glanced at the remaining opportunities and looked thoughtful.
"Now that I've reached the limit in martial arts and techniques, it's time to learn another technique."
For most people, the adage "don't bite off more than you can chew" holds true.
But Chen Yi is different. He has opportunities and is better suited to the path of "having many skills is never a burden".
Especially martial arts.
The more techniques one cultivates, the higher one's realm becomes. This not only allows one to draw inferences from one instance to another, but also deepens one's understanding of the Dao.
Once his cultivation breaks through to the upper third rank, he can steal more spiritual energy from heaven and earth through "divine intervention" to enhance the power of his techniques.
Fortunately, Chen Yi currently has the "Flying Flowers from Beyond the Heavens Sword Technique" as a suitable technique to practice.
"Swordsmanship, the way of the sword..."
"My wife is known as a master of both spear and sword, which complements my skills perfectly."
Chen Yi chuckled twice, then waved his hand and cut off a section of purple bamboo to practice the Flying Flowers Sword Technique.
After practicing a set of moves.
[Successfully mastered the sword technique "Flying Flowers from Beyond the Heavens" (Mystic Rank), Level: Beginner]
[Martial Arts - Sword: Beginner 0/1 (Points can be added)]
Without much hesitation, Chen Yi then used his opportunity to improve his swordsmanship to the highest level.
As profound mysteries filled his mind, he also elevated his mastery of the zither to a high level.
At this point, all techniques and Dao realms had reached a high level of mastery.
Chen Yi paid no attention to the zither, only briefly flipping through the mysteries of swordsmanship, and then continued to practice his swordsmanship by the moonlight.
Half an hour, an hour...
In less than two hours, he mastered the Flying Flowers Sword Technique.
It was undeniably fast.
Chen Yi let out a soft breath, his eyes falling on the pond not far away, the purple bamboo in his hand swaying slightly.
A phantom streaked across ten feet, a faint sword aura bloomed, and disappeared into the pool.
Thump, thump, thump...
Startled, the golden carp leaped out of the water, staring wide-eyed at Chen Yi, before falling back into the pond one by one.
How can I describe that look in your eyes?
It was probably like the way Liu Jing looked at Chen Yi when he was kidnapped earlier—as if he were looking at an idiot.
"..."
Chen Yi smashed the purple bamboo in his hand, muttering things like "you'll be roasted, stewed, or braised in oil sooner or later," before turning back to the wooden building.
Before he even reached the side room, a cool breeze suddenly began to howl.
A faint rumbling sound could be heard in the night sky.
Chen Yi stopped, looked up, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "It's going to rain."
As if in response to his words, a bolt of lightning ripped through the night, illuminating his figure.
Large raindrops then began to fall.
Soon after, a series of clattering sounds filled the courtyard.
The golden carp also joined in the fun, occasionally leaping out of the water and spitting water towards Chen Yi.
Chen Yi pretended not to see it and stood under the eaves watching the night rain for a while.
The yellowish lanterns swayed in the wind, their shadows intertwined.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, one finds tranquility.
As Chen Yi was lost in thought, a line of large golden characters floated before his eyes:
[Daily Intelligence - Mid-Grade Profound: At 9 PM, at the tailor shop in the West Market, Hidden Guard Generals, Tiger, and Phoenix exchange intelligence. A small amount of good fortune may be obtained.]
Chen Yi glanced at it, composed himself, turned around and went back to his room to continue practicing the Four Symbols Technique.
"As expected, the White Tiger Guards should be about to make their move..."
...
It hasn't rained in Shuzhou for a while.
Suddenly it started raining heavily, and the temperature dropped several degrees.
One autumn rain brings one chill.
The people in the city then changed into autumn clothes, and some who were weak and prone to feeling cold even put on winter clothes.
Xiaodie was no exception.
She got up early in the morning and took out the thick clothes that she had washed and dried again, and put them on Xiao Wuge.
"Young Master, if you feel uncomfortable while practicing martial arts, take off your outer garment, but remember to put it back on before you come back, so as not to catch a cold..."
Xiao Die gave him instructions again and again until Xiao Wuge finally couldn't help but say that he had remembered them, and only then did she stop talking.
After Xiao Wuge dressed himself, the two of them walked out of the wooden building one after the other.
Wang Lixing had been waiting outside for a long time.
Xiao Wuge slipped under the oil-paper umbrella he had set up, waved to Xiao Die, and then followed Wang Lixing to the training ground.
Xiaodie watched them walk away, glanced at the rain outside, and knew that she couldn't sweep the courtyard or wash clothes today, so she only cleaned the two wooden buildings.
She didn't know when Xiao Jinghong would return, but she would always do what needed to be done meticulously.
Everything was wiped clean, inside and out, leaving no nook or cranny untouched.
It's not that she was deliberately meticulous.
Rather, it was the steward of the manor who taught her this when she first entered the manor as a child.
However, few people complete their work with such meticulous care as she did.
Xiaodie didn't think there was anything commendable about doing this.
For her, this courtyard is her home, her everything. What's wrong with cleaning her own home meticulously?
Besides, the owner of this courtyard treated her well.
The principle of reciprocating kindness is generally like this.
After working for nearly an hour, Xiaodie glanced at the room where Chen Yi was, grabbed her oil-paper umbrella, and ran to the kitchen.
She hadn't forgotten that there was wild game in the manor today.
It wasn't that she was craving something again; rather, with the annual examinations approaching, Xiao Wan'er had specifically reminded her:
“My brother-in-law has been studying hard lately, so we need to give him some extra nutrition.”
Xiaodie remembered it well. She walked through several houses and carefully returned to Chunhe Garden with the food box that had already been packed in the kitchen.
She would greet every maid or servant she encountered along the way with a smile and whisper a few words.
Some were trivial matters within the manor, while others were rumors circulating outside.
"Sister Xiaodie, have you heard? Today, a lot of martial arts masters have come to the city. They are all very powerful experts."
"Really? How amazing is it?"
"It is said that they all came from other states, and many of them are outstanding young talents."
Xiaodie blinked, seemingly surprised, and asked, "Why did they come here instead of going to the Central Plains?"
"I don't know about that."
"I reckon it's related to some kind of 'Master Bai,' just like the wandering swordsmen who came a while ago."
Xiao Die said "oh" and silently made a note of it before continuing to chat with the other maids and servants.
Before long, news from inside and outside the Marquis's residence reached her ears.
Xiaodie then ran back to Chunhe Garden, completely satisfied.
She came to the eaves of the wooden building, shook the rain off her oil-paper umbrella, folded it up and hung it aside, then carried the food box into the living room.
The food was laid out on the table.
Just as he was about to wake Chen Yi, he heard footsteps approaching. "Oh, young master, you're up?"
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, then sat down at the table and invited her to eat with him.
"With the rain so heavy, how can I possibly sleep?"
Xiaodie glanced outside to make sure no one was coming, then sat down next to him, chuckling as she offered to help him get some warm clothes.
Chen Yi belatedly realized what was happening and looked at the brocade robe he was wearing, saying, "I can change into it later."
He has martial arts skills, so he's the same in summer and winter.
But in the eyes of outsiders, he was still a weak scholar, and he always had to do things that were in line with his status.
Xiaodie didn't insist anymore and started chattering about what she had just heard.
Many martial arts practitioners have come to the city, and they are all very skilled masters among the younger generation.
Grain and medicinal herb prices have stabilized, and the local people are expressing their gratitude to the Provincial Governor and saying they want to write him a letter to the people.
Furthermore, the disaster victims outside the city have been escorted back to their hometowns by government officials, and so on.
Chen Yi listened silently, inwardly scoffing at the expressions on the faces of the common people when they learned of Liu Hong's heinous crimes.
Judging by how grateful they are now, they will hate Liu Hong even more later.
There were many江湖客 (jianghu people, people from all walks of life) in the city, and they didn't initially pique his interest.
Wherever human power reaches, there is the world of martial arts. They have legs and feet, so it's not surprising that they might come to Shu Prefecture one day.
Besides, Master Bai is indeed already in Shu Prefecture, and...
Chen Yi suddenly remembered something—the swordsman he encountered when he killed Du Cang that day.
"Could it be because of him?"
If news of the swordsman's duel with Bai Daxian were to spread, it might indeed attract some martial arts enthusiasts.
Judging from the swordsman's words, there must be a certain threshold to watching him fight with Bai Daxian.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Yi decided to ask someone about the swordsman's identity tonight.
Anyone who can rival Master Bai is clearly no nobody.
Let's chat for a bit.
After finishing breakfast, Chen Yi went to the study, picked up a classic book, and started reading.
On a rainy day, when the light is dim, lighting a few oil lamps and listening to the dripping rain makes reading a unique experience.
Just that.
Chen Yi reads extremely fast; reading ten lines at a glance is an understatement, but reading ten pages at a glance is more accurate.
The sound of pages turning was constant.
If he hadn't now achieved significant progress in his cultivation, and his "divine" intent had grown stronger, giving him almost the ability to remember everything he saw, then reviewing the material would have been a waste of time.
Fortunately, after reading one volume, he had the contents of the next volume in his mind.
Soon, an hour had passed.
Chen Yi put down the book, rubbed his eyes and brows, and recalled the classics he had just read.
"Policy discussions, factual praise and criticism..."
"The annual examinations will mostly be the same as before, not testing classics, history, or the words of sages, but rather drawing questions from national affairs, government decrees, and current events..."
Having gained a general understanding of the annual examinations, Chen Yi decided to stop looking at other examination questions and policy essays.
It's simply a test of his understanding of current affairs and government policies; writing out a framework for a solution is sufficient.
The quality of academic performance depends on three factors: first, the emphasis of the academic policy; second, the appropriateness of the citations of classical texts; and third, the suitability of the "methods".
This is completely irrelevant and will obviously result in a poor performance.
Chen Yi glanced at the sky and prepared to go out to Tingyu Pavilion to find out what was going on, when he heard faint sounds coming from outside the garden.
He looked in the direction of the sound, and a smile inevitably appeared on his face.
"What a coincidence."
The person who arrived was none other than Chen Yunfan.
Besides him, Cui Qingwu and others followed.
However, Chen Yunfan and Cui Qingwu parted ways outside the courtyard; one went to Chunhe Garden, and the other went to Jiaxing Garden.
Chen Yunfan led Lin Zhong into Chunhe Garden and loudly called out, "Where are the people? Come and greet us!"
The commotion made Xiaodie rush to check.
When Chen Yunfan saw her, he smiled and asked, "Where's your son-in-law?"
Xiaodie recognized him and bowed slightly, saying, "Young Master is reading in the study. Please wait a moment."
Before she could turn back to the wooden building to report, Chen Yi had already appeared in the living room, beckoned to Chen Yunfan and Lin Zhong, and then instructed Xiao Die to make tea.
Seeing his expression, Chen Yunfan gave Lin Zhong a look, then smiled and walked into the living room.
While looking around, he casually asked, "I heard that Brother Yi was seriously ill a few days ago?"
Chen Yunfan emphasized the word "big".
Others might not know, but he knew exactly how powerful Chen Yi was.
Let alone a mere plague, even the most terrifying poisons that people in the martial arts world fear cannot do anything to Chen Yi.
Chen Yi sensed something amiss in his words, and while gesturing for them to sit down, he smiled and said:
"The physician in the manor provided timely treatment, and he is out of danger."
He paused, looked at Lin Zhong, a hint of recollection on his face, and said as if suddenly realizing something:
"Uncle Zhong?"
Lin Zhong nodded and bowed with a smile: "Lin Zhong greets Young Master Yi."
Chen Yi waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite, and only after the two were seated did he ask:
"When will Uncle Zhong arrive in Shu Prefecture?"
“A few days ago, the mistress of the manor was worried about the eldest young master and sent me to visit him.”
"So, you're going back later?"
"Probably not. The young master has something he needs my help with, and I've already written back to inform the mistress..."
When Lin Zhong spoke of these things, his eyes subtly fixed on Chen Yi when he mentioned "the mistress".
It seemed she wanted to see if there was anything unusual in his expression.
When Lin Zhong noticed that Chen Yi always had a smile on his face, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Just as the master said, Young Master Yi has indeed changed from before.
That's quite an impressive demeanor.
Chen Yunfan ignored these remarks and, seeing that the two had finished speaking, immediately said:
"I've come here this time because I have something extremely important to tell Yi-di..."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com