Chapter 30: Plum Blossom Needle

Duan Rong was standing at the entrance of the front courtyard, standing on tiptoe to peer into the Inner Courtyard.

He had also heard Xiao Qi's shouting; it seemed something had happened to the Second Young Lady.

Thinking of Xiao Baijiao's white, tender face like a dough bun and her graceful waist, Duan Rong suddenly felt a sense of urgency as well.

But the Inner Courtyard was, after all, a private place; without the master's permission, it was not appropriate for an outsider like him to step inside.

Just as Duan Rong was feeling anxious, he suddenly saw a red shadow, encroaching like fire, rushing through the halls and courtyards, whistling past.

Duan Rong only felt a flash before his eyes as a red shadow had already flashed past his side from the entrance of the Inner Courtyard. By the time Duan Rong turned his head, that red shadow had already disappeared outside the entrance of the front courtyard.

Duan Rong was slightly stunned, then suddenly realized: wasn't that red shadow that just passed by Xiao Qi?

A slight chill ran down Duan Rong's spine.

"It's… Lightness Skill!"

Xiao Zongting was indeed an old veteran who had once been a chief leader; even a maid in the Xiao residence was so good at hiding her true strength!

The level of attainment in this Lightness Skill was likely no less than that of an expert in the pugilistic world!

Lightness Skill is different from other Martial Techniques; it is not easily taught.

The various major powers in Xiangu County all have ways to recruit talent, but he had never heard of any family teaching Lightness Skill!

And Xiao Qi's Lightness Skill was naturally taught by Xiao Zongting.

"This little girl is likely connected to the Xiaojia; she is definitely not just a simple, ordinary maid," Duan Rong thought, his eyes flickering.

Half an incense stick later, Xiao Qi, carrying a medicine chest, pushed a fat old man over sixty years of age and walked quickly into the front courtyard.

Gu Suxiu was already obese, and having been shoved by Xiao Qi for such a long distance, he was already panting, with sweat covering both cheeks.

"Xiao Qi… stop pushing! We're here! We're here! Let me catch my breath…"

"Doctor Gu, we cannot wait, we really cannot wait!"

Xiao Qi pushed Gu Suxiu and headed straight for the Inner Courtyard.

"Xiao Qi, the Second Young Lady… she… is she alright?" Duan Rong asked with a concerned look as the two passed by.

Duan Rong was not just being polite; he was genuinely worried about Xiao Baijiao!

Although he had transmigrated with his soul for a lifetime, he was still a sucker for good looks; old habits die hard!

What's more, Xiao Baijiao was such a pure yet alluring woman of exceptional grace?

Xiao Qi turned her head, her face flushed red. She only glanced at Duan Rong once, and without time to speak, she pushed Gu Suxiu into the Back Courtyard.

Duan Rong waited for more than half an hour.

Only then did he see Xiao Zongting personally escorting Gu Suxiu, who was carrying the medicine chest, as they walked out, talking as they went.

Xiao Zongting's face was dark and gloomy, like the soot at the bottom of a stove.

As soon as Duan Rong saw Xiao Zongting's expression, he knew that Xiao Baijiao's illness was likely not light!

"It seems this is no ordinary ailment…"

Xiao Zongting escorted Gu Suxiu all the way to the door and stood there watching him for a while before turning back.

Xiao Zongting walked into the courtyard, his gaze fixed on Duan Rong, who was standing there.

Duan Rong asked, "The Second Young Lady's illness…"

Xiao Zongting waved his hand, interrupting Duan Rong, and glared, "Don't go around talking nonsense!"

Duan Rong lowered his head and immediately agreed obediently.

Xiao Zongting took a booklet from his bosom and handed it to Duan Rong, saying, "This is the Second Layer Secret Manual for the Five Tigers Flock of Sheep Saber. I need to look after that child Baijiao during this time, so I might not have time for a while. You explore and practice it on your own first, and come back in ten days!"

Duan Rong took the Secret Manual and said, "Yes. Good people have their own heavenly protection; the Second Young Lady will surely recover!"

Xiao Zongting had originally let Kong Bin go and kept Duan Rong with the intention of giving him some proper guidance, but with Baijiao's sudden incident, he truly had no heart for it now.

After Xiao Zongting finished his instructions, he headed toward the Back Courtyard. After a few steps, he suddenly turned his head and said, "Tell Kong Bin as well. I have matters to attend to recently!"

Duan Rong answered softly. Seeing Xiao Zongting's figure disappear into the Back Courtyard, he put away the Secret Manual and left Xiao Zongting's courtyard.

Duan Rong walked somewhat lazily down the steps in front of Xiao Zongting's courtyard.

In his mind, he wondered how a woman as pure and alluring as Xiao Baijiao could happen to fall ill with such a bad sickness?

Thinking this, he couldn't help but sigh.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly saw a flash of white light in the flower bed in front of the door under the sunlight.

Duan Rong walked closer and looked carefully; it was actually a Silver Needle that had fallen onto the branches and leaves, flashing with light when hit by the sun.

Duan Rong reached out and pinched the silver needle in his hand. After a moment of thought, he guessed that this needle must have been dropped by Doctor Gu, whom Xiao Qi was pushing.

Duan Rong's eyes rolled, an idea forming, and he silently recited, "Read Spirit Tool."

Artifact: White Hair Silver Needle

Spirit Artifact Tier: First Tier

Devour Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 1 (Met)

Devour Effect: Plum Blossom Needle Technique Proficiency.

"It's actually at the Proficiency level!"

Duan Rong was quite surprised; it seemed that although Doctor Gu looked chubby, his medical skills were quite exquisite.

At the very least, one could catch a glimpse of it from the level of this needle application.

"This Plum Blossom Needle Technique is clearly not a martial art; it should be an acupuncture method. However, since it can reach the Proficiency level, I fear this acupuncture method is not easy to master either!"

Duan Rong's eyes shifted. He took out the Secret Manual that Xiao Zongting had just given him from his inner robe pocket, opened it to the third page, tucked the silver needle inside, closed the manual, and put it away again.

Seeing that it was time for a meal, Duan Rong turned his steps and headed toward the Middle Courtyard canteen.

Although he was anxious for Xiao Baijiao, that couldn't delay his eating!

After Duan Rong finished his meal at the Middle Courtyard canteen, he came to the Martial Arts Arena, found a quiet corner, and began Standing Stake.

Worrying was just useless worrying; it would be better to practice his skills well—perhaps there would be a place where he could be of use!

From this point on, Duan Rong practiced diligently every single day without pause!

Three days later at dawn, Duan Rong suddenly let out a soft whistle, and a thick white mist as wide as a baby's arm shot out from his mouth, slanting upward into the air, dispersing only after reaching a height of over ten feet.

"Internal Breath First Layer is achieved!"

Duan Rong circulated his energy slightly and felt that surging power within his meridians; at this moment, the Internal Breath within his dantian was already as thick as a thin hairpin.

Duan Rong exhaled a long breath of stale air, a brilliant smile spreading across his weary face.

Over these three days, aside from leaving the Escort Agency once to buy Blood Velvet Antler at the Raw Medicine Shop, he had traveled almost exclusively between his quarters and the Martial Arts Arena.

His feet were as if rooted, planted firmly in the Martial Arts Arena.

Once Duan Rong's Internal Breath First Layer was complete, he immediately began attempting to practice the Internal Breath Second Stage.

At this moment, it was early morning.

A day's plan is best laid in the morning; how could he waste it?

Xiao Zongting had given him the Secret Manual for the second stage that day, but in truth, he no longer needed the Secret Manual for the Five Tigers Flock of Sheep Saber Second Stage.

Because he had already devoured the Spirit Tool of the Unsharpened Great Cleaver in the Escort Agency Inner Treasury, he had long since digested and absorbed the Internal Cultivation Method for the second stage and the Proficiency level of the Martial Technique.

However, one could not say this Five Tigers Flock of Sheep Saber Secret Manual was completely useless to him.

At the very least, it served as a cover; if one day he revealed his Proficiency level in the Five Tigers Flock of Sheep Saber, no one could say he had stolen the knowledge.

After all, this had been properly taught to him by Xiao Lao.

Duan Rong held a slice of Blood Velvet Antler in his mouth, assumed the Hunyuan Stance, and sank his Mental Power into his dantian, controlling the hairpin-thick Internal Breath to begin circulating according to the second stage Internal Cultivation Method.

Duan Rong had only stood for half an hour when the slice of Blood Velvet Antler in his mouth had completely turned into saliva and flowed into his stomach.

Duan Rong immediately held another slice in his mouth.

"The circulation circuit for the Internal Breath Second Stage is actually this complex and winding!"

Duan Rong had devoured and absorbed the Spirit Tool, which was equivalent to directly obtaining the experience of the second stage Internal Breath circulation; circulating the Internal Breath should have been effortless.

Yet, after only half an hour had passed, Duan Rong actually felt a trace of exhaustion.

"It is the Mental Power!"

"Such a complex Internal Breath circulation circuit consumes a great deal of Mental Power!"

"Could this be the true meaning of martial arts having Mental Power as its core?"

An hour later, Duan Rong held another slice of Blood Velvet Antler in his mouth.

At this time, his state had shifted from feeling a trace of exhaustion to feeling somewhat heavy, and because of the continuous consumption of Mental Power, the efficiency of his Internal Breath circulation had already dropped.

Furthermore, within the next hour, Duan Rong discovered another phenomenon in his body: his body clearly felt a sense of depletion.

For the practice of the Internal Breath Second Stage, the medicinal power of the Blood Velvet Antler seemed to be insufficient!

(End of chapter)