Chapter 7: The Fissure

Facts prove that being a spendthrift is also a technical skill; He Lingchuan put his all into spending money, yet only used up two hundred taels in a month. In this kind of borderland, one hundred taels is enough for an ordinary family of four to live comfortably for five or six years! Ying Hongchan gave a light cough: "Lingchuan, I was just about to speak with you. We are spending too much in autumn, and the estate must tighten its belt. Starting next month, your expenses must be reduced to under eighty taels." Having said this, she glanced at her husband.

Before He Chunhua could express his stance, He Lingchuan had already cried out: "Eighty taels? That’ll be gone after two trips to the Hongyan Pavilion!"

Ying Hongchan’s expression darkened slightly: "Your younger brother doesn't even use twenty taels a month."

"He..." He Lingchuan was unconvinced, "He eats and drinks at home, what could he possibly spend money on? I have so many people following me, and besides, relationships in the city must be maintained. Maintaining them costs money; this isn't just for me!"

"Maintaining what relationships?" Ying Hongchan gave a cold laugh, "Those people fawn over you, yet their eyes are all fixed on your father. Does that kind of relationship need maintaining? Our family is not short of guard dogs."

She did not give He Lingchuan a chance to reply: "The times are turbulent; money and grain must be used for proper purposes. Lingchuan, your father and I don't ask you to solve the family's worries, but do stop adding to the chaos."

These words were a bit heavy, and He Lingchuan suddenly felt a blockage in his heart, along with dissatisfaction.

These were not his own emotions.

In fact, every time the whole family ate together, he could feel "unpleasantness" coming from deep within his mind; it was almost a subconscious reaction of the body.

The original owner really disliked such scenes. Given that He Chunhua doted on him, this emotion should mainly be directed at the mistress of the house.

"Father." He turned to his father quite decisively.

He Chunhua pondered for a moment, then said: "Your mother is right, but eighty taels..." It was still a bit too little, "Let's set it at two hundred taels."

One hundred taels was enough, and it would save him the exhaustion of spending money. He Lingchuan looked displeased: "That's still too little! Three hundred taels!"

The mother and son argued for a long time, with He Chunhua acting as auxiliary support on the side—also known as mediating—until finally, Lady Ying put her foot down, and it was fixed at one hundred and eighty taels.

Ying Hongchan gave her husband a reproachful look. She wanted to cut back for her eldest son, but this father couldn't harden his heart; after all that arguing, it was only twenty taels less than last month!

Truly, one does not know the cost of firewood and rice until one manages a household.

"Saving over six hundred taels of silver every month." He Yue blinked, "We could buy dozens of sets of fine armor, or several excellent warhorses, and enlist at least sixty men."

No sooner had he finished speaking than He Lingchuan slapped the table and stood up: "I'm full!"

Before striding out of the dining hall, he didn't forget to fish a stewed pear out of the brass basin and eat it as he walked.

This pear had been stewed with rock sugar and Sichuan peppercorns for over half an hour; it was sweet, tender, and soft, and had the effect of clearing the heart and dispelling internal heat, perfect for cooling the agitation of someone who had just eaten mutton.

No one stopped him either.

As he was about to walk out of the garden, He Lingchuan looked back and saw the three of them still sitting around the table, eating and discussing, looking harmonious and happy.

He shrugged and walked quickly back to his own residence.

In all fairness, He Chunhua was really not bad to this eldest son. He Lingchuan occupied the largest, quietest, and most beautiful courtyard on the east side, with black pines, white peaches, winding streams, pavilions, and even a small martial arts practice field.

Although He Yue’s residence was also on the east side, its area was only half that of his elder brother's.

The only servant in the courtyard came over upon hearing him, but was waved away by him.

He Lingchuan took off his shirt and practiced boxing under the moonlight for over half an hour, until he was invigorated and drenched in sweat.

The original owner was not skilled in literature, but had loved martial arts since childhood and did not fear hardship, which was relatively rare among the children of noble families. The He family ancestors had also produced military generals and possessed their own set of body-refining techniques, which He Chunhua had passed on to his eldest son.

When practiced to the peak, his robust body would be shrouded in a layer of faint white mist, though it was only visible under the moonlight.

This was just right; He Lingchuan quickly withdrew his fists and sat down to regulate his breathing.

The white mist was gradually reabsorbed through his mouth and nose.

This completed one cycle.

What he practiced was the He family’s ancestral supernatural ability, known as the "Traction Art."

He Lingchuan used the body-refining technique to force true qi out of his body, allowing it to come into close contact with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, especially moonlight, and then retrieved it through breathing regulation, removing the dross and keeping the essence.

Thus, one movement and one stillness, one out and one in, one pull and one lead, it was completed.

Of course, it was fine to complete a cycle on his own using the "Traction Art," but starting with body-refining could stimulate the cold, filth, and illness accumulated in the body, resulting in a better purification of true qi.

After finishing his breathing regulation, He Lingchuan felt even more energetic, grabbed a white towel, and went to take a bath.

The hot water had also been prepared by a servant, a man in his thirties who was honest and simple.

He Lingchuan soaked in the hot water and let out a long sigh; if only someone were here to scrub his back, it would be so comfortable.

As a transportation hub for traffic from all directions, Black Water City naturally had bathhouses, known as "bathing shops." Besides everyone soaking together, back-scrubbing and foot-pedicures were standard services. However, that was in the bathhouse; Young Master He could not enjoy the back-scrubbing services provided by young girls in his own home.

Because he had no maidservants.

Teenage, twenty-something, or even thirty or forty-year-old maidservants... he had none at all.

To get twice the result with half the effort and benefit for life from the He family’s ancestral martial arts, one had to maintain a virgin body.

When He Lingchuan first started learning, he was ignorant and didn't know the drawbacks. After growing up and seeing a bunch of his fox friends enjoying the pleasures of life, he went to question He Chunhua. The result was his father beating his chest and stamping his feet.

He Lingchuan was obsessed with the martial Dao and naturally was unwilling to give up halfway, so he endured it.

However, He Chunhua did not want to deliberately test his eldest son’s willpower, so he did not place any females in his courtyard.

He Lingchuan sat in the large wooden tub, thinking about the leopard demon of West Mountain, the Donglai Prefecture guards caught by the Red and White Paths, and the miscellaneous items hidden in the leopard’s teeth.

When would Donglai Prefecture discover that the guards sent to Black Water City had lost contact? How would they react? And how would the Prefect respond?

Subconsciously, he picked up the necklace on his chest and looked at it for a moment, then suddenly tore it off and threw it hard toward the distant garden.

The necklace drew a parabola in the air and flew over the wall.

A few breaths later, he felt something strange on his chest, and looking down—

The necklace had returned on its own, resting perfectly on his neck.

Sure enough, no matter how many times he threw it, this thing could return on its own.

He had examined it many times; although it looked very similar on the outside, this thing was not made of jade, but rather a bit like ivory.

After all, the composition of ivory and bone is very similar.

The day he fell off the cliff, he heard the leopard roar a new term:

Divine Bone.

Could this necklace pendant that insisted on sticking to him be a Divine Bone?

After the meal, He Yue took his leave, and He Chunhua and his wife went back to wash up.

Only then did Ying Hongchan have the opportunity to scold her husband: "You are too indulgent with Lingchuan. He alone takes up the lion's share of the monthly estate expenses! And look at his attitude, slapping the table and leaving the table!" How arrogant! "It won't be like that next month." He Chunhua pacified her, "He just suffered a serious injury, and we are cutting his expenses, so it's inevitable that he feels displeased."

Lady Ying wanted to say more, but He Chunhua had already changed the subject: "Have you noticed any changes in Lingchuan recently?"

"Recently?" Lady Ying thought carefully, then shook her head, "Except for spending a little less money, it seems there are no changes."

(End of chapter)