Chapter 322

【After Su Yun left, the days continued; you still read books, practiced calligraphy, practiced martial arts, and meditated on the two sword intents of "Slaying Demons" and "Slaying Ghosts" within your mind.】

【A few heavy snowfalls passed, and a few sunny days followed.】

【The end of the year was approaching, the footsteps of New Year's Eve drew near, and the festive atmosphere grew thicker and more mellow.】

【Inside and outside Xie Fu, lanterns were already hung and spring couplets filled the doorways; within Bianjing City, the sound of firecrackers rose one after another, exceptionally lively.】

【Not to mention the entire city of Bianjing becoming festive, even the servants in the residence were wearing red clothes and jackets, their faces showing more joy.】

【The end of a year, the beginning of a year!】

【Within this half-month, Xie Yuan visited again; recently, he had become increasingly obsessed with martial arts, saying that on the path of the jianghu, when out and about, one must have some skills, otherwise, even if one encountered "injustice on the road" or a "hero saving a beauty," one would only be anxious and spinning in circles.】

【Xie Yuan showed you his new martial arts state; his muscles and bones were increasingly strong, and he felt he had the strength to wrestle an ox, his vigor imposing.】

【You could see that he had already reached the Great Completion of the second martial path realm, "Bone Casting."】

【His progress was not considered slow, but it also caused his blood and Qi to churn, making it difficult to calm down.】

【Every time the night grew deep, Xie Yuan would toss and turn, unable to sleep; even in the middle of winter, he had to bathe in ice water to slightly reduce the dry heat.】

【His entire body's muscles and bones felt as if they were being scorched by fire, itching unbearably, as if he were placed inside a furnace or an ant nest.】

【You were secretly surprised in your heart, as you had no such reaction when you practiced; thinking about it, from learning martial arts to the third martial path realm, your progress was truly too rapid.】

【According to Xie Yuan's master, this was a common occurrence in training tendons and lengthening bones, it was just that Xie Yuan's progress was too fast, hence the slight discomfort.】

【The medicinal herbs Xie Yuan had consumed since childhood had their nourishing power hidden in his body; now that he was practicing martial arts, their essence was gradually being consumed.】

【This was the foundation laid from childhood by disciples of great surnames, with many benefits.】

【First, once this medicine was stimulated, if one did not practice, one would feel uncomfortable all over, just like having to walk around to digest after a full meal; naturally, one would not dare to be the slightest bit lazy in practicing martial arts, thereby forming a habit.】

【Second, the miraculous nature of these medicinal herbs was comparable to "reshaping muscles and bones." A person's muscles and bones are determined by nature, but this time of practicing martial arts and casting bones could intentionally temper the root bones and meridians, making them more suitable for martial arts and laying the foundation for capturing "Qi sensation" in the middle three realms.】

【Such an opportunity was piled up with "mountains of gold and silver," which others could only look at from afar, having only envy.】

【Since childhood, medicinal baths and the massage of meridians by martial arts experts—where would ordinary families dare to hope for such things?】

【You sighed secretly in your heart; such an opportunity was naturally something you could not envy. Since childhood, your food, clothing, and expenses had been stretched, not to mention the luxury of practicing martial arts.】

【Xie Yuan's martial arts master calculated that in just two months, Xie Yuan would definitely be able to break through the second martial path realm and step into the third realm, which is full of "blood and Qi."】

【Xie Yuan said confidently: "I naturally don't take the small three passes of the martial path to heart, but stepping into the middle three realms, I'm afraid it will take some effort."】

【"However, how could this stump me, Xie Yuan? With Young Master Lord Wo Yun's help, the mere middle three realms can be easily broken through in the blink of an eye."】

【The middle three realms of the martial path emphasize combing through the blood, Qi, meridians, and root bones of the whole body, and even more so, capturing the "innate Qi" that the human body is born with.】

【The first three realms of the martial path focus on training reality; polishing root bones and tempering blood and Qi are all solid and real. As long as one has a correct cultivation method and is willing to put in the effort, one can also step into the third realm with perseverance.】

【It is just that this human "innate Qi" is extremely mysterious; after the age of thirty, it will dissipate.】

【If one still fails to capture the Qi sensation by the age of thirty, one will never have the opportunity to step into the middle three realms in this life.】

【However, without stepping into the middle three realms, one does not have the ninety-year lifespan limit of a martial artist; this is the iron law of martial path cultivation.】

【You were not very worried about Xie Yuan's future martial path realm. Over these past few months, Xie Yuan's progress in learning martial arts had been truly gratifying, to the point that even the master teaching him was surprised.】

【Clearly, Xie Yuan had quite a talent for the martial path, and coupled with the solid foundation laid since childhood, the middle three realms were already within his grasp.】

【Nowadays, most of the disciples of the same generation among the nine great surnames were still at the third realm or the middle three realms stage.】

【According to Zhang Yunzhi, the most outstanding disciple of the Zhang family's generation had already stepped into the fifth martial path realm, "Spring Thunder," at the age of only sixteen, with astonishing strength.】

【Among the nine great surnames, there were very few who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.】

【If Xie Yuan had started practicing martial arts earlier, he probably wouldn't have lost to those few people.】

【However, Empress Zhuge seemed not to want Xie Yuan to be too outstanding, so Xie Yuan still had the air of a playboy in previous years.】

【Perhaps there is a reason for this.】

【Xie Yuan had an older brother before, but he died young; this matter might have also affected Empress Zhuge.】

【The struggles within a large family are all undercurrents; if a tree stands out in the forest, the wind will surely destroy it.】

【Xie Yuan was a bit embarrassed and quietly told you that recently, with his martial arts practice and the fullness of his blood and Qi, he was full of vigor, so his mother had sent one of her own senior maids to Xie Yuan.】

【Xie Yuan was a bit red-faced!】

【You seemed to have guessed the reason; it was nothing more than the love between a man and a woman. In fact, those who practice martial arts do not necessarily have to maintain a "primordial yang" body.】

【The so-called "overflowing when full" means that if suppressed for a long time, it might actually be harmful to the body.】

【The servants around Xie Yuan were all handsome men with red lips and white teeth; Su Yun was the same, and none of them had personal maids. This was also a kind of protection by the family for direct descendants, to avoid them coming into contact with the affairs of men and women too early, lest they sink into it before their minds were mature.】

【Of course, the world is unpredictable!】

【There were also things that backfired; many young masters of famous families actually developed feelings for the page boys accompanying them in their studies, thus contracting the habit of Longyang.】

【Emperor Gao Zu of the Great Qi was such an example; not only was he not addicted to the three thousand beauties in the harem, but he was also particularly fond of a handsome young master of a minister, even conferring upon him the title of Grand Marshal of the World's Armies, and in the end, he even wanted to hand over the Great Qi's decades of mountains and rivers to others.】

【In the end, the Master took that young master away from the imperial palace, and Gao Zu also died of depression because of this.】

【Nowadays, Xie Yuan is sixteen or seventeen, just the age when love begins to sprout, so this matter is quite timely.】

【According to some of the wealthy young masters in Bianjing mentioned by Zhang Yuan, they were just like Xie Yuan, at the age of being full of vigor, and also practicing martial arts.】

【Carrying a sharp blade, it is inevitable that the desire to kill will arise.】

【Therefore, some underground black markets were born in Bianjing to satisfy the desires of these powerful young masters.】

【Many martial arts descendants of the nine great surnames had more or less a few human lives on their hands.】

【You just shook your head; using other people's lives as an outlet and treating life like grass—such things happening in Bianjing, where the academy is located, always seemed incredible.】

【Although Xie Yuan lowered his voice, it was still heard by Sister Wu Tong, who was standing to the side; her cheeks instantly flushed with a touch of crimson, and her legs unconsciously clamped together slightly.】

【Sister Wu Tong naturally understood what Xie Yuan meant; in the future, she would most likely be the young master's bed-chamber maid.】

【She couldn't help but glance at the young master's profile, feeling even more shy in her heart.】

【She secretly thought to herself, "I don't know if the young master will cherish me in the future."】

【In the courtyard, she often heard other maid sisters discussing privately that if the other party didn't know how to cherish the fragrance and pity the jade, the first experience was often accompanied by pain, and only then could one appreciate the taste. What's more, once this matter started, it was very easy to be intoxicated by it and unable to extricate oneself.】

【Some young masters in the courtyard were also unrestrained in broad daylight, and one could often see young masters and maids with disheveled clothes behind the rockery in the courtyard.】

【Xie Yuan leaned closer, his voice even lower: "That sister is gentle and lovely, with a plump figure, round and jade-like, and a few years older than both of us. I heard Xie Houer mention that when she sits on top... I heard Xie Houer say it's like a white jade Guanyin sitting backwards on a lotus, feeling light and airy all over, truly something even an immortal wouldn't trade."】

【"How about it, Brother Guan, try it next time, I guarantee you'll be happy."】

【Xie Yuan pushed your shoulder and said: "Although that sister said she would be of one heart with me forever, I naturally wouldn't agree to others, but Brother Guan, we are brothers."】

【"Brothers are like hands and feet; naturally, we share the difficulties and the blessings."】

【You looked at Xie Yuan's expectant expression, as if he were a generous person who wouldn't "hide" good things from his brother.】

【Your expression was strange, and you just refused repeatedly.】

【Xie Yuan said: "Brother Guan, I'll call you to the Qunfang Banquet the night before New Year's Eve, and it won't be too late to decide after you see that sister."】

【Xie Yuan chuckled and said: "Anyway, it's a long way by carriage from Xie Fu..."】

【After Xie Yuan finished speaking, he said goodbye and left.】

【After seeing Xie Yuan off, you returned to the courtyard and looked at Sister Wu Tong, who was still standing there motionless, her legs crossed in a twisted manner, her beautiful face full of shyness, and her ears were bright red.】

【"Sister Wu Tong, are you okay? It's cold today, don't catch a cold or fever."】

【Sister Wu Tong responded in a voice as thin as a mosquito, her neck turning red.】

【"Young Master, if you really want to try, Sister Wu Tong is also willing."】

【Sister Wu Tong was born extremely beautiful, outstanding among all the maids in Xie Fu; if she dressed up a little, I'm afraid even those young ladies would be eclipsed.】

【It's no wonder Xie Renfeng coveted her after seeing her only once and came to ask for Sister Wu Tong.】

【A woman does indeed develop faster than a man; you inadvertently caught a glimpse of the bulging outline on Sister Wu Tong's chest, and your heart couldn't help but move slightly.】

【You had heard Sister Wu Tong mention before that her habit of binding her "chest" was because it was too "huge and upright," affecting her daily life, and she was also afraid of the maids in the residence gossiping.】

【Physician Hua An had also told you that Sister Wu Tong was coveted by many grooms, guards, and gardeners in Xie Fu.】

【Recently, there was a young guard who had some martial arts cultivation and sent Sister Wu Tong candied pastries every day; even though Sister Wu Tong said she didn't like sweets, he brought cured meat, truly putting in a lot of effort.】

【It seems that there is a girl in the family who has just grown up.】

【You withdrew your thoughts, flicked Sister Wu Tong's smooth forehead lightly, a helpless smile on your face, and said, "What are you thinking about all day?"】

【Sister Wu Tong was slightly startled by your flick, and then her face flushed with shyness.】

【She watched the young master walk into the room with a smile on his face.】

【But in her heart, she was secretly anxious; next spring, the young master will enter the school.】

【She knew that with the young master's talent and appearance, once he walked out of this small courtyard, she didn't know how many girls would "bow down."】

【The sisters all say that a man will never forget his first woman.】

【You continued to repeat day after day, and in the blink of an eye, a month and a half had passed.】

【Today!】

【It is already night!】

【Snow covered the thousand mountains in white, and the reflection of the Sister Wu Tong tree in the courtyard shone on the snow-covered ground in the moonlight.】

【The bright moon peeked through the window.】

【Sister Wu Tong had already fallen asleep.】

【You put down the Daoist scripture in your hand; you read books extremely fast, ten lines at a glance, never forgetting what you read, and could read dozens of books a day; now you have read through the three thousand Daoist canons.】

【The studies of Confucianism and Daoism are complementary.】

【Confucianism seeks to actively "enter the world"; if one cannot sweep a room, how can one sweep the world?】

【When poor, one cultivates one's own character; when successful, one benefits the world, leaving a good name for generations.】

【Daoism also speaks of "transcending the world," the Dao is inaction, turning to pursue oneself, perfecting one's nature and preserving truth, pursuing the ethereal Heavenly Dao and ascension.】

【One enters the world, one transcends the world!】

【Confucianism and Daoism, one entering the world and one transcending it, are both the prominent studies of the world. And in the south, there is also the existence of the Buddha Kingdom. However, in the Great Qi, Confucianism is the only one respected, and Buddhism has no foothold. In the entire Great Qi, there are only a few places that can be called Buddhist temples, such as the Qingliang Temple in the capital and the Jade Buddha Temple in Jiannan.】

【When the Master was still in the Great Qi, every province and even large counties in the Great Qi had academies established, and the presidents of these academies were all teachers from the academy.】

【The Great Qi had a full seventy-two academies, and every academy president was personally selected by the Master.】

【The seventy-two academy presidents are also known as the seventy-two sages.】

【At that time, the status of the academy president was extremely lofty, even above the Military Governor, and they were not only scholars who had read many poems and books but also people with extremely high cultivation.】

【However, times have changed, and the Great Qi of today is no longer what it used to be; only five major academies have been preserved in the thirteen provinces.】

【You gently pushed open the room door and walked into the small courtyard filled with clear brilliance.】

【As expected!】

【On the branches of the Sister Wu Tong tree, there stood another woman wearing a white gauze bamboo hat.】

【You walked into the courtyard.】

【The woman also floated down.】

【During this time of getting along, Lu Hua would come to the courtyard every day.】

【You still hadn't guessed her identity, just feeling more and more that she was difficult to fathom.】

【She comes from the Sanzhen Sect of Daoism and is hiding in Xie Fu, familiar with Xie Hong.】

【In the past few days, Xie Hong also sent a servant to ask you to write a few poems.】

【It is said that the second master of the Xie family is proficient in the hundred schools, especially good at Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, using the knowledge of these three schools as a foundation to absorb the hundred schools.】

【Xie Hong was once a Confucian, almost becoming the Master's fifth disciple.】

【Nowadays, he has a close relationship with Lu Hua and has lived in the Qingliang Temple in the capital for many years.】

【"How are the Daoist scriptures you've been reading recently? Do you feel enlightened? Among them, the 'Nanhua Scripture' and the 'Chongxu True Scripture' are the entry points, and the 'Sanzhen Transformation Collection' annotated by Patriarch Lu Chen is the most obscure and difficult to understand—"】

【"Hmm?"】

【Lu Hua's expression instantly froze, and her voice stopped abruptly.】

【"Have you entered the seventh realm of Spirit Wandering?"】

【She looked in disbelief at the young man in white standing in the courtyard with an ethereal aura.】

【The young man nodded gently.】

【The woman couldn't help but open her mouth wide and said: "Are you human... I'll eat!"】

【(End of chapter)】