Chapter 583: A Girl Comes of Age

Since Su Yun left, life continued—you still read, practiced calligraphy, trained in martial arts, and visualized the two sword intentions within your mind: "Slay Demons" and "Exterminate Ghosts."

Several heavy snowfalls came and went, followed by several sunny days.

The year's end approached; New Year's Eve drew near, and the festive atmosphere grew thicker, richer.

Inside and outside the Xie Fu, lanterns hung everywhere, spring couplets adorned every door, and in Bianjing, firecrackers erupted in a continuous din, bustling and lively.

Not only had the entire Bianjing turned red with festivity, but even the servants within the mansion wore red clothes and red coats, their faces glowing with joy.

The end of one year, the beginning of another!

Over the past half-month, Xie Yuan visited again; lately, he had become increasingly obsessed with martial arts, saying that on the Jianghu path, one must possess real skill—otherwise, even if one encountered "injustice on the road" or "hero rescues beauty," one would only panic helplessly.

Xie Yuan showed you his new martial realm—his sinews and bones had grown stronger, he felt strong enough to wrestle oxen, his vigor overwhelming.

You recognized he had reached the peak of the Second Martial Realm: "Cast Bones."

His progress was not slow, yet it left his blood and qi churning, difficult to calm.

Every night, when deep silence fell, Xie Yuan tossed and turned, unable to sleep—even in the depths of winter, he needed to bathe in ice water to slightly ease his burning heat.

His entire body's sinews and bones felt as if on fire, itching unbearably, like being trapped in a furnace filled with ants.

You silently marveled—you felt none of this during your own cultivation; clearly, your advancement from martial training to the Third Martial Realm had been astonishingly swift.

According to Xie Yuan's master, this was normal during sinew-strengthening and bone-casting—Xie Yuan's progress was simply too rapid, hence the discomfort.

The medicinal herbs Xie Yuan had consumed since childhood had lain dormant within his body; now, with martial training, their essence was gradually being consumed.

This was the foundational advantage of a great clan's scion—abundant benefits.

First, once activated, these medicines caused discomfort if not trained—like needing to walk after a heavy meal; thus, one dared not slacken in martial practice, naturally forming discipline.

Second, the medicinal's subtlety rivaled "reshaping sinews and bones." Human sinews and bones are innate and fixed, but this martial training allows deliberate forging of the root bones and meridians, making them more suitable for cultivation, laying the foundation for capturing "qi sensation" in the Middle Three Realms.

Such opportunities were built upon mountains of gold and silver—beyond the reach of others, leaving only envy.

From childhood, medicinal baths and dietary supplements, combined with massage from martial masters—how could an ordinary family even dream of such things?

You silently sighed—you could never envy such fortune. Since childhood, your food, clothing, and necessities had been barely sufficient, let alone the luxury of martial training.

Xie Yuan's martial instructor estimated that in two months, Xie Yuan would surely break through the Second Martial Realm and enter the Third Realm of "plentiful blood and qi."

Xie Yuan declared confidently: "The Small Three Gates of martial arts mean nothing to me—but entering the Middle Three Realms will require some effort."

"Yet how could that possibly challenge me, Xie Yuan? The Cloud-Lying Young Master's touch—Middle Three Realms are but a flick of the wrist, easily shattered."

The Middle Three Martial Realms focus on organizing the body's blood, qi, meridians, and root bones, and more importantly, capturing the innate "primordial qi" inherent in the human body.

The First Three Martial Realms emphasize tangible cultivation—strengthening bones and refining blood are concrete; with the right technique, diligent, persistent practice can carry one to the Third Realm.

But this "primordial qi" within the human body is profoundly subtle—it dissipates after age thirty.

If one fails to capture qi sensation by age thirty, one will never again have the chance to enter the Middle Three Realms.

Yet, failing to enter the Middle Three Realms also means one escapes the martial cultivator's ninety-year lifespan limit—this is the iron law of martial cultivation.

You were not overly concerned about Xie Yuan's future martial realms. Over these months, his progress in martial training had been truly impressive—even his instructor was astonished.

Clearly, Xie Yuan possessed considerable martial talent, and with his solid childhood foundation, the Middle Three Realms were already within his grasp.

Among peers of the Nine Great Clans, most still remained in the Third Realm or the Middle Three Realms.

According to Zhang Yunzhi, Zhang's most outstanding disciple of this generation had entered the Fifth Martial Realm, "Spring Thunder," at only sixteen—his power was astonishing.

Among the Nine Great Clans, few could match him.

Had Xie Yuan begun training earlier, he might not have been inferior to those few.

Yet, Lady Zhu Ge seemed unwilling for Xie Yuan to stand out too much; thus, for years, he had carried the demeanor of a spoiled noble youth.

Perhaps the reason lies here.

Xie Yuan once had an older brother, who died young—this may have affected Lady Zhu Ge.

Struggles within great families always simmer beneath the surface—trees that tower above the forest are struck by the wind.

Xie Yuan, slightly embarrassed, quietly told you that lately, with his martial training and surging blood and qi, his mother had given him one of her senior maids.

Xie Yuan blushed furiously!

You seemed to guess the reason—it was merely romantic feelings between man and woman. In truth, martial cultivators need not preserve their "primordial yang."

As the saying goes, "when essence is full, it overflows"—suppressing it long-term could harm the body.

Xie Yuan's servants were all handsome young men with rosy lips and white teeth—Su Yun was the same—none were female maids. This was a family safeguard to prevent direct heirs from becoming entangled in romantic affairs before they matured.

Yet, life is unpredictable!

Sometimes, well-intentioned measures backfired—many noble youths developed feelings for their study attendants, falling into the vice of male love.

The Gaozong Emperor of the Da Qi was such an example—he did not indulge in his harem of three thousand beauties, but became infatuated with a minister's handsome son, even appointing him Supreme Commander of All Troops, eventually planning to hand over Da Qi's decades-long empire to him.

In the end, the tutor took the young man away from the palace, and the Gaozong Emperor died of melancholy.

Now, at sixteen or seventeen, Xie Yuan was at the age when romantic feelings first bloom—this timing was fitting.

According to Zhang Yuan, many Bianjing's pampered youths were like Xie Yuan—blood and qi surging, and trained in martial arts.

With weapons in hand, murderous intent inevitably arose.

Thus, underground black markets emerged in Bianjing, catering to the desires of these noble youths.

Many martial scions of the Nine Great Clans carried at least a few lives on their hands.

You merely shook your head—using others' lives as outlets, treating life as grass—such things happening in Bianjing, where the academy stood, seemed inconceivable.

Though Xie Yuan lowered his voice, Wu Tong overheard—her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, her legs unconsciously pressing together.

Wu Tong naturally understood Xie Yuan's implication—soon, she would likely become his concubine maid.

She stole a glance at the young master's profile, her heart even more shy.

She secretly thought, "I wonder… will the young master ever cherish me?"

In the courtyard, she often overheard other maids whispering that if the man lacked tenderness, the first experience often brought pain before one could savor its pleasures; worse still, once begun, it easily ensnared one, making escape impossible.

Some young masters in the courtyard were unrestrained even in daylight—often, one could spot disheveled young masters and maids behind garden pavilions and rockeries.

Xie Yuan leaned closer, whispering even lower: "That sister is gentle and lovely, full-figured, plump and smooth, slightly older than us. I heard Xie Monkey say that when she sits atop… I heard Xie Monkey call it 'White Jade Guanyin Sitting on Lotus'—her whole body floats, truly worth no exchange for heaven."

"Why not give it a try next time, Brother Guan? I guarantee you'll be delighted."

Xie Yuan nudged your shoulder: "That sister says she'll be mine forever—but I won't share her with anyone else. But Brother Guan, we're brothers."

"Brothers in heart, we share hardship and joy alike."

You looked at Xie Yuan's expectant face—his generous, open-handed manner, as if sharing something precious with his brother.

Your expression turned strange—you kept refusing.

Xie Yuan said: "Brother Guan, on New Year's Eve night, I'll come get you for the Qunfang Banquet—let you see that sister, then decide."

Xie Yuan chuckled: "Besides, the carriage ride from the Xie Fu takes a long time…"

After speaking, Xie Yuan took his leave.

After seeing Xie Yuan off, you returned to the courtyard and saw Wu Tong still standing, legs crossed awkwardly, her lovely face flushed with shyness, ears bright red.

"Wu Tong, are you alright? It's cold—don't catch a fever or cold."

Wu Tong replied in a voice like a mosquito's hum, her neck reddening.

"Young Master, if you truly wish to try… Wu Tong is willing too."

Wu Tong was exceptionally beautiful—even among the Xie Fu's maids, she stood out; with a little adornment, even the young ladies might pale beside her.

No wonder Xie Renfeng, upon seeing her once, coveted her and came to request her.

Women indeed mature faster than men—you accidentally caught sight of Wu Tong's full, rounded contours and felt a faint stir within.

You had heard Wu Tong mention before that her habit of binding her chest was because her chest was too "large and prominent," disrupting daily life, and fearing gossip from other maids.

Master Hua'an had also told you that many stable hands, guards, and gardeners in the Xie Fu coveted Wu Tong.

Recently, a young guard with some martial cultivation gave her sweet cakes daily—even after she said she disliked sweets, he brought salted meat instead, truly thoughtful.

It seems a girl has come of age.

You pulled your thoughts back and gently tapped Wu Tong's smooth forehead, smiling helplessly: "What are you thinking about every day?"

Wu Tong startled at the tap, then blushed furiously.

She watched the young master, smiling, walk into the room with his hands behind his back.

Yet inside, she grew anxious—next spring, the young master would enter the academy.

She knew that with his talent and looks, once he stepped out of this courtyard, countless girls would fall for him.

The maids all said a man never forgets his first woman.

You continued your daily routine—before you knew it, another one and a half months had passed.

Today!

It was night!

Snow blanketed a thousand mountains in white; the wutong tree's shadow under the moonlight fell across the courtyard's snow.

The bright moon peered through the window.

Wu Tong had fallen asleep.

You set down the Daoist scripture—you read quickly, absorbing ten lines at a glance, never forgetting; you could read dozens of books a day, and now you had thoroughly read the Three Thousand Daoist Canons.

Confucian and Daoist studies complemented each other.

Confucianism seeks active "engagement with the world"—how can one sweep the world if one cannot sweep one's own room?

In poverty, cultivate oneself; in prosperity, benefit all under heaven—leave a legacy for generations.

Daoism speaks of "withdrawal from the world"—the Dao is non-action, turning inward to preserve one's nature and truth, pursuing the elusive, ethereal Dao of transcendence.

One engages the world; one withdraws from it!

Confucianism and Daoism—one engaged, one withdrawn—both were prominent schools of thought. In the south, there existed a Buddhist realm. But in Da Qi, Confucianism alone was exalted; Buddhism had no foothold. Throughout Da Qi, only a few temples could be called Buddhist—such as Qingliang Temple in the Jingshi Dao and Yufosi in the Jiannan Dao.

When the tutor was still in Da Qi, every province and even major counties had established academies, their heads all drawn from the academy's masters.

The Great Qi once had seventy-two academies, and each academy head was personally selected by the Master.

The seventy-two academy heads were also known as the Seventy-Two Sages.

At that time, the academy heads held an exalted status, even above Military Governors; they were not only learned scholars but also cultivators of immense cultivation base.

Yet times have changed; today's Great Qi is no longer what it once was, and only five academies remain among the thirteen provinces.

You gently pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard, bathed in clear moonlight.

As expected!

Perched on the branches of the phoenix tree stood another woman wearing a white gauze conical hat.

You walked into the courtyard.

The woman floated down lightly.

During this time, Lu Hua came to the courtyard every day.

You still had no idea of her identity, but you felt more and more that she was inscrutable.

She came from the Three True Ones Sect of Daoism and had hidden herself within the Xie Fu, familiar with Xie Hong.

These past few days, Xie Hong had sent servants to ask you to write several poems.

It is said that the Second Master of the Xie family excelled in all schools of thought, especially skilled in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, using these three as foundations to absorb all others.

Xie Hong was once a Confucian scholar, nearly becoming the Fifth Disciple of the Master.

Now, he is closely tied to Lu Hua and resides year-round at Qingliang Temple in Jing Shi Dao.

"How are you progressing with your Daoist scriptures? Do you feel your mind has opened? The 'Nanhua Jing' and 'Chongxu Zhenjing' are good entry points, but the most obscure and difficult is Master Lu Chen's annotated 'Collection of the Three True Ones' Teachings—"

"Hm?"

Lu Hua's expression froze instantly; her voice cut off abruptly.

"You've entered the Seventh Realm, Divine Travel?"

She stared in disbelief at the white-clad youth standing in the courtyard, his aura ethereal.

The youth nodded lightly.

The woman could not help but gasp: "You're a human… I'm eating!"

(End of Chapter)