Chapter 27: 26 Body Refining Chapter

26 Body Refining Chapter

After a while, someone came to find him.

The person who came was a young military officer whom Tang Zhao had met once before; he was the one who had confronted Yuan Qing earlier. His expression remained cold and stern, his brows locked, as if he carried some unhappiness in his heart.

"Follow me." He gave a short, abrupt greeting and turned to leave.

Tang Zhao's heart tightened, thinking something major had happened.

It turned out to be for dinner in the main hall.

At this time, the partition screens in the main hall had been moved aside, and the three main rooms were opened up, making it vast and spacious. Bright candles were held high in the hall, and the lights were brilliant. A banquet table was set in the very center; although the meal had not yet begun, it was already filled with dried and fresh fruits.

Xing Ji had changed into a new brocade robe, this one more exquisite and form-fitting, making him look exactly like a young master from a great family. Black Widow was still in white, accompanying him from the host's seat. The two were chatting and laughing happily, as if they were old friends of many years, and the strange atmosphere that had previously hidden between them had vanished completely.

Tang Zhao was secretly amazed. Xing Ji had already seen him and beckoned, saying, "Come, sit next to me." There was an empty seat to his left.

Although Tang Zhao rarely attended such occasions, he knew the etiquette of seating, especially since the young military officer who brought him had only sat at the lowest seat. He declined, but Xing Ji said, "This villa is the host, we are the half-hosts, and you are the guest from afar, so sitting here is just right. Later, when you take up your post and have an official position, you can sit according to the order."

Tang Zhao sat down. Most of the people at the banquet were from Spider Villa, and the rest were likely from the Land Inspection Division. The people from the villa were easy to recognize, as they were all dressed in black. The others, like Xing Ji, were in casual clothes instead of official uniforms; there were men and women, young and old, beautiful and ugly, with great differences, showing that the Land Inspection Division did not stick to one pattern in employing people.

The banquet began, and all kinds of delicacies and wine were served in a steady stream. At the table, cups and chopsticks were exchanged, and the atmosphere was heated. Everyone talked and laughed freely, without any barriers, and the sound of toasts was endless. The light refracted on the fine porcelain wine vessels, reflecting light at different angles, dazzling and brilliant.

Tang Zhao did not understand the world of adults, so he buried his head in eating and drinking. The dishes were truly excellent, with chicken, duck, fish, and meat in abundance. Tang Zhao gorged himself, wishing he could eat back the value of the whole month.

"Tang Zhao—"

Tang Zhao looked up and swallowed his food, only to see Xing Ji squinting at him, his expression appearing somewhat tipsy.

"For the next month, I am handing you over to Manor Master Yin." He raised his hand to gesture, referring to Black Widow.

Black Widow smiled slightly and said, "Exactly. This month, Black Spider Villa is your home. Feel free to eat and drink as you please, and if you have any requests, just ask."

"And that's not all." Xing Ji laughed with a voice full of alcohol, "Manor Master Yin has also hired a famous master to teach you martial arts. That teacher is very famous in the pugilistic world and has students everywhere; you are truly lucky to be initiated by him. Why haven't you toasted the Manor Master yet?"

Tang Zhao felt reassured and toasted Black Widow. Black Widow drank it with a smile and said, "Besides the famous teacher, all expenses for learning martial arts will also be on my villa's account. You just need to focus on practicing martial arts."

Tang Zhao thanked them repeatedly. Xing Ji said, "It's a pity I am too busy this month to look after you. However, I have left you a caretaker. You saw him earlier: Si Liyu."

He was naturally referring to the young man, who was the youngest person at the table besides Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao hurriedly stood up to salute. Si Liyu also stood up, but his expression was cold, and his brows remained tightly locked.

Xing Ji said, "Xiaosi is a rising star among us, with outstanding talent; he is good in every way. If it weren't for the special circumstances, he would have been tasked with more important burdens. Now he will watch over you for me, and there are some additional training items for him to teach you. Also, I have left a sum of resources for you, which are also kept with him."

When he praised Si Liyu, the young man's brows remained locked, without any reaction at all. Only then did Tang Zhao confirm that this person was truly born this way.

This person... is hard to get along with.

However, Tang Zhao had no choice. He toasted him as well. Si Liyu drank it in one gulp and sat down properly.

After a few more rounds of drinking, the dishes were mostly finished. Outside the window, the sun had set and the moon had risen; it was already late.

Xing Ji raised a cup of wine and said loudly, "Let everyone drink a cup together. From today on, everyone here is a grasshopper on the same rope. Don't distinguish between officials and civilians, between the Land Inspection Division and the Five Poisons Society. To use a phrase from the pugilistic world: share the blessings and share the hardships; if we aren't one family, we are better than one. The storm is coming, and I hope everyone will pull together!"

The crowd roared in agreement, raising their cups one after another and drinking the wine in their cups heartily.

Tang Zhao drank a cup in a daze. Seeing the table turn into a Righteousness Hall for bandits, lacking only the dividing of gold and silver on large scales and kowtowing to become sworn brothers, a thought flashed through his mind:

Is this fake?

After drinking it all in one gulp, he met a gaze from across the table, cold as midwinter water, without a hint of alcohol—it was exactly Si Liyu.

The two looked at each other, silent.

Tang Zhao repeated it in his heart again:

Is this fake?

The banquet soon dispersed. Although Tang Zhao had not drunk much, he was young and physically weak, and without any alcohol tolerance, he was already dizzy. He sat there to sober up for a while, asked the maid serving the banquet to pack up the remaining dishes, and walked back to his room, swaying with the smell of alcohol.

At the door of his room, someone was waiting for him.

Si Liyu was leaning against the door, his arms crossed, his gaze deep.

The moonlight was dim, and he looked like a blue-gray stone statue, cold, hard, and rough.

"Si... Officer. Are you waiting for me?"

Tang Zhao asked cautiously.

"This is for you—" Si Liyu pulled his hand out and handed him a bamboo tube. "The Town Guardian gave this to you."

"The Town Guardian..." Tang Zhao was startled.

Seeing Tang Zhao take it, Si Liyu turned and left. In the night, he seemed to say:

"Weak as a reed. Why is it you..."

The voice gradually disappeared into the dark night.

Tang Zhao first went to see Wei Zhangle, brought him dinner, and confirmed that his body was getting better; it seemed the medicine was effective.

Then he talked about his future plans. Tang Zhao naturally did not need to ask, just obeying the arrangements to practice martial arts, and then asked Wei Zhangle.

Wei Zhangle said, "I have nowhere to go either. If I could follow you, that would be good."

Tang Zhao said, "I will try. But a month from now, my life and death are uncertain, and you will be left without a place again."

Wei Zhangle said, "Being able to have a month of stable days without worrying about food and clothing is already very good. Why think about what happens after a month? Take it one day at a time."

Tang Zhao said, "How about this: this month I am invincible, and I assume any request I make will be granted. You practice martial arts with me first. By the end of the month, I will beg him to let you go first. You take the money and rent a shop to wait for me. If I make it out alive, we will open a big business. If I don't come out, you will inherit my legacy..."

Wei Zhangle hurriedly said, "Stop talking nonsense. How can I take your money..."

Tang Zhao said, "Who else would I give it to? Should it be confiscated?"

Wei Zhangle shook his head repeatedly, sighed, and said, "We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Coming out of Wei Zhangle's place, the smell of alcohol gradually surged up again, and Tang Zhao's head became dizzy again. He walked slowly along the eaves back to his room. As soon as he pushed the door open, his whole body shivered.

"Officer Si? Why are you here?"

Si Liyu was sitting by the table, his cold gaze sweeping over him, and he said, "Where have you been?"

Tang Zhao was stunned, thinking: What does it have to do with you where I went?

But his temper was still good, so even though the alcohol had not dissipated, he still answered calmly, "I went to see a friend."

Si Liyu repeated, "A friend?" Just two words, yet they carried a note of skepticism, as if Tang Zhao were openly lying.

Tang Zhao still felt dizzy; he swayed over to the table and poured himself a cup of tea. Discovering the teapot came with two cups, he casually poured one for him and said, "Well, who doesn't have a friend? Since you've returned after leaving, what instruction do you have?"

Si Liyu said, "Have you looked at it?"

His speech was abrupt and lacked context. Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment before realizing he was talking about that bamboo tube.

"I haven't had the chance yet." Tang Zhao downed the tea in one gulp. With the alcohol fumes suppressed and his intelligence slightly returning, he fell silent, feeling strange inside. He thought: *Good grief, could it be that he chased after me to check? It hasn't even been two hours, isn't he being too impatient? If I had known, I would have asked you not to leave, wouldn't I? *

Si Liyu's brow furrowed even deeper, his forehead wrinkles appearing. He said, "You haven't looked, yet you still have time to visit friends? Look."

Tang Zhao had no choice but to open the bamboo tube; inside was only a scroll of silk.

Opening the silk, it was actually a scroll of paintings, or rather, a scroll of comic strips.

"This is..."

The beginning part depicted a person in a lunge, posed in a punching stance. Further on, there were still human figures in various poses, with small annotations underneath.

"Is this a martial arts manual?"

"Manual?" Si Liyu clearly didn't understand this word "secret." Since it had been given to him to look at, could it really be a "secret" manual?

"A copied version of the Land Inspection Department's Body Refining Chapter."

Tang Zhao was overjoyed. Compared to the obscure "Paulownia Flower Attracts Phoenix Art," this one with both pictures and text was easy to understand at a glance—how wonderful!

Of course, as for whether it was powerful, he couldn't tell. He only felt that the earlier poses were still human movements, but the ones later on were too bizarre; they didn't look like something a human body could achieve.

"The first one." Si Liyu was already standing straight in the middle of the room before he knew it. His stance clearly meant he was going to supervise his training.

Now?

But it was already late at night, and the alcohol from the banquet hadn't even dissipated yet. Hadn't Si Liyu himself been drinking plenty at the banquet too?

Tang Zhao looked up and saw Si Liyu's gaze was deep, standing like a mountain and calm like an abyss, without the slightest hint of intoxication.

Tang Zhao immediately understood that this was a person who acted decisively and never went back on his word.

"Seizing the day, are we? Alright."

In a moment, Tang Zhao thought it through: learning martial arts was first for himself. Others teaching was a contribution, and his own training was the harvest. One only begs others, others don't beg one. Since someone was willing to teach, regardless of the time, he should cooperate with all his might.

It was better than staring at a heavenly book with nowhere to start, or even suffering a deviation in cultivation.

Thinking of the heavenly book, he immediately thought of the Glasses. He wondered if wearing the Glasses to look at this book would provide annotations? Would there be a fairy?

Unfortunately, the Glasses were already cracked; they were probably useless now.

The first movement was plain and unremarkable, and Tang Zhao easily mimicked it.

Si Liyu glanced at him, then pulled or pressed on Tang Zhao's shoulders, knees, and other areas, correcting his posture until it was perfect.

"You need to hold this for half an hour." Although he said that, he clearly prioritized teaching and didn't actually make Tang Zhao hold it for that long, soon saying, "The second one."

The next picture was a pose similar to a golden rooster standing on one leg, which was quite strange. Tang Zhao tried it and it seemed okay. He wobbled a little, but after Si Liyu corrected him once, he didn't wobble as much; it seemed to reach a stable balance.

"Next."

The subsequent pictures were more bizarre than the last, and the poses were increasingly difficult. Later on, Tang Zhao could only barely manage them, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

Although Si Liyu was a man of few words, he didn't lack patience. He guided Tang Zhao to perform every movement until it was Wuxiacie, and he didn't rush him too much.

By the eighth picture, Tang Zhao couldn't do it no matter what, and said, "This is too hard."

Si Liyu asked, "Continue."

Did that mean he should try his best?

Tang Zhao followed orders and tried his best, but his body wouldn't listen. The human body truly had its limits; he highly doubted anyone could perform such twisted movements, and said, "It's a bit difficult."

Si Liyu said, "I don't think so." He stepped over and pressed Tang Zhao's knee all the way down.

Tang Zhao let out a miserable cry. Under the intense pain, tears welled up in his eyes. Si Liyu held his arm and placed it into the position on the drawing, saying, "Didn't you do it? Hold it for ten breaths, I'll count for you." His palms seemed to possess infinite strength; manipulating Tang Zhao's body was like manipulating a puppet. Never mind forcing him into a pose, even breaking him wouldn't take any effort.

Tang Zhao only felt a buzzing in his ears and his tendons felt like they were being torn. He just wanted to collapse, but somehow, he held his breath and stubbornly endured for ten breaths.

Si Liyu nodded imperceptibly and lifted his foot; Tang Zhao collapsed onto the floor.

He felt his joints loosening and his muscles trembling, his whole body drenched in sweat. It took a long while for him to recover. Supporting his body, Tang Zhao looked up and avoided looking at Si Liyu.

He needed a moment to hold back the tears that had involuntarily spilled out.

Si Liyu rolled up the Scroll himself, placed it on the table, and said, "Practice at the hour of the rabbit every day. I will come to find you at night."

Tang Zhao gave an "un" and said, "What about during the day?"

Si Liyu said, "During the day, the poisonous insects of the Five Poisons Society will teach you." His tone carried a faint disgust, not at all like someone who had just shared a pact-sealing wine an hour ago.

Leaving the room, Si Liyu walked out of the courtyard alone, his footsteps silent, as if he were naturally a part of the night.

He walked through the courtyard, and no one noticed.

Except for one person in the main hall.

Xing Ji sat by the window, holding a wine cup and quietly watching the outside, as if admiring the scenery.

His attire, his bearing, and his posture were all like a wealthy young master reciting poetry and enjoying the moon in the courtyard.

It was just that what he was admiring was different.

Some admire flowers, some admire snow; he admired the night.

The night was deep, his eyes were clear, but his expression already held some intoxication.

"As expected of Xiaosi. Even with a thousand dissatisfactions in his heart, he is always dutiful and always trustworthy."

"The little Scholar won't be trained into a fool by him, will he?"

"That's fine too, otherwise he would still think everyone in the Land Inspection Department is as easy to talk to as I am."

"I also hope he shows some spirit and proves my judgment is good—that choosing him for this matter was more suitable than Xiaosi—more suitable than anyone!"