Hidden Worries

"We'll split into two groups. I'll go see Sect Leader Wan first and find out what's going on. You can come later."

"Why arrange it this way?" Si Ming asked, puzzled.

"Someone as thoughtful as me always tends to think of the worst-case scenario, so I have to be prepared for anything." Si Jingyu smiled but did not explain why.

Chapter 599 Hidden Worries

On the dusty official road, Si Ming and Wan Ziling rode their horses at a leisurely pace back to the Righteous Qi Palace. Si Jingyu and his group had already left ahead of them. In order to avoid traveling at the same time, the two (or three) of them did not rush and chose the slower mode of transportation, horseback riding—for experts, two legs are faster than four.

Among them, Si Huaruo wanted to travel with Si Ming, but was forcibly dragged away by Si Jingyu.

"The Five Elements Spirit-Refining Formula is divided into five types: Blazing Fire and Flowing Clouds Palm, Against the Current, Thousand Chills Step, Immovable Mountain King Shield, Golden Spear and Iron Horse Slash and Ten Thousand Trees Silk-Coiling Hand. After mastering all five techniques, you can evolve them into ultimate moves such as Planting a Lotus in Fire, Ice Soul Thousandfold Seal, Prison-Suppressing Dharma Form, Ten Thousand Jun Halts the Spear, and Long-Lived Ailanthus Withers Once."

The Five Elements Spirit-Refining Formula contains the words "Refining Spirit," which naturally indicates it's not purely a martial arts practice. Its essence lies in nourishing the Spirit Essence with Jing Essence, thereby tempering the soul. Therefore, during practice, one doesn't rely on empty force; instead, one uses True Intention throughout the body, both internally and externally. The force used in hand and foot movements is present yet seemingly absent, substantial yet ethereal. The use of internal energy is also unintentional, yet not entirely unintentional; the intention is to accumulate a ethereal spirit. Breathing is seemingly present yet absent, similar to the breathing during the stages of Dao of Alchemy, such as when Yang is generated to its fullest extent, when gathering and returning to the furnace, when sealing and pausing, and when bathing. Therefore, this seemingly present yet absent breathing is true breath, a wondrous function of the spirit.

Along the way, Wan Ziling explained the cultivation method of the "Five Elements Spirit-Refining Formula," but she did not teach it to Si Ming. Instead, she taught it to Liu Qingqing. Si Ming already had the orthodox soul cultivation method of the "Mysterious Extreme Divine Firmament Art," so he looked down on the "Five Elements Spirit-Refining Formula," which was a general-purpose Cultivation Method that touched on both.

Liu Qingqing specializes in Divine Arts and archery. Her powerful divine soul allows her to master Divine Arts more quickly and aim at targets more accurately. For martial artists with spiritual awareness, the accuracy of archery does not depend on feel, but on the locking of spiritual awareness and control of the body.

Using spiritual sense to assist in archery is like having a built-in crosshair in a first-person shooter game. Of course, factors such as gravity causing sinking and wind causing deviation need to be taken into account. It's not as simple as just shooting straight ahead. Feel and experience still have an impact, but not as much as for ordinary people. Moreover, martial artists have strong control over their bodies and can accurately grasp the strength and direction of the force.

Normally, even a martial arts master with Wutian in archery can achieve a 100% hit rate when shooting at a stationary target after just half a month of practice.

Of course, not all martial artists possess spiritual awareness. Generally speaking, one can only project their spirit outward after reaching the eighth level of Internal Cultivation, unless their soul is extraordinary.

Therefore, in a sense, archery is a relatively "high-end" martial art in the Sea Continent. Generally, only martial artists who have mastered spiritual awareness would consider practicing it. After all, it takes an ordinary person three years to practice, while an internal martial arts master can catch up in just ten days. The former's efficiency is simply too low.

However, this does not mean that archery does not require skill and experience. Shooting a stationary target and shooting a moving target are two different things. A martial artist's agile skills and almost precognitive martial artist intuition cannot be solved by simply locking onto a target with spiritual sense. Unless it is like an ultimate move that can track itself and have a wide range, or possess the speed of light to hit the target instantly, one can only hit the afterimage.

Liu Qingqing knew that this was Wan Ziling's good intention, so she listened attentively and studied diligently. Now, because she had obtained Shang Yu's remnant soul power, her memory had been greatly improved. Although she hadn't reached the point of photographic memory, it was enough to pretend to be a pseudo-scholar, so her learning speed was extremely fast.

"Shang Yu taught you the method to control Myriad Filth Tainted Blood, so I naturally can't be stingy. Consider this set of the 'Five Elements Spirit-Refining Formula' as my lodging fee, to thank you for lending me your body during this time." This was Wan Ziling's reply.

She and Liu Qingqing could communicate through their minds, so her learning efficiency was extremely high. In just one day, Liu Qingqing had already mastered the basic exercise postures.

As night fell, the three of them decided not to make do with sleeping outdoors and instead found an inn.

"Manager, bring out all your signature dishes, and also book two rooms."

The old innkeeper, who was working on his abacus, looked up. He had dark skin, wasn't wealthy, and looked more like a farmer. He seemed like a kind and honest man. He glanced at the two men and said apologetically, "Esteemed guests, I'm truly sorry, but we've had too many guests today. Our inn is full, and we only have one room left. You see..."

Si Ming was taken aback. Why did those words sound so familiar? Had he stumbled upon a cliché plot from a novel?

If Liu Qingqing were in possession of this body, he might not have been so polite. But the body now belongs to Wan Ziling. Although people in the martial arts world aren't so particular, they're not entirely without regard for the boundaries between men and women. Besides, she's the daughter of the leader of the Evil-Slaying Sword School Sect, so she probably hasn't wronged him before.

Si Ming suggested to Wan Ziling, "How about we go to another store?"

The innkeeper hurriedly said, "Sir, where would we find another inn in this remote little town? If you really need a place to rest, you can save your energy and time."

"What should we do then?" Si Ming recalled the solutions from the novel, "Do you have any woodsheds here that I can use for the night?"

Anyway, he doesn't need to sleep. He has a place to sit, and he can meditate and the night will pass by.

Wan Ziling said, "No need for all that trouble. One room is fine with me."

Si Ming asked in a low voice, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Wan Ziling sneered, "Women don't share a room with men simply because they're afraid of damaging their reputation if word gets out, or that things might really get out of hand. I'm already dead, so why would I care about my reputation? Besides, we look like two people, but we're actually three, so I'm not afraid of you doing anything reckless."

The girls all said it was no problem, so Si Ming couldn't refuse them. He paid the deposit, and then instructed the waiter to take good care of the two horses he had brought before heading upstairs to check out the rooms.

At this moment, the shopkeeper secretly stopped Si Ming, pulled him aside, made a gesture, and chuckled like a weasel who had just stolen a chicken, "Thank you, three taels."

Si Ming rolled his eyes. "Three taels of silver? Shopkeeper, why don't you just rob us?"

Although protagonists in movies and TV dramas often throw silver ingots around, and novels frequently feature units of hundreds of thousands or millions of taels, arbitrarily inflating prices without caring about the impact this might have on the economic system, in reality, silver had very strong purchasing power.

"Look at what you're saying, young hero! With my old arms and legs, how could I dare to steal your things?"

The innkeeper gave a forced smile, but seeing that Si Ming still looked displeased, he immediately understood. "So you really didn't know, young hero. No wonder you said you were going to look for other inns."

"Don't know what?"

Si Ming was completely bewildered. Was this some kind of shady establishment, requiring him to speak in code and exchange secret phrases just to enter?

The town sits atop a high hill, its ancient beauty a sight to behold; its gate faces the vast sea, where three rivers converge and flow for millennia.

"Judging from your youth, young hero, you must be new to the martial world. No wonder you don't know. Actually, there's a common rule in our line of work: whenever we see a couple of martial artists checking into an inn, regardless of whether there are any spare rooms, we always say there's only one room left."

Si Ming couldn't help but chuckle, "This rule is interesting. Are you trying to play matchmaker? They're already at the point of passionate love, and you want to pour oil on top of it, as if you think it's not burning hot enough or fast enough?"

The innkeeper chuckled and said, "We're just trying to help people find a room. Ultimately, it's about reading the room. If the woman really doesn't want to, we can't force her into it. We'll just say, 'Let's talk to other guests and see if we can make room for her,' or 'A guest just checked out.' In short, it all has to be consensual."

Si Ming understood that if he refused to pay the three taels of silver, the other party would probably tell Wan Ziling that "a guest just checked out," and that the three taels of silver was a special service fee.

"I never expected that one room would cost more than two rooms... Speaking of which, since it's a customary rule, I imagine many people know about it. Even if you intend to keep it from the woman, wouldn't the elders warn their daughters?"

The innkeeper grinned slyly, his previous honesty completely gone. "Some people know, some don't, and some who know pretend not to. Young hero, think about it, they're willing to travel alone with you, so there must be some interest involved. If they truly disliked you, they would be guarding against you like a thief. Why would they agree to travel with you? We're just giving you a push; it's mainly because you two already have feelings for each other."

Si Ming laughed and said, "I like hearing that. Alright, the five taels of silver are yours, and the rest can be my tuition."

The innkeeper was overjoyed. "Young hero, you're too kind. The moment you and that lady entered, I knew you were a perfect match, a match made in heaven. I wish you both a happy marriage and a long and happy life together. If things go well, don't forget to invite this old man to a celebratory drink."

"Haha, I remember, I remember."

Si Ming waved his hand, feeling that he had learned a lot. The world of martial arts was indeed unfathomable; one must learn until old age.

Just as he was about to go upstairs, the shopkeeper leaned in again and whispered, "Young hero, judging from your radiant face, you might just make things work out tonight. Would you like something to liven things up? We Tathagata Great Buddha Rod and Guanyin Disrobing Powder, I wonder if you'd like..."