Entering the First Layer of Qi Refinement

As soon as Shen Jingchuan came out of the main house, the five people in the pavilion stood up at the same time. Yue'er, who was still sitting on the stone bench, jumped down on tiptoe and moved as fast as the wind, arriving in Shen Jingchuan's arms first.

"Brother, you're finally out!" She looked up at him, her voice full of excitement. "You must be tired after cultivating for so long, right? Come and sit down, Yue'er give you a shoulder massage." As she spoke, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the stone pavilion.

Bai Ruoli smiled and shook her head, stepped forward half a step and curtsied, softly saying, "Husband, you've worked hard."

Shen Jingchuan raised his hand and gently pinched her fair, delicate face, the touch soft and warm beneath his fingertips. Even after daily encounters, the beauty of the most beautiful woman in the Great Qian Kingdom remained captivating.

The group entered the stone pavilion one after the other. As soon as Shen Jingchuan sat down, Qinghe deftly took a clean teacup, poured a cup of hot tea from the copper kettle, and handed it to him. He had indeed been very thirsty on the way here, so he didn't fuss and took the cup, tilting his head back to drink most of it. The others in the pavilion didn't seem to notice anything amiss; they were the closest of friends, so why would they care about such trivial matters?

After chatting with a few people in the pavilion for a while, the sky gradually darkened, and it was time for dinner. Shen Jingchuan had been busy all day, running around in the modern world, and was starving. So he got up and went to the front yard.

As soon as I reached the kitchen on the side of the courtyard, I heard a flurry of activity inside. Liu Zhong's wife, Madam Liu, and her daughter, Cuicui, were busy stirring the wok, while Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua were helping out, some picking vegetables, others plating dishes. Smoke mixed with the aroma of food wafted out, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

He turned to Yue'er beside him and said, "Go and call your Uncle Liu to the main room in the front yard."

The Yue'er gave a crisp reply, then turned and ran off.

Before long, Liu Zhong followed Yue'er in quickly, bowing respectfully. "Young Master, you wanted to see me?"

Shen Jingchuan nodded and said, "Uncle Liu, could you inquire about the two courtyards adjacent to our house tomorrow and ask the owners if they're willing to sell? If they are, try to buy them both. We can connect them later to make it more spacious and convenient for storing things."

He paused, then added, "The price is negotiable, don't shortchange them, but don't force a sale. If the two houses on either side really refuse to sell, look around the neighborhood. As long as the land is big enough and the houses are tidy, it doesn't matter if the interior is new or old, we can renovate it ourselves."

As he spoke, he pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket, counted them with his fingertips, and handed over two thousand taels. "Take these for now. If you need more, just come and tell me."

Liu Zhong hurriedly accepted the silver note with both hands, bowed, and replied, "This old servant has noted it down. I will inquire about it first thing tomorrow morning and will definitely take care of it for you, young master." After saying that, he bowed and withdrew.

After nightfall, Shen Jingchuan led Bai Ruoli back to their bedroom. The curtains were drawn, the candlelight flickered red, and the two, feeling as if they were newlyweds after a short separation, lingered tenderly for three rounds before finally resting.

Bai Ruoli's body was already delicate, and she was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. She nestled in his arms, breathing evenly and shallowly, and soon fell into a deep sleep. Her black hair was disheveled at her temples, and a faint blush lingered on her cheeks.

Shen Jingchuan waited until she was sound asleep before gently removing her hand from his waist. He carefully got up, tucked her in, casually put on a plain-colored outer garment, and quietly closed the door before heading to his study.

The study was lit only by a single oil lamp, casting a warm, dim light, and all was quiet. He walked to the futon in the corner, sat cross-legged, cleared his mind of all distractions, and slowly closed his eyes to begin practicing the Everlasting Spring Breathing Instruction.

Shen Jingchuan sat cross-legged and began circulating the "Everlasting Spring Breathing Instruction" according to a familiar route.

In the past, when his breath flowed through his meridians, he felt a warm and comfortable sensation. But today was different. He felt as if there was a thin and soft membrane covering the depths of his Dantian. When his breath reached this point, it became slightly stagnant, bumping against it and then gently bouncing back. There was always that one thin layer of paper separating them.

He didn't think much of it, assuming it was just because his mind was a little chaotic today. So he calmed himself down, took a deep breath, and gathered all his energy into his Dantian, then steadily sent it through the stagnant force.

With a soft "hum" from within his Dantian, the faint barrier broke through instantly.

The warm air instantly surged through my limbs and bones, flowing slowly along my meridians, more mellow and lingering than ever before.

It felt as if all the pores on my body opened up, and wisps of cool air seeped in through my skin and then dissipated with the stale air in my body. A thin layer of sticky sweat seeped out on my back, carrying a faint fishy smell.

As the warmth slowly settled, Shen Jingchuan slowly opened his eyes, feeling an indescribable sense of comfort throughout his body. The chirping of insects in the corner of the courtyard and the footsteps of the night patroller outside the wall were several times clearer than usual.

The fragrance of gardenias in the courtyard lingered around my nose, and I could even clearly distinguish the fresh scent of grass and trees in the wind. I clenched my fist and felt a solid strength in it, and my body felt much lighter, as if I had unloaded dozens of pounds of burden.

He stretched his shoulders and neck, secretly marveling at the miraculous effects of this breathing technique; after practicing it for a long time, he felt a complete transformation.

Shen Jingchuan was quite captivated by this feeling of complete comfort. He didn't rush to get up, but calmed his mind and circulated his energy through the mental cultivation method for another cycle.

This time, the breath flowed through the meridians without any obstruction, and the warmth in the Dantian became more solid and steady, slowly permeating the whole body along the blood vessels, even the gaps between the muscles and bones felt relaxed.

When he finished practicing and opened his eyes, he felt refreshed and invigorated. The fatigue from the battle had completely disappeared. He secretly marveled at how useful this breathing technique was, thinking that he could probably use it in the future... He became even more determined to practice it every day.

He began to practice his internal energy again, entering a state of complete absorption. By the time he finished, it was already broad daylight.

Shen Jingchuan's nose twitched, and he first smelled a faint fishy odor. He looked down and rolled up his sleeves, and saw that his bare skin was covered with a thin layer of dark brown oil, sticky and clinging to his skin.

He frowned, a strange sense of familiarity flashing through his mind—this appearance was like the marrow cleansing and body transformation described in storybooks? He couldn't figure out the reason, but it was definitely the effect of practicing the Everlasting Spring Breathing Instruction.

As he pushed open the study door and stepped out, he bumped into the Su Qingshu and Su Qinghua sisters carrying basins of water toward the bedroom. After spending time together, Shen Jingchuan could now tell the twins apart.

On the surface, they look exactly alike, but he can tell the difference from their eyes, expressions, and tone of voice: Su Qingshu is more lively, always half a step ahead, and speaks in a crisp voice; Su Qinghua is more quiet, always following behind her sister with her eyes down.

Although he occasionally admits his mistakes, he's right eight or nine times out of ten.

Seeing him come out, the two sisters quickly placed the water basin on the stone bench beside them and hurried to greet him.

Su Qingshu ran ahead, but after taking only two steps closer, she suddenly took half a step back, raised her hand to cover her little nose, and wrinkled her little face, saying:

"Ugh... Brother, why do you smell so bad?"

Su Qinghua, standing beside her, also frowned, gently fanning the tip of her nose with her small hand, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt.

"Alright, hurry up and get some hot water, I want to take a shower." Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over, and just wanted to get clean as soon as possible.

The two sisters exchanged a glance, their cheeks flushing slightly. Although they were Shen Jingchuan's Shen Jingchuan people, and he treated them like younger sisters,

However, the two of them didn't really consider themselves Shen Jingchuan's sisters, but rather his closest relatives.

However, it is customary for a maid to serve her brother when he wants to take a bath, but since Shen Jingchuan is asking her to prepare a bath, it is too embarrassing for a young lady like herself.

Embarrassed as she was, she figured it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway, so she simply replied "Okay" and turned to hurry to the kitchen to fetch hot water.