A Sense of Loss

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, half a month went by.

Xu Yuan's days teaching Martial Masters gradually fell into a routine, and he became increasingly proficient in his duties.

His relationship with Ye Qing'er also grew much closer.

Unknowingly, Ye Qing'er's address for him changed from Martial Master Xu to Brother Yuan.

Although Xu Yuan corrected her multiple times, she would only purse her lips and smile, refusing to change her address. Over time, he simply let it be.

After all, the closeness of a beautiful woman was always a pleasant thing, especially since she was so considerate in her actions, making it hard for him to feel any dislike.

As usual, Xu Yuan finished teaching the laborers and Martial Students, which didn't take much time, and then proceeded to the quiet room to cultivate.

Many people, though dissatisfied with his methods, greatly admired his diligence.

They wondered, if they themselves had broken through to the Second Meridian, they would have long since gone out to indulge in worldly pleasures, how could they have the patience to stay in that dim room?

After an hour passed and Xu Yuan's precious medicine was depleted, he went to the maids' station and bought a bowl of Meridian Nourishing Soup.

He immediately downed the bowl, feeling a warmth spread through his abdomen, and his depleted strength grew considerably.

"Refreshing!"

Xu Yuan picked up a piece of straw paper, preparing to wipe his mouth.

"Brother Yuan, don't move yet."

Unexpectedly, Ye Qing'er suddenly produced a plain white silk scarf and gently wiped the medicine stains from his mouth.

Xu Yuan froze, his gaze falling on her face nearby. She had put on a little makeup today, her skin delicate and fair. In the bright sunlight, she was as lustrous and translucent as a jade artifact, her fine pores seeming to be gilded.

"All done, Brother Yuan." Ye Qing'er's bright eyes flickered, and after wiping, she suddenly left, leaving behind a refreshing scent of camellia.

Around them, other Martial Students watching felt their hearts break, their envy and jealousy almost overflowing.

Ye Qing'er had a pure and lovely appearance and was kind to everyone. In their hearts, she was like a goddess, yet this delicate flower seemed to be about to be plucked by someone!

After all, ancient society had its rules and conventions for women, and her proactive behavior undoubtedly declared her feelings.

However, even though their gazes towards Xu Yuan became more dissatisfied, they didn't dare to do anything.

He was a Second Meridian Martial Master at such a young age, while most of them couldn't even pass the First Meridian. They were simply from different worlds.

Dare to challenge him?

They'd be courting death!

"Practice your martial arts properly!"

Seeing the gazes directed at him, Xu Yuan turned and shouted, suppressing the strange ripples in his heart, and then walked towards the quiet room.

In the evening.

Xu Yuan was drenched in sweat. After finishing another set of Stance Practice, he finally stopped and looked at the panel in his mind.

[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Major Accomplishment 21%), Stone Platform Stance Practice (Major Accomplishment 32%), Thunderclap Fist (Minor Accomplishment 11%)]

[Aptitude: 11 (Unique bone structure)]

"It will take about another month before I can break through to the Third Meridian."

Xu Yuan picked up the cloth towel beside him, wiped himself clean, changed his clothes, and then walked out of the quiet room.

Since he had agreed to reconcile with Quan Xiong before, nothing else had happened.

During this time, he had occasionally encountered Liu Yue, whose attitude was quite amicable, often greeting him with a smile.

However, Xu Yuan knew that this matter was not over. Although he didn't care about what Quan Xiong had done, his elder brother couldn't turn a blind eye to it.

To ensure they could live more peacefully, Xu Yuan felt it necessary to step in and resolve this grievance.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan suddenly frowned:

"According to Shangyang Family tradition, after a Martial Artist breaks through to the Fourth Meridian, the Master Family will select one of the maids to marry him, in order to consolidate the relationship between the family and the Martial Artist."

Moreover, this was a difficult matter to handle, as it was a marriage bestowed by the Master Family, a benefit from those in high positions to those below.

If he refused, they might think he was ungrateful and harbored ill intentions, unwilling to advance with the family, with consequences that could be minor or major.

Xu Yuan pondered, deciding to let nature take its course and see what happened when the time came.

Lying on the couch, Xu Yuan suddenly remembered his skin contact with Ye Qing'er during the day, and his heart couldn't help but stir.

I'm really repressed!

Finally unable to sleep, Xu Yuan simply went outside and took a cold shower to quell those lingering thoughts before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

Xu Yuan arrived at the training ground, his gaze subconsciously drifting to a familiar corner.

However, Ye Qing'er was not there today.

Instead, Li Hua and another unfamiliar maid were present.

When Xu Yuan asked her, Li Hua looked at him with a strange expression and said, "Wasn't there a selection for maids in the inner courtyard recently?"

"Sister Qing'er gave it a try and was actually selected. Now she's been promoted to a Three-stripe Maid and transferred to the inner courtyard..."

Xu Yuan was stunned upon hearing this, feeling a sense of loss. After a long moment, he came back to his senses.

It seems she actively went to the inner courtyard and was favored by someone important. Her treatment and status will both improve significantly, so it's natural for her to aim higher.

I was the one being overly sentimental.

Xu Yuan gave a self-deprecating smile. His mood didn't stay low for long before he quickly regained his composure.

He carefully recalled his interactions with her these past few days and realized she had been acting somewhat deliberately, subtly trying to get closer to him.

However, he had a good impression of Ye Qing'er, so he hadn't delved too deeply into those details.

As expected, good feelings don't just appear out of nowhere in this world.

Xu Yuan's eyes deepened as he saw through the underlying reason:

She probably thinks my Aptitude is decent and wanted to keep me as an option. If she found a better opportunity, she left without hesitation.

After understanding this, Xu Yuan actually felt a bit fortunate. It was good that she didn't have any malicious intent, otherwise, he would have fallen into a trap.

Knowing that she left for her future, Xu Yuan didn't feel disappointed.

Although maids had a similar status to Household Guards, and their promotions were sometimes much faster, their ceiling was only a concubine to some young master. Their status was far below that of a Martial Artist.

Of course, the Martial Path was also several times more difficult.

The other Martial Students present today hadn't seen Ye Qing'er and felt a bit disappointed. However, when they saw Xu Yuan approaching, they immediately restrained their thoughts.

Although Xu Yuan's expression was calm, they inexplicably felt that he seemed more oppressive today than before.

It was like a bottomless abyss, causing the Martial Students to hold their breath inexplicably, not daring to speak much, and becoming much more well-behaved.