Cultivation

Old Xiang staggered out of the Marquis's Estate in a daze.

Black sky, silver moon, an endless expanse.

On the dim branches perched old crows, their eyes half-closed in sleep.

Old Xiang passed beneath the tree, startling the crows awake from the treetops.

It woke Old Xiang as well.

He could not quite remember what he had said to the Heir Apparent, nor could he recall what instructions the Heir Apparent had given him.

It seemed he had said something, yet it also seemed he had said nothing at all.

Even if he had said something, he no longer remembered it.

He asked for nothing else. There was still only one thought in his heart: revenge.

It was just that Xue Yi stood squarely in his way.

After Old Xiang left.

Xue Yi pondered. "Though he broke through to the Viscera Refinement realm and became a first-class expert, there is something very wrong with his aura."

"Moreover, he has killed recently."

"The killing intent on him has yet to dissipate."

"He did not enter the Marquis's Estate merely to see the Heir Apparent."

"This man came carrying murderous intent."

First-class experts of the Viscera Refinement realm were already rare in the secular world.

Their inner qi underwent a qualitative transformation, becoming closer to spiritual power. Their ability to track and sense auras far surpassed that of ordinary people.

After probing him.

Xue Yi naturally understood that Old Xiang had not come for the Heir Apparent.

But since he had not come to kill the Heir Apparent, then he had come to kill someone else in the Marquis's Estate.

Anyone worthy of a first-class expert personally taking action could never be some minor underling of the Marquis's Estate.

It was simply because Old Xiang had entered the Viscera Refinement realm that Xue Yi did not expose the matter.

A Viscera Refinement expert could accomplish many things. If Old Xiang were cut down here, it would be a terrible waste.

Better to recruit him and make him part of the capital for the Heir Apparent's return.

Many things required preparing for a rainy day before the rain came.

Wen Yue let out a long sigh. "His eyes were filled with hatred. How could I not see it?"

"Something must have happened."

"Chujiu, send someone to the Hundred Household Officer's home and see exactly what happened."

"I will go tomorrow."

Chujiu, his close attendant, accepted the order.

With the Heir Apparent fallen, the intelligence network in his hands had been severed, making it difficult to investigate openly.

However, Chujiu was acquainted with Old Xiang, and he had also dealt with Old Xiang's brothers.

If they could not ask Old Xiang, asking others would be the same.

Xue Yi used his inner qi to soothe Wen Yue's injured leg, his expression grave.

The bone was broken.

Even if it were set back in place, he would still end up with legs of unequal length.

Such an injury would absolutely leave lasting damage. Even a Viscera Refinement expert had little they could do.

Most importantly, the injury showed no sign of improving.

The Marquis would never allow a cripple to become the Young Marquis.

Appearing before the Emperor with a lame leg would be a breach of etiquette before the sovereign.

Though it was a charge that could be made great or made small.

If others seized upon it and refused to let go, it would become an opening for attack.

Great Liang had never had a crippled official. Who would dare brave the censure of the world and set such a precedent?

And how could a cripple serve as Deputy Commander of the Military Police Bureau, command the Southern Office Embroidered Uniform Guard, and oversee a Thousand Household Guard post?

Wen Yue was equally anxious and worried.

This concerned his very life.

Lying here, he was no different from a useless man.

Every day, he could only wait quietly for death.

That such pressure had not driven him mad was already proof of Wen Yue's formidable will.

But no matter how strong a person was, approaching death would torment them.

One day, he would go mad.

Everything he once possessed had scattered with his broken leg, and those who had crowded around him left one after another.

Such a fall from grace was difficult for ordinary people to bear.

"Master Xue."

"Is there really no cure for my leg?" Wen Yue forced down his grief, his voice choked.

"There is one more way."

"Ask the immortal masters of the Attendant Tower to act."

"Perhaps there is still a chance of recovery."

After speaking a while longer, Xue Yi rose and left as well.

The night sky was desolate.

Old Xiang returned home and poured inner qi into the Soul Banner.

Black beads fell from the face of the Soul Banner.

After heating the kang and eating his fill.

Old Xiang swallowed a Yin Soul Pill in one gulp.

He was familiar with the process now. As the icy spiritual qi entered his body, his inner qi increased once more.

At this rate, it would not be long before he returned from acquired to Innate and entered the Qi Refining stage.

Tu Shan Jun did not know whether Old Xiang possessed spiritual roots.

After memorizing the Nether Spirit Art, Old Xiang had not directly become a Qi Refiner. This meant that even if he had spiritual roots, they were poor.

He might as well continue down the path of a martial artist.

He had already reached Viscera Refinement. One step further would bring him to Innate.

Then, by converting to a qi refining cultivation method, he could transform inner qi into spiritual power and formally step through the gates of cultivation.

With Yin Soul Pills as assistance, his progress would not lag behind others.

The Soul Banner itself was a High-Grade Artifact. As long as he had a chance to strike once, he could kill enemies above his level.

After this incident, Old Xiang's desire for revenge grew even stronger, yet he no longer showed it in his eyes.

He needed strength.

As long as he fed inner qi into the magical banner, he could obtain black beads.

He would become stronger, perhaps even gain a glimpse of the Innate realm.

When that time came, heaven and earth would be vast, and he could come and go as he pleased.

"Grow quickly, at least reach Qi Refining First Layer."

Tu Shan Jun muttered to himself within the banner.

As long as Old Xiang could enter Qi Refining, even if he had only reached the first layer, he could summon Tu Shan Jun's evil ghost body.

Those secular enemies were nothing but ants. What was there to worry about?

Everyone had their own lingering desires.

Tu Shan Jun was especially heartsick over allowing Li Qingfeng's corpse to be lost.

But there was nothing he could do.

Not a single thing.

He had thought it would fall into the hands of the immortal masters in the Attendant Tower, and that the Qi Refiners within could preserve Li Qingfeng's corpse.

At the very least, it could be laid to rest in the earth.

But fate made fools of men. Because of certain matters, it had instead remained in Old Xiang's hands.

As time passed, a trace of agitation appeared between Tu Shan Jun's brows.

The Green-Faced Ghost visage became somewhat more savage, his loose crimson mane trembling slightly like an enraged lion.

Restrain impatience and endure!

Tu Shan Jun recalled the words Li Qingfeng often kept on his lips.

He practiced his punches alone.

The Demon Ape Three Moves howled forth, sending the evil ghosts and dead souls within the banner fleeing in all directions, each hiding far away.

Old Xiang woke from his dream once more.

It was already the fourth watch, not far from the dawn's exchange of yin and yang.

Without so many formalities, he sat with five centers facing heaven and softly recited the Nether Spirit Art.

Though the cultivation mantra was an obscure and difficult scripture, reciting it at a steady rhythm made the sounds in his mouth carry through to his bones, causing them to vibrate.

Sinews and bones rang in unison.

His body was roused and coordinated as one.

The cultivation mantra clearly carried an indescribable cadence that could directly guide the body in circulating its cultivation.

This was the wondrousness of cultivation techniques.

Yet Old Xiang had not felt the Qi Sense described in the text.

Back when he cultivated Tiger Roar Force, its scripture had been complex and held no rhythmic charm. Yet while tempering his strength, he had instead comprehended Qi Sense, cultivated inner qi, entered the Skin Circulation realm, and crossed the threshold into the ranks of third-rate martial experts.

The technique in his hand was clearly wondrous, yet he had still failed to sense this so-called spiritual power Qi Sense.

Since it was an immortal cultivation method, it surely could not be so simple.

That was what Old Xiang thought.

He stopped dwelling on it and instead fed inner qi into the small magical banner.

With this time, he might as well obtain two more black beads.

The sun rose, its light streaming in through the window.

It looked to be around the hour of the dragon.

It was time to report for duty again.

A jailer's work was tedious, but fortunately prisoners died every day. In the enormous prison, there were countless inmates.

Old Xiang used the magical artifact in his hand to collect Living Souls and replenish it.

Everything was as usual.

At dusk, after finishing work, Old Xiang hurried straight home.

He could not miss the day's second exchange of yin and yang.

Still, there was no Qi Sense.

Old Xiang did not feel disappointed.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door outside.

Old Xiang, seated cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes and landed lightly on the floor.

In the span of two breaths, he had reached the courtyard gate.

He peered outside through the crack in the door.

The person standing outside was none other than Stone Pillar.

Creak.

The gate opened, and Old Xiang looked at Stone Pillar in puzzlement.

"Boss, I happened to get off duty, so I came to see you." Stone Pillar smiled and lifted the wine jug and half a basket of food and drink in his hands. The scent of meat wafted from it.

Stone Pillar was about to squeeze through the doorway when Old Xiang shifted one foot forward, bracing it against the door panel and blocking his way.

It was not quite shutting the door in his face, but neither was it an invitation inside.

Old Xiang shook his head and met his eyes calmly. "Go back."

His voice was even, yet filled with boundless emotion.

"Boss, if something happened, tell your brothers. How far can you carry it alone?" Rather than leaving, Stone Pillar grew more anxious.

Old Xiang's expression darkened, and his taut body finally relaxed. "Forget it."

"Come in."

As he spoke, he moved the foot braced against the door panel.

Stone Pillar had not thought it was anything serious, but the instant he entered the inner hall, he froze. The wine jug and food basket slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor.

His lips trembled.

"How... how could this have happened?!"

With a sob in his voice, Stone Pillar dropped to the ground with a thud.