Si Nanyue saw Xia Qi'an sitting upright with a solemn expression and couldn't help laughing. She then asked, "What are your thoughts on expanding the two businesses of scented soap and refined salt?"
Xia Qi'an replied with a grave expression, "Lord Sinan may make all the decisions regarding the businesses! I will naturally guarantee a sufficient supply of goods to meet the demand for refined salt and scented soap across the regions beyond Jinling!"
Si Nanyue nodded. "Mm... I've already discussed it with Shopkeeper Hong. The Treasure Pavilion will sell the scented soap and refined salt throughout Great Xia and Qiluo. If any problems arise with production in the future, you can discuss them directly with Shopkeeper Hong!"
"Yes..." Xia Qi'an replied.
After hesitating for a moment, he continued, "There is one more matter I would like to report to Lord Sinan... It concerns Xiaoxiang Wei Dao Si..."
"I already know about your conflict with Xiaoxiang Wei Dao Si... You did nothing wrong..." Before Xia Qi'an could finish, Si Nanyue interrupted him.
"However... you ruined Wen Xi's appearance, and the people from Xiaoxiang Wei Dao Si have already made a commotion all the way to their headquarters in You Province..."
Xia Qi'an explained, "Wen Xi was extremely sinister. He tried to sever the tendons in my hand the moment he came at me. I only wanted to teach him a lesson, so I punched him. I never expected the consequences to be this severe..."
Seeing Xia Qi'an speak with such righteous confidence while putting on a pitiful look, Si Nanyue felt the need to rein him in. "You're only in the early Blood Refining Realm. You should keep a low profile... Focus on your cultivation from now on... Don't get into conflicts with others again."
Si Nanzhai Xing saw his daughter caring so much about some brat and immediately felt a sour twinge in his heart.
Hong Xian also chimed in teasingly, blinking her alluring eyes as she said, "Lord Xia is truly formidable... With Blood Refining Realm cultivation, you defeated a Bone Forging Realm martial artist in a single move. Such martial talent is indeed extraordinary..."
"Shopkeeper Hong, you flatter me..." Xia Qi'an replied casually.
"Enough... Let this matter end here! Fists and feet have no eyes. In sparring matches, accidentally injuring someone is common. The people from Xiaoxiang Wei Dao Si wouldn't dare do anything to you..." At that moment, Si Nanzhai Xing, who had remained as steady as Mount Tai, suddenly spoke.
And once Si Nanzhai Xing had spoken, it was equivalent to settling the matter.
A sparring match. An accidental injury.
Those four words were enough to explain everything.
There was nothing more for Xia Qi'an to do, so she turned to Si Nanyue and said, "Lord Sinan, I gained quite a lot from killing the tiger demon this time. I'd like to enter seclusion and cultivate for a while."
"It's only been a few short months, and you're already about to enter the Bone Forging Realm?" Si Nanyue could tell at a glance that Xia Qi'an's qi and blood had reached their limit, and she couldn't help exclaiming in surprise.
Hong Xian was so astonished that her jaw nearly dropped.
Her gaze immediately became complicated, with a faint trace of envy within it.
Si Nanzhai Xing also nodded slightly. "Not bad! Wei Dao Si needs fresh blood like you!"
At this moment, Si Nanzhai Xing was no longer the lofty Tiger Guard of Wei Dao Si, but merely an ordinary father echoing his daughter.
It had to be known that Xia Qi'an had been practicing martial arts for only a little over four months, yet he was already capable of breaking through to the Bone Forging Realm.
Such talent and such cultivation speed truly deserved to be called the gift of a martial prodigy.
After leaving Si Nan Manor, Xia Qi'an hurried back to his residence and entered seclusion.
This time, he not only had to complete his ninth blood exchange but also break into the Bone Forging Realm in one fell swoop.
At the same time, he had to cultivate the several techniques in his possession to the minor mastery stage before choosing to leave seclusion.
Time flew like a white colt flashing past a crack in the wall, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three months, Xia Qi'an completed his ninth blood exchange.
He officially embarked on his road to rising prominence.
The instant he stepped out of the training room, his qi and blood surged like a thunder dragon. Every gesture and movement caused a rumble to echo from within his body.
Because his foundation in the Iron Body technique was already solid, he had just begun practicing the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill when he cultivated it straight to the third layer, gaining the strength of three dragons and three elephants.
It had to be known that with the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, every layer not only increased one's physical strength geometrically but also caused one's qi and blood to surge exponentially.
However, he had Crimson Pupils, his golden finger, to protect him.
Cultivating various techniques was extremely smooth.
The greatest problem martial artists encountered while cultivating their qi was the impeded circulation of qi and blood, which made it impossible to correctly open the important points and meridians. This caused poor results when circulating energy and could even damage the meridians.
With Crimson Pupils, Xia Qi'an could see all his acupoints and meridians clearly.
He could control his qi and blood, perfectly open every acupoint within his body, and avoid damaging his meridians or leaving hidden injuries.
It could be said that with Crimson Pupils, every time Xia Qi'an circulated his qi and blood to cultivate, the process was flawless.
This was also the fundamental reason he could defeat a Bone Forging Realm martial artist across a level.
After leaving seclusion this time, Xia Qi'an seemed to have been reborn. His entire person looked completely renewed.
His physique had not changed much, but the skin and muscles of his body had taken on the texture of gold and jade, radiating a powerful aura that shook the heart.
Every muscle on his body seemed to have been meticulously sculpted, filled with streamlined beauty.
With every casual step, a burst of tiger-leopard thunder sound erupted from within him. It was a sign that his physical body had been elevated and that numerous techniques had reached proficiency.
While Xia Qi'an was in seclusion, a horrifying event occurred within Jinling Commandery.
It was said that a tall, sinister woman had emerged from the Burial Ridge Mountains. Wherever she passed, Turbid Qi billowed out, and all life withered away.
The woman seemed to radiate a deathly aura capable of destroying all vitality. Wherever she went, life was extinguished.
Like the Grim Reaper, she swept across the sky, instantly turning an entire county town into a lifeless wasteland.
The commoners in the county town first saw their flesh rot and turn black, then, in the blink of an eye, they transformed into dried bones.
Just hearing people describe such a scene was enough to make one's hair stand on end.
This incident had occurred one month before Xia Qi'an left seclusion, and he had known nothing about it at first.
By today, the matter had gradually settled down.
The mysterious woman had also vanished without a trace.
Because of this, Wei Dao Si secretly mobilized a large number of Snake Guards to investigate the mysterious woman's whereabouts and origins.
As soon as Xia Qi'an left seclusion, Su Changqing came after hearing the news.
He said there would be a grand Courtesan selection tonight and invited Xia Qi'an to go with him.
Xia Qi'an readily agreed.
However, he told Su Changqing frankly that he was only going to take a look.
After all, if he lost himself in lust for a moment and ruined his martial foundation, wouldn't that be gaining a sesame seed while losing a watermelon?
After hearing this, Su Changqing said mysteriously to Xia Qi'an, "I understand that principle... Actually, I'm still a virgin too..."
The two then looked at each other and laughed before walking toward the brothels with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Once they entered Misty Rain Alley, it was indeed a scene of extraordinary bustle. Carriages and horses streamed endlessly, and the establishments were packed with visitors.
The entire street was swarming with people. On the pavilions lining both sides, beautiful women constantly tossed flower coins and embroidered balls, like heavenly maidens scattering flowers.
Anyone who managed to seize an embroidered ball could stay the night for free and enjoy a kiss from a beauty.
This stirred countless men into frantic pursuit, even provoking them into fighting. The scene was an utter mess. The clamoring in their ears was so loud that it was even noisier than a marketplace.
The Misty Rain Alley Courtesan selection was indeed a grand event in Jinling.
Su Changqing pulled Xia Qi'an through the crowd like a loach wriggling through mud, forcing open a path until they reached their reserved seats.
A pimp who looked like a steward, with a black mole on his face, came forward with an ingratiating smile. "Oh... Young Master Su, your grand arrival truly makes our humble establishment shine!"
Su Changqing didn't even glance at the pimp. He waved impatiently and said, "Why haven't you brought out the food and wine yet... Don't you have any sense at all?"
"Yes, yes, yes... I'll take care of it right away." Seeing Su Changqing berate him, the pimp retreated in fear like a mouse seeing a cat.
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