Cohabitation

"Master, let me think about it," Yang Xuan said after a moment.

"Think it over yourself. Your Martial Uncle won't arrive for a few more days anyway," Uncle Nine replied.

"All right, Master. There's something else. Recently, I've been thinking of moving to the Ren residence. What do you think?" Yang Xuan said hopefully.

"You're not young anymore, so make your own decision. But let me tell you this: a girl's reputation is very important. If this goes on for too long, people are bound to gossip. You might as well get married soon," Uncle Nine advised earnestly.

"Don't worry, Master. I know what I'm doing," Yang Xuan said.

After organizing his things, he returned to the Ren residence. While Tingting was still asleep, Yang Xuan had already begun practicing in the rear courtyard.

Tap, tap, tap. Seeing Tingting walk over awkwardly, Yang Xuan asked, "Are you feeling all right? Why didn't you lie down a little longer?"

"It still feels a little sore down there. And you came back without telling me," Tingting said coquettishly.

"There's something I need to tell you. My Martial Uncle will be coming back in a few days. My master thinks I'm still lacking in self-discipline and wants me to stay with my Martial Uncle for a while to cultivate my temperament. Since we're together now, I should discuss these things with you," Yang Xuan confessed after thinking it over.

"Can't you not go? I don't want to be separated from you. I want to be with you forever." Tingting instantly looked like an abandoned child.

"This opportunity is hard to come by. How about this? I've already handed the business over to the various managers, and I've spoken with the tailor shop's manager as well. He'll oversee all the shops. As for you, would you be willing to come with me?" Yang Xuan asked.

Tingting immediately agreed. "That's wonderful. As long as we don't have to be apart, I don't care where we go."

And so, Yang Xuan taught Tingting martial arts every day while practicing various martial techniques himself. Naturally, they also spent every night in passionate bliss. After all, they were both at the age when their blood ran hot.

"Young Master Yang, someone claiming to be your senior apprentice brother is waiting at the entrance to see you," a servant reported as he ran inside.

"Hmm, bring him in," Yang Xuan said. He turned to Tingting and added, "Master probably needs me for something."

"Junior Brother, Master asked you to return right away. Martial Uncle has arrived." Qiu Sheng cast a curious look around the Ren residence.

"Tingting, I'll go back for a while. I won't have dinner here tonight, but I'll come back to sleep." Yang Xuan winked suggestively.

"All right. I'll wait for you to come back tonight." Tingting understood what Yang Xuan meant and immediately grew bashful.

"Senior Brother, you're truly blessed to be able to marry such a beautiful woman as Tingting," Qiu Sheng said enviously.

"I'm marrying Tingting not because I only care about her beauty, but because I love her as a person. She's done many things that moved me. She makes me feel as if I wouldn't be able to go on living if she ever left me. And being with her gives me a real sense of home," Yang Xuan said, filled with happiness.

The two chatted as they walked, and before long, they arrived back at the funeral parlor.

"Master, Martial Uncle, Junior Brother is back!" Before he even entered, Qiu Sheng was already shouting into the funeral parlor.

"Master, Martial Uncle," Yang Xuan greeted them.

"Oh? A-Xuan, you really do look haggard. I almost didn't recognize you. Your master has already told me about your situation. Do you want to stay with me for a while?" Four Eyes examined him.

"Martial Uncle, I've already decided. I'll go to your place and cultivate quietly for a while. Um... can Tingting come with me?" Yang Xuan asked awkwardly.

"That's no problem. I have plenty of space, so a few more people won't matter. We can set out in the next day or two. We'll just have to travel slowly and endure some hardship on the road. But can your young lady actually make the journey?" Four Eyes teased.

"Don't worry. I've been teaching Tingting martial arts recently. Her progress is a little slow, but it's had some effect," Yang Xuan replied.

"A-Xuan, I'm giving you this book. Our Maoshan practitioners know a little medicine more or less, but very few are truly proficient. I came across this medical text by chance. You have exceptional talent, and I hope you can carry on its legacy." As he spoke, Uncle Nine took a medical book from his robes and handed it to Yang Xuan.

After returning to the Ren residence, Yang Xuan opened the book and saw that it was the Dan Jing. What an impressive name. He clicked to learn it.

Ding! Successfully learned the Pill Scripture.

A large number of pill recipes and true-qi circulation methods for healing injuries flooded into Yang Xuan's mind.

Many things suddenly became clear to him, especially the use of true qi to heal injuries. He could use it now. With his ninety-nine years of first-rate true qi, the healing effect was extremely powerful. Unfortunately, Yang Xuan usually couldn't bring it out. In other words, without a healing method, ordinary Inner Force would produce only one point of healing for every ten points of Inner Force. With an internal healing method, one point of Inner Force could produce five points of healing. The effect would also vary depending on the circulation route of the healing technique.

This was excellent. It was exactly what he needed. Qiang Xue Tang and Qiang Shen Tang used ingredients such as Eight Treasures, angelica root, four-flavor herbs, black wolfberries, and ginseng. They were all ordinary medicinal herbs that could be bought at any regular herbal shop, which made things much easier for Yang Xuan. Only the ginseng was somewhat expensive, and there was no requirement for it to have been grown for a specific number of years.

"Uncle, have the manager of the herbal shop bring all the medicinal ingredients I've written down to the Ren residence. Leave a little of each herb at the shop and bring the rest here. Also, have him make an Alchemy Furnace according to this blueprint," Yang Xuan instructed. Tingting called the old steward Uncle, so Yang Xuan followed her lead.

"Young Master Yang, the herbs won't be a problem. But as for the Alchemy Furnace, I don't think we need to make one. I remember that the Old Master once acquired an antique cauldron. It's been sitting in the storeroom. That was twenty years ago. I remember that ten strong young men had to carry it into the storeroom."

"Take me to see it." Yang Xuan couldn't help growing curious.

The two of them came to the storeroom, to the innermost room.

"Everything has been preserved quite well," Yang Xuan commented as he looked around.

"Young Master, it's this item." With that, the old steward pulled away the cloth covering the cauldron.

The Alchemy Furnace stood around four meters tall. It had a large belly and a pointed top, with four ridges. Each ridge bore the head of a beast, corresponding to the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Its belly was so large that three people holding hands couldn't encircle it. No wonder ten strong young men had been needed to carry it. It weighed more than four tons.

System scan:

Name: Four Saints Qiankun Furnace

Weight: 4,200 kilograms

Traits: 20% pill success rate, 20% energy conservation, 0.1% mutation rate

What a treasure! With this, his pill refining and medicinal decoction would become godlike.

Over the next three days, Yang Xuan gained tremendously. His storage space filled with large amounts of medicinal herbs, and after being optimized, the Four Saints Qiankun Furnace was strengthened twice more.

Name: Four Saints Qiankun Furnace (2)

Weight: 4,400 kilograms

Traits: 40% pill success rate, 40% energy conservation, 0.4% mutation rate, 20% quantity increase

Naturally, the Qiang Xue Tang and Qiang Shen Tang he brewed were also optimized and strengthened before he gave them to Tingting.

It could be said that Yang Xuan and Tingting had both gained tremendously over those three days. In just three days, Tingting had already reached Ming Jin. Moreover, because she drank the two medicinal soups every day, her foundation was extremely solid. Even before reaching Ming Jin, her strength had already far surpassed that of an adult man.

"Master, Qiu Sheng, Wen Cai, I'm leaving. I'll come back whenever I have time. I left some money in my room. Also, please keep an eye on matters at the Ren residence, Master," Yang Xuan said reluctantly.

"A-Xuan, have a safe journey. Help your Martial Uncle if he needs anything, but you don't have to bother with every little matter," Uncle Nine said to Yang Xuan after shooting Four Eyes a glance.

It seemed Uncle Nine knew his junior brother's character very well.