Health Cultivation

"Master, you're already fifty years old. You should be enjoying a more relaxed life these days. Why are you still practicing martial arts? What if you pull your back?"

A young man in grey, surrounded by the shop assistants, spoke with a mix of concern and jest, drawing a wave of teasing.

He was Xie An's eldest disciple, Zhang Bing, whose skill in appraising and pricing goods had reached a considerable level.

While Xie An was recovering, Zhang Bing had been handling most of the appraisal work at the pawnshop. No major issues had arisen during that time, and the pawnshop's operations ran smoothly.

Many people were privately discussing that once the old man Xie passed away, Zhang Bing would most likely take over as the Appraiser.

Xie An felt displeased by Zhang Bing's teasing but didn't show it. He merely said to Chen Yuan, "I'm just looking for a health-preserving exercise to loosen up my body."

Seeing Xie An's serious expression, Chen Yuan took out an old, black-leather-bound book from his bosom and handed it to Xie An. "Old Xie, I've been practicing this half of the Five Animal Play for several years, and it hasn't been of much use. Take it easy, and don't actually twist your back."

Although his reminder was well-intentioned, his words carried a hint of regret.

Health-preserving exercises require years of persistent practice to strengthen the body. If Xie An had started practicing ten years ago, it might have been somewhat effective, but now, with only a few days left, what was the point?

Xie An took the health-preserving exercise, thanked Chen Yuan, and turned to leave.

As soon as Xie An left, Zhang Bing sidled up to the counter and muttered, "Shopkeeper, Master is already this old. If something were to happen to him because of the health-preserving exercise you gave him, you would inevitably be implicated..."

Chen Yuan shot Zhang Bing a look. "What? You don't want your master to live a few more years?"

A flicker of almost imperceptible panic crossed Zhang Bing's face. "Of course, I want Master to have a long and healthy life. I'm just worried he might injure himself while practicing."

Chen Yuan lowered his head, continuing to train his crickets, and mumbled, "Then why are you saying anything? Go back to work."

"I'm going now."

Zhang Bing left dejectedly, feeling displeased.

He had only intended to kindly remind the shopkeeper and curry favor. He hadn't expected to be lectured in return.

However, thinking about how Xie An had been walking so unsteadily just now, clearly with only a few days left to live, he felt somewhat relieved.

Once he became the Appraiser, the shopkeeper wouldn't dare to order him around like this.

As Xie An left the pawnshop, he happened to see Zhang Bing whispering into Chen Yuan's ear, his face a picture of fawning flattery.

So that's why he hasn't come to visit me. He's been busy trying to curry favor with the shopkeeper behind my back...

Does he really think he's learned enough to surpass me and become the Appraiser?

Having transmigrated thirty years ago, Xie An hadn't achieved much in other areas, but he had acquired extraordinary skills in appraising and identifying treasures.

He hadn't taught these unique skills to any of his disciples.

He would never let the saying "when the apprentice has learned the skill, the master starves" happen to him.

In fact, Xie An's dedication to mastering appraisal was born out of necessity.

When he first transmigrated, he was already a lowly indentured servant of the Li Manor. He had no money to practice martial arts and could only diligently follow the old Appraiser to learn the trade.

By the time Xie An had saved enough money, he had already passed the age for practicing martial arts. Furthermore, the master of the Li Manor, seeing Xie An's exquisite skills, refused to release his indenture.

"Forget it, the urgent matter is to extend my lifespan. I don't want to just die of old age like this..."

Returning to his small room in the back courtyard, Xie An locked the door and sat down to examine the Five Animal Play.

The Five Animal Play was not a formal martial arts manual but rather a set of movements for health preservation practiced by physicians. It could be purchased at the black market outside Wuqiao Town. The reason Xie An had gone to Chen Yuan despite being teased was simply to save five taels of silver.

This era was nothing like his previous life; earning money was extremely difficult.

A common farmer, after a year of hard labor, would only earn about ten taels. After deducting costs and labor, it was barely enough for sustenance.

A general errand boy at a pawnshop earned about four to five taels a year. An apprentice Appraiser earned about seven to eight taels, just enough to get by.

Xie An, as the Appraiser, earned more, about twenty taels a year. While it seemed like a lot, as one aged, ailments increased, and expenses mounted everywhere. He hadn't saved much, so he had to save wherever he could.

The saying that one earns money with their life when young and buys life with money when old was not an exaggeration at all.

"The ancient immortals, in their practice of guiding and drawing, would stretch their necks like owls and twist their bodies, moving all their joints to seek longevity. I have an art called the Five Animal Play. The first is the Tiger, the second the Deer, the third the Bear, the fourth the Ape, and the fifth the Crane..."

The very first sentence made Xie An's eyes light up.

Ancient immortals... sounds really impressive.

After reading through it, Xie An's expression dimmed considerably.

It was said that many authors liked to create a buzz at the beginning, using exaggerated titles to lure readers in, only to then feed them garbage...

The author of this Five Animal Play was clearly an expert at creating hype.

Starting with immortals, but in reality, the content that followed had nothing to do with immortals.

To put it plainly, it was about clearing meridians, harmonizing qi and blood, strengthening bones, and lubricating joints – essentially improving physical fitness and enhancing resistance to illness.

No wonder Shopkeeper Chen said practicing it for years hadn't yielded much effect.

However, Xie An had no better options at the moment and could only place his hope on extending his lifespan.

Xie An got up, moved the dining table aside, cleared a space, and began to practice the stances.

The Five Animal Play was a method that involved external movement and internal stillness, seeking tranquility amidst motion. It consisted of five classic postures: the tiger stalking prey, the deer running long distances, the bear swaying and moving, the ape picking fruit, and the crane soaring.

When practicing, you need to imitate realistically, not just in form but also in spirit. For example, the tiger's fierce pounce, the deer's stretching neck and turning head, the monkey's agility, the bear's deep stability, and the bird's spreading wings and perching.

These movements may seem simple, but imitating them to resemble both form and spirit is difficult. You need to practice stance training first, to achieve body coordination.

Xie An wasn't in a hurry to achieve success; after all, he had endured for thirty years.

He spread his legs, dropped his shoulders and elbows, and tucked in his chest and back. He imagined himself as a wooden post, achieving body coordination with his lower body completely still.

The movements looked simple, similar to the horse stance he practiced in his previous life, but the standards were actually much higher.

In just a few moments, Xie An was drenched in sweat, his hand and foot muscles twitching.

In less than fifteen minutes, Xie An collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, feeling as if his old bones were about to fall apart.

"I thought only martial arts required stance training, but it seems these health-preserving exercises are no exception."

If he didn't have this cheat, Xie An really wouldn't want to endure this suffering for nothing.

Now that he had hope for increased lifespan and immortality, he had to give it his all, no matter how bitter or tiring it was.

"Again."

He practiced until noon when a knock came from the door.

"Master, it's time for lunch."

It was He Chunli who brought lunch.

Xie An opened the door and couldn't help but look He Chunli up and down. "Where's Zhang Bing?"

He Chunli lowered his head. "Brother Zhang went to the Li Manor. He said he had important matters to report to Master Li."

He bypassed me to try and please the shopkeeper, and now he's bypassing two levels to try and please Master Li?

In this world, taking on a disciple involved proper attire, purification rituals, kowtowing, presenting gifts, serving tea to the master, and observing filial piety.

Disciples were expected to care for their masters in their old age and see them off after death.

"A day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father" wasn't just a saying.

Otherwise, why would a master risk teaching their apprentice everything they know, potentially leading to their own obsolescence?

Although Xie An was still a servant, it wasn't uncommon for servants to work as skilled laborers in this world. When he took on his three disciples, although the ceremony was simple, there was still a formal apprenticeship.

Earlier, when Zhang Bing and the other disciples became his apprentices, they had repeatedly vowed to support Xie An in his old age and see him off after death.

Now, seeing that he was in decline, Zhang Bing was not only indifferent and cold but also impatient to replace him.

This undoubtedly crossed Xie An's bottom line.

"I understand. You can go about your business."

Xie An took the tray and returned to his room.

A bowl of white rice and a bowl of tofu soup.

Although there was no meat, Xie An was ravenous after standing in his stance all morning. After finishing his meal, he continued practicing.

He practiced until dusk, and Xie An once again collapsed on the ground, weak and exhausted.

He clearly felt a warm current flowing in his lower abdomen, slowly circulating through his limbs and bones. His backache and soreness also showed slight improvement.

The next moment, two lines of small text appeared before his eyes:

[Current Health-Preserving Exercise: Five Animal Play (Beginner's Insight: 1/100)]

[Hint: Completing Beginner's Insight will increase lifespan by six years.]