Redeeming Her Freedom

The three days passed in a flash.

It was already the third day of the New Year.

The pawnshop remained closed during this period, so Han Li and He Chunli, his two disciples, had been staying in the little cottage in Xie An's rear courtyard. They had attended to Xie An with utmost devotion, giving him a small taste of the life of a "master."

Since He Chunli's buttocks had been split open, he was inconveniently bedridden while recovering. The two disciples were not as lively and boisterous as in previous years. They had neither organized any activities nor gone to see the lantern festival.

Every Spring Festival, the town held a lantern festival. Quite a few villagers from the countryside would hurry over to join in the excitement, release wish lanterns, and look forward to peace, happiness, and smooth sailing in the coming year.

But ever since Xie An acquired the Lifelong Legacy, he had lost interest in such ordinary rituals and customs, sinking completely into his frantic cultivation of the Health Cultivation Technique.

After three days of frantic cultivation, Xie An's Fetal Breathing Technique finally showed signs of breaking through.

Early that morning, Han Li was fussing over breakfast while He Chunli lay on the couch recuperating. Xie An was practicing the Fetal Breathing Technique in the small room next door.

Xie An sat cross-legged, his entire body as still and serene as a Bodhisattva.

His mouth and nose did not move.

Yet his navel was faintly pulsing, as though it could breathe.

As the navel continued its tiny movements, Xie An clearly felt heat, swelling, and a purplish sensation arise between his navel and perineum. Then a hazy, misty breath began to form.

His navel was truly breathing.

Besides that, Xie An felt the Sea of Qi and lower elixir field begin pulsing of their own accord as well.

He knew this was a sign that the final style of the Three Styles Method, the Navel Yin Style, was about to reach great completion. He immediately dared not be careless, continuing to circulate his energy according to the formula, intending to break through the barrier in one surge.

No one knew how much time had passed—

Buzz.

The passage through which the navel breathed had completely opened.

Xie An immediately found himself immersed in an exceedingly profound state: his mouth and nose were sealed, while his navel breathed.

Moreover, although this breathing was slow, it made both body and mind feel exceptionally comfortable, as though it had brought about some sort of evolution in his body.

A higher-level breathing technique?

Xie An immediately opened the panel.

Fetal Breathing Technique: Yin-Yang Convergence (0/100)

"Finally, I broke through!"

Xie An let out a long breath, an utterly satisfied smile spreading across his face.

The difficulty of cultivating the Fetal Breathing Technique was more than five times that of the Five Animal Play. If not for the Lifelong Legacy, Xie An felt that even three to five years might not have been enough to complete the Three Styles Method. He might not even have managed to get started.

If the Five Animal Play was a giveaway question on the college entrance examination, then the Fetal Breathing Technique was the final, hardest problem. The difficulty did not even exist on the same plane.

Even with the Lifelong Legacy and Tang Qingfeng's Unique Medicinal Prescription, it had taken Xie An a full three or four months to barely enter the second stage of the Fetal Breathing Technique.

It was too difficult...

After calming his excitement, Xie An hurriedly looked at the other contents of the panel.

Current Lifelong Legacy: Level One!

Five Animal Play: Strengthening the Five Viscera (5/100)

Fetal Breathing Technique: Yin-Yang Convergence (0/100)

Remaining Years: 30 years

"Four years added to my lifespan!"

Xie An's heart finally settled.

On the surface, the first stage of the Fetal Breathing Technique seemed to add fewer years than the six years gained from the Five Animal Play's Initial Glimpse. But that was not actually the case. The further one progressed, the harder it became to increase one's lifespan.

The four years added by the Three Styles Method were of better quality than the Initial Glimpse of the Five Animal Play.

Moreover, Xie An had confirmed another piece of information: when cultivating multiple Health Cultivation Techniques at the same time, the lifespan-increasing effects of each technique could stack with one another.

This was undoubtedly exhilarating news.

After persevering in cultivating the Health Cultivation Techniques for more than half a year, he had already gained thirty years of life. Compared with the old man who had once been in his twilight years, Xie An had undergone a fundamental transformation from the inside out.

The only regret was that the Three Styles Method did not noticeably enhance his strength, speed, or other physical attributes. However, Xie An faintly felt that his stamina had improved tremendously.

For example, he had previously been able to draw a bow only thirty times in a row, but now, thanks to the Fetal Breathing Technique, he could do it forty times consecutively.

The Fetal Breathing Technique belonged to internal cultivation. As his realm rose, it would certainly bring him great surprises in the future.

The effects of solidifying one's internal power were naturally slower than those of external power. But the extent of the improvement was far greater.

Xie An warned himself not to be impatient and to take things slowly.

The best treasures were still waiting ahead.

"Master, breakfast is ready."

Han Li's voice came from outside the door.

Xie An quickly washed up and went out to eat.

Perhaps Han Li knew that Xie An had been secretly practicing, so he had spent extra money on the food. He had bought braised pork and braised duck as well, making for a rare feast.

Xie An secretly praised Han Li for being perceptive and considerate in handling affairs. After offering a word of praise, he began to eat heartily.

I've raised you two for more than a decade. Can't I enjoy the fruits of my labor just once?

"Master, have you been secretly practicing martial arts?" Han Li could not resist asking while serving Xie An more rice. "I feel like you've been growing younger and stronger lately. You're no longer as aged and frail as before."

Xie An did not hide anything. "Calling it martial arts would be a stretch. I just practice the Health Cultivation Techniques when I have nothing else to do. If you're interested, I can copy out the mental formula for the Five Animal Play and let you two practice it."

Han Li was so excited that he repeatedly offered his thanks. He thought that if the technique worked so well for his master despite his advanced age, then he was still young—wouldn't his cultivation be even more impressive?

Xie An saw through his thoughts and knew he was overthinking it...

Still, he did not dampen Han Li's confidence. After the meal, he copied several thousand characters of the Five Animal Play's mental formula for his two disciples and gave them some simple pointers. Only then did he take all the silver with him—sixty taels in total.

According to his original agreement with Chunlan, Xie An had to go to Li Manor today and find the master and madam to redeem her freedom.

Sixty taels was all of Xie An's current wealth.

Xie An felt that even if Li Ru demanded an exorbitant price, it should still be enough to buy her freedom.

Just then, a woman's voice rang out from beyond the door.

"Is Master Xie here?"

"I am." Xie An answered as he walked outside to receive her, muttering inwardly.

The third day of the New Year was still a busy time for Li Manor. Logically speaking, Chunlan should have been overwhelmed with work as well. There was no reason for her to come personally and summon him to Li Manor, was there?