Wan Qing didn't have enough strength. If she wanted to loosen a martial artist's muscles and bones, she could only use her body weight and step on them.
Honestly, Lu Li felt itchy with curiosity and really wanted to find out what it felt like~
Unfortunately, customs in the Divine Continent were rather conservative, and women couldn't just let people see their feet.
So all he could do was watch enviously as Xiao Cha enjoyed this wonderful treatment every day.
In the days that followed, the girl stopped practicing martial arts altogether.
Every day, she did nothing but make a trip to the patrol bureau, then come back to eat, drink, and have fun, enjoying Wan Qing's massages.
Xiao Cha had a perfectly good reason for it: "I'm getting ready to advance to Organ Refining, so I need to nourish my spirit and harmonize my body and mind~"
It was like a high school student studying hard every day, only to take it easy and rest properly once the college entrance exams arrived.
Only Xiao Cha was resting a little too comfortably.
She brought a reclining chair over from her house and set it in the courtyard, along with a "Tiger Doll."
The doll had a "king" character stitched onto its head. It looked especially childish, but Xiao Cha hugged it whenever she slept...
Wan Qing said helplessly, "You even brought 'Little Tiger'... Are you planning to live at my house from now on?"
Xiao Cha wrapped her arms around her friend's slender waist and chuckled.
"It's so quiet and lonely at my place. That's why I came here to rest and recuperate. It'll help me break through~"
"Ah... Fine, have it your way." Wan Qing's face was full of helpless affection.
Failing to advance to Organ Refining could seriously damage one's organs and leave lasting problems, so she had been indulging Xiao Cha these past few days.
Lu Li had naturally noticed, and couldn't help marveling at how deep the two girls' bond was. They were closer than sisters.
At that moment, he was practicing the White Dragon Whip Technique not far away, drenched in sweat and working incredibly hard.
Xiao Cha clicked her tongue and sighed. "That kid's really putting in the work. It's like someone's chasing him with a knife~"
Wan Qing listened to the sounds of Lu Li's training and felt the same way. Young Master Lu practiced as if his life depended on it...
Just then, Lu Li suddenly felt a sharp ache in the sinew along his waist. His movements went awry, and he stumbled, nearly falling over.
Xiao Cha darted over in a few quick steps. She reached out and felt Lu Li's erector spinae, immediately understanding what was wrong.
"You~ Don't push yourself so hard! You're missing a leg, after all. When you exert yourself, it puts a strain on your whole body."
She helped Lu Li onto the reclining chair, then worked her fingers to loosen the knots in his fascia.
Lu Li immediately felt much better and hurriedly thanked her.
But that meant his martial arts training had to stop.
He couldn't waste all this precious time, so Lu Li stared at the Tiger Doll and used his Mind Power to toss it back and forth.
He was practicing controlling his power with a method of "using a little, but using it often," aiming for precise control down to the finest detail.
As Xiao Cha massaged him, she asked, puzzled, "By the way... why are you pushing yourself so hard? All you do every day is practice, practice, practice. Don't you ever get tired?"
The Tiger Doll flew up and down. Lu Li fell silent for a while, then said, "For the first twelve years of my life, I lived carefree. But after that, all I did was scrape by to survive. I thought I'd die far from home, but fate had other plans. By chance, I embarked on the path of cultivation and gained power..."
As he spoke, Lu Li's eyes narrowed. The Tiger Doll landed precisely in Tong Shao's arms.
The little girl didn't dare go outside and had been bored, leaning by the window. When a toy suddenly dropped from the sky, her face lit up with joy.
Lu Li smiled and continued, "Only after gaining power did I experience what it felt like to live freely for the first time. I was able to help so many people, too... Power really is a wonderful thing. That's why I crave it! Only with power can I live without restraint, and only then can the people I care about live happily and in peace!"
As he spoke, he glanced at Wan Qing without thinking.
Wan Qing seemed to notice. Her face turned faintly red, and she lowered her head.
Xiao Cha sat bolt upright after a moment. "You've really figured out how to live! In this chaotic age, what right do I have to live in comfort?"
She pulled out the bottle of Blood Vitality Pills from her robe and swallowed one on the spot!
"Better to seize the day than wait for an auspicious one. I, Luo Xiaochá, am breaking through to Organ Refining!"
The pill's effects were powerful. Not long after swallowing it, Xiao Cha's face turned bright red, and white steam poured from her nose and mouth!
"Lu Li, over the next few days, watch carefully how I break through. You'll be able to use what you learn yourself someday!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Organ Refining was a transformative stage in martial arts, one that granted people extraordinary physiques.
Advancing wasn't as simple as a "ding" and done. The body needed time to evolve and grow stronger, and the entire process took anywhere from three to seven days.
Wan Qing was afraid something might happen to Xiao Cha, so she stayed by her side at all times.
Xiao Cha, meanwhile, remained calm and carried on as usual, even guiding Lu Li in his martial arts training.
"Subconsciously, you always avoid using the muscles and bones on the side with the missing leg. Keep it up, and you'll end up lopsided!"
"The more awkward it feels, the more you need to use it! Push off with the side that's missing the leg!"
Xiao Cha spotted the problem at a glance and helped Lu Li correct it.
As Lu Li felt the girl's heartbeat growing stronger and her skin becoming more supple, he too fell into thought.
According to ancient Xia Country teachings, the five organs were the center of the body's vital activities. They stored and produced "essence and energy," sustaining the course of life.
As they grew stronger, they would surely bring about a transformation in the body's functions!
Then the day of the Zhongyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, arrived.
Xiao Cha's lungs had grown to their limit. When she exhaled, she suddenly spat out an arrow of mist!
She was thrilled and explained to Lu Li, "This is Exhale Arrow. It means I've entered the final step of the breakthrough. If I make it through, I'll have reached Organ Refining!"
Lu Li committed this to memory. It was all valuable experience.
At that moment, Xiao Cha had reached the most critical stage. She absolutely couldn't be disturbed.
But the world often brought exactly what one feared.
Xiao Cha had been busy breaking through and hadn't gone to the patrol bureau for many days.
Someone observant quickly noticed something was up and guessed that the girl had reached a critical moment!
That afternoon, on the Zhongyuan Festival, heavy footsteps sounded outside the medical clinic.
The next instant, the gate was smashed open, and a squad of twelve patrol officers in black uniforms charged inside.
"The patrol bureau is on the case! Everyone stay where you are and behave!"
As several underlings shouted arrogantly, a young man with stars on his shoulder straps entered the courtyard.
It was the same person they had met once before: Captain Qin.
He had once helped Yi Qingchuan capture children and had even scolded Xiao Cha.
Xiao Cha immediately rushed out and shouted, "Qin Chuan! What do you mean by this?"
Qin Chuan kept a stern expression, acting as if he were simply carrying out his duties.
"I suspect you're connected to the Guo Zhuang massacre. We're searching this place. Stay put and don't make trouble for yourself."
"You're clearly abusing your authority to take revenge! You've held a grudge ever since my father exposed you for raping a woman!"
Xiao Cha fired back, though she felt a little panicked inside.
Qin Chuan's brazen arrival made it clear that he didn't actually believe the perpetrators of the massacre were here. He was just using it as an excuse to take revenge.
But there was one problem: she and the others really had done it... and Tong Shao was hiding inside the house!
At that moment, Qin Chuan waved his hand, and his subordinates began rushing into the house. One of them even displayed a pair of shackles and approached Lu Li, shouting,
"You look like a no-good cripple. Come with us!"
In short, they were going to smash things up and hurl insults, ruining Xiao Cha's state of mind.
Qin Chuan stared coldly at Xiao Cha, hoping the girl would lose her temper and fight back. Then he'd have an excuse to attack her openly!
"I absolutely can't let this woman break through!"
The two sides had a longstanding feud. There was no chance they'd settle this peacefully.
Seeing this, Lu Li raised a hand, and a Continuous Spray flew into his grasp. He was about to kill every patrol officer there and then!
But if he did that, he could forget about ever living in peace again...
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