Over the next few days,
Chen Yi still rose early, then found all sorts of excuses to avoid training.
Either he felt unwell, was in a poor mood, or had caught a chill.
Even a rough man like Wang Lixing could see through his intentions—the son-in-law was not having any problems at all; he simply did not want to practice the Martial Path.
There was nothing to be done.
Wang Lixing was, after all, only a personal guard of Xiao Manor. Even a son-in-law like Chen Yi ranked above him in status. Besides, if he did not look at the monk's face, he had to look at the Buddha's face; otherwise, he would have a hard time answering to Second Miss.
Helpless, he truthfully reported Chen Yi's behavior to Xiao Xuanshuo.
"Humph. If he does not want to train, let him be. The Xiao Family has not fallen so low that it needs a son-in-law who fled marriage to hold up the roof beam!"
After receiving that reply, Wang Lixing no longer concerned himself with how Chen Yi's Stake Training was progressing. He still woke Chen Yi every day at around two in the morning, then left Chunhe Garden shaking his head and sighing before three.
Chen Yi was naturally happy to see such a change.
Yet every day after Wang Lixing left,
Chen Yi continued cultivating his Stake Training in the Bamboo Grove for one shichen.
After five days, Great Spear Stance Cultivation broke through to the Proficient Level, and his Cultivation Base broke through with it, advancing from the Mortal Body to the Ninth Rank Realm:
Name: Chen Yi Cultivation Base: Ninth Rank · Lower Way of Calligraphy: Great Accomplishment (0/1000) Calligraphy: Wei Qing (Mastery) Martial Dao Body: Minor accomplishment (0/100) Cultivation Technique: Great Spear Stance Cultivation (Proficient) Fortune: 7
With Proficient Level [Great Spear Stance Cultivation], every shichen Chen Yi stood allowed his body to improve bit by bit, from the outside in.
With each session, his tendons, bones, skin, and internal organs seemed to be hammered countless times, steadily growing stronger.
The most obvious changes were his strength and the lightness of his body.
Though Chen Yi had not tested it, in terms of strength alone, he should already have reached One Ox Strength—around two hundred jin.
According to the profundities he had comprehended from "Martial Dao Body," physical strength was measured in "force," divided into three levels: ox, elephant, and dragon.
Each level was harder than the last.
Though Chen Yi had now attained "One Ox Strength," breaking through to Elephant Strength required cultivation techniques, one's own talent, food, medicinal herbs, and more. Not one could be lacking.
"Under normal circumstances, cultivating the Great Spear Stance to great depths can reach the Elephant Strength level. At that point, Qi cultivation becomes the focus, until the Four Main Meridians are opened."
"But if I raise Martial Dao Body to Great Accomplishment, I can patch up the flaws in the Stake Training—just like how breaking the Way of Calligraphy into the Great Accomplishment Realm patched the gaps in the Wei Qing Font."
Thinking this, Chen Yi checked today's intelligence:
[Yellow Grade High Rank: Within the flower bed outside the Training Ground in the central courtyard of Marquis Dingyuan's Xiao Family, a Hidden Guard secret message is being passed. Can obtain a trace amount of Fortune.]
[Fortune +1. Comment: Before the person arrives, the secret message has already been sent. Those born to seek comfort will surely be punished.]
After reading it, Chen Yi curled his lip.
Over the past two months, he had gained some understanding of the piss-poor nature of "Daily Intelligence."
For the first several dozen days, it called him "slothful." Then, after he went to Jiaxing Garden, it gave him "lecherous scoundrel." Now that it could no longer belittle him, it had switched to cursing him.
Still, compared to the usual quarrels, fights, and elopements, today's intelligence caught his attention.
"A Hidden Guard's secret message... It sounds like a spy hidden within the Xiao Family?"
Chen Yi had never heard of the "Hidden Guard," so he could only make a reasonable guess.
Either they were spies who had infiltrated from a neighboring state of the Wei Dynasty, or enemies plotting against the Xiao Family.
Beyond that, combined with the memories in his mind and the comment that he would "surely be punished," another possibility surfaced within Chen Yi's heart:
"Could they be the people who used those strange methods to make me flee the marriage before?"
If so, they truly clung on like lingering ghosts.
Chen Yi had originally thought he would be safe within the Xiao Family. After all, on the day of the wedding, he had met with misfortune on the road from the inn to the Marquis's mansion.
Now, it seemed that the Xiao Family also harbored people with sinister intentions.
But Chen Yi was even more curious about whose path he had blocked for someone to keep such a tight grip on him.
A love rival infatuated with Xiao Jinghong?
Probably not. The Xiao Family clearly intended to take in a son-in-law. Anyone with even a little ability would never agree to it.
An enemy nation, such as the Barbarian Tribe or the Buddhist Kingdom of the Western Regions?
That made even less sense. Why target him? He was just a small shrimp. Even killing him would only make the Xiao Family lose face; it would neither hurt nor itch.
After turning it over in his mind, the only possibility was—the people within the Wei Dynasty who coveted the Xiao Family.
"If their scheme had succeeded before, and I had fled the marriage with no corpse left to testify, the Xiao Family's reputation would certainly have been dragged through the mud."
"And something like 'reputation' is useless when two nations go to war. The only place it can be used is in the court of the Great Wei Dynasty."
"Countless histories have told me that the tricks those civil officials love to use are 'making a mountain out of a molehill.' They can drill a great hole through a crack as small as a sesame seed."
"The Hidden Guard... perhaps they are dead soldiers raised by some family."
With that thought, Chen Yi threaded bait onto his hook and casually cast it into the pond. A trace of ferocity appeared on his face.
"I've already kept such a low profile. If those people still refuse to let go, they're going too far."
This time, he had missed it because his confinement had yet to be lifted. If he saw a similar secret message again, he would definitely go investigate it.
"Son-in-law, son-in-law! There's a letter for you! A letter from Second Miss!"
Just then, Xiao Die ran back from outside with a delighted expression and placed the letter in her hand on the table.
Chen Yi propped the crude fishing rod beside him, wiped his hands, and walked over to pick up the letters. He glanced at them. "Two?"
Xiao Die nodded. "The other one came from Jiangnan Prefecture. It seems to be from the son-in-law's family..."
Before she could finish, Xiao Die covered her mouth with both hands.
She knew how the Chen Family had treated the son-in-law and worried that saying too much would upset him.
Chen Yi gave a grunt, directly tore open the letter from Jiangnan Prefecture, and frowned slightly after scanning it.
The signature on the letter was none other than Cui Yu, his father Chen Xuanji's lawful wife, his nominal "mother," and the First Madam of the Chen Family.
[My son Chen Yi: In this letter today, your mother has only two matters to discuss.
First, your elder brother Yun Fan has attained the Zhuangyuan in the Imperial Examination. Before long, he will travel to Shuzhou to take office. At that time, he should visit the Xiao Family to see you.
Second, your father recently sent word from the Buddhist Kingdom, ordering you to remain properly in the Xiao Family. Of course, your mother also hopes that you will live peacefully and steadily in the Xiao Family. There is no need to mention the Imperial Examination again. After all, the Xiao Family is not the Chen Family...]
After Chen Yi finished reading, his brow furrowed even deeper. "Cui Yu?"
The contents of the letter appeared to be nothing more than family chatter, yet from the inside out, it exuded an inexplicable air of lofty arrogance.
But he had already become the Xiao Family's son-in-law. Did she really have to keep biting down and refusing to let go?
She had actually gone out of her way to write a letter just to disgust him.
"If the former owner of this body had seen this letter, Cui Yu would probably have angered him to death."
"Fortunately, it's me. I won't stoop to your level. From now on, we'd best grow old and die without ever dealing with one another."
Chen Yi then opened the second letter. His knitted brows relaxed.
[Jinghong has learned of Husband's recent behavior at home. The previous punishment for fleeing marriage is hereby waived.
In addition, Jinghong still has military affairs to attend to, and the return date has yet to be determined.
Do not worry.]
A smile blossomed across Chen Yi's face. Looking at Xiao Die, who wanted to read it but obediently remained where she was, he said,
"Starting today, your son-in-law's confinement has been lifted!"
Nothing was more frightening than comparison.
Compared to the First Madam of the Chen Family's barbed words, Lady Xiao Jinghong's tone was far more calm and equal.
He did not know what military affairs she meant. There had been no word of war lately, so it was likely still a matter of patrols and drilling troops.
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