White Cloud Manor

Xiang Yuan left, dragging his hostage along. Sima Qingyan cooperated fully, making no resistance even without the sword at her neck.

After traveling three to five li, Xiang Yuan sheathed his sword, pushed Sima Qingyan away, and turned to leave.

"My sword!"

Sima Qingyan said, her pretty face set.

"I could have killed you just now, but I didn't. That's saving your life. I could have violated you just now, but I didn't. That's protecting your chastity. One way or another, you owe me two lives. And you want to haggle over a sword?" Xiang Yuan said righteously.

His steady mind couldn't utter such words, and the cold-blooded Xiang Yuan was a man of few words. Only a jester would possess such a fresh and refined demeanor.

Sima Qingyan had never met such a shameless person, oh, except for Xiao He. She had never met such a shameless person. She stood frozen, too angry to retort.

"I almost forgot. You set up an ambush. This sword is my spoils of war. It should have been mine from the start."

Xiang Yuan pressed his advantage, continuing, "So, not counting this sword, you still owe me two great favors. Be grateful in your heart and show it in your actions. Seeing your decent clothes and face, you don't look like a beast who repays kindness with enmity, right?"

Sima Qingyan's expression was strange, as if she had heard these words somewhere before. With a little thought, the image of Xiao He surfaced in her mind.

If she hadn't been caught by him, would she have willingly fallen to practicing the demonic arts of the Yellow Springs Dao!

At this moment, it was just like that moment. Xiang Yuan's image in Sima Qingyan's mind plummeted to the bottom in an instant, only worthy of being listed alongside Xiao He.

She glared at Xiang Yuan, no longer speaking, and turned back towards the mass grave.

Her steps were light, clearly indicating she still had the strength to fight.

"The Acupoint Opening stage is truly terrifying. Even with all my tricks, I could only barely win... No, such a powerful Acupoint Opening stage cultivator was defeated by me. I am truly terrifying."

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the relationship between Sima Qingyan and Xiao He. Lovers was definitely out of the question. Accomplices? Subordinates? It didn't quite fit either. It looked more like a female investigator had been caught and injected with some strange drug.

Please, give me more. I feel like ants are crawling all over me right now. JPG

Xiang Yuan's mind was already conjuring images!

With his jester-like, unpredictable thoughts, he didn't feel anything amiss. Seeing that it was getting late and he didn't dare linger in the wilderness outside the city, he hurried to Fengxian County at his fastest speed and chose to spend the night at the yamen.

He couldn't return to the Xiao Residence.

Not for now, at least!

While they might be fated, Xiao He was wrong to scheme against him. Rules had to be set, and his temper had to be shown. Otherwise, he would seem weak and easily bullied, like a lapdog.

Since they were fated people, Xiao He should be the one fawning over him.

Because of his master, Old Daoist Quexin's, divination, Xiang Yuan had great expectations for fated people. Xiao He had transformed from a jester into a mastermind. Not only was Xiang Yuan not angry, but he was quite pleased, thinking to himself that it was only natural.

What bothered him was Xiao He's scheming, pretending to be crazy and foolish to deceive him for so many days. If he didn't make the rules clear today, he would inevitably be schemed against in the future.

"The next few days should be relatively peaceful. It's a good time to cultivate and break through to the Acupoint Opening stage..."

"This is the county yamen. I just beat up the young lady, cut off her hand, took back her lost sword, and flirted with her a bit..."

"She won't bring people to beat me up, will she?"

Xiang Yuan found an empty room in the Three Divisions' barracks to stay in. He used his mind in three ways: Candle Yin Casting God to replenish his depleted Primordial Spirit and energy, Myriad Forms Body Tempering to dissolve the true qi left by Sima Qingyan within him, and to summarize his combat experience and analyze his own shortcomings.

The depleted blood and qi couldn't be replenished temporarily and could only be supplemented by diet. For a quick fix, a high-grade pill would be necessary.

After weighing his options, he ultimately lacked strength. The gap in their realms was too large. Despite having many tricks, victory was difficult.

His battle with Sima Qingyan made Xiang Yuan realize the gap between himself and the Acupoint Opening stage. His ability to slay the black-robed man in the Xu Residence was truly by chance.

Currently, Xiang Yuan's Ren Meridian was not open, and his strength could not reach his limbs and bones. He had very little Formless True Qi, and he relied entirely on his tranquil heart to control his sword, or to learn from Liu Jingsheng's intent to control a fierce tiger, or Lone Star Chasing Moon, which was a one-way trip.

One basic attack and one ultimate move both consumed Primordial Spirit and energy, falling within the scope of martial intent. The demand for true qi was actually not high.

Killing Heart Eternal also didn't require much true qi. It didn't depend on the martial artist's realm or martial intent, but entirely on the martial artist's physique and blood qi. The more blood qi there was, the more killing intent there was. If one couldn't kill the enemy, one would kill oneself. It was a life-risking technique.

Under normal circumstances, those in the Qi Refining Stage could only bully ordinary people or amuse themselves within their own circle.

Xiang Yuan's ability to control his sword with his mind and his mastery of Lone Star Chasing Moon, which was slightly accomplished, was not only due to his martial uncle's prior experience summary but also thanks to his cheat-like Primordial Spirit.

His Primordial Spirit could not only multitask but also borrow the intent of others to use it as his own. For example, Liu Jingsheng's fierce tiger momentum and Sima Qingyan's unknown sword techniques were learned within a few glances.

Sima Qingyan's sword techniques and intent were more profound, having been taught by a master. He could only imitate them imperfectly, not mastering them completely, which he found somewhat regrettable.

The side effect was a headache. The more he saw and the deeper he understood, the more his head hurt.

There were advantages and disadvantages. He chose the lesser of two evils; the headache could be overcome.

"A small opening isn't an opening. Constantly opening isn't an opening either. I am indeed a martial arts genius!"

Xiang Yuan preened smugly. Once his steady Primordial Spirit had recovered sufficiently, he decisively switched gears, casting aside his jester-like complacency.

"There are many shortcomings; diligence is still required!"

Xiang Yuan corrected his mindset, sat cross-legged, and cultivated the Formless Seal Method. That night, he opened another acupoint in his Ren Meridian.

He lived a secluded life, only appearing for bathroom breaks and three meals a day. The rest of the time was spent cultivating.

He even encountered Old Liu once, only saying that they had 'had a fight.' This left Old Liu bewildered at the mess hall. He ate and took food, packing some to take home to calm his nerves.

Three days later, his Ren Meridian was completely open, and his true qi could circulate to his limbs, greatly increasing his strength.

Five days later, his realm stabilized, and his cultivation reached the great circle of the Qi Refining stage, ready to break through to the Acupoint Opening stage at any time.

During these days, Xiao He did not appear. Xiang Yuan understood that this was called a tug-of-war. Whoever admitted defeat first lost.

Of course, it's not impossible that Xiao He is planning something big, with gongs and drums, firecrackers, and a sedan chair to welcome him back to the Xiao Residence.

Shameless, he'd really do that!

If Xiao He doesn't show up, Xiang Yuan won't go looking for him. Xiang Yuan is stubborn; without repeated groveling or an increased offer, this matter can't be resolved.

"Speaking of money..."

Xiang Yuan has reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage and is missing two types of pills: one to nourish blood and qi, replenishing what's been depleted, and another to assist him in successfully breaking through to the Acupoint Opening Stage on his first try.

External supplements cost money, and linking them to pills means a huge sum, at least a huge sum for him.

If he went to Xiao He, he'd definitely get them. Going to Wang Wenxu or Xu Jixian would also work, especially Wang Wenxu; Xiang Yuan had already decided how to manipulate him.

But not now. He said he wanted Xiao He to grovel, and he would make Xiao He grovel. He needed to let the other party know that he, Xiang Yuan, could live freely and thrive without anyone's help.

Xiang Yuan weighed the silver fragments in his hand. This amount of money wouldn't allow him to live freely. For the sake of his pride, he could only sell his belongings.

Clang!

Xiang Yuan drew his treasured sword, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. He loved divine weapons and sharp blades. He had polished this sword every night since acquiring it, but ultimately, they were fated to be apart.

"So be it. I have already entered the Way of the Saber. Though this sword is good, it is ultimately not the path I excel at."

Precious sword, precious sword, my future depends on you!

Xiang Yuan left the yamen and headed straight for East Street. Along the way, he occasionally looked back to see if anyone was secretly following him.

East Street was prosperous, a twenty-zhang commercial road running north and south, like a dragon's vein, gathering the wealth of the world. Merchants from north and south traveled incessantly, the traffic was heavy, and it bustled day and night, serving as the imperial court's money bag.

The main road was paved with bluestone, polished by years of time, witnessing the flow of countless fortunes.

On both sides of the street, shops stood in dense rows, one after another: gold shops, silk stores, medicinal herb shops, teahouses, and taverns. All sorts of businesses were available, each decorated magnificently and vying for attention to attract the gaze of passing martial artists.

Because there were so many people from the martial world, the composition of various snack stalls, miscellaneous goods stalls, and street performers was hard to determine. One couldn't be sure which was a Six Doors informant and which was a killer disguised as an innocent.

Xiang Yuan, wearing the "dog-skin" cap of a constable, walked down East Street. This dark uniform didn't carry much authority, but it did save him from a lot of trouble. Many people glanced at Xiang Yuan, and seeing that he was a constable with a clean face, they looked away.

Xiang Yuan found a large pawnshop and switched to a playful demeanor. After much effort and talking, he pawned it for fifteen hundred taels of silver.

Because it was a pawn transaction, and he looked young and easily deceived, he was also given a low price for the pawned item, so the price was significantly reduced.

The pawn ticket stated that if the sword was not redeemed with an increased price within thirty days, it would belong to the pawnshop.

Whether it would be redeemed was Sima Qingyan's business. Xiang Yuan didn't consider it. He pocketed the bank notes and the pawn ticket, and from afar, he saw the large banner of the White Cloud Manor's shop.

"A pot of heaven and earth can restore spring; "Elixirs on the shelf can save the world."

The couplet at the entrance was concise and clear. This was the place.