Acupoint Opening

After they finished the tea, Yue Huanjiang had refreshments brought in so Xiang Yuan could fill his stomach while continuing to ask for advice.

Xiang Yuan practiced a divine art and had an astonishing appetite. He polished off three plates of exquisite pastries, and they still weren't enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

The shopkeeper looked disdainful. Martial artists of the jianghu were crude to the extreme. He had no idea where this fellow had gotten his guidance, but he had grasped the way of doing business.

Yue Huanjiang didn't mind. He praised Xiang Yuan for being genuine, then had a feast prepared especially for him.

At the table, Xiang Yuan accepted everything offered. He ate with such gusto that the plates and bowls clattered.

Across from him, Yue Huanjiang ate with refined manners, never showing his teeth or speaking while eating. He picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and chewed slowly.

There were yellow-clad serving girls in the rear courtyard who could have been called in to add some beauty to the meal, but Yue Huanjiang didn't do so. He wasn't a lecher, and he assumed Xiang Yuan wasn't the sort to lose himself in feminine charms either.

Trying to tempt him with beauty would only be a lowly tactic.

If he truly wanted to befriend Xiang Yuan, he should treat him sincerely.

When the empty plates had been cleared away, Xiang Yuan let out a satisfied burp. The last time he'd eaten this well was at Fortune Garden, when County Lieutenant Qin had treated him. But he hadn't been the guest of honor that time, and he hadn't eaten his fill—only about four-tenths full.

"Thank you for the feast, brother. My table manners were awful. I hope you'll forgive me."

"We're people of the jianghu. What does it matter whether our manners look good or bad?"

Yue Huanjiang brushed it aside and asked, "What brings you to White Cloud Manor today, worthy brother? If you don't mind my clumsy tongue, I can show you around."

"No need. I've bought everything I need, except for a weapon that suits me. I'll pick one out myself."

Xiang Yuan thought, Now that's what I call being accommodating. With a sigh, he said, "White Cloud Manor's goods may be excellent, but there are no points or membership benefits. All the savings your younger brother worked so hard to scrape together have ended up in your hands."

As he spoke, he mentioned the Blood-Replenishing Pills at two hundred taels and the Acupoint Opening Pills at three hundred and fifty.

"One Acupoint Opening Pill costs three hundred and fifty taels? That's so expensive?" Yue Huanjiang exclaimed in surprise, then looked to the shopkeeper for an explanation.

Young master, don't say things like that! Three hundred and fifty taels is practically giving it away!

"Your Excellency may not know this, but Mr. Xiang bought a superior-grade Acupoint Opening Pill. This pill is difficult to refine..."

The shopkeeper repeated the sales pitch the attendant had used, then declared firmly, "That young fellow didn't know what he was doing and undervalued the pill. Otherwise, we wouldn't sell it for less than four hundred taels."

He looked as though he regretted that Xiang Yuan had gotten such an incredible bargain.

Yue Huanjiang couldn't help smiling. He shook his head slightly and said, "Return his money, then bring out a supreme-grade Acupoint Opening Pill. I'd like to give it to my worthy brother, free of charge, in repayment for the kindness of his teaching."

There were supreme grades too? Medium, large, extra-large... Was supreme-grade the equivalent of an extra-extra-large?

Xiang Yuan's eyes lit up. His efforts hadn't been in vain; he'd managed to secure a friendship as pure as water.

Once Yue Huanjiang had spoken, the shopkeeper didn't dare disobey. Besides, he preferred giving the pill away to selling it at a discount. Losing a single sale was far better than breaking the rules.

Before long, Xiang Yuan had a bottle of supreme-grade Acupoint Opening Pills in hand. They weren't sold in the front courtyard, so they were probably reserved for the rear, where ordinary martial artists could hardly hope to get them.

He knew how to return a favor. When he saw the money coming back, he took out the superior-grade Acupoint Opening Pill and handed it to the shopkeeper.

He hadn't wanted to give it back at first. He'd planned to sell it to the shopkeeper for four hundred taels; the rules were clear, so there was no worry that the other party would refuse. But with Yue Huanjiang still there, exuding the air of a gentleman, Xiang Yuan's competitive streak got the better of him. He gritted his teeth and decided not to earn those four hundred taels.

What a huge loss!

That was human nature. People often took a loss for the sake of appearances, forcing themselves to believe it was a blessing in disguise.

"Why did you need Blood-Replenishing Pills, worthy brother?"

"I don't mind telling you, though you may laugh at me. A while ago, I was arresting some bandits. They had the numbers, and I suffered external injuries, so I needed pills to replenish my blood." Xiang Yuan kept his answer brief.

"I see."

Yue Huanjiang smiled wryly. "So I was the one who caused you trouble, worthy brother."

"Huh?!"

You're also Sima Qingyan's fiancé, and the two of you are mutually in love?

Seeing Xiang Yuan's confusion, Yue Huanjiang explained, "Some time ago, Six Doors seized contraband from the Five Poisons Cult of the Southern Border. Among it were a great many pills from White Cloud Manor. You work for the county government, so I imagine you were injured that night."

Yue Huanjiang wasn't from Dezhou. He was an inner disciple of White Cloud Manor and rarely ventured into the jianghu. He'd come here to investigate the matter and find out which rat had tarnished White Cloud Manor's reputation.

"It's nothing. We're brothers—why bring up such things?"

Xiang Yuan didn't answer directly. It was a good thing that Yue Huanjiang felt indebted to him. For one thing, they still hadn't settled the matter of his divine weapon.

Seeing Xiang Yuan's loyalty, Yue Huanjiang felt even more ashamed. He said frankly, "Though pills can make up for what you've lost, their medicinal properties aren't a perfect match, so the results are inferior. The manor has rare delicacies and medicinal ingredients that can nourish you through food. I hope you'll give me the chance to make amends."

"I couldn't possibly accept."

"It's only right."

And so, the shopkeeper went out again.

He'd figured it out by now. The young master had taken a liking to Xiang Yuan and planned to recruit him as a member—no, as a guest.

Xiang Yuan had suspected as much for a while. He couldn't help wondering: if he'd brought a blade instead of an umbrella that night, and hadn't met Xiao He, would his future have been tied to White Cloud Manor?

It seemed likely. Old Daoist Quexin had made it quite clear: bringing an umbrella would lead to one sort of fate, and going without one would lead to another. Which path to take was up to him.

Master, if only you'd told me a little more back then!

On one side was Xiao He, a master of deception; on the other was Yue Huanjiang, the very picture of a gentleman. Forget their characters—judging by their looks alone, they were both men, but Yue Huanjiang looked far more like a thousand-year-old snake demon than Xiao He did.

Xiang Yuan glanced up. Yue Huanjiang sat nearby with a faint smile. His delicate features were so lovely that he could have passed for a woman in men's clothes.

That's more like it!

Xiang Yuan sighed over his many complaints, then chose to accept reality.

A person could have three minds working at once, but they shouldn't be of two minds. He'd chosen this path himself, so he'd have to walk it even if it made him want to cry. Since he'd chosen to bring an umbrella, White Cloud Manor, no matter how good it was, had nothing to do with him.

"Why are you sighing, worthy brother?"

"Your younger brother regrets that we didn't meet sooner."

"Fate brought us together at just the right time."

"It's too late. My future is already set."

"..."

Hearing Xiang Yuan's tactful refusal, Yue Huanjiang felt a little bitter. He didn't press him, but he couldn't help wondering who had won Xiang Yuan's genuine loyalty before he did.

It probably hadn't been wealth or beauty. White Cloud Manor could offer anything anyone else could—and double it. If Xiang Yuan had been after riches and glory, he wouldn't have turned him down.

It must have been someone with an extraordinary personality.

How intriguing!

An hour later, nourishing dishes made with ingredients and medicinal herbs that replenished blood and qi arrived. Xiang Yuan ate with gusto, taking in everything they brought like a bottomless cave.

At last, his depleted blood and qi were fully replenished. After a short rest, he'd be ready to break through to the Acupoint Opening stage.

"The manor's rear courtyard is quiet and undisturbed. You can practice here, worthy brother."

Yue Huanjiang rose slowly. "When you've succeeded, I'll come back to congratulate you. Then we can drink together and talk to our hearts' content. I hope you won't turn me away."

No chance. This is your home.

Xiang Yuan had been hoping for just that. The county office was crowded, and he worried someone might interrupt him while he was breaking through. He'd planned to rent a quiet room at a martial arts school, but now he'd even saved the cost of renting one.

The more Xiang Yuan looked at Yue Huanjiang, the more he liked him. Just look at his grace in conversation, then compare him to that scoundrel Xiao He. There was no contest. Xiao He wasn't even fit to carry his shoes.

Once the study and tea room had been cleared, Xiang Yuan took a cushion and sat cross-legged on the floor. He opened the porcelain bottle, broke the wax seal, and swallowed a supreme-grade Acupoint Opening Pill in one go.

Doubi logged off; Steady logged on. At a critical moment, he couldn't let Doubi's thoughts run wild.

The key to breaking through to the Acupoint Opening stage was the final acupoint on the Ren Meridian: Chengjiang. Also known as the Celestial Pool, it lay in the hollow at the center of the groove beneath the lower lip. It promoted the production and collection of bodily fluids and relaxed the tendons and invigorated the collaterals.

For a martial artist, once Chengjiang was opened, true qi could be drawn to the eyelids and made to circle the face. Only when qi flowed through the Ren Meridian, reaching upward to the facial features and downward to the perineum, could one align with the Five Elements and refine the five organs internally, officially entering the Acupoint Opening stage.

Here, "opening the acupoints" didn't refer to the three gates and nine apertures; it referred to the five organs and their internal regulation of the Five Elements.

The five elements were associated with the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. The corresponding nine apertures were the mouth, nose, ears, eyes, and the front and rear openings.

Old Daoist Quexin had explained that the human race was originally born with an innate body. The five organs and their elements opened inward, the qi points throughout the body flowed outward, and the nine apertures were complete. One could seize the wondrous workings of heaven and earth, with boundless prospects and a direct path to immortality.

But because of the demon race's curse, the Five Elements had become sluggish and the meridians blocked. Humans could no longer directly touch the truths of heaven and earth. That was why they now cultivated through martial arts, working backward from the outer to the inner.

Demons had their arts; humans had the diligence rewarded by heaven and the spirit of constant self-improvement. Every cultivator had to struggle against the demon race's curse.

Today, it was Xiang Yuan's turn to attempt this breakthrough.

"Divine pill, help me!"