A Brand New Cultivation Method

Late at night, in Hu Xinzhu's garden, inside an exquisite and elegant retreat.

The retreat, built entirely from purple bamboo, had three stories. Each floor held several rooms furnished in a style of refined elegance. Donkey and the others occupied the first and second floors, while Lin Qi sat alone in the largest room on the third floor, lazily gazing blankly through the broad window at the multicolored stars overhead.

The hazy stars flickered like countless gemstones set into the sky. Stare at that dreamy radiance for too long, and it gave one a drowsy feeling. All the stars followed strange trajectories, and some that were closer to the ground and moved faster could even be seen clearly in motion.

The entire garden was silent, with only the faint sound of Donkey and the others snoring drifting up from below.

Lin Qi and Hu Tu had originally been granted kingships, while every one of Hu Tu's sons and grandsons had received a title. It should have been an occasion for grand celebration. But during the day, Ying Zheng had ruthlessly slaughtered more than a hundred members of the imperial clan and wiped out tens of thousands of powerful nobles and ministers. Holding a lavish celebration while the city's blood still ran in rivers—wouldn't that simply be adding to Ying Zheng's irritation?

Especially since neither Feng Baiyu nor Hu Tu could quite fathom Ying Zheng's true depths. At such a life-and-death juncture, they had even less mood to celebrate.

Thus, the garden was very quiet that night. Even the jubilant servants had retired after enjoying a sumptuous dinner. No one moved about within the garden; only now and then came the clear cries of white cranes from distant Crane Garden.

Lin Qi sat cross-legged on a soft, comfortable cushion of fresh