Qi Refining Technique

As twilight deepened, Li Tui returned to the guest room in the West Courtyard.

Shadows of bamboo swayed outside the window. He did not light a lamp, walking to the window by the last of the daylight, his gaze fixed in the direction of Moxiang Pavilion.

The look in Zhao Hao's eyes surfaced in his consciousness once again.

Such hatred would not dissipate. It would only lie dormant, like a hibernating viper, waiting for the right moment to bare its fangs.

Li Tui stood before the window for a moment, then turned and walked to the bedside, taking the crude Qi-guiding manual from under his pillow.

He flipped open the pages, his eyes landing on the scrawled handwriting.

He began to circulate his Qi, and his essence energy slowly converged.

After completing three cycles according to the Zhao Family method, Li Tui opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed.

Relying on such a crude technique, his previous expectations were likely too optimistic.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper drifted in from outside; it was the third watch.

Li Tui blew out the oil lamp and sat cross-legged in the darkness. He did not continue his cultivation, listening quietly to the movements outside the courtyard. There was still light in Zhao Yuanchong's room, accompanied by the faint, crisp sound of chess pieces hitting a board and the soft murmurs of a woman.

The next morning, Li Tui waited outside Zhao Yuanchong's room as usual.

At the third quarter of the Mao hour, the door opened.

It was not Zhao Yuanchong who emerged, but another woman he had never seen before. Her eyes held lingering fatigue, her hair was loose, and she smoothed her temples before looking at Li Tui.

"The young master rested late last night and won't be going to the school today," she said, her voice low and tone indifferent. "Go and report this to the teacher."

Li Tui lowered his eyes: "Yes."

The woman acknowledged him and turned to return to the room, but paused, looking back at him once more.

She scanned him from his washed-out collar to his respectful yet straight spine, finally letting her gaze rest on his face.

"You are the new study companion?"

"Yes, this servant is Wang Yuan."

The woman nodded, said nothing more, and left him with a curt "Serve him well" before closing the door.

Li Tui stood where he was, watching the carved wooden door latch shut.

Halfway to his destination, he ran into someone.

It was Zhao Minglai.

He was dressed in indigo training gear, walking from the direction of the martial arts arena. His forehead was lightly beaded with sweat, and his breathing was steady and long, clearly having just finished his practice. Seeing Li Tui hurrying toward him, he raised an eyebrow: "What is it?"

Li Tui bowed and reported that Zhao Yuanchong would not be attending school today.

Zhao Minglai nodded after hearing this, his gaze falling on Li Tui's face as he looked him up and down: "How is your Qi-guiding coming along?"

"Reporting to Teacher, I feel I have gradually grasped some of the fundamentals recently."

"Hmm." Zhao Minglai took a jade slip from his robe, entirely translucent white and about an inch long. "While clearing out the storehouse yesterday, I found a few Qi-guiding manuals copied in the early years, mostly used by clan disciples to build a foundation before practicing Qi. I thought that since you are by the Third Young Master's side, you should have some room for improvement."

He paused, his tone indifferent: "This Wood Essence Qi-Guiding Technique is quite decent. Although not top-tier, it is better than the crude method you are currently practicing. Take it and study it."

Li Tui took the jade slip with both hands. The jade was warm and smooth, cool to the touch, with a faint flow of spiritual energy inside.

"Thank you, Teacher, for the gift."

Zhao Minglai waved his hand: "Cultivate diligently, and do not let down... this good intention." He spoke vaguely, then changed the subject: "As for the Third Young Master, put in more effort. His temperament is a bit unruly, but he is of the direct line after all. While you are by his side, you must know how to handle the boundaries."

"This disciple understands."

Zhao Minglai said no more and turned to leave.

Li Tui stood in place, looking at the translucent white jade slip in his hand.

The manual had come seemingly at random. But Li Tui knew clearly that there was no such thing as unmotivated charity in this world. Zhao Minglai was testing the waters, seeing just how far this "promising talent" could go.

If his progress was fast, it proved the investment was worth it, and there might be more to come; if he remained stagnant, this jade slip would be the final favor.

As for the Wood Essence Qi-Guiding Technique...

Li Tui tucked the jade slip into his robe and walked quickly back to the guest room.

He bolted the door and sat cross-legged on the bed. He took out the jade slip and pressed it to his forehead. As his consciousness probed inside, a stream of information flooded his mind.

The Wood Essence Qi-Guiding Technique contained over three thousand words, accompanied by diagrams of energy circulation, detailing how to draw the essence of plants and trees into the body to nourish the spiritual root and accelerate the opening of the meridians.

Compared to the crude method he was currently practicing, this technique was indeed far more refined. In particular, the "Wood Essence Convergence" method could draw in the scattered essence of surrounding vegetation and refine it into one's own. If mastered, his cultivation speed would increase by at least thirty percent.

Li Tui put down the jade slip and closed his eyes in thought.

This technique was enough to support his cultivation until his spiritual root awakened. Once he stepped into the Qi-refining stage, he might be able to obtain even more advanced techniques from the Zhao Family.

This was the resource of a great family. Even a small portion was enough to benefit him for a long time.

But what Li Tui wanted was more than just this.

He opened his eyes, the depths of his pupils as calm as a deep pool. The jade slip was only the beginning; he needed more.

And all of this had to be schemed for, bit by bit, from the Zhao Family.

Suddenly, Zhao Yuanchong's impatient call came from outside the window: "Wang Yuan! Where the hell did you die off to!"

Li Tui stood up, smoothed his collar, put on a respectful and submissive expression once more, and pushed the door open.

"Young Master, this servant is here."

He bowed and replied, his voice calm. But as he turned to walk toward the main house, he saw a terrifying sight...