Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake

The Golden-Backed Python was golden all over.

Its body was covered in brilliant golden scales, and it was nearly three zhang long, about as thick as a bowl. Several workers held it down together on a stone slab nearby. Bright red blood flowed from its neck, trickling into a wooden basin set in a stone trough as the stench of blood filled the air.

Qin Jiu paused.

Then he casually set down the sharpened blade.

His attention remained on the new entry that had appeared in the Red Seal.

"Young Master, now that Qin Xiong of the Hundred Beasts Garden has left, you'll need to arrange for another Three Refinements martial master to take charge here as soon as possible."

Before Qin Jiu could consider the matter,

Steward Wang's voice sounded from behind him.

Qin Jiu pondered briefly, then said, "This is the lifeblood of the Qin Mansion. For now, let the captain of the guards take charge here. Later, we can see whether the guards can train another Three Refinements martial master and make plans then."

"The captain of the guards..."

Wang Yue furrowed his brow. "Young Master, Commander Qin Xuanzhou has always been responsible for purchasing medicinal ingredients. If he takes charge of the beast garden now, then what about the purchasing...? Besides, Qin Xiong is ambitious. He met with the vice leader of the Chai Gang and the old leader of the Fisher Gang when he went to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion before. Now he's also lost the important post of guarding the beast garden. He may well grow resentful."

"Should we..."

As he spoke, a cold light filled his eyes.

He had clearly developed murderous intent.

Qin Jiu waved his hand. "Have someone keep a close watch on his every move for now. The outside world is watching us like a pack of hungry tigers. If word gets out that the Qin Family has dealt with a Three Refinements martial master, those wolves with designs on us will surely think we've crippled ourselves. They might lose patience and attack at once."

"One Three Refinements martial master, even if he harbors treacherous intentions, can still..."

"Still be put to good use, as long as we don't immediately tear off the mask."

Qin Jiu wasn't too worried that Qin Xiong would make a move.

His entire family was in the Qin Mansion.

Whatever Qin Xiong did, he would have to think twice.

And from this day forward, Qin Jiu would keep every move Qin Xiong made under his watch. If any sign of trouble appeared, he could ensure Qin Xiong was suppressed at once.

With that in mind,

Qin Jiu leaned toward Steward Wang and murmured a few more words.

Then he had the workers bring the Golden-Backed Python and the spirit beast's blood to his courtyard. He asked the servants to prepare medicinal dishes while he imprinted the talent.

"Snake Waist Python Tendon..."

In the courtyard,

Qin Jiu pondered briefly, then took ten taels of gold from his robes. The Red Seal began to tremble.

"Reshape the form and alter the bones; gain a thousand jin of strength.

"For every inch the tendons lengthen, a year is added to one's life."

This was clearly a talent related to one's innate constitution. Imprinting it was well worth the cost. After all, the path of martial arts depended on talent and physical constitution. Imprinting Snake Waist Python Tendon would add to his martial foundation.

As the entry on the Red Seal faded,

A tingling sensation rose through Qin Jiu's waist, abdomen, and back. At the same time, his spine crackled with a series of bone-splitting sounds that made one's hair stand on end.

Yet he felt no pain.

Instead, he felt as if his stamina and strength were surging.

A glint flashed in his eyes. He walked to the stone pavilion in the courtyard and gripped the edge of its stone table with one hand. With a slight lift, he raised it off the ground in an instant.

"The old ailments are gone."

Qin Jiu let out a long breath.

Then he called over Wang Yue, who was waiting outside the courtyard.

"Uncle Wang, I want to practice martial arts."

"Practice martial arts?"

Wang Yue froze, then exclaimed, "Young Master, you mustn't. Your body is weak and your qi is deficient. Forcing yourself to temper your physique would do more harm than good."

Qin Jiu said nothing.

He merely held out his hand, signaling Wang Yue to take his pulse.

Since ancient times, medicine and martial arts had been inseparable.

Wang Yue was a martial arts expert himself and naturally knew his way around this. Without a second thought, he placed his fingers on Qin Jiu's wrist. Almost at once, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

"This..."

"Uncle Wang, why do you think I've been using spirit beasts to make medicinal dishes for no reason?"

Qin Jiu remarked meaningfully.

He didn't care what Wang Yue thought of it.

"With my physique now, I still can't practice martial arts?"

"Of course you can."

Wang Yue nodded. "It's just that all my martial arts came from the mid-grade Tyrant Blade Technique the family head once taught me. But this art is extremely fierce. By the end, it often damages the lungs and viscera, and the Internal Strengthening Realm is as far as it goes."

"I wouldn't recommend that you practice it, Young Master."

"I remember the Qin Mansion only has that one mid-grade martial art."

Qin Jiu frowned and cut him off.

His former self may have been good-for-nothing, but growing up surrounded by martial arts, he had still learned a fair bit about them.

The Qin Family had risen to prominence

thanks entirely to Old Master Qin Guihong's Tyrant Blade Technique, which had allowed the family to establish itself in Songshan's Inner City. While the old master was alive, the Qin Family had flourished, and no martial artist at the same level could match him. Yet after the old master had dominated the martial world for thirty years, the Qin Family still had no second mid-grade martial art besides the Tyrant Blade Technique.

If he practiced only low-grade martial arts,

Qin Jiu wouldn't be satisfied.

After all, he wasn't from some impoverished family, forced to suffer through the slow, painstaking grind of low-grade martial arts.

His family lacked neither martial resources nor money.

If he was going to practice, he would practice the best.

"Well..."

Wang Yue began, his voice growing quieter. In the end, he simply walked to the door and sent the servants outside away.

Then, after making sure no one was nearby,

He closed the courtyard gate.

"The Qin Family has another martial art. It ranks among the upper-grade arts."

Wang Yue came over and lowered his voice. "The family head came across it by chance many years ago, but the art only includes stance training and a breathing method. It's incomplete."

"Still, using it to temper qi and blood can lay a deep foundation for martial arts..."

"An upper-grade martial art?"

A flash of light passed through Qin Jiu's eyes.

Among Songshan County's four great families, two major gangs, and even the most powerful martial arts school in the Inner City, the best any of them had was a mid-grade martial art. The other forces, great and small, hadn't even caught sight of one, let alone an upper-grade art.

That showed just how precious upper-grade martial arts were.

Wang Yue nodded. "This art is called the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake. It's one of the few upper-grade martial arts that can be practiced without any special talent. Its main purpose is to nurture vitality, and only after that does it temper the physique."

"That's why I would recommend you practice it, Young Master."

"As long as you master the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake to a minor level before practicing the Tyrant Blade Technique, there shouldn't be any problem."

Qin Jiu nodded slightly.

The three stages of martial refinement were, in essence, the refinement of sinews, bones, and skin.

If his lungs and viscera were damaged during the Three Refinements, breaking through to Internal Strengthening later would be difficult.

But he had the Withered Wood Meets Spring talent.

He faced no such risk.

Still, with an upper-grade martial art available, there was no need to rush into the blade technique. After all, if he made Wang Yue teach it to him by force, it might draw too much attention.

After thinking it over,

He immediately asked Wang Yue to teach him the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake.

Qin Guihong had left no manual for this art. In the entire Qin Mansion, only Wang Yue and the former family head knew of the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake. Had Qin Jiu not brought it up, Wang Yue admitted, he would have taken it to his grave. If word of it leaked, it would bring disaster upon the Qin Family.

Over the following days,

Qin Jiu diligently practiced the Health Preservation Stake under Wang Yue's guidance.

Whenever he took a break, servants would bring him medicinal dishes prepared with spirit beasts.

Time flowed by slowly.

One morning,

As Qin Jiu stood practicing his stance, a maid brought him some news.

His brows immediately drew together.

"Young Master, the household has already prepared a carriage team. It will set out for the Han Family at the start of the mao hour tomorrow. The Old Madam asked you to get ready."