Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake

The Golden-Backed Python was entirely golden.

Its body was covered in gleaming golden scales, nearly three zhang long and about the size of a bowl's mouth. Several laborers worked together to press it against a stone slab nearby, while crimson blood flowed from its neck into a wooden basin placed in the stone trough, the scent of blood spreading through the air.

Qin Jiu paused slightly.

Then he casually set down the sharpened knife.

His awareness, however, lingered on the new illustration that had appeared on the Red Seal.

"Young Master, now that Qin Xiong has left the Hundred Beasts Garden, you need to arrange for another Third-Tempered Martial Artist to take charge here as soon as possible."

Before Qin Jiu could ponder this.

Steward Wang's words sounded behind him.

Qin Jiu thought for a moment, then said, "This is the lifeline of the Qin Mansion. For now, let the captain of the guard take charge here. Later, we'll see if the guard team can train a new Third-Tempered Martial Artist before making further plans."

"The captain of the guard..."

Wang Yue frowned and said, "Young Master, Commander Qin Xuanzhou has always been responsible for medicinal herb procurement. If he's now stationed at the beast garden, what about the herb purchases... Also, Qin Xiong is ambitious. He previously met with the deputy leader of the Chai Gang and the old leader of the Fisher Gang at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Now that he's lost his post guarding the beast garden, he might harbor resentment."

"Should we..."

As he spoke, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

It was clear he had murderous intent.

Qin Jiu waved this off: "First, have someone keep a close watch on his every move. With outside forces eyeing us hungrily, if word gets out that the Qin family has dismissed a Third-Tempered Martial Artist, those wolves outside will surely mistake it for us crippling ourselves. They might not be able to resist striking immediately."

"A Third-Tempered Martial Artist, even if he harbors disloyalty, as long as we don't openly break with him right away..."

"He can still be useful in some capacity."

Qin Jiu wasn't too worried about Qin Xiong making any moves.

His entire family was still in the Qin Mansion.

No matter what the man did, he would have to tread carefully.

Besides, from today onward, Qin Jiu would keep tabs on every move Qin Xiong made. If any sign of trouble emerged, he could ensure it was suppressed at the first moment.

Thinking this.

Qin Jiu whispered a few more words to Steward Wang.

Then he had the laborers move the Golden-Backed Python and the spirit beast blood to his own courtyard. While ordering the servants to prepare medicinal cuisine, he began imprinting the talent.

"Snake Waist Python Tendon..."

In the small courtyard.

Qin Jiu mused briefly, then took ten taels of gold from his bosom. The Red Seal began to tremble in response.

Reforming the shape, altering the bones, gaining a thousand jin of strength.

Tendons lengthened by an inch, lifespan extended by a year.

This was clearly a talent related to one's foundation. Imprinting it wouldn't be a loss, since the martial path emphasizes natural aptitude and bone structure. Imprinting Snake Waist Python Tendon would add to his martial foundation.

As the illustration on the Red Seal faded.

A tingling numbness spread through Qin Jiu's waist and back. At the same time, a bone-cracking sound, enough to make one's hair stand on end, echoed from his spine.

But there was no pain.

Instead, he felt a surge of strength and stamina swelling within him.

A strange light flickered in his eyes. He walked to the stone pavilion in the courtyard, gripped the edge of the stone table with one hand, and lifted it lightly. The table rose off the ground in an instant.

"The old ailments are gone."

Qin Jiu let out a heavy breath.

Then he ordered the servant waiting outside the courtyard to summon Wang Yue.

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

"Practice martial arts?"

Wang Yue was startled, then exclaimed, "Young Master, you can't. Your body is weak and your qi is deficient. Forcing yourself to train your physique will only bring harm, not benefit."

Qin Jiu didn't speak.

He simply extended his hand, signaling for the other to take his pulse.

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

Wang Yue was himself a martial arts expert, so he was no stranger to this. Without a second thought, he placed his hand on Qin Jiu's wrist. Almost immediately, a look of shock spread across his face.

"This..."

"Uncle Wang, why do you think I would use spirit beasts for medicinal cuisine for no reason?"

Qin Jiu said, hinting at something.

As for what Wang Yue thought, that was up to him.

He did not mind.

"With my current physique, surely I can still practice martial arts?"

"Of course you can."

Wang Yue nodded. "It's just that this old servant's entire martial arts foundation comes from the Tyrant Blade technique, a mid-grade martial art passed down by the family head in years past. But this art is exceedingly harsh; training in it often ends up damaging the lungs and viscera, with the Internal Fortification realm as its limit."

"This old servant does not recommend that the young master practice this art."

"As I recall, the Qin Mansion only has this one mid-grade martial art."

Qin Jiu frowned, cutting him off.

Though his previous self had been idle and unlearned, he had absorbed no small amount of knowledge about the martial path through constant exposure.

The Qin family's rise to prominence.

All stemmed from the old master Qin Guihong's single-handed Tyrant Blade technique, which allowed them to establish a foothold in Songshan's inner city. During his lifetime, the Qin family was at its zenith, with no martial artist of the same realm able to surpass him. Yet after the old master dominated for thirty years, aside from the Tyrant Blade, the Qin family had no second mid-grade martial art.

If he only trained in a low-grade art.

Qin Jiu was not satisfied with that.

After all, he was no impoverished scholar, forced to bitterly grind away at some low-grade, painstaking technique.

The family lacked neither martial resources nor silver.

If he was going to train, he might as well train the best.

"Well..."

Wang Yue spoke, his voice dropping low. Finally, he walked to the door and dismissed the servants outside.

After confirming no one was nearby.

He closed the courtyard gate.

"The Qin family does have another martial art, ranked at the high-grade level."

Wang Yue walked over and said in a low voice: "This art was obtained by the family head by chance in his early years. However, it only consists of a stance technique and a breathing method—it is incomplete."

"But if one uses this art to temper their blood and qi, they can forge a deep and solid martial foundation..."

"A high-grade martial art?"

A glint of light flashed in Qin Jiu's eyes.

Among the four great families of Songshan County, the two major gangs, and even the most powerful martial arts school in the inner city, at most they only passed down a single mid-grade martial art. As for the other forces, large and small, they couldn't even catch a glimpse of a mid-grade art, let alone a high-grade one.

This showed just how precious high-grade martial arts were.

Wang Yue nodded. "This art is called the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake. It is a rare high-grade martial art that requires no special talent to cultivate. Its primary effect is to nurture life, and only secondarily to temper the physique."

"This is why I would advise the young master to cultivate it."

"Once you reach minor success in the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake, then training in the Tyrant Blade technique should pose no problems."

Qin Jiu nodded slightly.

The three refinements of martial arts were nothing more than sinew, bone, and skin.

If one damaged their lungs and viscera during these three refinements, breaking through to Internal Fortification later would be extremely difficult.

But he possessed the Withered Wood Meets Spring talent.

He faced no such risk.

However, since a high-grade martial art was now available, there was no rush for the blade technique. After all, forcing Wang Yue to teach it would only draw too much attention.

After a moment of thought.

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

Qin Guihong had left no secret manual for this art. In the entire Qin Mansion, only the former and Wang Yue knew of the Dragon-Tiger Health-Nurturing Stake. If not for Qin Jiu bringing it up, Wang Yue would have said he planned to take it to his grave, for leaking it would only bring utter destruction to the Qin family.

In the following days.

Qin Jiu diligently cultivated the Health-Nurturing Stake under Wang Yue's guidance.

Whenever he paused to rest, servants would bring medicinal meals prepared from spirit beasts.

Time passed slowly like this.

One morning.

As Qin Jiu was standing in his stance, a maidservant brought news.

It made his brow furrow instantly.

"Young master, the carriage is ready in the mansion. We will depart for the Han residence tomorrow at the hour of the Rabbit. The old madam asks that you prepare."