Comprehending Qi Sensation

In the bedroom of the suburban manor.

Shi Mu sat on a chair, staring at a small bottle on the table before him, his face full of deep thought.

Suddenly, several knocks came from outside.

"Come in."

Shi Mu said flatly without lifting his head.

The door pushed open, and a graceful figure entered carrying a wooden tray. With practiced ease, she placed a steaming bowl of meat congee on the table.

"Miss Zhong, you're here again. Didn't I say you don't need to do these rough chores?" Shi Mu finally looked up, shaking his head at the young woman before him.

The person before him was none other than Zhong Xiu.

Ever since entering the manor, out of gratitude for Shi Mu's kindness in taking her in, she had frequently come to his quarters these past days to pour tea and deliver meals.

"Brother Shi, you haven't eaten anything for an entire day. Please have some food. I simmered this congee slowly over a low flame myself." Zhong Xiu spoke softly. Even though the blue mark on her forehead was striking, she still gave off a gentle and moving impression.

"An entire day without eating, is it? In that case, I won't stand on ceremony." After a moment of surprise, Shi Mu gave a wry smile.

He then picked up the bowl of meat congee and downed its contents in a few quick gulps, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Miss Zhong, this congee is truly delicious. I never expected you had such culinary skill. Whoever marries you in the future will be in for a treat."

"Brother Shi jokes. With my plain looks, who would take a liking to me? But if Brother Shi truly enjoys my cooking, Xiu'er can cook for you often." A faint blush crept across Zhong Xiu's fair face as she replied with a hint of joy.

"If that's the case, I..."

Shi Mu smiled at the girl and was about to say more when footsteps sounded from outside. Zhang Suo burst in and said hurriedly:

"Young Master Shi, Steward Cheng from the Jin Mansion is here and wants to see you immediately."

"Old Cheng, is it? Alright, I'll go meet him." Shi Mu's eyes narrowed slightly at the news, but he replied without hesitation. He put away the small bottle on the table and strode out.

Zhang Suo naturally rushed after him.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhong Xiu followed as well.

A short while later, at the manor's main gate, Shi Mu looked at the banknotes Jin Cheng handed him, his expression somewhat dark.

"So, my Spirit Qi Pill is gone, replaced by thirty thousand taels of silver. Fine. The market price of a Spirit Qi Pill is only ten thousand silver taels, so I suppose I've made a tidy profit."

"Ahem, Young Master Shi, the mistress did her best. She even went to the Jin family's main residence and made a scene, but this matter was personally decided by the clan elder. The mistress had no choice. Even these thirty thousand taels came from her own pocket. Also, the mistress asked me to pass along a message: though she can no longer provide Spirit Qi Pills, the other condition she promised still stands." The old man in blue coughed lightly and explained.

To be honest, this Jin family steward had always had a good impression of Shi Mu. Hearing that he had awakened a crippled meridian, he felt a bit of regret as well.

"So it was the Jin clan elder who spoke. That makes things difficult for Aunt Zhen." Shi Mu was somewhat surprised by this, but he slowly took the banknotes.

"As long as Young Master Shi understands the mistress's good intentions! Also, the mistress said that some people in the Jin family might take this chance to make things difficult for you. It would be best if you stayed out of the city for a while." Jin Cheng thought for a moment and added a warning.

"Alright, I understand. Please thank Aunt Zhen for me." Shi Mu nodded slightly.

"Then this old servant will take his leave. Oh, and if Young Master Shi truly cannot give up the path of a martial artist, this old servant does know of a decent place." Seeing that Shi Mu remained calm even after hearing all this, the old man in blue couldn't help but smile. He took a slip of paper from his sleeve, handed it to Shi Mu, and then left gracefully.

Shi Mu stood at the gate, watching until the old man's figure disappeared. He still held the three banknotes and the slip of paper, motionless.

Zhong Xiu and Zhang Suo had been listening nearby.

The young woman seemed to have grasped something of the conversation, and her gaze toward Shi Mu carried a hint of worry. Zhang Suo, on the other hand, looked completely confused, as if he hadn't understood the meaning behind the exchange between Shi Mu and Jin Cheng.

That same night, Shi Mu sat cross-legged on his bed, toying with the small bottle he had taken out at noon. His gaze was cold as ice.

"The Stone Monkey's crippled meridian, huh!"

"Heh, I refuse to believe I'm a waste."

"Mother, rest assured. Since I have resolved to become a strong man in this world, I will never give up halfway and disgrace you. What is a mere crippled meridian? It's not like all my meridians are severed!"

After muttering these words to himself, Shi Mu suddenly opened the bottle, poured out a milky-white pill, and swallowed it in one gulp.

It was the Spirit Qi Pill given to him by that mysterious young woman who called herself the Heavenly Yin Enchantress.

The pill had originally been hard as iron, but the moment it entered Shi Mu's mouth, it turned soft and sweet like cotton. In just a few breaths, it dissolved into a stream of saliva that slid down his throat, then transformed into a surge of scorching energy that spread through his stomach and intestines.

"Boom"

Shi Mu felt a roar in his head. His five senses instantly became several times sharper than before, and at the same time, an unbearable itch spread throughout his body.

He immediately sat cross-legged, his eyelids drooping, his expression extremely solemn.

At the same time, In a quiet room within the Jin Mansion.

A middle-aged man was furiously berating a young man whose face resembled his own.

"Useless, useless! You call Shi Mu a waste? I think you're even worse than him with his crippled meridian. You're the real waste! This is already your second time taking a Spirit Qi Pill. Didn't you say earlier that you were absolutely certain to grasp Qi sense this time? What happened now? How did I end up with a son as worthless as you? If I had known, why would I have spent so much effort snatching the Spirit Qi Pill from Seventh Sister? I might as well have left it for that brat Shi Mu and saved myself some silver."

The more the middle-aged man spoke, the angrier he became. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped the young man across the face, then flung open the door and stormed out.

"Shi Mu."

Jin Tian rubbed his red, swollen cheek, gritting his teeth as he uttered someone's name.

Half a day later, Shi Mu pressed one hand against his abdomen, sensing a faint wisp of heat flickering beneath his palm. Joy and surprise mingled in his heart.

So this was qi sensation!

Without the aid of the Spirit Qi Pill, he truly would have been unable to perceive its existence at all.

Now, as long as he found a Houtian cultivation technique, he could begin cultivating the true qi that only a Houtian Martial Artist could possess.

In a sense, he was now a true martial artist.

After a long moment, Shi Mu withdrew his focus from within his body and took out the note Jin Cheng had given him from his sleeve. Unfolding it, he read it carefully.

"The Three Frontier Provinces! The Military Martial Hall!"

After a while, the youth murmured aloud.

(Only now does the story truly begin. By the way, I humbly ask for your recommendation votes!)