Assistant Administrator Gao Is Dead! Dig Three Feet into the Ground (Thanks to Greedy Bookworm for the Reward)

Heliang City, in a detached courtyard.

A group of scholars sat around the brazier.

Xie Xuan'an sat in the seat of honor, with two young and beautiful maidservants standing behind him with their hands folded.

When one of them saw Xie Xuan'an signal, she stepped forward and carefully brought out a Five-Color Stone.

The stone was brilliantly mottled, about the size of an egg.

The other maidservant took out a small Stone Mortar, placed the Five-Color Stone inside, and began grinding it into a fine powder.

Before long, the Five-Color Stone had been ground into a dense powder.

Xie Xuan'an reached out, and the maidservant presented him with the Stone Mortar.

He took a small spoonful and poured it into the warmed wine cup before him. After gently swirling it, the multicolored powder slowly dissolved into the wine, giving off a layer of tiny glimmers.

He raised his cup and drained it in one gulp. The other scholars followed suit, each taking a spoonful and washing it down with warm wine.

As the wine slid down his throat, Xie Xuan'an slowly closed his eyes, feeling a warm medicinal power spread through his abdomen and flow gradually along his meridians. He could not help but feel light-headed and elated.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a trace of satisfaction showing on his face.

"Everyone." He set down his wine cup and said in a clear voice, "It is rare to have such leisure today. Why don't we discuss the path of martial arts?"

At his words, everyone clapped and voiced their agreement.

For a time, the courtyard filled with the sounds of discussion.

They went from the body-tempering methods for entering Mortal Shedding to the innate qi of Xiantian, each expressing his own view as they traded opinions back and