The sun after noon gradually grew scorching.
The thin window paper outside the side room was beginning to do little to keep out the heat.
After lunch, Chen Ye rested briefly, then got up and went out into the courtyard to splash some well water over his face.
Coolness seeped in through his forehead, clearing away the lingering drowsiness.
The courtyard was as quiet as ever.
Gao Qiaoniang stayed in the side room and did not come out, and Zhang Tieyi had not arrived either.
He went alone to a shady spot in the courtyard and set himself in a stance, tempering his body.
On the one hand, he wanted to experience firsthand the changes the breathing method brought to his body while no one was watching.
On the other hand, he did not know whether anyone else was in the courtyard, and he was unsure whether Gao Qiaoniang might secretly report his every move.
To be safe, he needed to keep up his diligent training and avoid arousing suspicion.
Chen Ye used the breathing method to circulate his qi and blood, repeating the process until dusk. After a quick wash, he turned and went back inside.
He leaned against the bedboard without lying down at once, occasionally glancing outside through the square window, warily watching for any movement.
It was not until the middle of the night that he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day arrived.
Zhang Tieyi showed up in the courtyard right on time and, as usual, gave Chen Ye a Blood Ginseng Pill, watching him swallow it.
Then, as he had the day before, he taught Chen Ye the breathing method and urged him to practice the stance while refining the medicinal power.
Chen Ye noticed that the burning sensation the Blood Ginseng Pill gave him was much milder than yesterday.
At the same time, he realized that after the pill entered his stomach, its medicinal power first spread throughout his body. Once combined with the breathing method and the Foundation Cultivation Technique stance, that power was gradually "drawn in."
The next few days passed in the same way.
Until the fifth day.
That day, Chen Ye noticed that Zhang Tieyi was unusually quiet.
Instead of explaining the essentials as he had over the past few days, he made Chen Ye practice the stance and breathing method over and over, his tone considerably harsher than usual.
Zhang Tieyi stood in the middle of the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
Each time Chen Ye adjusted his breathing and stance, he could feel Zhang Tieyi's gaze resting on him, heavy and intent.
"Does your body feel any different?" Zhang Tieyi asked after Chen Ye finished his practice.
It was the second time that day he had asked the same question.
The first had been midway through the stance practice, when Chen Ye had simply replied that he felt a little warm.
Zhang Tieyi had said nothing.
Now he was asking again.
Chen Ye answered honestly, "It's still the same. I feel a little warm."
Zhang Tieyi heard him out, but his brow furrowed slightly.
After giving him a few brief instructions, he strode out of the courtyard.
Watching him leave, Chen Ye's expression darkened.
He sensed that Zhang Tieyi seemed to be waiting for some change in his body.
The Blood Ginseng Pills and the Foundation Cultivation Technique were probably meant to hasten that change.
Once his body met the required condition, the outcome was obvious.
It might not even take a month. It could happen tomorrow, or three days from now; then he would be sent away to be dealt with.
Chen Ye's expression darkened further. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and resumed his stance.
That evening,
Gao Qiaoniang brought dinner as usual, along with a bowl of medicinal soup.
The soup was about the same color as the Blood Ginseng Pill, a pale red, and its medicinal smell was even stronger.
A fine layer of foam floated on top, as if it had only just been boiled.
"What is this?"
"Guard Zhang said you worked hard at your training during the day, so he specially prescribed some medicinal soup to nourish you." Gao Qiaoniang set the food and medicine on the table. "Drink it while it's hot."
Chen Ye said, "Just leave it there. I'll drink it after I eat."
Gao Qiaoniang said nothing more and quietly went out.
That night, when she came back to collect the bowls, she found the medicinal soup untouched, still sitting on the table just as she had left it.
It had gone cold.
She stood in the doorway in silence for two breaths, then said, "The soup won't taste good once it's cold. Guard Zhang will check tomorrow."
Chen Ye turned to look at her.
As Gao Qiaoniang spoke, she did not look at him.
Her gaze rested on the bowl of medicinal soup, and her voice was soft.
Not a single word she said sounded like she was urging him to drink it.
Chen Ye understood the meaning behind Gao Qiaoniang's words.
If he poured the soup out and pretended he had drunk it, she probably would not report him.
Chen Ye took the opportunity to ask, "What happened to the one who didn't drink it before?"
Gao Qiaoniang lowered her head and did not answer. She placed the bowl, chopsticks, and the now-cold soup on the tray, one by one.
Her movements were noticeably faster than usual.
"If you're hungry, tell me. I'll make extra food tomorrow morning."
With that, she left.
Chen Ye closed the door and sat on the bench, his hands resting habitually on the table as his fingers tapped in turn, making a steady, rhythmic sound.
The tiny flame of the oil lamp swayed gently in the breeze, and his shadow on the wall rose and fell with it.
Gao Qiaoniang had not answered, nor had she denied that there had been such a person.
That meant the person had existed.
And things had not gone well for him.
That was all the answer she could give.
He would never drink that medicinal soup again.
Chen Ye pushed the thought aside, then summoned the Pawn System's panel with a thought.
[Name: Chen Ye] [Current Martial Art: Foundation Cultivation Technique (Entry)] [Realm: None] [Can pawn lifespan to obtain corresponding cultivation progress] [After pawning, redeeming lifespan requires paying double the price; only talent, luck, and wealth can be used] [Remaining Lifespan: Two years, ten months, and twelve days]
After observing for these past days, Chen Ye had figured out the patterns in the courtyard.
Zhang Tieyi never spent the night there.
After dinner, no one came to watch him near this room.
If he pawned some of his lifespan to improve his cultivation now, no one should notice.
He could try it.
The Foundation Cultivation Technique might have some problems, but it's the only technique I have right now that can give me cultivation. Without cultivation, I can only wait to die. With it, at least I have a chance to turn things around.
More importantly, if he refused to practice this martial art, Zhang Tieyi and the others might become suspicious at once.
If they found out he was disobedient, his situation would undoubtedly become even more troublesome.
Put simply, he had no other choice.
[Pawn. Half a year.]
After a moment's thought, Chen Ye chose to pawn part of his lifespan first.
The familiar interface and notification appeared before his eyes once more.
On the golden scales, the blue and red weights sank heavily on either side.
Six months, or one hundred and eighty days.
One-sixth of his remaining lifespan.
Not a day more or less.
[Deducting six months of lifespan; granting six months of cultivation.]
The status on the panel changed rapidly.
[Foundation Cultivation Technique (Entry)] → [Foundation Cultivation Technique (Minor Mastery)]
Boom.
The faint ember deep in his dantian first shrank, then suddenly swelled. A scorching torrent, far more intense than the Blood Ginseng Pill, burst from deep in his abdomen.
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