Gale Breathing Method

"Li Yi, you've finally come."

Song Qi nodded and pulled open the flap of the main camp tent.

"Lord Sima is inside handling official business. He said that if you came, you could go straight in without reporting first."

Seeing this, Li Yi did not stand on ceremony. He nodded, thanked him, and strode quickly into the main camp.

As the Sima's main camp, the tent was quite spacious and filled with numerous furnishings, comparable to the home of some wealthy households.

"Greetings, Lord Sima!"

Li Yi came before the desk and offered a slight bow.

"Li Yi, you performed very well. I think you should give it a try and strive to take first place in the newcomer assessment!"

Cao Li set down the booklet in his hand and looked at Li Yi with a smile. After letting his gaze roam over him, his eyes settled on the web of Li Yi's thumb, wrapped in bandages.

"Your injury isn't serious, is it? For an archer, the hands are exceedingly important. You must take good care of them."

Compared to the imposing manner he had displayed when the newcomers entered camp, or the arrogance he had shown while fighting Song Jie yesterday, Cao Li seemed remarkably kind at this moment.

"Thank you for your concern, my lord. After using the Little Spring Breeze Powder you bestowed upon me, it has already improved greatly. Thank you for your generous favor."

Having received benefits from Cao Li, Li Yi did not hold back either. Fine words cost nothing, and he showered them upon Cao Li by the handful.

Once Li Yi deliberately began to curry favor with him, Cao Li was soon coaxed into great delight.

"Oh, right, my lord. Yesterday, Centurion Song rewarded me with some silver. I intend to purchase a breathing method and begin cultivating the Body-Tempering Realm."

When he had first entered the camp, Cao Li had said that he could spend ten taels of silver to learn a breathing method from him.

"A breathing method?"

Cao Li's eyes flickered at his words.

"Fine. Ten taels of silver."

"My lord, I have it ready." As he spoke, Li Yi took out ten taels of silver from his robes and placed it on the desk before Cao Li.

Cao Li casually picked it up, inspected it, then put it into a wooden box. Seeing Li Yi looking at the box, Cao Li explained offhandedly.

"The rule that ten taels of silver are required to learn a breathing method is a military custom, not something I set myself. It is the same throughout the entire Chen Kingdom."

After putting away the silver, Cao Li's expression grew several degrees more solemn.

"The breathing method taught by our branch is called the Gale Breathing Method!"

"This breathing method uses long, drawn-out breaths to spread one's qi and blood throughout the body like silken threads. Its essence lies not in gathering and dispersing, but in circulation."

"Once you cultivate this breathing method, your breath will become like the wind, making the body light and swift, the senses sharper, and one's movements more concealed."

"Most importantly, this breathing method focuses on the legs, ears, and eyes."

"That is why it is called the Gale Breathing Method."

Through Cao Li's introduction, Li Yi gained a rough understanding of this breathing method commonly used in the military.

This breathing method seemed exceptionally suited to him!

What mattered most to him now was archery. The Gale Breathing Method could nurture and strengthen the ears and eyes, increasing the power of his archery.

Moreover, the mysterious spear technique he had obtained from Li Erniu, the Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear, also took wind as its core principle and fit perfectly with the Gale Breathing Method!

It seemed that the Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear was also a secret art of the Chen Kingdom military.

Li Yi's thoughts spread outward, and in an instant, he had weighed the pros and cons of this breathing method.

Seeing the interest in Li Yi's expression, Cao Li abruptly changed the subject.

"However, although this breathing method is of below-average difficulty to cultivate, its upper limit is not high, and its power is merely ordinary. It is easy to learn but difficult to master, and advancing with it is quite difficult. Very few people have relied on this breathing method to reach the middle or late stages of the Body-Tempering Realm."

"With your talent, cultivating this breathing method would truly be a waste of it."

"Besides, if you wish to contend for first place in the newcomer assessment, it would be best for you to cultivate a more powerful breathing method!"

Hearing Cao Li's words, Li Yi froze. "Then how can one obtain these more powerful breathing methods?"

No matter where one was, what could be openly brought out was generally nothing too good. Good things were usually kept hidden away.

Li Yi had long since prepared himself for that.

Yet upon hearing this, Cao Li did not directly answer Li Yi's question. Instead, he shifted the topic to Song Qi outside the entrance.

"Five years ago, Song Qi was a newcomer just like you. During one trial, he killed three bandits by himself. I saw that he was a promising talent, so I taught him one of my Cao family's breathing methods. Afterward, his cultivation in the Body-Tempering Realm advanced by leaps and bounds. He directly took first place in the newcomer assessment, then repeatedly established military merits and became the captain of my personal guards!"

"My Cao family is a century-old noble house of the Chen Kingdom. The depth of our foundations is not something those centurions born from the ranks can compare to."

Centurions born from the ranks?

At once, Li Yi thought of Centurion Song Jie.

Cao Li's meaning was perfectly clear.

If he wanted to obtain a more powerful breathing method, he could only choose a patron and pledge allegiance to him. Otherwise, he could only cultivate a commonplace breathing method like the Gale Breathing Method.

Seeing that Li Yi remained silent, Cao Li asked:

"The war between our Chen Kingdom and the Qing Kingdom is growing increasingly tense. Before long, we will be heading to the very front lines. Every extra measure of strength is another measure of hope for surviving."

"Li Yi, I see that you're a promising talent. Why not cultivate a more powerful Breathing Method and seize first place in the newcomer assessment?"

Cao Li's words were a very direct hint to Li Yi: if he pledged allegiance to Cao Li, he could obtain a better Breathing Method.

For a moment, the main camp was rather quiet, both men lost in thought.

After several breaths, Li Yi had made his decision.

Li Yi raised his head to look at Cao Li, his eyes bright and spirited as he declared with ringing conviction:

"Thank you for your favor, Lord Cao. But before my father passed away, he told me to carry forward our family's archery. Though this Gale Breathing Method may not be especially remarkable, it is extremely well suited to my archery."

"Please forgive me, but I cannot accept your kind offer."

"I still choose the Gale Breathing Method. Please grant my request and let me give it a try!"

"If an opportunity arises later, I will seek other Breathing Methods from you."

Hearing Li Yi's words, Cao Li frowned. But seeing Li Yi's resolute attitude, he could only suppress his intention to recruit him.

"Since that is your choice, I will teach you the cultivation secrets of the Gale Breathing Method. If you have other thoughts in the future, come find me again."

Although Cao Li had failed to recruit him, he did not deliberately make things difficult for Li Yi.

Very soon, Li Yi had memorized the cultivation method of the Gale Breathing Method.

"Thank you, my lord. I still need to visit Han Jia, so I will take my leave first."

Having achieved his purpose, Li Yi left the main camp.

According to the old army physician, Han Jia would not awaken until the afternoon. Now that he had obtained a Breathing Method, the most important thing was to buy a powerful new bow!

As for cultivating the Breathing Method, that could only wait until after he had bought the new bow and returned to camp.