Gratitude Beyond Words

Zhao Ya knew Meng Lei had not been exaggerating when he said he had spent a fortune buying it.

Merely holding the Blood Qi Pill in his hand made Zhao Ya's stomach stir restlessly, which showed just how precious it was.

Zhao Ya could not help but feel grateful.

After all, the escort agency had no obligation to cultivate him like this.

And his ability to gain a foothold in these chaotic times was also thanks to Prosperity Escort Agency taking him in.

So Zhao Ya took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Thank you, Chief Escort, for your guidance. I will not disappoint your expectations."

Meng Lei was quite pleased with Zhao Ya's attitude and smiled. "Good. Having that resolve is enough."

Meng Lei offered Zhao Ya a few more words of encouragement before leaving.

After Meng Lei left, Zhao Ya examined the Blood Qi Pill for a moment. He did not take it right away, instead carefully stowing it in his clothes.

Zhao Ya planned to take it that night while practicing, so he could maximize the pill's effects.

That evening, Zhao Ya no longer turned down everyone's enthusiastic invitations. Instead, he paid out of pocket and treated many of his colleagues from the escort agency to a hearty round of drinks.

After returning home pleasantly drunk, Zhao Ya washed his face to sober himself up, then began his daily training without fail.

This time, however, things were a little different. Before beginning, Zhao Ya swallowed the Blood Qi Pill.

In an instant, Zhao Ya felt as though a blazing fire had ignited in his stomach, with vigorous qi and blood surging forth without end.

The Food Essence talent activated at once, absorbing that essence almost frantically.

Compared with exotic beast flesh, the qi and blood contained within the Blood Qi Pill were not only abundant, but far purer as well, with much less dross and impurity.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Ya felt as though his body had swelled by a full circle. The abundant qi and blood even gave him a sense of suffocation.

Under such circumstances, Zhao Ya immediately began practicing the Eight-Part Vajra Art.

Hands thrust skyward to benefit the Triple Burner, hands and feet forward and back to strengthen the kidneys and waist; raise one arm to regulate the spleen and skin, left liver and right lung like shooting an eagle...

As he practiced each movement, Zhao Ya felt the abundant qi and blood course through his entire body, nourishing every organ and meridian.

Once he finished a full set of the Eight-Part Vajra Art, two notifications appeared.

[Eight-Part Vajra Art proficiency increased by 15]

[Heart unlock progress increased by 3%]

In an instant, an abstruse force appeared within Zhao Ya's mind, and his understanding of the Eight-Part Vajra Art reached an entirely new level.

At the same time, his heart's functions grew even stronger. The two complemented one another, causing his qi and blood to boil completely.

Without pausing for even a moment, Zhao Ya began practicing his fist techniques, saber arts, and lightness skills.

Once he had practiced all his martial arts, Zhao Ya felt refreshed and invigorated, suffused with an indescribable sense of fulfillment.

With a thought, he opened his attribute panel.

Name: Zhao Ya. Age: 17. Remaining Lifespan: 44 years (+38 days)

Skills: Eight-Part Vajra Art (Mastery 4/5000) Five Tigers Fist (Mastery 143/5000) Gale Saber Technique (Mastery 12/5000) Grass-Treading Flight (Thorough Mastery 900/2000) Swallow Three Skims the Water (Thorough Mastery 54/2000)

[Heart unlock progress: 31%]

Sure enough, the Eight-Part Vajra Art had successfully broken through and reached the realm of Mastery.

The Gale Saber Technique had broken through as well.

Even his lifespan had increased by more than a year.

The gains were truly tremendous.

As his boiling qi and blood gradually settled, Zhao Ya faintly sensed that the fascia which had long remained motionless had begun to tremble ever so slightly.

Though it was extremely subtle, it proved that Zhao Ya's cultivation had finally reached the level of the fascia.

Once the fascia began to stir in earnest, it would be time for Zhao Ya to enter the third realm.

Zhao Ya felt neither surprise nor delight at this, only calmness in his heart.

Every bit of progress came from his own unrelenting effort.

After all, even with the assistance of his golden finger, it would all be empty talk if he did not work hard himself.

Still, Zhao Ya knew that the reason this breakthrough had been so great was partly due to his own accumulated foundation, and partly because it was his first time taking a Blood Qi Pill.

The Blood Qi Pills would not have such a great effect when he took them again later.

From then on, Zhao Ya could obtain a Blood Qi Pill from the escort agency every three days. He grew ever more diligent in his cultivation and did not dare slack off in the slightest.

Another month passed, and Zhao Ya was practicing martial arts in the courtyard.

His fists howled through the air, his saber flashed like a streak of white silk, and his body moved like a startled swan, dazzling the eye.

Zhao Ya had lived an exceptionally fulfilling life over the past month, and the trembling in his fascia had become increasingly obvious.

However, the progress of his martial arts inevitably began to slow.

His greatest gain, though, was that his heart unlock progress had successfully surpassed 50%.

At this stage, Zhao Ya's heart was practically a twelve-cylinder engine, providing his body with powerful momentum.

At that moment, Zhao Ya even felt confident enough to challenge a third-realm martial artist.

Just as he was pondering this, Zui'er handed him a slice of watermelon.

"Brother Zhao Ya, you must be tired after practicing for so long. Have some watermelon first."

Zhao Ya turned around and saw Zui'er standing prettily in the courtyard, gazing at him with gentle eyes.

Zui'er's cultivation had also risen steadily. By now, she could leap across rooftops and scale walls. Though her movement techniques could not be called fully mastered, ordinary jianghu folk would never be able to get close to her.

More importantly, after training for all this time, Zui'er had actually grown a little taller. Especially because she had focused on training her legs, they had become ever more slender and long.

Looking at Zui'er, who had blossomed into such a beautiful girl, Zhao Ya could not help but feel proud.

At least now he could give Zui'er's late grandmother an answer.

Zui'er felt a little shy under Zhao Ya's burning gaze, yet a wave of joy rose in her heart. She had dressed up so carefully today. Did Brother Zhao Ya notice?

"Good!"

Zhao Ya finally snapped out of his thoughts, smiling as he accepted the watermelon and took a bite.

The sweet juice was delightfully refreshing.

The weather had begun to turn hot, yet a cool breeze drifted through the small courtyard, making it indescribably pleasant.

Suddenly in high spirits, Zhao Ya had Zui'er stir-fry two dishes. He then set a table in the courtyard, brought out the remaining jar of fine wine from the last time he drank with Tan Dong, and poured two cups.

"Come, Zui'er. Have a drink with me."

"Mm!"

Zui'er sat down with a bright smile. After taking a small sip, a blush spread across her lovely face.

The two then began chatting about everything under the sun.

Most of the time, though, Zhao Ya was the one talking, while Zui'er simply sat there, occasionally brushing a lock of hair by her ear aside as she listened quietly.

Zhao Ya told her about all the things he had seen and heard while escorting shipments these past days.

Over the past month, Zhao Ya had led an escort team alone for the first time as an escort master.

Though it had only been a nearby escort run completed within a single day, it proved that Zhao Ya was now capable of standing on his own.

As she listened to Zhao Ya's account, Zui'er gazed at him with sparkling eyes full of admiration and affection.

Before they knew it, they had finished an entire jar of wine.

Zhao Ya was only lightly tipsy, but Zui'er had drunk a little too much.

Seeing Zui'er swaying even as she sat there, Zhao Ya secretly found it amusing. He helped her into the room and laid her on the bed.

The faint fragrance of a young girl drifting from her made Zhao Ya feel somewhat unsettled, so he turned to leave.

But just then, a slender hand seized Zhao Ya's.

Zhao Ya turned and saw Zui'er staring at him dazedly.

"Brother Zhao Ya!"

Everything was understood without a word.

Only, no one cleaned up the leftover dishes in the courtyard that entire night.