Noticing Jiang Feng's undisguised gaze, the corners of Liu Ruyan's lips lifted slightly, almost involuntarily. Yet her eyes remained as pitiful as they had been yesterday, lowered just so.
Jiang Feng's gaze flickered, then his voice turned cold. "Miss Liu, have you forgotten what I told you yesterday? You're not to leave the cellar without my permission."
This time, Liu Ruyan didn't shrink back in fear as she had yesterday. Instead, she raised her head with a serious expression and looked straight into his eyes.
"Benefactor, didn't you also promise yesterday to let me stay by your side and tend to your daily needs? Cooking for you is simply my duty."
Jiang Feng stared directly into her eyes. Liu Ruyan neither turned away nor flinched, and the two of them silently held each other's gaze for a moment.
Jiang Feng couldn't quite figure out what this woman was after. Did she genuinely want to care for him, or did she have some other motive?
In the end, he nodded. "All right. Let's eat first."
A bright smile bloomed across Liu Ruyan's face. She eagerly handed him the bowl and chopsticks, then quietly stepped back to stand behind him.
Jiang Feng picked up his chopsticks but didn't immediately take a bite. He turned to look at her. "Have you eaten?"
Liu Ruyan shook her head and answered softly, "Not yet. Please eat first, Benefactor. I'll have something later."
"Since that's the case, sit down and eat with me." Jiang Feng's tone left no room for refusal.
Liu Ruyan had meant to decline again, but when she met his extremely "serious" expression, she eventually nodded and sat gracefully across from him.
She chuckled inwardly. This little man is rather considerate. But if he thinks he can win my favor with such a small gesture, he's still far too green.
Jiang Feng, naturally, had no idea what was going through her mind.
He first served her a chopstickful of every dish, then watched her discreetly. Only after making sure that she ate without anything unusual happening did he leisurely begin to eat himself.
He had to admit, her cooking was truly excellent. The food was savory and fragrant, cooked to perfection. It was the most decent meal Jiang Feng had eaten since crossing over.
"Benefactor, do these dishes suit your taste?"
Jiang Feng didn't skimp on the praise. He nodded as he ate. "No wonder your family runs a restaurant, Miss Liu. Your cooking really is top-notch."
Liu Ruyan covered her mouth with a smile, her eyes dancing with quiet delight. "You flatter me, Benefactor. It's been some time since I last cooked myself, so I was a little rusty today. But I'll only get better from now on."
Jiang Feng didn't reply. Breakfast passed in silence, with both of them keeping their own counsel.
After breakfast, Jiang Feng headed back into the main room to begin practicing the cultivation technique he had just acquired.
He didn't force Liu Ruyan to return to the cellar. Her behavior over the meal had been satisfactory enough.
Having someone around to cook and see to his daily needs while he cultivated wasn't bad at all.
After circulating the Exquisite Breathing Method several times and bringing his qi and blood to a full state, Jiang Feng opened the small booklet he had obtained yesterday and carefully studied it, word by word.
Once he had read through the whole text, his expression shifted from concentration to delight. According to the book, this martial technique was actually a low-grade second-rank technique.
Martial techniques weren't nearly as rare as internal cultivation methods, but second-rank techniques certainly weren't common goods either. In any force, they were only passed down to its inner disciples.
"Sun Bowei really is my lucky star. He gives me money, sends me a woman, and even gives me a second-rank martial technique. It'd be great if more good people like him came along."
The Golden Armor Technique was more complicated to practice than the Exquisite Breathing Method.
It was divided into inner and outer training, and both had to be cultivated together, progressing in tandem. The inner training used qi and blood to stimulate the body's meridians and muscles, while the outer training tempered the skin by constantly grinding it against hard materials such as iron sand. The two supported each other; neither could be neglected.
Fortunately, he found the iron sand needed for outer training right there in the house. The Sun Brothers had intended to practice this technique themselves, so the household had these materials on hand. That saved him a lot of trouble.
Once everything was ready, Jiang Feng began practicing with broad, vigorous movements inside the room.
Now that he wasn't at the Medicine Hall, he didn't have to worry about anyone watching him. His cultivation actually felt much more free and easy than before.
Sweat dripped to the floor, and his heavy grunts echoed through the room.
Standing in the courtyard, Liu Ruyan took in the whole scene of his fervent training.
Watching Jiang Feng push himself so desperately, she let a barely perceptible look of disdain creep across her lips.
"Marked by an evil spirit, and he still wants to practice martial techniques? I don't know whether to call him foolish or naive. He'd be better off enjoying what little time he has left. Why put himself through all this misery?"
After watching for a few moments, she lost interest and turned back toward the cellar.
Only the Mute remained by the door, listening to the roars coming from inside. Its ears occasionally twitched before it slowly closed its eyes.
The entire day passed in a bout of almost masochistic hard training.
It wasn't until midnight that the sounds from inside gradually died down.
Jiang Feng finished training and collapsed onto the bed. His breathing came in increasingly ragged gasps, his mind was utterly blank, and he couldn't even muster the strength to lift a finger.
This time, he truly had given it everything he had, and his body had paid a tremendous price.
There was scarcely a patch of uninjured skin on him. He was covered in blood, with cuts of all sizes scattered across his limbs and torso—a horrifying sight.
Yet even after all that, he still hadn't mastered the Golden Armor Technique.
But Jiang Feng had expected as much.
His Root Bone was exceptionally poor. Otherwise, his former self wouldn't have remained stuck at the first level of the Blood-Moving Realm after years of cultivation.
If he wanted to grow stronger now, he couldn't rely on talent. His strength came from the little by little accumulation of each day's settlement.
Soon, midnight passed, and the refresh arrived right on schedule.
[You spent a full and diligent day.] [Yesterday's Evaluation: High!] [Reward: Iron Stake Technique proficiency +17, Exquisite Breathing Method proficiency +55, Golden Armor Technique proficiency +90] [Name: Jiang Feng] [Realm: Blood-Moving Realm, Eighth Level (2/100)] [Profession: Alchemist, First Level (11/100)] [Techniques: Iron Stake Technique (Great Accomplishment 170/300) Exquisite Breathing Method (Great Accomplishment 5/300) Golden Armor Technique (Entry Level 90/100)] [Skills: Herb Identification Art (Great Accomplishment 129/300) Bedchamber Arts (Entry Level 5/100) Blood-Qi Pill (Minor Accomplishment 10/100)]
The instant the settlement was complete, Jiang Feng felt a powerful rush of qi and blood surge through his limbs and bones. His meridians, which had nearly run dry, seemed like a dried-up well finding a spring, brimming with fresh vitality once more.
He was still nowhere near recovered to how he had been before encountering the evil spirit, but compared to his former, utterly depleted state, the difference was like night and day.
"Not only have I mastered the Golden Armor Technique, but my martial realm has actually broken through to the eighth level of the Blood-Moving Realm?"
Overwhelmed by this unexpected delight, Jiang Feng forgot all about his exhaustion. He rolled out of bed and hurried over to the bronze mirror.
By the faint candlelight, he lowered his gaze to his chest. The dark, tangled markings that had plagued him for two whole days had grown noticeably fainter, and their edges even seemed to be shrinking.
Though the change wasn't very obvious, it was wonderful news for him. It meant that the strange changes happening to his body might actually be curable.
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