Qiao Yuan (Please Keep Reading)

Lu Chen and Qian Ming stood guard outside Master Ge's pill chamber until dusk.

The furnace fire within the pill chamber had not gone out all day.

Through the heavy wooden door, Lu Chen could occasionally hear Master Ge Ye's hoarse rebukes from inside.

"Add three more drops of Redblood Ginseng juice!"

"Idiot, don't touch that jade cup!"

The two medicine boys were scolded until their heads were covered in bruises.

Leaning against the wall, Lu Chen and Qian Ming exchanged a glance and both frowned.

Master Ge did not look like an easy man to get along with.

A moment later, the wooden door opened.

A powerful medicinal fragrance rushed out to meet them.

Master Ge Ye emerged from within.

His face was exhausted, his hair disheveled, and his gray robe dusted with medicinal ash, yet his eyes shone with a frightening brightness. He held a jade box in his arms as though cradling some rare treasure.

Clearly, the Foundation-Stabilizing Pills had been successfully refined.

The two followed Master Ge and escorted him to Qiao Yuan's residence.

Qiao Yuan's courtyard was very close to Master Ge's residence. Clearly, this was so that if anything happened to Ge Ye, Qiao Yuan could rush to his rescue at once.

Yet Qiao Yuan's courtyard was spacious, the largest in the entire Yam Herb Shop.

It was even larger than the Wang Firm main family's courtyard, showing just how highly Wang Firm valued Qiao Yuan.

No one stood guard in the courtyard.

Qiao Yuan possessed the greatest martial prowess in the Yam Herb Shop. No one could protect him; they would only get in his way.

Lu Chen followed Ge Ye into the courtyard.

The yard was empty, paved with blue bricks, with no unnecessary furnishings around it. Several thick ironwood posts stood against the wall. Palm prints had been driven deep into two of them, while another had snapped in the middle, its broken grain exploded outward as if some immense force had shattered it alive.

A tall, middle-aged man stood in the center of the courtyard.

He wore no long robe, only a loose short jacket that exposed his two thick, powerful arms.

Those hands were enormous.

His palms were broad, his fingers thick, his knuckles hard and coarse, and his palms covered in calluses. At first glance, they barely looked human, more like two iron palms polished bright by grinding.

Lu Chen's gaze fell upon those hands, and his heart tightened slightly.

He had heard Zhao Yiting say that Qiao Yuan could shatter boulders with a single palm strike and catch a blade barehanded.

Yet even more striking were Qiao Yuan's legs.

He stood there seemingly motionless, but the muscles in his legs were like an old ape crouched in repose. His knees and hips sank slightly, his feet hooked firmly onto the blue bricks. The sinews in his calves were taut as vines, as though he could spring forth at any moment.

A pair of great hands, a pair of ape's legs.

Palms like vajras, legs like mountain apes.

This was Wang's Ginseng Shop's pillar that steadied the sea—Qiao Yuan!

"Qiao Yuan, the Foundation-Stabilizing Pills you wanted are ready!" Ge Ye handed the jade box to Qiao Yuan. "Two pills from one furnace. Call yourself lucky."

Qiao Yuan received it solemnly.

"Thank you, Master Ge."

He opened the jade box and glanced at the two pale-golden pills inside.

The pills were round and smooth, their surfaces marked with fine patterns. Their medicinal fragrance was deep and rich. Unlike the sharp fierceness of Blood-Qi Powder, they resembled a gentle current of warmth; one breath of it made the chest and belly faintly warm.

At last, a flicker of emotion appeared in Qiao Yuan's eyes.

He had remained at the peak of Blood Shifting for far too long.

So long that even he could barely remember the last time he had broken through.

"This attempt to break through may be my last chance in this lifetime."

He closed the jade box, his gaze sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on Lu Chen.

"You're new here?"

His eyes were sharp, and he instantly noticed the unfamiliar face.

Lu Chen hurriedly cupped his fists. "This junior is Lu Chen, a disciple of Hidden Dragon Martial Hall. Greetings, Senior Qiao."

"Hidden Dragon Martial Hall..." Qiao Yuan pondered briefly. "Qin Wuhe's disciple?"

Lu Chen nodded. "My master is indeed Qin Wuhe."

Qiao Yuan sized him up.

The youth had a nimble, sturdy frame, the outlines of his muscles just beginning to show, and a steadiness beyond his years.

He said mildly, "I once exchanged blows with your master in years past. His Azure Dragon Through-the-Arms Fist had reached the summit of perfection. I hope you can learn even half of your master's skill."

Lu Chen replied, "This junior will certainly train diligently."

Qiao Yuan did not pay much attention to a newcomer at the initial stage of Blood Shifting. He put away the jade box and turned toward his meditation chamber.

"For the next three days, I will enter seclusion."

Ge Ye, Lu Chen, and Qian Ming tactfully withdrew from the courtyard.

On the way back to escort Ge Ye to his room to rest, Lu Chen seized the chance to ask him, "Master Ge."

Ge Ye shot him a sidelong glance. "What is it?"

Lu Chen cupped his fists. "This junior has just entered the Blood Shifting realm, and my qi and blood have only just taken form. What medicinal ingredients should I use to assist my cultivation in the safest way?"

Ge Ye stopped walking.

He looked Lu Chen up and down a few times and snorted. "You certainly know how to pick your moment. I've just finished refining a batch of Foundation-Stabilizing Pills, and I'm exhausted."

Lu Chen said, "If it is inconvenient for you, Master, this junior can ask another day."

Ge Ye stroked his unruly beard and said, "Forget it. I'll give you a few pointers while we're on the way."

Lu Chen's expression turned solemn. "Thank you, Master."

As they walked, Ge Ye spoke unhurriedly. "At the initial stage of Blood Shifting, the most important thing is not blindly stuffing yourself with supplements, but three steps: cleanse, nourish, and strengthen."

"Cleanse means cleansing the body."

"Nourish means nurturing qi and blood."

"Strengthen means strengthening the essence of flesh and blood."

Lu Chen listened intently.

Ge Ye continued, "You young martial artists are most prone to thinking that the more pills you take, the better. At every turn, you want to swallow Blood-Qi Powder, wishing you could take three pills a day and feed yourselves like pigs."

He sneered. "But Blood-Qi Powder has potent medicinal power. If you cannot absorb it, it becomes poison."

Lu Chen's heart chilled slightly. If he had not asked today, he truly would have planned to trade all ten taels of silver for Blood-Qi Powder, gorge himself on it, and speed up his advancement.

Ge Ye then calculated for a moment before asking, "How much silver can you spend each month?"

Lu Chen replied, "Ten taels."

Ge Ye raised his brows. "Ten taels?"

Ge Ye had not expected that Lu Chen, a newly arrived guard at such a young age, would have so much money.

Still, he did not ask where it had come from. He merely said, "All of it?"

"All of it." Lu Chen's tone was firm. "Silver in my hands is only silver. Only when it becomes qi and blood does it become my own ability."

Ge Ye glanced at him. "That is true enough."

After pondering for a moment, he said, "Ten taels of silver is no small sum. Do this..."

"First, medicinal baths."

"At the initial stage of Blood Shifting, your tendons, bones, skin, and flesh have not yet been thoroughly nourished by qi and blood. Every day, when you practice your fist techniques and stance training, your body will accumulate hidden injuries and stagnation. If you do not cleanse them in time, the flow of qi and blood will eventually be obstructed."

"Take a medicinal bath once every five days."

"The formula should use Redblood Vine, Ironbone Grass, old ginger root, tiger bone powder, and a small amount of Blood-Activating Flower. The medicinal properties of this formula are not too fierce, but it promotes blood circulation and unblocks the channels, cleansing the tendons and opening the skin. It is most suitable for martial artists like you who have just entered Blood Shifting."

Lu Chen committed it to memory and asked, "About how much would one medicinal bath cost?"

Ge Ye said, "At market price, one dose would cost at least one tael. You're one of our own martial artists, so buying it at Wang Firm should be cheaper."

Lu Chen nodded slightly.

Ge Ye continued, "Second, Blood-Qi Powder."

"Blood-Qi Powder is the most suitable pill for Blood Shifting martial artists to nurture their qi and blood, but you cannot eat it as though it were food. With your foundation, taking three pills a month is already the limit."

"If you take too much and cannot dissolve the medicinal power, it will also be wasted."

Wang Firm would supply Lu Chen with one portion of Blood-Qi Powder every month. If he bought two more at a thirty percent discount, Lu Chen would only need to spend two taels and eight mace.

"Use the remaining money to buy meat. The essence of flesh and blood is especially important to martial artists," Ge Ye finally said.

Lu Chen silently committed it all to memory and said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Ge."