When Avoidance Is Impossible, Do Not Avoid

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Lingxi stood at the entrance to the West Courtyard's Martial Arts Hall. Morning light slid down from the eastern rooftops and fell across the bluestone steps, casting a thin wash of warm yellow.

He did not hurry inside. He simply stood below the steps, waiting for the gatekeeping servant to go in and announce him.

Two days was neither long nor short.

His Concealed Edge Method had already become proficient. The strand of azure qi in his dantian was wrapped in an exceedingly thin barrier, without the slightest trace of its aura leaking out.

The Azure Edge Method had improved as well. Now, each activation consumed roughly ten percent less spiritual qi than when he had first learned it, while the azure gleam at his fingertips had grown far more solid.

Only, spiritual qi recovered slowly. After a whole night of breathing exercises, he could barely restore fifty percent.

Before long, a gray-haired old man emerged from the Martial Arts Hall.

The old man was stooped, his expression stern.

He lifted his eyelids and gave Chen Lingxi a murky glance. Without saying anything, he merely beckoned to him before turning and walking into the entry hall.

Chen Lingxi followed.

The Martial Arts Hall was much the same as before. Seven or eight young disciples were practicing their punches, their shouts rising and falling as fist winds swept dust into the air.

As Chen Lingxi passed through the covered corridor, the sounds of punching gradually died away.

Some withdrew their stances and wiped the sweat from their necks with towels, yet their eyes remained fixed on his retreating figure.

Others jabbed their elbows into the companions beside them and tipped their chins in his direction.

Still others simply stopped moving, folded their arms, and leaned against the corridor pillars, open sneers hanging from the corners of their mouths.

Chen Lingxi recognized all those looks.

The day Jiang Yuan had publicly examined his bones and declared his innate physique far superior to everyone else in the courtyard, these West Courtyard disciples had remembered him. Later, he had heard others mention that Zheng Qingya had brooded over the matter for many days. Every day, Zheng Qingya practiced boxing an hour longer than everyone else, as though holding back a breath of determination to prove something.

"Is it because the innate physique of a mere official slave like me surpasses that of Zheng Qingya, the finest disciple in the Martial Arts Courtyard, that they are dissatisfied?"

Chen Lingxi ignored those gazes.

Had it been two days ago, he might have glanced sideways at them.

But now, those provocations felt like watching people throw punches through a layer of fog—hazy and indistinct, until even the sound could not carry clearly.

He had seen Lin Suri manipulate clouds and mist. He had seen Lu Baizhong command lightning.

Having witnessed beings like them, when he looked again at these young men shouting and struggling for their lives in the dusty training grounds, he felt that they and he himself were nothing more than frogs at the bottom of a well.

The only difference was that he had at least caught a glimpse of the patch of sky above the well, so there was no need to sulk and contend with them any longer.

"I wonder just how effective that medicinal bath will be."

Chen Lingxi had come precisely for the monthly medicinal bath Lin Longyue had promised him.

The medicinal bath room was at the deepest end of the Martial Arts Hall.

The room was not large. Its four walls were built from bluestone, and moisture-proof wooden grates covered the floor. In the center sat a cypress bathing barrel half a man tall.

A layer of fine linen lined the bottom of the barrel, and all manner of medicinal herbs lay spread across it, in every color. Chen Lingxi could not identify them.

A small charcoal stove stood beneath the barrel. Its fire burned brightly, heating the medicinal broth until small bubbles gurgled to the surface.

Steam billowed upward, shrouding the entire room in dense medicinal mist.

Without a word of nonsense, the old man pointed at the bath barrel. "Get in. Close your eyes and calm your mind. Use your qi and blood to guide the medicinal power through your entire body. Soak for a full hour."

Having said that, he did not wait for Chen Lingxi's response. He stooped out the door and casually pulled it shut behind him.

Chen Lingxi removed his clothes, stepped over the wooden grates, and entered the bathing barrel.

He slowly lowered himself into the water, rested the back of his head against the rim, and closed his eyes.

The medicinal power seeped in with astonishing speed!

Warmth spread from the soles of his feet all the way to the top of his head.

His fascia and muscles loosened inch by inch. Within his bones, it felt as though another warm current was slowly moving through the marrow cavities.

Chen Lingxi circulated the blood-moving method of the Seven Forms of Ceasing War, guiding the medicinal power through his body.

His qi and blood had already become somewhat fuller than two days ago. Now, stimulated by the medicine, they flowed even faster, like a brook swollen by spring rains, gurgling through his meridians.

"It truly has remarkable effects."

Chen Lingxi could feel his skin tightening and his sinews and bones heating faintly. Even his internal organs seemed to be soaking in a pool of warm water, so comfortable that he nearly groaned aloud.

Half an hour passed.

"Hm?"

Chen Lingxi suddenly opened his eyes. "The spiritual qi in my dantian seems to be changing too?"

He clearly sensed the snake-like strand of spiritual qi in his dantian trembling slightly.

With every tremor, an extremely fine wisp of spiritual energy peeled away from the medicinal broth, seeped through the pores across his body and into his meridians, then flowed into his dantian and merged with that strand of spiritual qi!

His spiritual qi had grown by a fraction!

Though it was exceedingly slight, he refined his spiritual qi through breathing exercises every day. No one could have been more sensitive to such changes than he was.

"So that was it!"

Secret joy rose in his heart.

"Ever since reaching the second level of qi circulation, the spiritual energy drawn in through breathing exercises has gradually become insufficient. Even after breathing and refining for an entire night, the growth of my spiritual qi has been negligible."

"I never expected this medicinal bath to increase spiritual qi as well!"

He was surprised, but immediately afterward, he no longer found it strange.

Medicinal herbs were the essence of heaven and earth. Baked by the sun, drenched by rain, rooted in soil, their leaves bearing dew—they were born by gathering spiritual energy.

Naturally, it was no surprise that they contained traces of spiritual energy.

"If I could soak in medicinal baths every day, wouldn't my qi-circulation cultivation improve much faster?"

His heart stirred with excitement, only for his brow to furrow again.

A single dose of a reasonably effective medicinal bath likely cost several taels, perhaps even ten taels of silver.

Though he now received a monthly allowance of ten taels, soaking every day was nothing but a fool's dream.

Forget every day—even soaking once every ten days would cost several hundred taels of silver a year. His meager allowance would not even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

And if medicinal baths were already so costly, how expensive would true qi-and-blood pills and spiritual materials of heaven and earth be?

He shook his head slightly and stopped dwelling on it. "I'll make plans later. For now, I should absorb the medicinal power properly."

Another half hour passed. The color of the medicinal broth gradually faded from dark brown, and the water slowly cooled.

Chen Lingxi rose from the bath barrel, dried himself, and got dressed.

He moved his limbs and felt that his joints had become much more flexible. His skin was taut and warm, and his muscles held an indescribably light, vigorous strength.

The strand of spiritual qi in his dantian had also thickened somewhat compared with before he entered the bath—roughly equal to seven or eight days of ordinary breathing exercises.

He pushed open the door and stepped out. The old man was still in the entry hall, using a piece of coarse cloth to wipe dust from a row of iron-sand bags.

When he saw Chen Lingxi emerge, he merely raised his eyes to look at him and said nothing.

Chen Lingxi cupped his hands to the old man, then passed through the covered corridor and headed out.

When the disciples practicing their punches in the corridor saw him emerge, their gazes gathered on him again.

Some gestured at him with their mouths. Someone muttered something under his breath, drawing laughter from several people nearby.

Chen Lingxi did not slow his pace. He walked straight out of the Martial Arts Hall.

Back in his room, he took out the ten taels of silver and placed them on the table, staring at them for a long time.

The broken silver gleamed faintly beneath the lamplight.

"Cultivating qi and blood, cultivating spiritual qi—it seems neither can be done without silver."

He pondered inwardly. Now that he had the Concealed Edge Method to protect himself, he could conceal both his spiritual qi and his qi and blood.

"Concealing them is one thing, but if I do not show Lin Longyue my worth, she can only remain trapped in this small courtyard under the name of flower arranging, unable to take a single step freely.

Even leaving the residence to buy medicine requires the steward's approval, much less anything else."

As he pondered, Lin Longyue's words suddenly came back to him—"Handle the tasks I give you properly. Prove your worth. Set aside all other thoughts for now."

Only by showing his worth would he earn the qualifications.

He gathered his thoughts and stopped thinking further. Rising to his feet, he went into the courtyard and continued practicing the Azure Edge Method.

Beneath the moonlight, he held two fingers together like a sword. Spiritual qi emerged from his dantian and drove through the meridians of his right arm, compressed and condensed, before finally bursting from his fingertips.

A hazy azure edge shot through the air with a hiss, slicing the night wind with an exceedingly fine tearing sound.

The azure edge danced at his fingertips for several breaths before slowly fading away.

He activated it once more.

Nearly half the spiritual qi in his dantian was consumed, yet the azure gleam at his fingertips was several degrees more solid than before.

He slowly curled his fingers, drawing in the remaining edge qi. Moonlight reflected in his eyes, clear and calm.

In two days, he still had a killing tribulation to bring about.

He could not afford to slacken.

March tenth!

Chen Lingxi wore two identical indigo garments, one beneath the other. When he pushed open the door to his room, the spring wind swept willow catkins into his face.

The sky was a dim, grayish blue, with clouds hanging low. The willow tree on the street corner had already sprouted fresh leaves, pale yellow tinged with green. When the wind blew, morning dew scattered from its branches in a soft patter.

Chen Lingxi left through the side gate. The alley outside was empty.

He did not head toward the riverbank.

Previously, when he had left the residence from the Divine Chamber, Chen Lingxi had gone to the three-arched stone bridge. But he was not going there today.

He turned onto another road.

Willow Street Alley.

The alley was called Willow Street, yet now only one willow tree remained. There were also two rows of crooked mud-brick houses, their peeling walls looking like they had broken out in scabies.

A pile of rubbish half a man high stood at the entrance—rotten vegetable leaves, torn scraps of cloth, and broken pottery shards mixed together. Soaked by rain for days, they gave off a sour, putrid stench.

Several green-headed flies buzzed around it.

Chen Lingxi gently set aside one of the indigo short robes he had taken off earlier and walked with extreme lightness.

His soles crunched softly over broken roof tiles, but the sound was covered by the wind blowing through the alley.

He kept close to the wall, his shadow stretched thin by the gray daylight.

As he neared the end of the alley, he heard voices.

Two people were speaking.

One had a rough, raspy voice, laced with impatience.

"You're getting more disgusting by the day, doing this sort of thing again. Those women were only bought to sweep, cook, and keep house, yet you insist on abusing and tormenting them. You beat another one to death yesterday. Of the three you bought back, not one remains now."

The other voice was sharper. He gave a couple of snickering laughs.

"Third Brother, you don't understand. Those refugees stopped being people long ago. Their parents sold them here, and I spent silver on them, so they are my property. My own property naturally does as I please.

"If I beat one to death, then I beat her to death. I can just buy another one in a few days.

"Besides, martial artists always need someone to tend to their clothes, food, and lodging."

Third Brother fell silent for a moment, seemingly spitting to one side.

"Do not let Steward Wang Kong see. His parents were refugees. If you rub him the wrong way, you will be in for more than you can swallow."

The sharp voice paused. When it spoke again, it carried a trace of disdain.

"I know, I know. Third Brother, stop always using Steward Wang to pressure me. Besides, doesn't Steward Wang also like flowers?"

Third Brother said no more. He merely craned his head and looked toward the alley entrance.

"It's nearly time. Why has that official slave from the Marquis Estate not arrived yet?"

Before the words had finished falling, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Chen Lingxi leaped from behind a half-collapsed mud wall!

His body soared!

The spring wind rushed into his sleeves, making them snap and billow loudly.

Before coming to Willow Street Alley, he had thought of many things.

He had lain low in the Marquis Estate for more than a year. Today, he had come with his heart set on killing!

Wang Kong was coming for him today. Zhao Yong was coming for him too. Now that these two men were waiting here, they were the first hurdle in his path.

Since avoidance was impossible, then he would not avoid it!