Old Zhao Next Door

Shen Qingyue froze completely.

"Sorry, sorry, Qingyue. I didn't mean to."

Wang Mengde apologized repeatedly, quickly reaching out to wipe the grains of rice from Shen Qingyue's face.

So smooth.

Shen Qingyue's body stiffened slightly.

She felt that large hand cover her face, gently wiping the grains of rice from her cheek.

Her face flushed bright red.

Starting from the roots of her ears, the heat spread all the way to her cheeks, even tinting her neck with a faint blush.

"Sis... Brother-in-law..."

Her voice was thin, carrying a touch of panic.

Then she suddenly stepped back, breaking free from his hand.

"I-I'll do it myself."

Just then, the cursing next door came over again.

The shouting next door continued, even louder than before.

"You shameless bastard. With that little ability of yours, you still dare go out and make a fool of yourself?"

With a sharp crack, it sounded like a bowl had been smashed.

"Don't go too far." A man's voice, suppressing its anger, rang out.

"Go ask around. On all of Rosy Cloud Island, among early Qi Refinement cultivators, who has mastered Fishing Technique to the greater mastery level? Who can earn over a hundred spirit sand a day?"

"Forget finding women— even if I married two more, I could afford to support them."

Wang Mengde's brow twitched.

Zhao Youming next door was at the third level of Qi Refinement. Among the lowly fishermen in this area, he was the most renowned expert at gathering from the sea and fishing.

He had mastered Fishing Technique to the greater mastery level.

According to one's degree of mastery, techniques could be divided from low to high into beginner, lesser mastery, greater mastery, proficiency, perfection, reaching the pinnacle, and transcending the peak.

Comprehending techniques was related to the strength of one's soul and one's aptitude.

The stronger one's soul, the easier it was to comprehend them.

For techniques like Fishing Technique—

Nearly every early Qi Refinement cultivator could reach the beginner level.

But only a small portion of early Qi Refinement cultivators with decent aptitude could cultivate it to the lesser mastery level.

Yet early Qi Refinement cultivators who could comprehend it to the greater mastery level were few and far between.

Once one reached the fourth level of Qi Refinement, their soul strength would increase dramatically, but it would still take several years to cultivate it to the greater mastery level.

Wang Mengde stroked his chin, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

He had the Heaven Rewards Diligence Panel. In just a few days, he had cultivated two techniques to the lesser mastery level, and Fishing Technique would soon reach lesser mastery as well.

At most, in two months, he would be able to cultivate all three techniques to the greater mastery level.

Three techniques at the greater mastery level.

He was looking forward to it...

Next door fell silent for a breath.

Then the woman's voice rose again. It was no longer a shrill curse, but carried sobs, grievance, and accusation.

"You... you ungrateful bastard..."

"When you first came to Rosy Cloud Island, you couldn't even afford food.

It was my father—my father took pity on you, accepted you as his disciple, taught you Entwining Silk Technique, Fishing Technique, and Spirit Eye Technique, and passed all his years of experience on to you.

If not for his careful teachings, could you have cultivated Entwining Silk Technique and Spirit Eye Technique to the lesser mastery level? Could you have cultivated Fishing Technique to the greater mastery level?"

"Now that my father is dead, you think you can bully me, is that it?"

Her sobbing grew louder and louder.

"You ungrateful bastard, bastard..."

The man next door suddenly softened his voice.

"All right, all right, stop crying..."

His voice became much gentler, carrying a hint of coaxing.

"I really do like you. Otherwise, why would I sneak around behind your back? Wasn't it because I was afraid you'd get angry?"

After a pause, his voice softened even further.

"Don't worry. You're the one I love most. The others... the others are just for a taste of something fresh."

Shen Qingyue stopped wiping her face.

She raised her head and looked toward next door with utter disbelief.

Wang Mengde: "..."

The woman's crying quieted somewhat, reduced to sniffles.

"You... you absolutely can't bring those women home..."

"Fine, fine, I won't. Absolutely not."

The man hurriedly replied, urgency in his voice. "I swear. If I ever see those women at home, then I... I'll be struck by heaven and thunder."

Next door finally quieted down.

There was no more gossip to listen to.

Wang Mengde and Shen Qingyue began eating seriously.

The spirit rice really did taste quite good.

After a while.

Some faint sounds drifted over.

Muffled and restrained.

Shen Qingyue raised her head, her face filled with righteous indignation as she said angrily, "Brother Zhao is such a bad person. Why is he beating Sister Xiaowan again? They obviously just made up."

Wang Mengde froze.

He looked at Shen Qingyue's indignant expression.

Her almond-shaped eyes were brimming with anger. Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she sulked.

A strange feeling surfaced in his heart.

Very angry.

Very... cute.

Wang Mengde's expression became somewhat strange.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

Then closed it again.

Then opened it once more.

"Even if he's mastered Fishing Technique to the greater mastery level, he can't bully people like this, can he? Sister Xiaowan is crying and yelling for him to stop." Shen Qingyue gripped the bowl in her hands tightly, fury filling her almond-shaped eyes. "He's awful. He's bullying her too much."

Wang Mengde: "..."

He fell silent for two breaths.

Then he raised a hand and pressed at his brow.

Shen Qingyue looked at Wang Mengde, then hesitantly said, "Brother-in-law, go help Sister Xiaowan. She's too pitiful."

Wang Mengde pressed his brow again. "It's hard for outsiders to interfere in this sort of family matter."

Shen Qingyue pleaded pitifully, "Brother-in-law, go help Sister Xiaowan. Brother Zhao likes drinking. If you get him to drink, he won't beat Sister Xiaowan anymore."

"Qingyue."

"Mm?"

"Well..." Wang Mengde paused, carefully choosing his words. "What's happening next door... isn't beating."

Shen Qingyue blinked. "If it isn't beating, what is it? I clearly heard Sister Xiaowan begging for mercy. She sounded like she was in great pain."

Wang Mengde: "..."

Shen Qingyue tilted her head, looking at him in confusion.

Her gaze was so clear that it could reflect a person's image.

Wang Mengde met those almond-shaped eyes for a moment.

He suddenly felt deeply guilty.

Wang Mengde said, "You'll... understand someday."

Shen Qingyue was even more confused.

After thinking for two breaths, she finally let out a sigh of relief. "Sounds like they're done fighting."

Wang Mengde: "..."

After dinner.

Wang Mengde returned to his bedroom, sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, and took out a grain of spirit sand, holding it in his palm.

He circulated his cultivation technique and began cultivating.

One circulation, then another.

After two circulations, the spiritual energy within the grain of spirit sand had already been completely absorbed.

Wang Mengde was startled.

At the first level of Qi Refinement, one grain of spirit sand could sustain five circulations of cultivation.

Now, it could only sustain two circulations.

He silently did the math.

It took one hundred circulations of cultivation for his cultivation level to increase by one point.

One grain of spirit sand for two circulations.

To cultivate from the second level of Qi Refinement to the third level of Qi Refinement, he would need a full five thousand grains of spirit sand.

He lacked spirit sand.

He desperately lacked spirit sand.

Still, as long as he could advance to the third level of Qi Refinement, five thousand grains of spirit sand would be exceedingly worthwhile.

How many low-level cultivators remained stuck at the second level of Qi Refinement for their entire lives, unable to advance even an inch?

Though his spiritual roots were poor, his cultivation slow, and his efficiency low, he could steadily improve.

Most importantly, he had no bottlenecks.

However, twenty-seven days from now, he would have to repay his debt to Chen the Pockmarked.

He needed to save up five hundred grains of spirit sand as quickly as possible and keep his family's small spirit boat.

Wang Mengde circulated his cultivation technique, absorbing the spiritual energy in the air.

Threads of spiritual energy from heaven and earth slowly flowed in from every direction, seeping through his pores into his meridians and gradually flowing along the path of his cultivation technique.

Very slowly.

Far slower than cultivating with spirit sand.