Youthful Heroic Spirit, Younger Brother Seeks the Manor

The warmth within the Dantian was called "inner strength," "inner energy," or "Inner Qi" by martial artists.

It was something that martial artists cultivated through tempering their martial arts, something born from the depths of their flesh and blood.

When used within martial techniques, it could trigger a qualitative transformation.

With Qi protecting the body, it could also ward off bitter cold, resist external evils, invigorate one's spirit, and offer many other marvelous effects. Li Xian was still in the Initial Martial Realm and continued to explore them.

Li Xian circulated his inner energy and supported it with the Four Directions Fist at Major Accomplishment. When he threw a punch, it carried a dense martial intent.

It had unexpectedly begun to show the meaning of returning to simplicity.

"Li... Lord Li?"

A man suddenly approached him, nodding and bowing with a thoroughly fawning, ingratiating expression.

This man was named Shi Xiaodong, an ordinary Grade-D House Guard. He was twenty-five years old, while Li Xian had only just turned fifteen.

Yet at this moment, he hunched his back, wore a flattering smile, and behaved with humble respect. He had even taken the initiative to address him as "Lord."

"What is it?"

Li Xian withdrew his stance. Today's grueling practice had borne fruit: the Four Directions Fist had smoothly reached Major Accomplishment, while his Clearwind Leg proficiency had increased by more than [40] points. He had been just about to rest.

"I heard that you... became a Grade-C House Guard?" Shi Xiaodong asked with a smile.

Li Xian nodded. Shi Xiaodong immediately cupped his hands and grinned. "Congratulations, Lord Li! Congratulations! This is incredible! Everyone has been talking about you these past two days, saying you're handsome and mighty, suave and extraordinary..."

Only after a torrent of praise did he finally get to the point.

"It's like this. I have a small favor I'd like to ask of you."

"Tell me about it." Li Xian bent down to pick up the saber at his feet and tightened his bracers. Though young, he had already begun to possess an extraordinary bearing.

His features were strikingly handsome.

He did not look like a manor servant or house guard at all. Rather, he resembled a youthful heroic swordsman, brimming with spirit, dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse.

For a moment, Shi Xiaodong was almost dazzled. It was not as though he had never seen such young heroes before. The manor often received outside guests, and among them were quite a few youths of exceptional birth.

To people like him, they were figures as lofty as immortals. Such people carried precisely this kind of heroic ambition.

But to see it in a house guard was truly a first.

Grade-C House Guards might not be low-ranking, but there were plenty of people above them, and plenty more besides. Yet temperament was an unfathomable thing. It sprang from the heart—if one had it, one had it; if one did not, one did not. It could not be learned.

"You haven't bought your pills for this month yet, have you?" Shi Xiaodong rubbed his hands together. "I'd like to ask you to help me purchase a Grade-C pill."

Li Xian understood. He rubbed his sore shoulders and loosened the bones throughout his body. This was one of the little details of maintaining the meridians.

It helped the circulation of blood and Qi, clearing and softening the blood vessels.

"Explain it carefully."

Li Xian exhaled as he spoke, walking as he did so. He had a patrol shift later.

"Hehe, I've taken a liking to a Jadeite Pill. I've saved up money for half a year."

"If Lord Li agrees, please buy it for me from the Leisure Pill Pavilion. Don't worry, I understand the rules. Aside from the cost of the pill, everything in here will be yours."

Shi Xiaodong smiled as he took out a pouch and respectfully offered it with both hands.

Li Xian did not take it. Instead, he asked, "A Jadeite Pill?"

"The Jadeite Pill sells for one tael and seven hundred copper coins at the Leisure Pill Pavilion. Its medicinal effect is to increase inner energy. My martial arts haven't improved for a long time, so I want to rely on pills to climb another step higher."

Shi Xiaodong gave an embarrassed smile, not daring to conceal anything.

"This is the first time I've heard of this pill." Li Xian was short on money, and helping with such a small favor did not matter much to him.

He accepted the money pouch and weighed it in his hand. It was filled with broken silver and copper coins, clinking together. Opening it and making a rough estimate, he found that the broken silver and copper coins combined—

were worth about two taels. This Shi Xiaodong certainly knew how to conduct himself.

"Fine. We'll go now," Li Xian said.

"Now... now?" Shi Xiaodong froze, delight appearing on his face. But in the next instant, a trace of worry flickered through his eyes.

He followed all the way, watching Li Xian enter the Leisure Pill Pavilion. Shi Xiaodong paced outside the door, muttering to himself:

"Lord Li is quite forthright. The moment he says he'll help, he helps."

"But what if he harbors evil intentions and wants to embezzle my money? What then?"

He could not help but think too much.

Generally speaking, when a Grade-D House Guard asked a Grade-C House Guard to buy pills, there were countless rules and hidden conventions involved.

Usually, one placed the order during the first few days of the month.

But Grade-C House Guards would not buy them immediately, because they themselves were not sure whether they might need to purchase pills that month.

They would keep delaying until the end of the month, only helping the Grade-D House Guard buy them once they were certain they did not need pills themselves.

And that was already the best-case scenario.

Once people possessed power, they would find every possible way to make things difficult for those without it, so that they could savor that power.

This was especially true when it came to buying pills.

"Could it be... that he's going to swallow up my savings from more than half a year?"

"Oh no, what should I do? What should I do?"

Shi Xiaodong was so anxious that he spun in circles, nearly bursting into tears.

Such things were far from uncommon. Since one was asking another for help, one could only swallow bitterness in silence.

If a Grade-C House Guard truly wanted to take the money... then it could only be treated as tribute money. If it was lost, it was lost.

After all, if a conflict arose, he would suffer even greater losses.

"I should have gone to Yan Yang. He's an established Grade-C House Guard. Though his price is extremely high and he often delays delivery for months—"

"At least... he has never swallowed anyone's pill."

"Shi Xiaodong, Shi Xiaodong, you just had to try being clever. Now you've suffered a huge loss, haven't you?"

Shi Xiaodong's eyes reddened. He was truly on the verge of tears, his heart stifled with misery.

"Here."

After some unknown amount of time, Li Xian emerged from the building and tossed over an ornate box.

Shi Xiaodong froze.

He hurriedly caught the box and looked at Li Xian with utter disbelief.

"What? You asked me to buy you a pill, so why are you looking at me like that?" Li Xian frowned.

"Ah... oh, right." Shi Xiaodong hurriedly opened the ornate box.

A burst of pill fragrance wafted out. Inside lay a pale green pill. It was indeed a Jadeite Pill, and its color, shape, and fragrance were all exceptionally fine.

"The transaction is complete. The remaining three hundred ninety copper coins are all mine." Li Xian rubbed his nose.

He actually felt a little embarrassed.

Just like that, he had earned someone else's wages for two months. Though even Grade-D House Guards had many side jobs that brought in extra income—

three hundred ninety copper coins was truly no small sum. In these times, it was enough to buy a life!

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."

With a wave of his hand, Li Xian departed in a carefree manner.

"This..."

Shi Xiaodong stared blankly at Li Xian's retreating back.

Paid on the same day, pill delivered on the same day.

No needless talk, no oppression, no tricks, no bullying... In his five or six years at the manor, Shi Xiaodong had never heard of or seen such a thing. This was the first time.

Vaguely, he seemed to understand where that youthful heroic spirit came from.

"Lord Li... you truly are a real lord." Shi Xiaodong raised a thumb, sincerely won over.

Among the idle gossip about Li Xian before, there had been no shortage of Shi Xiaodong's own words. Thinking back on them now, he was so ashamed he wished he could burrow into the ground.

The freezing wind howled.

As though it meant to flay flesh from bone and leave no one alive.

Li Xiaofan's Winter Examination was imminent. He would soon follow the examination group to neighboring Huangtian County and formally begin the Winter Examination.

The Great Martial Dynasty... valued martial arts, but it also valued literature. Martial artists pursued Bone Recasting, while scholars used literary Qi to seize Fortune.

Those who carried Fortune were greatly revered.

The so-called academic examination was an examination for seizing Fortune.

Li Xiaofan had obediently listened to his older brother. He had used the money to eat some minced meat and gained a little more nourishment.

With Qingning County soon behind him, he desperately wanted to see his older brother one more time.

Braving the cold wind, he dragged his filthy, foul-smelling hempen clothes along, his little face full of determination.

His snot had frozen stiff against his face. If he tried to pull it off, it would hurt.

In the distance, he saw a manor.

"Is this the manor where my older brother lives?" Li Xiaofan silently thought, I hope I can see my older brother.