On a Day of Heavy Snow, Going to Buy Rouge

"They say martial artists rely on eating, nourishing, training, and soaking. It seems they really were right."

One meal of tiger meat was worth several days of training. After eating and drinking his fill, Li Xian walked out of the Dining Hall, feeling as though his strength flowed on without end, inexhaustible.

Only after all the Grade-C House Guards had finished eating did the Grade-D House Guards swarm in.

All they could ladle up was half a bowl of broth and some bits of bone and scraps...

That day, whether he was making his usual rounds or practicing martial arts, he was full of energy and in excellent condition.

[Four Directions Fist] proficiency increased by [116] points. [Clearwind Leg] proficiency increased by [97] points.

At dusk.

Li Xian stole a moment from his busy day, found a scenic spot in the Manor, and sat down in the snow. He leaned back, resting his hands behind his head.

He gazed leisurely at the blue sky.

His mind gradually emptied.

"Younger Brother has already left Qingning County to take the exams in Huangtian County. Now, in Qingning County, I can say I have no family or friends left."

Just then, a few wild geese flew by. Li Xian reached out to catch them, but his hand closed on empty air.

"Freedom... I sold myself into slavery, and freedom really has become a pipe dream. But if I can't even stay alive, what can I say about freedom?"

Li Xian did not regret this decision. Otherwise, he and Younger Brother would already have frozen to death in that thatched hut!

Li Xian sat upright. He gathered a ball of snow in his right hand and slowly applied pressure with his Inner Qi.

The snowball turned into an ice crystal. A lush green lake lay just in front of him, its waters drawn from a Hot Spring Vein somewhere.

Even in the depths of winter, it had not frozen over. What was more, the lotus flowers in the lake bloomed as brightly as in spring.

Fish played in the water, carefree.

Li Xian tossed the ice crystal, skipping it across the water in a beautiful arc.

"I asked around. It seems there's never been a precedent for anyone to 'buy back their freedom' at One Accord Manor. Once you enter the Manor, you stay for the rest of your life."

"The laborers' wages are meager. They can forget about buying back their freedom in this lifetime. As for the House Guards, I've never even heard anyone mention 'buying back their freedom.'"

"I suppose it's taboo."

Li Xian had already achieved results at the Minor Stage. He had advanced step by step from laborer to Grade-C House Guard.

The increase in rank was small, but the improvement in his circumstances was plain to see.

Taking advantage of this free moment... Li Xian considered the path ahead. His heart yearned to soar like a swan; he did not want to be trapped. But a true man should also know when to yield and when to stand firm.

"Given my current circumstances, I have only one path."

"Keep going. Buying back my freedom would be difficult enough, but once I leave the Manor, learning martial arts would be even harder."

"And... Commander Pang's connections... As for the Bone Recasting Realm that transforms a martial artist from the inside out, right now, I can only come into contact with a tiny bit of it inside the Manor."

"Whew!"

Li Xian let out a long breath and went to the lake. Gazing at his reflection in the water, he lightly patted his cheeks to perk himself up.

The Manor's rules were strict, with each rank a step above the last.

Climbing higher would not be easy.

It was the fourteenth day of the tenth month, already halfway through the month.

At the third quarter of Chen Hour, the sky remained overcast. The blizzard was so fierce that even the sunlight was blocked out. It looked no different from night.

Outside, the wind howled through the cold.

These past two days had been a rare holiday.

Even the lowliest laborers did not have to go out to work.

Inside the living quarters, three House Guards huddled around a brazier, shivering.

"I say... Lord Li, why not come warm yourself by the fire?"

One of the House Guards shifted to the left, making room, and beckoned Li Xian over to sit.

"Sure."

There was nothing else to do, so Li Xian sat down in front of the brazier too.

"Damn, it's cold."

Jia Jie, a Grade-D House Guard who shared the quarters with them, rubbed his hands vigorously for warmth and swore.

"No kidding. In weather like this... we'd disappear ten steps outside our rooms. I'm not exaggerating."

Bao Yongkang, also a Grade-D House Guard, nodded in agreement.

"In weather like this, they can even skip the patrols," said another Grade-D House Guard, Kong Sun.

"If we're talking about the cold, that's secondary. The real problem is the terrible visibility. You can't make out where you're going at all." Li Xian nodded.

"Exactly. You lose your way and wander in circles, then the snow keeps battering you for another three to five days. Wouldn't you freeze to death right there?" Bao Yongkang immediately chimed in.

"Lord Li, you came here late, so you probably don't know," Kong Sun said. "A House Guard in the neighboring quarters once had to go out in a blizzard because he needed to pee. Guess what happened? The moment he stepped out the door, he disappeared."

"After the snow let up, they found him frozen to death fifteen paces away. You really can't joke around in weather like this."

Hearing this, Li Xian glanced at the blizzard outside.

It was no exaggeration.

It was pitch-black. Even if you had a torch, the wind would blow it out at once. Forget ten steps-even three steps could be enough to cost you your life.

And the wind was so strong that you couldn't tell which way you were facing. The more you panicked, the more likely you were to die.

"Right!"

Jia Jie suddenly remembered something and said, "Everyone, wait a moment."

He hurriedly took a wine jar from under the bed and removed its seal. The fragrance of wine wafted out.

"Lord Li, would you like a drink to warm yourself up?" Jia Jie raised his eyebrows.

In a blizzard... having a little wine would be rather enjoyable. Li Xian was just about to answer when he heard a knock at the door.

"Li Xian..."

A voice came from outside.

The wind and snow had blurred it considerably, but it was still clear enough to hear. That showed how powerful the caller's Inner Qi was and how remarkable his mastery had become.

"Lord Li... could it be Snow Ghost?"

"Has... has it come to claim your life?"

The three men hunched their shoulders and huddled together, hiding behind Li Xian.

"It's not Snow Ghost. It's Commander Pang." Li Xian furrowed his brow.

He opened the door. The wind howled in, and outside was pitch-black. Pang Long was wrapped in a thick cloak of animal fur, holding an oil lamp in his left hand.

"Li Xian, come with me." Pang Long said only that, then walked straight ahead.

Li Xian hesitated for a moment, but followed him anyway. The world was pitch-black, and the cold wind cut like a knife. Li Xian circulated his Inner Qi to keep warm, but the wind still stung his skin.

Pang Long's oil lamp continued to shine. Li Xian was not in danger of losing sight of him, and with the Treading Snow trait, he had no trouble walking.

"Good. You've trained your Inner Qi solidly."

Pang Long nodded.

"Commander Pang, what could have happened in the dead of winter to make you come looking for me?" Li Xian asked.

Pang Long sighed and said, "It was Madam's order."

"Madam?" Li Xian was taken aback.

"I never ask about Madam's orders or think too much about them. I just do as I'm told. I hope you'll do the same." Pang Long stopped and looked at Li Xian. "Madam specifically named you for this task."

"She named me specifically?" Li Xian asked. "What is it that only I can do?"

They walked for a little while longer and reached the Manor's gate.

Pang Long took off his animal-fur cloak. "This matter... you could say it's difficult, or you could say it's simple."

He handed Li Xian the cloak and oil lamp, then said, "Madam has suddenly run out of Rouge and Powder. She wants you to go buy her a box in Qingning County."

"This..." Li Xian found it absurd. In weather like this, he had to go buy rouge?

"You only need to head east to reach Qingning County. Put on the cloak, take the oil lamp, and set off." Pang Long looked regretful.

He sighed again and again.

He did not dare presume to guess Madam's intentions.

But he knew that leaving the Manor at this hour would be a perilous journey, even for him. He might never return.

And Li Xian even less so!