Fifth-Rank Realm

"Hmph!" Only then did Liu Xiaoqiang's expression ease slightly. She gave Xia Daoming's shoulder a light pat with her delicate jade hand and said, "Junior Brother Xia, don't listen to Senior Brother Yuchi's nonsense. You're young and full of vigor; you can't keep bottling it up all the time. When it's time to relax, relax.

"If you feel like coming over to your senior sister's place for a sit, come by. Your senior sister will definitely find you a pretty, considerate girl to sing you a little tune and share a little wine with."

Even though Xia Daoming had come from a rather open world in his previous life and had flirted with plenty of girls on various occasions, facing this senior sister now still made him feel far too innocent and green. Even his old face reddened slightly.

"Haha, Junior Sister Liu really understands us men and knows how to care for us. How about it? Once we're done here tonight, will you make arrangements at your Jade Flower Pavilion?" Zhuo Xingji said.

"Since Senior Brother Zhuo has spoken, this little sister naturally obeys," Liu Xiaoqiang said with a smile.

"You two, this is only your first time meeting..." Yuchi Xiao pointed at the perfectly coordinated Zhuo Xingji and Liu Xiaoqiang.

"Senior Brother Yuchi, just tell us whether you're going or not," Zhuo Xingji cut him off.

"Of course I'm going! How could one possibly refuse to visit the pleasure quarters and listen to music?" Yuchi Xiao replied without hesitation.

"This..." Xia Daoming looked at Yuchi Xiao, utterly speechless.

"This is Gu Ren. You've seen him at the martial arts school before. He's actually a year younger than you, twenty-three this year, but he entered the school before you did, so you still have to call him Senior Brother.

"Don't let Gu Ren's age fool you. He's the second strongest expert in our school. He became a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master at twenty-one, and he has a great chance of becoming a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master before thirty. If fortune favors him, even Seventh-Rank Great Martial Master might not be beyond reach." Yuchi Xiao quickly introduced the last man in the private room.

When he spoke of a Seventh-Rank Great Martial Master, a clear trace of reverence and yearning appeared in Yuchi Xiao's eyes.

Gu Ren was the young man Xia Daoming had seen in the inner courtyard during his first visit to the martial arts school. His facial features were sharply defined, his brows like swords, and his white robes gave him an icy, ruthless air.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Gu." Xia Daoming cupped his hands in salute.

"No need for ceremony," Gu Ren said, as cold as expected.

Yuchi Xiao seemed long accustomed to it and continued, "Master accepted fifteen disciples in his lifetime. Aside from the six of us seated here, three others are making their way in other cities. I'll introduce you when there's a chance. The remaining six are no longer with us."

Hearing that, Xia Daoming's heart sank slightly.

Out of fifteen people, six had died young. That was an alarmingly high proportion!

It seemed he truly had to work hard at cultivation and raise his strength as quickly as possible!

The food and wine were soon served.

Although everyone but Yuchi Xiao was meeting Xia Daoming for the first time, their shared status as fellow disciples meant no one treated him as an outsider. It was as though they had known one another for years, chatting and laughing as cups clinked in succession.

Naturally, the exception was the talented, cool-faced Gu Ren.

He spoke sparingly and watched with cold eyes, but when it came to drinking, he was straightforward. He never refused anyone who offered him a cup.

At first, Xia Daoming found it somewhat difficult to fit in. After all, he came from another world and still could not truly understand what the words "fellow disciples" meant to people like Yuchi Xiao.

But Zhuo Xingji had traveled far and wide and seen much of the world. After a few drinks, he began boasting without any restraint, whether refined or crude.

Liu Xiaoqiang ran a pleasure house, and when she started making suggestive remarks, even Zhuo Xingji struggled to withstand her.

As for Jiao Yongbao, he ran a restaurant. He was smooth and worldly, adept at dealing with all sides and gifted with words.

With those three livening the atmosphere, Xia Daoming soon began to feel as though he were back in his previous life, fooling around with a few good-for-nothing drinking buddies.

After dinner, the group walked to the Jade Flower Pavilion in the Golden Flowing District.

To Xia Daoming's great surprise, Gu Ren had several intimate companions at the Jade Flower Pavilion.

What was more, he completely shed the silence, aloofness, and cold pride he had shown at the restaurant, becoming utterly unrestrained. His flirtatious words were so cloying that even Xia Daoming got goosebumps all over.

"Looks like Junior Brother Gu has really been holding it in. He finally caught an opportunity today, so naturally he can indulge himself properly," Zhuo Xingji said. As he listened to the tune, he glanced at Gu Ren, who was embracing women on both sides and groping freely, his mind nowhere near the music, then shook his head.

"There's no helping it. Who knows how many talented disciples have become addicted to wine and women, ultimately ruining their cultivation? These days, Master has placed nearly all his hopes on Gu Ren, so naturally he keeps a strict leash on him.

"Not long ago, Junior Sister Liu was harshly reprimanded by Master for letting Gu Ren come here to seek pleasure. If it weren't for Xia Daoming today, do you think Junior Sister Liu would dare let Gu Ren come here?" Yuchi Xiao said.

"Alas, Master hasn't had it easy either. If Junior Brother Liang Kai were still alive, he wouldn't need to trouble himself so much. He would have long since been playing with his grandchildren and enjoying his twilight years.

"Now, he can only hope that Junior Brother Gu becomes a Sixth-Rank Great Martial Master sooner. Then Master can truly enjoy his old age sooner as well," Zhuo Xingji said with a sigh.

Yuchi Xiao's expression darkened at those words, but he quickly gathered himself. Smiling, he patted Xia Daoming, who was listening to the music beside him. "We're all brothers here. It's rare for your Senior Sister Liu to treat us today, so don't be so restrained. Go relax when it's time to relax."

"This tune is quite good, and Miss Wanqing plays it beautifully. I already feel very relaxed," Xia Daoming said.

As he spoke, he wore an intoxicated expression and began tapping along to the rhythm.

In terms of beauty and figure, Liu Qiaolian far surpassed the girls at the Jade Flower Pavilion.

And her card skills were excellent, as was her conduct at the card table.

Most importantly, there were feelings between him and Liu Qiaolian now.

How could indulging himself here compare to going home and playing cards with Liu Qiaolian?

"You're quite disciplined. What a pity..." Yuchi Xiao said with feeling, but he did not say what exactly was such a pity.

Xia Daoming pretended not to understand what Yuchi Xiao regretted and continued listening to the music with an intoxicated look.

That night, Gu Ren stayed at the Jade Flower Pavilion, while Xia Daoming left early after listening to the music.

When he returned home, the lights in the courtyard were still on.

Liu Qiaolian sat in the front hall, holding a yellowed book scroll as she read. When she saw Xia Daoming enter, she happily set it down.

"Master has returned!" Liu Qiaolian stepped forward and curtsied. Her dainty nose twitched slightly, and a faint change passed over her expression.

"Today, my fellow disciples had a gathering. Senior Sister Liu Xiaoqiang treated us to music at her Jade Flower Pavilion. Since I was the guest of honor today, it wouldn't have been proper to refuse, so I went along to listen.

"But don't worry. Your master was only listening to music properly," Xia Daoming explained with a smile. Having lived two lives, how could he not know what Liu Qiaolian had smelled?

"Master is the master. You needn't explain such things to this servant," Liu Qiaolian said. Her pretty face flushed red, looking especially alluring beneath the lamplight.

Xia Daoming had no interest in the common rouge and powder at the Jade Flower Pavilion, but their young bodies had nevertheless stirred a few sparks within him. Now, seeing Liu Qiaolian's shy and enticing appearance, those sparks immediately leaped high.

"Hehe, it seems words alone aren't enough. You don't believe your master. Then I'll prove it to you with practical action." As Xia Daoming spoke, he wrapped an arm around Liu Qiaolian's soft willow-like waist, swept her up in his arms, and strode toward the rear courtyard.

That night, the rear courtyard was filled with the colors of spring.

The days that followed.

The years were tranquil and peaceful.

Every day, Xia Daoming cultivated Hidden Strength at home according to the spiritual essence of the secret diagram he had comprehended.

Every few days, he would visit Hidden Dragon Hall. First, to seek instruction; second, as Liang Jingtang's personal disciple, he also had certain duties in the outer courtyard to supervise and teach martial arts.

Yuchi Xiao, meanwhile, was a disciple who worked full-time helping Liang Jingtang manage the martial arts school.

Every half month, Liang Jingtang gave Xia Daoming a portion of secret medicine. The medicine was boiled into a paste called Dragon Abyss Paste.

After taking it once and finding that it had no effect whatsoever on his condensing of Hidden Strength, Xia Daoming stopped taking it and instead gave it to Liu Qiaolian to store away for the time being.

Xia Daoming's cultivation speed in Hidden Strength was astonishing.

But Hidden Strength was naturally restrained and dormant, concealed in the shadows. Unless it erupted with force, it was difficult to detect.

Only a Great Martial Master of the same realm or a higher realm could discover it through deliberate examination.

Liang Jingtang had never imagined that Xia Daoming would cultivate Hidden Strength so quickly, so he had no reason to deliberately inspect his force. Moreover, Xia Daoming had already glimpsed some of the profound principles of the seventh and eighth layers of the Dragon Serpent Art from the secret diagram. Not only was the Hidden Strength he cultivated more condensed and pure, but his ability to conceal and lie dormant was, in some respects, even more skillful than Liang Jingtang's.

Even if Liang Jingtang deliberately examined him, he likely would not discover much.

Thus, no one in the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School knew that Xia Daoming had not only cultivated Hidden Strength, but had done so at an extremely rapid pace. In just two short months, the Hidden Strength he had accumulated had already surpassed that of a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master.

This night marked the fourth month since Xia Daoming had joined the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School.

A bright moon hung high in the sky.

Xia Daoming slowly opened his eyes. The portion of his body traversed by the fifth meridian emitted an aura of force that shifted between light and shadow.

Xia Daoming lifted his foot and gave the ground a gentle stomp.

Almost no sound arose, and the spot where his foot landed remained flat and smooth. Yet centered on that point, crack after crack spread outward.

"I'm finally a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master! The power and quality of my Hidden Strength have clearly improved as well." Xia Daoming looked at the cracks in the ground, a delighted smile curling across his lips.

But when he looked at the simple system interface in his mind, the smile on Xia Daoming's face quickly vanished.

Xia Daoming-

Cultivation: Fifth-Rank Martial Master

Level One Meridian Strengthening Progress: Zero Percent.

"Next, I'll have to consume massive amounts of supplements and strengthen my meridians! I wonder how many rounds of meridian strengthening at the Fifth-Rank realm eight thousand taels of silver can support." Xia Daoming stroked his chin, his face full of worry.

After several windfalls, Xia Daoming had accumulated around six thousand taels of silver before formally becoming a disciple.

Liu Qiaolian's personal wealth was also around six thousand taels.

Together, they had twelve thousand taels.

After paying three thousand taels as the fee to become a disciple, they had nine thousand taels left.

Over the past three months, they had spent one thousand taels.

Xia Daoming only cultivated Hidden Strength and did not strengthen his meridians, so his expenses were small. Aside from the Xia household's daily expenditures, that thousand taels had mainly gone toward purchasing supplements to bolster Liu Qiaolian's vitality and blood.

With such a huge sum being spent, Liu Qiaolian felt both guilty and moved each time she took the nourishing medicines. She cultivated even more diligently, and when playing cards with Xia Daoming, she put even more care into accommodating him.

Living off a woman to such an extent truly made Xia Daoming feel deeply ashamed.

"It seems I have to find a way to make money. But with the system swallowing gold at that rate, aside from the fast money from killing people and taking their goods, what other business could possibly fill that bottomless pit?

"But killing people for their goods depends on chance. Doing it occasionally is one thing, but if I truly make it my profession, that would be a road of no return!" Xia Daoming was full of worry, completely at his wits' end.

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