Spirit Stone

When Gao Fei entered Spring Revival Pavilion, the madam came running over from a long way off to greet him.

The madam still had her figure and looks; she was simply a little older.

"Young master, you've finally come. Would you like a private room, or...?"

Gao Fei did not waste words and directly stated his purpose. All that beating around the bush would be worse than going home to drink Qi-Blood Soup.

Two large jars, forty portions. He wondered if he could finish them all before dawn.

Upon hearing his purpose, the madam's face immediately fell.

"Before Qiu Mei has even come of age, she is already my cash cow. If you redeem her, how can Spring Revival Pavilion keep doing business?"

"One thousand taels!"

Gao Fei named his price outright. Since the madam had not refused, there was hope.

"Young master, let's discuss this in the inner room. Besides, redeeming Qiu Mei is such a major matter. How can it be settled so carelessly? We must certainly let everyone know, wouldn't you agree?"

The madam raised her voice considerably, and the people around them lit up at once upon hearing her.

"How much silver?"

"Whose family is redeeming her as a concubine? I want to be friends with him!"

"Tch, is that really about making friends? You want him to entertain you with his concubine!"

"I'll offer a hundred taels to make a friend of whoever redeems her, just for a taste of something fresh!"

Gao Fei turned to look at Qiu Mei and found that she was not angry. Her expression was calm. Clearly, she had heard plenty of such filthy talk.

In ancient times, concubines were private property and could be transferred at will.

Given the original owner's reputation, judging by how pleased Second Aunt had been just now, he should have been thanking heaven and earth merely for being able to marry a wife.

No wonder she had sought out someone like the original owner—someone with no money and no ability—to redeem her.

"Esteemed guests, hear me out. Qiu Mei, I won't make things difficult for you either. In one hour, everyone may bid. The highest bidder gets her. How about it?"

"One thousand taels is already high enough. Don't push your luck."

Gao Fei's face darkened instantly. He had killed quite a few demons over the past two days, and killing intent had gradually begun to show.

A thousand copper coins equaled one tael of silver. One million copper coins was money an ordinary person could not earn in an entire lifetime.

"Lord Gao, it is not that I refuse to give you face. I run a business, and I have a whole household to feed as well."

The madam did not back down. She spoke with a light smile and did not bargain at all, utterly fearless.

Those in this line of business having backing was only normal. It seemed the original owner's "fame" was no use here.

"I presume you know what is happening in the city right now. Are you truly not going to leave yourself a way out?"

Places of pleasure had well-informed ears. She definitely knew the situation in the county seat.

Gao Fei could only invoke his second uncle's Organ Tempering Realm cultivation.

The madam hesitated before revealing the truth.

"Someone has already spoken to me. I cannot afford to offend any of you. Please forgive me."

Qiu Mei tugged at Gao Fei's sleeve, then nodded to the madam.

"Then we will wait for the bidding."

As she spoke, she led Gao Fei toward a private room upstairs.

"Barring anything unusual, two thousand five hundred taels should be enough. I'm just afraid people from the two lineages will come."

Qiu Mei was somewhat worried. "If it is not enough, young master's commission may have to be delayed."

Gao Fei waved a hand. His goal was not silver. Still, he should first get the item and raise his strength; that would make succeeding at what he did more likely.

At worst, he would simply snatch her away.

"Give me the bracelet you are wearing. I'll go think of a way."

"This is a keepsake my parents left me. Don't pawn it outright."

Qiu Mei was not some rigid fool. She took off the bracelet and handed it to Gao Fei.

Her eyes never left it throughout the entire process, and her reluctance was plain to see.

Gao Fei took it and tested it. Only the largest bead could be absorbed.

He cut the string with a knife and returned all the other beads to Qiu Mei.

"I only want this bead. Keep the rest as something to remember them by."

The bead was white-brown and about the size of a peanut. It felt cold as stone to the touch.

As he held it in his palm, spiritual energy began flowing into Gao Fei's body.

"System, add twenty Merit Points to the Blood-Congealing Art."

In the first year, you only began practicing martial arts after using a Low-Grade Spirit Stone to replenish your qi and blood.

Year Eight: The Blood-Congealing Art reached perfection. Nourished by spiritual energy, you entered the peak of the Blood-Qi Realm, and your qi and blood began to nourish your entire body.

Year Nine: You sensed there was another layer beyond perfection, and vaguely touched its threshold.

Year Fifteen: You entered the Blood-Qi Realm (Return to Truth). The qi and blood of your fleshly body burned fiercely, warding off a hundred evils. Your Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body was repaired by ten points.

Year Nineteen: The power of qi and blood no longer increased. You tried other directions but discovered nothing.

Year Twenty: The flow of qi and blood throughout your body became completely natural, with no further growth.

Opening his eyes, Gao Fei realized that a little time seemed to have passed in reality.

From entering the space of consciousness to coming out, one bead from Qiu Mei's bracelet had just slipped from his hand and now happened to hit the ground.

One or two seconds. Fortunately, he had discovered it early; otherwise, being instantly killed by someone else would have been truly unjust.

His lifespan had reached 117 days, increasing by 60 days when he broke through to Return to Truth.

He rolled his shoulders, clenched his fist, and exerted force. He felt that his strength had more than doubled.

One punch definitely exceeded fifteen hundred jin. As for a press, it should exceed five hundred jin as well.

The white portion of the Spirit Stone in his hand had vanished by half, with tiny yellow spots appearing. It seemed it would not be enough for Skin Tempering Realm cultivation.

But right now, the most urgent matter was finding a Skin Tempering Realm cultivation method. If possible, he also needed a martial skill and a movement technique.

"Miss Qiu Mei, I need to return home. I will definitely be back before the auction."

After taking his leave, Gao Fei hurried home.

His younger cousin was still practicing horse stance in the courtyard. His second uncle stood nearby giving instructions, while his second aunt cooked in the kitchen. The three made for a very harmonious scene.

The moment Gao Fei entered, he pulled his second uncle to a corner of the courtyard.

"Bring me several Skin Tempering Realm cultivation methods, movement techniques, and martial skills. I need them now."

At this moment, Gao Fei's qi and blood were restrained. He looked about the same as someone in the Middle Qi-Blood Realm, with no sign whatsoever of vigorous qi and blood.

Second Uncle Gao Linyue looked him over from head to toe. He could not see anything wrong, though he found it strange. Still, he answered Gao Fei's question.

"Movement techniques require spiritual power to support them. You can only practice them after entering the Spirit-Absorption Realm."

"Martial skills are merely the most basic moves and some techniques for exerting force. They are much the same as what you have learned already. Learning more would not mean much."

"I can let you look at Skin Tempering Realm cultivation methods. To temper the skin, it is best to reach the late Blood-Qi Realm first. You are still young, so you still have a chance."

Gao Fei sensed that something was off. He had worked so hard to push the Blood-Qi Realm to its limit, yet it seemed he had wasted his effort.

"You mean I can temper my skin as early as the middle stage of the Blood-Qi Realm?"

Gao Linyue did not pay it much mind. He had no expectations whatsoever for this good-for-nothing nephew, so he could say whatever he liked.

"You can temper your skin at any time. But after tempering the skin, the power of qi and blood will no longer increase. And skin tempering is more than twice as difficult as cultivating qi and blood. You must soak in special medicinal baths, and the silver it consumes will only be greater."

"If you skip skin tempering, trying to make up for it later will be harder than climbing to heaven. Ordinarily, no one would do such a thing."

"Still, I can show you a Skin Tempering Realm cultivation method to broaden your horizons."

As he spoke, Gao Linyue quickly entered the house. Within a few breaths, he came back out with a paper-bound book and tossed it directly to Gao Fei.

"I heard that once this cultivation method is practiced to perfection, the skin turns faint gold and becomes astonishingly defensive. Even the crotch can be trained. Back then, I was only a tiny bit away from mastering the Iron Crotch Art..."

Gao Fei caught it and looked. Iron Shirt. He opened it and read.

Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, grip the ground with all ten toes, contract the anus, and sink qi into the dantian...

He could understand it, but that did not mean it could be mastered casually. He took out the Spirit Stone and held it in his hand.

A new cultivation method appeared on the system panel: Iron Shirt (Not Initiated)

"System, give me twenty years first—oh! Twenty Merit Points."