Early the next morning, Zhang Ju rose and took his leave, saying he would pull some strings and see whether the Literary Gathering could still be salvaged.
Chen Cuo urged him not to fixate on it and to let things take their course.
Zhang Ju agreed on the surface, but the thoughts that slipped out of him made it clear he would not give up. Chen Cuo could only shake his head and sigh.
After seeing Zhang Ju off, Chen Cuo stayed inside the Marquis's Residence for the next two days. He practiced breathing exercises in his room and studied the Yin-Yang Force.
An ordinary martial artist would need several days at the very least to begin mastering this method of directing force. But with a deity seated in his heart, Chen Cuo could control his body and thoughts and move his strength with ease. Combined with the physique he had gained from the Nameless Breathing Technique, he soon found the key.
"When force moves, the mind follows. Yang outside and yin within—through their transformation, I can put the true fire in my heart to use. No wonder Daoist Nanmingzi taught me this method!"
After each day's practice, Chen Cuo would reflect on what he had learned, then record his insights and store them in the Dream Marsh.
Then he would have the servants prepare a meal.
Since returning home, his appetite had grown enormously. He ate four or five meals a day, each three or four times the size of an ordinary person's.
After one such meal, Chen Cuo could not help reflecting aloud.
"They say letters are for the poor, while martial arts are for the rich. Cultivation really does cost money. Even if an ordinary household had a technique, they'd struggle to afford the medicinal meals needed