A little courtyard by the lake.
Old Ox had eaten his fill and was strolling along the lakeshore.
Mist curled over the emerald lake, nestled between two mountains, like an ancient painting of an ox drinking from a mountain stream.
Li Ping'an sat on a huge rock, utterly focused, breathing in and out.
The True Qi in the air formed currents, seeming to dissolve yet not quite dissolving, soaking into his heart and body.
Clarity arose from stillness, advancing step by step.
With a heart as still as water, he guided qi with his spirit.
Contained within the turtle's breath, like a spring, like a seep.
The Turtle Breath Technique~
Li Ping'an could not cultivate.
He could only rely on the system and his own efforts to accumulate strength, little by little.
Training a breath of qi within and sinews and bones without-this was his daily practice.
He practiced diligently, constantly improving.
Before long, he felt a very comfortable ache.
This meant his strength was growing, and his bones were changing too.
"Old Ox, what do you think our future will be like?"
Old Ox could foresee a limited stretch of the future.
He often told Li Ping'an about things that were about to happen.
This helped him seek good fortune and avoid disaster, or brought him benefits.
Saving Liu Yun, for instance, or knowing which way to go to find silver, or which checkpoint had soldiers conducting strict inspections.
Old Ox pretended not to hear.
A well-fed, sturdy black horse was tied to a willow beside the pond, and two men sat leaning against its roots.
Yan Shisan glanced from time to time at Li Ping'an, who sat cross-legged in the distance.
"What is it, Shisan?" Su Jiwang asked.
Su Jiwang was Su Xinlan's eldest brother.
He was