I Don't Eat Meat

Cheng Yu looked at Luo Xuan in some surprise. "Are you really planning to take him on as a guard?"

"There's no rush." Luo Xuan smiled and shook her head. "We'll give each other a chance and see whether he qualifies.

"When he comes looking for me, we'll see how he performs.

"If his improvement next month meets my requirements, what harm is there in nurturing him?

"Besides, it could influence Fang Yong too.

"Two birds with one stone."

"He really is fortunate. For a country bumpkin to receive your attention and support, he must have cultivated good fortune for several lifetimes." Cheng Yu chuckled. "If he knew about this, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

"Given his current circumstances, without your support, Miss Luo, he'll probably have to return to his mountain village next year.

"That would be all his life ever amounted to.

"If other people found out you were going to nurture him, they'd be beating their chests and stamping their feet."

After a pause, Cheng Yu suddenly asked curiously, "But how are you going to give him a graceful way out?"

At that, Luo Xuan smiled and took out a handkerchief. "With this."

"How do you use that?" Cheng Yu was puzzled.

Luo Xuan stood at an intersection and waited a while, until Jiang Man appeared at another intersection.

Only then did she release the handkerchief in her hand, letting it fall, before quickly leaving with Cheng Yu.

After secretly watching Jiang Man pick up the handkerchief, Cheng Yu said admiringly, "That works too? Doesn't that mean he'll come looking for you right away to return it?

"Then nurturing him will follow as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

"You've given him the steps; he only needs to walk down them."

Luo Xuan nodded slightly and smiled. "Let's go. He'll come looking for me by tomorrow at the latest. We'll see whether he can withstand my test."

At that moment, Jiang Man stood where he was, looking at the handkerchief in his hand.

He had just seen Luo Xuan and Cheng Yu, so naturally he knew it belonged to them.

Especially since it even had the character "Xuan" on it.

There was no question who had lost it.

But she had already stopped hiring him as a sparring partner.

Making a special trip to return it would be rather troublesome.

Jiang Man glanced around, intending to leave it somewhere nearby.

It was just a handkerchief. If she lost it, she lost it. Would anyone really go and return it?

It wasn't as though she came from a poor household and couldn't afford another.

But just as he was about to put the handkerchief down, he suddenly spotted Song Qing.

Song Qing had been sparring with him for the past two days.

He was a decent enough person too.

He looked so gloomy now; giving him a handkerchief to gaze at and think of its owner would work too.

So Jiang Man called out to stop him.

After explaining roughly what had happened, he handed it over.

Taking the handkerchief, Song Qing looked at Jiang Man gratefully.

He realized Jiang Man truly was a good person. He had provoked Jiang Man and hadn't even managed to beat him.

He had thought there was no longer any chance of getting a recommendation.

But this handkerchief...

Wasn't this letting him return it to her, giving him a chance at an interview?

"I'm off." Jiang Man then strode away.

Song Qing was moved.

He put the handkerchief away and quickly left.

After returning to the Stable, Jiang Man kept feeling that something had been off about Song Qing's expression.

He wouldn't actually go and return it, would he?

Jiang Man shook his head.

He stopped thinking about it and, after eating a great deal, began practicing the Qi and Blood Method.

This time, it was external cultivation, increasing his Qi and Blood and strengthening his flesh body.

Spiritual qi stirred his Qi and Blood, circulating through a full cycle.

As his Qi and Blood resonated with his body, some of the Qi and Blood within him was refined and merged into his flesh and bones.

Qi and Blood entered his flesh, opening the first gourd.

Flesh Body First Layer.

Then the accumulation began.

It went smoothly, and quickly too.

Afterward, Jiang Man continued circulating it.

But after just ten repetitions, he felt hungry.

Extremely hungry, almost faint with hunger.

Not daring to hesitate, he immediately took out his stored meat and ate it all.

Yet the more he ate, the hungrier he grew. It simply couldn't hold the hunger back.

Finishing it only brought some relief.

He immediately ate half his stored grain as well.

Only then did the hunger stop.

Hunger like this left Jiang Man somewhat stunned and bewildered.

Wasn't this far too hungry?

Then he checked the Blood Gourd, which was less than a tenth full.

Even that much made me this hungry?

He had spent three hundred Spirit Source on food, and eaten a hundred and fifty in one meal?

"How many repetitions did you practice? Eating this much?" Old Yellow Ox came over, looking puzzled.

"Ten," Jiang Man answered honestly.

He had never expected to get this hungry either.

Hearing that, Old Yellow Ox frowned. "What layer is your Qi and Blood Method at?"

Jiang Man looked at him. "Couldn't you tell, Brother Ox?"

Old Yellow Ox fell silent. Ninth-layer Qi and Blood Method, ninth-layer Qi Refining method.

How exactly had he cultivated them?

He didn't ask.

If he asked, the answer would just be talent.

There was no point.

"At the ninth layer of the Qi and Blood Method, you improve quickly, but you burn through resources quickly too," Old Yellow Ox said. "Someone like you would do best to buy some specially raised beast meat."

Jiang Man thought for a moment. "I did ask about it. Three hundred Spirit Source a jin. I have a little over nine hundred left now, so three jin at most."

"If you don't have Spirit Source, just earn some," Old Yellow Ox said casually.

Jiang Man fell silent.

If Spirit Source were that easy to earn, he wouldn't have specifically mentioned the price.

His luck had been good, and even then, he had only earned thirteen hundred in a month.

Although his cultivation had improved now, Spirit Source was still hard to earn.

But he couldn't go without earning it either. It looked like he would have to seek out Steward Miao again.

Otherwise, he simply wouldn't reach the Qi Refining Sixth Layer in two months.

Out of curiosity, Jiang Man asked whether Old Yellow Ox knew how to earn Spirit Source.

The answer he received was that he didn't eat meat.

Jiang Man: "..."

In the end, he went to the Resource Office and bought special beast meat.

Three jin.

After eating it, he did indeed feel his Qi and Blood seething, and began practicing the Qi and Blood Method.

Over and over.

After forty repetitions, the gourd was already half full.

So fast.

But he was hungry again.

Another jin went into his stomach, and he cultivated until dawn.

After fifty repetitions, the gourd was full.

Once the third jin was in his stomach.

After ten repetitions, he opened the second gourd in one go.

Flesh Body Second Layer.

Only then did Jiang Man let out a breath.

He had spent nearly a thousand Spirit Source.

He could raise his cultivation now, but Jiang Man was in no hurry. He would first fill three gourds with Qi and Blood.

Tonight, he would use spiritual qi to earn Spirit Source.

He wondered what his base price was now.

During the day, Jiang Man followed his usual routine, cultivating after his studies.

But while sparring, Song Qing was somewhat distracted, and there was no telling what he was thinking about.

At dusk, Luo Xuan led the way out.

Jiang Man also went to the Guard Office to ask about the price.

Meanwhile, after spending the whole day mentally preparing himself, Song Qing finally worked up the courage to head toward Luo Xuan's residence.

He had rehearsed it hundreds of times in his mind and understood what he should say and do.

All to fight for a chance to stay.

At Luo Xuan's residence, Cheng Yu sat by the table with her chin propped on her hand. "Why hasn't Jiang Man come yet?"

"There's no rush. He needs to think things through, after all," Luo Xuan said calmly, eating pastries. "Once he's thought it through, he'll naturally come."

"He has no idea how many people envy him. For Miss Luo to think highly of him and give him a chance is an enormous stroke of fortune," Cheng Yu said.

Luo Xuan paid it no mind, quietly cultivating instead.

She had no intention of wasting time.

A little while later, there was a knock at the door.

Cheng Yu immediately jumped up. "He's here. Let me see how he plans to thank Miss Luo."

She hurried to the door and opened it.

But the instant the door opened, she saw a man kneeling on one knee, his head lowered as he said respectfully, "Miss Luo, I am willing to serve you like a hound or horse."

Thank you to reader [keyhalo] for the Alliance Leader donation.

A second Alliance Leader already. I really do feel a little embarrassed.

There was no need to go this far.

I'm getting too embarrassed even to say things like I'll post extra updates when I have time.

Thank you for your support!

When I get the chance, I will.