Chapter 38: Xiang Ling's Gratitude

Chapter 38: Xiang Ling's Gratitude

Focusing and calming his mind, True Energy flowed from his Dantian, traversing through the meridians until it slowly reached his left arm.

Soon, he felt an obstruction ahead, like a dam blocking a river.

Meng Yuan remained calm, gradually increasing the intensity of the True Energy, using the technique of nine slow and one swift, nine shallow and one deep, until each strike became both deep and swift.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Meng Yuan felt the obstruction suddenly dissolve, and the first acupoint in his left arm, located in the upper arm, opened.

Meng Yuan opened his eyes to find it was nearly evening.

After dinner, he took a brief rest before leading the students to continue their night practice.

Sweat poured as they trained until they were utterly exhausted, and only then did they disperse.

As the Senior Brother, Meng Yuan visited the male and female dormitories to ensure they were clean, giving some reminders about frequent bathing and airing out bedding before returning to his quarters next to the training ground.

Elder Jiang was already asleep, but Jiang Tang's room still had a candle lit.

Meng Yuan pushed the door open to see the little girl engrossed in reading.

This girl spent her days tidying the room, reading, writing, cooking, and making new shoes, having completed several pairs already.

"Brother!" Jiang Tang beamed upon seeing Meng Yuan, "I'll bring you some night snacks!"

She dashed out and returned with a clay pot, inside which was slow-cooked mutton.

With his Vital Energy growing slowly, Meng Yuan added an extra meal every night without fail.

"Eat together," Meng Yuan sat down, not minding the heat, and started eating immediately.

"I'm not hungry," Jiang Tang sat opposite him, pouring tea with enthusiasm, then placed her elbows on the table and cupped her face, watching Meng Yuan with a silly smile, whispering, "Brother, Sister Xun Mei came this afternoon."

"What did she want?" Meng Yuan asked while eating.

"She just asked about you."

Jiang Tang extended her right hand, tilted her head, and gently smoothed Meng Yuan's hair behind his ear to prevent it from getting greasy, saying, "Sister Xun Mei saw me reading and writing, and asked if I wanted to work with her."

Meng Yuan understood; Xun Mei was truly a good person, worried about him offending the Prince and Supervisor Liu, so she wanted to take care of the little girl.

This gratitude would be hard to repay.

"What did your grandfather say? What do you think?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Grandfather said to listen to you," Jiang Tang spoke softly, "Sister Xun Mei said I could go to her place during the day, still have time to make medicine for Grandfather, and not miss making night snacks for you."

She's willing to go! It's understandable; although Xun Mei is a servant, she is almost indistinguishable from the mistress, courteous and gentle, with a refined demeanor and excellent financial skills. The little girl admiring her is quite normal.

"Then go," Meng Yuan smiled, "Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to buy some head ornaments, but we won't pierce your ears, just some bracelets and hairpins."

"Okay!" Jiang Tang's eyes lit up, and she said happily, "I've saved several taels of silver, this time I'll use my money!"

Meng Yuan took out a hundred-tael silver note and handed it to her, "Use this."

Jiang Tang was confused and asked where the money came from, but Meng Yuan didn't explain.

The next morning, Meng Yuan first went to the training ground for morning practice, then took Jiang Tang out.

They had a good breakfast and spent the morning at a jewelry shop, buying bracelets and hairpins, as well as a bronze mirror and a jewelry box, completing everything they needed.

Seeing the little girl so happy, Meng Yuan felt at ease and plunged back into the training ground, determined to open all the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens as soon as possible.

At the training ground, he practiced until evening, and another acupoint in his left arm opened.

He had planned to ask the little girl about her first day at work, but Wu Changsheng ran over to ask why Meng Yuan hadn't shouted the calls today, and Iron Ox felt that shouting a few times every day was necessary to express loyalty to the Empress Dowager.

"Loyalty isn't shouted, it's shown!" Meng Yuan sternly rejected the idea.

In the following days, Nie Shi didn't call on him, and Meng Yuan didn't seek him out either.

With no distractions, Meng Yuan focused entirely on opening the acupoints. He didn't even inquire about Liu He or visit the Intoxicating Moon Tower.

Flirting with women, especially widows, was a tedious affair! Given the choice, Meng Yuan preferred to play with a stone mill!

Half a month passed, and it was already late February.

As the morning sun rose, Meng Yuan first practiced the Staking Post Cultivation Technique, then found a quiet place to sit and visualize the River Water.

He mobilized his True Energy, repeatedly and forcefully, not using the old method of nine slow and one swift, but striking the acupoints intensely each time.

In a daze, Meng Yuan suddenly felt the obstruction vanish.

Thus, after diligent day and night practice, all the acupoints in his limbs were opened, and the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens were fully activated.

Meng Yuan was about to heave a sigh of relief when suddenly, he felt a slight tremor throughout his body, and the True Energy in his Dantian became unstable.

Nie Shi had never mentioned such a situation, so Meng Yuan quickly focused and calmed himself, and it took a long time for him to regain control.

"According to Nie Shi, the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens are within the flesh, and the Middle Thirty-Three Heavens are within the bones. The locations of these two are corresponding."

"The Ninth Stage is the full opening of the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens, and it's already fully opened. What should I do next to achieve a perfect Eight Rank Mirror-Breaking Technique?"

Meng Yuan was a novice, and he really couldn't understand it.

"Nie Shi always said to find an old brothel mistress to teach me. Actually, in the Martial Path, he is the old brothel mistress."

Meng Yuan was an honest person, and seeing that it was almost noon, he went to find someone at mealtime and also to scrounge a meal.

He hurried to the Intoxicating Moon Tower, a familiar road.

"Why haven't you come to see me in so long? Do you find it here too noisy?" Nie Qingqing, dressed in a thin Spring Garment, revealing her fullness, with a jade hairpin and swaying steps, a smile on her lips, truly a picture of a gentle and charming older sister.

Meng Yuan's heart skipped a beat, but he still put on a serious expression, "Sister Qingqing, is Nie Shi still busy with Martial Services?"

Nie Qingqing saw that the boy had come to talk about serious matters, so she put away her smile and said, "Martial Services are nothing. Recently, Uncle Zhang has something, and he borrowed my father."

"The Demon Control Bureau's Songhe City Garrison?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"Not bad." Nie Qingqing gathered her hands, "In the next two or three days, he'll probably be back."

"So that's how it is." Meng Yuan had an idea, and he didn't ask further, only saying, "Sister, I've been running all the way here, and I'm very thirsty. Can I borrow some tea?"

Meng Yuan's intention to scrounge a meal remained unchanged.

"You're here to find Nie Shi, not me. How can I take care of your tea?" Nie Qingqing waved her hand, and a young servant boy brought a jar of wine, "The last time Young Master helped, I dare not forget, a jar of wine is a thank you."

After speaking, Nie Qingqing walked away directly.

The young servant boy stuffed the jar of wine into Meng Yuan's embrace and didn't forget to hurry him along, "Young Master, please go back."

Huh? Women are so strange. When I'm serious, you think I'm not flirting, but when I want to flirt, you say I'm playing around!

Meng Yuan didn't get to scrounge a meal, but he hugged the wine jar and walked back.

When he returned to the Imperial Mansion, he saw someone waiting at the Training Ground entrance, and it was Big Head Zhao.

Big Head Zhao also spotted Meng Yuan, and he hurried forward, glancing at the wine jar in Meng Yuan's embrace. He asked seriously, "Little Meng, be honest with me. Did Auntie sleep with you?"

Where did this come from? Meng Yuan helplessly said, "I've been in the Imperial Mansion all along. Where would I sleep?"

Big Head Zhao didn't believe him, so he grabbed Meng Yuan's wrist and felt its warmth. The person didn't have dark circles under his eyes, and his spirit was full of energy, clearly not looking like someone drained by a woman, so he was slightly relieved.

"Auntie came to find me and said she wanted to see you." Big Head Zhao said in a low voice.

"How did she find you? She should know we're working at the Livestock Farm." Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"She said that the cow manure smell is the strongest and best-smelling in our farm, so she found me right away." Big Head Zhao said helplessly.

Meng Yuan smiled and asked, "Did she say why she wanted to see me?"

Big Head Zhao stared at Meng Yuan and said in a low voice, "She said you untied her rope, and she returned to her hometown, wanting to find her wet nurse and you, and wanting to repay you."

It seemed she wanted to repay a life-saving favor.

"How did she say she would repay me?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"How else can she repay?" Big Head Zhao didn't let go of Meng Yuan's arm, "Little Meng, I know you have prospects. You have a proper mind, and Jiang's maid is indeed still young. You young people have strong fire, but you can't be random. Even if you want to visit a brothel, visit, it won't cost a few coins!"

When it came to this, Big Head Zhao quickly added, "But you must not bring Zhao Tieniu. He's still a young boy."

"..." Meng Yuan rubbed his arm.

"Did she say she wanted to sleep with me?"

"That's not it. She just wants to see you, and she made an appointment for tomorrow morning, just outside the farm." Big Head Zhao still had lingering fear, "Auntie is very proud, saying she'll definitely make you very happy!"

Very happy? How happy?

Meng Yuan had no interest in sleeping with Little Marmot, and he knew Xiang Ling wasn't here to sleep either.

However, the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens were now fully opened, and the method to advance to the Eighth Stage was still unsettled. Nie Shi wasn't around, so it wouldn't hurt to go out for a walk. After all, the round trip would only take a day.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end