Chapter 19

(Please vote for recommendations to keep the new book on the chart, it's really nerve-wracking, and I also ask new readers to add the book to their collection.)

As always, he was dejected, his back hunched as before, his gaze as murky as ever.

The two young men stared with wide eyes. They saw Su Qignian stagger out of the Xuan Yin Cave, his steps unsteady, but only unsteady. Even his complexion was only slightly pale, much better off compared to them.

This...

The two young men looked at each other, feeling somewhat incredulous. Could it be that this Su Qignian had a strong physical foundation and was just relying on his reserves to push through?

Apart from this, the two young men could not think of any other reason. As for sneaking out of the Xuan Yin Cave halfway, there was no chance. History had proven that those who tried to avoid punishment ultimately met with dire consequences, either being punished even more severely, being blown apart by the Yin wind, or being expelled from the Xiaoyao Valley, which was even more serious, as they would be taken away by the Ministry of Punishments and executed within a month without any reprieve.

Taking the tiger bone soup from Daoist Jingdu, Su Qignian's lips twitched, revealing a simple smile, and then he drank it down in one gulp.

What a ghost!

The two young men muttered to themselves, but in front of Daoist Jingdu, they were somewhat intimidated and did not dare to be too bold.

...

An hour later, at the Xiaoyao Valley.

The moon was rising, and the return of the four people did not cause much of a stir. Only a few people who were out and about noticed, but they just glanced and paid no further attention.

No matter how big the joke, it was just a spice for a dull life. Martial power was the most important. They pursued the foundation stage, yearned for internal true qi, and everything else was fleeting, not worth spending too much time and energy on.

The tiger-headed guillotine hung high, and even Liu Ziming, who lived in the second thatched cottage by the water, would not be at ease. The laws of the Han Empire and the majesty of the emperor did not tolerate any disrespect or negligence.

The thatched cottage remained cold and quiet. A brazier was lit, and the lamp oil and solid ink were placed to the side to slowly melt.

Su Qignian ground the ink, but the short piece of ink was hard to handle. The slightly smelly ink swirled in the chipped inkstone, reflecting the flickering flames, the ink rippling, the firelight breaking, like silver flowers blooming.

The twisted rabbit hair brush was soaked in warm water, a few stray hairs removed, and it looked as if it could not be used many more times.

A yellowed hemp paper was spread out. Su Qignian dipped the brush in ink, then in water, and began to write.

The ink at the tip of the brush coalesced into a bead. Su Qignian focused, pulling a stroke of feibai. His brushwork was not complicated, even simple, but in a few strokes, he sketched a vague figure, a very graceful posture, somewhat immature, but even just a silhouette, one could imagine a touch of unparalleled beauty.

A pair of jade-like arms were crossed behind her back, her hair like a waterfall, gazing up at the sky, a full moon like a plate, with tree shadows swaying and jade buildings faintly visible.

After a while, Su Qignian put down his brush, gazing at the paper for a long time, then wrote a line of text on the blank side:

"Desiring to ride the wind and return, I fear the jade buildings and jade palaces."

The final signature: Su Qignian, in the 5432nd year of the Han Chixiao era.

When the ink was slightly dry, Su Qignian took out a palm-sized cloth bag from a crevice under the wooden table. This was something he had always kept close to his body, and when he first entered the Xiaoyao Valley, it had not been noticed. Opening the cloth bag, inside was a small stack of paintings, not on hemp paper but on slightly yellowed old xuan paper. The first one he saw was identical to the one he had just completed, except the silhouette was slightly more immature, and the inscription was the same, but the signature was slightly different.

Su Qignian, in the 5431st year of the Han Chixiao era!

The two paintings were almost identical, but the one he had just completed was more refined and mature. Su Qignian's gaze lingered on this painting for a moment, his expression complex, with an indescribable feeling. After a while, he took a deep breath, his eyes deep and profound, took the painting from the table, folded it, and covered it, carefully wrapping it in the cloth and slowly pushing it back into the crevice under the table.

...

No matter what season, the morning sun is always gentle, its fiery red illuminating the vast Han Empire.

At the dawn martial arts practice, Su Qignian did not go. After the dawn, he slowly carried his medicine basket and headed into the deep mountains of Wudang.

By the shore, some of the convicts on reprieve who were preparing to leave showed a look of surprise, but seeing Su Qignian's somewhat pale face, they also understood.

So, he's not just a waste, he also knows pain and is unwilling to enter the Xuan Yin Cave again, now forcing himself to go into the mountains to gather herbs.

In front of the second thatched cottage by the water.

At this moment, a young man of about eighteen or nineteen stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a seemingly simple silk blue robe. Several young men surrounded him, their gazes filled with awe, and even deep in their pupils, there was deep envy.

Liu Qing, the only son of the Second Rank Mingyang Marquis of the Han Empire, a member of the royal family!

Even as a convict, Liu Ziming had an aura that could not be concealed, like a divine dragon from the heavens, making ordinary people feel ashamed.

This was something only family background and birth could bestow, growing up in the richest soil of the Han Empire, from the first steps of enlightenment, the royal family had its own rules followed for over five thousand years, with various foundations accumulated and nurtured, making it almost impossible for even a weak descendant to be born.

"So, he's not completely crippled. When not pushed to the limit, people indeed cannot be measured by common standards." Liu Ziming said lightly, "Zengzi said, 'Ten eyes see, ten hands point, how severe it is.' To withstand so many gazes and contempt, one is either truly self-destructive or has a strong will and endures humiliation, such a person is the most terrifying."

Is Su Qignian such a person?

Liu Ziming's companions all sneered inwardly. To believe that Su Qignian endured humiliation and had great ambitions was as hard to believe as finding a hundred-year-old ginseng today.

The moment Su Qignian stepped into the forest, his spine slowly straightened. His black hair was disheveled, his eyes piercing through the chaos, now showing a hint of wariness.

From the moment he walked past the shore, a gaze had fallen on him, only retracting when he entered the forest.

Liu Ziming!

Liu Qing, the only son of the Mingyang Marquis, one of the few top yuan shen experts in the world, had many aspects that Su Qignian could not fathom. If he really saw through something, Su Qignian would not be surprised.

But for now, he could not afford to worry about that. He only had five years, and even reaching the second-class realm, the convergence of dragon and tiger, or the foundation stage of opening the heavens and nurturing internal true qi, was not as simple as he imagined. Su Qignian had no confidence that he could change anything once he reached the second-class realm.

So, in these five years, he must do everything in his power to become stronger, constantly mastering powerful martial arts.

Even the Han Empire, which ruled over a vast territory, had great respect for true martial arts experts. At least Su Qignian had heard that for Heavenly Mandate Masters, the Han Emperor promised to unconditionally fulfill three conditions, as long as they did not endanger the empire or violate the peace of the human race.

But in the entire Han Empire, how many Heavenly Mandate Masters were there? Such figures could change their destiny, grasp the will of heaven, and achieve immortality, and there were very few things in the world that they could not accomplish.

...

Su Qignian moved like the wind through the deep mountains and old forests. The snow-covered mountains were a vast expanse of white, making it extremely difficult for ordinary convicts on reprieve to gather herbs.

But Su Qignian did not care at all. His mental energy covered a ten-zhang radius, and nothing could escape his perception as he moved. Even now, without using any small tricks, he could complete his daily herb-gathering quota on his own.

But today was different. Gathering herbs was secondary. He took larger steps, delving deeper into the old forests of Wudang. The "Turtle Snake Skill" had reached a bottleneck, and the fifth level was difficult to perfect. Now he sought a breakthrough and enlightenment, constantly placing himself in dangerous situations. If he did not die, there was often an opportunity for a breakthrough.

"If there are no demonic beasts in the Wudang Mountains, and I can't survive with my fifth-level 'Turtle Snake Skill,' then I might as well wait to die, and I would truly become Su Qignian." (Please vote for recommendations to keep the new book on the chart, it's really nerve-wracking, and I also ask new readers to add the book to their collection.)