Ning Wuxia shrieked and vanished in a flash like a streak of smoke.
Meanwhile, Ning Weiyu had to watch over Xu Yao's practice and couldn't run off to discipline her. He could only stamp his foot in frustration, completely helpless against this younger sister of his.
"Just wait until we get back—I'll teach you a proper lesson!"
Xu Yao circulated the Purple Mansion Qi Circulation Art along the meridians Ning Weiyu had guided him through, practicing with utmost focus. Holding in his breath, he recalled the mnemonic formulas, checked them against the pathways, and traced the faint residual tremors Ning Weiyu had left at his meridian nodes, pushing through with immense difficulty to complete a circuit all by himself.
When he finally opened his mouth to exhale a breath of turbid air, his face was flushed red, his heart drumming like a war beat.
Yet he noticed that the breath he expelled actually carried a faint tint of gray.
Only after his heartbeat slowed and his emotions settled did he calmly take another deep breath and begin a second cycle of cultivation.
Not until his thirtieth-odd attempt did he feel he was finally getting the hang of it. Moreover, he could sense an infinitesimally subtle power within his body that was blending into his meridians along with this breathing method.
That power brought a familiar sense of comfort.
His heart stirred at once—he recognized it as the pure qi his eyes had absorbed from the mountain demon.
As he slowly completed this heavenly circuit and opened his mouth to exhale, the gray tint in his breath was distinctly darker.
Closing his eyes in thought, he reflected on how every time he obtained this pure qi, his body improved a fraction. But because he hadn't known how to cultivate before, the vast majority of that pure qi had simply dissipated after giving his physique a minor boost.
Even so, it had been of tremendous help.
He knew full well that while he wasn't clumsy or uncoordinated, his natural aptitude truly wasn't very good. Yet that didn't matter. This pure qi was slowly transforming his body, constantly steering it toward being suitable for cultivation.
Now that he had acquired a cultivation method, from here on...
He opened his eyes, feeling them gleam with light!
Facing the morning sun, he took a deep breath.
He wasn't cultivating; he was simply breathing, savoring the fine dawn and the beauty of life.
Never had he felt so certain that he had truly seized an opportunity!
A future that once seemed so distant and faint—perhaps now he could reach out and grasp it, turning the dreams of his childhood into reality, one by one.
The sensation sent a faint quiver through his body, leaving even his scalp tingling with a pleasant numbness.
Become an official!
Make a fortune!
Become a high official!
Make a great fortune!
Today, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had taken the first step!
"How does it feel?" Ning Weiyu's warm, gentle voice came from beside him.
"Very... wondrous." Xu Yao chose the word "wondrous" to describe what he felt.
Cultured and refined, Ning Weiyu smiled without a sound.
He knew that the sensation of suddenly catching sight of the Great Dao was indeed wondrous. "Have you memorized it?" he asked softly.
"I've memorized it."
"Good. If you can persevere consistently, you will achieve the initial breakthrough in three years."
Xu Yao waited for him to continue, but Ning Weiyu fell silent. In his view, given Xu Yao's aptitude, three to five years might bring initial minor success in the first layer of the Purple Mansion Qi Circulation Art, but in this lifetime, he might never reach great completion of that first layer.
Flicking the hem of his white robe, Ning Weiyu sat down beside him, looking out shoulder to shoulder at the glowing clouds on the horizon. "Big Fatty," he said softly, "how far is the farthest place you've ever traveled?"
"Black Mountain County town," Xu Yao replied. "Eighty li from here."
"If your cultivation bears fruit, what do you want to do?"
"Become an official—a high official. Make a name for myself and find a settled place in life. Support my parents, take a wife, have sons and daughters and raise them up, live in peace and happiness, and reach a ripe old age. No trouble outside, spare money at home so we never feel pinched, and smooth sailing in all things."
Xu Yao answered without missing a beat.
These thoughts had run through his mind countless times, so when asked, they spilled right out.
Ning Weiyu fell silent. Only after a long pause did he murmur, "Honest."
Xu Yao grinned sheepishly.
"Have you ever thought of going to see the sights where the sun rises?"
Ning Weiyu reached out, pointing toward the magnificent radiance of the sun amidst the multicolored horizon. "Have you ever thought of seeing the boundless azure sea? Have you ever thought of calming the raging waves with a single sword strike? Turning the tide amidst thousands of troops and horses? Standing above all heroes under heaven to reach the peak of the Heavenly Stele?"
"Have you ever thought of standing at the highest peak and beholding the shifting winds and clouds of the world?"
"Never," Xu Yao answered earnestly. "Really, never."
Ning Weiyu said in a deep voice, "Life is like sailing past a thousand ships, climbing ten thousand mountains. With every step higher, the view is different. One's breadth of mind expands with what the eyes behold, and one's perspective shifts with where one stands."
He seemed to want to offer some encouragement and paint a picture of a magnificent life, but after a moment's thought, he stopped himself and said gently, "May your wishes come true soon."
"Thank you, Sir Ning."
A meaningful smile appeared on Ning Weiyu's handsome face.
*The sooner your wishes come true, the greater your ambitions will grow, and the broader your horizons will become.*
*Let yourself experience these things step by step.*
*May you one day behold the shifting clouds of the mortal world—and the heavens above.*
Even though he knew full well that Xu Yao's aptitude wasn't great, he still wanted to do everything he could to plant within him the seed of the boundless martial path.
A modest gentleman, gentle as jade. Such was Ning Weiyu's nature: whatever he undertook, he did with wholehearted dedication and a clear conscience.
Over in the distance, Ning Wuxia was calling for him, but Ning Weiyu didn't move.
When speaking earlier, he had used his qi dynamics to influence Xu Yao. Fearing that any movement might prevent the impression from taking deep root in Xu Yao's heart, he stayed by his side, using his deep, abyss-like presence to reinforce it.
"You and your sister have such a wonderful bond, Sir Ning."
Xu Yao felt a bit envious. Being an only child with neither older nor younger sisters, seeing their close sibling bond stirred a twinge of envy: *If only I had a younger sister, I'd spoil her to the heavens!*
The corner of Ning Weiyu's mouth curled into a faint, doting smile. "I was already over seventy when I finally got a little sister. How could I not spoil her?"
Xu Yao stared blankly.
Looking at Ning Weiyu—who looked every bit the dashing, elegant young noble—Xu Yao's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Sev... You're in your seventies this year!?"
Ning Weiyu burst into laughter. "How could I be in my seventies this year?"
Xu Yao breathed a sigh of relief. "I was thinking that couldn't be right."
"I said I was over seventy when I got a sister. Now that she's twenty-one, how could I still be in my seventies? I'm ninety-three this year." Ning Weiyu chuckled, looking at Xu Yao with total seriousness. "Really!"
Xu Yao felt his mind shatter on the spot.
Stumbling unevenly all the way back to the compound, Xu Yao still hadn't recovered from the shock even when breakfast was served.
*Turns out he's practically a centenarian? What in the...*
He had just finished breakfast and had not even set his chopsticks down when a shout came from outside.
"The plate is moving! It's moving!"
Xu Yao bolted out the door.
This time, the mission fell to Squad One. Brigade Captain Chen Chong did not accompany them on this trip, but as the indispensable eyes of the team, Xu Yao naturally rode out with the vanguard.
Ning Weiyu and Ning Wuxia joined them as usual.
This time, their target was an ordinary mountain peach tree that had not borne any fruit.
The moment the mountain demon's roots were dug up, the Ning siblings jumped into the pit to search for something, while Xu Yao found a secure spot to sit down. Outwardly, he appeared to be resting, but in truth, he focused his vision with all his might to look closely.
A wisp of pure qi suddenly entered his eyes.
He quickly closed his eyes and guided this pure qi according to the pathways of the Purple Mansion Qi Circulation Art, steering it steadily as it surged to the crown, descended to the soles, circulated through his entire body, and entered his dantian.
After completing one cycle, he felt there was still qi remaining, so he ran it through a second time.
He distinctly felt that as this thread of pure qi entered his meridians, a miraculous change took place in his body. The circulation of the Purple Mansion Qi Circulation Art, which had previously felt vague and almost imperceptible, now gave him an infinitesimally subtle sensation of flowing motion.
Though faint, delicate, and almost fleeting, it filled Xu Yao with immense satisfaction.
According to Ning Weiyu, this phenomenon was known as the "stirring of impulse"—meaning one could clearly sense the presence of spiritual energy in the meridians!
He had truly crossed the threshold into the state of a cultivator.
After finishing the circuit, he exhaled deeply, and the gray substance within that breath was even thicker than before.
Faintly, his body felt a fraction lighter.
Never before had Xu Yao possessed such a clear, vivid understanding of the turbid qi inside ordinary mortals!
*I've got it!*
*Yours truly has made it!*
Chapter 20