Chapter 30: One Month Later
He sat in meditation, silently reciting the Heart Method Mantra in his mind.
EXHALE—
INHALE—
He drew in a slow breath, then gradually released it, breathing in a steady rhythm. As he did, Ye Xing felt every pore on his body open up, a pleasant sensation washing over him like a gentle spring breeze.
Outside, the moonlight was like liquid silver, casting mottled shadows on the ground. A gentle breeze rustled, making a soft SHUSHING sound.
Time trickled by, and the darkness of night began to fade.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when a sliver of pearly white light appeared on the horizon, gradually spreading outwards.
A moment later, the world began to brighten. A golden sun ascended from the eastern horizon, its rays shooting down like a volley of ten thousand arrows, gilding the tiled houses and pavilions of Phoenix Town with a golden sheen.
Sunlight streamed through the wooden window and into the cottage. On the wooden bed, Ye Xing, still sitting cross-legged in meditation, opened his eyes.
"Whew! That felt amazing. The whole night went by so fast." Ye Xing gave a great stretch and stood up from the bed, feeling full of vigor. Despite not sleeping, he wasn’t tired at all. In fact, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. He couldn’t help but marvel to himself, ’Internal Cultivation Methods are truly magical. No wonder those Martial Artists have such great physiques.’
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
A soft knock suddenly sounded from outside the door.
"Big Brother, are you awake?" came the voice of the little maid, Qiao’er, from outside.
"Yeah, I just woke up!" Ye Xing walked over and opened the door.
Qiao’er, the little maid, walked in carrying a basin of hot water.
Steam rose from the basin. The young maid dipped a towel into the water, wrung it out, and handed it to Ye Xing. "Here you go, Big Brother!"
"Mm." Ye Xing took the hot towel, spread it open, and wiped his face. The heat felt very comfortable. As he washed up, he said, "Qiao’er, you don’t need to go through all this trouble of bringing water in for me. I can just get it myself."
"How could I do that? Bringing water for Big Brother’s morning wash is part of my duty," the young maid said very seriously. "Qiao’er is Big Brother’s maid. You’ve already bought me, so I have to serve you from now on."
"Haha, there’s no need for that. I’m not a three-year-old; I can get my own water and wash my own face." As Ye Xing spoke, he suddenly noticed the little maid’s eyes were red. Her long eyelashes quivered, and tears began to well up.
"Does... does Big Brother think I’m stupid? D-do you not like me?" The little maid lowered her head, her lower lip trembling. Her voice, thick with unshed tears, was filled with grievance.
"Er, that’s not it at all! I’m just used to it; I’ve always gotten my own water to wash my face," Ye Xing said quickly. "Qiao’er is so smart and well-behaved. How could I ever dislike you?"
The little maid remained silent, but tears, like pearls from a broken string, began to stream down her cheeks.
"Qiao’er, please don’t cry. You silly girl... okay, okay, okay. I’ll listen to you," Ye Xing said hurriedly.
"Mm." The little maid wiped her teary eyes with her small hand and muttered, "Landlord Huang on the east side of town has four or five maids serving him every morning... He only sends away the maids he doesn’t like..."
"I don’t dislike you, Qiao’er; I’m just afraid you’ll get tired," Ye Xing explained, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’This girl must think that because I don’t want her to help me wash up, I must dislike her. I suppose this is the Martial Arts Continent, an ancient, feudal society completely different from a modern city. A twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl on Earth would be a pampered middle schooler, but this girl, Qiao’er, is already mature enough to manage a home.’
"I’m not tired, Big Brother! Qiao’er isn’t tired at all," the young maid said. "Big Brother is a man of great ability, you’ll definitely be more powerful than Landlord Huang in the future. You’ll need eight or ten maids to serve you every day!"
"Oh? If I have eight or ten maids serving me in the future, then won’t a little maid like you have no work to do?" Ye Xing couldn’t resist teasing her.
The little maid froze for a moment, then began to twist the corner of her clothes, her little face a mask of conflict. The sight was absolutely adorable.
Breakfast was a bowl of thin congee with two vegetable side dishes. Afterward, Ye Xing had Qiao’er take the mirrors, lighters, and other goods to her stall in town. He, meanwhile, headed to White Cloud Mountain to check on the construction of his new home.
Ye Xing’s future plan was to build a grand mountain estate, perhaps even a castle with unparalleled defenses. However, that would require enormous funds and a massive investment of manpower, materials, and time. He didn’t have those resources at the moment, so he could only start by building a large manor house as his foundation.
Lin Qijian, or Uncle Lin, truly lived up to his reputation as a master craftsman with decades of experience; his work was highly efficient. By the time Ye Xing arrived halfway up the mountain where White Cloud Manor was being built, he saw fifty or sixty craftsmen already hard at work laying the foundation. They were all strong, burly men, their bronze skin slick with sweat as they hauled wooden stakes and stones under the sun.
The environment on the Martial Arts Continent was excellent, and the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was incredibly rich. As a result, the people of this world were generally much stronger than those on Earth.
Time flew by. Day after day, construction of the manor on White Cloud Mountain proceeded in full swing. Ye Xing went to check on it daily. By day, he would supervise the construction progress on White Cloud Mountain and take the opportunity to meditate and practice his cultivation on a mountain rock. At night, he would return to Qiao Qiao’s house in Phoenix Town to continue his cultivation.
The days seemed to fly by, and in the blink of an eye, a month had passed. The construction of the White Cloud Mountain manor was nearing its end.
On another bright, sunny day, Ye Xing sat cross-legged atop a large rock on White Cloud Mountain in the Five Hearts Facing Heaven posture, practicing his Internal Cultivation Methods.
’Sigh, I’ve been cultivating for over a month now. How have I still not produced the first wisp of True Qi?’ Ye Xing wondered in frustration, opening his eyes and stopping his cultivation. In this past month of practice, Ye Xing felt his physique had improved remarkably. His strength had increased a great deal, and his movements had become more agile. Yet, despite these improvements, he still hadn’t generated any True Qi. One had to produce that first wisp of True Qi to be considered a First Realm Martial Artist.
The power gap between an ordinary person and a Martial Artist was immense. Martial Artists could expend True Qi to multiply their combat strength. Moreover, True Qi could cleanse the meridians and prolong one’s life. On the Martial Arts Continent, the status of a Martial Artist was far more revered than that of an ordinary person.
’This Basic Breathing and Exhaling Technique is only a Yellow Rank Lower Grade technique, after all. Now that the house is nearly finished, I can go back to Earth in a day or two, bring back some more things to sell, and buy a Yellow Rank High-grade Inner Power Heart Method as soon as possible,’ Ye Xing thought to himself, his gaze drifting toward the large manor house below.
The rock where Ye Xing sat was thirty or forty meters high, and looking down, he had a perfect view of the entire manor. The main construction was complete, with only a few finishing touches remaining. Several craftsmen were laying tiles on the roof, while a few others were painting the main gate in the outer wall a vibrant red.
Ye Xing briefly observed the construction of the manor, then closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and resumed his cultivation.
He was in the middle of cultivating when suddenly, a SWOOSH sound came from below.
Ye Xing’s eyes snapped open. He saw a young woman in a red dress below, holding a Treasure Sword. With a push of her feet, she launched herself into the air like a bird, her sleeves fluttering. A single leap covered twenty-odd meters. She tapped a delicate foot against the cliff face, performed an aerial flip, and landed right in front of him.
"Hee hee, you pervert! What are you doing here?"