Fang Shengli’s expression remained calm, but his eyes were dark and unfathomable. When had such a figure appeared in the martial world? How much of her true skill had she used in that move just now? Staring at the hole in Hua Chi’s sleeve, his heart tightened. At his current level, he certainly couldn’t have done it.
Fei Dashan was already feeling grateful for himself and his brothers. From now on, he would never secretly curse the Li family again. Li Shang had truly taught him a lesson.
Once on the main road, Xin Shensi’s emotions had yet to settle. Gazing ahead, she thought about her own body. At the age of five, she had been forced to ingest profound Internal Energy, but her body couldn’t withstand it, leading to frequent loss of control. After that, she was imprisoned in an iron cage forged from refined steel… She carefully sifted through the memories of her original self.
Between the ages of five and seven, the original self had a vivid memory of Qi Deviation, and she was terrified. Whenever an episode struck, her entire body felt… swollen, as if about to burst. Through the pain, her eyes would fix on her mother, who stood outside the iron cage, calling out anxiously. Her mother kept shouting her childhood name, urging her to calm down and steady her mind. But she simply didn’t understand…
As she grew older, whether due to habituation or because the pain lessened, the traces left by the episodes gradually faded. In recent years, she had mostly been longing for her mother, thinking about the things her mother had taught her, and constantly reminiscing.
Xin Shensi analyzed that as her body grew, its capacity to endure must have evolved as well. The frequency of episodes between the ages of five and seven was hard to determine from memory, but it wasn’t difficult to discern that they were more frequent then than between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. This was a point she had previously overlooked.
Since she arrived, after escaping the Xin family, she hadn’t experienced an episode until now. On this point, she held to her own belief—it wasn’t that the True Qi had become docile just because her soul had changed. So where did the problem lie?
While imprisoned, she spent every day huddled in the cage. After escaping… Xin Shensi gazed at the long road ahead. She had eaten well, slept soundly, moved around more, and done a lot of work.
Many people are strong on the outside but weak within. She suspected she was the opposite—strong within but weak on the outside. The reason for her Qi Deviation was that her body struggled to bear the profound Internal Energy. Considering her recent month of eating well, sleeping well, and nurturing a stronger body, her capacity to endure had increased. Doing work, expending energy, could be seen as releasing the accumulated True Qi outward.
The stinging pain at the back of her head was likely a sign that the True Qi in her body had reached a critical point and could deviate at any moment. Yesterday, she had walked all day carrying a heavy load, and until now, the stinging pain at the back of her head hadn’t returned.
Her increased strength was probably another manifestation of the True Qi reaching saturation.
With a clear hypothesis in mind, Xin Shensi turned her heel and went to pick up several stones the size of an adult man’s fist, placing them in her bamboo basket. She wanted to test her theory and made a decision: from today onward, she would increase her exercise regimen. Practices like Tai Chi and Ba Duan Jin would be taken up regularly, no more sporadic efforts.
The bamboo basket creaked and groaned, but her steps remained light. After walking a hundred zhang, she couldn’t stand the noise any longer and stopped. The steamed buns were finished, so the cloth bag could be emptied. After carefully placing the jar of braised bamboo shoots, she packed the stones into the cloth bag and carried it in her arms.
There were fewer travelers on the road today. Past noon, Xin Shensi still hadn’t come across a resting spot, but she soon arrived at a place called Fengtang Town. The town was right next to the main road and quite lively.
Placing the cloth bag she was carrying into the bamboo basket, she left the main road. Without venturing deep into the town, she found a clean-looking shop and entered. It was past mealtime, so there weren’t many diners in the main hall—only five or six, all looking travel-worn.
“Sir, how many in your party?” The shop assistant came forward.
“One.” Xin Siansi didn’t need him to lead the way and headed straight for the table in the corner.
The table had just been wiped, but seeing her sit down, the shop assistant still pulled the cloth from his shoulder and gave it another couple of wipes: “What would you like to order?”
Xin Siansi thought she should eat well and asked, “Do you have fish?”
“No fish, but we have braised pork knuckle.” The shop assistant enthusiastically recommended: “Our braised pork knuckle is famous for dozens of miles around. The skin is soft, tender, fragrant, and glutinous, and the meat isn’t the least bit dry—guaranteed to leave you craving more.”
“Then bring me a bowl of rice and a braised pork knuckle. What other good dishes do you have here?” Xin Siansi was quite hungry by now.
“Beef, a rare treat. We got thirty catties this morning, and now there’s less than three catties left.”
Beef is good. She hadn’t eaten it since coming to this world: “Bring me a catty, and also a vegetable dish.”
“Right away! The shop has beef broth; I’ll ladle you a bowl, sprinkle some scallions on top, and you can drink it first.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the burly, rough man at the table ahead shouted: “Waiter, wrap up the remaining two catties of beef for me.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.”
Xin Siansi took out her oil-braised bamboo shoots. They couldn’t be kept any longer; she had noticed a slight off taste when eating them this morning. She could, however, empty the jar and pack any leftover beef into it later; it would keep until tomorrow.
“Shan Hongyi, that old woman, is welcoming her fourth one, and it’s the first time with such a grand display.” The rough man who wanted the beef laughed with a hint of lewdness, stroking his chin: “I heard the young gentleman grew up on a red boat on the Yanghuai River, even more tender and delicate than a young bride.”
“A spineless weakling—can he even serve Shan Hongyi properly?” At the same table, a big-mouthed man with nearly bald eyebrows hitched up his pant leg and planted his foot on the bench: “If you ask me, old women like her should be served by the likes of us. We’re rough and tough, able to withstand the grind.”
“You serve Shan Hongyi, I prefer young girls, haha…”
“Especially the one Shan Hongyi gave birth to.”
Lewd laughter filled with depravity. Xin Siansi couldn’t help but frown, feeling she had entered the wrong place. She reached for the teapot.
A middle-aged man missing his right thumb, sitting diagonally across from the corner, stared with lustful, yellowish eyes at the girl pouring water. The girl’s fingers gripping the teapot handle were slender and elegant, well-proportioned with bone and flesh. Such beautiful hands on him… Hiss… Can’t think about it, can’t think about it, too intoxicating. He picked up his cup and slurped a mouthful of cold tea to suppress the wicked fire.
Soon, the shop assistant brought the beef broth: “It’s a bit hot, be careful.”
“Alright.” Xin Siansi picked up a spoon and stirred it. The milky-white broth had no meat but floated with some vibrant green scallions, very appetizing. She tasted it—very fresh and rich. Before she finished the soup, her meal arrived. She poured all the oil-braised bamboo shoots into her bowl and gave one coin to the shop assistant, asking him to wash the jar. Meanwhile, she ate heartily and quickly.
After exchanging a few more lewd remarks, the bald-browed, big-mouthed man asked: “We came uninvited; I wonder if Valley Master Shan will welcome us?”
“Guests have already arrived; how could they not be welcome? Besides, Hongdai Valley isn’t short of a few extra bowls and chopsticks.” The middle-aged man missing a thumb glanced at the shop assistant taking a small jar to the corner: “What about our beef?”
The shop assistant was somewhat afraid of them and hurriedly replied: “I’ll wrap it up for you right away.” Putting down the jar, he immediately headed to the kitchen.
With those few men present, Xin Siansi couldn’t eat in peace. After finishing the pork knuckle, she poured the rice into the broth, mixing it well, and ate one mouthful of rice followed by one of pickled cabbage. Once done, she placed the untouched beef into the jar. Just as she tightened the jar’s lid, she heard angry shouts.
“Is this two catties? You’re trying to cheat me, damn it.”
The shop assistant explained, “It’s one catty and eight taels. This is all the beef left in the shop.”
“I asked for two catties.”
“You said to wrap up whatever was left.” The shop assistant remembered clearly telling the female customer that the shop had less than three catties of beef left.
The shopkeeper from behind the counter rushed out, pushing the assistant aside, bowing and cupping his hands in apology. “It’s an honor for our humble shop that you gentlemen enjoy the food. Consider this one catty and eight taels of beef as a token of our appreciation…”
“Do you think I can’t pay?” The burly brute slammed a piece of broken silver onto the table with his large, fan-like palm, causing the bowls and plates to tremble.
Xin Siansi had already slung the bamboo basket over her back. “Shopkeeper, check me out.”
“Ah…” The shop assistant wanted to go over but, under the sharp gazes of the men, didn’t dare move.
Xin Siansi openly picked up a teacup and, with a slight squeeze, shattered it into pieces. She walked toward the counter, her steps neither hurried nor slow as she passed by the men’s table.
The middle-aged man missing a thumb glanced at her right hand, a smile gradually curling at the corner of his mouth. “Little lady, don’t be in such a hurry to leave…” His eyes turned cold as he flung the teacup in his left hand straight at her. “Let this brother treat you to some tea.”
Xin Siansi didn’t even take a breath. Turning around and seeing the teacup already close, she decisively threw a piece of broken porcelain. With a crack, the shard pierced through the teacup and shot toward the wide-eyed middle-aged man. Just as it was about to strike a vital spot, Bald Eyebrows, sitting beside the man, quickly pulled him aside. The shard grazed the man’s nose and slammed into the wall with a thud.
The brute, feeling the tremor under his feet, stared fixedly at the shard now completely embedded in the stone wall, his heart leaping into his throat.
Xin Siansi lowered her gaze to look at the teacup lying on the ground, a faint fragrance lingering around her nose. She said coldly, “Check me out.”
“Right away, right away.” The shopkeeper understood—the young woman had won this round.
Bald Eyebrows stood up and cupped his hands. “We were rude just now. Please forgive us, miss.”
Xin Siansi ignored him, paid thirty-six copper coins, and turned to leave.
“Third Brother, Second Brother put something in the tea…” The brute wanted to say something but was cut off by Bald Eyebrows. “Shut up, pack up and let’s go. All of us together couldn’t withstand a single slap from her.”
Xin Siansi bought two taels of malt candy from a roadside stall before heading back toward the main road. But as soon as she stepped onto the main road, her heart felt as if it were on fire, and her vision began to blur. Knowing something was wrong, she shook her head. Her sight cleared, but a sharp pain suddenly shot through the back of her head. Unlike the previous three times, this pain was unbearably intense.
It’s over. She dug her right hand into the back of her head, gritting her teeth and enduring the pain. But the pain didn’t lessen in the slightest; instead, it intensified. At the same time, she felt a swelling sensation—not in her stomach, but throughout her entire body, as if every drop of blood inside her was swelling.
Bloodshot veins quickly filled her eyes. While still lucid, Xin Siansi veered off the main road and ran wildly. She needed to hide, to hide and let the illness take its course… She couldn’t harm the innocent…