When Wen Hanshan finally glanced in his direction, Lou Xingyao blurted out almost instinctively, “Did I disturb you?”
“No,” Wen Hanshan shook his head lightly, his tone as calm as the morning air. “I have just finished.”
He had long since sensed Lou Xingyao’s presence, but disturbance? That word hardly applied.
Only then did Lou Xingyao notice the sheen of perspiration glistening across Wen Hanshan’s forehead. Beads of sweat clung to his temples, while the thin robe he wore had already darkened in places, soaked through with damp patches.
Lou Xingyao asked in surprise, “How long have you been practicing?”
Wen Hanshan lifted his gaze toward the sky, then answered with quiet indifference, “Three shichen.”
The reply left Lou Xingyao momentarily dazed. He himself had woken later than usual that morning, yesterday’s exertions within the space had left his body weary, so his sleep stretched longer than expected.
Yet even so, he hadn’t slept past chen-shi. Which meant that if Wen Hanshan had practiced for three entire shichen, then he must have risen around yin-shi… in other words, at three or four in the morning.
That was still the deep of night, a time when ordinary people remained fast asleep. In fact, even the most reckless of youths who stayed up too late would not yet have gone to bed, while Wen Hanshan had already been training in swordsmanship for hours.
Watching him lift a sleeve to wipe away sweat, Lou Xingyao could not help but ask, “So you… intend to train like this every day?”
“If nothing unexpected arises, I will practice sword morning and evening,” Wen Hanshan replied without hesitation, his tone utterly matter of fact.
Morning and evening? Lou Xingyao quickly calculated: if each session lasted three shichen, then together that would be six shichen, twelve whole hours.
The intensity rivaled, if not surpassed, the grueling nine-nine-six schedule of overworked laborers in his previous life. Concern slipped unbidden from his lips: “But wouldn’t that be exhausting?”
“Cultivation,” Wen Hanshan said, his gaze sharpening, “is like rowing upstream. One either advances, or one is swept back.” His eyes flickered with an edge of puzzlement as he regarded Lou Xingyao.
“To have been chosen for marriage into the He family, your Lou clan must possess some foundation. Does the Lou family not require morning and evening practice?”
Morning and evening practice? Lou Xingyao had no answer. In truth, he had never known whether the Lou clan possessed such traditions. Judging from the way Lou Xiaowu had constantly been bullied without reprieve, it was unlikely.
“Birth in a remote region is already a disadvantage,” Wen Hanshan continued, voice cool. “If one does not work diligently, what achievements can one possibly hope to obtain?”
Lou Xingyao’s silence, along with his faintly stiffened expression, revealed enough. A low snort escaped Wen Hanshan’s throat.
Then, for the first time since Lou Xingyao had met him, Wen Hanshan’s expression hardened into something truly severe.
His eyes sharpened, his tone turned cutting, “If you intend to treat cultivation as a child’s game, then there is no need for me to take you to any alchemist today. Live as a mortal instead. I can support you until the end of your days.”
The sudden sternness left Lou Xingyao stunned. For a heartbeat he forgot how to react. The easy smile at the corners of his lips stiffened, fading altogether.
Perhaps realizing his words had been overly harsh, Wen Hanshan allowed a moment of silence to pass before his voice softened slightly, “The life of a cultivator is one of defiance against the heavens themselves. Without the resolve to advance without hesitation, even should one luckily step onto the path, it will not last long.”
With those words, he ended the conversation abruptly. “Consider it carefully for yourself.” Turning on his heel, he strode back into his own room, leaving Lou Xingyao alone in the courtyard.
The weight of those sentences struck Lou Xingyao like a heavy mallet to the chest, loud and resounding, dispelling all delusions.
Until now, cultivation had felt distant and almost unreal to him. Beyond the fragments of knowledge inherited from Lou Xiaowu’s memories, his understanding came more from the novels he had once read in his previous life.
It was like a gamer who casually launches a cultivation-themed game, curious and expectant, yes, but never fully invested.
And once he realized this world mirrored a novel he had read, and once he gained the cheat-like portable space, that sense of detachment only grew stronger.
He had told himself he must become a cultivator, yet his actions betrayed a different mindset.
He leaned upon the assurance of his space, postponing the problem of his damaged meridians. Even after acquiring the Meridian-Restoring Pills, he was delayed again and again.
Always waiting. Always telling himself, “After I’ve settled down. After I’m certain nothing can go wrong.”
But in this world of the Tianming Continent, where the strong devour the weak, what place was there for true peace? Where could one find genuine certainty?
Had Wen Hanshan not been considerate enough to choose their residence in the calmer southern outskirts of Xilin County, Lou Xingyao would not even have dared to enter his space the previous night without fear of being discovered.
If he clung to this hesitant mindset, then not only after three months of arriving in this world, even given three full years, he might never truly step onto the path of cultivation.
He had once believed Wen Hanshan’s future titles, “The First Sword of the Tianming Continent,” “The Greatest Below Golden Core” were nothing but an author’s contrived embellishments, a way to establish a formidable rival for the protagonist.
But after witnessing with his own eyes Wen Hanshan’s relentless training and tireless dedication, he suddenly realized: where did all these so-called geniuses truly come from?
Where did “natural talent” find its foundation? It was nothing more than countless hours of unseen effort, given in places no one bothered to look.
Just like himself in his previous life. People had called him a prodigy when he became a professor of forensic medicine at thirty-two.
They had said his family’s scholarly background gave him an unfair head start. They admired his intelligence, his brilliance and his “effortless” achievements.
But he knew. He knew that as a child, he had been forced to memorize Compendium of Materia Medica word for word under his grandfather’s stern gaze before he could even properly hold the weight of the tome.
At seven years old, he had sat beneath the weight of his grandfather’s ruler, painstakingly parsing through passages of the Huangdi Neijing, unable yet to comprehend them fully but forced to recite, analyze, and understand them character by character until even the punctuation became part of his memory.
At ten, he was studying not only what his schoolteachers taught, but also under his grandfather’s ceaseless supervision, digesting every line of Treatise on Cold Damage and Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold.
By fourteen, he was trailing at his grandfather’s side, observing diagnoses, prescribing remedies, deciphering faded, barely legible notes left by ancestors, and extracting viable treatments from them.
Without such a foundation laid in blood, sweat, and tears during childhood, how could he have later pivoted to forensic medicine, yet still mastered it so swiftly?
Those “genius insights” that seemed to come so easily in adulthood had simply been the harvest of grueling toil in youth.
Why, then, after living longer, after gaining more life experience, after crossing into a new world, had he allowed himself to forget? Why had he dared to be careless, to delay, to toy with cultivation as though it were a game?
Yes. Learning was like rowing upstream. One either advanced, or was swept away.
Back then, if he slacked even slightly, his grandfather would notice instantly. Now, cultivation was not merely learning, it was survival itself. With what right did he imagine he could stumble forward with such a frivolous mindset?
The realization burned through him, leaving his chest open and his mind startlingly clear. For the first time since entering this world, his resolve became steady as stone.
“Have you understood?”
The voice came suddenly at his side. Lou Xingyao blinked, raising his head to see Wen Hanshan emerging from his room once more. At some point, he had changed into a fresh set of robes.
“I have,” Lou Xingyao replied, expression grave, voice sincere. “Thank you, Brother Wen, for your guidance.”
“It was hardly guidance,” Wen Hanshan said, his face softening slightly. “These are words every child should hear from their teacher at the start. It is only that Pingyang County is too small, and your Lou family too…” His words trailed into a cold snort, his disdain evident.
Lou Xingyao opened his mouth, as though to offer further gratitude, but Wen Hanshan cut him off with a raised hand. “If you truly wish to thank me, then work diligently from this day onward.”
“I will,” Lou Xingyao answered, his tone solemn, determination clear in his eyes.
At that, Wen Hanshan’s expression finally showed the faintest trace of satisfaction. “Once you have drawn qi into your body, you will practice morning and evening lessons alongside me.”
There was, of course, no reason for Lou Xingyao to refuse. He nodded eagerly, promising as much.
In the next moment, something heavy fell into his arms. Startled, he looked down to find a black outer robe and a mask. Wen Hanshan’s voice followed: “Since you have resolved yourself, put those on. I will take you to an alchemist.”
A mask and a robe, worn in secret to visit an alchemist? Could such a person truly be legitimate? The thought flickered through Lou Xingyao’s mind, but his hands did not falter. Within moments, he had covered himself from head to toe, concealed thoroughly.
Wen Hanshan, too, had changed, clad in identical attire. Together they slipped into the streets, winding through alleyways and deserted paths until they came upon a derelict wooden hut. Inside, a concealed entrance led them into a sprawling underground market.
On the way, Wen Hanshan had explained, “Your case is unusual. The Meridian-Restoring Pills cannot be revealed publicly. Only here can our identities remain hidden.”
Lou Xingyao understood at once. If his condition were revealed to any ordinary alchemist outside, word would spread. Once others discovered his meridians had been healed, they would inevitably suspect the existence of the precious pills.
Fourth-grade pills were priceless. In a world where killing for treasure was common, exposing such a secret was courting disaster.
Here in Xilin County’s black market, however, no questions were asked, neither about goods nor about identities. For their situation, it was the safest choice.
The only unsafe part was the price.
The alchemist they approached scarcely blinked before naming a consultation fee of ten spirit pearls. Lou Xingyao nearly leapt to his feet in outrage.
Had Wen Hanshan not anticipated his reaction and pressed him back into his seat with swift, firm hands, he would surely have made a fool of himself.
Fortunately, the outcome soothed his heart. Though his meridians were frail, the Meridian-Restoring Pills were made precisely for such conditions. For him, they were the perfect cure.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Yes, this is the part where we shamelessly ask for coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · Lu XioaWuChapter 3 · UncleChapter 4 · Substitute MarriageChapter 5 · Travelling Through BookChapter 6 · SpaceChapter 7 · InheritanceChapter 8 · ExplanationChapter 9 · He familyChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · WeddingChapter 12 · LeavingChapter 13 · SuspicionChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 15 · SummaryChapter 16 · Family BusinessChapter 17 · ResettlementChapter 18 · DeterminationChapter 19 · TreatChapter 20 · Enter the TaoChapter 21 · Private TrainingChapter 22 · BreakthroughChapter 23 · ExperienceChapter 24 Part 1 · Questions and AnswersChapter 24 Part 2 · Questions and answersChapter 25 · GiftChapter 25 Part 1 · GiftChapter 26 Part 1 · Sword IntentChapter 26 Part 2 · Sword IntentChapter 27 Part 1 · SelectChapter 27 Part 2 · SelectChapter 28 Part 1 · PastChapter 28 Part 2 · PastChapter 29 Part 1 · ConfessionChapter 29 Part 2 · ConfessionChapter 30 Part 1 · TradeChapter 30 Part 2 · TradeChapter 31 Part 1 · Male LeadChapter 31 Part 2 · Male LeadChapter 32 Part 1 · LuckChapter 32 Part 2 · LuckChapter 33 Part 1 · GuessingChapter 33 Part 2 · GuessingChapter 34 Part 1 · SystemChapter 34 Part 2 · SystemChapter 35 · OpportunityChapter 36 Part 1 · LingquanChapter 36 Part 2 · LingquanChapter 37 Part 1 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 37 Part 2 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 38 · Worth itChapter 39 · SaintessChapter 40 · ExperimentChapter 41 · Vampire SystemChapter 42 · NotesChapter 43 · WarningChapter 44 · PlanChapter 45 · Fellow VillagersChapter 46 · AssimilationChapter 47 · IlliterateChapter 48 · Pak WahChapter 49 · Sudden EnlightenmentChapter 50 · Wen ZhiChapter 51 · CarrierChapter 52 · LeavingChapter 53 · Follow UpChapter 54 · OutrageousChapter 55 · OnceChapter 56 · TeasingChapter 57 · Playing aroundChapter 58 · Beast fireChapter 59 · Watching a PlayChapter 60 · Extermination of the entire clanChapter 61 · ChoiceChapter 62 · PossessionChapter 63 · CalculationChapter 64 · GuaranteedChapter 65 · Grand OpeningChapter 66 · Grand OpeningChapter 67 · Protecting one’s ownChapter 68 · Secret RealmChapter 69 · BetrayalChapter 70 · DetailsChapter 71 · FramedChapter 72 · MeetingChapter 73 · KillChapter 74 · MapChapter 75 · FoundationChapter 76 · Strange Phenomenon!Chapter 77 · ExchangeChapter 78 · LetterChapter 79 · ShortcutChapter 80 · God of Slaughter!Chapter 81 · Poison PillChapter 82 · Lou ShuChapter 83 · ProgressChapter 84 · An attemptChapter 85 · Movement and StillnessChapter 86 · Good intentionsChapter 87 · ChangeChapter 88 · Childhood friendChapter 89 · ThoughtsChapter 90 · Old storiesChapter 91 · HeritageChapter 92 · TestChapter 93 · LoverChapter 94 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 95 · MasterChapter 96 · TeachingChapter 97 · IllusionChapter 98 · Mutual RestraintChapter 99 · ObstructionChapter 100 · PalaceChapter 101 · Core TechniqueChapter 102 · OathChapter 103 · Dual cultivationChapter 104 · AccessChapter 105 · VulnerabilityChapter 106 · DensityChapter 107 · WantedChapter 108 · EntrustChapter 109 · RevisitChapter 110 · MonitoringChapter 111 · Secret RealmChapter 112 · NourishChapter 113 · InventoryChapter 114 · Get Rich QuicklyChapter 115 · ElderChapter 116 · Grand FormationChapter 117 · Heaven’s WillChapter 118 · BountyChapter 119 · GainChapter 120 · BlameChapter 121 · ChattingChapter 122 · GuessChapter 123 · Zheng TianChapter 124 · SparringChapter 125 · Sword intentChapter 126 · KenshinChapter 127 · Auditing a classChapter 128 · CoincidenceChapter 129 · ContradictionChapter 130 · RouteChapter 131 · CostChapter 132 · ConfiscatedChapter 133 · Holding a grudgeChapter 134 · SupportChapter 135 · DeteriorationChapter 136 · Unable toChapter 137 · PriceChapter 138 · VariantChapter 139 · Start AnewChapter 140 · ShamelessChapter 141 · Black PotChapter 142 · Benefiting fromChapter 143 · PieChapter 144 · DifferencesChapter 145 · DetoxificationChapter 146 · Current situationChapter 147 · TeasingChapter 148 · IntelligenceChapter 149 · Returned GiftChapter 150 · Old debtChapter 151 · FleshChapter 152 · OpeningChapter 153 · GrudgesChapter 154 · RegretChapter 155 · Gang fightChapter 156 · GentleChapter 157 · ComplaintChapter 158 · ScreamsChapter 159 · GeniusChapter 160 · ConcernChapter 161 · Hidden StoryChapter 162 · StingyChapter 163 · Guilty conscienceChapter 164 Part 1 · StruggleChapter 164 Part 2 · StruggleChapter 165 · Win or LoseChapter 166 · TasteChapter 167 · Shifting The BlameChapter 168 · MoonlightChapter 169 · Past EventChapter 170 · RegretChapter 171 · RetributionChapter 172 · Cause and EffectChapter 173 · BackgroundChapter 174 · FlatteryChapter 175 · HonestChapter 176 · BookkeepingChapter 177 · FarewellChapter 178 · GuidelineChapter 179 · BottleneckChapter 180 · HabitChapter 181 · Casual ChatChapter 182 · Flowing WaterChapter 183 · RumoursChapter 184 · Seeking AdviceChapter 185 · PityChapter 186 · FormationChapter 187 · BasicChapter 188 · Fake TombChapter 189 · BewareChapter 190 · TraceChapter 191 · DiscussChapter 192 · Ancestral preceptsChapter 193 · Loose CultivatorChapter 194 · AllocationChapter 195 · Thank you for your kindnessChapter 196 · ExplanationChapter 197 · ErrorChapter 198 · Culinary skillsChapter 199 · Starry SeaChapter 200 · ComparisonChapter 201 · FrustratedChapter 202 · Don’t watchChapter 203 · LonelinessChapter 204 · NoChapter 205 · Exposing ShortcutsChapter 206 · CraftsmanshipChapter 207 · Bottom LineChapter 208 · StrikeChapter 209 · Ten GoldChapter 210 · Pretentious