Li Muzhan sighed! "Miss Fan, you are forcing my hand!" Fan Peiyao gave a charming smile: "Master, what makes you say that?... If Master is in a difficult position, we certainly won't press you."
She inwardly cheered, Damn, I've scored a point! All one hundred thousand pores on her body opened, a feeling of exquisite pleasure washing over her, her smile growing even more enchanting.
Li Muzhan’s heart skipped a beat.
A thousand-year-old ginseng—this was truly a priceless item. In this prosperous age with its dense population, rare medicinal herbs like ginseng were becoming increasingly scarce.
Every accessible area had been picked clean, and no one could penetrate the deep forests, making ginseng ever rarer and more valuable. Especially a thousand-year-old specimen—it was worth a fortune, perhaps even beyond measure. No wonder the Fan family had gone to such lengths, even involving the military.
The Commandant, though seemingly easygoing, was incredibly rigid; persuading him required a steep price.
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If he hadn't cultivated the military martial arts, the ginseng wouldn't be that important to him. While it could replenish qi, its effect was limited; it would be better used for alchemy to save lives.
But since he possessed the Kong He Tian You Shu and the Guan Tian Ren Shen Zhao Jing, his life was secure, and he had no need for ginseng.
However, having cultivated the military martial arts, the ginseng became critically important to him.
For anyone else, even those practicing the military arts, consuming ginseng would only offer limited improvement to their cultivation. Most people’s progress was restricted by their physical bodies, the capacity of their acupuncture points, and their physical tolerance.
The body was like a small bottle that couldn't hold much water, often limiting the depth of their internal power.
Li Muzhan was the complete opposite.
The Jingang Buhuai Shengong refined his body, and the foundation laid by the Canghai Shengong meant his body was a massive vessel. But due to the limitations of his current practice, the amount of water (internal energy) was too little; filling it would take at least a year or eighteen months.
He was constantly exerting himself, drawing in internal energy through the Yongquan point beneath his feet and channeling it into his qi membrane. But after several days, he saw no discernible growth.
At this rate, thickening the qi membrane seemed a distant dream. A year or eighteen months was optimistic; it could take ten or twenty years to achieve perfection.
The root cause lay with the Yongquan point. Once the Tian Yuan Tu Na Shu operated, all pores opened, and every major acupuncture point breathed in and out, a process hundreds of times more efficient than relying solely on Yongquan.
For days, he had been focusing a portion of his mind on finding a way to improve this. He thought and thought but couldn't find a viable solution. After all, he was absorbing the Well Qi of the Earth, and only the feet physically contacted the ground, preventing other areas from participating in the tu na (breathing/exhaling).
The only solution was to enlarge the Yongquan point; if its capacity could be expanded, turning it into something like a Dantian, the rate of absorption would naturally increase. However, expanding an acupuncture point was by no means easy. The only technique that could achieve this was the Jingang Buhuai Shengong.
When the Jingang Buhuai Shengong reached the eighth layer, refining the meridians and expanding the acupuncture points would be effortless.
But at his current pace, reaching the eighth layer was unreachable. If he couldn't reach the eighth layer, he couldn't expand the points; if he couldn't expand the points, he couldn't reach the eighth layer—a truly difficult deadlock.
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Besides enlarging Yongquan, there was another method: elixirs. Ginseng was the best for replenishing qi. A single thousand-year-old ginseng root might equal several years of arduous practice.
Even though his heart was usually as still as water, he couldn't help but be moved.
"Master, what do you think?" Fan Peiyao’s bright eyes were fixed on him.
Li Muzhan remained silent, pondering, seemingly hesitant, waiting for her next words.
Fan Peiyao stated, "If Master agrees to go, we certainly won't be stingy!"
Li Muzhan smiled: "Miss Fan, I am a soldier. If the Commandant gives an order, I will obey. If the Commandant doesn't speak, I cannot act arbitrarily. Military law is ruthless."
"If you delay by two days, what punishment will you face?" Fan Peiyao asked.
Li Muzhan shook his head: "The lighter punishment is dereliction of duty, earning a few lashes. The heavier one is being treated as a deserter—execution without appeal!"
Fan Peiyao stuck out her tongue: "That severe?"
Li Muzhan nodded: "Military law is ruthless. No matter who violates it, they are treated equally. Even the Commandant is the same."
Fan Peiyao asked, "What if the Commandant gives an order?"
Li Muzhan smiled: "I will naturally obey, without question."
Fan Peiyao replied, "I wanted to first seek your opinion, Master. If you agree, I will go request the Commandant."
Li Muzhan chuckled, "Miss Fan, why make it so complicated? Just have the Commandant issue the order, and I'll go."
Fan Peiyao shook her head, saying solemnly, "My Fan family does not force unwilling people... Master, are you willing to help us and make this trip?"
Although the Fan family was powerful and sometimes acted high-handedly, Fan Peiyao herself was formidable, possessing a skill in handling matters surpassing ordinary people. Li Muzhan saw through all her maneuvers instantly, as clearly as reading palm lines. She could suppress her emotions and remain objective, something many men could not do.
Li Muzhan smiled and asked, "How many people are at Taibai Stockade?"
Fan Peiyao stated seriously, "Four hundred and two men, two hundred and thirty-two women, and over a hundred children—many of whom were forcibly taken."
"No elderly people?" Li Muzhan inquired.
Fan Peiyao shook her head: "Taibai Stockade was only established a year ago; there are no elderly. The women and children were all snatched away."
"Hmm..." Li Muzhan mused, "There must be an ultimate master within Taibai Stockade, correct?"
"Yes," Fan Peiyao nodded. "There is one supreme master... we have also invited a few guest Elder Advisors. They will keep him occupied while we retrieve the ginseng..."
Li Muzhan frowned in thought, then shook his head: "The ginseng should be in his hands. Can you kill him?"
"How will you know if you don't try!" Fan Peiyao bit her soft lip, stating firmly, "Success depends on effort! I don't believe so many people can't handle one man!"
Li Muzhan noticed her hesitation and lack of complete confidence, and smiled: "Against an ultimate master, even several hundred men are useless. If you can't beat him, you can run."
Fan Peiyao replied, "Don't worry, we won't let him escape."
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"If Master can assist us, then..." Fan Peiyao began.
Li Muzhan’s eyes flickered briefly. He raised his hand, interrupting her, and smiled, nodding: "Good. I agree. As long as the Commandant issues the order, I will gladly comply."
"Thank you, Master!" Fan Peiyao smiled enchantingly.
Li Muzhan laughed self-deprecatingly: "My archery is the only thing I can boast about. Against martial arts experts, it won't be of much help!"
Fan Peiyao laughed softly: "Master is too humble. Everyone in the Black Eagle Cavalry is a martial arts expert from the Western Zhao region. Your archery is divine; even martial arts experts fear it." Li Muzhan stood up and smiled: "Very well, I will await Miss's news." He cupped his hands, left the private room, and returned to his own quarters.
"Miss, can he really do it?" The stout man with the round face curled his lip, scoffing: "In my opinion, he's just a paper tiger, a hero whose reputation is all hype?"
Fan Peiyao glanced at him sideways, chiding: "Uncle Ruan, don't speak ill of people without cause, lest you offend someone unnecessarily!"
"Heh heh, well, I just think this kid doesn't have much skill but acts awfully pretentious. Annoying!" The round-faced man shook his head dismissively.
Fan Peiyao pursed her lips and smiled: "Indeed, he carries himself with airs, but his archery skill is truly peerless in this age, scarcely matched... Even Master Xiaofa, who is so arrogant, who does he ever respect? Yet, he praised this man unstintingly, calling him the Divine Martial First Arrow."
"Oh, if Xiaofa says so, then it must be true." The stout man nodded.
The middle-aged man remained silent. Fan Peiyao asked, "Third Uncle, are there any concerns?" The middle-aged man’s deeply set eyes moved slightly, a cold glint flashing within them: "This man's origins are not simple..."
Fan Peiyao questioned, "Third Uncle, you think he intends to steal the ginseng?" The middle-aged man nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming coldly.
"He is a smart man, he wouldn't do that, would he?" Fan Peiyao shook her head.
The middle-aged man cautioned, "This monk is profoundly unfathomable; we still need to be cautious!" Fan Peiyao shook her head: "Third Uncle worries too much. He is a soldier; if the monk runs, the temple can't be escaped. He is also a smart man and won't act rashly."
"Hmm, you are clearly displeased with him, yet you can still manage this—rare," the middle-aged man said with a smile.
Fan Peiyao laughed: "Public matters are public, and private matters are private. I can distinguish between the two." The middle-aged man nodded in approval: "Good. Your grandfather had sharp eyes, recognizing you. In the future, you will have to manage the affairs of our Fan family." Fan Peiyao shook her head: "Third Uncle, Father and Eldest Brother are much better than I am. It's not my place to speak on family matters. Grandfather is just using me to provoke Eldest Brother."
"Hmm, as long as you understand that is enough." The middle-aged man nodded, his smile broadening.
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When Li Muzhan returned to his room, everyone crowded around to ask what had transpired. Li Muzhan waved them off, offering polite excuses. Knowing better than to press, the others stopped asking.
After eating dinner, Li Muzhan settled the bill. Everyone bid farewell to Thirteenth Mother and rode out of Tianlong City, heading back to Tenglong City to avoid punishment for returning late to the camp.
Tenglong City stood majestic and imposing, inspiring awe at its sight. Such a formidable pass explained why the Great Yan border remained impregnable, with no one ever having breached this city.
Entering Tenglong City, they returned to camp. Li Muzhan resumed his practice. The Xiao Long Xing was exquisite. A simple posture that seemed unremarkable, yet within it, his internal energy surged like a turbulent river.
He hadn't mastered it yet, so he could only practice the static form. Once proficient, it would integrate into daily life—a simple stretch or a leg kick would embody the Xiao Long Xing.
When the Xiao Long Xing reached true mastery, every movement would naturally conform to its form, with internal energy surging. Since he wasn't fluent yet, he had to proceed slowly... The Jingang Buhuai Shengong and the Xiao Long Xing were completely different. The former refined the body, while the latter, though also refining the body, primarily focused on cultivating qi.
Under the Xiao Long Xing, the internal energy rolled, and the rate at which energy was injected into the Yongquan point increased dramatically, like opening a faucet wider—several times the usual flow.
Li Muzhan reflected. He could already control the Yongquan point at will, consciously drawing in the Well Qi of the Earth, but why couldn't he match the effect of the Xiao Long Xing?
This demonstrated the marvel of the Xiao Long Xing: the surging internal energy created a suction force, pulling the Well Qi of the Earth through Yongquan in torrents. Li Muzhan controlled Yongquan mentally, but lacked this innate pulling force.
While practicing the Xiao Long Xing, Li Muzhan simulated the Jiu Zhuan Xi Sui Jing in his mind.
He had not yet been able to cultivate it. Two days later, Li Muzhan received orders to depart with the Flying Cavalry Camp to suppress bandits between Tianlong City and Gaoyang City. (To be continued. For future events, please visit [Website Address], more chapters, support, and reading!)