Mei Ruolan said faintly, "He is a disciple of Leijian Peak."

"Where is Leijian Peak?" Xiao Yuan asked curiously, and Gong Qingyun also looked over.

Thirteen Niang smiled, "I know. Leijian Peak is a major sect in Xizhao, much like our Dayang's Changbai Sword Sect or Canghai Sword Sect."

"Oh, Mingkong is afraid of provoking them?" Xiao Yuan suddenly understood.

Li Muzhan nodded: "Mm."

It was indeed inconvenient for him to provoke Leijian Peak right now. Being within Canghai Mountain, he understood the profound foundations of such a massive sect; he could not afford to offend them.

If he were a disciple of the Canghai Sword Sect, provoking Leijian Peak would not be so worrying—they would have mutual reservations. But his current status was merely that of a low-ranking soldier.

If he provoked them, it would surely invite a tempestuous, storm-like retaliation.

Mei Ruolan looked at him deeply, but said nothing because Thirteen Niang was present.

The group fell silent. They soon arrived before the Ming Residence. Thirteen Niang took her leave, returning to the eastern manor, while Li Muzhan and the others went back into the Ming Residence.

Xiao Ya came out, greeting the four before ushering them into the main hall, offering tea. She asked if they had eaten dinner, and Xiao Yuan gave a few instructions. Seeing the strange atmosphere, Xiao Ya quietly retreated.

The hall was brightly lit, the beeswax candles burning fiercely, emitting a faint, subtle fragrance that made the space incredibly warm.

Li Muzhan sat back in the grand armchair, gazing up at the recessed ceiling panel, his expression thoughtful.

The room was utterly still. The three women concentrated on sipping their tea, moving with elegant grace, speaking no word. Even the usually lively Xiao Yuan sat quietly, though her bright eyes couldn't settle, darting left and right, finding the dynamic between the Miss and Li Muzhan intriguing.

Mei Ruolan set down her teacup and said softly, "Mingkong, let this matter rest. You bested him tonight and left him frustrated; that's revenge enough."

Li Muzhan smiled faintly, "Rest assured, I will not kill him."

Mei Ruolan shook her head. "That Feng Baishan is a genius, a figure of great importance at Leijian Peak. If anything happens to him, Leijian Peak will certainly use all its resources for revenge. A gentleman's vengeance is never too late, even after ten years. Let's wait a little longer."

Li Muzhan nodded. "Mm, Ruolan speaks wisely."

His decision was made; nothing external could sway him now. However, the fact that Mei Ruolan was speaking to him meant their cold war was over—a joyous occasion.

He chuckled, "The swordsmanship of Leijian Peak truly possesses unique merits."

"Mingkong, when did your saber technique become so formidable?" Mei Ruolan asked, her bright eyes slightly distant, giving him an exasperated glance—the lingering annoyance was still palpable.

Li Muzhan replied, "This is the Duanyue Saber Technique."

He recounted the process of his comprehension of the Duanyue Saber Technique, eliciting gasps of admiration from the three women. To achieve such power with just one move was astounding; how much more incredible would it be if they could witness the entire set?

Li Muzhan sighed and shook his head, stating that obtaining the remaining moves would be extremely difficult. With his current mental strength, he feared it was impossible unless his 'Heart Pearl' increased further.

The existence of the Heart Pearl was his greatest secret; no one knew of it, and he certainly wouldn't speak of it. He simply smiled, saying that achieving this one move was already a stroke of luck, and one should not be too greedy.

Xiao Yuan giggled, "With this, Mingkong, you won't need your sword arts anymore. That's perfect!"

Li Muzhan nodded and smiled, "Indeed."

Normally, using sword arts required extreme caution, ensuring no trace of the Nine Swords of Canghai was revealed, lest others recognize it, which always constrained him. In the military camp, he never used a sword, only the Feilong Spear. Now, with the Duanyue Saber as well, one for ranged combat and one for close-quarters, he could completely mask the signature of his swordsmanship.

Mei Ruolan gazed at him with those distant, captivating eyes, sensing he would not easily drop the matter. Even someone as easygoing as him, being a man faced with such provocation, would find it hard to remain completely calm.

As they were talking, Xiao Ya brought up dishes. The cuisine was excellent, and Li Muzhan and the others ate heartily. After the meal, Li Muzhan announced he would enter seclusion. He returned to his courtyard, suddenly whistled sharply, and two eagles instantly descended, landing before him on the rockery, observing him with curiosity.

Li Muzhan reached out to touch the two eagles, testing their progress. They had improved rapidly, warm energy circulating ceaselessly within them, demonstrating solid foundations.

Li Muzhan estimated their progress was comparable to that of an ordinary human cultivating internal energy rapidly, likely due to their pure minds and constant practice. The same internal energy, residing within a human versus within them, was vastly different in effect and influence—it was incomparable. For humans, gaining this energy meant little more than slightly increased strength or sturdier bodies. For the two eagles, however, the effect was immense; their strength soared, and their speed increased dramatically. Furthermore, he noticed the two eagles seemed to have grown slightly larger.

He smiled, patted the eagles with approval, and then utilized Tāxīn Tōng (Mind Projection), impressing the image of Feng Baishan into their minds and conveying his intentions.

The eagles chirped softly in acknowledgment, then spread their wings and shot high into the sky.

Li Muzhan smiled. With these two eagles tracking him, Feng Baishan's whereabouts were under his command; when to strike was merely a thought away.

He pondered when to kill Feng Baishan to avoid arousing suspicion. Leijian Peak was not to be trifled with; it was best not to alert them.

He glanced at the two eagles circling overhead, sighing inwardly. If only they were larger, he could ride them—how wonderful that would be. Alas, the notion of an eagle carrying a person was fanciful.

As for killing Feng Baishan, it felt like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but he had to do it. Feng Baishan had used such insidious means to force his hand; one instance meant there would be a second, and if they became enemies in the future, he would certainly resort to similar tactics. If he had merely been injured, Li Muzhan wouldn't have cared much; such things happened in the jianghu, and recovering face would have been enough.

But to lay a hand on the women beside him was absolutely intolerable—it was like touching the reverse scale of a dragon.

The man had to die, but he had to avoid alarming Leijian Peak. Therefore, he needed to find the right opportunity—an assassination within Xizhao territory. There was no need to rush; a gentleman's vengeance is never too late.

He began his seclusion, intending to fully cultivate his Qì Mó (Qi Membrane) and see whether the Xiǎolóng Xíng (Little Dragon Form) or the Jīngāng Bùhuài Shéngōng (Indestructible Vajra Divine Art) would reach completion first, and what the result would be.

After entering seclusion, he sat cross-legged in a bamboo grove in the southwest corner of the courtyard. This grove was exceptionally dense, and Li Muzhan sensed the Dì zhī Jīngqì (Earth Essence) here was extraordinarily abundant, twice as strong as elsewhere. Absorbing the Earth Essence here was significantly faster. Li Muzhan dimly understood why ancient practitioners often sought out places of beautiful mountains and clear waters; the efficiency truly made a difference.

He sat motionless in the bamboo grove, eating only one meal a day, yet feeling no hunger. The food was placed outside the courtyard gate; no one entered. Although his self-control had improved greatly, it was still insufficient to control himself completely. The only solution was to avoid all human contact.

He shook his head and sighed. This was true seclusion: no sight of human settlement, only himself, flowing through the desolate passage of time, accumulating power. This monotony also brought benefits: it kept his mind singularly focused, his thoughts pure, devoid of distractions, leaving only one idea—absorb the Earth Essence, absorb it ceaselessly.

All five portions of his focus converged here, fusing into one immense force, maximizing the absorption speed. The Qi Membrane expanded and grew at a visible rate, increasing every moment. Watching this growth, he felt no boredom, only interest and accomplishment, wishing all his time could be spent this way.

As time flowed, the Qi Membrane continued to expand. One day, two days, three days... ten days, a month... two months...

In the beginning, he ate once a day, but the intervals grew longer, until finally, he ate only once every seven or eight days. When the Qi was abundant and the membrane swelled, he felt no hunger, his spirit remaining vigorous and full, while his desires slowly diminished.

"Boom..." A sudden explosion echoed in his mind, like a spring thunderclap.

His vision went black, punctuated by flashing silver light, like scattered stars, before returning to normal. He felt instantly refreshed and invigorated; the Heart Pearl had granted him another one, bringing the total to six.

He closed his eyes, concentrated his spirit, and instantly, a radius of ten li became clearly visible to him.

It was early morning. Under the bright sunlight, in the rear courtyard, the three women of Mei Ruolan were practicing in the waterside pavilion, clad in tight, flexible attire, moving with grace like dancers. He could even see the adjacent residence, where Thirteen Niang, also in form-fitting gear, was practicing, her feet moving as if riding the wind, her posture like a willow swaying gently—a refinement of a different kind. Further away, small bridges spanned flowing water, willows brushed the riverbanks, and geese and ducks frolicked. Under the sunlight, the river water sparkled brilliantly, like tumbling jewels.

A sense of peaceful joy settled in his heart.

Unconsciously, it seemed like a long time had passed, yet it could have been an instant. He returned to himself, inspecting his body. The Qi Membrane was full, flush with his skin, and a layer of it was seeping out, enveloping his body.

He appeared to be sitting cross-legged on the ground, but he was hovering an inch above it, his internal energy forming a cushion of air that supported him.

With a flicker of thought, he retracted his internal energy, and the Qi Membrane shrank, re-entering his bones. The major tendons throughout his body twinged slightly, as if they had just been stretched.

Li Muzhan frowned in confusion. Was this the internal energy from the military? It wasn't supposed to be driven by the mind; how could it now change so completely, responding to his will?

He tried again, commanding the energy to circulate along the meridians. Some of the Qi Membrane seeped out from the bones and began to flow along the channels, rolling like heavy pearls, immensely dense. He felt the difference between this and the Canghai Divine Art: the Canghai energy was pure as water, whereas this internal energy was like mercury—both pure and heavy.

He then tried commanding the energy to flow freely within his body, unrestrained by meridians. It obeyed his will perfectly—it was indeed the military internal energy.

He leaped up, soaring to the center of the courtyard, and unleashed the Xiǎolóng Xíng. Immediately, forceful qi erupted, stirring up dust and pebbles around him as if caught in a fierce gale.