Chapter 161: Chapter 161 Descendants of the Bai Family
Chen Jing finished his cultivation practice and noticed Zhou Yi engrossed in his book, so he decided not to disturb him.
After taking a few steps away with his bowl of porridge, he turned back to secure a couple of pickled vegetables into his sleeve, bowed, and left the courtyard.
From morning till evening, from dusk till dawn.
Zhou Yi sat in the courtyard reading history books, repeatedly going over the records from the end of the Fengyang era to the beginning of the Great Qian Dynasty. When encountering some familiar names, a myriad of emotions surged in him instantly.
Sometimes he reminisced, sometimes he laughed, and sometimes he sighed abruptly.
It wasn't until he flipped through an unofficial history book, which surprisingly recorded the tales of Oirans in the Capital, numbering over a hundred, that his interest perked up.
Most had experienced dramatic love affairs, left behind poems, or had interactions with certain celebrities. It seemed those who were merely the most beautiful for a brief period left hardly any trace at all.
Zhou Yi read with great relish until the last page, where the postscript caused him to widen his eyes in shock.
——The author, surnamed Zhou and named Yi, was originally a jailer in the heavenly prison. He had frequented the Spring Breeze Building for over thirty years and was known as the first debauchee of the National Dynasty...
"I have been cautious and vigilant for hundreds of years, never using my real name outside. Even Nascent Soul ancestors couldn't trace me, yet I was exposed by a mere bookseller!"
Zhou Yi put away the book and vanished from the courtyard with a flash.
Spring Breeze Building.
With the prosperity of the Qian Capital, it was even livelier than in the past.
Zhou Yi turned himself into a young and carefree noble, squandering money lavishly, enjoying life thoroughly, until the end of the year when a tradition that had continued for hundreds of years approached.
The selection of the Oiran!
"In a few hundred years, the Spring Breeze Building will have a millennium-long heritage. Future generations might regard the selection of the Oiran as a traditional culture to be promoted and celebrated."
Zhou Yi surveyed the several young women displaying their talents and chose the most pleasing one to support as the Oiran. In the past, he was too prudent to draw attention to himself, but now, as a Golden Elixir True Monarch, shouldn't he be the frontrunner of such an event!
"Could this be my obsession?"
Zhou Yi never considered whether this action might tarnish the dignity of a true monarch, and even when he advanced to Nascent Soul or Divinity Transformation, it would be the same.
Power was always a means of protection and could not alter any of Zhou Yi's thoughts!
He took out a stack of silver notes from his storage bag and waved it around, playing the role of a prodigal son convincingly. After all, he had seen enough of them in the past and could easily imitate them perfectly.
Suddenly.
Zhou Yi's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he disappeared from the Spring Breeze Building.
The girls cuddling up to him on each side, the noisy customers around, they all seemed to lose their bearings, with no recollection of the noble young man.
On the rooftop.
The cold wind howled, making his Taoist robe flutter and sound like thunder.
"An impulse strikes, an important event must be about to occur."
Zhou Yi took out a divination tube and gently shook it, casting a minor Heaven Divining Technique.
The divination stick fell to the ground.
A strand of information appeared in Zhou Yi's mind—it was an ordinary-looking jade pendant, but the blood-red mark in the center was quite eye-catching.
"Blood Essence Jade Pendant, Bai Yan's descendants are in trouble!"
"I was wondering what kind of mundane opportunity would be worth a true monarch's trouble. It seems it's right here!"
Zhou Yi carefully sensed a faint blood connection coming from the direction of South City and immediately turned into a beam of escaping light and vanished.
…
"Kill!"
"Cut them down!"
"This is Evil Wolf Gang territory!"
"Tiger Gang's brats!"
The sounds of battle echoed, dozens of figures clashed in the darkness, swords and sabers flashed, each side with martial arts skills.
"Ah!"
A scream rang out as Bai Yan of the Tiger Gang was stabbed in the abdomen. The force penetrated his organs, and his life was rapidly slipping away.
Blood soaked the jade pendant around his neck, faintly bringing forth a spiritual light that protected his heart meridian.
Boom!
Dazzling lightning struck down, turning all those in combat to ash, as the escaping light whisked Bai Yan away.
A moment later.
Five or six cultivators, young and old, arrived nearby to investigate, but all they heard was thunder without any signs of the strike.
One of the older cultivators took out a compass magic artifact and, after a long investigation, said, "The mana aura is unmistakable, a cultivator has deployed a Lightning Method!"
An elderly man without a beard received a jade slip and announced, "The Immortal Pensions Office has just ascertained that this place is at the junction between the Tiger and Starving Wolf gangs in the Capital, who agreed to brawl tonight."
"It must have been some hidden Loose Cultivator who used Lightning Method to kill."
The speaker was a man clad in armor, looking more like a military officer than a cultivator. He said coldly, "According to the sect rules, Loose Cultivators who kill without cause must report to the Immortal Pensions Office!"
The old Daoist shook his head and said, "That Lightning Method was quite impressive, instantly annihilating dozens of people, yet the ground was left without a trace. With such skill... General Wei, before you arrest anyone, it's best to seek guidance from the Protector of the Nation True Man!"
General Wei snorted coldly but said nothing more about pursuing the matter to the end.
The power of the Great Qian Kingdom was like a raging fire fueled by oil, and with the support of the Dan Ding Sect, they might handle a Qi Refinement Loose Cultivator, yet they could not afford to provoke a Foundation Establishment True Person.
After a long investigation without any useful clues and learning that the deceased were from the jianghu, they simply let the matter drop.
...
In the courtyard.
Bai Yan slowly regained consciousness and instinctively touched his abdomen, finding not even a scar.
A voice came from beside him, "What's your surname?"
"Bai."
Bai Yan instinctively answered and, following the voice, saw an elderly white-haired Daoist sitting not far away. He hurriedly got up to pay his respects.
"I have seen the honorable Daoist, was it you who saved me?"
"It was this that saved you."
Zhou Yi pointed at a jade pendant on the table with a crack in it and said, "My Daoist sect has some old connections with your ancestors, using this jade pendant as a token. Once, the Bai family was also a renowned noble house. How did it come to be involved in the jianghu strife?"
"I'm not completely aware of the specifics, but according to the family records, it seems that over a hundred years ago, there was a member of the Bai family who became the head of the Imperial Guards. Holding high authority and enjoying prosperity, he was implicated in a case of plotting rebellion against the Crown Prince."
Bai Yan's face showed bitterness as he said, "The Imperial Court sentenced the whole family to exile. That I could survive and return from the Northern Border is already the grace of heaven."
Zhou Yi nodded slightly, displaying neither a sigh nor helplessness.
For the Bai family's heritage to have lasted for hundreds of years of fortune and for descendants to still be alive today, they had already surpassed ninety-nine percent of other families.
Zhou Yi gently stroked the jade pendant, and in a moment, it was restored as before. He then inscribed several protective talisman patterns into it, leaving a wisp of a True Monarch's aura.
"Follow me in cultivation for three months, and you must not wander through the jianghu anymore. Marry and have children, and a life of wealth and honor will not be difficult for you."
Bai Yan knelt on the ground with a thump and kept kowtowing.
"Thank you, Daoist elder!"
...
The next day.
Zhou Yi finished preparing spirit ginseng and beast meat porridge and served a bowl for Bai Yan.
"Eat and practice your cultivation technique at the same time."
After taking a bite, Bai Yan felt spiritual energy and vigor flowing in his organs, and quickly started to practice his body-refining cultivation technique.
An hour later.
Bai Yan swung his fist, feeling its strength had significantly increased. He bowed and said, "I shall never forget the favor you've shown me, Daoist elder!"
Zhou Yi said, "No need for thanks, continue eating. When you can eat a whole bowl in one breath, I shall teach you the true Way of martial arts."
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Bai Yan immediately understood Zhou Yi's character, took a bite of his meal, and continued to practice body refining and absorb the essence.
Outside the door.
Chen Jing brought back some bowls and dishes and knocked on the door, but after a long while, there was no response.
Having had a conversation half a year ago, Chen Jing determined that Zhou Yi was not a stickler for trivial manners, hence he dared to carry out the act of taking dishes without permission, believing it would not invite punishment and might even showcase his sincere nature.
He waited a long time for the Daoist to return, not expecting to hit a wall when returning the dishes.
Chen Jing sighed and, not daring to disturb any further, bowed and left.
"The senior is truly unfathomable!"
...
Two months later.
Bai Yan practiced martial arts and recited scriptures daily. His former roguish demeanor from the jianghu had faded, leaving his face with a more bright and vibrant look.
In the morning, he respectfully took the bowl of porridge and managed to eat most of it in one go, then, struggling to hold back the surge of spiritual energy and vigor within him, he forcibly swallowed the remaining half-bowl.
The organs bore the brunt of the vigor's impact, showing signs of fissures, and even the skin swelled and filled out, with veins bulging visibly.
Enduring the torture of body explosion, Bai Yan kept executing the body-refining technique until half a day later when he finally dispersed the vigor. Blood oozed from his body, dyeing him crimson as if he had just emerged from a blood pool.
Zhou Yi, from beginning to end, watched with indifference, reading history books, not lifting a finger to help even as Bai Yan nearly collapsed several times.
Once Bai Yan regained his strength, he bowed and said, "Daoist elder, I have completed the test."
"This was no test."
Zhou Yi closed the book and said, "I had anticipated this, you only needed to follow normal martial arts training, and roughly in three months, you would meet the requirement."
Bai Yan respectfully said, "I do not know what this porridge is made of, but I suppose it's something I'll never encounter again in my life. To learn the true martial way a day earlier allows me to cultivate with it and avoid future regret."
"That you could think this way is indeed surprising to me."
Zhou Yi pondered for a moment, then spoke.
"Today I shall teach you the Beast Blood Baptism and Vital Energy Condensation technique. Once mastered, you will be no less than a Qi Refinement cultivator..."