Chapter 10: The First Signs Appear!

Chapter 10: The Dawn of Dew!

In the days that followed.

Chen Yi still rose early, then concocting all manner of excuses to avoid practicing his techniques.

Not unwell in body, nor in spirits, or perhaps catching a chill here and there.

Until even the rough-and-tumble Wang Lixing could see through his scheme—Xiao Hou had no real problem, he simply had no desire to cultivate the Way.

There was no other option.

Wang Lixing was merely Xiao Hou's personal guard, and though Chen Yi, as a superfluous son-in-law, was a level above him in status, Xiao Hou couldn't afford to offend him by ignoring the Buddhist and Taoist paths.

Thus, reluctantly, he reported Chen Yi's behavior truthfully to Xiao Xuanhuang.

"Hmph. If he refuses to practice, the Xiao family hasn’t sunk so low as to let a runaway groom become a pillar of shame!"

Upon receiving this reply, Wang Lixing no longer fretted over Chen Yi’s cultivation progress. He continued to rouse him at dusk as usual, and by the time the midnight hour arrived, he would shake his head and depart the Spring Blossom Garden without a word.

Such changes, Chen Yi naturally found agreeable.

Yet each day, after Wang Lixing’s departure,

Chen Yi would still practice his pillar technique for a full hour in the bamboo grove.

In five days, his Great Spear Pillar Technique broke through to the proficient level, and his spiritual foundation surged past the mortal body to reach the ninth grade:

Name: Chen Yi

Cultivation Level: Ninth Grade—Lower

The Way of Calligraphy: Accomplished (0/1000)

Calligraphy: Wei Qing (Master)

Martial Arts—Body: Partial Accomplishment (0/100)

Technique: Great Spear Pillar Technique (Proficient)

Fate Points: 7

Each hour of practicing the proficient-grade [Great Spear Pillar Technique] would elevate Chen Yi’s bones, sinews, and skin from the outside in.

With each session, his meridians and organs felt as though struck by a hammer countless times, growing ever stronger.

Most noticeably, his strength and the lightness of his body increased.

Even without testing, his power should have reached the strength of an ox—roughly two hundred jin, or about 133 pounds.

According to the arcane principles he’d grasped from his understanding of the Martial Arts—Body, physical strength was measured by “force,” divided into ox, elephant, and dragon tiers.

Each tier grew increasingly difficult to ascend.

Though Chen Yi had now reached “ox strength,” breaking through to elephant strength required not only the technique he’d mastered, but also his innate talent, sustenance, and medicinal herbs—all indispensable.

“Under normal circumstances, once the Great Spear Pillar Technique reaches a high level, it can achieve elephant strength. At that point, one must focus on cultivating ‘qi energy’ to open the four meridians.”

“But if I elevate my Martial Arts—Body to Accomplished, I could patch the gaps in the pillar technique, just as achieving Accomplishment in The Way of Calligraphy would fill in the deficiencies of Wei Qing’s script.”

Pondering this, Chen Yi glanced at today’s intelligence report:

[High-Grade Intel: Within the inner courtyard of Count Ding Yuan’s Xiao family, there is a hidden guard transmitting coded messages in the garden outside the martial arts arena. Minimal fate points can be gained here.]

[Fate Points +1. Note: The message has already been sent, though the person remains unaware. A pleasure-seeking soul will surely face punishment.]

After reading this, Chen Yi rolled his eyes.

Over the past two months, his tolerance for the “daily intelligence” reports had grown somewhat thin.

The first forty days had been marked by “laziness,” and after a stint at Jia Xing Estate, he’d acquired the label “a lecherous fool.” Now, his complaints had turned to outright curses.

Yet today’s report, compared to the usual brawls, scandals, and elopements, held a certain significance.

“A hidden guard’s coded message… perhaps it’s a spy embedded within the Xiao family?”

Chen Yi had never heard of a “hidden guard,” so he could only speculate based on common sense.

Either a spy from Wei Zhao’s neighboring states had infiltrated their ranks, or an enemy with grudges against the Xiao family had orchestrated this.

Beyond that, combining it with memories from his mind and the note’s warning, another possibility emerged in his thoughts:

“Could it be the same people who used underhanded methods to let me escape my wedding?”

If so, they were still lingering like ghosts.

Chen Yi had assumed he’d be safe within the Xiao household, especially since his wedding day had been marred by misfortune on the road from the guesthouse to the marquisate.

Now he realized the Xiao family itself harbored some with hidden agendas.

Yet Chen Yi was more intrigued than anything—who had he crossed that would warrant such relentless pursuit?

A rival who loved Xiao Jinghong? Unlikely; the Xiao family clearly intended to keep him as a son-in-law, and anyone with even a shred of capability would never agree.

An enemy state, like the Barbarians or the western Buddhist Kingdom?

That also seemed improbable. He was but a mere speck; even if they killed him, it would only bring minor disgrace to the Xiao family—nothing more than a scratch.

After all this deliberation, the only plausible conclusion was—those who coveted the Xiao family within Wei Zhao.

“If they had succeeded in their schemes, I’d have escaped my wedding unscathed, and the Xiao family would’ve been disgraced.”

“But ‘honor’ holds no weight in warfare between nations. Its only utility lies in the grand halls of Wei Zhao.”

“History has taught me countless times—the tricks employed by scholar-officials are mere ‘extending the argument,’ and even the smallest gap can be widened into a chasm.”

“Hidden guard… perhaps it’s a sect of assassins.”

Thinking this, Chen Yi cast his bait into the water, his face darkening with malice.

“I’ve kept such a low profile, yet these people still won’t let me go. Too much for my liking.”

This time, he wouldn’t let the ban on movement—had he not already missed the chance—go to waste. If such coded messages appeared again, he’d investigate no matter the cost.

“Master, Master, your letter has arrived—Little Sister Xiao has received it.”

At that moment, Xiao Mei darted back in, her face bright with joy, placing the letters on the table.

Chen Yi propped his makeshift fishing pole aside, wiped his hands, and walked over to take the letters. “Two of them?”

Xiao Mei nodded. “There’s another one from Jiangnan Prefecture… it seems to be from Master’s… ”

She didn’t finish the sentence, her hands flying to her mouth.

She knew how the Chen family had treated her master, and feared that speaking further would only anger him.

Chen Yi nodded once, tore open the letter from Jiangnan Prefecture, and glanced at it, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

The signature was unmistakably his father, Chen Yuanji’s concubine, and his nominal mother, the great matriarch of the Chen family, Cui Yu.

[My son Chen Yi: I’ve received your letter and will share two matters.

First, your elder brother Yun Fan has already attained the highest honors as a top scorer and will soon travel to Shu Zhou to take office, at which time he should visit you.

Second, your father recently received a letter from the Buddhist Kingdom and ordered you to remain in the Xiao household. Naturally, I also hope you may live peacefully there. As for matters of the imperial examinations, there is no need to revisit them.

After all, the Xiao family is not like the Chen family… ]

When Chen Yi finished reading, his eyebrows tightened further. “Cui Yu?”

The contents of the letter appeared to be a casual chat, yet from start to finish, it radiated an inexplicable, haughty arrogance.

Yet he had already become a son-in-law to the Xiao family; must he cling to this so stubbornly?

Must he go so far as to write a letter to spite him?

Should his former self happen to see this letter, he would probably be driven mad with fury by it.

Thank goodness it's me; I won't hold a grudge against you. Let's best avoid each other from now on.

Chen Yi then opened the second letter and read it, his frown easing into a smile.

"Jinghong has already learned of your recent conduct at home; the punishment for your previous desertion has been lifted. Additionally, Jinghong has some military affairs to attend to, so her return date is uncertain. Do not worry."

Chen Yi's smile widened as he glanced at Xiao Di, who stood hesitantly nearby:

"From today, I am free to move about!"

Of course, everything invites comparison. Compared to the strange and capricious ways of the master of the Chen family's household, Mistress Xiao Jinghong's words were much more calm and equal.

As for the military duties she mentioned, he had no idea what they entailed. With no recent battles reported, it must have been nothing more than routine patrols and drills.

(End of Chapter)