Inside the Room
More than half a day had passed.
Hoo
Jiang Ning let out a slow breath, his gaze falling upon the five paintings spread out on the table.
Each represented one of the Five Organ Spirits:
Heart Fire Tiger – A fierce tiger trapped in a cage.
Liver Wood Deer – A nimble deer resting in the forest.
Spleen Earth Bear – A mighty bear standing firm on the ground.
Lung Metal Ape – A white-furred ape leaping through the mountain ravines.
Kidney Water Roc – A roc transforming from water, ready to soar into the skies.
These were the five paintings he had just completed.
Each one was better than the last, a clear indication that his painting skills were improving.
"Not bad!" Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction.
Out of the five, the one he was most satisfied with was the first one the Heart Fire Tiger, depicting the trapped tiger.
It was his first painting, and also the one created with his lowest skill level.
Yet, it was also the one into which he had poured the most effort and emotion, making its spirit even more profound than the others.
[Skill]: The Way of Painting (Proficient 33/200)
Having completed these five paintings, his Way of Painting skill had now reached the Proficient level.
This resulted in a significant improvement in his painting abilities.
Jiang Ning took a glance at his status panel before closing it again.
After spending half a day painting, this skill had only increased by 133 experience points just enough to push it from Beginner to Proficient.
If he wanted to break through to the next stage, he would need:
200 XP to reach Minor Accomplishment.
500 XP to reach Major Accomplishment.
1000 XP to reach Perfection.
And another 1000 XP to break past the limits.
In total, he would need 2700 XP.
At his current pace, he would have to paint diligently for at least ten days to achieve this.
"Completely not worth it!"
Jiang Ning shook his head.
This was exactly why he didn't want to accumulate too many skills in his status panel.
Time was limited.
"A jack of all trades is a master of none."
With such a mystical status panel, his true advantage lay in mastering fewer but more powerful skills.
Every time a skill broke past its limits, it granted him new traits.
These traits were extremely valuable, but the general improvements that came from skill breakthroughs were just as crucial.
For example, take the basic woodcutting knife technique after multiple breakthroughs, a single swing of his blade now carried an immensely terrifying momentum.
And when combined with his indestructible, unbreakable longsword, the result was devastating.
Afterward
Jiang Ning set down his brush, picked up a teacup nearby, and took a small sip of the steaming hot tea.
With Lü Yi around, whenever the tea began to cool, she would quietly pour it out and refill the cup with fresh, hot tea.
This small act of consideration made Jiang Ning feel comfortable.
These past few days, with Lü Yi by his side, he no longer had to worry about any trivial daily matters.
All he needed to do was focus on martial arts and skill training.
And that satisfied him greatly.
His decision to take in Lü Yi had been the right one.
Back when he lived alone, although his sister-in-law helped with laundry, meals, and breakfast, he still had to handle many small chores himself.
Those tasks, though minor, consumed valuable training time.
Over time, they interfered with his progress in martial arts.
But now? Things were completely different.
With Lü Yi around, he was entirely freed from life's trivial burdens.
Moreover, after sensing the Divine Scion's Mark in Lü Yi's mind, he was confident that she could be trusted.
Through emotional perception, he could tell that Lü Yi held no ill intentions toward him only kindness and goodwill.
Setting Down His Cup
"Let's go."
"Time to eat."
"After we eat, come with me to the martial arts school."
"Whether you can learn this martial art depends on my master's approval."
Hearing this, Lü Yi immediately dropped to her knees with a heavy thud.
"Young Master, your great kindness is beyond my ability to repay!"
Jiang Ning smiled.
"You're already repaying me by taking care of my daily life, aren't you?"
Then he added, "Stand up. There's no need to kneel in front of me."
Lü Yi looked up at him, her slender, fair neck visible as she met his gaze.
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of Jiang Ning's lips, she immediately nodded firmly.
"Lü Yi understands!"
After Lunch
Front Courtyard
Jiang Ning walked toward the main gate with empty hands, accompanied by Jiang Li.
Behind them, Lü Yi clutched Jiang Ning's fist manual and the five paintings tightly in her arms, jogging to keep up with their pace.
Outside the Main Gate
"Ah Ning, will you be back for dinner tonight?"
Jiang Ning replied, "Not sure. If I don't come back, you and sister-in-law should eat first no need to wait for me."
"Alright." Jiang Li nodded.
At that moment
"Uncle"
A soft and sweet little girl's voice called out from behind them.
Jiang Ning turned around and saw a tiny figure, dressed in a fluffy coat that made her look like a little brown bear, running toward him.
Seeing this, he chuckled, squatted down, and opened his arms wide.
A moment later
The little one dove straight into his embrace.
Jiang Ning scooped her up effortlessly.
"Why are you calling me 'Uncle' today?" he asked with a smile, gently scratching her small nose.
The little girl wrinkled her nose.
"Mama said that the New Year is coming, and since I've grown older, I can't act cute anymore."
"Hahaha!!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning burst into laughter.
He ruffled her shiny black hair with amusement.
"If our little dumpling is a year older now, how old are you this year?"
"One… two… three… four… five!"
She counted each number with her tiny fingers, one by one.
Then, suddenly, she frowned in distress.
"I don't have enough fingers!"
Jiang Ning chuckled again.
She had turned five by traditional age counting last summer, but in actual years, she was just four and a half, meaning her traditional age was now five and a half.
After setting her down, he patted her head.
"Go play! When I come back, I'll bring you some candied hawthorn skewers."
Hearing the words "candied hawthorn", the little dumpling's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Uncle, I want two! One for me, and one for the snowman!"
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow and teased, "And you won't share any with your dad, mom, or your brother?"
"I… I…"
The little dumpling stammered, her tiny fingers struggling to count again.
"Daddy and Mommy… plus Brother that's three people!"
"But I only have two skewers…"
Midway through her words, she looked up at Jiang Ning with pleading eyes.
"Uncle, can you buy three? That way, I can share them with Daddy, Mommy, and Brother!"
Jiang Ning squatted down and playfully scratched her nose.
"And what about you?"
The little dumpling pouted.
"I don't like candied hawthorn. It's too sour, not tasty at all!"
Yet, as she spoke, Jiang Ning noticed a tiny droplet of drool sliding down her lips.
He chuckled even more.
Ruffling her hair again, he stood up.
"I'll buy five skewers for you."
"Five?!!"
The little dumpling's face lit up with amazement as if she had just thought of something incredible.
Her eyes shone even brighter.
Jiang Ning added, "But you can only eat one."
Instantly, her face fell, her head drooping.
"Okay then…"
Jiang Ning turned to Lü Yi, who was waiting at the edge of the steps.
"Xiao Lü, let's go!"
Then he looked back at Jiang Li.
"Big Brother, I'm heading out!"
"Alright," Jiang Li nodded, then reminded, "Be careful on the road."
"Got it."
With that, Jiang Ning and Lü Yi walked down the stone steps onto the paved road.
"Xiao Lü, did you buy the carriage?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Young Master, I bought it yesterday! It's currently stored in the Wang family's stable." Lü Yi answered as she followed behind him.
Previously, Jiang Ning had always rented carriages.
The rental service was from none other than the Wang family's stable, located just a hundred meters away.
His residence was surrounded by large, luxurious estates, with wealthy and noble inhabitants.
Because of this, the Wang family's stable business thrived, as many in the neighborhood stored their carriages there.
After all, many estates lacked stables, including Jiang Ning's residence.
His home sat on elevated ground, requiring him to climb sixteen steps just to enter the main gate.
Because of this, the estate had no side entrance for carriages, which was why he hadn't bought one before.
But now, with Lü Yi handling these tasks, and the Wang family's stable nearby, it made sense for her to buy a personal carriage for him.
"Young Master, shall I go fetch the carriage?" Lü Yi offered.
Jiang Ning shook his head.
"No need! Let's go check it out together I want to see what our new carriage looks like."
Moments Later
Jiang Ning and Lü Yi arrived at the Wang family's stable.
Because of the cold weather, the place was a bit quiet, but the broad pathway leading to the stable had been cleared of snow.
As they stepped into the stable
They immediately spotted two men sitting by a bonfire under a cleaned-out shelter near the entrance.
One of them was poking at a roasted sweet potato with a wooden stick, the surface already charred black.
The other man held a long-stemmed pipe, lazily puffing out clouds of smoke.
The sound of footsteps caught their attention.
The next moment
When the two men saw Jiang Ning's face, they trembled all over.
The old man smoking the dry pipe immediately put it down, and the other man also threw aside the wooden stick he had been using to turn the roasted sweet potato.
"Master Jiang!"
"Greetings, Master Jiang!"
"Master Jiang, how could you come to such a filthy, messy place?" The old man with the dry pipe said with a flattering smile.
These two had been working at the Wang family's stable for many years, so they naturally recognized Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning said, "I came to take a look at my carriage."
"Master, which carriage is yours?" The old man smiled obsequiously.
The girl, Lü Yi, who was behind Jiang Ning, immediately took out a wooden token.
"Oh! So this young lady is one of your people, Master Jiang!" The old man suddenly realized.
Then he said, "Master, please wait here for a moment. I'll go bring over the Snow-Red Flame Colts that were stored here."
A moment later.
Whinny whinny
Two tall, fine horses trotted forward steadily, pulling a four-wheeled carriage that appeared before Jiang Ning.
The carriage was about two meters wide and three meters long.
The two magnificent horses stood calmly, their eyes full of tranquility, showing that they had already been well-trained.
They were about eight feet tall, their entire bodies as pure white as snow.
However, their four hooves looked as if they had been soaked in cinnabar, glowing a deep red like blood.
The same was true for their manes and tails, which were also as red as fresh blood.
This was the origin of their name the Snow-Red Flame Colts.
Their bodies were as white as snow, while their hooves, manes, and tails were red as fire.
With just one glance, Jiang Ning could tell that these were excellent horses already fully tamed and trained by the horse dealer.
"Master Jiang, these are the two fine horses your maid left here yesterday." The old man with the dry pipe said with a fawning smile.
Jiang Ning nodded in response.
Then, he stepped up to the two Snow-Red Flame Colts.
He reached out and gently rubbed their heads. Their eyes were dull, devoid of any spiritual light, clearly reduced to mere tools after being completely domesticated.
Seeing this, an idea sparked in Jiang Ning's mind.
A moment later.
Jiang Ning and Lü Yi sat inside the carriage, slowly leaving the Wang family's stable.
After turning a corner along the street.
Jiang Ning lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.
In his clasped hands, wrapped in his spiritual power, were two drops of crimson blood.
"Master, why did you come out?" Lü Yi was surprised to see him, her expression slightly dazed.
Jiang Ning glanced at her and immediately noticed her reddened cheeks from the cold, as well as her hands constantly rubbing together for warmth.
Although there was no snowfall today, the temperature remained below freezing.
Driving the carriage through the streets meant facing the biting wind head-on something unbearably harsh for an ordinary person like Lü Yi.
"Stop the carriage first," Jiang Ning ordered.
"Yes, Master!" Lü Yi responded immediately.
She pulled the reins, and the two Snow-Red Flame Colts obediently slowed their steps, gradually coming to a halt.
Once the carriage had completely stopped
"Wait here," Jiang Ning instructed Lü Yi, then jumped down from the carriage.
Under Lü Yi's puzzled gaze, Jiang Ning walked up to the two Snow-Red Flame Colts.
He pried open the mouth of one of them, flicked his finger, and sent a prepared drop of blood into its mouth.
Repeating the process, he did the same for the other horse.
As soon as the blood merged into their bodies, the two Snow-Red Flame Colts let out soft whinnies.
Their nostrils flared, releasing bursts of white mist in the cold winter air.
"It worked!" Jiang Ning rejoiced inwardly.
Then, he hopped back onto the carriage. "Lü Yi, let's wait here for a bit."
"Yes, Master!" Lü Yi answered immediately.
Jiang Ning lifted the curtain again and glanced at her before adding, "Come inside and wait. It's too cold outside."
"Yes!" Lü Yi responded again, her eyes softening.
The two of them sat quietly inside the carriage, waiting.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ning leisurely flipped through a book.
Yesterday, Lü Yi had not only purchased the carriage and the Snow-Red Flame Colts but had also brought him several ancient texts that he hadn't read before.
These were manuscript copies from the Wan Hua Pavilion.
They recorded much knowledge that Jiang Ning had never encountered.
By reading them, he could increase his Literary skills experience.
[Skill]: Literary (Fourth Breakthrough: 4811/5000)(Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking, Exceptional Comprehension)
"Just over a hundred points left."
Glancing at his status panel, Jiang Ning noted this to himself.
Then, he refocused his attention on the book in front of him, flipping through its pages at a steady pace.
[Literary EXP +1]
[Literary EXP +1]
[Literary EXP +1]
[...]
As he read, his Literary skills continued to accumulate experience, bringing him ever closer to the 5000-point threshold.
At the same time, the two Snow-Red Flame Colts outside having absorbed his blood and become his kin were undergoing a gradual transformation.
A transformation of the flesh.
This was also part of Jiang Ning's experiment.
From his experience with Lü Yi, he realized that the Divine Scion Kinship power he possessed was different from the Blood God's Kinship of the Worshipers Sect.
His power seemed purer.
Whereas the Worshipers Sect's god was filled with distortion and corruption, causing their believers to transform into monstrous beings after becoming divine kin.
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