After lunch.
Chen Yi had Xiaodie bring over a lounge chair and prepare a tea set. He sat in the small pavilion, sipping his tea and enjoying the free-blowing wind.
The early summer sun wasn't harsh, and a gentle breeze caressed him, making him feel comfortable and content.
'Mountains, water, flowers, and grass... tea to go with the beautiful scenery. Now *this* is what I call living.'
As he thought this, a smile graced Chen Yi's face.
Even Xiaodie, standing to the side, couldn't help but steal a few extra glances at his carefree, sunlit profile.
In her eyes, the young master was exceptionally handsome. He wore a pure white scholar's long robe, his long black hair was tied back to his waist, and two strands of hair framed a face with refined features, giving him a gentle and scholarly air.
In short, he was very, very special—not at all like the other talented scholars she had seen before.
'Perhaps this is what the Young Mistress meant by a "man of great learning."'
"Young Master, the Young Mistress just mentioned that the master who will be teaching you Martial Arts will arrive this afternoon."
Without turning his head, Chen Yi said, "So soon?"
He was currently staring at a patch of Purple Bamboo by the pond, pondering how to make a fishing rod out of them. A moment ago, a few thoughtless goldfish had jumped and splashed a lot of water on him. He felt an itch in his heart that could only be scratched by catching them.
Recalling what Xiao Wan'er had said, Xiaodie lowered her head and stammered, "Young Master, this is... this is all my fault..."
Chen Yi turned to look at her and asked with a smile, "Your fault for what?"
"A while ago, the Young Mistress asked me about your recent situation, Young Master, and I... I told her everything."
"I see," Chen Yi said, his gaze returning to the bamboo grove. He smiled. "What's said is said. It's nothing."
He was in the Xiao Mansion now; his every word and action would be reported to the few powerful figures within the household.
Even if Xiaodie didn't say anything, someone else would have told them.
"But the Young Mistress said it was after the Old Master heard about the poem you wrote, Young Master, that he arranged for you to practice Martial Arts."
Originally, Xiaodie hadn't thought she'd done anything wrong. She was just under orders from the Young Mistress to keep a close eye on the Young Master.
But after learning she had become Chen Yi's dedicated maid, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
If it weren't for her, the Young Master would be able to rest right now.
"It's fine."
"Young Master, you're not angry?" Xiaodie raised her head slightly, peering at his profile through the bangs on her forehead.
Chen Yi said nonchalantly, "I'll just think of it as exercise."
"Don't worry about it. While we wait, help me find some tools."
"What are you looking for, Young Master?" Xiaodie breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her small face.
"A small blade, some string, and an iron nail."
"This..."
Seeing Chen Yi's mysterious expression, Xiaodie was filled with confusion, but she went and found the items for him anyway.
Soon, she understood Chen Yi's intentions.
"A fishing rod?"
"That's right."
Chen Yi looked at the fishing rod in his hand, a creation that "crude" didn't even begin to describe. "Xiaodie, don't be fooled by its looks. Do you believe that I, your young master, can use this to clear out all the fish in this pond?"
With limited materials, he could only use what was on hand.
The rod was a thin stalk of bamboo from the pond's edge, the line was a piece of woolen yarn he had deliberately wound into a ball, and the hook was a thin iron nail that he had bent and sharpened.
In less than an hour, this crude fishing rod was fresh off the assembly line.
"Young Master, the Second Young Mistress had those fish specially brought from Guangyue Prefecture. They're said to be a very valuable breed," Xiaodie reminded him in a low voice.
Chen Yi stroked the fishing rod as if it were a treasure. "Don't worry, don't worry. I'm only going to catch them, not eat them."
For a true fisherman, the joy comes from the sense of accomplishment in catching the fish, and from the astonished looks of others when you parade them through the streets.
It was an immense satisfaction that outsiders could never understand.
'Not eat them?' Xiaodie first sighed in relief, then grew confused. 'If you don't eat the fish, what's the point of catching them?'
She was clearly one of the "outsiders" Chen Yi was thinking of, finding it difficult to comprehend a fisherman's joy.
However, before Chen Yi could cast his line to test the waters, a rumbling sound, like rolling wheels, came from outside the garden.
He followed the sound with his eyes.
He saw the tall and brawny Wang Lixing carefully pushing a middle-aged man who was seated in a wheelchair.
The man had regular features, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, exuding the resolute toughness of a military man.
However, perhaps because of his disability, an inextricable sorrow was etched between his brows.
Xiaodie glanced over and quickly reminded him in a low voice, "Young Master, that's the Young Mistress's Second Uncle, Xiao Xuanshuo."
After speaking, she moved to the edge of the pavilion and bowed respectfully.
Chen Yi nodded slightly, handed the fishing rod to Xiaodie, and walked forward to greet them before they arrived. He bowed slightly and said, "Chen Yi greets Second Uncle."
He had heard Xiaodie mention Xiao Xuanshuo before. Apparently, some years ago, while inspecting a military garrison, he was ambushed by the Barbarian Race. Several hundred of his Personal Guards fought to the death to allow him to escape.
However, Xiao Xuanshuo had been grievously injured in the attack, and ever since, he had been confined to a wheelchair.
Xiao Xuanshuo raised his head slightly. When he saw the fishing rod in Xiaodie's hand, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He said flatly:
"By the Old Master's command, I will be the one to teach you Martial Arts."
"But let me be clear: you are merely a live-in son-in-law of the Xiao Family. Therefore, what you practice and learn will only be the fundamentals of Martial Arts."
"In the future, if you achieve something in your studies, or perform a great service for our Xiao Family, someone will naturally teach you more advanced Cultivation Techniques."
Before Chen Yi could speak, Xiao Xuanshuo's tone grew heavier.
"I don't care what you were like in the Chen Family, and I can let the matter of you fleeing your marriage go. But if you do anything to damage the Xiao Family's reputation in the future, don't blame me for being merciless!"
Chen Yi nodded calmly. "I am at Second Uncle's disposal."
He could hear the displeasure in Xiao Xuanshuo's voice and knew this was the man who had proposed to expel him from the family back in the Punishment Hall. But...
'It is what it is.'
Right now, he was well-fed and well-clothed. Being a stable live-in son-in-law in the Marquis's Mansion was perfectly fine with him.
Meanwhile, Xiaodie had already slipped out of Spring Lotus Garden before Xiao Xuanshuo had even finished speaking, and was now standing guard outside the long corridor leading to Jiaxing Garden.
The Xiao Family treated its servants well, but when it came to matters like Martial Arts Techniques, ordinary maids and household servants were not qualified to observe.
Not long after.
The three of them found a spacious, open area by the pond.
Xiao Xuanshuo glanced at Chen Yi, then ordered Wang Lixing, "Pile Skill. Big Spear."
Wang Lixing responded with a clear voice and stood before Chen Yi. His expression turned serious as he said, "All Martial Arts in the world share a common origin. They all begin with tempering the body—honing the muscles, bones, and skin..."
As he spoke, he slowly demonstrated the movements.
For the opening stance, he stood ramrod straight, like a planted Long Spear. Then, he pushed both hands forward and took a deep breath. His chest swelled abruptly, as if a stone had been shoved inside, growing two sizes larger.
After a few repetitions, Wang Lixing exhaled and said:
"The Big Spear Pile Skill must be coordinated with specific breathing techniques. This will allow you to gradually temper your body and strengthen your physique."
"Once you have thoroughly tempered your muscles, bones, and skin, and a Qi Mechanism has been born within you, you can proceed to the next step: refining the five viscera and meridians with the qi from your Dantian. Once you open four Main Meridians, you will have reached the Perfection stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Grade Realm..."
Despite looking like a big brute, Wang Lixing was meticulous in his instruction.
After demonstrating it a few times, he had Chen Yi assume the Big Spear Pile Skill stance.
He didn't even have to act.
Chen Yi knew his performance was terrible. His posture was slack and lacked any Power, and his movements weren't even standard.
As if he had expected this, Wang Lixing's fan-sized palms slapped him several times, striking each of his mistakes.
"Waist, tighten it."
"Chest out, stomach in."
"Left leg, half a step forward... Hold this position. Inhale, exhale..."
Chen Yi endured the pain in his body and the sore, swollen feeling in the meridians of his limbs as he followed Wang Lixing's rhythm of inhaling and exhaling.
Instantly, he felt a wave of heat from an unknown source, causing his body to warm up. Even the blood in his veins seemed to boil, making his heart pound rapidly. THUMP-THUMP, THUMP-THUMP.
[Successfully learned Big Spear Pile Skill (Profound Tier). Level: Initial Insight]
[Martial Arts·Body: Uninitiated 0/1 (Upgradeable)]