By morning, the sun had risen on the second day.
The heavy snow had stopped, blanketing the world in a vast expanse of white.
On the bed in Qingzhu Hall, a scarlet stain remained. The room was exceptionally warm; the furnace and Silver Frost Charcoal that Wang Zhaoyan had prepared in advance were now proving their worth.
Sparks danced in the furnace without a wisp of smoke, a testament to the high quality of the charcoal.
Lu Mingyuan sat cross-legged on the bed, his toned upper body bare. With his hands resting on his knees, he circulated his Martial Arts Qi. Wisps of crimson energy swirled around him as he opened his panel to check it.
「Life Master: Lu Mingyuan」
「Cultivation: Second Realm of Martial Arts (Inner Cultivation)」
「Cultivation Technique: Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter (Third Floor: 2570/3000), Mountain Shaking Fist (Fourth Form: 900/1000), Fiery Fire Saber Technique (Fifth Slash (200/1000)」
Lu Mingyuan was astonished to find that the points for his Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture - Abnormal Eating Chapter had increased by one hundred.
He checked it every night before sleeping, so there was no way he could be mistaken. It had definitely gone up by a hundred points.
'Could it be... that I can even absorb the Yin essence from a woman's body?'
It was like discovering a new continent.
A look of disbelief flashed in Lu Mingyuan's eyes.
This new discovery was rather shocking.
'If that's the case, doesn't it mean I could cultivate continuously just by... doing that every day?'
'No, it can't be that simple.'
Lu Mingyuan mulled it over for a moment and concluded that it must be because Zi Yun herself was a Fourth Realm Martial Cultivator. That had to be the reason for this effect.
The opening of the Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture contained a certain line.
Devour all things to nourish and strengthen, mending what is broken and supplementing what is lacking.
The meaning was that as long as the devoured object possessed a great deal of energy, he would in turn absorb a great deal, making up for his own deficiencies.
An ordinary woman could not possibly provide so many points.
Only by absorbing the Yin essence of a genuine Martial Cultivator could he achieve a corresponding increase in his cultivation progress.
By further inference, the higher their cultivation, the more he would absorb.
This absorption wasn't a form of plunder; it was a mutual nourishment, gathering essence to consolidate his foundation.
Having figured this out, Lu Mingyuan couldn't help but wonder about something else.
'How on earth did such a bizarre Cultivation Technique end up in Qingzhu Hall?'
He had always been puzzled by the origin of the Blood Glutton Celestial Fall Scripture.
"Your Highness, it's time for breakfast."
A melodious voice came from the doorway. Zi Yun entered the room, trailing her purple skirt and carrying a large bowl of steaming hot dumplings.
"These were freshly made in the Imperial Kitchen this morning. I managed to grab them for you, Your Highness, right as they were ready."
Her hair was damp and disheveled from the melting snow outside, with a few dark strands clinging to her temples. A smile on her face gave her a somewhat enchanting and alluring look.
However, a red mark just below her snow-white collarbone was quite conspicuous.
Hearing Zi Yun's melodious voice, Lu Mingyuan slowly opened his eyes. The sight of her delicate appearance and her crystal-clear cherry lips stirred something within him again, but he suppressed the impulse and said with a faint smile:
"Good."
Lu Mingyuan got dressed, sat down, and picked up his chopsticks. He quickly noticed something was off. Zi Yun seemed different from yesterday.
His gaze traveled down from her face, moving downwards uncontrollably.
Her cheeks were much rosier, and she smiled more. Also... the front of her dress bulged, appearing remarkably firm and full—completely different from before.
Following Lu Mingyuan's gaze, Zi Yun's face instantly turned crimson. In a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, she said:
"Last night, Your Highness told me not to use the chest-binding cloth, so... I didn't use it today."
Lu Mingyuan coughed lightly. "Good. Let's keep it that way from now on."
They say that if a woman looks down and cannot see her toes, she is a beauty unrivaled in the Mortal World.
'The ancients did not deceive me.'
"Are the dumplings good?"
"Yes, they're delicious."
"That's wonderful!"
Having received Lu Mingyuan's affirmation, Zi Yun's lips curved into a beautiful, delicate smile. She was clearly overjoyed.
Lu Mingyuan ate his dumplings in silence, gazing at her smile with a hint of envy.
'This woman... she's so easily satisfied.'
'Just a single word of affirmation can make her happy for an entire day.'
'Compared to me, she has so few worries.'
He, on the other hand, had to practice his Cultivation every day. And for what?
Wasn't it all to escape the struggle for the throne, to break free from his shackles, and to become the master of his own fate?
The day he could protect himself and no longer be threatened by anyone would be the day he could leave.
What was that saying again?
If you don't live the way you want, you'll sooner or later think the way you live.
He had already verified this truth in his past life. After three years of studying for the civil service exam, he had finally succeeded, but his life hadn't been that great. He hadn't lived the way he wanted to.
So now, there was not a trace of confusion in his heart. Instead, he was full of drive, his goal crystal clear.
'Time to train!'
After finishing breakfast, Lu Mingyuan picked up his Saber. Clad only in a white, bamboo-patterned outer robe, he headed for the mountain behind the Cold Palace. It was a desolate area, overgrown with an abandoned bamboo forest, perfect for Training Saber.
On the way, he once again saw the old eunuch from a month ago, sweeping the snow from the entryway and clearing a path on the snow-covered main road.
The man was hunched over, dressed in a blue Eunuch's robe. His face was beardless, his hair completely white, and his features aged, yet his Essence, Qi, and Spirit were remarkably strong.
This time, however, Lu Mingyuan decided to approach and speak to him. "Eunuch, which palace do you serve? You're of such an advanced age, why have I never seen you before?"
"Greetings, Your Highness."
The old eunuch stopped what he was doing and bowed respectfully to Lu Mingyuan. In a high-pitched voice, he replied, "Answering Your Highness, this old servant's name is Wei Gao. Everyone in the palace calls me Wei the Ninth. I don't belong to any palace; my duty is to sweep the Cold Palace."
Lu Mingyuan smiled faintly. "Eunuch, you look very old. I wonder, how long have you been sweeping the grounds of the Cold Palace?"
Hearing this, Wei the Ninth didn't answer immediately. He thought for a moment, hesitated, then said, "This old servant has always been the one to sweep the Cold Palace."
"You've been sweeping the Cold Palace your entire life? Looking at your age, you must be nearly a hundred years old."
"Not that exaggerated, but close to a hundred, yes," Wei the Ninth said, lowering his head.
Lu Mingyuan frowned, then quickly relaxed his brow. His eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up the plain-looking old eunuch.
From his perspective, although the man's body was sturdy, he didn't possess a shred of Martial Arts Cultivation.
But this fact alone was bizarre enough.
An ordinary person with no Cultivation was approaching a century in age, yet aside from his aged appearance, his body showed no signs of illness or frailty.
He felt that the old eunuch was lying.
'He might even be over a hundred years old.'
Lu Mingyuan decided to probe further. "My father, the Emperor, is only ten years younger than you, Eunuch. Despite his life-preserving techniques and the support of the Taoist Sect's Youthful Appearance Pills, his body is not what it used to be. Yet you claim to have swept the Cold Palace your entire life and are approaching a hundred. Are you telling me a tall tale?"
Hearing these words, Wei the Ninth's expression turned slightly fearful. He said respectfully, "The Holy Emperor is wise and powerful. He has reigned for sixty years, working diligently day and night, and it is through his efforts that the current Era of Yong'an was established. He must be overworked. This old servant is merely a sweeper, doing nothing but tedious, repetitive tasks. How can we be compared?"
Seeing that his reply was seamless and left no openings, Lu Mingyuan felt helpless.
Even using 「Recognizing People」, he couldn't detect any trace of a lie, which meant he was telling the truth.
"Forget it. You may go."
"Yes."
As if granted a pardon, Wei the Ninth picked up his broom and turned to leave.
Saber in hand, Lu Mingyuan continued toward the mountain behind the palace, feeling more and more that something was wrong.
Connecting the dilapidated Daoist Temple on the mountain, the fallen Daoist, and the origin of the Cold Palace, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hidden story behind it all.
'Let's see... The Cold Palace was established over a hundred years into the Great Yan Dynasty, which would be more than two hundred and sixty years ago. Is it possible he's been sweeping here since the Cold Palace was first created? If so, then the sentence "This old servant has always been the one to sweep the Cold Palace" would actually be true. He wouldn't be lying. But if my guess is correct, doesn't that mean this person has lived for over two hundred and sixty years?'
Just as Lu Mingyuan figured it out, he whipped his head around, intending to question the old eunuch again.
But in that brief moment, the old eunuch had already vanished into the vast, snowy landscape.
...