I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 101 Yuhe, meet the master!

The moon on Laba Festival is only half-round, but it is exceptionally bright. It shines on the white snow on the mountain top, and the crystal snow particles scatter the clear moonlight, which is sparkling.

Xie An originally wanted to come here to see Abao, talk to Shanwai and Wei Dian... and tell Wei Dian that he was not alone and Xueling was still there.

But after seeing Lin Yun, Xie An felt more relieved.

On the road that Wei Dian walked, on the land of Xueling... he was never alone.

After drinking a jar of old wine, Xie An felt a warm current flowing in his lower abdomen. As the alcohol took effect, his mind also became much warmer.

Xie An did not disturb Lin Yun, but went down the mountain with an empty wine jar and a smile on his face.

The black market at night is open as usual and is still booming.

From a distance, I could see Zhang Lin, Zhou Xing, Liang Zhi, and Wang Xiang busy at work, and the familiar voices of shopkeepers shouting and hawking their wares.

Xie An listened to these familiar voices for a whole year.

Listening to it again now, it sounds more pleasant and familiar.

"Boss, why are you here?"

Wang Xiang spotted Xie An from afar and rushed over to greet him. "We've just opened a beef shop in the black market. The beef is really good. How about I ask the boss to cut off two pounds for us to try?"

In Daqian, a society dominated by agriculture and industry, cattle were an important means of production. It was difficult for ordinary people to eat beef. In some places, the government even openly prohibited the slaughter of cattle, and killing cattle was a serious crime.

Qingwu County was located on the border of the Daqian Dynasty, and its situation was difficult and chaotic. Although the control over cattle slaughter was relatively loose, it was still difficult for ordinary people to eat beef.

No wonder beef shops are opened on the black market...

Xie An had just had a few drinks and really wanted to cut up two pounds of beef to satisfy his hunger. He glanced at Wang Xiang and saw him pull out dozens of rusty copper coins from his inner pocket and count them one by one.

After Wang Xiang figured it out, he realized that he had overestimated his financial resources. He thought that if he didn't eat it himself, he could still treat his boss to a pound of it.

"Boss, I'm full now, so I won't eat anymore. Please have a pound of beef."

He suddenly looked up and found that his boss had gone far away.

Xie An's voice was also heard.

"I'm full, not hungry."

Wang Xiang felt very embarrassed.

He was no fool, and immediately guessed that the boss was just pretending to be full because he saw that he was short of money. He couldn't help but feel a little touched, and secretly made up his mind to save money and treat the boss to a good meal.

Wang Xiang was not the steward of the Xueling black market, but just an ordinary handyman.

The monthly salary is only five or six taels.

After deducting expenses, there wasn't much left. And Wang Xiang knew that if he wanted to get ahead, he had to practice martial arts, so he spent most of his spare money on martial arts training, and his life was very tight.

If Xie An had not given him eight doses of Tiger Skin Yuan Decoction, he would still not have been able to break through.

……

Xie An returned to the villa, closed the door, suppressed his emotions, and began to practice health-preserving exercises.

Although Xie An had come out on top in the test, Tang Qingyun had publicly announced that Xie An would succeed him as the new incense master of the Blood Ridge Black Market. However, this was only verbal, and it would take another three to five days for the official appointment to be made.

Changing rosters, conducting internal reviews, engraving badges, cutting uniforms, and deploying personnel all take time.

Xie An was a man who valued having things in his pocket. He would not consider things that had not yet been implemented as set in stone, and he would not get carried away by them.

He plans to take advantage of these few days to consolidate his health-preserving exercises.

After all, Tang Qingyun and Tang Qingfeng had both come to test their aura.

Judging from their attitudes and expressions, Xie An knew...there was nothing wrong with his Qi.

It was estimated that the news would soon reach Old Master Tang's ears. If nothing unexpected happened, Tangjiabao should take further action soon.

Compared to this incense master, Xie An is more interested in Tangjiabao's unique skill Mingyu Gong.

"The most urgent thing is to consolidate our health-preserving exercises and strive to cultivate our Qi sense to a higher level. This way, things will undoubtedly go more smoothly when we go to Tangjiabao."

Xie An's life became peaceful again.

Apart from managing the black market, he spends the rest of his time practicing health-preserving exercises in the yard.

Five days passed in a flash.

That morning, Xie An was practicing the Five Animal Exercises in the yard as usual.

Tigers hunt for food, deers run, bears shake their luck, apes pick fruits, cranes fly...

The five forms were the same, but Xie An had already refined them to resemble the sounds and postures of the five animals. If someone outside the courtyard were unaware, they would probably think there were tigers roaring, bears howling, and cranes calling...

As the drill progressed, the heat flow in Xie An's lower abdomen became stronger and stronger, and it became vaguely as thick as a thumb.

call!
Xie An let out a long sigh and slowly finished his practice. He felt the heat from his lower abdomen flowing into his limbs and bones, and his whole body was warm. Even standing in the snow, he felt extremely comfortable.

Xie An calls up the panel:

[Current longevity level: Level 1!]

Five Animal Exercises: Cultivating Internal Qi (51/100)

[Fetal Breathing Technique: Divine Light Appears (10/1000)]

[Remaining Years: 35]

"The cultivation of internal energy is finally halfway through."

Although the progress seemed very slow, Xie An knew...it was actually an exaggerated progress.

Meng Hu had practiced the health-preserving exercises with Old Master Tang for twenty years before he could barely complete the internal breathing cycle. Xie An had only been practicing the health-preserving exercises for less than two years, but his longevity personality had only materialized his progress.

The improvement of each progress point, if compared horizontally... is an exaggerated improvement.

Gathering his thoughts, Xie An began to review the mental formulas of the last part of the Five Animal Exercises, combining theory and practice and comparing them with each other.

"The final stage of cultivating internal Qi, and also the ultimate stage of Five Animal Exercises, is to guide Qi with the mind!
The so-called guiding Qi with mind means to use your own thoughts to guide the movement of Qi. By concentrating your thoughts and coordinating your breathing, you can make Qi flow through your whole body and nourish your spirit with Qi.

After reaching the highest level of Five Animal Play, one can use the mind to carefully regulate the flow of Qi and blood, achieving harmony between body and mind, and unity of mind and Qi!"

Xie An is now only fifty points away from the final step of guiding Qi with his mind.

Moreover, the use of mind to guide qi in the Five Animal Exercises has the same effect as the last part of the Fetal Breathing Exercise, the Divine Light.

However, the denominator of Shen Guangxian's progress is 1000, and the difficulty has increased tenfold.

Although this is unbearable, Xie An feels that the effect should be ten times greater.

All the efforts and suffering are worth it.

Thinking of this, Xie An's mind suddenly flashed with the relevant mnemonics about the appearance of divine light:

"After sitting, shine your divine light on your lower Dantian, allowing the spirit to enter the qi, and the qi to surround the spirit. With this intention, practice the intercourse of spirit and qi, continuously for years and months, until there is no trace of distracting thoughts, the pulse is unconscious, and the fetal breathing stops!"

When Xie An read this, his scalp felt a little tingling.

The pulse is not beating... the fetus's breathing has stopped!

It looks very scary.

Before, I practiced internal breathing and achieved fetal breathing. But when I reached the state of divine light, I had to stop fetal breathing and even stop my pulse.

Isn't this the same as being dead?

If one reaches this level, no matter how outsiders examine him, they will find that he is no different from a dead person.

This fetal breathing exercise has reached the highest level, it's a bit weird.

Suppress your emotions and continue to follow the mantra:

"After your pulse stops and your fetal breathing stops, you will focus on the void. You will feel a divine light shining between your ancestral orifices, forming a state of minor concentration. From this extreme stillness comes a sense of aliveness. Suddenly, you will feel the vital energy in your body gather in your lower dantian, forming a ball of true energy, contained in the crimson palace. This is the energy of the crimson palace."

Crimson palace?

Xie An knew that the so-called Jiang Palace was the center of the chest, where the Tanzhong acupoint was located, also known as the Middle Dantian. It corresponded to the Upper Dantian Niwan Palace and the Lower Dantian Qihai.

These things are rarely covered in martial arts.

Martial arts emphasize the cultivation of skin, flesh, bones, organs, and blood, and pay little attention to acupuncture points. However, some traditional Chinese medicine health-preserving exercises cover these points extensively.

If Xie An had not studied health-preserving exercises in depth and read too many martial arts novels in his previous life... he would not have understood the situation.

In the past, Xie An always felt that acupuncture points were too far away from him.

I didn't expect that as my health-preserving exercises became more and more advanced, I have now reached the level where I can understand the mysteries of it.

"Cultivating the Qi of the Crimson Palace will envelop the Primordial Spirit. Every day, you'll feel a sense of tranquility, as if you were in the mother's womb, adapting to any shape and form, nurtured within. In this state of cultivation, sometimes the Zuqiao acupoint will begin to pulse, and soon your entire body will pulse, like frying beans, exploding continuously. Suddenly, nectar will descend from your mouth. Quickly use your divine light to focus on your lower mouth, circulate it once through the morning and evening meridians, and store it within the field."

Sometimes, when I am in a state of tranquility, I suddenly see a bright moon before me. I immediately use my divine light to look at it. After a while, sunlight appears and merges with the moonlight. I quickly use my divine light to concentrate and gather it. I inhale it through my nose and send it together with the liquid in my mouth into my lower dantian!
This is the appearance of divine light! "

After reviewing the mantra and the mental method, Xie An had a new feeling and could not control himself for a while.

Before he reached that level, Xie An felt that these things were far away from him and he did not have a deep understanding of them. Now, with the emergence of the Qi, Xie An felt that the things described in the formula were getting closer and closer to him, and he was fascinated by them:

The Qi of the Crimson Palace envelops the primordial spirit, like a baby in the mother's belly, which can be rounded as it pleases... The pulsation of the Zuqiao acupoint drives the whole body to pulsate, like frying beans... and nectar is produced in the mouth!

In the midst of tranquility, a bright moon suddenly appeared...it was the appearance of divine light.

These descriptions are mysterious and fascinating.

No wonder the denominator of the progress bar reached an astonishing 1000. These wonders alone are exciting.

"I don't know how long it will take me to witness all these wonders one by one. And it seems... the sense of Qi is the foundation for achieving these wonders."

Xie An was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses.

"Don't worry, take your time. I have a long life, and everything will come true."

Xie An estimated that someone like Meng Hu spent twenty years practicing fetal breathing to develop internal breathing. For ordinary people, developing a sense of Qi would be even more difficult. Thirty years? Forty years?

To achieve divine light through cultivation...sixty or seventy years? Perhaps you won’t be able to achieve it until you die.

However, Xie An, who had a long life, was not panicked.

Sooner or later.

You just have to be able to endure loneliness and boredom, and endure the torment.

Moreover, as his health-preserving exercises progressed, Xie An felt that this longevity was truly remarkable. He could actually master ordinary fetal breathing exercises and the Five Animal Frolics to such an extent!
If I get the Mingyu Gong...what will happen then?
During this time, Xie An also looked at other health-preserving exercises, such as Ba Duan Jin, but found that their effects were similar to Wu Qin Xi, and even inferior to Tai Xi Gong. He then felt that there was no need to practice them.

As for the higher-level breathing techniques, guiding techniques, and meditation skills... Xie An has not had the chance to touch the original ones.

Qingwu County is still too small. The only place that has studied the health-preserving exercises is Tangjiabao. In addition to the elementary health-preserving exercises, they are also used by ordinary people for health preservation.

I think the intermediate health-preserving exercises are only available in Tangjiabao.

As for the more advanced Tai Chi and Yi Jin Jing, I’m afraid... Tangjiabao may not even have them.

But it doesn’t matter to Xie An. What he is most looking forward to right now is Mingyu Gong.

dong dong dong.

A knock on the door interrupted Xie An's thoughts.

He put on his clothes and went to open the door. He saw Lin Yun and Zhang Lin, both dressed in their best clothes, standing in the snow. Their faces, slightly red from the cold, were smiling.

"Brother Lin, Brother Zhang. It's cold outside, come in and sit down."

Lin Yun smiled and waved his hand, "There's no need to go in. I just received news that your appointment letter and identity badge have arrived. Elder Tang will personally go to the hall to issue you the badges. It's time for us to go over."

Zhang Lin added, "Actually, the news came yesterday. Deacon Lin saw that you were practicing in seclusion, so he didn't disturb you."

Xie An felt a little warm in his heart, and he said with a cupped hand: "Okay, let's go over there."

The three of them rode away from the black market and headed straight for Shui Deng Town.

In reality, Shuideng Town wasn't far from the black market, only about five or six miles away. The black market was also five or six miles away from Wuqiao Town, situated midway between the two towns. The four surrounding towns were also about the same distance from the black market, indicating that Wei Dian had carefully surveyed the site before choosing it.

As usual, the three of them had breakfast at Wang Po's shop before going to the hall.

Compared to their usual visits to the temple, everyone was much more confident this time. Zhang Lin in particular stood tall and straight, smiling broadly, as if he were the incense master himself.

In fact, Zhang Lin's attitude had been corrected long ago. When Xie An was still the second deacon, he was determined to follow Xie An. Now that Xie An took over as the incense master, he naturally felt honored.

After a few days of adjustment, Lin Yun also adapted to this change of identity.

As the former younger brother becoming the older brother, he had some initial difficulties adapting, but now he was fine. He knew very well that this was the best outcome.

Enter the hall and come to the living room in the central courtyard.

Here, Xie An saw several familiar faces standing there.

One is Chen Qing, and the other is the big man who was very close to the elite flesh realm when Xie An entered the second stage of the fourth stage. His name is Wang Liuhe.

The other was a young man in his early twenties named Xu Bin. He had been knocked out by Hong Lie when he was in the semifinals, but after Hong Lie was killed by Xie An, he had the opportunity to retake the test and secured a spot in the top four.

Fang Baiyu and Tang Qingyun sat on the left and right of the chief respectively, and Wang Ziwen stood beside Fang Baiyu.

"Xie An, you are finally here."

The somewhat awkward atmosphere was instantly broken by Xie An's arrival. Tang Qingyun actually left his seat and stepped forward to pat Xie An on the shoulder, appearing incredibly friendly and attentive. This was a treatment the other three couldn't even dream of.

Xie An did not forget to greet politely, "Elder Tang, Master Fang."

Tang Qingyun naturally had a smile on his face, but Fang Baiyu had a forced smile and a cold look in his eyes.

Xie An saw it all, but didn't care.

After some pleasantries, Tang Qingyun returned to his seat, took out a scroll, and got straight to the point. "According to the original agreement, the first four can become the new incense masters of Baiyu Hall."

Wow.

Tang Qingyun unwrapped the scroll and recited, "Xie An, a native of Wuqiao Town, is only fifty-one years old, yet still vigorous and a late bloomer. He manages the Blood Ridge black market with prudent and diligent care, doubling its business in a single year and achieving great success. His swordplay on the examination stage awed the crowd, bringing glory to the Tiger and Wolf Sect and setting a great example for the rest of the sect. From today on, he assumes the role of Blood Ridge Incense Master, overseeing all black market affairs. His monthly salary will be doubled, and his medicinal supplements will be doubled. If you require anything, you may visit the Tiger and Wolf Sect headquarters and speak to the Sect Master."

Xie An listened with his hands clasped, feeling that this letter of appointment...how come it gave him the feeling of an official being appointed by the imperial court?
He knew that the Tiger and Wolf Sect was learning the imperial court's system in every aspect, but he didn't expect that they had even learned this one.

It seems that the two sect leaders are quite addicted to power...

Although Xie An felt a little awkward, it sounded... quite touching.

Moreover, the appointment letter clearly stated that Xie An could go directly to the headquarters and present his opinion to the Sect Master. This meant that the headquarters attached great importance to the Master of the Blood Ridge Incense, and it was already a bit like they were trying to sideline Fang Baiyu.

"Xie An must manage the black market carefully." Xie An had to be polite, then stepped forward to take the appointment letter and express his gratitude to Tang Qingyun.

Tang Qingyun smiled and said, "From now on, you will live in Wei Dian's former villa in Tangkou. I will tell you the specific treatment in detail later."

Xie An expressed his gratitude again, and said to Fang Baiyu indifferently, "Thank you, Master Fang, for your cultivation!"

When Fang Baiyu heard this, it sounded like sarcasm, but he didn't show it, still pretending to be a superior leader. "Yes. It's a good thing to repay a favor. Just do your job well in the future."

Xie An said no more, but in his heart he scoffed. It was just polite talk.

Xie An would never forget that it was Fang Baiyu who caused Wei Dian to be poisoned.

Fang Baiyu hadn't nurtured him at all. He had even sent Zhu Hu to suppress the Xueling black market and bully Liang Zhi, Zhang Lin, and the others. If Xie An hadn't chosen to act decisively at the time, who knows what would have happened to him at the hands of Fang Baiyu.

Xie An remembered all of this.

Next, Tang Qingyun read out Chen Qing's appointment letter, taking charge of the water transport affairs at the Water Lantern Wharf.

This is also a very popular business.

According to the official system of the Daqian Dynasty, there were no officials below the county seat. Villages and towns relied on local elders and gentry to maintain order and resolve disputes. Only during periods of rampant banditry would the county government assign a constable to each town to maintain order.

For example, Li He from Wuqiao Town is in this situation.

Shuideng Town had become quite large, especially the wharf, where the canal transportation was becoming increasingly prosperous. However, the government lacked a relevant administrative structure, so it simply entrusted the management to the Hulang Sect, similar to the Fish Gang and the Chai Gang.

It can be said that in the area of ​​the six towns, apart from the Xueling black market, the Water Lantern Wharf is the most popular.

Tang Qingyun handed this business over to Chen Qing, somewhat out of consideration for Chen Qinglang's face.

However, what surprised Xie An was that Chen Qing, the son of the sect leader, was willing to take on the job without any hesitation. He seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps because of some kind of stimulation.

What Xie An didn't know was that Chen Qing's willingness to lower himself to take on this kind of work was due to Xie An's influence. Comparing this with Xie An's behavior, Chen Qing finally understood his father's painstaking efforts to allow him to gain more experience, and was willing to take the job, not becoming discouraged by not winning first place.

Later, Wang Liuhe took charge of several gambling houses, which was originally Zhang Hengshui's job.

Xu Bin was in charge of training the cavalry and defending against bandits in Dayin Mountain. This was truly dirty and dangerous work, but Xu Bin didn't seem to care and was very happy to take it on.

After the appointment was completed, the four incense masters met with the hall master and Elder Tang, and then left.

The two incense masters, Wang Liuhe and Xu Bin, were taken by Wang Ziwen to receive uniforms, swords, medicinal herbs, etc.

Chen Qing and Xie An were led by Tang Qingyun and Tongshan. Chen Qing's villa was next to Xie An's.

After seeing Chen Qing off, Tang Qingyun brought Xie An to Wei Dian's former villa.

When he reached the gate of the courtyard, Xie An was shocked by the scene before him.

There was a red cloth hanging on the door, as well as two red lanterns. The plaque was also replaced with a new one with three big characters written on it: Ping'an Garden.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, the brushwork is like a dragon and a snake, the plaque is powerful and majestic.

Tang Qingyun said, "This is the plaque that Chen Qinglang personally wrote for you."

Xie An was quite shocked. "Beautiful calligraphy, beautiful plaque. The three characters 'Ping'an Garden'... I like them very much. I will go to your house to express my gratitude someday."

Safety……

Xie An really liked it.

At this moment, there was a sound of footsteps in the yard.

Just by listening to the voice, you can tell it is a woman. Her steps are light and her voice is rhythmic. She must be a very well-educated woman.

Xie An looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in a pink satin dress walking out. She had a beautiful appearance, fair skin, and her hair was tied up with a golden hairpin. She had a slim figure and was very elegant, with a gentle air and a bit of heroism.

It was obvious at first glance that she was not from an ordinary family. She was much more elegant than the courtesans Xie An had seen on the flower boat.

The woman came forward, bowed slightly to Xie An, and said gracefully, "Yuhe, meet the master."

(End of this chapter)