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

Chapter 184 Tiger-shaped Qigong, Prince of Huainan!

The winter night is as cold as ice.

Xie An, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, did not feel cold at all. A strong current of heat spread in his body, flowing through his limbs and bones. Fine beads of sweat flowed out of his skin and hairs. The soaked silk lining was tightly attached to his chest, almost becoming translucent, revealing his excellent streamlined muscles.

Xie An did not bother to appreciate his own muscles, and focused all his attention on the Five Animal Exercises.

The essence of the Five Animal Exercises spontaneously emerged and flashed in my mind.

"I have a technique called the Five Animals Exercise: one is the tiger, two is the deer, three is the bear, four is the ape, and five is the bird. It is used to cure diseases and to strengthen the hooves and feet, and can be used as a guide..."

The scenes from the past when he practiced the Five Animal Play also automatically flashed through his mind:

The might of a tiger descending the mountain, the strength of a bear's paws shaking a tree, the dexterity of a monkey's arms climbing a mountain, the fawn fording a stream, the flying birds flying through the forest...

That's right.

Xie An did not actively recall these past events, but was automatically inspired to recall them by his fate.

When I had a stroke and was nearing death, I began practicing the Five Animal Exercises, clinging to a glimmer of hope... Every day after that, I was afraid to fall asleep, worried about not being able to open my eyes. I practiced diligently until I was exhausted, only closing my eyes...

All the scenes of the past spontaneously emerged in Xie An's mind.

It was as if... someone had collected photos and videos of Xie An from the past eight years, and then replayed them in front of Xie An.

Everything is so clear.

It brought back Xie An's distant memories, causing his mind to fly back to the beginning of the past, and he retraced the mental journey of practicing the Five Animal Play.

It has not been easy along the way.

As he watched, Xie An was moved by his past hard work and difficulties, and he felt very sorry for his past self.

Finally, the scene comes to the day when Xie An has fully practiced the Five Animal Exercises to cultivate his internal energy.

Click.

The scene stopped abruptly.

[Five Animal Exercises are progressing...]

In an instant, Xie An felt his head numbed by an invisible force, and in a trance he seemed to see five ferocious beasts in the form of transparent gas.

Gaseous tigers, giant bears, great apes, young deer, and flying birds.

The five majestic beasts kept flashing and appearing alternately in Xie An's mind.

Sometimes tigers roar, giant bears howl, big apes scream, birds fly in the sky, and young deer wade in the stream.

It almost made Xie An's head explode.

Hold on!

Xie An warned himself not to be attracted by these mysterious scenes, but to carefully observe the subtle details of the gaseous beasts. After all, at the critical moment of advancement, missing the slightest change would be a loss.

When practicing health-preserving exercises, each demonstration should be meaningful and you need to observe it carefully.

Furthermore, Xie An didn't think that having a long life meant he could just sit back and relax. His fate simply gave him an opportunity, a stage. But how far he could go depended on his own efforts.

call!
Xie An took a deep breath, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and focused on the details of the five forms of beasts.

The difference was quickly discovered:

The reason the gaseous tiger can condense into a gaseous form is because this energy circulates and flows according to certain rules, thus maintaining the tiger's shape. And it possesses the tiger's bravery and might, dominating the mountains and forests like a real tiger.

The same is true for other deer, bears, monkeys, birds...

Five Animals Qigong…the key is to circulate Qi!

As Xie An continued to observe, the Qi paths of the Five Animals became clearer and clearer. He was shocked to discover that the Qi path of the Tiger alone contained hundreds of nodes and checkpoints.

Just remembering the movement of the tiger's qi is difficult enough, not to mention the movement of the other four beasts' qi...

The head is big.

I'm not good at math, and you made it so complicated for me...

What's even more outrageous is that the qi trajectories of the five animals flashed alternately in Xie An's mind, making him dizzy.

And let people see...

This level is not smart at all...

At this moment, the gaseous tiger suddenly became closer and closer, and finally it carved into Xie An's body bit by bit like a burning stone.

hiss!
Intense pain instantly swept through the whole body.

He felt as if a real tiger was drilling into his muscles, bones, blood and flesh, and the Qi nodes that Xie An could not remember were imprinted in various positions in his body.

Every time a node was imprinted, it was like driving a nail into Xie An's flesh and blood, bringing waves of piercing pain.

Fortunately, the pain didn't last long, just like an injection, it went away after a while.

However, the injections were too dense...

After about a hundred needles were inserted into every part of his body, the pain finally subsided.

The complete tiger-shaped qi movement diagram was imprinted on Xie An's body.

Hundreds of nodes, clearly perceptible, no need to memorize.

Xie An finally showed a smile.

That's very smart.

Otherwise, if I have to rely on my own memory...it would be too difficult.

Immediately afterwards, the qi trajectories in the shapes of deer, bear, ape and bird were engraved in Xie An's body one after another.

After being pricked with more than 500 needles, all the stinging sensations finally disappeared.

call!
Xie An breathed a sigh of relief, and subtitles appeared on the panel.

[The Five Animals Exercises successfully progressed to Five Animals Qigong.]

[Tip: Each of the Five Animals has 100 Qi-circulating nodes. Once all of them are opened up, you can practice the Five Animals Qigong.]

[Currently available Immortal Qi: 200 strands.]

The instructions were extremely simple, not clearly stating how to practice, nor showing the progress, let alone what the result would be like after practicing.

This made Xie An a little uncomfortable.

Previously, the panel would display the progress bar of the health-preserving exercise...

Could it be that I haven’t started practicing yet?
"Try it again."

Xie An stood up, feeling the wet lining clinging to his body, sticky and uncomfortable. He simply took off his shirt and threw it on a chair beside him, revealing his tan skin and streamlined muscles.

"I have a technique called the Five Animals, one of which is called the Tiger..."

As he silently chanted, a Qi tiger appeared in his mind. Hundreds of Qi nodes were connected in series by Qi circulation, forming a complete and powerful Qi tiger. Without any flickering or interference from the other four birds, Xie An was able to focus on studying the Fierce Tiger Qi Circulation Diagram.

“It’s much easier to learn with a picture in mind.”

Xie An stimulated the cold and hot energies in the crimson palace, and began to circulate them in his body according to the tiger's qi circulation diagram.

He tried to connect the first two nodes with cold and hot gases, but failed repeatedly.

It looks simple, but it is actually quite difficult to do.

It is like ordinary people threading a needle with silk thread, which requires sharp eyes, steady hands, and a calm mind. Only in this way can one thread the needle.

But Xie An always felt that his body would tremble when he was about to pass through the needle hole.

Every time it's just a little bit off.

After many failed attempts, Xie An discovered the reason:
To connect the nodes of the Fierce Tiger Qigong diagram, one needs to have subtle and precise control over the cold and hot energies. Although Xie An's Mingyu Gong is of a high level, his control over the cold and hot energies is not precise enough.

Repeated failures are bound to make people discouraged and even make them irritable.

But Xie An was very calm and neither anxious nor impatient.

"Don't worry. If it doesn't work once, try a hundred times. If it doesn't work a hundred times, try a thousand times. There will always be a chance that you can get in."

Xie An prepared for a protracted war, trying again and again. After each failure, he would summarize his experience and make adjustments, and continue next time...

It seems like this, the cycle continues.

Time passes little by little.

Two days and two nights passed by unknowingly...

That morning, the night was dark, windy, and covered in snow.

There was a cry of surprise in the room.

"Inside!"

After two days and two nights of hard work, Xie An finally connected the two nodes.

Xie An's brows relaxed with joy, and he collapsed on the ground exhausted with a smile on his face.

Beads of sweat the size of beans kept flowing down Xie An's wheat-colored skin, but Xie An didn't bother to wipe them off, nor did he feel any discomfort at all, he was just happy.

It's not easy.

wow~
As the two Qi nodes were connected in series, the hot and cold Qi circulated back and forth between them, repeating the cycle. Yin could hear the faint roar of a tiger.

Although only two nodes are connected in series at present, it is already very difficult for Xie An.

At least we have found a second way to use heat.

Before this, the heat generated by health-preserving exercises could only be used to nourish the body and enhance the five senses, speed, and strength. It could not be used in martial arts like internal energy to exert various magical effects.

Now it can be used to temper tiger-shaped Qigong, which makes Xie An very excited.

More importantly...it feels great to work hard on something and then get positive feedback.

The panel has also changed accordingly.

Tiger Qigong: 2/100

"I see... The progress of Tiger Form Qigong is based on nodes. Each time you connect a node, the progress increases by 1. It's just that I've only connected two nodes, so I don't feel that Tiger Form Qigong is any different. Let's try connecting a few more nodes."

Xie An stretched himself, his concentration fading, replaced by immense fatigue. After two days of continuous, sleepless needlework, his entire body was constantly tense and exhausted. It felt as if he could fall asleep just by closing his eyes...

Xie An didn't even bother to take a shower. He just lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

……

The next day, at noon.

Xie An was awakened by a crisp knock on the door. He opened his sleepy eyes and was about to ask who it was. But he was shocked to find that... he actually "saw" Yu He standing outside the door.

I also saw Yuhe wearing a light green silk dress, with some hesitation in her eyes, as if she didn't want to disturb Xie An, but had to.

At first, Xie An thought it was an illusion caused by excessive fatigue from threading the needle. He shook his head and tried to sense it again...it was still the same!
Ok?
what happened?

Although Xie An's five senses were very sharp before, and he could "see" things behind him, within a dozen meters, it was like having a God's perspective. But that couldn't be separated by a wall.

This place is about five or six meters away from the door.

Can you still see through the wall?

It’s so mysterious!

dong dong dong.

Yuhe knocked on the door again, which made Xie An withdraw his thoughts.

Xie An asked, "What's the matter?"

"I only asked for two days' leave last time. Do I need to ask for more leave?"

Although Xie An was a general officer and didn't need to report for duty, he still had to go to the Demon Suppression Division every day unless he had official business. If he didn't go all day, he had to ask for leave.

Although it is not a big deal for the top leader to take leave, if it happens too often, it will be recorded.

"No need. I'll get up right away."

Hearing that Xie An was going out, Yu He was very happy, "Then I will go make breakfast for the master."

"it is good."

Xie An was really hungry.

Even though my Qi and blood were strong, I would still feel hungry if I didn't eat for two days. It was said that some martial arts masters could achieve the state of fasting, going year-round without food or water. I wondered if such masters existed in this world.

Anyway, Xie An is far from being able to do it at the moment.

Xie An got off the ground and stretched his body briefly. He was shocked to find that there was a layer of dirt and impurities on his skin, and the smell was not pleasant.

"Take a shower first!"

……

"Master, what have you been doing hiding in your room for the past two days?"

Yuhe stood beside the eight-immortals table, watching Xie An wolfing down the meat on the table like a starving ghost, and asked curiously.

While Xie An chewed, he said vaguely, "I have been in seclusion for two days."

Soon, the plates on the table were almost empty.

Chunlan, who was standing by, immediately ran to the kitchen and added a large bowl of braised pork. "Master, take your time. If it's not enough, I'll make more."

It turns out that Chunlan calls Xie An "Master Xie".

Now she and He Chunli were getting along well, and the two of them were already thinking about getting married. With He Chunli tinkering around, and Chunlan being a polite person, she dropped the word "thank you" from her mouth and started calling He Chunli "Master."

Strictly speaking, Han Li and He Chunli should call Xie An Master.

However, at that time, the three masters and apprentices were all slaves of the Li family, with no human rights to speak of, and were not considered "people" in the true sense. Zheng Jin's acceptance of apprentices was against the etiquette of Daqian, and Li Ru did not allow it.

However, Li Ru's pawnshop was in need of a skilled craftsman, so he had Xie An and his two apprentices perform a simple ceremony of apprenticeship. Only Han Li and He Chunli were allowed to call Xie An "Master," a term that refers to a teacher who teaches and imparts knowledge.

Later, everyone got used to calling it that.

In addition, Xie An did not pay special attention to this detail, so this name has been passed down to this day.

Xie An thought that he would have to change it next time.

"Chunlan, how are you and Xiao He getting along?"

Facing Xie An's question, Chunlan's face flushed instantly. She hung her head, rubbed her hands together, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum, "He Ge'er is very good to me."

Xie An thought to himself that women in this world are really reserved and reserved. After being together for so many years, they are still so shy. If it were in the previous life...

But it does have a bit more flavor and gentleness.

"New Year's Eve is just over two months away. I'll choose an auspicious day and have Han Li and He Chunli complete the apprenticeship ceremony. After that, I'll decide on your marriage. What do you think?"

Chunlan lowered her head even more. "It's all up to Master."

Xie An said, "Well, that's settled. If Xiao He bullies you, come and tell me. I'll go and reprimand him."

Chunlan panicked immediately, "He Ge'er won't treat me badly."

Xie An: “…”

After eating and drinking, Xie An returned to his room and changed into his official robes. He stuffed the seven-treasure exquisite box and the mirror into his inner pockets, took the hemp cloth bag, and then went out with the Demon-Suppressing Sword.

When people gain strength, their chests become much straighter.

Looking at the merchants coming and going on the streets and the vendors shouting their wares, I suddenly felt that this scene full of the flavor of life was so pleasant.

"Hello, Master Souji."

"Master General..."

The neighbors around here all knew Xie An and couldn't help but come over to say hello.

Xie An was not arrogant. He nodded in agreement and then walked quickly along the street.

The streets of the county town are prosperous, with many wealthy businessmen and dignitaries, and occasionally you can see horse-drawn carriages passing by.

Xie An looked at the luxurious carriages passing by and couldn't help thinking: Now I am at least a fifth-rank general manager, so I will have to get a carriage to travel.

A carriage is too cumbersome, and since I don't have a family, I don't need one.

But BMW has to get one.

If you get a BMW, you need to hire a groom to take care of it...it's a series of supporting facilities.

Fortunately, my family is rich...

……

"Gebu...it's rare in the county."

At the Demon Suppression Division office, Liu Chun took the hemp cloth bag given by Xie An, rubbed it carefully to identify it, and looked embarrassed.

Xie An asked, "Captain Liu, you've been in the county for a long time. Do you know where in the county these bags are commonly used?"

Liu Chun didn't know what Xie An meant. "This ramie cloth is very common in the countryside outside the city. Every summer, ordinary residents in the city also wear ramie cloth clothes to keep cool. Mr. Xie, are you thinking..."

Xie An said: "There is no need to find out who is using it, just determine the approximate range."

Liu Chun agreed immediately. "Okay, I'm going on patrol in the east of the city soon, so I'd like to ask a few familiar peddlers. They often carry goods through the streets, so they must know more than I do."

"Thank you."

After saying goodbye to Liu Chun, Xie An passed by the martial arts field but still didn't see Chenxi, so he went to the seventh floor of the main building.

According to previous practice, Xie An took a stroll on the seventh floor, had some tea with Chen Tie, chatted about some business, and then left.

But today, as soon as Xie An arrived on the seventh floor, he felt the atmosphere was a bit solemn.

Chen Tie was seen sitting very seriously beside the long desk, writing with his brush, while Wei Haoran and Zhao Qing'er were standing respectfully beside him, as if waiting to receive orders.

Xie An instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he did not show any abnormality. "Deputy Director Chen, has something happened?"

When everyone saw that it was Xie An who came, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Wei Haoran said, "It turned out to be Director Xie. I thought it was that kid."

Chen Tie also relaxed, and with a smile, he welcomed Xie An to the coffee table by the railing to make tea. Wei Haoran pulled out a chair and sat down, resting his thighs on the table, feeling very comfortable.

Zhao Qing'er glared at him and said, "You don't know the etiquette."

The blend of sandalwood and tea leaves is both soothing and refreshing.

Chen Tie poured Xie An a cup of tea and then began to speak, "Just last night, the Inspector General and Deputy Director General sent by Nanzhou arrived. The Deputy Director General was alright, but the Inspector General had a bad temper. He immediately scolded us for being lazy and incompetent, and for not managing our subordinates well. He also punished us by making us stand outside in the snow all night. So, when we heard footsteps outside the door just now, we had to be more cautious."

This plain sentence shocked Xie An greatly.

Punishing Wei Haoran and the other two to stand in the snow for a whole night?
Even if the Inspector General from Nanzhou is of a higher rank than the General, he wouldn't be so bold, right?
The daughter of a prince, the son of a duke, and the son of a great master craftsman.

Just punish me?

Xie An took a sip of tea and asked, "Where does this inspector come from?"

Chen Tie frowned. "I originally thought the inspector sent by Nanzhou would be an official from the Nanzhou Demon Suppression Department. I didn't expect... it was Li Hao who came."

Xie An was stunned, "Li Hao?"

Chen Tiedao said, "The prince of Huainan. He was already an eighth-level martial artist several years ago. According to gossip... Li Hao has now reached the ninth level. He has been a disciple of the martial arts master He Nanfeng since he was a child. The Huainan prince holds him in high regard. Many people believe that he will break through the martial arts master level in his lifetime."

Xie An's face darkened.

Prince of Huainan!
He is not an ordinary son, but a crown prince. If nothing unexpected happens, he will be the designated next King of Huainan.

This is indeed a large portion.

But he seems to have a very strong temper, and he wants to give everyone a warning as soon as he arrives.

Moreover, although Li Hao seemed to be punishing Chen Tie and the others, he was actually targeting Xie An.

Everyone criticized Chen Tie and others for being lazy and idle, so wasn't Xie An the same?
This means that Chen Tie and the others have suffered the same fate as Xie An.

Xie An bowed and said, "I'm sorry for making everyone feel wronged."

Wei Haoran said, "What's that, Chief Xie? I think Li Hao is just trying to intimidate us. Even if he doesn't slack off, he'll find other reasons to annoy us."

Zhao Qing'er snorted coldly, "This Li Hao is just like his father. When the Prince of Huainan entered the capital, the dukes and ministers had to kneel and kowtow to him, and the Crown Prince had to bow four times. My father, the dignified Prince Bao, also bowed to him. I just can't swallow this."

(End of this chapter)