Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

Jiang Xiaochuan handed the wood-chopping knife to Tian Ling'er, patted Zhang Xiaofan on the shoulder and said, "Take your time, no rush. I'll go over there with Senior Sister Ling'er."

As he spoke, he pointed to a flat clearing deep in the bamboo forest.

Tian Ling'er blinked and said, "Sixth Senior Brother, are you really going to cultivate? Or are you going to sleep?"

"When did I say I wanted to sleep? I've always been very diligent," Jiang Xiaochuan said seriously.

Tian Ling'er scoffed, clearly not believing him, but still followed him in that direction, turning back to encourage Zhang Xiaofan, "Good luck!"

The two walked to an open space.

Jiang Xiaochuan sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes.

Tian Ling'er then chose a thicker black bamboo not far away, and began chopping it with a machete, swinging it around.

Jiang Xiaochuan calmed his mind and tried to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth according to the cultivation method of Taiji Xuanqing Dao.

Soon, he noticed the difference.

In the past, drawing in qi was like using a small funnel to slowly absorb spiritual energy from the air, introduce it into the body, and circulate it throughout the body.

Now... it seems like my whole body has become a sieve, or a self-generating vortex, constantly attracting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Although it's slow, the feeling is...

It's like you've always been getting water from a tap, and suddenly you find a water pipe has been installed in your house, even though the pipe is very thin.

Why...

He didn't know, but it didn't feel bad.

Before we knew it, two hours had passed.

Tian Ling'er had already chopped down a bamboo stalk and was watching Zhang Xiaofan struggle with the thin bamboo with amusement.

Jiang Xiaochuan opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and got up to walk towards Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan continued to work on that bamboo, and finally, a two-cent gap appeared on the black bamboo. He was exhausted, covered in sweat, and his arms were shaking violently.

Seeing him approach, Zhang Xiaofan, panting, still had a stubborn look in his eyes: "Senior Brother Jiang... I... I can do it..."

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't say anything, took the machete from his hand, walked to the bamboo, and glanced at the gap.

With a flick of his wrist, the machete slashed diagonally across the notch.

A crisp "snap" sounded.

The black bamboo that had been battling Zhang Xiaofan for two hours swayed and slowly fell over.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at the bamboo lying on the ground, then at his own hands, and pursed his lips.

Jiang Xiaochuan handed him the wood-chopping knife and said, "I know you can do it, but look at the sun, it's time to go back and eat. Cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight, take it slowly."

Tian Ling'er skipped over and patted Zhang Xiaofan, saying, "Alright, Xiaofan, let's go back and eat. I'm starving."

At lunch, Jiang Xiaochuan didn't say much, only that Zhang Xiaofan was tenacious and hardworking.

Zhang Xiaofan lowered his head and ate his rice, his ears turning slightly red.

Tian Buyi hummed in agreement, then asked Jiang Xiaochuan, "How are you feeling?"

He replied, "Much better."

In the afternoon, Jiang Xiaochuan called Zhang Xiaofan to the open space in front of his house.

Tian Ling'er was curious, so she moved a stool and sat down to listen.

"The Taiji Xuanqing Dao is the foundation of our Qingyun Mountain." Jiang Xiaochuan sat cross-legged on a rock, with Zhang Xiaofan sitting opposite him, looking serious.

"Cultivation progresses from easy to difficult. It is divided into three realms: Jade Purity, Upper Purity, and Supreme Purity."

"Most disciples can master the first level of Jade Purity in a year. Starting from the second level, it becomes more difficult. It usually takes five years for most people to cultivate. The third level is a major hurdle. Those with poor aptitude will only reach this level in their entire lives, while those with good aptitude will take several decades."

"The main methods of Taiji Xuanqing Dao end at the third level. After that, you have to rely more on yourself. The masters can only give you a few pointers at most, which are their own experiences to help you avoid detours, even though these detours are hundreds of years old."

"I've reached the fourth level of Jade Purity cultivation..."

Jiang Xiaochuan rattled off a whole bunch of things, and he felt great about this feeling of putting on an act in front of others.

No wonder the characters in novels love to show off.

"Now, I will teach you the first level, which consists of only two words: Qi Refining."

He instructed Zhang Xiaofan to follow his example, facing upwards with his palms facing the sky, sitting quietly and relaxing.

"Let go of all thoughts, feel your surroundings, and imagine a warm current of energy slowly gathering from the top of your head, the soles of your feet, and the palms of your hands, flowing into your body. Guide this energy along your meridians, making a large circle, and returning to the lower abdomen, that is, the dantian. This is called completing one cycle."

"When you can steadily guide this energy through all thirty-six cycles, you will have completed the first level and can begin cultivating the second level."

After saying that, he watched as Zhang Xiaofan tried to meditate and experience the sensations. The little guy closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, clearly not knowing how.

Jiang Xiaochuan wasn't in a hurry; cultivation is like that, it can't be rushed.

As the sun began to set, he told Zhang Xiaofan to go back and figure it out himself, and that he could try again before going to bed that night. Zhang Xiaofan bowed respectfully and went back.

Tian Ling'er had been yawning all along, and now she jumped up and said, "Sixth Senior Brother, you actually make a lot of sense when you talk about things, but it's just too boring."

After saying that, he disappeared without a trace.

Jiang Xiaochuan returned to his room and closed the door.

After rummaging under the bed for a while, he pulled out a small cloth bag.

When you open it, you'll find some needles and thread, as well as a few strands of blue silk thread.

I bought these on a whim when I went to Heyang City to buy plum blossoms and candy at noon.

He sat by the window, and using the last bit of daylight, picked up a needle and threaded it.

My fingers are a bit clumsy; I've never done this before.

He looked at the sky-blue silk thread in his hand, imagining what it would look like tied to the azure blade of Tianya.

It should... look good, right?

He slowly wove, knotted, and wrapped.

The stitches were crooked and uneven, one big and one small, and a few stitches were missing.

After working on it for more than an hour, I finally got it to look roughly like this.

A sword tassel, blue, with a small, crooked knot at the bottom.

...So ugly.

He twitched the corner of his mouth, crumpled the sword tassel, and stuffed it into his arms.

Oh well, it's ugly, but it's the thought that counts. I'll just make something better next time.

On the table was still that small plum blossom pot, with gnarled branches, not yet in bloom, only some tender green buds.

He gave one of the two boxes of rouge to Ling'er, and the other... he hesitated for a moment before putting it into his pocket as well.

I ate one box of candy myself—it was so sweet. I gave another box to Zhang Xiaofan, and there's one left…

He glanced out the window; it was already dark, and in the distance, only the outline of Xiaozhu Peak remained.

During dinner, when Tian Ling'er wasn't looking, he slipped a box of rouge into her hand. Tian Ling'er was startled, opened it, and her eyes lit up; two blushes rose on her cheeks.

"Sixth Senior Brother!" she called softly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. Suddenly, she stood on tiptoe and quickly kissed him on the cheek.

Only after the kiss did she realize something was wrong, her face turned even redder, and she changed to hug his arm tightly and rub her head against his shoulder.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze for a moment, then smiled and ruffled her hair: "I'm glad you like it."

Tian Ling'er hugged the rouge box and ran off happily. After a few steps, she turned back to look at him, her eyes shining brightly.

He shook his head, assuming it was just the little girl's happiness at receiving a gift.

He then found Zhang Xiaofan, who was helping to tidy up in the kitchen, and gave him a box of osmanthus sugar.

Zhang Xiaofan held the candy box, stunned, his eyes a little red.

Xiao said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang..."

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't say anything.

It got completely dark, and the stars started to appear one by one.

Jiang Xiaochuan walked to the backyard of Shoujing Hall.

Tian Buyi and Su Ru were talking about something.

"Master, Mistress," he said.

The two looked up at him.

"I... want to go to Xiaozhufeng," he said.

Tian Buyi asked, "Where are you going?"

"Go thank Senior Sister Lu. We owe her a lot yesterday."

There was a moment of silence.

Tian Buyi nodded without saying anything.

Su Ru stood up, a gentle smile on her face, and said, "Alright, it just so happens that I haven't visited Senior Sister Shuiyue for a while. Your master's wife will accompany you on the trip."

"Let's go," Su Ru said.

Jiang Xiaochuan nodded and followed Su Ru.

The night sky was clear, and the stars flowed in the Milky Way.

A pale green sword light appeared, carrying the two of them, and flew towards the cold and elegant mountain peak in the night.

A breeze blew in my face, carrying a slight chill.

The crooked sword tassel in his arms seemed to be slightly warm.