Even in his twilight years, he swept through the chaotic army of ten thousand warriors!

"Official Wang Qi has arrived!"

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by a servant's loud announcement.

Wang Long arrived still wearing his nightgown, with only a scholar's robe draped over his shoulders.

Without saying a word, he stepped forward and kicked the gatekeeper.

"Old Ji is here, why didn't you wake me up!"

"I've caused you to neglect our distinguished guest!"

The man begged for mercy repeatedly, and Ji Yan quickly stepped forward to apologize.

Ji Yan smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke in a manner that was neither humble nor arrogant.

"Please forgive me, Officer Wang. I hunted a wild bird yesterday and was thinking of forging a suitable weapon today..."

"I just didn't expect the gates of the Second Banner to be so heavily guarded. I was unable to move an inch, so I came up with a way to make a bet. I had no intention of harming the brothers under the banner officers. I hope you can forgive me."

Ji Yan knew in his heart that Wang Long had arrived long ago.

His display of energy and vitality just now was meant to be shown to him.

"Don't mention it, Elder Ji!"

Wang Long looked ashamed and waved his hands repeatedly.

"It's all my fault for failing to properly discipline my guests, which led to their neglect..."

"Please come in, please come in!"

After saying that, he pulled Ji Yan into the Wang residence and walked inside.

Though outwardly calm, a storm was brewing within...

When Qi and blood are exposed, it indicates that the skin barrier is more than halfway through.

No matter which flag they're placed under, they'd be a pillar of strength!

Others might not know, but how could Wang Long not know?

From the time Ji Yan cultivated his Qi and blood until today, it has only been four days...

Four days!

He has completed the journey that ordinary geniuses take four years to complete!

This was after I had to spend a whole day hunting wild birds!

Wang Long led Ji Yan inside until they reached a pavilion where they sat down.

Then they offered tea and showed concern for his well-being, displaying the utmost respect and courtesy.

Ji Yan took a sip of tea and slowly spoke.

"I was too hasty and caused this trouble, which has bothered Officer Wang."

Wang Long, his face full of shame, raised his teacup in a toast.

"Mr. Ji, please don't say any more, or I'll be utterly ashamed!"

"It wasn't that Mr. Wang was deliberately making things difficult for me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ji Yan gently interrupted her with a raised hand, his gaze calm.

"There's no need to say more about this Wang Jingwei official..."

"I know, it's for me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Long's hand, which was drinking tea, froze at his lips.

Faced with Ji Yan's bluntness, he neither refuted nor admitted it...

Ji Yan, not wanting to embarrass him further, gave a wry smile and spoke.

"Please don't blame Wang Qishan for this matter."

"When I first developed my qi and blood, I thought they were all just banner officers..."

"Not knowing the difference, one would naturally choose the one closest to them."

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by Wang Qishan, but even I, who had been a farmer all my life, couldn't understand it at the time..."

"I am just an old man who is about to die, and others would avoid me like the plague. Why then do you banner officers vie to recruit me?"

"Later, Liu Zhe, the banner officer, told me that it was a breathing technique."

When this was mentioned, Ji Yan smiled and shook her head, her tone still indifferent.

"I said it was fine. It's just a rudimentary thing I figured out myself. At best, it can only be compared with the Great Jing Breathing Method, which I've never met. It's worth five taels of silver."

"I was thinking of sending a copy to each of the banner officers later, as a way of thanking them for their kindness in recruiting me."

"For this reason, I specifically asked Officer Liu and learned that a leather pass was needed to ensure safety, lest my intentions be insufficient, which is a small matter, but ruin the cultivation of the three of you is a big matter."

Ji Yan looked up, his gaze sincere and his smile gentle.

"To be honest, Officer Wang, what you want is..."

"Actually, I felt like I was getting a great deal when they gave me five taels of silver back then, so how could so many misunderstandings have happened?"

After hearing what he said, Wang Long felt a bit blank in his mind.

Yes!

How could an old man who had just joined the army and spent his entire life as a farmer possibly understand the implications of this...?

It took him a whole day to complete, but I reckon it would take him more than that to casually carve a chair leg.

Five taels of silver was a fortune he had never seen in his entire life.

Back then, all those schemes and calculations...

Why didn't you think of spending some money to buy it?

Now that he's been exposed, his mind is filled with nothing but curses and scorn for Li Juyao.

"Wang is truly... utterly foolish!"

After a long while, Wang Long's lips twitched, and he managed to force a smile.

"Mr. Ji, do you think it's still not too late to buy now...?"

But Ji Yan gently shook his head, his smile gradually returning to calm, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

"That was just what I thought at the time..."

Wang Long panicked instantly and hurriedly said...

"Not five taels, five thousand taels!"

"Officer Wang, please be patient and let me finish..."

Ji Yan shook his head again, a thoughtful look appearing in his calm eyes.

"Official Wang believes that I and that Zhong Shan from just now..."

"What are the differences?"

The question left Wang Long somewhat bewildered. After a moment's thought, he hesitated to speak, fearing he might give the wrong answer.

"Is it... blood and qi?"

Normally, such rapid increase in blood and energy would inevitably be accompanied by weakness and instability.

But he saw it clearly just now...

When Ji Yan moves, his blood and qi follow; when he is still, he is as deep as a still pool and as imposing as a mountain.

That kind of refined skill is as if it has been accumulated over decades!

In contrast, Zhongshan Mountain appears majestic but is actually quite superficial, possessing a surge of energy yet unable to fully manifest it...

But then I thought about it again, and it only seemed out of place when compared to Ji Yan.

Looking across the entire landscape, among the thousands of soldiers, who isn't practicing as diligently as Zhongshan?

Even Zhong Shan's level of qi and blood refinement is among the best in the army...

Thinking of this, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he blurted it out.

"difference!"

"That's it, the breathing technique!"

Ji Yan nodded calmly.

"Official Wang really has a keen eye..."

"It is the art of breathing exercises."

Then he slowly dipped a little tea into the water and placed it on the stone table.

"At first I thought it was simplistic because I couldn't come up with the five taels of silver at the time, so I just did whatever made me feel comfortable."

These words made Wang Long feel uneasy for a while, but he did not doubt their truthfulness.

Ji Yan seemed unconcerned by his expression and continued speaking calmly.

"But each subsequent repetition only served to tell me more and more..."

"I may have unintentionally created something extraordinary."

"I gradually realized that each time my Qi and blood were tempered, it was a natural process."

"The Qi and blood forged through tempering not only move at the same speed, but also allow one to control the Qi with the mind, as easily as using one's own arm and fingers. The mind is the furnace, and the Qi and blood boil endlessly."

But turning to look at Ma Wu…

"Like a wildfire in the wilderness, it is intense but scattered, dissipating more than it condenses after a cycle, yielding little harvest."

"The bet I just made with the brothers was actually a confirmation of what I had in my heart."

"Are all soldiers trained as roughly as Ma Wu...?"

Ji Yan paused at this point, the result of which was self-evident.

"It was only then that I realized, this thing..."

"If I were to hand it over during a prosperous era, it would naturally lead to a strong and prosperous world, which is what I desire."

"But now war is raging, and chaos is imminent. If it falls into the hands of treacherous officials..."

"This could be a catastrophe for the world!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Long held his breath and focused his mind, trying his best to suppress the surging joy and trembling in his chest.