Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

Afterwards, Xia Dong invited Qin Wan inside and prepared to entertain her.

Inside the reception room, the aroma of tea mingled with the steam.

Qin Wan held the teacup, gently blew away the foam, and briefly recounted to Xia Dong the story of her master, Master Guyue, emerging from seclusion.

Xia Dong listened quietly, her expression gentle.

He kept a proper distance from Qin Wan's complicated relationships and grudges within the sect, and did not pry into them.

"Wan'er, please sit down and have some tea," Xia Dong said, then turned and walked back to her bedroom.

He quietly opened his storage pouch and took out several bottles of Qi Gathering Pills and a stack of low-level talismans.

Before long, Xia Dong returned to the guest room and gently pushed the pills and talismans in front of Qin Wan.

Qin Wan glanced down and recognized the items as Qi Gathering Pills and talismans with considerable spiritual power. Her expression immediately turned troubled. She shook her head and quickly pushed the items back, saying, "Brother Xia, I'm about to be transferred, so I'm afraid I won't be able to help you ship these things. You should keep them for your own protection."

Xia Dong chuckled upon hearing this. He reached out and pushed the items towards Qin Wan again, looking at her sincerely: "Wan'er, you've misunderstood. These aren't for you to sell on the black market; I'm giving them to you specifically for your daily cultivation and self-defense." (While ordinary talismans do suffer from spiritual energy loss, cultivators can greatly slow this process by regularly nurturing them with their own magical power. However, this process is time-consuming and energy-intensive, unlike the convenience of using specialized formations or talisman boxes for maintenance.)

Qin Wan was slightly taken aback, then looked up to meet Xia Dong's clear gaze, and a surge of indescribable warmth welled up in her heart.

In this treacherous world of cultivation, where even fellow disciples would stab each other in the back for a few spirit stones, such pure concern and generosity are truly rare.

Although she wanted to decline, seeing Xia Dong's firm attitude, she couldn't refuse several times and finally solemnly put it into her storage bag.

After accepting the gift, the atmosphere between the two became increasingly familiar and relaxed.

Taking advantage of the casual conversation, Xia Dong poured Qin Wan some hot tea and casually inquired about recent developments in the cultivation world of Lin Yuan Prefecture. Qin Wan, having received his favor, naturally answered all his questions without reservation. From the undercurrents of various forces to the subtle changes in prices in the market, she explained everything in detail.

At the height of her enthusiasm, Qin Wan sighed softly and mentioned her upcoming plans: "My master made some arrangements after emerging from seclusion. In a few days, I will be going to work as the manager of a Yin Spirit Mine under the Qixia Immortal Sect."

Yinling Ore?

Xia Dong's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. He naturally knew what the Yin Spirit Mine was. He had recently been troubled by where to find an excellent Yin-evil place to help him condense the talisman seed, and this Yin Spirit Mine was precisely...

But he remained outwardly calm and said softly, "Since you've been assigned there to be in charge, I'll visit you at the mine when I have time."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wan's beautiful face was filled with unexpected joy.

The Yinling Mine is located in a remote area, where the wind howls and the environment is harsh all year round.

Normally, only the sect's Dao soldiers and miners are stationed there; almost no other fellow disciples are willing to go and guard it, making it truly lonely.

If summer and winter could visit occasionally, it would really help to dispel a lot of loneliness.

At first, she was a little worried that the Yin energy there would harm Xia Dong, but then she thought that Brother Xia was now full of energy and blood and had already entered the Inner Strength Realm of martial arts.

As long as he doesn't venture deep into the heart of the Yin Spirit Mine, the ordinary Yin energy on the outskirts of the mine actually has no negative impact on martial artists with such formidable qi and blood.

Even occasionally circulating one's Qi and blood in an environment of malevolent energy to resist it can stimulate the physical body and have some benefits for refining martial arts cultivation.

"Okay, then I'll wait for Brother Xia at the mine after I'm settled." Qin Wan smiled and agreed without any more worries.

This visit and long conversation brought Qin Wan and Xia Dong closer together, albeit imperceptibly.

Ultimately, neither of them had any deep foundation or support in this vast and cruel world of cultivation.

Like two duckweeds floating together in the wind and rain, they need strong friends to help and support each other in order to go further on this path to longevity.

The two chatted for a while longer. As dusk approached, Qin Wan, though somewhat reluctant to leave, knew that she was about to take up her new post and had many complicated handover matters to attend to back in the sect, so she could not stay any longer.

She stood up and bid farewell to Xia Dong in a gentle manner.

Xia Dong escorted Qin Wan to the door, watching her figure disappear into the night, before locking the gate again.

He stood alone in the courtyard, the evening breeze making his thoughts increasingly clear.

The matter of using the advantageous terrain of the Yinling Mine to condense the talisman seed must not be rushed.

Qin Wan had just been "exiled" there, and her position was not yet stable. It was hard to guarantee that there were no spies like Pei Hongling watching her in the dark.

If I were to rush there now, I would easily give others cause for criticism and create unnecessary trouble.

Moreover, condensing the talisman seed within the body is a major hurdle in the "Taiping Yinfu Jing," and this matter must be handled with utmost care and cannot be taken lightly or hastily.

Having made up her mind, Xia Dong felt completely at ease and prepared to devote herself to cultivation in her mansion in the city for a period of time.

Firstly, he was waiting for Zhao Ting's reply regarding the forging of the Demon Serpent Inner Armor; secondly, it was time to fill the vacancies under his Eagle Wolf Guard "Commander".

You can't hold a position of real power forever while having no one to lead you.

Thanks to the goodwill that Changchun Medical Clinic has built up over the years, and the arrangements made, it would be a piece of cake for Xia Dong to find a few capable people to help him.

Instead of recruiting unknown martial arts practitioners, he planned to select a dozen or so promising and quick-witted young men from the apprentices at the medical clinic and the sons of tenant farmers who had previously served under him and received favors. He then placed them into the Eagle Wolf Guard's organization.

He had no intention of filling the 50-person quota of the General Banner at all.

The deeper consideration was to put Zhao Ting at ease.

If he were to recruit soldiers and fill the ranks in a high-profile manner, it would be hard to guarantee that Zhao Ting would not become suspicious and mistakenly think that his "Brother Xia" was ambitious and wanted to sideline or abandon him as a centurion to go it alone.

Store up grain, build high walls, and avoid standing out.

Being low-key, patient, and taking things slowly is the way to long-term success.

The flow of water doesn't compete for being first, but for being continuous. The more cards you accumulate, the greater your ability to cope with future changes.

Xia Dong pondered for a long time in the study until the streetlights came on outside, and then a series of light and familiar footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

It's Xiaohong who's back.

Pushing open the door, Xiao Hong was first taken aback when she saw the lights on inside and that familiar figure in a blue robe. Then her face lit up with joy, and her voice was filled with excitement: "Young Master, you've returned to the city!"

She strode forward and deftly replaced Xia Dong's cup of hot tea, her eyes and brows radiating joy.

Today, Xiao Hong has long since shed the timid, country girl she once was.

She wore a smart and elegant silk dress and acted with composure. In Pingyang County, whether they were herbal medicine merchants or managers in the underworld, everyone had to address her respectfully as "Manager Hong".

A peasant girl from the bottom of society has now become the head manager of the Xia family's business. It's no exaggeration to say that she has risen from humble beginnings to become a phoenix.

But Xiao Hong knew perfectly well that all her dignity and respect depended on the young master alone.

Whenever the young master left the city to gather herbs in the deep mountains and was not seen for ten days or half a month, she could not sleep soundly at night.

She was a weak woman. Even though she had learned some martial arts from the young master, if he were to "fly away" one day and never return, she would not be able to protect this family business and Changchun Medical Clinic.

What filled her with even more inexplicable awe and unease was that, as time went on, she could vaguely sense that the young master's aura was becoming more and more ethereal and lofty, like a banished immortal lurking in the mortal world.

The expanded mansion and the lucrative Changchun Medical Clinic seem to have become insignificant to the young master now.

She dared not ask for too much, only hoping that she could be of some use and manage these mundane affairs properly so that she could stay by the young master's side and serve him for a long time.