From a slave to the Great Qian Martial Saint

The savings accumulated over a month and a half were used up four times, finally exhausted late at night.

With a white mark at the corner of her mouth, Cui Nong smiled contentedly and fell into a deep sleep.

Chen Shi, however, was not sleepy at all, and gently stroked Cui Nong's smooth and shapely body with his palm.

Pa~!

A soft sound suddenly came from outside the window, and in the moonlight, a figure appeared on the window.

"who!"

"I."

"Thank goodness, you're alright."

Upon hearing the other person's voice, the wariness on Chen Shi's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of pure joy.

It's a willow branch.

She's fine.

The twelfth lunar month is not only the month when the Jing'an Marquis's mansion searches for treasure in the mountains, but also the date of the duel between Yan Yi at the Fufeng Gathering.

Although Zhe Liu spoke lightly, Chen Shi could imagine that, given the Fufeng Society's style of doing things, it would definitely be a life-or-death struggle!

Fortunately, Zhe Liu was highly skilled and returned safely.

"I just came to see you."

Zhe Liu spoke again, his tone calm and even, but with a hint of trying to cover something up.

Clearly, she was also very worried about Chen Shi.

Given her personality, if there were no other reasons, she would quietly leave once she saw that Chen Shi was safe and sound.

But this time, she couldn't help but show herself, which shows how worried she was about Chen Shi over the past month.

"Um."

Chen Shi understood, but didn't say anything, and just smiled and agreed.

"One must not slack off in cultivation at ordinary times."

Zhe Liu's reminder seemed like an excuse for her to show up.

Immediately afterwards, the figure in the window disappeared; she had left.

Chen Shi stared out the window for a long time before turning his head and staring blankly at the roof beams, becoming increasingly unable to sleep.

Since I couldn't sleep, I decided to sit up.

He pulled out the yellowed booklet from the clothes he had thrown on the ground.

This information was obtained from the corpse of Jia Shun's companion. Gu Hanying was right; it was indeed a record of magical arts.

The so-called magic arts are magical techniques that are different from martial arts, and are often called magic, Taoist arts, or strange arts.

Before returning to the city, Chen Shi had practiced for more than ten nights according to the records inside.

Indeed, it is completely different from martial arts.

Martial arts training focuses on physical strength, ultimately aiming to enhance blood and energy, but this technique cultivates the spirit and soul!

Only when the soul is strong enough can one communicate with heaven and earth and perform various mysterious and extraordinary arts.

As for what constitutes "spirit," "soul," or "spirit"? Or does it simply refer to the mental aspect?

Chen Shi wasn't quite sure, and he was too lazy to investigate further, so he simply followed the methods recorded in the booklet to cultivate.

Magical arts are, after all, unorthodox practices. For Chen Shi, martial arts are the primary focus, but he currently lacks any tangible martial arts techniques and cannot continue cultivating them further.

With nothing else to do, I might as well learn this unorthodox art.

"Phew!"

Chen Shi had already memorized the contents of the book. He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and slowly closed his eyes.

One, two, three, four, five...

Immediately afterwards, Chen Shi calmed his mind and silently counted his breaths.

This booklet contains information in two parts: the latter part details the specific methods of performing various techniques, while the former part describes methods for nourishing and strengthening the spirit.

This method is called the breath counting method.

By counting your own breaths, you can achieve a state of focused tranquility, thereby allowing your spirit to connect with the universe and nourish your spirit with the power of the universe.

After about an incense stick's time, Chen Shi remained motionless, his breathing steady and deep, having entered a state of tranquility.

I got distracted and counted incorrectly twice, so I had to count again. I succeeded on the third try.

The booklet states that this method, though seemingly simple, is actually extremely difficult, and even those with a good temperament may take a year or two to grasp the basics.

In reality, Chen Shi was able to enter a meditative state after only a few nights of practice.

It seems that not everything in this booklet is accurate.

Before he knew it, it was dawn. When Chen Shi emerged from his meditative state, it was already morning.

Chen Shi got out of bed, stretched his shoulders, and after a night of cultivation, he felt not at all tired, but rather full of energy and radiant.

This is quite different from practicing martial arts.

Chen Shi even suspected that he might have practiced incorrectly and hadn't entered a meditative state at all, but had simply fallen asleep.

He didn't have a master; he just tried practicing according to the instructions in the book, and no one asked him how exactly it was done.

Anyway, I'm just practicing casually, so I'm too lazy to think too much about it.

Cui Nong was still fast asleep, probably because she was too tired last night.

That makes sense. Let alone Cui Nong, an ordinary weak woman, even a martial artist would find it extremely tiring to endure Chen Shi, a burly man, four times in one night.

Chen Shi felt a pang of guilt again, realizing he had only cared about his own pleasure and hadn't shown any compassion for Cui Nong.

Let her sleep a little longer. Gently get dressed and go out to buy breakfast.

When Chen Shi returned, Cui Nong was already awake and was doing her makeup in front of the mirror.

The two exchanged a knowing smile, tidied up, and ate breakfast together.

After they finished eating, Chen Shi sat there, and Cui Nong leaned against him, pouring out her longing for him during this time.

Although we've actually been apart for less than two months, it feels like two or three years have passed.

It seemed like they had endless things to talk about, from sunrise to sunset.

As night fell, the two prepared some more food and wine. Halfway through the meal, Chen Shi lost control again and pinned Cui Nong down on the table.

In an instant, cups and plates were scattered everywhere, overturned and broken.

Just like last night, it was another fierce battle.

Cui Nong, frail and delicate, could not withstand the wind and rain; lying on the bed, she was already like a lump of mud.

Chen Shi, however, became even more energetic and decided to continue meditating to calm his mind and nourish his spirit.

For three whole days, Chen Shi and Cui Nong were inseparable, truly as close as glue.

Until the end of the vacation.

"Congratulations, Brother Chen! Congratulations, Brother Chen!"

As soon as I arrived at the Marquis's residence in the early morning, a group of servants, both acquaintances and strangers, surrounded me.

They all smiled broadly and surrounded Chen Shi to offer their congratulations.

"What's the source of this joy?"

"Brother Chen is about to be promoted to steward; the news has been circulating throughout the manor for a while now. Brother Chen, don't you know?"

"So that's what it was about."

Chen Shi nodded. Yes, he had found three treasures this time, and according to the master's previous promise, he should be promoted to steward.

"Brother Chen is so young, yet he's already in charge. He has a bright future ahead of him!"

"Brother Chen has only been in the government for a short time, yet he's risen through the ranks so quickly. He's truly a role model for us all!"

The crowd surrounded Chen Shi, showering him with flattery once again.

"It's just luck."

Chen Shi smiled and waved his hand, then took out some loose silver coins from his pocket and distributed them.

"There was no prior preparation, so everyone can take this money and have some tea."

"Oh dear! I can't accept this!"

"We haven't even presented our congratulatory gift yet, and Brother Chen has already spent money on us."

These people said they were embarrassed, but they didn't hesitate at all, as if they were afraid that others would snatch them away.

Then, naturally, a round of flattery followed.

"Chen Shi".

Just then, with a shout, Steward Sun walked over.

Upon seeing Steward Sun arrive, everyone quickly stepped aside, their faces filled with awe.

"The master has already given instructions regarding your promotion to steward. Come with me."

Steward Sun smiled and called out to Chen Shi.

"Yes."

Chen Shi responded calmly and followed Steward Sun.