Chapter 109 : Chapter 109
Chapter 109. Six Meridians!
When Xu Yuan returned to the Ding Fields once more, the looks his subordinates gave him were all a little strange, and they whispered among themselves in low voices.
At that moment, Gao Xiaosong strode out from the crowd and barked at the people around him, “What are you all standing around here for? Got nothing better to do?”
“Those who should be patrolling the fields, go patrol the fields. Those who should be watering the medicinal herbs, go water them. Move along, move along!”
From within the crowd, Tian Yang nodded to Xu Yuan, then dispersed with the others.
Only then did Gao Xiaosong walk up to Xu Yuan. Rubbing his hands together, he piled a smile onto his face, though his tone carried a hint of caution.
“Chief Guard Xu, you’ve finally come back.”
“This time, it was all thanks to you. If not for that last move of yours, if the Bai Family had taken the Purple-Gold Eel and then doubled back, people like us probably would all have died here.”
Xu Yuan shook his head. “What does that have to do with me? That day, it was clearly Chief Guard Zhang who happened to pass by and got you out of danger.”
“Oh, come on, don’t be modest!”
Gao Xiaosong slapped his thigh. “Would Chief Guard Zhang have done that if not for your friendship with him?”
“Besides, if the Purple-Gold Eel had really been taken away by the Bai Family, then forget whether they would have come back for another round. Even if they didn’t, once the family flew into a rage and started holding people accountable, who among us guarding these medicinal fields would have had an easy time of it?”
Xu Yuan froze slightly and could not help giving Gao Xiaosong another look.
He had not expected this fellow to see things so clearly.
Seeing that Xu Yuan said nothing, Gao Xiaosong stepped a little closer and lowered his voice, sounding rather indignant.
“If you ask me, Chief Guard Zhang really handled this badly.”
“He knew full well that you and Chief Guard Yang had some friction before, yet he still had to mention it in front of the Chief Overseer… And what came of it in the end? They investigated and investigated, and still found nothing. All it did was make you suffer this baseless suspicion!”
“Watch your mouth.”
Xu Yuan suddenly raised his eyes and looked at him calmly. “You have quite a lot of nerve.”
Gao Xiaosong gave two dry laughs and cautiously glanced around. “I only spoke too fast for a moment. I just felt it wasn’t fair to you. Just pretend you didn’t hear it.”
“Anyway, all of us know Chief Guard Xu is a decent man. You’re easygoing, generous when dividing up benefits, and never stingy. And you’d never secretly trip someone up just because you had a grudge against them. That alone is enough for me to respect you.”
With that, he cupped his hands toward Xu Yuan, then turned and began shouting at his men to get back to work.
Xu Yuan stood where he was, looking at Gao Xiaosong’s departing back, and for a moment his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Only after quite a while did he shake his head slightly and let out a quiet chuckle.
He had never expected that this former troublemaker, the one who had jumped out to stir things up when Xu Yuan had first arrived, would now have changed his attitude so greatly.
Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng, who had always been drinking and laughing with him and seemed so frank and open, had stabbed him in the back at the crucial moment.
It could only be said that human nature was complicated, and impossible to read clearly in a short time.
…
In the blink of an eye, several days passed.
August 29.
Inside the quiet chamber, Xu Yuan sat cross-legged, his eyes resting on the panel before him, visible only to himself.
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Mastered 100%), Jade Platform Stance Art (Minor Mastery 97%), Benlei Fist (Major Mastery 87%), Wandering Dragon Step (Major Mastery 35%), Iron Garment Art (Major Mastery 41%)]
[Aptitude: 28 (Fine Jade in the Rough)]
Not bad. Just a little more. Only the very last step remained.
Xu Yuan thought to himself that today would be the day he broke through to the Sixth Meridian realm.
Three days earlier,
news of the Shangyang Residence’s rewards for the medicinal fields had finally been delivered.
The result was exactly as Xu Yuan had expected.
As the “hero” who had awakened the Purple-Gold Eel, forced back the powerful enemy, and preserved a treasured asset, in the end he received only one hundred merit points.
As for any other rewards, such as medicinal treasures or techniques?
There were none.
One hundred merit points might not have been a small amount to an ordinary martial artist, but compared to the value of the Purple-Gold Eel, and compared to the significance of this battle, it was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
Xu Yuan knew that this was not because the Shangyang Residence was stingy.
Throughout the family’s history, rewards and punishments had generally been handled quite clearly.
If this was the outcome, then there was only one reason, and it showed just how ruthlessly Yang Cang had taken his share behind the scenes.
When the news spread, many people were left dumbfounded, though none of them dared say much openly.
Only Gao Xiaosong, Tian Yang, and a few others privately voiced their indignation for him, muttering that the family’s actions were enough to chill people’s hearts.
And from that point onward, the monthly share of medicinal treasures that Xu Yuan, as a Chief Guard, was entitled to use was quietly reduced by nearly thirty percent.
Xu Yuan’s face remained calm, but inwardly he already understood.
He could not remain in this place any longer.
Yang Cang had obviously developed ill will toward him. Even if he had no evidence to move against him, so long as he obstructed Xu Yuan slightly within the bounds of his authority, it would be enough to slow Xu Yuan’s cultivation progress.
It is time to return to the Level Three zone.
At that thought, he no longer hesitated. Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he immersed all his attention into cultivation.
The Jade Platform Stance Art began operating rapidly, and his qi and blood surged with it.
Gradually, steam rose from his body, and his skin flushed red, as though he were sitting inside a blazing furnace.
The qi and blood within him roared like a rising tide, and as it coursed through his body, it gave off a deep rumble like muffled thunder, faintly echoing within the quiet chamber.
The sixth Yang Wei Meridian lay along the shoulders and back, governing the body’s hard strength and the smooth transmission of force through the limbs.
Now, under the repeated washing of this abundant qi and blood, that tough, stagnant bottleneck within the meridian began to loosen inch by inch.
He did not know how long this continued.
The sky grew darker and darker, until only the two candles near him still flickered.
Boom!
It was as though a dam had burst and a great river had broken loose.
At that moment, the sixth Yang Wei Meridian opened completely!
An aura several times stronger than before erupted from Xu Yuan’s body. His robes stirred though no wind blew.
The surging power of qi and blood coursed wildly through him, bringing with it the satisfying sensation of strength filling every part of his body.
The Sixth Meridian realm—achieved!
Xu Yuan slowly exhaled a long breath of turbid air, opened his eyes, and a brilliant light shone from them. Then he looked at the panel.
[Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Mastered 100%), Jade Platform Stance Art (Major Mastery 1%), Benlei Fist (Major Mastery 87%), Wandering Dragon Step (Major Mastery 35%), Iron Garment Art (Major Mastery 41%)]
[Aptitude: 30 (Fine Jade in the Rough)]
“Not bad. My aptitude increased by two points… I wonder whether a new aptitude evaluation will appear at thirty-two points.”
Xu Yuan spoke softly, feeling a faint anticipation in his heart.
For some reason, he had a sense that once a new aptitude evaluation appeared, it might bring a tremendous difference.
“So this is the Sixth Meridian?”
Feeling the entirely different level of power within his body, his emotions surged. Every inch of muscle in him seemed to cry out in joy.
In the Level Three zone, a six-meridian martial artist could already serve as the head of a workshop, holding a lofty status far beyond that of an ordinary martial artist.
Yet an increase in real estate also meant that his resource consumption would rise sharply.
Xu Yuan’s gaze sharpened slightly. “The medicinal treasures and spirit beast meat I used at the five-meridian stage will lose much of their effect now that I’m at the Sixth Meridian. The amount I need will probably more than double.”
Still, all of that could be set aside for the moment.
“Now that I’ve broken through to the Sixth Meridian, applying for a transfer away from the medicinal fields will be entirely justified.”
Inside the quiet chamber, Xu Yuan familiarized himself with his new power and became so absorbed in it that he lost track of time.
Only when the candles had burned down to ash did he finally rise slowly, wash away the sweat from his body, put on his clothes, and push open the door.
Outside, daylight was already bright, and the mist hung thick in the air.
Clearly, it was morning once again.
“Seven meridians?”
Xu Yuan raised his head and looked up at the sky. Feeling the warmth on his body, he murmured softly to himself.
That should not take too much longer either.
Just then, Gao Xiaosong hurried over from the side. The moment he saw Xu Yuan, he quickly stepped forward and said, “Chief Guard Xu, the Chief Overseer sent word last night asking you to go see him today.”
Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes. If he was being summoned at a time like this, it was most likely because of matters concerning the medicinal fields.
He nodded and said nothing more, turning to walk toward the Chief Overseer’s residence.
Gao Xiaosong stood where he was, staring at Xu Yuan’s gradually receding back, scratching his head with a puzzled look on his face.
Why did he feel… that Chief Guard Xu seemed somehow different?
Yet he could not put his finger on exactly what was different.
But that faint aura Xu Yuan gave off, as though a mountain had just taken shape, deep and steady as an abyssal peak, actually reminded him of the feeling he had back when he first broke through to the Fourth Meridian…
A ridiculous thought suddenly sprang into his mind.
Gao Xiaosong’s eyes went wide, and his mouth fell open as he stood there in a daze.
N-No way?!