Chapter 417 - 414: A Labor of Patience
Chapter 417: Chapter 414: A Labor of Patience
Fang Han was momentarily startled, but then he recognized the man—the Shopkeeper of the Drunken Guest Tower. His surname was Chen, though his full name was unknown. Here in Qingxuan City, however, he was quite a prominent figure.
It was rumored that he was somehow related to Sect Leader Chen Tianyuan. No one could confirm if this was true, but to have built his restaurant into the best in the city, his background was clearly not simple.
"You’re too kind, Shopkeeper Chen."
Fang Han gave a slight nod.
Shopkeeper Chen stepped aside to clear the way, making a welcoming gesture with his hand.
"This way, True Inheritor Fang. The best private room upstairs just became available. If you don’t mind, perhaps you’d like to dine there?"
Fang Han nodded. "Lead the way."
Shopkeeper Chen personally led Fang Han to the third floor and pushed open the door to a private room.
The private room was spacious and elegantly furnished.
By the window sat a round rosewood table covered with a snow-white tablecloth. A celadon vase rested on top, holding a few freshly picked peach blossoms.
The window was half-open, letting in a gentle breeze that carried the faint hubbub of the street market below.
"True Inheritor Fang, is this room to your satisfaction?"
Shopkeeper Chen asked, his face wreathed in a smile.
"It’s very good."
Fang Han gave a slight nod and sat down at the table.
Shopkeeper Chen quickly presented a menu. It was made of silk, with dozens of dishes written on it in neat, small script.
"True Inheritor Fang, what would you like to order?"
Fang Han’s gaze swept over the menu, and he casually ordered seven or eight dishes—West Lake vinegar fish, steamed sea bass, eight-treasure gourd duck, stewed crab-roe lion’s head meatballs, old duck soup...—along with a pot of the restaurant’s finest wine.
Shopkeeper Chen noted down each item and said with a smile,
"Please wait a moment, True Inheritor Fang. Your food and wine will be out shortly."
With that, he bowed, backed out of the room, and gently closed the door.
In the main hall downstairs, dozens of patrons were seated at more than ten square tables, eating their meals and occasionally chatting in low voices.
When Shopkeeper Chen came down from upstairs, he still wore the same smile, but his steps were a little quicker than usual.
He walked straight to the back kitchen and ordered the staff to hurry up with the dishes for the private room upstairs.
A middle-aged man sitting in a corner let his gaze linger on Shopkeeper Chen for a moment before looking upstairs, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
The man had a slightly dark complexion and a sturdy build. Dressed in simple brown clothes, he looked like a traveling merchant who had seen his share of the world.
He beckoned over a waiter and asked in a hushed voice,
"Waiter, who was that just now? Shopkeeper Chen greeted him personally and even escorted him upstairs."
The waiter glanced around before leaning in and whispering,
"Sir, that was a True Disciple of the Qingxuan Sect, True Inheritor Fang Han! He’s ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List!"
"Sixth on the Celestial Pride List?"
The middle-aged man’s pupils contracted slightly.
Although he was a merchant who traveled year-round, even he had heard of the Celestial Pride List.
It was a ranking of the top one hundred experts under the age of thirty in all of Qingyang County. Every single person on it was an existence that ordinary Martial Artists could only look up to in awe.
And to be ranked sixth...
"No wonder Shopkeeper Chen received him personally."
He muttered to himself, his gaze drifting upstairs again, now filled with a measure of reverence.
"Fang Han? The same Fang Han who killed You Xin of the Netherworld Pavilion?"
Another man at the same table, a lean fellow in his thirties, leaned in upon hearing this.
"That’s the one!"
The waiter nodded, his tone carrying a hint of pride, as if sharing in the honor.
"I heard that just over two years after joining the sect, he was already strong enough to kill You Xin, who was ranked sixth on the Celestial Pride List, and take his place."
The lean man sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, speechless for a long moment.
Joining the sect just two years ago and already killing the sixth-ranked on the Celestial Pride List...
A figure like that truly deserved to be personally received by Shopkeeper Chen.
Upstairs in the private room.
Fang Han sat by the window, his gaze directed outside.
He had a clear view of the bustling street market below. Pedestrians and carriages moved endlessly, and the cries of vendors, the sounds of laughter, and the clatter of hooves and wheels blended into a cacophonous symphony.
Before long, there was a soft knock on the door.
Several waiters filed in, carrying trays, and placed the dishes one by one on the table.
The West Lake vinegar fish was served whole, drizzled with an amber-colored vinegar sauce and sprinkled with minced ginger, its flesh snow-white and tender.
The steamed sea bass was pearly white and delicate, garnished with slivers of scallion and ginger.
The eight-treasure gourd duck had a unique shape, resembling a gourd. Its skin was golden and crisp, revealing a plump stuffing within.
The old duck soup was steaming hot, its broth a creamy white.
...
Finally, there was a pot of wine, warmed just right. Its aroma was so rich and mellow that the mere scent of it was mouthwatering.
"True Inheritor Fang, all the dishes have been served. Please enjoy your meal."
The head waiter bowed respectfully, then led the others out and gently closed the door.
Fang Han picked up his chopsticks and brought a piece of the West Lake vinegar fish to his lips.
A sweet and sour taste flooded his senses. It was delicious and, at the same time, greatly stimulated his appetite.
These past few days, he had been completely immersed in his Cultivation. His every day was spent cultivating, and he had been eating his meals hastily.
Now, sitting in this private room before a table laden with fine food, he finally felt a long-overdue sense of relaxation.
He didn’t eat quickly, but he savored every bite.
The warm wine slid down his throat, bringing with it a comforting warmth that dispelled the fatigue accumulated from days of non-stop Cultivation.
Outside the window, the clamor of the street market continued.
Inside, he sat alone, slowly enjoying the feast before him.
This feeling was good.
The meal lasted for well over an hour.
He had finished most of the dishes on the table.
He had also drunk most of the wine.
He set down his chopsticks, picked up the last cup of wine, and drained it in one gulp.
The wine entered his throat with a faint, burning sensation that spread through his limbs.
He stood up, walked to the window, and stood there with his hands clasped behind his back.
Outside, the street was still bustling, the pedestrians still coming and going without end.
A faint smile touched the corners of his lips.
Today’s meal had been thoroughly enjoyable.
He turned, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Downstairs, Shopkeeper Chen was settling accounts behind the counter. Seeing Fang Han come down, he hurried over to greet him.
"True Inheritor Fang, did you enjoy your meal?"
Fang Han nodded slightly. "Shopkeeper Chen, the bill."
Shopkeeper Chen waved his hands dismissively and said with a smile,
"You must be joking, True Inheritor Fang. It is an honor for our establishment that you chose to dine with us. This meal is on the house. How could we possibly let you pay?"
Fang Han glanced at him without a word, simply taking a one-hundred-tael silver note from his sleeve and placing it on the counter.
’Although the restaurant was high-end, one hundred taels should be more than enough to cover the cost of the meal.’
"I appreciate the kind gesture, Shopkeeper Chen."
He had no desire to owe a favor over something as trivial as the cost of a meal.
"Since you insist, True Inheritor Fang, then this humble one will respectfully comply."
Shopkeeper Chen could only accept the silver note with a feeling of regret as he prepared Fang Han’s change.
Fang Han nodded slightly and turned to walk out the door.
From behind him, Shopkeeper Chen’s voice called out,
"Take care, True Inheritor Fang! Please come again!"
Fang Han didn’t look back, simply raising his right hand in a small wave.
His green robes fluttered, and his figure soon disappeared at the end of the street.
By the time he returned to the Qingxuan Sect, it was already afternoon.
Fang Han passed through the mountain gate and walked along the bluestone path toward the True Inheritance Courtyard.
He still didn’t encounter many disciples along the way, and the few he did see were all hurrying somewhere.
He retracted his gaze and went straight back to Villa Number 35.
The mess in the courtyard had not yet been completely cleaned up. Several servants were clearing away broken bamboo and repairing the damaged ground.
Seeing him return, they all bowed in greeting.
Fang Han gave a slight nod, crossed the courtyard, and entered his Quiet Chamber.
He closed the door behind him.
Now that he was full of food and wine, it was time to continue his Cultivation.
He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. A moment later, he opened them again.
This morning, he had practiced his Swordsmanship.
This afternoon, it was time to work on his Body Hardening.
’Xuanwu True Skill.’
Fang Han recited the name in his mind and began to circulate the Cultivation Method for this Grandmaster Level Cross-training Method.
The qi and blood in his body stirred, like a slumbering river awakened, first flowing slowly, then surging violently.
He contorted his body into the posture described in the technique. His muscles tensed, and his bones emitted a faint CRACKING sound.
It was an extremely strange posture, one that an ordinary person would find impossible to hold. But for him, who had already reached the Entry Level of the Xuanwu True Skill, it was second nature.
Inner Qi coursed through his body, washing over every inch of his muscles, bones, skin, and membranes along a specific path.
A warm sensation rose from the depths of his limbs, as if countless tiny hammers were pounding and compacting his flesh and blood.
This was the Cultivation of a Body Hardening Technique—day after day, year after year, using Inner Qi as the hammer and one’s muscles and bones as the iron, forging them repeatedly until the body became indestructible.
Fang Han’s expression was calm as he allowed the warmth to spread throughout his body.
After reaching the Entry Level with the Xuanwu True Skill, his physical strength had far surpassed that of Martial Artists in the same realm. An attack from an ordinary Late Stage of Fourth Grade expert could barely even break his skin.
If he could take it a step further and cultivate the Xuanwu True Skill to the Minor Achievement realm, his physical defense would reach a new level, to the point where an ordinary First Grade Martial Artist would struggle to injure him.
A defense of that level meant he could withstand an attack from even a top-level First Grade expert with his physical body alone and not suffer serious injury.
For any Martial Artist, this was a life-saving trump card they could only dream of.
However, reaching that stage was no easy feat.
Even with a 128-fold Horizontal Training Talent Amplification, it had still taken him several months just to reach the Entry Level.
To advance the Xuanwu True Skill from Entry Level to Minor Achievement, even with his Body Hardening Talent improved by the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus and the 128-fold Horizontal Training Talent Amplification, it would likely take at least half a year.
And that was assuming he cultivated diligently every day without pause and had sufficient resources.
If he wanted to shorten this time, his only option was to rely on Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Treasures capable of raising one’s Body Hardening realm were all Heaven and Earth’s Wondrous Treasures, which could only be chanced upon, not sought out.
The Vajra Fruit he had won at the auction was one such item. It had cost him a full 7.5 million, and more importantly, it wasn’t something that could be bought with money alone.
He collected his thoughts and stopped dwelling on it.
’The path of the Martial Dao requires patience.’
’Compared to the benefits of reaching Minor Achievement in the Xuanwu True Skill, half a year is already quite a short time.’
The qi and blood in his body flowed ceaselessly, washing over his muscles and bones again and again.
Inside the Quiet Chamber, the only sounds were his long, steady breaths and the faint, almost inaudible humming of his surging qi and blood.
Time passed quietly in the silence.
An unknown amount of time passed before Fang Han slowly ceased his practice. The bulging muscles all over his body gradually relaxed, and his contorted posture returned to normal.
He opened his eyes and gently exhaled a breath of turbid air.
Four hours of Cultivation had made the qi and blood in his body even more active, and his muscles and bones felt a sliver tougher than before.
This kind of gradual, cumulative progress, though not obvious, was the most solid foundation on the path of the Martial Dao.