Chapter 169: Reunion

As snow began to fall on the Hongchuan River, He Chunhua's relief army finally arrived in Shihuan City by boat.

Bustling warehouses, boisterous docks, and accents from all corners of the land instantly made those who had just disembarked feel how different this place was from Woling Pass.

Shibuan City was one of the most important passes in the heartland of the Great Kite Kingdom, and only fifteen li away from the imperial capital.

If Hong Xiangqian's rebel army had successfully crossed the river westward at Woling Pass and landed in Shihuan City, it would have been like a dagger plunged directly into the heart of the Kite Kingdom, then breaking through the capital's gates, daring to usher in a new era.

However, history never says "if."

The relief army had traveled a long distance, exhausted from their journey, and immediately looked for a place to rest after disembarking. Shihuan City, located at the foot of the Son of Heaven and serving as a vital water and land hub, was exceptionally prosperous and easily accommodated these few hundred men.

After more than twenty days of travel, the soldiers finally had warm beds to sleep in.

He Lingchuan even heard his father tell Old Mo to book rooms, saying there was no rush and to book for several more days.

He Chunhua had something on his mind, so after arriving at the inn, he first drafted a letter and had his steward, Old Mo, send it off, before he himself went to bathe, change, and have tea and a meal.

He Lingchuan had been entirely focused on cultivation these past few days, and after hastily finishing several bowls of rice, was about to head out. Unexpectedly, Madam Ying came walking towards him with Miss Zhu. Miss Zhu, upon seeing him, smiled and bowed modestly.

He Lingchuan was her primary benefactor, having saved her from a den of wolves. She was especially courteous towards the young man, who was only ten-something years old.

Young Master He clapped his hands, “Sister Zhu, you are truly beautiful! Is there something to celebrate today?”

In the past few years, Zhu Xiuer had been worn down by toil; her face had darkened, her hands had grown coarse, and she was as thin as a bamboo stick. When He Lingchuan saw her in Xianling Village, her spirit and energy were very low. However, she was only in her early twenties, full of vitality, and after several days of rest and care by Madam Ying, her complexion gradually became rosy, and her chin was no longer so sharp.

Now, with a light touch of rouge and a change into fine clothes, though she couldn't compare to a young lady from a wealthy family, she was already completely different from the village woman she once was.

Zhu Xiuer bit her lip, but before she could speak, Madam Ying interjected, “Where are you rushing off to?”

“To buy some things.”

“Buy what?”

“Tofu.”

Madam Ying, holding Zhu Xiuer’s hand, glared at him, “It's not even dark yet, and you're already drunk?”

He Lingchuan scratched his head, “I’m just going for a walk in the market; I won’t cause any trouble.”

No sooner had he spoken when the steward, Old Mo, quickly entered to announce, “Master, Madam, esteemed guests have arrived!”

He Yue happened to walk out at that moment and exchanged a look with his elder brother, both feeling strange. They had just arrived in Shihuan City, barely settled in, so how could they already have visitors?

The three arriving guests all had their faces and heads covered with cloaks and were followed by several servants.

As they stepped into the private room of the inn and caught sight of Zhu Xiuer, both sides froze, motionless.

He Lingchuan suddenly understood.

Immediately after, one guest pulled off their cloak and trembled, “Xiuer!” before rushing forward to embrace Zhu Xiuer.

It was a beautiful middle-aged woman, nearing forty, whose features bore some resemblance to Zhu Xiuer’s.

The other two also removed their hoods, revealing an elderly couple with temples streaked with gray and luxurious robes, and tears welling up in their eyes.

Zhu Xiuer and her mother embraced, weeping. Then she turned and threw herself into the arms of the elderly couple, crying mournfully, “Grandfather, Grandmother, Xiuer is back!”

The old lady also couldn't help but sob aloud.

The old man still looked sickly, but patted her shoulder and said, “It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back!”

His gaze swept over the others in the room and immediately turned to He Chunhua, “This must be General Manager He of Xiazhou?”

He Chunhua replied solemnly, “Lord Zhu, are you well?”

This elderly man before them was none other than Zhu Xiyan, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Stud!

He bowed deeply to He Chunhua, “For Xiuer to return home, General Manager He has shown great kindness to my family!”

He Chunhua returned the bow, “Helping families reunite is merely my duty.”

Afterward, he led his family out, leaving the small hall to the Zhu family, who had been separated for seven years.

Only then did He Lingchuan realize that his father had written to the Zhu family, calling them to recognize their relative.

The Zhu family's ancestral home was in Shihuan City, and their lineage could be traced back four generations here. Zhu Xiyan himself usually resided here, only going to the capital when the royal court held an imperial assembly.

In any dynasty, a full assembly of civil and military officials was actually uncommon. If the emperor needed to speak with someone, they would simply be summoned privately for a meeting, as he preferred not to cause a stir.

In the past year, the Great Kite Kingdom had experienced natural disasters and man-made calamities, yet the imperial assemblies of officials had only been held four times in total.

Zhu Xiyan was advanced in age and had recently caught a cold, so he was recuperating at home. However, upon receiving He Chunhua's letter, he couldn't sit still and rushed over with his daughter-in-law.

As for Zhu Xiuer’s father, he had passed away three years ago.

After more than two quarters of an hour, the Zhu family's emotions slowly calmed down. Zhu Xiyan, being an elder in the court, turned and came out to find He Chunhua. He first expressed his profound gratitude and only then inquired about the entire situation.

He Chunhua, holding nothing back, recounted everything.

The three Zhu family members listened, wide-eyed, speechless for a long time.

Zhu Xiuer wiped away her tears from the side, “If not for the righteous assistance of Lord He and his family, your daughter would have long been killed by the rebel army in Xianling Village!”

Madam Ying smiled with satisfaction. He Lingchuan secretly gave a thumbs-up.

"Truly astute!"

Zhu Xiuer's grandmother, Sun Yuhua, hesitated several times, wanting to speak but refraining, but finally asked, “Where are the two children Xiuer gave birth to?”

Their granddaughter had two children, but they hadn't seen them here. He Chunhua's earlier account hadn't mentioned the children's whereabouts either.

Madam Ying sighed, “Xiuer exposed the enemy’s scheme, and the rebel army retaliated against her by taking the children.”

Zhu Xiuer burst into tears. Zhu Xiyan and his wife exchanged glances and both sighed.

“Never mind, it’s good that she’s back. There will be children in the future.”

Zhu Xiyan then said to He Chunhua, “General Manager He, I have a request to make of you.”

He Chunhua stood up, “Perhaps we should discuss this inside.”

Next, the female members of the Zhu family left by carriage, while the Grand Minister of the Imperial Stud and He Chunhua, the new General Manager of Xiazhou, entered the room, closed the door, and began a separate discussion.

Zhu Xiuer bid farewell to Madam Ying and the two He brothers, and left with red eyes, looking back every few steps.

Once the Zhu family's carriage disappeared around the corner, He Yue murmured, “Why do I feel that the Grand Minister of the Imperial Stud isn't very saddened by his great-grandson’s death?”

“You’re not wrong; they were relieved,” He Lingchuan patted his shoulder. “Little brother, you’re still too young. Eliminating future troubles, that is what’s best for the Zhu family.”

The entire family understood this clearly, including Zhu Xiuer.

With the commotion over, He Lingchuan massaged his neck and walked out, announcing, “I’m going to take care of something; I’ll be back by nightfall!”

He Lingchuan returned when the sun set, but He Chunhua had gone out and not yet returned.

After the mother and her two sons had dinner together, He Lingchuan yawned, said he was sleepy, and went back to his room to rest.

Having been confined to cramped boat cabins for many days, the brothers didn't want to inconvenience themselves further in Shihuan, so each requested a large guest room. He Lingchuan bolted the door behind him and took out two jade bottles from his storage ring.

This evening, he had walked around the city, bought some medicinal herbs, and had them decocted into pills at a pharmacy.

The newly acquired *Zi-Wu Art* had a unique characteristic. Regardless of what one usually practiced, in the initial stages of learning the art, the Zi (midnight) and Wu (noon) hours were especially crucial. The Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM) had the heaviest Yin energy of the day, while the Wu hour (11 AM - 1 PM) had the strongest Yang energy. He Lingchuan needed to practice the art during these two hours, drawing in Yin and Yang energies for his own use.

He was surprised when he read this description, because the Zi hour was understandable; moonlight had always been a key focus for cultivators and demons to absorb. However, the true solar fire during the day was not something everyone could withstand. Light cases resulted in cultivation deviation, while severe cases led to self-immolation; there were countless bloody precedents for this.

However, upon closer examination of the cultivation technique, he realized that it did not require beginners to directly absorb the solar fire, but rather to consume Yin Dispersion and Yang Dispersion respectively during the Zi and Wu hours, using the opportune timing for refinement.

Originally, the method of absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth for cultivation was the simplest and most stable, but also the slowest, requiring what was known as 'long-term effort'. Human lifespan couldn't wait, so various techniques were invented and different medicines were used to achieve rapid breakthroughs.

Naturally, the text also included the preparation methods for these two medicinal powders. He Lingchuan had gone to purchase these ingredients in the evening.

As a free mental art that all residents of Panlong City could learn, the initial stage of *Zi-Wu Art* had a very low difficulty in preparing medicines. The ingredients used were common herbs found in major pharmacies, and their prices were very low.

However, the difficulty increased progressively. Even He Lingchuan was astounded when he saw the later prescriptions. No wonder military merits were so important; some medicinal herbs simply couldn't be bought with money in Panlong City.

He Lingchuan was somewhat more fortunate than the people of Panlong City, as he lived in the Kite Kingdom, which was relatively rich in resources. However, the price of some medicines was so high that even if he sold all of the He family's assets, he probably still wouldn't be able to afford them.

Is cultivation really this expensive? He Lingchuan felt his 'rich second generation' persona was unsustainable.

Fortunately, he didn't have such worries at the moment. Beginner-level medicines could even be brewed in a simple pot. As He Lingchuan squatted in the back room of the pharmacy, waiting, he thought to himself, "Sooner or later, I'll need to get an alchemy furnace."

This was the downside of going solo. Daoist disciples had fewer troubles: pills were refined by others, tools were crafted by others, talismans were drawn by others. Their sects had complete support systems, allowing them to cultivate in peace. As for He Lingchuan, he had to handle every single detail himself.

Both alchemy and artifact crafting required attention to technique and heat control, and neither could be achieved overnight. His real troubles were yet to come.

So, next, he would practice *Traction Art* as a preliminary step. Once the Zi hour arrived, he would first swallow a dose of Yin Dispersion, then practice *Zi-Wu Art*.

The key point during this period was to guide the Yin energy from outside and within the pills into the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot. This was the furthest point from the heart and in contact with the ground, making it suitable for the Yin energy to coalesce and travel along the Yin pathways.

This was from bottom to top.

Then, at the Wu hour tomorrow, he would take the Yang Dispersion to guide the Yang energy into the Tanzhong acupoint, traveling along the Yang meridians.

This was from top to bottom.

When these two Yin and Yang 'snakes' could meet in the Qi Sea, it would signify the completion of the first stage.

One of the most interesting aspects of *Zi-Wu Art* was that it didn't require sitting upright with a solemn posture or having the 'five hearts facing the sky'; one only needed to maintain the circulation of qi. This was because the Zi and Wu hours were very special: people were either busy or asleep.

He Lingchuan practiced for a full shichen (two hours), then fell asleep.

In his dream, he entered Panlong City once more.