Chapter 7: Crack

It turned out that squandering money was an art. Despite He Lingchuan's best efforts, he only managed to spend two hundred taels in a month. In this remote border region, one hundred taels was enough to comfortably sustain an average family of four for five or six years!

Ying Hongchan cleared her throat. "Lingchuan, I was just about to speak with you. The household's expenses have been too high, and we need to economize. From next month, your spending must be limited to eighty taels." She finished, casting a glance at her husband.

Before He Chunhua could even respond, He Lingchuan exclaimed, "Eighty taels? That's barely enough for two visits to Hongyan Tower!"

Ying Hongchan's expression darkened slightly. "Your younger brother doesn't even spend twenty taels a month."

"He..." He Lingchuan protested, "He eats and drinks at home; what money does he need to spend? I have so many people under my command, and besides, I need to cultivate connections in the city, which costs money. This isn't just for me!"

Ying Hongchan gave a cold laugh. "What connections are you cultivating? Those people fawn over you, but their eyes are fixed on your father. Do you really need to maintain such relationships? Our family doesn't lack guard dogs." She didn't give He Lingchuan a chance to reply. "Times are turbulent, and our funds and provisions must be used wisely. Lingchuan, your father and I don't expect you to ease the family's burdens, but at least don't cause more trouble."

These words were quite harsh, and He Lingchuan instantly felt a knot in his chest, coupled with a surge of discontent. These were not his own emotions. In fact, every time the family dined together, he felt an "unpleasantness" emanating from deep within his mind, almost a subconscious bodily reaction. The original owner of the body strongly disliked such scenes. Given He Chunhua's clear affection for him, this resentment was likely aimed at the lady of the house.

"Father," he said, turning to his father without hesitation.

He Chunhua pondered for a moment before saying, "My wife is right, but eighty taels... that's still a bit too little. Let's raise it to two hundred taels."

For He Lingchuan, even a hundred taels was enough to be "exhausting" to spend. His face clouded with displeasure: "That's far too little! Make it three hundred taels!"

The mother and son argued for half the day, with He Chunhua playing the role of a somewhat unhelpful mediator—or "mud-stirrer," as it were. In the end, Madam Ying stood her ground, firmly setting the limit at one hundred eighty taels.

Ying Hongchan shot her husband a reproachful look. She had wanted to significantly cut her eldest son's expenses, but his father couldn't bring himself to be firm. After all that haggling, they had only managed to reduce it by twenty taels compared to last month! It truly proved that one doesn't know the cost of living until they run a household.

"Over six hundred taels of silver saved each month," He Yue said, blinking. "That could buy dozens of sets of fine armor, or several excellent warhorses, or at least recruit sixty men into the army."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Lingchuan slapped the table, stood up, and declared, "I'm full!"

Before striding out of the dining hall, he didn't forget to casually scoop a stewed pear from the brass basin, eating it as he walked. The pear had been stewed with rock sugar and peppercorns for over half an hour, making it sweet, tender, and soft. It also had a soothing, cooling effect, perfect for anyone who had just eaten lamb.

No one stopped him.

As he was about to leave the garden, He Lingchuan glanced back, seeing the three of them still seated around the table, eating and conversing in pleasant harmony. He shrugged and quickly walked back to his own residence.

To be fair, He Chunhua was genuinely good to his eldest son. He Lingchuan exclusively occupied the largest, quietest, and most beautiful courtyard on the east side, complete with black pines, white peach trees, winding streams, elevated pavilions, and even a small martial arts training ground. Although He Yue's residence was also in the east, its area was only half that of his brother's.

The only servant in the courtyard came upon hearing the sound, but was casually waved away by him.

He Lingchuan took off his upper garment and practiced martial arts under the moonlight for over half an hour, until he was soaked in sweat. The original owner of the body was not skilled in literary arts but had loved martial arts from childhood and was not afraid of hardship, which was rare among aristocratic sons. The He family ancestors had produced military generals and possessed their own set of body-refining cultivation techniques, which He Chunhua had passed on to his eldest son.

As his practice reached its climax, his strong physique became enveloped in a faint white mist, noticeable only under the moonlight. This was the precise moment. He Lingchuan quickly stopped punching, sat down, and regulated his breathing. The white mist was gradually reabsorbed through his mouth and nose, completing a cycle.

He was practicing the He family's ancestral divine ability, known as the "Pulling Art." He Lingchuan used body-refining techniques to force his true energy out of his body's surface, allowing it to come into close contact with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, especially moonlight. Then, through breathing regulation, he would retrieve it, purifying it by removing impurities and retaining its essence. Thus, with movement and stillness, outflow and inflow, pulling and drawing, the process was complete. Of course, it was also possible to complete a full cycle using the "Pulling Art" alone, but starting with body-refining could expel accumulated cold, impurities, and ailments from the body, leading to a more effective purification of true energy.

After completing his breathing regulation, He Lingchuan felt even more refreshed and energetic. He grabbed a white towel and went to take a bath. The hot water had been prepared by a servant, an honest, simple man in his thirties.

He Lingchuan soaked in the hot water and let out a long sigh, wishing someone were there to scrub his back, for ultimate comfort. As a transportation hub connecting north and south, Blackwater City naturally had bathhouses, known as "Yusi." Besides communal bathing, back-scrubbing and foot-trimming were standard services there. However, these were available only in public bathhouses; Young Master He couldn't enjoy back-scrubbing services provided by young women in his own home.

He had no maidservants—none in their teens, twenties, or even their thirties and forties. To gain maximum benefit and lifelong advantages from practicing the He family's inherited martial arts, one had to remain a virgin. When He Lingchuan first began learning, he was too young to understand the drawbacks. Only after growing up and seeing his dissolute friends enjoying romantic escapades did he question He Chunhua. His father, in response, was utterly distraught. He Lingchuan was devoted to martial arts and naturally unwilling to give up halfway, so he endured it. However, He Chunhua also didn't want to deliberately test his eldest son's self-control, so he didn't place any females in his courtyard.

Sitting in the large wooden tub, He Lingchuan thought about the leopard demon of Xishan, the Donglai Prefecture guards caught by the Red-White Dao, and the miscellaneous items hidden inside the leopard's fangs. When would Donglai Prefecture discover that the guards sent to Blackwater City had gone missing? What would their reaction be? And how would the Prefect respond?

He subconsciously picked up the necklace on his chest and examined it for a moment. Suddenly, he tore it off and hurled it forcefully towards the distant garden. The necklace arced through the air, flying over the wall. A few breaths later, he felt something unusual on his chest. He looked down to see the necklace had returned on its own, resting perfectly on his neck. Sure enough, no matter how many times he threw it, the object would always return. He had examined it closely many times. Though its appearance was similar, it wasn't made of jade; rather, it resembled ivory. After all, ivory and bone have very similar compositions. The day he fell off the cliff, he had heard the leopard roar a new term: Divine Bone. Could this necklace pendant that stubbornly clung to him truly be a Divine Bone?

***

After the meal, He Yue excused himself, and He Chunhua and his wife returned to their chambers to wash up. Only then did Ying Hongchan have the chance to reprimand her husband. "You spoil Lingchuan far too much. He alone accounts for the largest portion of the household's monthly expenses! And look at his attitude—slamming the table and leaving! How arrogant!"

"It won't be like that next month," He Chunhua placated her. "He just suffered a severe injury, and we're also cutting his expenses. It's understandable that he's displeased."

Madam Ying was about to say more, but He Chunhua had already changed the subject. "Have you noticed any changes in Lingchuan lately?"

"Lately?" Madam Ying thought carefully, then shook her head. "Aside from spending less, there don't seem to be any changes."