Chapter 99: Inquiry

“I…I lost,” Jing Yan said, staring in disbelief at her fallen longsword.

“Wow! Look! That tigress lost!” Someone gloated.

“What? The Hall Master clearly said that within the Ninth Rank, Jing Yan should be unrivaled!” Jing Yan’s subordinates seemed to find it hard to imagine, all dumbfounded.

“Unrivaled, not without rivals. I think Young Hero Li is a great master. This journey is secure!” Some people had already sided with Li Qi, clapping and cheering.

They probably hadn't been disciplined by Jing Yan any less than others.

As for Shen Shuibi, she let out a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully, although Li Qi was a big idiot, she herself was still very formidable. As long as he followed what she said, even a pig could beat that arrogant woman.

Hmph hmph!

Shen Shuibi happily and proudly put her hands on her hips, her face full of “Come praise me” and “Come praise me.”

Unfortunately, Li Qi didn't even look at her, which made her proudly puffed-out chest lose its sense of accomplishment.

Inside the arena.

“You’re too kind,” Li Qi retracted his long saber and took out a roll of cloth. It was the weakness diagram Shen Shuibi had drawn last night. “Then, according to our wager, I will respectfully present the weaknesses my little sister perceived, to help your martial arts reach a higher level…”

“Wait, Li Qi, you said before… that your little sister actually has cultivation, but her Dao path is not suited for combat, so she only appears weak, but can actually perceive my weaknesses.” Jing Yan stopped Li Qi, but didn't rush to take the roll of cloth.

“Exactly,” Li Qi replied.

Jing Yan nodded, picked up her sword, and sighed, “I didn’t lose to you… I lost to your little sister, and to my own arrogance.”

Afterward, Li Qi saw her put away her sword, walk to Shen Shuibi’s side, and actually kneel on one knee, cupping her hands to apologize to her.

Shen Shuibi was at a loss, and Li Qi had to step forward to help her up on her behalf.

“Big Sister Jing, why go to such lengths? No one is perfect. There’s no need,” Li Qi said as he helped Jing Yan up.

Jing Yan, however, shook her head, “It is precisely because I made a mistake that I must correct it. My arrogance almost led to a great error, nearly ruining my Dao path. Your little sister enlightened me; she is my benefactor.”

“Now, with the weaknesses you two pointed out, I can better understand how to improve. Such great kindness is difficult for me to repay; mere thanks are certainly not enough. I hope you two siblings can accept this as compensation.” Jing Yan said, taking out a red stone.

Then, she said to Li Qi, “I don’t know what your little sister needs, but I observed that your internal organs’ tempering is not yet complete, Li Qi. Your heart is weak and cannot bear the burden of your Qi and blood, making it extremely difficult to circulate them. The heart belongs to fire. This stone was something I obtained by chance. Although I don’t know what it is, I asked an expert who said it contains a trace of pure fire Qi. If you find a Daoist master to extract it and temper your heart, it might help you make up for this deficiency.”

“Just as you two made up for my deficiency,” Jing Yan said.

Li Qi and Shen Shuibi looked at each other.

This Jing Yan… she was perhaps too upright.

Things proceeded naturally afterward.

Jing Yan accepted the weakness diagram, but she didn’t practice it because she still had a mission to escort the merchant caravan.

Li Qi, of course, also had to work. After all, one gold coin a day, which was ten thousand coins a day, was not given to him for free. He naturally needed to escort the merchant caravan with Jing Yan.

As for the other members of the merchant caravan, after watching the excitement, they went about their business.

Everything returned to normal, peaceful beyond measure.

There were also some wild beast attacks on the road, but under the guard of Li Qi and Jing Yan, the few wild beasts were easily dealt with, even providing extra meals for everyone. Their furs and bones were collected by the merchant caravan, serving as goods.

After this day ended, during the evening rest, Li Qi returned to the ox cart with Shen Shuibi.

“Li Qi, Li Qi! This is a essence of burnt stone!” Shen Shuibi pulled Li Qi, looking very happy.

“What is that?” Li Qi looked at the red stone, not understanding.

“The so-called utility is unsurpassed. When a stone is burnt, it gains its wondrous uses,” Shen Shuibi immediately began to explain.

“Alum appears in five colors, sulfur is the general of all stones, both transforming in intense fire. Some alchemists use the ‘burning stone method’ to refine stones using the ‘burning’ technique. After refinement, ancient texts record ‘used after being burnt by fire, once formed, it remains indestructible in water forever.’ With these properties, burnt stones can have many uses.”

“This stone, although not a burnt stone itself, is a mass formed from the remnants left after a large number of burning methods were used in refining. It is the condensed fire Qi left behind by alchemists after refining countless stones. With this, I can help you temper your heart, and then you will only have your spleen left to temper,” Shen Shuibi said, holding the red stone.

“Can it really be used?” Li Qi picked up the stone. It was cool to the touch and felt like nothing more than a red stone.

“Alright! I’ll help you temper your heart right now!” Shen Shuibi began to roll up her sleeves.

“Wait! Don’t take off my clothes!” Li Qi panicked.

“How else can I use it without taking off your clothes?!”

“I’ll do it myself!”

——————

A night passed.

Li Qi only felt his heart pounding strongly and powerfully.

Now, only his spleen was left, but Shen Shuibi said that it could be tempered naturally after some time.

Because the spleen belongs to earth, it seems useless among the five internal organs, but it can assist the operation of the other four organs.

As an earth element, it is something that can simultaneously participate with the other four organs, just as the earth encompasses all things.

Gold can be hidden in the earth, water flows on the surface, wood can grow on the land, and fire can erupt from underground.

Correspondingly, the liver produces blood and the spleen stores blood, the Yang Qi of the heart can nourish the spleen, the spleen’s transformation of water and grain essence can benefit the lungs, and the spleen and kidneys together transport and transform water.

With the other four organs complete, after a period of time, the spleen will naturally strengthen.

Therefore, by just waiting, Li Qi’s Ninth Rank martial Dao level could reach its true potential in at most half a year.

Feeling all of this, Li Qi continued his work for the second day.

He patrolled near the merchant caravan with Jing Yan, moving forward while looking around.

During one patrol, as they passed each other, Li Qi suddenly thought of something and called out to Jing Yan.

“Big Sister Jing,” Li Qi called.

“What is it?” Jing Yan turned her head, not knowing what Li Qi wanted.

However, her attitude was still very good. Li Qi and his sister had shown her kindness, and she always remembered favors.

“The Jing Family is a Family from Song Kingdom, right?” Li Qi asked.

“Precisely. Why do you ask?” Jing Yan was puzzled.

“What is the situation in Song Kingdom now?” Li Qi asked again.

He wanted to learn about the situation in Song Kingdom from the Jing Family.

Song Kingdom was at war with Tang Nation and had become Tang Nation’s bridgehead, a country confronting Shaman God Mountain.