Chapter 394 - 365: Profit and Loss

Chapter 394: Chapter 365: Profit and Loss

The night was as black as ink, and all was still.

Chen Family Villa.

This was once the site of Wang Shihui’s estate, but the original residence had long since been destroyed by a great fire.

When it was rebuilt, special care was taken in its construction to accommodate any Honored Guests or Tributors who might be invited in the future.

The estate consisted of six independent courtyards, connected by covered walkways, pavilions, and gardens. In its comfort and luxury, it far surpassed the old residence where the Chen Family lived.

Qin Yirong’s residence.

Inside her chambers, candlelight danced.

A faint, warm fragrance filled the air.

She had just finished a night of Cultivation and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. An unconcealable exhaustion was etched upon her beautiful face.

She walked over to a low table by the window and picked up a silver kettle that had been kept warm on a small brazier. She poured the hot water into an adjacent copper basin, preparing to wash up quickly before resting.

Just as she finished wiping her face with a damp towel, a sudden gust of night wind swept in through the half-open window, blowing it wide open with a CREAK.

Qin Yirong jumped, her eyes fixing on the spot.

Somehow, Chen Li was already standing silently in the room, watching her calmly.

She patted her ample chest and shot Chen Li a coquettish glare, her tone playfully chiding, "My lord, if you found the night long and wished for my company to pass the time, you could have simply sent a maid to summon me. Barging in so silently in the dead of night... you nearly scared the soul out of me! I thought some common burglar had snuck in."

She had already removed her outer robes, leaving her in only a plain, soft silk undergarment. Her figure was graceful, and in the candlelight, her skin seemed to glow.

As if he hadn’t noticed, Chen Li walked straight to a soft couch covered with a brocade cushion and sat down. He got right to the point. "How has your Cultivation been recently?"

Seeing how he ignored the mood, Qin Yirong couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, a flash of resentment in her gaze. But at the mention of her own practice, her pique instantly deflated.

She walked over and sat down before Chen Li, sighing. "What is there to say? It’s the same as always. I can’t even sense the faintest trace of Inner Qi."

Ever since Chen Li had dispersed her Cultivation in Bamboo Forest Village last year, she had returned to Lingxi and become a near-recluse. She had thrown herself wholeheartedly into her training, hoping to restore her power as soon as possible.

Logically, her Eight Extraordinary Meridians were already open and her foundation remained intact. All she needed to do was follow the steps: sense the Yin and Yang Qi, accumulate Inner Qi, and returning to the Spirit Realm should have been simple.

But the reality was far from simple. Even with four monthly doses of the Mysterious Black Tortoise Tribulation Secret Medicine to aid her Cultivation, her progress remained despairingly slow. To this day, she had yet to produce a single wisp of Inner Qi.

This left her utterly baffled.

She had specifically sought Chen Li’s guidance, and he had even examined her body carefully.

The root of the problem, it turned out, was the Celestial Fragrance Scripture.

Ever since she left the Xiang Sect and stopped plundering the Essence, Qi, and Spirit of others, her Cultivation Technique had effectively reversed, drawing from within herself instead. This had led to a severe deficit of her own Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

In contrast, Xuanmen Orthodox Methods like the Yin Yang Unity Scripture that Chen Li had taught her emphasized a solid foundation. It was a gradual process, where results come naturally when conditions are right, like a channel overflowing once it’s full.

To generate Inner Qi, one must first replenish the body’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit until they are full. Only after reaching a state of Perfection can Inner Qi be naturally produced.

This step, while seemingly simple, was in fact a Water Grinding Technique—an endeavor that required immense time and patience.

Back then, it had taken Chen Li a full five years to complete this very step.

Even his daughter, Shouyue, who wanted for no resources, had spent nearly two years on it.

His wife, Song Ying, and his concubine, Liu Yun, were not focused on this path. Their Cultivation was sporadic, and they had yet to truly reach the Entry-level.

It was foreseeable that the time Qin Yirong would need to replenish her deficit and produce her first wisp of Inner Qi would be no less than the time Shouyue had taken.

Of course, once she did succeed in producing Inner Qi, her already-cleared meridians and past experience meant her subsequent Cultivation speed would far surpass Shouyue’s.

Qin Yirong’s gaze shifted, and she asked probingly, "My lord, you didn’t come all this way in the dead of night just to ask about my pathetic Cultivation, did you?"

Chen Li nodded. "I need your help with my Cultivation."

Hearing this, Qin Yirong froze for a moment, then covered her mouth with her hand and let out a delicate laugh.

Her eyes grew even more bewitching. "Don’t tell me my lord wants me to use my feminine wiles to test your resolve and help you overcome the trial of lust?"

As she spoke, she unconsciously leaned forward slightly, her delicate frame forming an alluring curve.

Chen Li’s expression, however, was grim. "I’m not joking. I have recently developed a new Cultivation Technique and need someone to help me test it. The matter is of grave importance, the consequences are unpredictable, and the risks are extremely high. Even if you succeed in cultivating with this method, you will be under my control for the rest of your life. You can refuse."

The coquettish smile on Qin Yirong’s face slowly faded. She stared at Chen Li, stunned. Seeing his solemn expression, she understood the gravity of the situation.

The room fell silent, the only sound the occasional, soft CRACKLE of the candle flame.

Finally, she lifted her head and said forthrightly, "When I chose to follow you, my lord, and not to leave, I dedicated my life to you. Since you need my help, you have only to ask. I... will naturally obey."

Chen Li nodded. "Since you’ve agreed, I won’t treat you unfairly. You may make one request. As long as it is within my power, I will grant it."

Qin Yirong’s eyes darted. Half-joking, half-testing, she said with a hint of a pout, "A request? Then what if... I asked you to properly marry me, my lord? To take me into your family? Would you agree to that?"

She had said it in jest, expecting Chen Li to brush it off as he had before.

But to her surprise, Chen Li simply looked at her calmly and nodded. "I can. But only as a concubine."