By the time Ning Xiaochuan had reached Begonia Manor, it was already afternoon the next day.

Ning Xiaochuan carried the heavily injured old man and placed him on an ice bed in the middle of a small lake.

This ice bed was sculpted from a whole block of ice rock. When a martial artist cultivated upon this ice bed, they could focus their attention, calm their mind, and protect their blood. It was a treasure for Martial Art Cultivation, and only the descendants of major clans and Marquises’ Residences could afford an ice rock bed.

Official Tian’s injuries were extremely serious. Presently, he had entered a state of suspended animation. His senses were shut off, and he could not heal himself at all.

He required external assistance.

Ning Xiaochuan used a cotter pin to reassemble Official Tian’s backbone, then stitched the wound shut with a silken thread.

Rolls of white cloth were then used to bind Official Tian’s whole body. There was not a single gap. He was wrapped like a mummy.

Yu Yan stood to one side, passing various tools to Ning Xiaochuan. She watched as Ning Xiaochuan used a knife to cut open Official Tian’s flesh. Another cotter pin reattached a piece of bone, and needle and thread were used to stitch up the flesh. A piece of skull was even sewn back on.

Ning Xiaochuan’s hands were dripping with blood. It was a bloody sight, which caused her to throw up a few times. She nearly fainted.

“Mas… Master, is it done?” Yu Yan’s face had turned pale, and her fair, shiny forehead was beading with sweat.

Ning Xiaochuan washed his hands in clean water and said, “Hand me the Blood-increasing Liquid and Bone-regenerating Liquid.”

Yu Yan passed him two jade bottles.

Ning Xiaochuan tipped out two drops of liquid Mystical Medicine from the jade bottles onto his palm, which was covered in Combat Qi. The two drops of liquid Mystical Medicine dissipated and merged into his Combat Qi, and were then dispatched into Official Tian’s body.

The glimmer of Combat Qi twinkled twice over Official Tian’s body as it was absorbed by his broken body.

Yu Yan’s lips trembled. “Master, can this person still survive?”

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head, saying, “If he was someone ordinary, he would definitely be dead. However, this guy’s a martial art expert. His body is many times stronger than an ordinary man. If his willpower is strong enough, he should still have a chance of survival. I can only do this much, the rest is up to him.”

Ning Xiaochuan gave Yu Yan thirty thousand copper coins to purchase some Heart-nourishing Herbs and Bone-regenerating Herbs. After that, he walked to the Blood-toad Tree and continued his cultivation, replenishing the Qi he had used up.

Ning Xiaochuan took out a small knife and sheared off slightly over a pound of bark from the Blood-toad Tree.

The blood-red bark was sparkling and crystalline, just like a ruby. It felt cold in his hands and had a faint woody aroma.

“Bang!”

Ning Xiaochuan used Combat Qi to crush this piece of Blood-toad Wood into wood powder, then absorbed it into his blood. It was carried to his heart and he began to refine it.

After spending one whole day and night, Ning Xiaochuan managed to refine around a pound of Blood-toad Wood into Blood-toad Liquid.

In total, he produced a few dozen drops of Blood-toad Liquid, which would form an orb of blood-red, precious liquid around the size of a pigeon’s egg. Its color was even redder than blood.

If he could transfer this Blood-toad Liquid out of his body, he could sell it for, at least, eight hundred thousand copper coins.

Nevertheless, before Ning Xiaochuan could move this Blood-toad Liquid out of his body, it was absorbed by the Devil Sword in his blood orifice.

His blood orifice and heart orifice began the chase once more, turning into a Taiji pattern as they revolved frantically. It was like a vortex that activated the transformation of his body’s Earthly Martial Qi into Combat Qi.

The Devil Sword absorbed this volume of Blood-toad Liquid, causing Ning Xiaochuan’s Cultivation to surge up substantially once again.

Ning Xiaochuan sat cross-legged beneath the Blood-toad Wood. Limitless Combat Qi pervaded the space around him, forming into strands of mist-like currents that wrapped around his body. Any living thing that was within thirty-one feet of his body would be attacked by Qi.

“Whoosh—”

The speed of his blood’s circulation increased once more, becoming increasingly faster.

He spent three days in a row to absorb over three pounds of Blood-toad Wood.

His blood flow had reached six cycles in one minute. The strength of his body was outrageous. Now, even if he were to pick up a rock and smash it against his head, the one that would shatter was the rock, not his head.

Currently, he could condense a Qi Sword rather effortlessly, being able to do so whenever he wanted.

“Qi Sword!”

Ning Xiaochuan placed his palms together. A long sword condensed from Qi appeared in his hand. He swung his arm and threw it towards the lake. The Sword Qi momentarily split the lake open.

“Qi Sword!”

In an instant, Ning Xiaochuan condensed a second Qi Sword and threw it into the lake.

“Qi Sword!”

After the second Qi Sword had vanished, Ning Xiaochuan promptly condensed a third Qi Sword and once again used it to slash at the lake.

Qi Sword, three continuous cleaves.

The water of the lake was still rippling wildly and crashing against the shore. Some of the fishes within the lake swam to the surface in surprise.

At Stage Seven Qi, Ning Xiaochuan needed an hour to recover his Qi after using the Qi Sword once.

Now, he was able to wield the Qi Sword three times in a row in an extremely short time. One sword followed another, their power overlaying the previous one. Each sword was stronger than the last.

This was the most formidable killing technique he could unleash at the moment. He named this move Qi Sword Three Continuous Cleaves.

Of course, this was the strongest move he could wield with his current Cultivation. After his Cultivation had progressed, he might be able to unleash Four Continuous Cleaves, Five Continuous Cleaves… As long as his body’s Qi was strong enough, even Nine Continuous Cleaves was possible.

“At the moment, I can make my blood flow for six cycles in a minute. To reach Stage Nine Qi, I must attain seven cycles of blood per minute.”

It appeared to be just a difference of one cycle, but in reality, there was an immense disparity.

It was like someone being able to run a hundred meters in seven seconds, while another could run a hundred meters in six seconds. Although it was just a second’s difference, one’s physical attribute must be improved to a whole new league to bridge that one second.

“Although I only have Stage Eight Qi Cultivation right now, if I use Qi Sword Three Continuous Cleaves, it’s enough to challenge a Stage Nine Qi martial artist. Moreover, with the Blood-toad Wood, I should be able to break through to Stage Nine Qi very quickly.” Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze sharpened as he became more determined to walk the path of a practitioner.

Although he did not go with Marquis Jiange’s Residence’s genius descendants to the Five Desolate Ridges to train, he must perform better than them and be stronger than them.

…

The rampart of Begonia Manor was over seventy feet high, comparable to the rampart of a small city.

On the rampart, in a tower, there was an old man and a heavily-armored middle-aged man. Both of them were drinking wine.

The surrounding guards had been sent away.

At the moment, in the tower, there was just the both of them.

This old man was Begonia Manor’s Housekeeper Qiu. Although he was no longer young, he did not appear to be senile. Conversely, he had the air of an expert. His Cultivation had reached the peak of Stage Eight Qi, and he managed everything within Begonia Manor.

As for the heavily-armored middle-aged man, he was the commander of the guards in Begonia Manor, Ye Chenglong.

Ye Chenglong had an army of five hundred guards under his command. His own Cultivation had reached Stage Nine Qi, and he enjoyed lofty prestige in Begonia Manor.

Before Ning Xiaochuan came to Begonia Manor, he was practically the master of Begonia Manor, having the final say in all matters of Begonia Manor.

Housekeeper Qiu passed over a black wooden box with a soft smile. “This is something Fourth Master asked me to pass to you, Commander Ye. Fourth Master said, if you handle this for him, there’s sure to be something in it for you.”

Ye Chenglong cracked opened a corner of the wooden box. A green glow shone from within. It was a box of gold coins. There were at least a hundred and thirty ounces.

Ye Chenglong’s heart thumped furiously. A hundred and thirty ounces of gold was akin to a million copper coins. It was considered a huge sum of wealth that endlessly tempted him. “Handling matters for Fourth Master would be my honor. Does he have any orders?”

Housekeeper Qiu said in a low voice, “Fourth Master says, there’s an expert who’s secretly helping Sicken Ning. He hopes that we can cooperate with him and uncover this expert.”

Ye Chenglong’s eyes narrowed and he shuddered suddenly. “Fourth Master suspects that this expert is hiding within Begonia Manor?”

Housekeeper Qiu’s eyes were as ruthless as a falcon’s. “Recently, Sicken Ning ordered that no one is allowed to enter Purple Cloud Yard, where he stays. There must be some secret hidden in that yard. We must find time to go in and investigate.”

Ye Chenglong laughed coldly and nodded. “These past few days, he has not set a single foot outside. To go in without anyone noticing would not be easy!”

Housekeeper Qiu replied, “In that case, we have to think of some way to lure him out of Purple Cloud Yard, so that we may investigate the secret hidden within.”

“How should we do that?” Ye Chenglong pondered.

Just as Housekeeper Qiu and Ye Chenglong were having their secret talk, below the rampart, a fifteen, sixteen-year-old youth was walking straight towards Begonia Manor.

This youth was Murong Wushuang.

Today, he had expressly put on clean clothes. Still, his clothes had a few patches, having been washed many times.

He had a large hen in one hand. The hen’s thighs were tied up with straw and gripped in his hand.

The hen kept on making “clucking” noises!

Murong Wushuang had been cultivating the Tortoise-breath Still Technique for the past few days. He already had a minor accomplishment, which was that his Cultivation had broken through to Stage Eight Qi. Today, he came to visit Ning Xiaochuan.

He had thought if he were to arrive empty-handed, how embarrassing it would be!

He had to bring a gift.

Therefore, he had stolen the large hen reared by Three-finger Lin next door. Early in the morning, he had carried the hen and come to Begonia Manor, here to visit Ning Xiaochuan.

Murong Wushuang stood below the lofty rampart and stared at the huge vermillion gates. “What a f*cking rich guy. A manor like this must have a few hundred servants!” He shouted up at the tower, “Hey! I say, with such a massive manor, surely there will be someone guarding the door?”