Chapter 197: Passing on a Cultivation Method
He would send his mother and the maids back to Taibai County.
Since he had affronted a powerful man like Lord Zhenxi, the city of Chang’an was no longer safe. Even the magic formation placed in the Shack could not guarantee their security. Thus, only the government in Taibai County covered by the Earth Evil Polaris Formation could protect Li Mu’s mother and the maids.
And only when Li Mu’s mother and the maids were safe, Li Mu dared to push ahead and confront Lord Zhenxi without scruples.
That was the plan for the worse scenario.
Zheng Cunjian nodded at once and replied, “Yes, sir.”
At that time, he was too astonished and frightened to give a second opinion to Li Mu.
When Zheng Cunjian was gone, Li Mu went out of the study and announced to Madam Li and the maids the decision that he would send them to Taibai County.
“Mu’er, something has happened, right?” asked Madam Li with concerns.
Li Mu smiled at her and said, “No, it’s nothing like that. In fact, I’ve been out for too long. There are many issues unsettled in Taibai County, so I have to go back. And I figure it’s time to bring you back. We will certainly have a long-time stay in Taibai County. The environment there is beautiful, the air there is fresh. It’s a good place to preserve your health. Mom, you’ve toiled for many years and had been troubled by several chronic complaints. I think life in Taibai County is perfect for you.”
Hearing that, the tense nerves of Li Mu’s mother finally relaxed.
During the years she spent in Chang’an, she had endured the heaviest blow of life and suffered tons of insults and humiliation. Thus, she was not much attached to the city. Soon, with the help of Chun Cao, Xia Ju, she started packing to make preparations for the departure.
“It’s just that this place has been rebuilt for only a few days. The decoration and landscape here are quite exquisite. It’s a pity to leave this new house behind.”
Li Mu’s mother looked at the place and sighed with regret.
Li Mu immediately comforted her, saying, “It’s no problem. Mom, if you like this place, when I deal with most of the affairs in the county in a while, I’ll find some time to send you back here for a brief stay as a revisit holiday.”
Li Mu’s mother nodded and gave him her consent.
Then, after a short rest, Li Mu left the Pig-Herding Alley.
There was another person he had to pick up.
…
…
Liufang Street, Musical House.
In the Holy House…
“What? You want to contend for the Top Beauty?” After gulping down a cup of tea while hearing out Hua Xiangrong’s speech, Li Mu was a little surprised.
In his perspective, Hua Xiangrong was a quiet and elegant girl who could not be that ambitious and competitive. Based on the conversations he had with her before, she did not aspire to the title of the Top Beauty at all. But why did she changed her mind within just a few days?
Now, Hua Xiangrong’s uniquely graceful face showed a hint of timidity. Afraid that Li Mu went crossed, she hastily explained, “Young Master, you do not want me to expose myself in the limelight, do you? Actually, I have no lust for that fame and competition. But Madam Bai Xuan…” Hua Xiangrong then repeated Bai Xuan’s wish to Li Mu.
“Oh, turns out it’s for this reason.”
Li Mu now came around.
Hua Xiangrong continued, “These years, thanks to Madam Bai Xuan’s lookout, I’ve been able to preserve my chastity and not fallen to the boundless sea of misery. I’m very grateful towards Madam Bai. So, if I disregard her request, I won’t be able to pay her back. How perturbed I’ll be then! But if you don’t want me to, I won’t participate in this kind of thing…”
Li Mu quickly waved her words off and said, “Missy Hua, you’re overthinking this… er?” Halfway through the sentence, he felt it had come out wrong. After all, he was not like Japanese devils. He knew it sounded sort of impropriate to call any pretty girl ‘missy’. Thus, he reorganized his words and started again. “From now on, I’ll call you Hua’er. Well, it’s absolutely right to discriminate between love and hate. I’m certainly all for you if you want to pay Madam Bai back. But today I actually came here to get you out of the Musical House and bring you to Taibai County. However, judging by the current circumstance, today you won’t go with me.”
“Ahh? Young Master, you’re leaving the city of Chang’an?” Hua Xiangrong felt her heart pounded in fear. Suddenly, she felt edgy and wistful.
Li Mu beamed and said, “Relax, some things just came up so I need to go back. The round trip will take me two days tops. In two days, I’ll be back.”
In his plan, after he accompanied his mother travail back to Taibai County, he would go back to Chang’an at once.
Because first, he was eager to borrow some books in the libraries of the Hanshan Academy and the Fengming Academy.
Second, he ought to hurry to the Chang’an Tomb and try to absorb the Spiritual Qi there that was concealed in the underground Earthveins.
Therefore, at least in the upcoming days, he would surely stay in Chang’an.
Upon hearing Li Mu’s explanation, Hua Xiangrong’s suspended heart finally calmed down. She felt quite grateful for Li Mu, because she could tell that he did not contempt or hold himself superior to women. Instead, he was willing to make adjustments for her and cared much about her feelings. Such gentleness and easygoing quality could seldom be seen on those nobles and celebrities.
And that made her much more convinced that he was the one.
How lucky it would be to meet such a gentleman among all the other men!
Many girls were still wishing to find their true love and then they would never part until the end of time.
But now, she felt she had already found that love of her life.
“Young Master, today are you in the mood to watch me dance?” Hua Xiangrong said, “Lately, I prepared a new performance.”
Beamingly, Li Mu turned her down. “Today, I don’t think so, because I have another matter to discuss with you.”
“I’m on all ears.” Hua Xiangrong knelt beside Li Mu and answered with curiosity.
Li Mu began, “Hua’er, have you ever considered learning martial arts?”
Hua Xiangrong certainly did not expect that. She said in a tone of incredulity, “Young Master, do you hope me to learn some? Actually, I always envy those gallant women who can leap from one roof to another and live a straightforward life. But back at the Shangguan family, my parents refused to let me study martial arts. They didn’t want to me have such a rough time. Later when my family declined, I had no opportunity to learn any of them even though I wanted to. Now, I’ve already missed the golden period of learning martial arts…” Speaking of this, she looked a little dejected.
But Li Mu corrected, “Who says you’ve passed the best time for martial arts practice? That’s just a groundless argument of those laymen. Hua’er, your body constitution is so suited for martial arts study that I can’t found one in ten thousand girls. You’re highly gifted in practicing the Way. If you’re willing to give a shot to martial arts study, I’d like to teach you a Cultivation Method.”
At those words, an extremely lovely smile spread across Hua Xiangrong’s face. Then, she said softly, “I’m willing to learn anything Young Master teaches me.”
Li Mu, however, shook his head dismissively. It appeared that she had little interest in martial arts. She simply agreed to learn due to her obedience to Li Mu. But anyway, that was not a wonder, given that Hua Xiangrong’s disposition was sweet, meek, and aloof from competitions. In fact, that was a great mentality.
“Well then, the Cultivation Method I want you to learn is called the Goddess Xiantian Skill. It won’t take you much time or effort to learn. It’s just a method of breathing. Now, I will teach you the mental cultivation method of the first level. Listen carefully…”
Immediately, Li Mu’s expression got serious as he began the lesson.
Yes, this was his final decision—passing the Xiantian Skill on to Hua Xiangrong.
The Natural Taoist Figure was so rare that it might not be found in ten thousand people. The old faker always thought highly of that figure. He once said that even though there were innumerable talents in the universe competing for the utmost power, those who became definite dominators across an empire had all grown with very scarce body constitutions. Among those body constitutions, the Natural Taoist Figure ranked relatively higher, which meant it was really rare.
Li Mu could already picture how imposing Hua Xiangrong would be once she mastered the skill.
He preferred to let Hua Xiangrong’s strength grow along with him than keep her around and perform dances and songs for him to help his practice. If she could rise up and become an invincible female warrior who could domineer a part of the world, that was the optimized result for Li Mu.
In the future when Li Mu could leave this planet to save Earth, his individual power, no matter how strong it was, was still insufficient. There surely would come a day when he could not be in two places at once. But if he had a helper, the scenario would be much more hopeful.
That was the viewpoint based on Li Mu’s interests.
Now, considering the matter for the sake of Hua Xiangrong, it was a huge waste of talent for such a Natural Daoist Figure to miss the opportunity to learn martial arts. For her, it was an enormous unfairness.
Thus, after taking the interests of both sides into account, Li Mu came to that decision.
Of course, the mental cultivation method he taught Hua Xiangrong was not the complete first-grade method in the Xiantian Skill but a simplified version. Also, he changed the name to the Goddess Xiantian Skill in case it was accidentally disclosed. When Hua Xiangrong got a hang of the first level and made some progress in strength, he would teach her the content at the next level.
During the next hour, Li Mu kept explaining, illustrating, and demonstrating the wonders and the tips of the Cultivation Method to Hua Xiangrong.
As a beginner who was even less acute in martial arts than Li Mu, Hua Xiangrong’s performance seemed a little clumsy.
Nonetheless, with her Natural Taoist Figure and outstanding intelligence, Hua Xiangrong was starting to make amazing progress once she picked up the terminology of martial arts and the outline of the theory.
Shortly, she went into a state of tranquility.
She was wearing a fully white long dress that was strapped up to her breasts. Her flawless feet were bare, and her toes looked delicate. As she was sitting cross-legged, her black long hair drooped own and fanned around her, forming a black circle. This beautiful woman in a state of tranquility looked gorgeous as a peerless jade. Her eyes were closed, giving out an aura of divinity and harmony. Her long and curly eyelashes were motionless, the curve they created almost intoxicating.
Staring at Hua Xiangrong, Li Mu sort of fell into a trance.
“Wow, isn’t the Natural Taoist Figure formidable or what? She succeeded in entering the state of tranquility in her first practice!”
Although he had prepared himself for this, Hua Xiangrong’s fast progressing speed still gave Li Mu quite a turn.
And that got Li Mu even more perked up about Hua Xiangrong’s promising future in the world of martial arts.
“Could I really bring up a peerlessly Goddess of Martial Arts that could domineer the universe by chance?” Well, Li Mu had every reason to believe it.
He could distinctly sense that as Hua Xiangrong was breathing, the wisps of Spiritual Qi in the nearby places were gathering and hurtling towards Hua Xiangrong’s body like whirlwind. As if in a mad rush to be the first, they poured into her body through her mouth, nose, and even pores.
Her performance was not at all less than the first practice of Xiantian Skill Li Mu did after he arrived in this world.
But Li Mu had reached that effect only because he had already practiced martial arts for more than a decade back on Earth.
“Well, the Natural Taoist Figure is truly badass!”
As he exclaimed Hua Xianrong’s staggering progress, he walked around the room and cast some inhibitive spells.
By doing that could he stifle the fluctuations of the Spiritual Qi in the environment and avoid the unnecessary attention from highly perceptive experts.
Unlike the small county named Taibai, the city of Chang’an was fraught with experts, even Natural Experts. If anyone noticed or discovered what was going on here, that would spark extra trouble.
There, Li Mu stuck around to safeguard Hua Xiangrong during her practice.
After waiting for over half an hour, Li Mu finally discontinued Hua Xiangrong’s first practice.
Because he was going to take off.
