14. Regular Cultivation

"Heh!"

"Ha!"

Early in the morning, the disciples, as usual, practiced their boxing in the courtyard.

Liao Ya, holding a vine stick, patrolled back and forth, correcting any movements that were not up to standard on the spot.

Liao Qe concentrated her efforts, seriously perfecting every move, daring not to slack off in the slightest.

She was well aware that she had offended her sister yesterday; if she dared to slip up, she would be punished both personally and publicly with a vine stick to her buttocks, causing both embarrassment and heart-wrenching pain.

~~~~~~~

Lu Yao stood in the corner of the courtyard, performing the most fundamental Martial Path entry training—standing stake.

His legs were apart, buttocks tucked, body slightly rising and falling, as if the light breeze were creating ripples on the water.

At the same time, Lu Yao's eyes emitted a faint divine light, as he tried to enter a meditative state while standing stake.

But standing stake isn't just about standing idly; it inherently is a complex cultivation that engages the whole body.

Maintaining a meditative state at this time was extremely challenging, and Lu Yao broke out in a cold sweat after just a few minutes, his face growing even paler, and he began to sway.

The sisters hurried over to help him, rubbing his chest and smoothing his back, showering him with care and concern.

This scene, witnessed by other disciples in the boxing gym, sparked widespread envy.

Especially a young man clad in brocade, whose handsome face bore a clear look of dissatisfaction.

By his side, another disciple spoke up to flatter him:

"Master Han, this Lu Yao, I don't know what background he has to have infiltrated our ranks, and even become a junior to Master Liao."

"Indeed, look at him gasping for breath like this, he can't even stand stake properly."

The Han surnamed man snorted coldly without a word, a haughty air about him.

At this moment, the disciples practicing boxing split into two groups.

One group included Master Han and others, who were better dressed and looked healthier;

the other group, wearing old clothes patched all over, weathered faces, clearly bottom-tier laborers, whispered among themselves:

"Han Fang has had his eye on the Liao Family for more than a day or two, and he can't even hold a mirror up to himself."

"The Liao Family's reputation is well known; Master Liao would never fancy Han Fang! He might have a chance if he agrees to change his surname and marry into the family."

The volume of the conversation wasn't low, drifting on the wind to Han Fang's ears.

He cast a cold glance at the other side, "Hmph—push!" and, with contempt, spat a thick phlegm, cursing under his breath, "A bunch of mud-legged chickens, can't even eat their fill and still training in martial arts!"

The Han family had opened a Western-style textile factory and was considered well-off, although still commoners.

His father, having designs, saw that the Liao Family lacked male heirs, so he sent the handsome Han Fang to learn martial arts, hoping he would marry into the Liao Family.

By doing so, he could become kin with Liao Ya and thus elevate their social status.

A martial artist stepping into the Organ Refining Realm is no longer "common," registered with the government, he could enjoy the treatment of a Scholar. If willing to serve as an official, the starting position is that of an 8th-rank martial appointment, a very high social status.

At the same time, he could ride on the Liao Family's prestige. Liao Qigong had died in combat reducing opium, which earned him high respect.

And most crucially—acquiring the Liao Family's Martial Path heritage! This was even more valuable than his family's factory and could enable the Han Family to truly leap across social classes!

What he had to do was simply to deceive a young girl into his hands. From a merchant's perspective, this deal seemed to promise huge profits for a small investment!

But at the moment, Han Fang could only watch Lu Yao with impotent fury! Taking in disciples on behalf of his father and being admitted to the inner circle were privileges that should have been his; how did such good fortune fall on Lu Yao?

As a merchant's son, Han Fang had a sharp eye for observation, easily seeing that the two women's care for Lu Yao was heartfelt and not perfunctory.

"This man is clearly a sickly ghost, how does he compare to myself! Why does he have the favor of two women simultaneously!?"

~~~~~~~

Lu Yao, reassured by the two flower-like young girls, quickly regained his composure.

"I'm fine. It's a bit difficult to enter 'meditation' while standing in the posture, it seems I'll have to practice more."

Lu Yao had been practicing "constant meditation," and had suddenly been struck by the idea to try and maintain the meditative state while in the standing posture.

Liao Ya admonished, "Spirit Refinement should not be rushed, it's all about 'letting things take their natural course.' Although you have talent, you shouldn't force it."

"I'll take care, Senior Sister."

Lu Yao had grown accustomed to the occasional guidance from Liao Ya, which was the very treasure Han Fang sought but could not obtain.

Seeing that he was alright, Liao Ya continued to go back and supervise the disciples' punching practice.

Liao Qe wiped the sweat off Lu Yao with a handkerchief, then returned to the punching practice group.

Filled with the fragrance of a young girl, which was extremely invigorating, Lu Yao continued his own cultivation.

With a calm spirit and a heart free of distractions, Lu Yao entered the "meditative" state within a few breaths.

This state was quite marvelous, giving the feeling that one's heart had completely "stilled."

And this "stillness" wasn't an absence of thoughts. On the contrary, the mind in a meditative state, without distractions, was even more suited to focus deeply on one's thoughts.

At this moment, Lu Yao was cultivating while contemplating.

"It's wishful thinking to practice martial arts with my body; even the basic stance is strenuous, let alone others. Spirit Refinement must take precedence, a 'circuitous rescue' approach."

"Practice makes perfect, nothing is impossible with persistence in meditation training. 'Constant meditation' is just a matter of time, and then I can proceed to the next step—'sitting in oblivion.'

Just then, Lu Yao suddenly felt that Liao Qe smiled at him. His head wasn't turned towards Liao Qe's direction, but somehow he just knew—the girl had smiled at him.

Turning his head to look, Liao Qe was indeed smiling sweetly at him, even sticking out her tongue to make a face while her sister was far away, like a classmate sneaking a joke during lessons.

"Eye contact resonance, is this also an effect of Spirit Refinement?"

Lu Yao understood in his heart, while not forgetting to respond with a face back to Liao Qe.

This scene, witnessed by the other disciples, somehow made them feel sour as they looked at themselves practicing punches under the hard sun and then at the others flirting. Suddenly, they found themselves unable to continue practicing.

Han Fang clenched his fists even tighter, his anger intensifying!

The innocent and vivacious Liao Qe was his top target! That little beast! How could he, how dare he compete with me!!

Out of anger and with sloppy movements, Han Fang was hit a few times with a vine by Liao Ya, eliciting a chorus of snickers.

Han Fang felt his pocket and made up his mind, "To gain something, one must give something up, it's time to invest!"

~~~~~~~

The rest time soon arrived.

Liao Qe, like a swallow, fluttered towards Lu Yao, chatting and laughing merrily.

The girl didn't know why, but she just liked being with her Junior Brother, feeling unusually at ease and happy in his company.

This was because Lu Yao could always make Liao Qe laugh heartily with his high emotional intelligence.

While she was happily chatting, Han Gongzi came over. Dressed in newly tailored brocade clothes, and with a handsome face, he could certainly be considered a man of distinguished appearance.

He approached with restraint and said, "Miss Liao, our factory has produced new fabric, and I've brought some for you to make a new dress."

Liao Qe frowned slightly, somewhat repelled by his affected demeanor, as if he was afraid that others wouldn't know his family owned a factory.

She declined distantly yet politely: "No need, I'm not short of clothes."

Han Gongzi quickly added, "But this is a fabric even Westerners like, why wouldn't you want it?"

Liao Qe found him even more annoying, far less fun than her own Junior Brother, and waved her hand, "I don't want your things, you should go back to practicing your punches!"

Han Gongzi's expression hardened, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out something and handing it over: "Miss Liao is prettier than flowers, just perfect for this hairpin!"