The Eternal Way-Chapter 99: Inquiry

"I... I lost." Jing Yan stared in disbelief at her fallen longsword.

"Wow! Look! That tiger woman lost!" someone exclaimed with glee.

"What? The headmaster clearly said that within the Ninth Rank (Rank 9), Jing Yan should be unmatched!" Jing Yan's subordinates were stunned, unable to fathom what had just transpired.

"Unmatched doesn't mean invincible. This young hero Li Qi is clearly a master. With him around, this journey will be safe now!" Some onlookers had already sided with Li Qi, clapping and cheering.

They likely hadn't been spared from Jing Yan's strictness before.

As for Shen Shuibei, she let out a deep sigh of relief.

Fortunately, despite Li Qi being a bit foolish, he was still capable enough. As long as he followed her instructions, even a pig could have defeated that arrogant woman.

Hmph!

Shen Shuibei stood proudly with her hands on her hips, her face brimming with pride, silently demanding praise.

Unfortunately, Li Qi didn't even glance at her, leaving her feeling unfulfilled despite her chest puffed up with pride.

Inside the circle:

"Thank you for yielding," Li Qi said, retracting his saber and pulling out a roll of cloth—the weakness map Shen Shuibei had drawn the previous night. "According to our bet, I'll provide my little sister's insights into your weaknesses to help elevate your martial skills..."

"Wait, Li Qi, you mentioned earlier that your little sister has cultivation but isn't good at combat. She only appears weak but can actually see through my weaknesses," Jing Yan interrupted, not yet reaching for the roll of cloth.

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"That's correct," 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 my own arrogance."

Then, Li Qi watched as she sheathed her sword, walked over to Shen Shuibei, and knelt on one knee, offering an apology.

Shen Shuibei was flustered and needed Li Qi to step forward and help her up.

"Big Sister Jing, there's no need for such formality. No one is perfect, and mistakes happen. It's unnecessary," Li Qi said, helping Jing Yan to her feet.

Jing Yan shook her head, "It's precisely because of these mistakes that we must correct them. My arrogance almost led me astray. Your little sister has enlightened me; she is my benefactor."

"Now, with the weaknesses you've pointed out, I know how to improve further. Such a great favor cannot be repaid with mere thanks. Please accept this as a token of gratitude," Jing Yan said, presenting a red stone.

She then addressed Li Qi, "I don't know what your little sister needs, but I noticed that your internal organs haven't been fully refined. Your heart is weak and struggles to handle your qi and blood. This stone contains pure fire energy. If you find a Daoist expert, they might extract it to refine your heart, compensating for this flaw."

"Just as you have compensated for mine," Jing Yan added.

Li Qi and Shen Shuibei exchanged glances.

Jing Yan... was indeed too upright.

The rest of the events unfolded smoothly.

Jing Yan accepted the roll of weakness maps but didn't immediately practice, as she had duties to protect the caravan.

Li Qi also resumed his duties, earning one gold piece per day (equivalent to 10,000 coins), not just for show. He joined Jing Yan in guarding the caravan.

The others returned to their tasks after the spectacle, and everything resumed its normal course.

Along the way, wild beasts occasionally attacked, but with Li Qi and Jing Yan's combined efforts, they were easily dealt with, providing extra food and materials for the caravan.

After the day ended and during the evening rest, Li Qi returned to the ox cart shared with Shen Shuibei.

"Li Qi, Li Qi! This is a piece of Fánshí essence!" Shen Shuibei excitedly pulled Li Qi.

"What's that?" Li Qi examined the red stone, puzzled.

"Fánshí means 'stone refined by fire,' implying that stones gain their special properties after being refined by fire," Shen Shuibei began explaining.

"Some alchemists use this method to refine stones, creating something that, once formed, is indestructible by water. This stone, though not pure Fánshí, is a remnant of countless refinements, condensed with fiery energy. With this, I can help refine your heart, and then you'll only have your spleen left to refine."

"This really works?" Li Qi held the stone, feeling its cool surface, seemingly just a red stone.

"Alright! Let me help you refine your heart!" Shen Shuibei started rolling up her sleeves.

"Wait! Don't take off my clothes!"

"How else can I do it?"

"I'll do it myself!"

---

The next morning.

Li Qi felt his heart beating strongly, more robust than ever.

Now, only his spleen remained to be refined, but Shen Shuibei said it would naturally strengthen over time.

As the earth element among the five organs, the spleen supports the other four, much like how the earth contains metal, flows water, grows wood, and ignites fire.

Correspondingly, the liver generates blood while the spleen stores it; the heart's yang energy nourishes the spleen, which transforms vital energy to benefit the lungs, and the spleen collaborates with the kidneys to manage water metabolism.

With the other four organs strengthened, the spleen would naturally become stronger over time.

So, waiting at most half a year, Li Qi's Ninth Rank status would reach true Martial Dao prowess.

Feeling all this, Li Qi resumed his duties for the next day, patrolling the caravan with Jing Yan, scanning the surroundings as they moved.

During one patrol, Li Qi suddenly thought of something and called Jing Yan aside.

"Big Sister Jing," Li Qi called out.

"What is it?" Jing Yan turned, unsure of what Li Qi wanted.

But her attitude remained friendly; she remembered the kindness Li Qi and his sister had shown her.

"Is the Jing family originally from Song Kingdom?" Li Qi asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Jing Yan was puzzled.

"What's the current situation in Song Kingdom?" Li Qi pressed.

He wanted to learn about Song Kingdom from the Jing family members.

Song Kingdom, after all, had been at war with Tang Dynasty, becoming a strategic point against the Wu Deity Mountain.