Days flowed by like water, and Chen Yang's labor in the medicine garden had become routine.
By day he tended to the delicate spirit herbs and immortal plants; by night he sat alone in his cramped laborer's quarters, staring blankly at the jade token Zhao Yanran had given him.
Since the day he had witnessed his wife's intimate scene with the three Senior Brothers, his heart felt as though something had ground it to dust.
Both aching and bitter.
That sense of helpless humiliation gnawed at him day and night.
On this particular night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.
Chen Yang, troubled in his heart, could not fall asleep.
He threw on his robe and rose, wandering into the medicine garden.
The medicine garden at night held a different kind of beauty — all manner of spirit herbs shimmered with a faint luminescence in the moonlight, and the air was suffused with a refreshing, otherworldly fragrance.
As he strolled, he suddenly noticed a faint, flickering glow in the southeastern corner of the garden — unlike the usual shimmer of spirit herbs.
Curiosity stirred in Chen Yang, and he walked slowly toward it.
Parting a clump of Dewdrop Grass that stood about waist-high, he found the source of the light coming from within the soil — something appeared to have been buried there, with only a sliver of its edge exposed.
Chen Yang crouched down and carefully scraped away the earth with his hands.
Before long, the object was fully revealed.
It was a clay bowl that looked utterly ordinary — dark brown in color, slightly chipped at the rim, and clearly of considerable age.
The only unusual thing about it was the faintly visible Runes etched into the bottom of the bowl, which were now emanating a soft, gentle glow.
"What is this?" Chen Yang turned the bowl over in his hands, examining it from every angle, yet could make nothing of it.
He brought the bowl back to his room and set it on the table for a closer look.
Holding it, there was nothing remarkable about it — it was indistinguishable from the clay bowls used by ordinary farming households.
Yet the Runes on the bottom flickered in and out of visibility under the lamplight, carrying an air of mystery.
Chen Yang thought for a short while, then picked up the water jug and poured some plain water into the bowl, waiting quietly.
At first, nothing happened.
But after a short while, the water in the bowl began to emit a faint luminescent glow, and tiny motes of light seemed to drift and swim within it.
He suddenly recalled overhearing the laborers chatting once — that in the world of cultivation, certain Magical Artifacts could gather the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, transforming ordinary things into spirit objects.
Could this seemingly plain bowl actually be such a treasure?
Chen Yang stared at the clear, glowing water in the bowl, his mind churning with doubt.
He turned and stepped into the forest beyond the medicine garden, caught a gray wild rabbit, pried open its lips, and force-fed it half a spoonful of the water from the bowl.
Then he hung up a lamp and watched closely.
The gray rabbit kicked its legs restlessly at first.
But after a short while, it suddenly pricked up both ears, and a lively, sharp gleam appeared in its eyes.
It leaped nimbly about the room, stirring up a faint vortex of Spiritual Energy — clearly far more extraordinary than before.
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Two hours passed. Chen Yang tapped the rim of the bowl with his fingertip, gazing at the remaining half-bowl of softly glowing water.
The rabbit's change bore no resemblance to poisoning — it looked more like the creature had received some kind of fortuitous opportunity.
After much hesitation, Chen Yang raised the bowl to his lips and drank the remaining water in one go.
The water was cool as it slid down his throat, then transformed into a warm current that surged through his entire body.
He felt as though all the meridians in his body were being bathed in warm water — an indescribable sense of comfort and ease.
Even more astonishing was what happened next: a surge of heat quietly arose from his dantian, growing stronger and stronger, until it finally broke through some invisible barrier and began circulating ceaselessly within him.
"This — this is..."
Chen Yang was both shocked and overjoyed. He hurriedly attempted to guide that current of heat using the basic breathing cultivation technique taught to Menial Disciples.
It worked!
The current of heat moved exactly as he willed it, flowing freely without obstruction — this was the unmistakable sign of stepping into the Qi Refinement Realm!
Zhao Yanran had once declared that, given his aptitude, he would never have any hope of entering the path of cultivation in his lifetime.
Yet tonight, through this extraordinary encounter, he had broken through in one fell swoop to the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm!
Chen Yang's hands trembled with excitement as he cradled the bowl like a priceless treasure, the fervor in his eyes almost tangible.
He tested it repeatedly and discovered that as long as he poured ordinary water into the bowl, it would become imbued with Spiritual Energy after a short while — not in great concentration, but highly beneficial for cultivation.
From that day on.
Chen Yang continued his labor in the medicine garden by day, and cultivated using the Spirit Water from the bowl by night.
His progress was not meteoric, but it was steady and sure.
In just over a month, he had firmly consolidated his footing at the first level of the Qi Refinement Realm.
One day.
Steward Wang instructed Chen Yang to cultivate a spirit medicine known as Moonlight Herb — a foundational ingredient for refining many types of Pills.
The Moonlight Herb growing in the medicine garden was not thriving, and new wild specimens needed to be collected for grafting and improvement.
Chen Yang searched the mountains for an entire day but could not find any suitable Moonlight Herb.
Just as he was growing anxious, he suddenly recalled something Liu Yiyi had once mentioned — Butterfly Valley.
"It's remote, but quite a few rare medicinal herbs grow there," Liu Yiyi's words still echoed in his ears.
The following morning, Chen Yang asked Steward Wang for a half-day's leave, saying he intended to venture deep into the back mountains to search for Moonlight Herb.
With permission granted, he set off in the direction Liu Yiyi had indicated, heading toward the Western Mountain Foothills.
Butterfly Valley was indeed remote. Chen Yang walked for nearly two hours before he spotted the three strangely shaped Ancient Pines.
Beyond the Ancient Pines, a narrow path wound its way deep into the valley.
Before he had even reached the valley entrance, he heard the sound of gurgling water.
Following the sound, he came upon a clear, shallow stream flowing out of the valley, and beside it, a familiar figure was washing clothes.
"Miss Liu," Chen Yang called out.
Liu Yiyi looked up at the sound. Seeing it was Chen Yang, a look of pleasant surprise crossed her face. "Senior Brother Chen? What brings you here?"
"I'm looking for Moonlight Herb — the ones in the garden aren't growing well, and I need new specimens for grafting." Chen Yang explained as he approached the stream. "What are you washing, Miss Liu?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he could see clearly what Liu Yiyi was washing — strips of plain white cloth, stained here and there with dark reddish marks.
Liu Yiyi's face flushed red. She said softly, "These are the Menstrual Cloths of some of the female disciples in the sect. Many of them have not yet performed Severing the Red Dragon and still have their monthly cycle, so they hand them to us laborers to wash."
Chen Yang understood at once.
He had heard Menial Disciples mention before that female cultivators, upon reaching a certain level of cultivation, could perform "Severing the Red Dragon" — ending their monthly cycle to prevent the loss of Vital Energy.
It seemed many of the female disciples in the Verdant Wood Sect had not yet reached that level.
Seeing that Liu Yiyi had a large basin to wash all by herself, Chen Yang said with concern, "Let me help. Back home... I often helped my wife with chores like these."
Liu Yiyi's eyes went wide with surprise. "This — how could I possibly ask you to..."
"It's fine." Chen Yang had already crouched down, picked up a cloth stained with crimson, and began rinsing it skillfully in the stream.
In the days when he and Zhao Yanran had been close, he had indeed often helped his wife with such tasks — his hands remembered the motions perfectly.
Seeing how practiced his movements were, Liu Yiyi stopped protesting, though a flush of embarrassment still lingered on her cheeks, her face rosy red.
The two worked side by side at the stream's edge in silence, accompanied only by the babbling of the water and the sound of cloth being scrubbed.
Before they knew it, the basin was nearly done — only one last cloth remained at the bottom.
Chen Yang was about to reach for it when Liu Yiyi quickly stopped him.
"This — this one I'll wash myself," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, her face flushed crimson.
Chen Yang was puzzled. "Why? Did I not wash the others clean enough?"
Liu Yiyi lowered her head, her voice almost inaudible. "This one... is mine..."
Chen Yang froze, then immediately understood. He felt his own awkwardness rise, and quickly withdrew his hand and stood up. "Then — then I'll go look for the Moonlight Herb in the valley."
Liu Yiyi gave a small nod, not daring to look up at him, her ears burning red to the tips.
Chen Yang walked quickly into the valley, yet an inexplicable ripple stirred in his heart.
That shy expression, those downcast eyes — they suddenly reminded him of the early days of his marriage to Zhao Yanran, years ago.
Back then, his wife had also blushed so easily.