Chapter 34: Blood Refining, Basic Soldier Blood Refining Technique, and Visualization Diagram!

"He-ge, have you really been promoted to a military household?"

Steam filled the room as Xia He finished his bath. Bare-chested, he took the hot towel from Li Huilan and gently wiped the beads of water from his skin. Seeing her small, delicate face slightly agape with shock, he couldn't help but offer a gentle smile.

"It is absolutely true," Xia He said softly.

He had merely told Li Huilan that he had performed a meritorious service and was promoted as an exception, but he kept the specific details to himself. Yet, his wife had already guessed something. Recently, rumors had been swirling in the town that the "barbarians" were coming. The slaughter of the village by the barbarians could not be hidden, and many residents still had relatives among the victims.

Though she was happy that Xia He had achieved success, she was deeply worried for his safety. The thought of him risking his life—and the fear of what would become of her if he were to meet with disaster—filled her with dread. She couldn't help but hug him tightly, as if doing so could keep him by her side forever and shield him from harm.

Sensing his wife's heartfelt attachment, Xia He felt a wave of bittersweet tenderness. He gently stroked her back, soothing her with a soft voice: "Don't worry. I will protect myself; I will never let myself fall into danger." His words were firm and powerful, intended to bring a shred of comfort to the trembling woman in his arms. Only then did Li Huilan look up, nodding slightly with a pitiful, endearing expression.

"By the way, I'm a bit hungry. Bring me some of that cooked wild boar meat; let's have a late-night snack."

"Alright, I've left your clean clothes here." Li Huilan turned and headed for the kitchen.

On the dinner table sat a bamboo basket full of steamed white buns, along with some pickled radishes bought from the market. The wild boar meat went without saying; his wife had a natural talent for cooking. Xia He grabbed a pork knuckle and began to gnaw on it.

"He-ge, eat slowly, don't choke," Li Huilan urged from the side. Anyone who ate this meat knew it was different from ordinary fare. She usually felt full after just a few bites, but Xia He could polish off several pounds in a single sitting!

"I have to eat my fill. How else am I supposed to work?" Xia He, his mouth covered in grease, suddenly noticed his wife's face flushing red. "Hmm?"

"Bad man, you only ever think of 'tossing' me around after you've finished eating..."

Li Huilan stood up and walked toward the bedroom, leaving behind an alluring and fiery silhouette. Only then did Xia He realize his wife had misunderstood his intentions.

***

"Does Lan'er think of herself as the 'work'?" He felt a mix of laughter and frustration.

This wild boar meat was a treasure; after consuming and absorbing it, he could gain attribute points. That was why Xia He ate it whenever he had the chance. Instead of getting fat, his physique was becoming increasingly robust and solid.

"If I consume this meat and combine it with the 'Blood Salt,' will I be able to cultivate blood-qi soon?"

"Furthermore, the bloodstains in town were linked to the martial arts hall. Now that Kong Hu is dead, the situation should improve, right?" Killing Kong Hu could be considered a virtuous deed, ridding the town of a menace.

After eating, Xia He went into the courtyard. Seeing no one around, he pulled a roll of parchment from his tunic. He had hidden the piece of Golden Silk Blood Salt he brought back in a box under his bed, but this martial arts manual he had taken from the barbarian was truly wicked.

[Blood Refining: Blood Fiend Technique]

"Can this thing actually produce blood-qi?" The memory of that Wolf Guard, whose body had been split open yet still lunged at him like a starving wolf, sent a chill down his spine.

Xia He hesitated. Cultivation was a serious matter; if one lost their sanity in the process, the gain would not be worth the loss.

"Forget it. Now that I'm a military household, I can exchange for a basic blood-refining manual at the military camp." Of course, it would cost money. He couldn't openly spend the three hundred taels of silver notes he had taken from Kong Hu; he would have to wait for the official reward from the imperial court. Thus, he put the barbarian's manual away.

The following days proceeded in a routine, back and forth between the camp and his home. Since that day's pursuit, the barbarians had vanished without a trace. Though the Thousand-Man Commander had ordered the mountain search to continue, that pack of Wolf Guards seemed to have truly retreated. The woman from the brothel, whom Old Zhou's son had brought back, had also disappeared.

"Xiao He, I will take this beast to surrender myself. I won't let you be put in a difficult position," said Old Zhou, who looked at least a decade older, his eyes bloodshot. Xia He quickly stopped him.

"Old Zhou, don't be hasty. In my view, that woman wouldn't leave so easily. If she dares to return, she must be observing the situation. If we hand him over now, we'll surely startle the snake, and we'll never find her again. It's better to wait a few more days."

Old Zhou thought it over and let out a heavy sigh, saying no more. He had only this one son, and who would have thought he would be so useless as to almost become a spy for the Southern Barbarians? Holding himself together these past few days had been his absolute limit.

Finally, on the fifth day, the reward money for the slaying of the Southern Barbarians was delivered.

***

The silver had barely warmed in his hand before it was all spent.

"The Great Qin's most basic blood-refining manual, exactly thirty taels of silver?" Xia He’s mouth twitched. Could it really be such a coincidence?

[Blood Refining: Basic Soldier’s Blood Refining Technique]

The name was plain and unremarkable. Similar to the "Basic Soldier’s Manual," this basic blood-refining technique was something every Great Qin military household possessed.

"Kid, this basic blood-refining manual of ours doesn't really depend on talent or bone structure; it's suitable for everyone. It relies on the 'grinding' method—you can't rush it," the commander in charge of the exchange said, recognizing him. He patted Xia He on the shoulder with a smile. "You're only twenty. If you can become a Blood Refining martial artist before you're thirty, your future is boundless!"

Seeing the look of admiration on the man's face, Xia He thought, *Ten or eight years... you've got to be joking.*

He took the manual out of the camp, found a secluded spot, and silently took out the barbarian's "Blood Fiend Technique" again.

"It seems I have no choice but to practice it. No one has ten years to wait."

In four days, he had managed to accumulate another attribute point. Since the basic manual was a slow-grinding process, he might as well study this Blood Fiend Technique. By combining the two, perhaps he could accelerate his cultivation?

Back in his courtyard, he focused his attention and opened the basic manual. Before long:

[Skill: Blood Refining - Basic Soldier’s Blood Refining Technique (Not Initiated)]

To practice this, one had to first reach proficiency in the breathing methods and stance training of the basic soldier's manual. The manual was not a martial arts book in the way he expected; it was merely a diagram! As he stared at it, he suddenly noticed chaotic fluorescent lines lighting up on the pages. They were stacked and overlapped, forming a very strange pattern.

"So the specific movements of the blood-refining technique rely on visualization?"

He finally understood. It wasn't that the technique didn't require talent—it was that it required *too much* of it. Most people had such poor talent that they could only interpret it as a "slow-grinding" process.

"No wonder it requires the assistance of Blood Salt. Without it, forcing the practice would take a toll on the mind."