"Demons are actually [Essence Treasures]?"

"Or rather, the flesh of demons is also considered a type of [Essence Treasure]!?"

Li Xian, being quite astute, immediately guessed the situation upon seeing this.

Back then, when Madam summoned him, it wasn't out of concern for the casualties at the nursing home, but to confirm the clues related to the 'demon.'

Thereafter, she dispatched Pang Long and Li Xian to leave the manor together to collect the overdue rent. The 'Beast-Driving Bell' Pang Long took was probably fake; it should have been the 'Beast-Attracting Bell.'

Yet, this Snow Demon Monkey is extremely clever, highly sensitive to danger, and does not show itself.

Presumably... during that outing, Madam was also following behind.

Until today, with such a massive snowstorm, Madam sending Li Xian to purchase rouge was again to serve as bait.

To lure the Snow Demon Monkey to appear.

Currently, the strong wind and heavy snow could serve as a cover, making it difficult for the Snow Demon Monkey to detect her presence.

As for why it's "Li Xian."

Fearing that the Snow Demon Monkey possesses another characteristic called 'narrow-mindedness.' Any [Human Food] it missed, if given another chance, it would definitely come back for.

That's precisely what happened with Feng Huo.

And this, Madam Wen had long known, hence using Li Xian as bait.

"So, in this case..."

"The speed of the Snow Demon Monkey in the snow, not even Madam can catch up with it."

"Otherwise, why the need for luring."

Li Xian speculated about Madam's strength privately.

"You, not bad."

"If you don't want to freeze to death, then keep up."

A voice drifted over ethereally, amidst the constant howling of the wind and snow, yet this voice could be heard clearly.

Li Xian brought his thoughts back.

That Madam was walking several yards ahead and had never looked at Li Xian from beginning to end. Li Xian, in order not to lose his way, followed closely.

In the wind and snow, a faint fragrance could be detected.

Li Xian lowered his head as he hurried on, the fire in his heart burning more vigorously. He wants to become strong, strong enough to control his own fate!

Today, he served as bait.

It was unavoidable.

In the future, if possible, he does not wish to experience it a second time.

...

...

Inside Yihetang Manor.

"So, it was like this."

Pang Long let out a long sigh, bringing Li Xian a pot of hot tea.

What was burning in the stove was Xiangyang Charcoal, significant for its ability to ward off the cold, gradually restoring sensation to Li Xian's frozen stiff limbs.

After drinking a sip of hot tea, he was almost completely recovered.

Pang Long saw that the charcoal had burned out, so he added a few more pieces.

He already knew of the experience in the snow, patted Li Xian on the shoulder, and said, "Being able to come back alive this time is a good thing. Don't think too much, someone like Madam..."

He seemed to want to say something but didn't.

"I understand everything."

Li Xian held the hot tea, his expression calm.

Thinking of Madam as a kindhearted living bodhisattva would be a grave misunderstanding.

Such a person who established such severe manor rules could never be ordinary.

"But Commander Pang, could it be that 'Essence Food' refers to the blood and flesh of demons?" Li Xian took the opportunity to ask, "In this case, to martial artists, isn't a demon not a threat, but a treasure instead?"

"Yes... but not entirely." Pang Long frowned; Li Xian, being a C-class nursing home member, was not qualified to inquire about such matters.

But after consideration, Pang Long still said, "It can only be considered 'inferior Essence Food.'"

"The blood and flesh on demons often contain toxicity, and if used as 'Essence Food,' it needs to be cooked with high heat to refine and eliminate the toxins."

"The world is vast, and wonders never cease. The superior [Essence Treasures] are born of heaven and earth, yet obtaining even a single bite of such treasures is extremely difficult for people like us."

"The taste... is even harder to describe."

"Demons also regard humans as food. Many reborn Martial Artists eventually die at the hands of demons. They kill and eat each other... more akin to natural enemies."

Upon saying this, Pang Long felt a sense of anticipation.

He had once been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a true [Essence Treasure].

"Commander Pang, when walking in the wind and snow just now, Inner Qi circulated through the channels, resisting the cold with an effect several times greater than clothing." Li Xian inquired, "If I could achieve Qi Circulation, wouldn't I be unafraid of the cold?"

"Not necessarily." Pang Long shook his head and said, "Though Qi Circulation can indeed enhance cold resistance, being exposed to the wind and snow for an extended period is still not advisable."

"Moreover, within the world, there are many peculiar climates, like an abyss somewhere where snow falls ceaselessly for a thousand years, filled with an intensely cold aura."

"In such places, even reborn Martial Artists entering would be frozen into ice sculptures."

Li Xian said, "I constantly hear you mention Qi Circulation... but I don't know what Qi Circulation is. Commander Pang, could you explain it?"

At that moment, the snow danced outside the house.

Having narrowly escaped death, Li Xian was even more eager to improve his strength, and naturally wouldn't miss this good opportunity to inquire further from Pang Long.

He asked the doubts that had accumulated in his heart over time.

These questions seemed like common sense but were often hard to clarify, relying on chance and the mood of those of higher status.

Even Pang Long was quite tight-lipped in this regard; whenever he was asked about such matters, he would always hold back, only revealing glimpses of what he knew.

After all, these insights he had painstakingly gleaned bit by bit from others and then organized and summarized them.

"The so-called Qi Circulation..."

Pang Long stood up, seeing that Li Xian had achieved merits for the Madam, he was inclined to impart some knowledge, considering it as a form of compensation.

He gave a slight tremor of his body, and a thin layer of white membrane appeared on his skin, which disappeared instantly as he said, "The human body has a total of 361 acupoints."

"Starting from the Dantian, the Inner Qi moves like threads, circling through the acupoints. As long as the Inner Qi is continuous, undispersed, not sinking, nor empty, and forms a loop, it is considered 'Qi Circulation'."

"For ordinary Martial Artists, reaching this level means they can lock their Qi-blood. The decline in Qi-blood is greatly slowed."

"The lifespan in Martial Arts... thus extends longer."

"Men at the age of twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and women at the age of thirty-one or thirty-two are at the peak of Qi-blood. Before reaching this peak, if they cannot attain the 'Qi Circulation' realm,"

"the Qi-blood will deplete more year by year, and without a fortuitous encounter, the Martial Arts path comes to an end."

All these fall under the category of the Initial Realm of Martial Arts, known as the "Mud Embryo Realm."

"I was twenty-nine, barely reaching Qi Circulation."

"So, keep training hard in Martial Arts. You have good talent. If you persist, you might reach my achievements."

Pang Long laughed.

"Qi Circulation... When you reach this level of attainment, though you're still just a 'Mud Embryo', your energy, Qi-blood, and recovery power are already far superior to others."

Li Xian listened intently, forgetting to drink his tea, "How to achieve Great Success, is it just through training martial arts and accumulating Inner Qi?"

"Yes and no..." Pang Long's thick eyebrows furrowed as he pondered for a moment before saying:

"This is quite difficult to say. Like the children of aristocratic families, with abundant resources, their eating, nurturing, training, and bathing regimen in a month accomplishes what our year of hard training does."

"For such people... only mastering three to five basic martial arts to the minor achievement is enough to reach Qi Circulation."

"Or some are born as Martial Arts prodigies, while we are born as mud embryos. But they are not; they are Copper Embryo, Silver Embryo, Golden Embryo, Jade Embryo, Phoenix Embryo, Dragon Embryo... How can one compete with them?"

Speaking of this, Pang Long drank his tea like wine in one gulp, sighing, "Sometimes, the difference between people is greater than that between a person and a pig."

Pang Long looked at Li Xian, "Just referring to you, boy. You have potential for great things."

"Surviving through dangers twice, look at you, always so calm. You... if you were born into a good fate, who knows, maybe you really are a flying dragon."

"But ah, if fate isn't good, who can you blame?"

"Still, it's not bad now, solid and disciplined, you are A-class material."

Li Xian wasn't concerned, asking, "Commander Pang, with your experience, about how long would it take to achieve Qi Circulation?"

Pang Long glanced at him, "A Martial Artist should avoid aiming too high."

"Not to mention others, just speaking of myself. Before achieving Qi Circulation, I only practiced basic martial arts."

"Two Great Successes, three Minor Achievements, five masteries; I probably learned ten martial arts. The accumulated Inner Qi was barely enough for Qi Circulation."

"Ten martial arts... The first martial art, it took me three years to practice to Great Success, it was a fist technique."

"Then, drawing inferences from that, I quickly progressed in practicing basic fist techniques. Within a year, I achieved minor success in one fist technique and mastery in another."

"Thereafter, diligencing without cease, by the ninth year, achieving one Great Success, four Minor Achievements, and five masteries. Yet, I still couldn't achieve Qi Circulation. So I took the risk, training myself brutally."

"Finally, advancing another fist technique to Great Success, I achieved Qi Circulation and locked the Qi-blood."

...

"I see..." Li Xian nodded secretly, "So that's how it is."

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