Fairies Are Fierce

Chapter 20: Clueless

In early spring of February, the outskirts of the capital city were filled with blooming flowers, and within the ten-mile willow forest, the feeling of spring was particularly strong.

Zuo Lingquan arrived at Qihuang Valley with ease, entering through the door of the alchemy room without needing directions. He went straight to the bamboo forest behind Qihuang Valley.

After a busy day in the city, it was already evening when he arrived. There were more people in Qihuang Valley now, and he could see many young men and women dressed in Qihuang Valley attire walking up and down the grand circular building in the distance. A few people were practicing their skills on the open space outside the building.

Zuo Lingquan had been here once before and knew that the area over there was the collective dormitory for Qihuang Valley disciples. Wu Qingwan had arranged a single-person courtyard for him, but he didn't go there to socialize. After taking a few distant glances, he went deep into the bamboo forest.

The bamboo forest was quiet, and he could faintly hear the laughter of a few women. Zuo Lingquan walked through the small path and looked up. He could see lights already lit in the houses above the cliff.

He arrived at the foot of the cliff and was about to ask Junior Sister Xiaohua to inform Wu Qingwan when Wu Qingwan, who was above, had already noticed him. She leaned out from the edge of the cliff and said, "Lingquan, come up."

Wu Qingwan was still wearing a light green dress, but unlike yesterday, there was a strange smile at the corner of her eyes, and her gaze no longer carried a sense of distance. It was as if she was looking at a younger relative with more familiarity.

As the son-in-law, Zuo Lingquan naturally understood why Wu Qingwan looked at him with such eyes. He nodded in acknowledgment and climbed up the winding stone stairs beside the waterfall to the platform on the cliff.

The platform was carved out of the cliff and was neither big nor small. Apart from a wooden house, there were no other buildings.

The sun was setting, and the bamboo forest at the bottom of the cliff was already dark, but above the cliff, one could still see half of the red sun. The residual sunlight turned the splashing water droplets from the waterfall into a golden color, creating a dreamlike scene.

Zuo Lingquan stepped onto the stone platform and saw Wu Qingwan sitting on the edge of the cliff, her posture not formal but not lazy either. There was a pot of clear tea and two bamboo cups beside her. With the beautiful scenery behind her, she truly had the ethereal aura of a fairy from another world.

Zuo Lingquan had always admired cultivators and naturally held respect for this formidable expert he had encountered. He approached the vicinity of the stone platform calmly and greeted with a bow, "Senior Wu."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wu Qingwan.

When he came yesterday, Zuo Lingquan had only stood at the foot of the cliff and didn't look closely. Now, they were only three to five steps away from each other, and he could see this senior martial uncle of Qihuang Valley clearly. Her eyebrows were like willow leaves, her eyes like autumn water, and her bright red lips exuded the grace and charm that mature women should have. But the most noticeable thing was that her face was as white as sheep fat jade, and her skin was as delicate as a baby's, much cleaner than an ordinary person's.

This "cleanliness" was not just superficial; it was clean to the bone. There was not a speck of dust on her entire body, to the point where it made people feel that even the rouge and powder used for decoration would defile this purity. Applying makeup on this face would only become a flaw.

Zuo Lingquan was born into a wealthy family and had seen many beautiful women, but this "otherworldly" beauty was truly the first time he had encountered it. And what impressed him the most was this senior Wu...

So tall...

Zuo Lingquan himself had no intention of being disrespectful, but it was like a man being too tall, inevitably attracting attention when standing in a crowd. Wu Qingwan was wearing a relatively fitted dress, and her sitting posture caused the buttons on her clothes to strain, almost bursting open, making it difficult for people not to notice.

Zuo Lingquan only took a quick glance and realized that he had been impolite, so he quickly averted his unintentional gaze.

Wu Qingwan also had her eyes on Zuo Lingquan. Seeing him glance up and then look away, she thought this young boy was shy, and couldn't help but smile.

Wu Qingwan had been living in Qihuang Valley since she was six years old, so she didn't have much of the worldly air and didn't pay much attention to these social formalities. She raised her hand and patted the stone platform next to her.

"You are Jiang Yi's husband, we are family, there's no need to be so formal. Come and sit down."

Zuo Lingquan saw this and didn't hesitate. He sat down next to the stone platform, with a teapot between them.

"Senior Wu is really well-informed. I just became the husband this morning, and Senior Wu already knew."

"I am from the same hometown as Jiang Yi's mother, and we are also sisters. Jiang Yi calls me Auntie. I have been taking care of her since she was six years old. The matter of finding a husband, how could I not know? But I really didn't expect Jiang Yi to choose you as her husband so directly. Could it be that you two already had feelings for each other before?"

After pouring a cup of tea for Zuo Lingquan, Wu Qingwan looked at him with a hint of curiosity.

Zuo Lingquan shook his head. "We only met once on the evening of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. At that time, I didn't know her identity as a princess and unintentionally offended her. As for why the princess chose me as her husband, I really don't know."

Wu Qingwan thought that Zuo Lingquan didn't want to talk about these private matters of love, so she smiled and said, "You have great talent and a passion for cultivation, just like Jiang Yi. It's not surprising that she chose you. However, I am a little worried that she won't be able to catch up to you. How far have you progressed now?"

Zuo Lingquan held his teacup and thought that Wu Qingwan was asking about his relationship with the princess, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Uh... I was just chosen as the husband, so I haven't done anything yet."

??

Wu Qingwan seemed a bit confused, and after a moment, she finally understood. Her eyes showed a hint of annoyance, and she furrowed her brows.

"What are you thinking? I'm asking at what stage of cultivation you've reached."

"Cultivation?"

Zuo Lingquan has been practicing martial arts since he was young, focusing on fist and foot techniques. His understanding of cultivation mostly comes from storytellers. Faced with this question, he naturally hesitates. After thinking for a moment, he says:

"I have been pondering on my own since childhood and have never delved into cultivation. I don't know exactly how far I have progressed. Senior Wu, could you explain it to me first?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qingwan's expression shows confusion, clearly not understanding how Zuo Lingquan could have reached this point without even knowing what cultivation is.

However, there are geniuses in the world who are self-taught. After considering for a moment, Wu Qingwan earnestly answers:

"You should understand about acupoints, right?"

Zuo Lingquan, who practices martial arts, cannot be unaware of the acupoints in the human body. He nods and says:

"I understand."

"A practitioner, in simple terms, is someone who practices 'Qi Refining,' gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and refining it into their own True Qi. That's why cultivation is also called 'cultivating the truth.'

The first step of Qi Refining is to find a place in the body to store 'qi,' which is commonly referred to as the Qi Sea."

Wu Qingwan used to teach her disciples frequently, so she casually asks:

"Do you know where the Qi Sea is?"

Zuo Lingquan naturally points to his lower abdomen.

Wu Qingwan nods in satisfaction and continues:

"The Qi Sea acupoint is one of the twenty-four acupoints of the Conception Vessel. Once the Qi Sea is opened, it can be considered as a preliminary entry into the path of cultivation. Normal people, as long as they are not foolish, can complete this step by the age of nine."

Zuo Lingquan blinks his eyes, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Wu Qingwan never expected that Zuo Lingquan didn't even know the basics and thought he had some cultivation skills. Since she didn't explain these fundamental things in detail, she continues:

"The initial stage of Qi Refining for practitioners is to open the Ren and Du meridians. When these two meridians are fully opened, it forms a small circulation within the body, like a valley, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flows inward, until all eight meridians are fully opened, forming a perfect Grand Circulation. Therefore, cultivators after Qi Refining are called 'Linggu Realm' cultivators."

Zuo Lingquan heard about this yesterday when he came over and heard from the guide Wang Rui. He now nods slightly, understanding a little more.

"But cultivation is going against the natural order, easier said than done. To form a complete circulation within the body, one must first open all the acupoints of the Ren and Du meridians. The Ren meridian has twenty-four acupoints, and the Du meridian has twenty-eight, with twelve of them being potential bottlenecks. They are the 'Qi Sea, Spirit Gate, Jiuwei, Middle Courtyard, Purple Palace, and Xuanji' in the Ren meridian, and the 'Suspension Pivot, Supreme Yang, Lingtai, Divine Path, Wind Mansion, and Divine Courtyard' in the Du meridian."

When Wu Qingwan reaches this point, she looks at Zuo Lingquan and asks:

"Do you know about these twelve stages?"

Zuo Lingquan naturally points to his lower abdomen.

Wu Qingwan nods in satisfaction and continues:

"The Qi Sea acupoint is one of the twenty-four acupoints of the Conception Vessel. Once the Qi Sea is opened, it can be considered as a preliminary entry into the path of cultivation. Normal people, as long as they are not foolish, can complete this step by the age of nine."

Zuo Lingquan blinks his eyes, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Wu Qingwan never expected that Zuo Lingquan didn't even know the basics and thought he had some cultivation skills. Since she didn't explain these fundamental things in detail, she continues:

"The initial stage of Qi Refining for practitioners is to open the Ren and Du meridians. When these two meridians are fully opened, it forms a small circulation within the body, like a valley, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flows inward, until all eight meridians are fully opened, forming a perfect Grand Circulation. Therefore, cultivators after Qi Refining are called 'Linggu Realm' cultivators."

Zuo Lingquan heard about this yesterday when he came over and heard from the guide Wang Rui. He now nods slightly, understanding a little more.

"But cultivation is going against the natural order, easier said than done. To form a complete circulation within the body, one must first open all the acupoints of the Ren and Du meridians. The Ren meridian has twenty-four acupoints, and the Du meridian has twenty-eight, with twelve of them being potential bottlenecks. They are the 'Qi Sea, Spirit Gate, Jiuwei, Middle Courtyard, Purple Palace, and Xuanji' in the Ren meridian, and the 'Suspension Pivot, Supreme Yang, Lingtai, Divine Path, Wind Mansion, and Divine Courtyard' in the Du meridian."

When Wu Qingwan reaches this point, she looks at Zuo Lingquan:

"These twelve stages, each one passed, will make the cultivator stronger. When reaching the seventh stage, True Qi can be manifested externally, which is what is known as 'sword qi' in the martial world.

Normal cultivators start practicing at the age of six. If they practice diligently and smoothly, they can pass one stage every three years, which is considered good talent. Jiang Yi belongs to the category of exceptional talent. She reached the fifth stage, 'Purple Palace,' at the age of fifteen, only taking nine years. Unfortunately, she has been delayed in recent years. If you can surpass Jiang Yi, your cultivation should be at least at the sixth stage, 'Xuanji,' right?"

"Xuanji..."

Zuo Lingquan listens with confusion. Faced with Wu Qingwan's expectant gaze, he feels a bit embarrassed to speak.

After waiting for a while, Wu Qingwan sees that Zuo Lingquan remains silent and her eyes show surprise:

"Could it be that you have already reached the seventh stage of Qi Refining?"

"..."

"Eighth stage?"

"..."

"Ninth?"

"..."

Wu Qingwan sits up straight, somewhat incredulous:

"I have been cultivating for over thirty years and have only reached the twelfth stage of Qi Refining, 'Divine Courtyard.' Don't tell me you are almost catching up to me!"

Zuo Lingquan can't keep up the act anymore. He picks up his teacup, takes a sip, and awkwardly smiles:

"Well... when I was six years old, I wanted to start practicing, so my family brought in an expert to examine my bones. They said my meridians were naturally blocked and I couldn't cultivate, so... I haven't opened a single acupoint."

(End of this chapter)