Martial King's Retired Life

… What? Don’t look at me.

I obviously couldn’t see what Yan Jiangnan was doing, though it was most likely stumbling around in shock at the cauldrons of herbs.

“I don’t remember there being a doctor at the base. Who would be preparing herbs? Granny Lianhua is also here… This is the building for injured personnel.” Once he did a lap to confirm there was nobody else, Yan Jiangnan resumed mumbling, “There’s nobody around. This is a good opportunity to train.”

Yan Jiangnan sat cross-legged back on his bed, hands face up on his lap and shut his eyes. The internal discipline’s mental cultivation he practiced was the one I taught him.

The goal of the mental cultivation I created was to delete one’s skills, damage their meridians, then recollect the residue energy to restore what was deleted via the original route. If one practiced it alongside Yijin Jing and Spring Wind Rainy Night’s mental cultivation, it was easy to complete that goal. To achieve the goal with only external help, however, would be more than twice as difficult.

I remember them hiding manuals, many of which discussed the idea of meridians that differed drastically from the Central Plain’s views, back at Divine Moon Cult. Even though I never practiced them, I understood their described viewpoints. Still, it took me half a month and every ounce of energy to complete the discipline.

Though Yan Jiangnan wasn’t an annoying character, he was an eyesore. After all, he seduced his sister-in-law and then tried to kill his brother, but he lacked the guts to follow through. His timidness and indecisiveness, nonetheless, made him an easy target for my threats. I even contemplated if choosing his brother over him might’ve been the better choice. Either way, the dice had been cast already. Now that I taught him how to surpass his former self, I had him at my beck and call.

While Yan Jiangnan spent the next four hours practicing, I hid in the passageway to wait for my hair to dry. Following a long exhale, he opened his eyes and effused, “It’s only been a few hours. I can’t believe my progress rate. This internal discipline is incredible.” Though his voice was soft, he was audibly healthier compared to when he first woke up.

Yan Jiangnan never actually lost all of his internal energy; I merely dispersed it so that he would perceive it as so. Now that he unblocked the blocks I made him install himself, his internal energy started to flow back into his dantian again. Despite the discipline’s function, I did give him a way to improve slightly. Howbeit, combined with the suddenness, the three factors gave him the impression that he just grew at an exponential rate.

Following a short silence, Yan Jiangnan wrathfully mumbled, “Hmph, I don’t know if I can trust that old freak or not…”

Old freak? Did Yan Jiangnan come here on someone’s orders and then put on a show to use my handsome looks and genius mind for some shameless evil?

“He has Fiends’ Genesis in the palm of his hands. Judging from his incredible tactics, he’s definitely a notorious demon.”

There’s someone so dangerous around here? That… does sound somewhat familiar, though…

“Resurrecting the dead.”

Hmm? That’s me, isn’t it? I’m going to off you sooner or later!

“He might not be lying, though…” Yan Jiangnan’s tone changed. “Cuilian, I will bring you back no matter obstacles lie ahead of me. I won’t have any regrets no matter what price I must pay. If I can’t bring you back… I’ll go keep you company.”

I held my hand over my chest. It itched my conscience to con a man like Yan Jiangnan.

He sounds like he does have a heart, after all. Should I tell him the truth?

“But that old freak is too dangerous. I should keep a backup plan to stab him in the back…”

… I’m going to off you by the end of today!

I didn’t know what Yan Jiangnan was going to do after he stood up, but I commanded, “Freeze,” consequently making him shudder so hard that he nearly threw out his lower back. I bet he was looking left, right, up and down with his pallor face right now. As soon as he touched his ears, I said, “Yes, I’m talking to you.”

Yan Jiangnan gasped as he leapt back onto his bed. “Eld-Eld-Eld-Elder, I-I-I-…”

“’I what?” I snorted through my nose. “You are planning to stab me in the back?”

“N-n-n-no, I just had a slip of the tongue because, uh, um, because…” As he replied, Yan Jiangnan tried to search for my location futilely.

“Searching for me? You think you can find me at your level?”

“Ar-are you using the legendary Voice Transmission? Y-you truly are…”

I chortled. “You deserve to die for your disrespect. Howbeit, I made a deal with you. I’m not going to stoop down to your level and back out. With that said, your disloyalty is courting death. Hehe, what makes you think I can’t kill you?”

Yan Jiangnan jumped onto his knees to kowtow nice and loudly in every direction whilst repeating, “Please forgive me! Please forgive me!”

The moment Yan Jiangnan had his back to me, I lightly moved the floorboard to stealthily creep out and strolled over to the bed with my hands behind my back.

“Please forgive me on account of me still being useful t-, ah!” Yan Jiangnan panted as if he’d seen a ghost, looking into my eyes as if he as looking at a god. “What qinggong was that? That was incredible.”

I tugged up a corner of my lips – you know, the way a true adept would.

The show served to make Yan Jiangnan revere me even more. Henceforth, he would never think about double crossing me again.