The Iiser
777 Words
Xiao Yi regulated his breathing, adjusting his qi. As he deliberately manipulated his internal energy, it was as if hundreds of small mice were scurrying through his meridians, activated by the warming and meridian-clearing properties of the medicine. Under the guidance of the Xuan Yi True Classic, the medicine's effects swept away the blockages in Xiao Yi's body like a forceful gale.
After ten breaths, Xiao Yi opened his eyes abruptly, quickly got out of bed, and rushed into the bathroom, where he unfastened his pants and relieved himself profusely.
To his satisfaction, Xiao Yi found that his body was now coated with a layer of dirty, grayish substance, like ash or wax, thick and greasy, emitting an unpleasant odor.
"This is the impurity of this body, part of it is expelled through the digestive tract, and the other part is eliminated through the skin. After a few more times, the meridians will be completely unobstructed," Xiao Yi muttered to himself.
After relieving himself, Xiao Yi took a thorough hot bath, washing away all the dirt from his body.
Afterward, he got back into bed, sat cross-legged, and continued his cultivation practice.
This time, with fewer blockages in the meridians, his qi flowed smoothly. The warming medicine he had taken earlier propelled the unobstructed qi, continuously strengthening Xiao Yi's meridians.
At this moment, Xiao Yi felt as if countless ants and mice were gnawing at him, causing excruciating pain. Moreover, beneath his skin, waves of surging movement were visible to the naked eye, and as they passed, blood droplets even seeped out of his skin.
However, Xiao Yi remained motionless, not even furrowing his brow. In the world of cultivation, such physical suffering was just the first step.
It wasn't until the first light of dawn that Xiao Yi slowly opened his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, his eyes lit up.
"I thought the first time practicing cultivation would at most reach the early stage of the human level, but unexpectedly, I've reached the middle stage of the human level. It seems that being a virgin is indeed important for the cultivation period. Not bad!" Xiao Yi said, satisfied, as he pushed open the door and entered the front hall.
He saw the short and stout Old Qin bending over, examining the remains of Xiao Yi's medicine from last night, holding a pen and continuously taking notes.
Hearing Xiao Yi's footsteps, Old Qin irritably lifted his eyelid and said while recording, "Last night, you used two taels of ginseng, one tael of atractylodes, three taels of radix... a total of sixteen herbs. You'd better not resign this year; even one less day of work can't make up for my loss."
"Come and have breakfast!" Qin Xiaoyue called out at the right moment, helping Xiao Yi out of the situation.
Xiao Yi sat down, imitating Xiaoyue's mannerisms and making a funny face, which made Xiaoyue giggle.
Old Qin sat down at the table, grumbling, and took a big bite of a fried dough stick.
"Dad, I have classes all day today, so you two will have to take care of your own meals," Qin Xiaoyue instructed.
"Naturally, this guy will cook! Do you expect the boss to cook for his employees?" Old Qin said, showing his teeth and glaring.
Xiaoyue and Xiao Yi exchanged glances and smiled at each other.
"Hey, am I dead? Flirting right in front of me? Xiao Yi, I seriously warn you not to mess with our Xiaoyue," Old Qin said, tapping the table with his chopsticks and staring.
"Dad, what are you saying? Sheesh, I'm not eating anymore." Qin Xiaoyue's face turned red with embarrassment, pretending to be angry, and quickly left with her backpack.
"Stubborn girl, always going out," Old Qin said, finishing the last bowl of soy milk and burping, then standing up.
After a careful breakfast, Xiao Yi cleaned up the dishes, moved a chair, and sat down opposite Old Qin.
With no patients in the clinic, the two just sat there, looking at each other. Xiao Yi silently adjusted his qi and began to cultivate the Xuan Yi True Classic. With Xiao Yi's temperament, even in a bustling market, it wouldn't affect his cultivation.
After Old Qin had read the newspaper several times over, it was already past ten. Old Qin anxiously stood up, looked outside the clinic, and then stood in front of Xiao Yi, hands on hips, and said, "I say, are you reciting Buddha here? So young, and you're acting like an old man of seventy or eighty. The whole morning, you haven't moved from your spot."
Xiao Yi slowly collected his energy and opened
- Writer
