Days turned to pages on the calendar. As the twelfth lunar month arrived, the bitter, biting winds began to howl. Zhuiyue huddled inside her thick cotton-padded jacket, keeping warm by the stove while tending to the Young Master as he sipped lamb rib soup on the heated brick bed. Chen Yi stood on the floor, medical texts in hand, reciting passages aloud to explain them to the Young Master. In reality, he was committing them to his own memory as well; over these past two months, his progress in medical knowledge had far outpaced his martial arts training.
Within the room, Chen Yi wore only a form-fitting training suit beneath a light coat. In the past, this weather would have surely frozen him through, but now that he had mastered the basics of his Stance Skill, as long as the faint trace of power within him remained, he could direct it with his mind to stimulate his flesh and blood. This kept him from fearing the cold, at least while indoors, sparing him from having to bundle up in overly cumbersome layers.
Of course, were he outdoors, an ordinary martial artist who had just begun to cultivate Qi and Blood Power could only endure such cold for about an hour before their internal reserves were spent, forcing them to find other ways to keep warm. Unless one had pushed their Qi and Blood Power to its peak—reaching the stage where it flowed like a rainbow—it was impossible to sustain such heat indefinitely. Yet, that level of mastery in external martial arts was even rarer than the legendary Martial Xiantian; it had become a thing of myths in the current martial world, with no living practitioners to be found.
Because Chen Yi also practiced the Longevity Skill, his Qi and Blood Power, though still subtle, was remarkably persistent. He had been training in the Longevity Skill for twenty days now, and he could feel the meridians throughout his limbs and bones becoming more supple. His breathing had grown lighter, the congestion in his chest had cleared, and his body felt significantly more resilient than before. This day-by-day transformation, while seemingly minute, was reshaping his very foundation—the most critical part of his being. The Purple-Gold Fate he possessed meant that persistent, daily effort would surely yield results; and it was not just the final outcome that was promised, but a harvest to be reaped each and every day.
Some time ago, word had come by letter that the Young Lady seemed to have located a Supreme Snow Lotus, only to be tracked by a powerful expert. Old Master Gong Quanhui had taken two disciples at the Hua Jin stage to meet her. With the heavy snows falling recently, the mountain passes were likely blocked, and there had been no news of how things were progressing. However, for masters of Hua Jin, scaling walls and leaping across eaves was a trivial matter. For people from Liaodong, where winter lasted four or five months of the year, the Old Master and the Young Lady should be able to handle themselves.
Zhuiyue had gossiped about these things while watching Chen Yi help her with her chores. Chen Yi heard them but let the information pass, never taking it to heart or having any intention of spreading it. He knew well that trouble comes from the tongue.
A few days later, it was the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the day the people of Liaodong celebrated the "Little New Year." The masters had not yet returned, but according to the traditions of the Gong Family, the pharmacy was to boil a massive pot of premium Bone-Strengthening Broth to reward the martial disciples and the guards. Chen Yi, having already paid his monthly fee of one tael of silver, hoped to exchange it for a bowl of the soup. He had already consumed four bowls previously, and each time, his Qi and Blood Power showed a marked increase—roughly, for every bowl he drank, he could perform his Stance Skill training one extra time every five days. He was now just a fraction away from being able to complete his Stance Skill practice twice a day.
He craved this fifth bowl, especially since it was the premium variety. However, Zhuiyue was currently going through her monthly cycle, and the bitter cold kept her from wanting to move, so Chen Yi had to try his luck on his own. In truth, he was not yet an official martial disciple and technically lacked the qualifications to purchase the Bone-Strengthening Broth, especially the premium batch. Fortunately, he had already become a familiar face to Senior Brother Wu Li, who ran the pharmacy.
In the sub-zero temperatures, the massive pot billowed with white steam. Behind it stood a line of dozens of hot-blooded teenagers, all dressed in thin clothing, yet laughing and chatting as if the freezing wind hitting their backs did not exist. Chen Yi, bundled tightly in his cotton coat, stood out from the crowd. Young fools had plenty of internal fire to burn, but this was a wasteful way to use it. The others were merely showing off their Qi and Blood Power, acting as if they were unbothered by the cold; if anyone’s face paled, they would feel disgraced. Chen Yi was not so competitive; he treasured his internal energy, knowing that it was better spent standing in his stance back in his room.
As the others tossed their meal tokens or silver into the tray and walked away with their bowls, the line dwindled until only two or three people stood before Chen Yi. He wondered if Senior Brother Wu Li would be willing to sell him a portion since Zhuiyue hadn't come in person. Just then, peering through the steam rising from the pot, Chen Yi noticed that Senior Brother Wu Li’s complexion seemed off. As the line moved forward and Chen Yi got a better look, he saw the short, round Senior Brother Wu Li shifting his weight from foot to foot, glancing anxiously at the length of the line, and ladling the soup with increasing haste, his brow furrowed deeper with every movement.
"Senior Brother Wu, I notice your nostrils are ashen and your lips are pale. Are you suffering from a chill in your stomach?"
"Eh? Chen Yi? You can tell? I indulged in something cold last night and I've already had to run to the latrine three times today. I can barely hold it in anymore, and why are there still so many people left!"
"Senior Brother, go quickly. I’ll watch the pot for you. You can have some ginger tea after you're finished."
"You? Do you know how to manage the fire and decoct the medicine?"
"For the Bone-Strengthening Broth, the Rehmannia, Eucommia, and Achyranthes are paired with animal bones. It requires medium heat so the soup heats evenly. Given the intensity of the wind today, it needs to be stirred constantly to ensure the ingredients roll evenly at the bottom of the pot."
"Heh? Not a single word off! Not bad, not bad at all. No wonder the Young Master’s medical skills have improved so rapidly; you’re quite talented as a study companion. Here, take the ladle. Don’t just stir—go ahead and distribute the portions to the others for me. I’ll be back soon."
Wu Li was short and plump, but under the pressure of urgency, he moved faster than a rabbit. Chen Yi took the ladle, thought for a moment, and stood behind the pot. He began to stir the broth with measured strokes, ensuring that when he served the others, the liquid was neither the clear broth from the top nor the thick concentrate from the very bottom. The doubtful gazes of those in line faded, replaced by nods of satisfaction; this young boy was far more steady than his appearance suggested.
Because Chen Yi was dressed warmly, he didn't mind the cold. He took this opportunity to occasionally scoop up the ingredients from the bottom to observe them, verifying his own theories. About a quarter of an hour later, with only a few people left in line, Senior Brother Wu Li scurried back. Seeing Chen Yi’s technique in boiling and ladling the soup, he didn’t rush to take over, but instead offered guidance from the side:
"I added five-year-old Angelica to the pot today and replaced the dog bone with a sliver of tiger bone, so the effect should be much better. When you stir, make sure the ingredients stay submerged to properly extract the medicinal properties."
So that was it—Angelica and tiger bone... Chen Yi understood. At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he conceived a more suitable way to improve the Bone-Strengthening Broth. Of course, this method would only suit his own physical state, and it didn't seem particularly expensive, either.
After the crowd dispersed, Chen Yi returned the ladle to Wu Li. Wu Li took it and thanked him:
"Chen Yi, thanks to you, otherwise I would have surely soiled my trousers today. Tell you what, don't use a bowl. I have a small flask here; I’ll fill it for you to take back. It’ll be enough for four or five days. But keep this between us, understand?"
Chen Yi hadn't expected such a surprise and had no chance to refuse as he watched Senior Brother Wu fill the small iron flask with the thick, medicinal broth. Chen Yi thought for a moment, then dropped the tael of silver he had prepared into the tray. He then opened his sleeves and pockets—both inner and outer—to show they were empty, signaling he hadn't taken any extra soup beyond his share. He thanked Wu Li once more, then loosened his coat to tuck the small iron flask securely against his body before heading toward his room.
He hadn't needed to say a word to explain his actions, but his gestures made Wu Li’s expression soften. "This child is truly thoughtful, and he has such a gift for medicine. It's a waste to keep him as a servant."