“My Young Miss is just too kind-hearted. If it weren't for her unfortunate fate, how happy would she be right now?” Xiao Cui said with a pained expression.
That cursed destiny had truly brought suffering to her Young Miss.
“Let’s go, we’ll go over and help.”
Zhuang Buzhou smiled and walked directly towards the porridge stall.
“Captain Zhuang.”
“Captain Zhuang is here.”
The people around also saw Zhuang Buzhou, and their eyes showed respect as they greeted him one by one. Zhuang Buzhou also smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Young Miss.”
Xiao Cui called out.
Li Yueru heard the commotion and suddenly turned her head. A playful breeze, seemingly from nowhere, gently lifted the veil she wore, revealing a nearly perfect face with a faint smile.
The natural purity in that smile instantly made Zhuang Buzhou’s heart pound uncontrollably.
Suddenly, it was as if something had taken residence in his heart.
“Searching for her a thousand times in dreams, a Look back smile reveals the true nature.”
A thought naturally surfaced in Zhuang Buzhou’s mind.
At this moment, he was truly moved.
As Zhuang Buzhou saw her, Li Yueru also saw Zhuang Buzhou standing beside Xiao Cui at the first instant. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, seemingly with some confusion and astonishment.
She was not unfamiliar with Zhuang Buzhou. When Hong Gu took her portrait, she also gave her Zhuang Buzhou’s portrait. She had seen it several times before, and his appearance was already imprinted in her mind, impossible to forget.
A blush involuntarily appeared on her face.
However, her eyes did not shy away, naturally meeting Zhuang Buzhou’s gaze. Her eyes remained clear throughout.
Eyes are the windows to the soul, and this glance seemed to allow both to see into each other’s hearts. That instantaneous heart-pounding and astonishment were all reflected in their eyes.
“Young Miss!!”
Xiao Cui’s untimely call broke the moment.
The two who had been gazing at each other simultaneously looked away.
“Yueru greets Young Master Zhuang.” Although Li Yueru was shy, she still behaved gracefully and appropriately, bowing slightly to Zhuang Buzhou.
“Young Miss Yueru’s charitable act of distributing porridge is what I, Zhuang, have presumptuously interrupted. As I am currently free, joining Young Miss in distributing porridge can be considered an apology.” Zhuang Buzhou said with a smile. Since he felt a connection, he did not avoid it, stepping forward openly, hoping for more interaction and communication with her.
“Thank you, Young Master Zhuang.”
Li Yueru did not refuse, nodding in agreement. After all, she was not an ordinary young girl.
“Don’t call me Young Master. I am not a Young Master from a wealthy family. The County Magistrate is your uncle, so you’re not an outsider. Just call me Zhuang Dage.” Zhuang Buzhou said with a smile.
“Then don’t call me Young Miss either, just call me Yueru.”
Li Yueru said after a slight blush appeared on her face.
“Yueru!”
“Zhuang Dage!!”
The two called out to each other, then their gazes met, and they smiled slightly. Neither said much. They naturally walked towards the porridge stall.
The surrounding commoners were all familiar with Zhuang Buzhou. While greeting him, they also more consciously lined up. With Zhuang Buzhou’s addition, the speed of porridge distribution significantly increased. During this process, Li Yueru and Zhuang Buzhou occasionally exchanged glances, then smiled at each other, and an inexplicable tacit agreement emerged between them.
Time passed quickly. Before long, the long queue in front of the porridge stall had disappeared.
“Yueru, the lotus flowers in Clear Lotus Lake have bloomed. This season is perfect for boating and flower viewing. How about we go boating?” Zhuang Buzhou suggested. Since they had met, distributing porridge was just a convenient act; he naturally needed to find opportunities for more contact.
“Okay, of course, we can. I went once when I was little; the lotus flowers in Clear Lotus Lake are very beautiful.”
Li Yueru smiled and nodded, agreeing.
After they had settled on the plan, they didn’t hesitate. They left the porridge stall for others to clean up, and the two, accompanied by Xiao Cui, went to Clear Lotus Lake.
In the lake, lotus flowers bloomed in vibrant beauty. Occasionally, frogs leaped onto lotus leaves and into the water, creating ripples. Carp leaped out, and a small boat floated on the lake. Zhuang Buzhou and Li Yueru were in it, like immortal companions in a painting, picturesque and poetic.
They only returned at noon.
Watching Li Yueru and her maid Xiao Cui get into the carriage and return to the county yamen, Zhuang Buzhou gazed after them for a long time before sighing, “She is indeed a good match. She is well-educated, graceful, gentle, and amiable, making it difficult to feel any ill will towards her. Moreover, that destiny seems to truly have no significant impact on me. I just don’t know if it’s currently without impact, or if the power of the destiny hasn’t manifested because a formal status hasn’t been established.”
He had forgotten to observe Li Yueru’s lifespan earlier; perhaps there would have been an unexpected discovery. However, these were minor matters, and he could easily observe it the next time they met.
Seeing that it was getting late.
Zhuang Buzhou did not hesitate. He went to a nearby market, bought a large carp, cut two catties of mutton, and filled a pot with wine. Returning to his residence, he skillfully lit the stove fire and added dry wood. He then went to the well to draw water, grabbed the carp, picked up a cleaver, and tapped its head with the blunt side. The force was just right, knocking it unconscious directly.
He cut open its belly, cleaned out the internal organs, scraped off the scales, removed the gills, and then, with a flick of his wrist, made several cuts on the fish’s body.
He chopped garlic and ginger, directly stuffing them into the fish’s belly, and sprinkled salt. He placed it in a steamer and boiled water in the pot. He steamed it over high heat.
He did all of this with great skill.
He was not some rich Young Master. Even before his Transmigration, he knew how to cook and liked to do things himself. He lacked none of the basic life skills. After coming here, he had no qualms about the saying that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.
Food is the paramount need of the people; the world is vast, but filling one’s stomach is the most important thing.
Moreover, this place was not like his previous life, where resources were abundant. In this era, resources were scarce, and eating out in restaurants was much more expensive than cooking at home. Going out once or twice was fine, but going daily would incur significant expenses. To save money, he mostly chose to cook at home. After all these years, the dishes he made were definitely not inferior to the top chefs in those large restaurants.
They were perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Furthermore, in this era, many things had not yet been developed, such as various seasonings and ingredients. For the sake of good food, Zhuang Buzhou often went to the wilderness to gather some Materials and make them into corresponding seasonings.
With these seasonings, cooking naturally became more delicious.
Before long, a fragrant aroma filled the air. He opened the steamer, sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions, and the entire steamed carp immediately became even more enticing.
After enjoying a delicious lunch.
He came under the pear tree, took out his tea set, boiled water, and brewed a pot of qingyun tea, which emitted a unique fragrance, forming a cloud of mist that lingered. Inhaling the tea aroma, his mind unconsciously gradually calmed down. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
“The Spiritual Root has Awakened. Next is Cultivation. For Cultivation Technique, I have the Congenital Qi Refining Method, which can solve the Cultivation Technique problem. This is a Cultivation Technique passed down from ancient times. Although it’s a bit tricky to Cultivate, if one can continuously evolve it, it will eventually become a unique Cultivation Technique belonging solely to me, with infinite potential. It’s worth trying. What suits oneself is the strongest.”
Zhuang Buzhou mused to himself.
The Congenital Qi Refining Method has been passed down for hundreds of millions of years, and there is a reason for it. According to the Record of Cultivation World Oddities, many top-tier Cultivation Techniques in the world actually evolved from the Congenital Qi Refining Method. Its prospects are quite considerable.
He also intended to follow the path of the Congenital Qi Refining Method.
As long as there is Opportunity, one can completely reach the heavens with this one method and continue to Cultivate.
Next is the Spiritual Root. The existence of the Nine Orifices Exquisite Heart gives him more possibilities. Nine accompanying Spiritual Roots—this is something no Cultivator can imagine. Currently, only the space-time gourd and the book of contracts have been integrated. Seven more can be integrated, so the selection must be very careful. Once chosen, they cannot be changed, as they will perfectly integrate with the Nine Orifices Exquisite Heart, becoming one.
Although he had a Breakthrough this time, he hadn’t truly begun Cultivation yet. He had only Awakened his Spiritual Root.
But Awakening the Spiritual Root has already opened a great door to Cultivation.
“It’s time to start Cultivation. Once I fully grasp the Innate Realm cultivation, I should go and explore the Red Chamber. According to the Record of Cultivation World Oddities, oddities are divided into many types. Some oddities have predictable patterns; their existence and methods of action have certain regularities, and even adhere to certain rules. As long as the rules are found, one can often avert danger. The Red Chamber seems to have no harm for those who do not enter it, but it cannot be 100% confirmed. Before that, the higher I can raise my cultivation, the better.”
After pondering, Zhuang Buzhou had made his decision.
Once the Congenital Qi Refining Method begins, it cannot be stopped within a Realm. Cultivating it means truly staying in the Innate Realm for ten years. For these ten years, no matter how high your talent or how profound your accumulation, ten years means ten years. Not a year less, not a day shorter. It’s even more stubborn than a mudslide, more unyielding than a rock.
Currently, this is the only Cultivation Technique he can Cultivate; it is a choice without a choice.
“The beginning of all things originates from Chaos. At the dawn of heaven and earth, it is born Innate. A single Qi pervades all.”
“From nothingness, one Qi is born; from one Qi, Yin and Yang evolve.”
The general outline of the Congenital Qi Refining Method immediately appeared in his mind. This general outline was profoundly mysterious yet easy to understand. The most important part of it was a visualization diagram. That visualization diagram was called the Congenital True Qi Dao Embryo Diagram.
In this visualization diagram, there was nothing else but a gray, hazy egg. It looked just like the Chaos placenta that nurtured Chaos gods and demons in the Chaos. On the surface of the egg, mysterious Dao patterns emerged, incredibly divine. It made one feel that the egg was not merely an egg, but various forms: at one moment it felt like a bell, at another a cauldron, at another a sword, a saber, or a diagram.
This egg is the dao embryo.
The Congenital True Qi Dao Embryo Diagram is very mysterious. The egg is the original form. After cultivating the dao embryo, you can, based on your own insights, condense and sublimate your own unique dao embryo.