26. Redemption

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now the third day of the Lunar New Year.

During this time, the pawnshop remained closed. Xie An’s two apprentices, Han Li and He Chunli, stayed in the small cottage in his backyard, attending to his every need. It gave Xie An a brief, pleasant taste of what it felt like to be a "master."

Because He Chunli had a bruised backside, he was immobile while recovering. The two apprentices were not as lively as in previous years; they didn't go out to festivities or visit the lantern festival. Every year during the Spring Festival, the town held a lantern festival where many villagers from the countryside would flock to join the fun, releasing wish lanterns in the hope of a peaceful, joyful, and smooth year ahead. However, ever since Xie An acquired the Longevity Trait, he had lost interest in such mundane customs, becoming completely obsessed with grinding his health-cultivation techniques.

After three days of intense effort, Xie An’s Embryonic Breathing Technique finally showed signs of a breakthrough. This morning, while Han Li was busy preparing breakfast and He Chunli was resting on his pallet, Xie An was in his small side room practicing.

Xie An sat cross-legged, as steady and motionless as a Buddha. His mouth and nose were still, but his navel showed a faint rhythm, as if it were breathing on its own. As the navel continued to pulse, Xie An felt a sensation of heat, swelling, and a deep, pulsing numbness between his navel and his perineum, eventually giving rise to a hazy, ethereal flow of energy.

His navel was truly breathing.

Additionally, Xie An felt a spontaneous rhythm emanating from his Sea of Qi and his lower Dantian. He knew this was a sign that the final stage of the three-form technique, the "Navel-Perineum Form," was nearing perfection. Not daring to be careless, he continued to circulate his energy according to the mantras, intending to break through the barrier in one go.

I do not know how much time had passed—

*Hum.*

The passage for navel breathing opened completely. Xie An was instantly plunged into a profound state: his mouth and nose were sealed, and his navel was breathing. Although this breathing was slow, it made his body and mind feel incredibly comfortable, as if his physical form had undergone a kind of evolution.

A higher-level breathing method?

Xie An immediately opened his status panel.

【Embryonic Breathing Technique: Yin-Yang Union (0/100)】

"Finally, a breakthrough!"

Xie An let out a long breath, a look of immense satisfaction on his face. The difficulty of cultivating the Embryonic Breathing Technique was more than five times that of the Five-Animal Frolics. If not for the Longevity Trait, Xie An felt he might not have mastered the three-form technique even in three or five years, let alone getting started. If the Five-Animal Frolics were a simple math problem on a college entrance exam, the Embryonic Breathing Technique was the final, most difficult challenge. They were in completely different dimensions of difficulty. Even with the Longevity Trait and Tang Qingfeng’s exclusive medicinal prescriptions, it had taken him a full three to four months to barely enter the second stage of the Embryonic Breathing Technique. It was just too difficult...

After calming his excitement, Xie An hurriedly looked at the rest of the panel.

【Current Longevity Trait: Level 1!】
【Five-Animal Frolics: Internally Strengthening the Five Organs (5/100)】
【Embryonic Breathing Technique: Yin-Yang Union (0/100)】
【Remaining Lifespan: 30 Years】

"Four years of added lifespan!"

Xie An felt a sense of relief. On the surface, the first stage of the Embryonic Breathing Technique offered less of a lifespan boost than the initial mastery of the Five-Animal Frolics, which had added six years. But that was not the case; the further one progressed, the harder it was to extend one's life. The four years gained from the three-form technique were of higher quality than the initial breakthrough of the Five-Animal Frolics.

Furthermore, Xie An confirmed another piece of information: when practicing multiple health-cultivation techniques, their lifespan-extending effects could stack. This was undoubtedly thrilling news. After persisting in his cultivation for over half a year, he had already extended his life by thirty years. Compared to the frail, elderly man he once was, Xie An had undergone a fundamental transformation from the inside out.

The only regret was that the three-form technique provided no obvious boost to physical strength or speed. However, he felt that his stamina had improved significantly. For instance, he used to be able to draw a bow thirty times in a row, but now, thanks to the Embryonic Breathing Technique, he could manage forty. The Embryonic Breathing Technique was an internal practice; as his realm improved, there would surely be even greater surprises. Improving one's internal foundation was always slower than external training, but the long-term benefits were far greater.

Xie An warned himself not to be impatient. The real treasures were yet to come.

"Master, breakfast is ready," Han Li’s voice came from outside.

Xie An washed up and went out to eat. Perhaps Han Li knew he had been secretly practicing, as he had spent extra money on the meal, buying braised pork and braised duck—a rare and sumptuous feast. Xie An mused that Han Li was quite observant and thoughtful. He offered a word of praise and began to eat with gusto. After all, I’ve raised you for over a decade; can’t I enjoy a bit of the fruits of your labor?

"Master, have you been secretly practicing martial arts?" Han Li couldn't help but ask while refilling Xie An’s bowl. "I’ve noticed you looking younger and more robust lately, no longer as frail as you were before."

Xie An didn't hide anything. "I wouldn't call it martial arts, just practicing some health-cultivation techniques in my spare time. If you two are interested, I can transcribe the mantras for the Five-Animal Frolics for you to practice."

Han Li was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. He thought that if the techniques were so effective for his elderly master, they would surely be even more effective for someone young like himself. Xie An saw the thought in his eyes and knew he was overthinking it... but he didn't want to dampen Han Li’s confidence. After the meal, he transcribed a few thousand characters of the Five-Animal Frolics mantras for his two apprentices, gave them some brief guidance, and then headed out with his silver.

According to his prior agreement with Chunlan, Xie An was headed to the Li estate today to discuss his manumission with the Master and Mistress. Since nothing was certain yet, he hadn't told his apprentices, thinking it better to wait until it was finalized. Before heading to the Li estate, he specifically went to Wufangzhai to buy some high-end holiday snacks. He had learned from Chunlan that Mistress Li was fond of their pastries. Given how well she had treated him over the years, he wanted to bring a gift when asking for his freedom.

"Sigh, I could never bring myself to eat this expensive stuff," Xie An muttered, feeling a pang of heartache as he looked at the fancy packaging. But he reminded himself that if he succeeded in buying his freedom, he would become a legitimate, registered citizen of the Great Qian Empire, and he felt a sense of release.

Walking over the accumulated snow, he arrived at the Li estate early and saw Chunlan busy in the courtyard. Seeing Xie An, she knew his purpose and set down her work. "Master Xie, you're here early. Mistress Li is waiting inside. Oh, you even bought a gift for her? How thoughtful."

Xie An took out a package of pastries wrapped in exquisite mulberry paper and handed it to her. "This is a small token of my appreciation for you, Miss Chunlan."

Though Chunlan was the head maid of the Li household, she was still a servant who had sold her life. Life for a servant was hard, and they were usually extremely frugal. When they exchanged gifts for the New Year, it was usually something handmade to show goodwill. A servant as "generous" as Xie An was rare.

Chunlan was startled. "Master Xie, you are being too polite. These pastries from Wufangzhai are not cheap..."

Xie An smiled. "Miss Chunlan didn't look down on an old, dying man like me; you visited me and even gave me money. This small gift is nothing compared to your kindness. Please, do not refuse."

Generally, it was taboo for a maid to accept gifts. If reported to the masters, it could result in a reprimand or even a beating. However, it was the New Year, and since these were just pastries and not expensive valuables, it was reasonable to accept. Besides, Xie An was a man of fifty; it was hard for a junior to refuse a gift from an elder. There were benefits to being old.

"Master Xie is very kind. Wait for me a moment."

After weighing her options, Chunlan decided to accept. She took the pastries, trotted to her room to put them away, and then ran back out. "I'll take you to see Mistress Li."

Following behind her, Chunlan shared some inside information. "Regarding your manumission, the Master and Mistress have a disagreement over the price. The Mistress is willing to accept only one year's worth of wages, but the Master has a bigger appetite."

One year’s worth of wages was twenty taels. This was well within Xie An's budget, which showed that Mistress Li was quite kind. But the Master of the Li estate...

Xie An couldn't help but ask, "How big is the Master's appetite?"

Today, for the sake of his freedom, Xie An had brought all his savings—a full sixty taels. He prayed that the Master’s appetite wouldn't exceed that amount, or he would be in trouble.