Chapter 24: I Don't Eat Meat

Cheng Yu looked at Luo Xuan with some surprise and said, "Are you really planning to take him as a guard?""Not in a hurry." Luo Xuan shook her head with a smile. "Let's give each other a chance to see if he's qualified. When he comes looking, we'll see how he performs. If his improvement next month meets my requirements, why not cultivate him? Besides, it can also affect Fang Yong. Killing two birds with one stone."

"His luck is really good. For a country bumpkin to gain your attention and cultivation is a blessing he's accumulated over several lifetimes." Cheng Yu chuckled lightly. "If he knew about this, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Given his current situation, without your cultivation, Miss Luo, he'd probably have to return to his mountain village next year. His whole life would just be like that. If others found out about the cultivation opportunity, they'd be beating their chests in frustration."

After pausing, Cheng Yu suddenly asked curiously, "But how do you plan to give him a way out?"

Hearing this, Luo Xuan smiled and took out a handkerchief, saying, "This."

"How do you use this?" Cheng Yu was puzzled.

Luo Xuan stood at an intersection and waited for a moment until Jiang Man's figure appeared from another intersection. Only then did she release the handkerchief in her hand, letting it fall, while Luo Xuan quickly left with Cheng Yu.

Only after secretly observing Jiang Man pick up the handkerchief did Cheng Yu say admiringly, "It can be done like that? Doesn't that mean he'll come looking soon to return the handkerchief? The subsequent cultivation matter will follow naturally. The way out has been given, he just needs to follow it down."

Luo Xuan nodded slightly with a smile and said, "Let's go. He'll come looking by tomorrow at the latest. We'll see if he can pass my test."

At this moment, Jiang Man stood in place, looking at the handkerchief in his hand. He had just seen Luo Xuan and the other person, so he naturally knew it was theirs. Especially since it had the character "Xuan" on it. There was no question about who the owner was.

But the other party had already stopped asking him to be a sparring partner. Specifically returning it would be quite troublesome.

Jiang Man looked around, originally planning to just put it somewhere. A handkerchief - if the other person lost it, they lost it. Would anyone really return it? It wasn't like they were from poor families who couldn't afford to buy another.

However, just as he was about to put down the handkerchief, he suddenly saw Song Qing. The other person had been sparring with him these past two days. He was quite decent.

At this moment, he looked worried and unhappy. Giving him the handkerchief to remember someone by would be fine.

Thus, Jiang Man called out to him. After explaining the general situation, he handed over the item.

Song Qing, who received the handkerchief, looked at Jiang Man gratefully. He found that Jiang Man was truly a good person - he had provoked Jiang Man and couldn't even defeat him. He thought there was no possibility of recommendation anymore. But this handkerchief... wasn't this giving him a chance to return it to the other party, giving him an interview opportunity?

"I'm leaving." Then Jiang Man walked away.

Song Qing felt moved in his heart. He put away the handkerchief and quickly left.

Returning to the stable, Jiang Man felt that Song Qing's expression wasn't normal. Would he really go return it? Jiang Man shook his head.

He stopped thinking about these things and, after eating a lot of food, began cultivating the Blood Qi Method. This time it was external cultivation, improving his own blood energy and strengthening his physical body level.

Spiritual energy stimulated blood energy, circulating through a complete cycle. As the blood energy resonated with his body, some blood energy within his body was refined and integrated into his flesh, blood, and bones.

Blood energy entered the flesh, opening the first gourd. First level of physical body.

Then he began accumulating. It went very smoothly and quickly.

Afterwards, Jiang Man continued circulating. But after just ten cycles, he felt hungry. Extremely hungry, to the point of almost fainting from hunger.

Not daring to delay, he immediately took out his stored meat and ate it all. However, the more he ate, the hungrier he became. He simply couldn't withstand it. After finishing, he only felt somewhat relieved.

Then he immediately ate half of his stored grain. Only then did the hunger stop.

This level of hunger left Jiang Man somewhat stunned and bewildered. How could he be this hungry?

Then he checked the blood gourd - it was less than one-tenth full. And this would make him this hungry? He had spent three hundred spirit sources on food and ate one hundred fifty in one meal?

"You cultivated how many cycles? Eating this much?" Old Yellow Ox who came over looked puzzled.

"Ten cycles." Jiang Man answered truthfully. He hadn't expected to be this hungry either.

Hearing this, Old Yellow Ox frowned and said, "What level is your Blood Qi Method at?"

Jiang Man looked at him and said, "Can't Brother Ox tell?"

Old Yellow Ox fell silent. Ninth level Blood Qi Method, ninth level Qi Refinement Method. How exactly was he cultivating? It didn't ask. The answer would be natural talent. There was no meaning to asking.

"Ninth level Blood Qi Method improves quickly, but consumes quickly too." Old Yellow Ox said, "Someone like you should best buy some specially raised beast meat."

Jiang Man thought for a moment and said, "I did ask - three hundred spirit sources per pound. I have over nine hundred left now, at most three pounds."

"It would be good if spirit sources were easy to earn." Old Yellow Ox said casually.

Jiang Man fell silent. If spirit sources were this easy to earn, he wouldn't have specifically mentioned the price. He had good luck to earn one thousand three hundred in a month. Now although his cultivation had improved somewhat, spirit sources were still not easy to earn. But if he didn't earn them, it wouldn't work. It seemed he still needed to find Manager Miao. Otherwise, he definitely couldn't reach the sixth level of Qi Refinement in two months.

Out of curiosity, Jiang Man asked Old Yellow Ox if it knew how to earn spirit sources. The answer he got was that it didn't eat meat.

Jiang Man: "......"

Finally, he went to the resource department and purchased special beast meat. Three pounds.

After eating it, he indeed felt his blood energy boiling and began cultivating the Blood Qi Method. Cycle after cycle.

After forty cycles, the gourd had already reached half full. So fast. But he was hungry again.

Another pound went down, and he cultivated until dawn. After fifty cycles, the gourd was filled.

When the third pound went down, after cultivating ten cycles, he opened the second gourd in one go. Second level of physical body.

Only then did Jiang Man breathe a sigh of relief. He had spent nearly one thousand spirit sources.

Now he could improve his cultivation, but Jiang Man wasn't in a hurry. He would first fill three gourds with blood energy. Tonight he would use spiritual energy to earn spirit sources. He didn't know what his base price was now.

During the day, Jiang Man followed his routine. After studying, he cultivated. However, during sparring, Song Qing seemed somewhat absent-minded, not knowing what he was thinking about.

In the evening, Luo Xuan led the way as they left. Jiang Man also went to the guard station to inquire about prices.

On the other side, Song Qing spent the whole day mentally preparing himself, finally gathering his courage and heading toward Luo Xuan's residence. He had mentally rehearsed hundreds of times in his heart, understanding what to say and how to act to secure an opportunity to stay.

At Luo Xuan's residence, Cheng Yu sat by the table resting her chin on her hand: "Why hasn't this Jiang Man come yet?"

"Not in a hurry. He needs to think it through after all." Luo Xuan said calmly while eating pastries. "After he thinks it through, he'll naturally come."

"He doesn't know how many people envy him. For Miss Luo to take a liking to him and give him a chance is a heavenly opportunity for him." Cheng Yu said.

Luo Xuan didn't pay attention, instead quietly cultivating. She didn't plan to waste time.

After a moment, the door was knocked.

Cheng Yu immediately jumped up and said, "He's here! Let me see how he'll thank Miss Luo."

Then, she quickly came to the main door and opened it. But the moment the door opened, she saw a man kneeling on one knee, bowing his head and speaking respectfully: "Miss Luo, I'm willing to serve you as your loyal dog."