The next day.
Jiang Yuechu, uncharacteristically, didn't wake up early.
It was late morning when she stretched lazily and sat up from her bed.
Just as she was wondering whether to go to The Department to clock in, a gentle knock sounded at her courtyard gate.
"Lord Jiang, Lord Wei ordered this subordinate to deliver some items."
Jiang Yuechu shuffled over in her slippers and opened the door.
Outside, Wei He's personal guard respectfully held a wooden box.
"Thank you."
Jiang Yuechu reached out and took it. The personal guard bowed and then turned to leave without a single unnecessary word.
She carried the wooden box back to the main hall and casually placed it on the table.
She opened the lid.
Three thread-bound ancient books lay quietly inside.
Jiang Yuechu picked up the topmost one. Its pages were yellowed, and five large characters were written on the cover in a bold, flowing script.
Golden Lion Overlord Saber.
She casually flipped through it. The book was filled with densely packed tiny characters, accompanied by some obscure and difficult-to-understand human meridian diagrams.
Can't understand it... She picked up the other two books.
Yin-Yang Horizontal Hand.
Spring-loaded Leg Shrinking the Ground.
She couldn't understand those either.
Jiang Yuechu lined up the three books on the stone table, not rushing to the Dusi.
Now that she was a Heaven Character Camp Brigade Commander, no one would dare say much even if she arrived half a day late.
She closed her eyes and immersed her mind in her thoughts.
"Let's add one point to each first, to see their quality."
[Thirty-five years of Dao Cultivation consumed. Golden Lion Overlord Saber has reached Elementary.]
It worked.
Jiang Yuechu's heart stirred. Indeed, with her Yin Method Heaven Bestowal, cultivating saber techniques consumed far less Dao Cultivation than ordinary martial arts.
She didn't pause, her thoughts moving again.
"Infuse, Yin-Yang Horizontal Hand."
[Eighty years of Dao Cultivation consumed. Yin-Yang Horizontal Hand has reached Elementary.]
"Infuse, Spring-loaded Leg Shrinking the Ground."
[One hundred sixty years of Dao Cultivation consumed. Spring-loaded Leg Shrinking the Ground has reached Elementary.]
Hiss—
Even though she was prepared, Jiang Yuechu couldn't help but grimace.
This movement technique alone cost one hundred sixty years of Dao Cultivation just to reach Elementary.
Presumably, this was also because she had never seriously cultivated movement martial arts before. Starting from a blank slate naturally required more effort.
A total of two hundred seventy-five years of Dao Cultivation, just like that, gone.
However, when the Profound Truths of those three Cultivation Techniques surged into her mind like a tide, that pang of regret vanished.
Jiang Yuechu slowly opened her eyes and stood up.
She picked up the horizontal saber from the back of the chair and slowly struck an opening stance.
Unlike the Tiger Roar Demon Suppressing Saber, the saber force of this Golden Lion Overlord Saber was heavier and more absolute.
This saber technique had only one saber and two forms, but it was supplemented by ten entirely different methods of applying force.
Once the saber was drawn, it was like burning one's boats, with no retreat, seemingly possessing the might to face ten thousand men.
Jiang Yuechu silently felt the circulation of Qi and blood within her body, understanding that this saber technique was indeed more exquisite than the Tiger Roar Demon Suppressing Saber by more than one level.
She sheathed her saber and then tried to execute a move from the Yin-Yang Horizontal Hand.
A palm strike pushed out, seemingly slow and unremarkable, yet wherever the palm wind passed, the air seemed to become somewhat viscous.
Broad and expansive, treating light as heavy.
Finally, there was the Spring-loaded Leg Shrinking the Ground.
With a thought, she exerted a slight force with her foot.
Her entire body felt as if it was suddenly pushed forward by an invisible force. Her figure swayed, and she was already in the courtyard.
She landed silently, like a ghost.
Her steps were like springs, shrinking the ground to an inch.
Jiang Yuechu stood in the center of the courtyard, letting out a long, turbid breath.
Now, she had a saber for close combat, as well as a fist technique. Her movement technique shortcoming had also been remedied, and coupled with the Water Control Divine Ability she had acquired earlier, she could engage enemies from a distance.
Thus, she finally had the appearance of a somewhat well-rounded warrior.
Jiang Yuechu sat down on a stone stool in the courtyard and fell into contemplation.
[Dao Cultivation: Four hundred six years]
She still had four hundred six years of Dao Cultivation left.
Four hundred-plus years sounded like a lot.
But she was already at Core Formation, and these three Cultivation Techniques were all Core Formation Realm martial arts.
Just reaching Elementary had cost over two hundred seventy years.
Presumably, subsequent improvements would only be more exaggerated.
"Sigh..."
She sighed.
Poverty, it truly was a damn illness.
In her previous life, she lacked money; now, she lacked Dao Cultivation.
"Can't I just get some kind of check-in System..."
She muttered a complaint, then thought about it and decided to add to the saber technique first.
"Infuse, Golden Lion Overlord Saber."
[Sixty-one years of Dao Cultivation consumed. Golden Lion Overlord Saber has reached Proficient.]
[One hundred thirty-three years of Dao Cultivation consumed. Golden Lion Overlord Saber has reached Minor Achievement.]
[Two hundred ten years of Dao Cultivation consumed. Golden Lion Overlord Saber has reached Major Achievement.]
[Insufficient Dao Cultivation, unable to continue infusion.]
[Dao Cultivation: Two years]
"…"
Not enough Dao Cultivation... She irritably scratched her hair, feeling a headache coming on.
Now she had a large household and several Demons waiting to be fed, each one a massive money pit.
She rested her chin on her hand, looking out towards the courtyard gate, somewhat lost in thought.
Heh... If only some blind fool would come and provoke me, how wonderful that would be... Liangzhou Prefecture, Qian Family.
As one of the prominent wealthy families in Liangzhou Prefecture, the Qian Family's residence occupied almost half a street.
As a member of the Qian Family, one could at least live a worry-free life in the Region of Liangzhou, no problem.
But the Qian Family's Second Young Master, Qian Shaoyou, didn't think so.
He felt that his recent life had been very unsatisfactory.
"Bang!"
A fine blue and white porcelain vase was smashed to pieces on the ground by him.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Qian Shaoyou pointed at the few cowering servants in front of him, cursing, "What's the use of keeping you? You can't even deliver a gift! You can't even see the person!"
A middle-aged man who looked like a steward quickly stepped forward, smiling apologetically, "Second Young Master, please calm your anger, calm your anger... We really can't get through the Demon Suppression Division's gate. Those black-skinned guards at the entrance are like living Yama Kings..."
"Get out!"
Qian Shaoyou kicked him away, his chest heaving violently.
He paced restlessly in the room, his mind filled with that dark, mysterious figure.
Ever since that fleeting glimpse on the street that day, he had never been able to forget her.
Qian Shaoyou had lived for twenty years, what kind of woman hadn't he seen?
Gentle and demure young ladies from prominent families, enchanting and seductive courtesans from brothels—as long as he crooked his finger, which one wouldn't throw herself into his arms?
But this woman... the gold, silver, and jewels he sent were returned untouched.
The people he sent couldn't even get past the Demon Suppression Division's gate.
"Brigade Commander..."
Qian Shaoyou gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with gloom and unwillingness.
But although the other party was a woman, she was already a Sixth-Rank Langjiang of the Demon Suppression Division.
In terms of both status and strength, he couldn't even begin to approach her.
Just as he was fuming, the door to the room was pushed open from outside.
A young man dressed in brocade, with a face somewhat similar to his but appearing more composed, walked in with a frown.
"Big Brother."
Qian Shaoyou's anger froze on his face, and he quickly reined it in a bit.
The newcomer was none other than the Qian Family's Eldest Young Master, Qian Boyong.
Qian Boyong glanced at the shattered porcelain on the floor, then swept his gaze over the cowering servants, his brows furrowing.
"What's all this noise early in the morning?"
"N-nothing..."
Qian Shaoyou stammered, his eyes darting away.
"Is it about a woman again?"
"…"
Seeing him tacitly admit it, a faint, almost imperceptible look of disgust flashed in Qian Boyong's eyes.
Useless.
Making such a fuss at home over a woman, what kind of decorum was that?
However... that's good.
Such a good-for-nothing would pose no threat to him in the future.
Thinking this, Qian Boyong couldn't be bothered to intervene further and turned to leave.
After taking two steps, he stopped again, as if remembering something. He was still somewhat curious and casually asked the steward beside him.
"Which young lady is it?"
The steward's body trembled, and he stammered, unable to speak for a long time.
"…"
Qian Boyong's face darkened, and he said coldly, "Are you mute?"
"N-no... no..."
The steward shivered in fright and quickly said, "It's... it's that Miss Jiang... the one who's been most prominent in the city recently."
"Miss Jiang?" Qian Boyong frowned slightly, "Which Miss Jiang?"
"It's... it's the one from the Demon Suppression Division..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qian Boyong's expression suddenly changed.