She took the letter and opened it.
A letter from the Empress.
Bo Xi read.
Dear Niece,
I believe you now know about Qi. This information is strictly controlled by the nobility. Only after you raise your status will you be able to learn more.
A thousand years ago, some people suddenly began to sense an energy in the air. That energy is Qi. At first, it was extremely scarce.
As time passed, the amount of Qi in the world slowly increased. Some people can sense it easily, while others, no matter how hard they try, can never feel it.
Cultivating Qi increases one's lifespan and strengthens the body.
I have only given you the basics. The deeper techniques are tightly guarded. Along with this letter, I have also sent you a small gift. Burn this letter after you finish memorizing it.
Open the book titled Elephant Movement.
Be safe. Although I wish to read the letters you send me, do not write back. The situation is not optimistic. This may be my last letter to you.
If things become too serious, head toward the south.
The letter left Bo Xi unable to think.
She was in a world where Qi was recovering.Her aunt was in danger.She had enemies.
On the back of the letter, a technique was written in tiny characters. Bo Xi had to squint just to read it.
Head to the south? But I'm in the north… she thought.
Bo Xi carefully copied the technique onto another sheet of paper. She was so focused on writing each character clearly that she didn't pay much attention to the content.
After memorizing it, she burned the letter.
Then she finally read the copied technique.
Her face instantly turned red.
She was blushing hard.
The technique described the harmony of Yin and Yang, a dual cultivation method. A power-transferring technique that benefited both sides.
One could either transfer Qi to another person or draw Qi from them. Through Yin-Yang harmony, they absorbed Qi from the environment, circulated it through their bodies, and guided it into the dantian.
Bo Xi quickly put the paper into her space.
After calming down, she searched for the Elephant Movement book. The book had been hollowed out, and inside was a small pouch.
She opened it.
Inside were several strange-looking seeds and a small note.
The number of Qi plants is limited, so I cannot give you fully grown ones. The seeds contain some Qi as well, but it is very difficult to grow them. Even the lowest-grade Qi plants take at least ten years to mature, and the failure rate is extremely high. The longer you keep the seeds, the more power they will lose.
Qi plants… are these the spiritual plants from novels? Bo Xi thought, staring at the oddly shaped seeds.
Ignoring her aunt's warning completely, she went into the space, pulled out some cabbages and radishes she had grown, and planted the seeds in the soil. Then she lightly watered them with well water.
There were only six seeds.
Bo Xi noticed that the fake martial arts book, Elephant Movement, still had five intact pages at the back.
She read them.
They contained information about the ten most common Qi plants. Her aunt had even circled six of them, the same ones corresponding to the seeds.
Bo Xi tore out the pages and stored them in the space.
Then she went to sleep.
After such a shock, how could she possibly start cultivating immediately?
The next morning, she woke up early and brought food and a set of good clothes to Han Fei's house.
She was getting married tomorrow.
She gave Father Han the food, sweets, clothes, and the five taels as promised.
At Han Fei's house—
"Look at all this. You are lucky. You're going to have a scholar and rich wife," Father Han said with a wide smile, staring at the lard, meat, rice, and sweets.
He picked up the ready-made clothes.
Father Han looked at them with some pity. They were too big for his daughter, yet too small for Mother Han.
Han Fei remained silent.
Meanwhile, Bo Xi hurried back home. She made herself breakfast and opened the book titled Basic Qi Drawing in the Body.
She followed the instructions.
An hour passed.
Nothing happened.
She frowned.
Maybe drinking water will help.
She boiled some well water and slowly drank it, calming her mind.
Then she closed her eyes again.
This time, she sensed it.
A tiny strand of Qi.
She carefully guided it into her body. It was painful—like impurities being washed out.
Bo Xi suddenly coughed out black blood.
She opened her eyes. They faintly glowed.
Looking around, she saw only a pitiful amount of Qi scattered in the air.
Then an idea struck her.
Since only her mind could access the space, she entered it.
Inside, Qi was abundant.
She began drawing it into her body.
Bo Xi felt like she had won the lottery.
She laughed softly.
She slowly performed martial movements, using Qi to temper her body.
Soon, she was exhausted and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief.
Bo Xi sat down, drank the remaining boiled water, and calmed herself. Then she picked up her exam books and continued studying.
The day passed as usual.
But when night came, she couldn't sleep.
Tomorrow, she was getting married.
She sat up on the bed, feeling strangely anxious.
Her gaze drifted toward the drawer—toward the mirror, the accessories, and the clothes she had prepared for Han Fei.
Will he like it? she thought.
She lay back down, her mind filled with many thoughts, and finally drifted to sleep.
Bo Xi woke up early, even though she had slept late.
She combed her hair, tying it with a new, beautiful ribbon. Then she put on new clothes and shoes.
In a village where most people barely had enough to eat, wedding celebrations were held at the groom's house, with both families contributing money.
To make things look festive, Bo Xi pasted red papers around using sticky rice.
Then she took the carriage toward Han Fei's house.