Chapter 54: The Day of Foundation Establishment Is Tonight!

Chapter 54: The Day of Foundation Establishment is Tonight!

The next day.

Two carriages, one large and one small, departed from the gates of the Prince Fu Estate.

The large carriage carried the Princess Consort and the young prince, while the small carriage held two accompanying maidservants, one of whom was Yulan.

Yu Xian rode at the very front on horseback, with four estate guards following closely behind the carriages.

Recalling how the Princess Consort had deliberately kept her distance from him and feigned cold indifference upon departure, old Eunuch Li felt profoundly gratified, wearing the expression of a man who had finally lived up to the trust placed in him by the late prince.

Yu Xian almost failed to hold back a laugh.

This old eunuch, who had never experienced worldly romance in his entire life, knew nothing of how, for women at times, playing hard to get simply meant wanting it all the more.

His strategy of advancing by retreating had long since placed him in an invincible position.

On the contrary, he should thank Eunuch Li for inadvertently breaking the tension between them; otherwise, the Princess Consort would still be harboring dreams of eloping with him into seclusion.

To him, the Princess Consort was like a delicious piece of White Rabbit creamy candy—tasting very sweet when consumed occasionally, but becoming cloying and sticky if eaten constantly.

Now, deliberately maintaining distance suited his intentions perfectly.

Swishing his riding crop leisurely, Yu Xian led the procession with a rhythmic clip-clop all the way out of the capital city and toward the Glazed Temple in the suburbs.

The Glazed Temple had existed since the very founding of the Yue State.

The temple's first abbot had once been a fierce warrior who followed the founding Emperor Taizu of Yue, rendering distinguished military service in the establishment of the nation.

Later on, he purportedly achieved sudden enlightenment and saw through the illusions of the mortal world, shaving his head to become a monk. Mindful of his merits, Emperor Taizu bestowed numerous rewards upon him.

Coupled with the royal favor of successive subsequent emperors, the once small temple spanning merely dozens of mu had now grown into a sprawling grand Buddhist complex occupying an entire mountain, boasting ten thousand acres of fertile fields, eight hundred monks, and a million believers.

With Eunuch Li having sent word in advance, and backed by the prestige of the Prince Fu Estate, the moment their carriages reached the foot of the mountain, a welcoming monk came out to greet them.

The entire party walked up the mountain on foot.

Along the way, the welcoming monk introduced the scenic spots of the Glazed Temple and recounted its history and culture, ensuring the journey was far from boring.

Upon reaching the temple gates, right in front of the welcoming monk, Yu Xian dropped three thousand taels of incense money into the merit box, causing the monk's smile to become even more sincere and enthusiastic.

The abbot himself also came out to offer a greeting.

Although the young prince's title as Prince Fu was currently little more than a mascot, he remained a genuine member of the imperial clan, whom the reigning emperor himself had to address as an elder cousin.

His status was still exceptionally high.

The abbot was an elderly monk whose eyebrows were longer than his beard. Somewhat plump in build, he looked prosperous and benevolent, smiling just like a Maitreya Buddha.

Yet Yu Xian could perceive that the vital energy within the abbot was condensed yet unscattered; seemingly superficial, it was actually concentrated at a single point. He must have practiced techniques of nurturing breath and storing essence, capable of bursting forth with vital energy in an instant.

Smiling amicably, the abbot escorted the party to their guest quarters, expounded on the scriptures for a while, and instructed a young novice monk to stand by at all times before taking his leave.

Having walked quite a distance up the mountain, the group rested in the guest quarters.

At noon, the monks served vegetarian meals. The culinary skills were commendable, though the portions were rather meager. It remained a mystery how the old abbot managed to grow so plump on such fare.

In the afternoon, Yu Xian accompanied the Princess Consort and the others to admire the chrysanthemums on the back mountain.

Chrysanthemums bloomed across the fields in a golden expanse, resembling a golden carpet laid over the earth, while the air was rich with a fragrant aroma.

Yet someone present lacked any appreciation for romance.

Wielding a picked-up wooden stick, the young prince stood in the fields with his hands on his hips like a mighty general, then brandished it with a few fierce swings, instantly decapitating a third of an acre of flowers.

Before long, he was captured by the frustrated Princess Consort who had nowhere to vent her grievances, pinned across her lap, and firmly spanked a few times.

This only provoked her son's mockery, however, as he proudly declared that his mother's hands lacked strength and his bottom didn't hurt at all.

Furious, the Princess Consort grabbed a stick and chased the wailing young prince all around the fields.

Witnessing this scene, Yulan nestled in Yu Xian's arms, laughing so hard she could not straighten her back.

Amidst the playful bickering of the group, time slipped away quickly.

In the end, Yu Xian gave the local temple guards twenty taels of silver as compensation for the chrysanthemums ravaged by the young prince.

Dinner was once again vegetarian fare, entirely devoid of oil or grease.

The young prince, who had never been able to live without meat, took a few bites before throwing a tantrum to go home. He was promptly silenced when Yu Xian magically produced some spiced braised meat from nowhere, chewing so vigorously that his jaw grew sore.

The Glazed Temple offered night illuminations for viewing, but everyone was exhausted from the day's activities and decided to wait until the next day.

In the guest quarters.

Yulan and Yu Xian stayed in the middle room.

Of the two adjoining rooms on either side, one was occupied by the Princess Consort, while the other housed the maidservant sleeping alongside the young prince—an arrangement designed to make it convenient for Yu Xian to keep watch over them.

As for the four estate guards brought along, since they were merely there to make up numbers, under certain instructions, they were all quartered in much more remote locations.

Night gradually deepened.

Yet the Princess Consort lay tossing and turning on her bed, unable to fall asleep.

She felt as though countless ants were crawling all over her body.

The Princess Consort had originally thought she could endure it; after all, when the late prince was still alive, he would not visit her chambers for two or three months at a time.

Yet now, after only a few days, she felt as though she were going mad.

Who knew how much time had passed.

The sounds from the adjoining room finally subsided.

The Princess Consort let out a heavy sigh of relief, figuring she would finally be able to sleep now.

Yet after dozing for a short while, sleep still eluded her.

Finally,

she bolted upright from the bed, threw on a robe, quietly opened her door, poked her head out, and looked left and right to confirm no one was around.

Only then did she tiptoe lightly over to the neighboring room.

With a gentle push, the door was actually unlocked!

"Elder sister?"

Hearing the sound, Yulan shyly pulled the quilt up to cover her chest, recognizing the visitor by the faint moonlight.

"Hush!"

Yulan placed a finger to her lips, speaking in an extremely hushed voice:

"Elder sister, make no sound. Husband is practicing his martial arts."

Wrapped in the quilt, Yulan walked barefoot across the floor without feeling any chill.

Ever since she failed to break through to the second layer of Qi Refining three months ago, she had begun practicing martial arts concurrently.

Nurtured by various medicinal ingredients—especially after taking a pill known as the Tiger-Leopard Pill—she had now attained the realm of Acquired Mid-Stage martial arts.

Even ordinary people who practiced martial arts for over a decade considered themselves talented if they managed to break through the Acquired realm.

This was the superiority of immortal cultivators over martial artists.

Once immortal cultivators entered the realm of Qi Refining, they could draw spiritual energy into their bodies and refine it, starting right off the bat with Innate True Qi, making it effortless for them to learn martial arts.

Especially since Yulan had Yu Xian, a grand master at the Great Circle of Qi Refining, personally guiding her.

Even progressing step-by-step, within a maximum of one year, Yulan would break through to the Innate martial realm, gaining the strength to tear apart tigers and leopards with her bare hands.

Hearing this, the Princess Consort felt as though a basin of cold water had been dumped over her; all her urges subsided instantly, the heat within her fading as a sudden chill washed over her.

Autumn had arrived, and the night air carried a heavy frost.

"Why is he practicing now? Right after finishing that affair, doesn't he feel any shame?"

Retreating with Yulan to the corner of the room, the Princess Consort looked at Yu Xian, who sat bare-chested in a proper posture with his eyes closed in meditation, and muttered softly with a soft scoff.

Considerately, Yulan shared half of her quilt with the Princess Consort.

The two women wrapped themselves together for warmth, and the Princess Consort instantly felt as though she were embracing a warm stove.

"Yulan, you're so warm. Holding you feels so comfortable."

Yulan smiled, puffing out her chest with a hint of pride:

"Husband is an extraordinary man, and practicing at this hour naturally has his reasons.

"As for why I'm so warm, it's because husband has been teaching me martial arts. I am already an Acquired martial artist now, with my vital energy surging vigorously, so naturally I'm no longer cold."

Gazing at Yu Xian, the Princess Consort felt a fresh trace of envy well up in her eyes.

"He treats you so well."

...

Yu Xian was well aware that the Princess Consort had arrived, yet he made no move.

Although somewhat surprised by the Princess Consort's boldness, his own cultivation took precedence over mere romantic indulgence.

The reason he chose to visit the Glazed Temple was certainly not without purpose; rather, having practiced for over half a year, he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

After all, he lacked personal experience in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

He worried that breaking out into a breakthrough within the capital city might trigger some otherworldly phenomenon.

After all, a hidden monster resided within the imperial palace, and one could never be certain if unnecessary trouble might be incited.

Yet he had not chosen some deep, remote mountain forest either, opting instead for the Glazed Temple.

The Glazed Temple was expansive with few people, vast and sparsely populated. This corner of the guest quarters was secluded enough that even with some slight commotion, it would not attract the notice of outsiders.

Most importantly, he had scouted the location beforehand; there were no traces of immortal cultivators here.

Even if some minor accident occurred, the estate guards he brought along to make up numbers, coupled with the Princess Consort and the others, were sufficient to block any prying eyes.

Following his multiple sessions of dual cultivation with Yulan just moments ago, he had finally filled his experience bar.

Without any mishaps, he could already perceive the shadow of Foundation Establishment.

The day of Foundation Establishment is tonight!