I attained immortality through meditation in the Great Qian Dynasty.

A plate of crystal-clear braised pork, a dish of stir-fried river shrimp, a serving of crab roe tofu, and a bowl of pickled bamboo shoots and pork soup.

Li Hongyun picked up her chopsticks, took out a river shrimp, and put it into Zhao Zian's bowl.

"Brother Zhao, you eat."

She kept serving food to Zhao Zi'an, her arms moving back and forth on the small table, busy as a bee.

In no time, the mountain of food in Zhao Zian's bowl had piled up very high.

"Alright, alright, that's enough."

Zhao Zian, both amused and exasperated, pressed down on her wrist.

"You should eat too, or the food will get cold."

Li Hongyun then stopped what she was doing.

"Brother Zhao."

"What exactly is that method you taught me? Why did my hands stop shaking and my heart stop racing after just a few breaths?"

Zhao Zian took a sip of tea.

"That's not some magical method, it's just a trick to regulate one's own breathing."

"Your heart palpitations before were because your Qi was disordered. When a person is nervous, the blood rushes to the head and gets stuck in the chest and forehead, which naturally causes the heart to beat faster, the limbs to feel weak, and the vision to blur."

"The method I'm going to teach you is called the Purification of Mind Technique. It's about using your mind to guide this chaotic energy down to your dantian."

"Dantian?"

Li Hongyun seemed to understand, but not quite.

"Just think of it as the area around your lower abdomen."

Zhao Zian changed the way she put it.

"When your breath settles down, your upper body naturally relaxes, your mind calms, and your hands become steady. It's like grinding ink for writing; if the ink is ground well, the characters you write will have spirit. Your breath is your ink."

"This is just the most obvious benefit."

"If you practice diligently, practicing for fifteen minutes every morning and evening, you will find that your eyes can see more clearly, and you can even see the leg of a mosquito flying in the air clearly."

To see more clearly?

Li Hongyun's face turned bright red with excitement.

"Brother Zhao! I, Li Hongyun, swear to heaven! I will never let you down! I will definitely practice this Purification Mantra diligently and become the most skilled embroiderer! I..."

Zhao Zian interrupted her.

"You don't need to swear an oath to heaven, just to yourself."

"Qin Niangzi is a person who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and she is a person with real skills."

"Once you enter the embroidery workshop, you must be sweet-talking, quick-handed, and observant. Observe more, listen more, and speak less."

Zhao Zian said.

"Do whatever she tells you to do, without complaining. When she scolds you, she's teaching you something; remember it carefully."

"As for the other embroiderers, you don't need to try to please them, nor do you need to be afraid of them."

"Just remember, in the embroidery workshop, skill is the only thing that matters. If your embroidery is better than theirs, they will naturally respect you."

Li Hongyun nodded.

"Brother Zhao, I've noted it all down!"

Zhao Zian gestured for her to continue eating.

Downstairs in a corner, a pair of venomous eyes were fixed on the two of them.

Li Kang.

He is now a handyman at the Yuelai Restaurant.

Although they were called errand boys, they were actually servants who did all sorts of dirty and tiring work.

Serving dishes, washing dishes, sweeping the floor, and emptying swill.

After a long day, he was exhausted, but the wages he received were barely enough to make ends meet.

But his sister, Li Hongyun, still had money to come to the restaurant to enjoy herself.

On what grounds?

No.

Absolutely not.

He couldn't let her be so comfortable.

He's going to ruin her!

He knew there was a kitchen helper named Skinny Monkey who was dishonest.

They often bring back random, unreliable items from outside to sell.

Among them is something intense.

I've heard that even a small minority of chaste and virtuous women can turn into sluts.

Once the drug took effect, he drugged her and sent her to Master Wang's mansion at the east end of town.

That Mr. Wang was over sixty years old.

He was rolling in money, but he was a notorious lecher who loved to molest young virgins.

What right does a woman who has been violated by an old lecher have to talk about the future?

How can she be the most skilled embroiderer?

Li Kang slipped into the kitchen.

"Skinny monkey!"

"You...you fucking scared me to death!"

The skinny monkey cursed irritably.

Li Kang took out the few copper coins he had from his pocket.

"Give me some of the good stuff you have."

The skinny monkey understood.

"How much do you want? What I have here is all top-quality stuff, from the county town. You get what you pay for."

"This is all I have, you can have it all."

Li Kang stuffed the copper coin into his hand.

"Give me enough to drive a cow mad."

The skinny monkey took out the medicine and handed it to him.

"Use it sparingly, one fingernail is enough."

"What, you've got your eye on some young lady? Want me to play matchmaker for you?"

Li Kang ignored him and turned to leave.

"Hey! Remember to pay me back when you're done!"

The skinny monkey shouted behind him.

Li Kang didn't even turn his head.

money?

Once he sells Li Hongyun to Master Wang, will he still care about this small amount of money?

......

Zhao Zian's gaze fell on Li Hongyun across from him.

Li Hongyun's face turned red again without her noticing.

"Brother Zhao..."

"I...I feel so hot..."

She unconsciously tugged at her collar.

Something is wrong!

Zhao Zian reached out and grabbed Li Hongyun's wrist.

"Don't move!"

Li Hongyun let out a soft moan.

My fingertips touched the pulse point.

The pulse is rapid and disordered, with pathogenic fire rampaging through it.

It's an aphrodisiac!

"Brother Zhao...I..."

Zhao Zian made a quick decision, took out a piece of broken silver from his pocket and slapped it on the table.

"Hongyun, can you still walk? I'll take you home."

Li Hongyun, still dazed, propped herself up on the table and tried to stand up.

His legs suddenly went weak, and he fell forward.

Zhao Zian stepped forward to help her up.

Upon touching it, the scalding heat emanated through the thin fabric.

"Brother Zhao, I...I can't walk anymore..."

Li Hongyun leaned against him.

Zhao Zian picked her up by the waist and prepared to go downstairs.

We must take her back immediately and use acupuncture to force out the medicinal properties!

"stop!"

Zhao Zian looked up.

Li Kang was seen limping and blocking the stairs.

"Put her down!"

He succeeded!

When he saw Li Hongyun's wanton appearance, he knew that Skinny Monkey's stuff was genuine!

That bitch is about to be completely ruined!

In his eyes, the troublesome Zhao Zian was nothing more than a sickly scholar who couldn't even kill a chicken.

"Li Kang?"

Zhao Zian's voice turned cold.

"Did you drug him?"

"So what if it is?"

Li Kang grinned maliciously.

"Zhao Zi'an, I advise you to mind your own business! This is a family matter for the Li family! As the older brother, it's my right to discipline my disobedient sister!"

"Give her to me, and I might let you leave unscathed. Otherwise, you and she won't be leaving this house today!"

Several thugs surrounded him, clearly having been bribed or colluded with him beforehand.

In Li Kang's view, everything was under control.

Zhao Zian is just a poor scholar, what can he possibly do against him?

"Get out of here."

Zhao Zian only said two words.