Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

She actually really hoped the reform would succeed.

In some respects, Cheng Feiyan was also a progressive.

However, she has come to understand these past few days that talking about reform in empty words is nothing but a mirage.

Without sufficient military support, nothing can be done, and no one will listen to what you say.

Therefore, instead of just admiring the fish in the pond, it's better to retreat and weave a net.

Therefore, developing military strength is the most important thing to do.

Li Xin and she were of the same mind, so he naturally supported her.

The future development of Li Garden and the enlightenment of its disciples will mostly be handled by the senior sisters.

That goes without saying.

Both know.

Li Xin didn't say anything more, he just sat with Cheng Feiyan.

Seeing his senior sister silently bowing her head, he pushed the plate of osmanthus cake on the table toward her.

She looked at the plate of osmanthus cake and suddenly smiled.

That smile contained self-mockery, relief, and a hint of bitterness that only she knew.

She picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, took a bite, and said it was sweet.

Then he put the remaining half on the plate, stood up and said that he needed to prepare paper and pen to post the notice first thing tomorrow morning, and left in a hurry.

Zhuang Hongxiu quietly cleared away the dishes, stacked the empty plates, picked them up, and walked towards the kitchen.

Zhang Yourong stood up, picked up another stack of bowls, and followed behind her.

The two entered the kitchen one after the other.

In the kitchen, a large iron pot on the stove was still half-filled with hot water, with a thin layer of white steam floating on the surface.

Zhuang Hongxiu scooped two ladles of hot water into the wooden basin, then picked up a loofah sponge and began washing the dishes.

The clinking of bowls and chopsticks sounded especially crisp in the quiet kitchen.

Zhang Yourong stood to the side, took a dry cloth and wiped the washed plates clean one by one, then put them into the cupboard.

She moved slowly, as if she were counting the plates.

She suddenly stopped when she was wiping the last plate.

The cloth rested on the edge of the plate, and his fingers pressed against the porcelain surface, remaining still.

Zhuang Hongxiu found it fascinating.

She hadn't expected that Miss Zhang would actually do housework.

Although it's clear that the technique is a bit rusty, at least the person knows how to do it.

"Lord Xin actually really likes virtuous women."

When Zhang Yourong saw Zhuang Hongxiu secretly glancing at her, she winked and smiled.

"You can tell that?"

"Of course, it's not just you who can see it. Hongxiu, I used to think you had pretty bad luck, but now I'm a little envious of your luck."

"I envy you."

Zhuang Hongxiu said softly, and that was truly what she thought.

Zhang Yourong has excellent business acumen and can be of great help to the young master.

Unlike myself, who, apart from being busy with some chores at home, can't offer much help.

"Actually, there are many, many people in this world who are good at doing business. But, you are the only one in this world who can do a good job in the things around you."

"I love what Sister Yourong said. Don't worry about the Chamber of Commerce these next few days. Stay at Li Garden for a few more days. You don't know, every time you come to Li Garden, the young master is very happy and often smiles."

"Really? Tell me about it."

The two began to whisper to each other.

Laughter and giggles could be heard from the kitchen from time to time.

……

For the next two days, Li Xin stayed home and practiced.

Sometimes I would ask how things were going outside.

However, no matter how things develop, he doesn't care much and naturally won't go out.

Every morning, Zhang Yourong would go to the Qinglong Chamber of Commerce and return in the evening with some medicinal herbs and cloth, which she would then hand over to Zhuang Hongxiu for storage.

Every morning, Cheng Feiyan would lead people to post notices on the street to recruit disciples for Li Yuan.

Zhuang Hongxiu set up a porridge stall in the backyard, and people lined up at the alley entrance to collect porridge.

Wang Jingya moved a bamboo chair and sat behind the screen wall. She placed the chipped goose-feather knife on the whetstone and began to grind it over and over.

Two whetstones were replaced, and the blade was so sharpened that it reflected a person's image, and the chipped edge was completely smoothed out.

Ali and Xiaoyue were practicing stance training in the yard.

The two little girls each stood on a wooden stake...

Xiaoyue stood steadily, while A-Li could only stand for a few breaths before starting to sway.

Xiaoyue shouted from the side, "Stop shaking! Stop shaking! If you shake it again, Hongzao won't let you ride it!"

Ali bit her lip and forced herself to stay awake, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.

Li Xin remained in the bamboo garden and did not come out.

He drew the first wisp of dragon energy from the silver bottle and sent it along the Ren and Du meridians into the twelve regular meridians.

The Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin is one of the two earliest meridians to be connected. When the Qi enters the meridian, it encounters almost no resistance. The Qi travels through this meridian for a full cycle, from the chest to the thumb, and then back from the thumb to the chest.

Then comes the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian. The dragon energy travels upwards along the outer side of the index finger, passes through the elbow, crosses the shoulder, and reaches the Yingxiang acupoints on both sides of the nose.

These two meridians were already connected. When the dragon energy passed through, it only widened the channels of the meridians, making the flow of true energy faster, and the pain was almost imperceptible.

The real pain begins from the third serious point.

The Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming runs along the head, face, chest, abdomen, and front of the thigh, down to the instep.

When the dragon energy surged into this meridian, Li Xin felt as if a red-hot iron wire had been pierced through his forehead, burning all the way down to his instep.

He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound. The veins on his forehead stood up one by one, and the sweat was evaporated into white steam by his true energy before it even reached his chin.

After the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming is unblocked, the Spleen Meridian of Foot Taiyin will follow.

This meridian starts from the inside of the big toe, runs up the inside of the calf, passes through the abdomen, and ends at the side of the chest.

When the dragon energy rushed in, his entire left leg first felt icy cold, then it felt as if countless needles were piercing his bone marrow at the same time, and his knee began to tremble involuntarily.

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the spasms in his legs, and guided the dragon energy upwards inch by inch.

With each meridian opened, the golden energy flowing through the body's meridians grows stronger.

When the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian was opened, his heart suddenly contracted, as if it had been squeezed hard by an invisible hand, and then that hand released its grip.

A warm current surged from my heart to the tip of my little finger, and my whole arm was soaked in that warm, tingling sensation.

The Hand-Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian runs from the hand to the head. When it passes the inner side of the scapula, his back involuntarily straightens, and his bones emit a series of subtle cracking sounds, as if rusty joints have finally been oiled.

Each straight passage has a different reaction.

Some felt like they were being cut by a knife, some felt like they were being bitten by ants, and some felt like they were being burned by fire.

But all this pain and numbness couldn't last more than a few breaths against the dragon's aura.

It was then scattered and broken into wide and unobstructed energy channels.

When the seventh meridian, the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian, was fully opened, it was already late at night on the third day.

This meridian is the longest of the twelve primary meridians, running from head to toe along the entire back.

The dragon energy surged in from the Jingming acupoint at the inner corner of the eye, running down the top of the head, the back of the neck, the back of the back of the thigh, and all the way down to the outside of the little toe.

The moment the entire meridian was opened, Li Xin felt as if his spine had been straightened from the inside out by a red-hot iron rod.

Every muscle in my back was trembling violently, and then relaxed completely in an instant.

He sat cross-legged in the pavilion of the bamboo garden, his body shimmering with golden light, and the bamboo leaves rustling as his true energy surged through them.

Slowly opening his eyes, he exhaled a breath of stale air...

The turbid air condensed into a white streak in the air, flying three feet away before gradually dissipating.

He looked down at his palm.

With a gentle clench of the five fingers, a very subtle popping sound rang out in the palm, like crushing an invisible walnut.

All nine principles are understood.

The Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-Yangming, the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming, the Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin, the Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin, the Small Intestine Meridian of Hand-Taiyang, and the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, plus the previously unblocked Lung and Yangming Meridians of Hand-Taiyin.

Only three of the twelve primary meridians remain.

The Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, Hand Jueyin Pericardium Meridian, and Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian have not yet been expanded.

There were only three wisps of dragon energy left in the silver bottle, and its color had changed from a rich golden yellow to a very pale goose yellow.

He tried to send these three strands of dragon energy into the Yongquan acupoint of the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.

As soon as the dragon energy entered his meridian, the sole of his right foot suddenly felt a burning sensation, as if he had stepped on a red-hot iron plate. His entire meridian spasmed violently, and then the dragon energy could no longer be pushed forward.

The Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian starts from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot, runs along the inner side of the lower leg, passes through the kidney, and ends at the Yufu acupoint below the clavicle.

This meridian involves kidney essence and innate vital energy, and is the one among the twelve primary meridians most closely connected to the origin of life.

The dragon energy is insufficient, and the true energy is not strong enough to break through.

All that's left is to work hard and persevere.

"This is the effect of the dragon vein. Those bald monks in the Great Snow Mountain have been enjoying it for so many years. I wonder how much they have benefited from it?"

A look of realization flashed across Li Xin's eyes.

"No wonder other Taoist and Buddhist lineages have all withered away beyond recognition a hundred years later. The Great Snow Mountain still holds a lofty position, and no one dares to offend it."

They were really stuffed.

Thinking of those monks on the other side.

Perhaps the cultivation speed wouldn't be as fast as with his own unparalleled innate talent.

But with the accumulation of experience over time, even through constant refinement, one's cultivation can be honed to a very high level.

If we confront them.

We must not underestimate it...

We still need to be careful.

Li Xin put the last three coins of dragon energy back into the silver bottle and did not try again.

One hundred and three taels of dragon energy, refined all the way from the bottom of Guangping Sea to now, have been reduced to only three coins in three days.

This small amount is only enough to gently nourish the nine meridians that have already been opened, preventing them from shrinking back due to the sudden opening.

The silver bottle was empty, and the engravings of the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers on the bottle's wall had dimmed somewhat.

He put the silver bottle into his pocket and felt the changes in his body.

After the nine main meridians are opened, true qi can originate from the dantian and flow along the Ren and Du meridians into the lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, and bladder meridians, covering most of the meridian channels in the upper limbs, lower limbs, chest, abdomen, and back. The speed of true qi circulation is at least three times faster than before.

Previously, the flow of Qi from the Dantian to the fist required passing through two checkpoints: the Ren Meridian and the Lung Meridian. Now, Qi can be simultaneously channeled from three different meridians to the fist, more than doubling the explosive power.

However, at the same time, the three meridians that are not yet open—the Kidney Meridian, the Pericardium Meridian, and the Triple Energizer Meridian—have become three dead ends on the nine fast lanes of the body.

When the true qi flows to these places, it will suddenly slow down, creating a very brief delay.

Normally it has little impact, but when unleashing full power, this lag will be amplified.

For example, when he unleashed the Splitting Palm, he could feel his true energy surging from his dantian, passing through the nine meridians and converging in his palm, and then something seemed to pause slightly in the middle.

It's like punching a sandbag; the sandbag breaks, but the force of the punch isn't fully delivered.