Reincarnation Girl Becomes Immortal

Among them, the martial arts techniques for practicing with the Green Pine Sword and the Jade-Breaking Knife cost twice as much—twenty taels of silver.

According to the martial artists who frequently buy medicine at the pharmacy, those who use fists and kicks can't beat those who use swords and knives, which is why the price is doubled.

Moreover, swordsmanship is more difficult to master than hand-to-hand combat, and without mastering the flow of qi and blood to generate power, one cannot be considered a true martial artist.

Having techniques but no real strength is only good for dealing with a few ordinary people.

Logically speaking, Xi Heng should directly find the easiest martial art to master and practice it to stabilize his physical weakness before thinking about anything else.

However, none of those famous martial arts schools accept women.

In his previous life, Xi Heng made various inquiries and eventually learned that there was only one martial arts school in Jinshi City that accepted women to learn martial arts, and that school only accepted women.

It is called the Red Thread Sword Academy.

Xi Heng looked up and saw a tightly closed, faded red-painted door with a gray-black plaque hanging on it. The plaque had three dark red characters, "Red Thread Sword," painted on it, the color of which resembled dried blood residue.

An old woman was sweeping dry, withered leaves in front of her door with a broom, making a rustling sound and raising a little dust.

As the girl approached, the old woman turned around and stared at her intently.

What brings you here?

"Xi Heng, a herb gatherer from Yaowang Mountain, has come to become a disciple and learn martial arts." Xi Heng, dressed in a simple gray-white robe, clasped his hands in greeting to the other party.

As he spoke, he took out a gold ingot from his pocket, which was worth twenty taels of silver.

The old woman seemed to have poor eyesight and didn't see clearly what Xi Heng was holding in his hand. She continued, "Twenty taels of silver, enough for three months of sword practice in the courtyard."

"It's ready."

"Come with me." The old woman sweeping the floor put down her broom and let the wind blow away the pile of fallen leaves she had swept.

The old man slowly pushed open the faded red-painted door, as if a new world had opened up before his eyes.

Xi Hengxin felt hopeful; she could almost see a future where she would be free from illness and frailty.

She took a deep breath and followed the old man slowly past the nearly empty training ground, around an elegant and tidy flower bed, and along the cobblestone path to a hall inside.

Inside the hall, a woman with long, loose hair sat cross-legged with her back to the door, and several sticks of incense were burning in front of her.

“Hongmiao, this person has come to become my apprentice and learn martial arts,” the old woman said hoarsely.

"Elder?" The woman turned around upon hearing the voice, stood up, and said respectfully, "You've come out again... Please rest and recuperate well."

"What's the point of staying cooped up in your room all day like a dead fish?" The elder shook his head. "Make arrangements for this person, I'm going back."

"Yes."

Before turning to leave, the old woman glanced at Xi Heng one last time, leaving her to face the martial artist named Hong Miao.

“Xi Heng, I have come to become your apprentice.” Xi Heng repeated.

After the old woman left, Hong Miao returned to her enigmatic and calm demeanor and asked, "Why do you want to learn martial arts?"

"I have a chronic illness and can only recover by practicing martial arts until I reach a high level of proficiency," Xi Heng replied.

Hong Miaozai stared at Xi Heng carefully for a moment, and first offered a word of advice:

"Judging from your unsteady steps and weak physique, you are indeed afflicted with illness. It is much more difficult for you to learn martial arts and develop strength with your current condition than for ordinary people."

"The twenty taels of silver you spend on apprenticeship in martial arts is enough for you to buy a house in a stable place in the south and live out your life. You can also find some good medicines to prolong your life for many years. Moreover, you are quite good-looking, so you may even meet some talented men and beautiful women and receive their love and pity."

"If you abandon these things today and use them to practice martial arts, you will likely gain nothing in the end. Moreover, you will deplete your vital energy and blood during the practice, shortening your lifespan. You may even die from shock while practicing martial arts."

"Are you sure you won't regret it?" Her tone turned serious.

"No regrets." Xi Heng shook his head and said firmly, "In this life, I only seek this sliver of hope."

"Good, you are the one who should practice my Red Thread Sword." Hong Miao nodded in satisfaction: "The sword school will accept you. Pay twenty taels of silver and learn martial arts for three months. During this period, you can eat and live in the courtyard. Practice every morning at Mao Shi (5-7 AM) and come to the dining hall at Chen Shi (7-9 AM) to take medicine to help with your sword practice. Starting tomorrow, we will teach you sword moves and techniques."

"Yes."

……

After paying the money, Xi Heng went to the library with Senior Sister Hong Miao to look through a sword manual and the Red Thread Sword Heart Method.

The mental cultivation method was only half complete; the rest was a blank sheet of paper.

After quickly glancing through it, Hongmiao handed Xiheng a meal card, explained some of the rules of the Red Thread Sword Hall, and then led her to a residence inside the martial arts hall.

"It just so happens that a few more people have recently joined the Sword Academy. You can stay in this house with them." She pushed open the door, and there were two women sitting in the hall chatting.

Upon seeing their senior sister arrive, they stood up and bowed.

"Well, you're both newcomers, so you can address each other as senior sister and junior sister. Treat each other well." Hong Miao led Xi Heng into the hall, introduced her to the newcomers, and then turned and left after saying this.

Xi Heng looked at the two women in the small house, and the more she looked at one of them, the more familiar she felt with her features.

She gradually remembered that this person looked very similar to a guest she had seen in her previous life.

It was this very person who gave her a purifying pill, which she has brought into this world.

“Red Rock?” she said the name instinctively.

The woman on the left, dressed in blue, frowned slightly upon hearing the title. Her gaze lingered on Xi Heng's face for a long time, her eyes flickering as if she were recalling when she had seen this person before.

"Who are you?" She couldn't remember.

"Xi Heng." Xi Heng couldn't find a reasonable explanation for a moment, and only said, "I just saw Senior Sister once on the road and heard her name."

"Oh?" The other person looked doubtful, but did not say much. He nodded as if he agreed with Xi Heng's statement, and introduced himself as "Yan Hongji, a native of the capital."

"Li Anxue," said another woman beside her, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, looking like a female knight-errant.

Xi Heng bowed slightly and asked curiously, "I've heard that the capital is the most prosperous city in the world. Why did you come to the south to learn martial arts, Senior Sister?"

"The emperor, who revered Taoism and sought immortality, was misled by those Taoist priests. He believed that the world was divided into Yin and Yang, with men being Yang and women being Yin. He also believed that martial arts were a way to cultivate Yang, and that women practicing martial arts would disrupt the natural order. Therefore, he issued an edict to shut down all martial arts schools in the capital that allowed women to practice."

She snorted coldly: "Nowadays, in the eyes of people in the capital, women should study music and dance, tea ceremony and flower arrangement, and at most learn some music, chess, calligraphy and painting. I am unwilling to endure those rigid constraints and rules, so I left home and came to the south."

Before Xi Heng could respond, Li Anxue, dressed as a female knight, spoke sarcastically:

"Ha, according to this logic, there are many scholars and officials in the world who are proficient in music and tea ceremony. Why not abolish those people as well? Either the emperor is just a coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong, or he is just using his position to oppress us martial artists."

Listening to these people talk, Xi Heng began to worry about whether she could peacefully learn martial arts in this life. In order to avoid imprisonment, she changed the subject: "Let's talk about something else... By the way, where should I live?"

Li Anxue glanced at Xi Heng but said nothing more.

Yan Hongji pointed to the corridor behind the hall: "The two rooms at the very back are empty. Choose one."

"Okay." Xi Heng breathed a sigh of relief and ran inside, opening the door to find the simple furnishings, bed, chairs, and tables.

Perhaps for others, this room is barely habitable, but for Xi Heng, who has lived in a dilapidated tile-roofed house for several years, it is a fairly good place to live.

The girl rummaged around the room and found several pieces of martial arts attire made of good quality in a low cabinet. She then tried to take off her simple gray clothes and put on these garments.

He put on a yellow and gray shirt and outer garment, along with slightly loose trousers and boots. He tightened the dark red belt around his waist, and after tidying up his outfit, Xi Heng felt that it fit him fairly well.

Apart from the neckline and chest area being slightly loose, there are no problems.

She glanced down at her current attire and could already sense a touch of female warrior aura.

“Just one sword is missing…” As Xi Heng looked around, a strange feeling welled up in her chest, forcing her to subconsciously cover her mouth and cough twice.

The girl's relaxed mood was ruined by this cough. She looked at her palm, which was stained with a few traces of blood.

"Is it another case of imbalanced Qi and blood? Too fast, isn't it?" She frowned slightly, picked up a rough cloth and wiped her face, then muttered to herself:

"Practice martial arts to the point of mastery as soon as possible..."

Nothing else mattered to her as much as learning martial arts.

After all, everything can be started over, and there's no need to fear missing out.

In this life, I'll put everything else aside and focus solely on cultivation.

……

At dawn the next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the sun had not yet appeared.

In the empty training ground, Xi Heng, dressed in a set of close-fitting clothes he had found in the house, held a simple wooden sword in his hand and stood with his three other senior and junior sisters who had recently joined the sect.

Xi Heng had already met two of them. The extra one was a girl with long, loose hair and an unadorned face who remained silent and taciturn after arriving.

Before Senior Sister Hong Miao arrived at the sword training ground, Xi Heng tried to talk to the girl with loose hair, but was ignored.

Yan Hongji, who was standing to the side, introduced her by saying:

"Her name is Lin Ying. She doesn't like to talk much and lives in the room opposite yours."

Xi Heng found it strange; she hadn't heard any sounds coming from the room opposite the door yesterday.

How can it be so quiet...? Rooms with wooden windows and doors have virtually no sound insulation.

Even though she had doubts, she wasn't too curious. After nodding, she calmed herself down and waited to focus on practicing martial arts.

The morning breeze was chilly, causing Xi Heng, who was already frail, to turn pale.

A moment later, Senior Sister Hong Miao, with a martial arts-like air, steadily arrived at the sword-training ground.

Standing in front of several newcomers, she didn't say much and went straight to talking about martial arts.

"Those who practice martial arts cultivate their minds, nourish their strength, train their muscles and bones, and elevate their spirit and will."

……

Chapter Four: The Trial of the Red Thread

"Regardless of the style of kung fu, whether it uses fists and feet or swords and spears, to enter the path of martial arts, one must cultivate internal qi and blood, and then refine it into physical strength," the senior sister explained.

"Qi and blood are not blood; they are the vitality that flows silently when human blood circulates between the meridians."

"To grasp the flow of Qi and blood, one must practice the moves until they are deeply understood, and then, during the practice, sense the changes in Qi and blood that one has long since lost the ability to feel. In this way, one can feel the presence of Qi and blood and grasp and control it."

"Only when one refines their Qi and blood into the first trace of internal strength can they be considered to have entered the path of martial arts and be called a martial artist who has entered the realm of internal strength!"

"After entering the state of mastery, one can exert force between movements—using the body to move the hands, using the hands to lead the force, the feet following the hands, the energy of the two kidneys circulating, and the energy throughout the body following, and so on!"

As she spoke aloud, she walked alone to a boulder whose surface was covered with sword marks. With a quick turn of her right hand at her waist, she suddenly darted forward.

The palm struck the boulder, and after a thunderous boom, a spiderweb-like network of cracks appeared out of thin air.

Xi Heng blinked beside him.

This senior sister doesn't look particularly strong; her limbs are just well-proportioned.

But with a single palm strike, it can create a noticeable crack on a solid rock that even a hammer might not be able to produce.

"This world truly possesses extraordinary powers..." Xi Heng thought to himself.

In her previous life, when some martial artists who frequented her medicine hall showed off their skills, they could only smash a few stone bricks in a row, which was no match for the senior sister in front of her.

Xi Heng glanced at the few newcomers around him and found that although they were also surprised, they were not as incredulous as he was, so he composed himself.

"After entering the state of internal strength, one enters the state of external strength."

Hong Miao dusted off her hands and continued, "When you integrate the cultivated strength with your blood and body, you can release strength with any strike. That is the beginning of Ming Jin."

"When one reaches the peak of Ming Jin, one can gain over a thousand jin of strength. Upon reaching this level, the body becomes stable and orderly, the Qi and blood meridians are in harmony, and one will no longer be troubled by common illnesses. One can then retire from the martial world and live a peaceful life." As she said this, the senior sister glanced at Xi Heng.

"After mastering the Ming Jin skill, one can go anywhere in the world, and all kinds of forces will vie to curry favor with one. One can also command thousands of troops in the army."

The eldest sister looked at Li Anxue, who was dressed as a swordsman, and said calmly, "However, the world is not peaceful now. Even if a martial artist with internal strength participates in a great battle for power, there is a good chance that he or she will perish."

"..."

"Hidden strength?" Yan Hongji asked.

“Ming Jin cultivates the skin and flesh, while An Jin originates from the bone marrow, which is called bone training.” The eldest sister said, “An Jin is a deeper and higher level. You have not yet entered the gate, so you don’t need to know too much.”

After she finished speaking, she waved her hand to let the others digest the information slowly. She then walked to the side, picked up a piece of bamboo tube that had been cut open, filled it with spring water, and drank it.

After listening, Xi Heng gradually understood why the doctors she had consulted in her previous life all said that only by practicing martial arts could she cure her chronic illness.

It is precisely because practicing martial arts is almost equivalent to a path of extraordinary cultivation that once one's physical fitness reaches the level of a martial artist, most difficult and complicated ailments will naturally be resolved.

According to this senior sister, as long as one cultivates martial arts to the point of mastery and develops internal energy, one can be considered a martial artist, whose abilities far surpass those of ordinary people...

Now that he has transmigrated and possesses such a powerful cheat ability as the ability to reload save files after death, he naturally wants to reach the pinnacle of the world and see all the sights.

In silence, besides solving his own chronic illness, Xi Heng had another pursuit—to try to become the pinnacle of martial arts in this world.

After all, she has the ability to reload save files, allowing her to live life after life, and her actual lifespan is far beyond that of ordinary people.

Thinking of this, Xi Heng looked up and asked his senior sister, who was still drinking spring water:

Do martial artists live longer than ordinary people?