Reincarnation Girl Becomes Immortal

She was genuinely curious and hesitant about whether to try this so-called massage.

But the more I thought about it, the more something seemed off. This was Qin Xie Alley, a popular entertainment district in the capital, where massage services were concentrated. It was unlikely that such a place offered legitimate services...

"That's strange." Xi Heng rubbed his forehead, shook his head to shake off these thoughts, and silently wiped his blood-stained skin in the bath.

...............

Chapter Thirty-Six: Breaking Through the Barrier to Meet the King

After washing up, Xi Heng had a maid bring him a towel to quickly dry himself. Then, wearing a blue and white brocade bathrobe embroidered with red and purple round flowers, he returned to his room. Once he felt a little dry and refreshed, he prepared to circulate his qi and blood.

The martial arts that practitioners learn are not only the external techniques and moves, but also the mastery and refinement of the body's internal energy and blood.

She had practiced the Deadly Technique three times, and the blood and qi she had condensed in the past two years were comparable to that of an ordinary martial artist who practiced continuously for ten years.

Xi Heng recalled what Senior Sister Hong Miao had said, and first went to the desk in the room:

"To advance to the level of internal strength, one needs to cultivate one's qi and blood, using them to open up the muscles and bones..."

After sitting down, Xi Heng opened the drawer, took out the book on the hidden strength of the Red Thread Sword, flipped to the preface, and reread the steps for advancing to hidden strength that her senior sister had written for her.

Read it softly:

"Pounding and pounding the blood and qi is like gathering strength, pressing the blood and qi in the dantian and meridians in waves, so as to solidify the blood and qi and break through the muscles and bones that become more and more stiff with age, and revitalize them."

"The human body has twelve major joints, two hundred and ten minor joints, and four hundred and eighty-five tendons, sixty-two in the upper part of the body and one hundred and twenty-six in the middle part..."

"……many."

It seems that just breaking through these muscles and bones is already quite a painstaking, time-consuming, and laborious task.

Even after breaking through, it's not yet considered hidden strength. You still need to practice your muscles and bones until you're proficient, and then open up a key acupoint to transform your Qi and blood into hidden strength, thus becoming a hidden strength martial artist.

These steps are essential, requiring not only talent and ambition, but also unwavering patience.

Xi Heng clicked his tongue.

Fortunately, her senior had already marked out the tendons and bones that were easy to open in the book, and drawn a route map from easy to difficult, and also included an illustration depicting the location of the tendons and bones.

The method for advancement written by my senior sister is quite detailed. As long as one's qi and blood and sword intent reach a sufficient level, and one calms down and practices step by step, it seems that one can steadily enter the realm of hidden strength.

However, Xi Heng still doesn't know if his blood and sword intent are sufficient to achieve the hidden strength.

"In short, let's start with the simplest part." After reading it again, Xi Heng closed the book on the table, then put on his wooden clogs and sat down on the bed.

Swinging his feet off his wooden clogs, Xi Heng sat cross-legged properly on the bed, his hands forming delicate orchid fingers on his knees.

Close your eyes and breathe steadily, sensing the Qi within your body, and try to gather the Qi and blood in your meridians.

Once the dantian was fully developed, Xi Heng took a deep breath and manipulated his qi and blood to continue applying pressure to the dantian.

As a result, the Qi and blood contracted for a moment as if a sponge had been squeezed, but when the pressure exerted by Xi Heng was released, it immediately returned to its original state.

"After being compressed for a while, the Qi and blood did indeed become a little tighter. Is this what it means to temper Qi and blood?" After practicing, Xi Heng found that the seemingly complicated words left by his senior sister were not difficult to understand.

"continue."

In the first half of the night, Xi Heng continuously focused his energy and compressed his qi and blood, just like a blacksmith forging a sword, making his originally loose qi and blood more and more cohesive.

Two hours later, Xi Heng used his refined qi and blood to loosen up several loose joints and bones.

After just one simple cracking sound, that small part of his body became a little more relaxed and flexible.

When he was finally exhausted, Xi Heng tried to break through a slightly more difficult joint, but he couldn't break through it no matter what he did.

She then relaxed her body and gently moved her right hand in front of her face.

The joint of the little finger has been opened up by the flow of qi and blood, and it is now much more agile when moving.

"If I could open up all the joints in my body, my flexibility would increase significantly, followed by overall strength and muscle and bone power..." Xi Heng muttered to himself.

"This gradual advancement will likely take a long time and won't happen anytime soon. Also, for some reason, when I circulate my internal energy, I always feel that my sword intent is not yet pure enough to break through..."

"I'm not short of time, so let's take it slow. As for sword intent, I'll hone it later when I have the chance."

"I'll rest today." She covered her mouth and yawned before shrinking into the bed.

A peaceful night.

The next morning, the chirping of kingfishers outside woke Xi Heng.

She got up, picked out a light red outfit from the wardrobe, and after washing up a bit, Xi Heng sat down in front of the mirror and quietly tidied her appearance.

Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere in Qin Xie Alley, Xi Heng no longer had the indifference and murderous intent that always shone in his eyes, but instead gained a touch of the gentleness that should be present in a prosperous era.

After dressing up, Xi Heng went to the balcony on the side of the house and looked down at the surroundings.

It's only early morning, but there are already quite a few figures on the street. Some are just waking up, while others have spent the entire night wandering in this long alley, only now slowly leaving, rubbing their eyes.

A warm morning breeze swept by, causing the roses planted in the flowerbeds along the road to sway gently.

The lanterns had not yet been completely extinguished, and faint sounds of laughter could still be heard from outside, drifting away with the petals blown by the morning breeze.

From the top of this flower-filled pavilion, no matter how you look at it, the surrounding area is a scene of prosperity and grandeur.

It seems that the Great Zhao Kingdom is currently in a period of peace and stability. There are no Tianliang rebels in the south, nor are there any barbarian raids in the north. People live in prosperity, and the world is at peace and prosperous.

But she knew this was just a facade. In reality, the Great Zhao was surrounded by enemies, and countless people were suffering and displaced, like drifting tumbleweeds.

Beyond this bustling city, all that remains are corpses scattered everywhere.

"Where has the fleeting beauty of youth gone? The autumn winds rustle once more..." Xi Heng softly recited a line of poetry.

"Ha, with a mad emperor like Zhao Qianyuan, it would be strange if the Great Zhao didn't decline."

She shook her head and went down to practice her sword.

On the way, she encountered the maid who had served her bath yesterday and asked Xi Heng what breakfast she wanted.

"I don't have the airs of a pampered young lady, so the food can be whatever you like," Xi Heng replied casually. "I'll go warm up in the courtyard, and bring breakfast to my room in an hour."

"Yes." The other person seemed quite compliant.

Xi Heng ignored the other person and went downstairs to the open area in the backyard.

She closed her eyes to calm her mind, slowly drew her long sword from her waist, her breathing gradually becoming long and even, and then raised her sword to perform a series of sword techniques in a smooth and flowing manner.

The flowing longsword flashed in the air like a dragon, cutting through the sky and creating bursts of sword cries and sounds. The figure moved with a series of movements, such as pointing, flicking, lifting legs, flipping sleeves, stepping and spinning. Every pause and movement had a fierce momentum that made people want to back down.

Half an hour later, Xi Heng finished another set of sword techniques, and soft applause sounded around him.

Turning my head, I saw Yan Hongji had appeared in the courtyard at some point.

"Senior sister is so elegant," she complimented.

"Carefree and all that..." Xi Heng shook his head, then turned to the other person and asked, "Junior Sister, would you like to practice swordsmanship with me?"

"I don't need to. Since returning to the capital, I've been busy with all sorts of things, and the habits I developed at the Sword Academy have inevitably fallen into disuse."

Hongji waved her hand and began to explain her purpose: "Butler Lou has already drafted the contract for Senior Sister to be a guest of our Yan family. Whenever Senior Sister has free time, she can be asked to sign it."

"Let's finish practicing our swordsmanship today," Xi Heng said indifferently.

Hongji nodded and then brought up another matter: "This morning I heard that a mysterious female warrior killed many high-ranking members of the Qing Le Gang in the south. I suppose it was my senior sister who did it, so I came here to express my gratitude."

"No need to thank me." Xi Heng was still somewhat disappointed: "It's just a pity that we couldn't lure their leader back then and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

“Yesterday’s events were sudden. Even if they weren’t enough to disband the group, they were enough to keep them quiet for years,” Hongji said. “Senior sister helped me with all her heart, and I should repay her. But I can’t figure out what she needs or what she wants, so I came here to ask.”

"What do you want..." Xi Heng was indeed stumped by this question.

What she truly wanted was something Yan Hongji couldn't give her.

As for other mundane things, Xi Heng had little desire for them.

Money should be enough for one's own use, and jewelry and clothes do not need to be too expensive; just wear what you like.

In the Flower Pavilion, his own room was fully equipped with all kinds of daily necessities, and there was a maid in charge of his food and clothing. Now, Xi Heng didn't have anything he particularly wanted in terms of life.

It's unlikely that Yan Hongji will find much of a trace of an immortal or a method to transform internal energy. Although she is from a prominent family, her activities are limited to the mortal realm of Qin Xie Lane...

Xi Heng looked at the other person, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, before finally revealing only his current goal:

"I want to master the art of internal strength."

Yan Hongji was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Senior Sister needs to find pills to replenish qi and blood?"

"No, my qi and blood are almost there," the girl said calmly. "But I still feel that my sword intent is far from sufficient, and I still need to refine it."

"Sword intent?" Yan Hongji almost blurted out, wanting to gift her senior sister a fine sword.

But she still remembered the instruction she received at the Red Thread Sword Academy, and knew that sword intent had nothing to do with the blade in her hand, but rather with the intent in her heart.

"Refining sword intent requires killing," Xi Heng said.

"If you need to eliminate any enemies or adversaries in the future, leave it to me."

……

in the future.

As one storm after another arose and subsided, a legend of a woman in blood-stained clothes gradually spread throughout the capital.

It is said that she always wore a dark red robe, and the long sword at her waist was always stained with blood. Whenever she drew her sword, she would see a hideous wound on someone's body, with blood gushing out.

According to popular legend, she was the daughter of a prominent family in the capital. Because she could not stand the dirty deeds and despicable methods of the gangsters in the city and the Qin Xie Alley and its surroundings, she took to violence to fight violence everywhere.

Many gangs, large and small, in the inner city that made a living by bullying men and women were hit hard. Most of their leaders were killed overnight, and even their corpses disappeared.

The woman in blood started with the Qing Le Gang, which ran a brothel business. She later killed many Ming Jin masters from major sects. She was even able to fight back when surrounded by three or four Ming Jin masters. Rumors in the martial arts world concluded that she was a young master of An Jin with amazing talent.

However, not long after, the various speculations about the identity of the woman in blood were interrupted by a notice from the government.

The authorities have determined through various clues at the crime scene that the woman in blood is a wanted criminal who has emerged in Zhaocheng in recent months and has killed a constable.

This person was skilled with a sword, often wore red clothes, and left straight sword wounds. In addition, inexplicable traces of corrosion and bone fragments would occasionally appear at the scene, as well as grotesque and terrifying mummified corpses.

All the impressions matched up, and the government increased the reward for the woman in blood several times over, and invited many skilled constables to participate, determined to bring this person to justice!

……

Two months later, in the Qin Xie alley, the flowers filled the building.

Xi Heng, known in the martial arts world as "Blood Robe," was standing in front of a bronze mirror, trying on a set of lighter-colored clothes that Yan Hongji had commissioned to be made for him.

Although the dress is still predominantly red, the color is slightly lighter and the style is more casual. It is paired with a pink and white striped ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with peach blossoms painted on the surface. The open fur coat has two fish arranged in a yin-yang shape on the back, making it look exquisite and elegant.

After Xi Heng finished dressing, she casually tied her hair into a loose, hanging style with a hairpin, lifted her bangs and tucked the strands behind her ears, and simply wore a red string adorned with pearls as a headband, highlighting her gentle temperament.

No matter how you look at it, or whoever looks at it, they probably wouldn't recognize her as the blood-clad swordsman who caused such a commotion in the city.

Now, dressed in red, Xi Heng exudes a warm and gentle aura, unlike the cold and murderous swordsman he was in the night.

"Does Senior Sister like it?" Yan Hongji watched Xi Heng change his clothes and couldn't help but show a hint of appreciation in her eyes.

From childhood to adulthood, people around her have always praised her beauty and vivacity, but now, standing next to her senior, she feels like she has become a supporting character.

"Not bad." Xi Heng pinched his sleeves and took a turn around, his open fur coat and long skirt spreading outwards like a blooming flower.

As her skirt fell, she looked at herself in the mirror again. Everything was fine, except…

Why do I always feel like something is missing in my chest?

Xi Heng always felt that his clothes were not quite right, which made him feel disappointed and dissatisfied.

Turning his head to stare at Yan Hongji's well-proportioned figure beside him, with her curves in all the right places, he felt even more disappointed.

She patted her chest, took a deep breath, and finally could only sigh helplessly.

Yan Hongji, under the watchful eyes of Xi Heng, seemed to vaguely realize what he was thinking. After hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth and whispered:

"Senior sister, don't be discouraged. Everything you're meant to have will come naturally."

"Who are you calling flat-chested... Besides, I'm already nineteen." Xi Heng's disappointment was not alleviated at all by the other person's comfort.

Yan Hongji blinked, her voice even softer: "Why not eat more Consort Mangoes? They're said to have some benefits..."

"..."

Let's quickly move on from this strange topic.

Xi Heng waved his hand and began to get down to business: "What mission do you have here today? Who are you going to kill?"

In the past two months, she has wiped out many small gangs involved in shady businesses in the capital. She has even killed ten people in the Mingjin (Ming Jin) level in Chengdu and used magic to drive away an Anjin (An Jin) master.

To this day, I feel that my sword intent has become increasingly refined and has reached a certain threshold. I am just one step away from achieving it.

"I'm not here today to ask Senior Sister to do something." Hongji, however, disappointed Xiheng: