C5 – Cultivate
Nanny Liu delicately wiped away the dirt from Zuo Shaoqing’s forehead using a handkerchief, followed by the application of ointnt provided by Zuo Shaoyan. She blew gently on the wound, wincing in sympathy, and said, “Master San, why must you endure such hardship? Whatever you do, Madam will never treat you kindly. Don’t repeat such folly in the future.”
Zuo Shaoqing smiled indifferently, fully aware that he couldn’t expect any benevolence from this situation. His only request was for outsiders to pardon him. He was certain that by tomorrow, the entire town would be buzzing with rumors.
Once word got out about a concubine’s lack of filial piety in the Zuo Family, so would surely co to understand the true circumstances behind it.
The Zuo Family was the most prominent household in town, attracting the attention of everyone in the vicinity. With limited entertainnt options, gossip about its mbers was a favorite pasti.
Nanny Liu gently massaged the bruises on Zuo Shaoqing’s forehead and furrowed her brow as she cautioned him, “You should avoid eating pickled vegetables for a few days. Scars wouldn’t be a good outco.”
“It doesn’t hurt. As a man, there’s nothing to fear,” Zuo Shaoqing replied. To him, this minor pain was inconsequential compared to the hardships he had endured in his previous life while cultivating.
Regarding the matter of scars, Zuo Shaoqing touched his face, his gaze distant. He had never seen his own face in either of his lifetis. He believed that a man’s true worth lay in his moral character, allowing him to stand tall in the world. His appearance was nothing more than skin deep.
When Zuo Shaoyan was handed over to Jiang Che by Zuo Shaoyan, he couldn’t help but feel perplexed. He questioned why he, a man, was being entrusted to another man. Additionally, he considered himself quite ordinary, so he wondered why Jiang Che would readily let him go.
In his recollection, that man would frequently stroke his face and whisper tender words that could make anyone blush. Those intimate monts replayed in his mind repeatedly.
To be frank, he didn’t resent Jiang Che; he simply couldn’t bear the humiliation of being treated as a hidden treasure. Moreover, during that period, he had aspirations to participate in the Conference Test and achieve academic success. However, in the blink of an eye, he lost everything and plunged into despair.
After bidding farewell to Nanny Liu, Zuo Shaoqing rose from the bed and walked over to the desk. He retrieved a pen and paper, ticulously reciting the Pure Heart Formula from his previous life.
He had stumbled upon this ancient manuscript in Jiang’s Mansion’s extensive library by chance. At the ti, his mind was clouded by hatred, and he had transford into a bitter soul. When he ca across the title of this ancient text, he sensed its uniqueness and dedicated himself to its study.
What he hadn’t anticipated was that the Pure Heart Formula was, in fact, a martial arts ntal cultivation technique. Due to the incompleteness of its latter half, it had been disregarded by everyone.
The days of his captivity were unbearable. A few years earlier, Zuo Shaoqing had imrsed himself in books and writing, but with the passage of ti, he lost all interest in reading. As soone branded as a forbidden asset, even if he were to regain his freedom soday, he pondered whether he could still participate in the Imperial examinations and secure an official position.
Zuo Shaoqing ticulously followed the incantations inscribed in the ancient to, his remaining vestiges of insanity compelling him. Since his scholarly pursuits had proven fruitless, he resolved to abandon the quill and embrace physical prowess. Perhaps, through sheer might, he could vanquish his adversary.
Regrettably, he possessed no prior martial training, and guidance was a luxury he had never known. He toiled relentlessly, striving through the uncharted territory of martial arts, progressing rely to the third stage.
After a month of despondency, Zuo Shaoqing delved into the extensive collection of dical treatises within the Jiang’s Mansion study. He contemplated augnting his strength through dicinal ans. Ultimately, he chanced upon a prescription in a dical journal, taking a leap of faith by self-administering the elixir.
Alas, his ridians proved incapable of withstanding the torrential surge of inner energy. Chaos overtook his dantian, ridians recoiled, and with one final surge, he propelled himself beyond the confines of Jiang’s Mansion. Revenge accomplished, he t his demise amidst the unforgiving fury of thunder and lightning.
Zuo Shaoqing drew a deep breath, imrsing himself in multiple readings of the Heart Cleansing Technique. He then settled into a cross-legged position on his bed, comncing cultivation with an air of familiarity.
In the grand tapestry of his life, Zuo Shaoqing had no aspirations of martial excellence; ascending to the third stage would suffice.
Even if his heart’s yearnings remained unfulfilled in this lifeti, he resolved to shatter the chains that bound him, no longer willing to be treated as re chattel, condemned to a life of ignominy, veiled in eternal darkness.
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