Wanhua Pavilion.
Up on the Pavilion, sunlight streamed down brightly, casting its golden rays over the redwood floor. The warm winter sun made the floor feel slightly hot to the touch.
"Big Sister Lin!" Jiang Ning smiled as he looked at Lin Qingyi, dressed in a flowing cyan gown.
"You disturbed my perfectly good afternoon nap," Lin Qingyi said, tapping her lips with a yawn tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Her clothing was rather thin, hardly different from what one might wear in the summer just two light layers. The smooth, jade-like lower part of her legs peeked out from beneath her skirt, as delicate as lotus roots.
"My bad," Jiang Ning replied with a sheepish smile.
But inwardly, he was speechless.
If memory served, every time he came looking for Lin Qingyi, she was either in the middle of a nap or had just woken up.
And this is someone who made it to the rank of grandmaster?
He started to question life itself.
He'd achieved what he had today through sheer sweat and relentless effort. How could someone so laid-back have reached the same heights?
"Have a seat," Lin Qingyi gestured toward a shaded chair beneath a decorative canopy.
As a woman, Lin Qingyi was no exception she loved beauty.
Even if that beauty was only for herself, she cared deeply about it.
That's why she rarely let the sun shine directly on her when on the balcony. She had already moved a canopy there to shield her from the light.
After motioning for Jiang Ning to sit, she turned and headed toward her room.
Moments later
Lin Qingyi reappeared, returning from her room holding a pot of chilled tea in one hand and a letter in the other.
Jiang Ning's eyes immediately locked on the envelope in her hand.
He remembered clearly earlier at noon, that Lü Yi had told him that Lin Qingyi had a letter meant for him and had asked him to come by to collect it.
"A letter for me?"
"From who?"
Jiang Ning was filled with curiosity.
Lin Qingyi gave him a glance, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly in a playful smile as she sat down in the chair opposite his, beneath the canopy.
"If you want water, pour it yourself."
She casually set the teapot down on the table without bothering to serve him.
Oddly enough, it was precisely this kind of relaxed attitude that made Jiang Ning feel more at ease.
It meant they had moved past the early awkwardness of their interactions.
Like how people behave at home more casual, less restrained, sprawling wherever they feel like.
Lin Qingyi's relaxed demeanor gave Jiang Ning exactly that kind of comfort.
He poured himself a cup of the chilled tea, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then turned his gaze back to the envelope on the table.
"Curious?" Lin Qingyi asked, seeing where he was looking.
"Of course. Who would send me a letter?" Jiang Ning nodded, answering honestly.
At that, a smile curled on Lin Qingyi's lips.
"You forgot you have a fiancée!"
Fiancée?
Jiang Ning was taken aback by those three words.
Then, a girl's face floated into his mind.
"Your hands are so big."
"And so warm!"
Back then, in the snow, Ji Mingyue had pulled that little trick on him leaving Jiang Ning momentarily stunned.
In his previous life, he had used the same trick to charm girls, using it as an excuse to interlock fingers.
He never would have imagined that, in this life especially in a setting so similar to an ancient, conservative society he would fall for such a forward move from a girl younger than him.
And such a bold trick at that. Thinking back now, it still felt unreal.
And a bit absurd.
"Ji Mingyue?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Mhm," Lin Qingyi nodded. "It's a letter from little Seventeen."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning picked up the envelope from the table.
After tearing it open, he pulled out a single white sheet of paper.
To my betrothed.
Seeing those words at the top of the letter, Jiang Ning was speechless. Is the Seventeenth Princess taking this seriously?
His eyes moved down the page.
Though we are apart, I hope this letter brings my face to your mind.
The handwriting was elegant and delicate a woman's hand at first glance.
Jiang Ning slowly read further. In the several hundred characters that followed, Ji Mingyue shared her observations and experiences over the past month big and small things that had happened.
The tone was calm and even, like a gentle stream flowing along. Her writing didn't reveal much emotion, just a simple, steady sharing of her world.
At the end of the letter, Ji Mingyue merely included a brief remark about the hardships of ordinary people, along with a faint expression of her sense of helplessness.
Finally, she mentioned she would try to send a letter every month from now on.
After reading it, Jiang Ning folded the two pages neatly and tucked them back into the envelope.
"Are you going to write back?" Lin Qingyi asked.
Jiang Ning hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "There's not much to say."
"All right then," Lin Qingyi nodded.
Elsewhere.
A young woman in a pale yellow dress rested her chin on the window frame of the carriage. She gazed outside at the snow-covered landscape, squinting slightly as the sunlight reflected off the white ground.
She was lost in thought, her pupils unfocused, staring at nothing in particular.
"I wonder if that letter reached him?"
"I wonder what he thought when he read it?"
"Will he write back?"
As those thoughts stirred in her mind, she couldn't help but think of the dreams she'd had over the years those vivid, recurring dreams.
Was the person in my dreams him?
He looked so much like him his eyes, his gaze, even his expression...
"Little Seventeen, what are you thinking about?" a warm voice sounded at her ear it was Ji Minghao.
Ji Mingyue turned and smiled. "Nothing just looking at the scenery!"
Back at Wanhua Pavilion.
Jiang Ning left with a quiet joy in his heart.
Thanks to the 66 taels of gold from the Xie family, he now had enough money to buy the rare Five-Element Spirit Fruit a true heavenly treasure.
At the moment, the One hundred thousand tael treasure was in his hands, sealed in a jade box about ten centimeters in width, height, and depth.
"If all goes well, my Five-Animal Fists should break through again by tomorrow."
Trailing behind him was Lü Yi, visibly cheerful. Just moments ago, Jiang Ning had bought her the expensive skincare balm she needed.
Now with the balm in hand, even during the skin-grinding phase of her martial cultivation, she wouldn't have to worry about her skin becoming rough or dull it would remain smooth and fair.
For any woman, that was no small thing.
There wasn't a single woman in the world who didn't want to look her best Lü Yi was no exception.
The two boarded the carriage.
By now, with the sun high in the sky, the snow on the road had begun to melt, turning even the inner city streets into a slushy mess. Their shoes were already soaked with black, muddy meltwater.
At the carriage door, Lü Yi removed her mud-stained shoes and stepped onto the soft, white sheepskin rug wearing only her white socks.
Jiang Ning had already taken his shoes off as well and was barefoot on the same rug.
Lü Yi hesitated for a moment, then slipped off her socks too, revealing smooth, pinkish-white feet.
She had picked up on Jiang Ning's aesthetic preferences some time ago.
So, for over a month now, she had made a point to wash and care for her feet daily, ensuring they were soft, clean, and completely odor-free.
In her view, that was part of being a proper maid.
"Shall I light some incense, young master?" Lü Yi knelt on the rug, her hips resting on her heels, her delicate, rosy toes curling slightly in the sunlight.
"Go ahead," Jiang Ning replied.
He was already used to this level of comfort and didn't mind it in the slightest.
He had never believed that cultivating martial arts meant he had to live a life of hardship and self-denial.
Enjoy when it's time to enjoy.
Relax when it's time to relax.
Train hard when it's time to train.
Never forget to be vigilant even in times of peace that saying remained deeply etched in his heart.
Hearing his response, Lü Yi began preparing the incense. She scraped shavings from a block of sandalwood, poured them into the burner, and carefully flattened them out.
Soon, a calming fragrance began to fill the carriage.
The carriage had already begun to move.
The two snow-white, flame-hoofed horses, who had been fed Jiang Ning's blood and become his bonded beasts, had long since awakened their intelligence and could understand human intent.
With just a simple command, they carried him steadily toward the Inspection Office.
Yesterday had been the final day of the Inspection Office's long holiday. Today marked the official return to duty.
Originally, Jiang Ning had planned to head over after completing his morning internal cultivation. But due to Xie Tianzheng's unexpected visit, he had delayed it.
Now that all other matters had been handled, it was finally time to visit.
Skipping the first day entirely wouldn't look good, especially for someone in his position.
More importantly, he had a crucial reason for going today: he needed to check whether the old woman from Internal Affairs whom Commander Hong Minghu referred to as "Granny Bai" had arrived in Luoshui County.
To him, she was now one of the most important figures in the entire Inspection Office.
Because everything related to contribution points whether it was martial arts manuals, valuable resources, or rank promotions could only be accessed through Internal Affairs. Only there could his hard-earned contributions be put to use.
Due to the heavy snow sealing off the mountains, many people hadn't yet arrived in Luoshui County to report for duty.
That mysterious old woman from Internal Affairs Granny Bai might not have made it either. Jiang Ning needed to check in person and confirm.
If she was there, then the corpses of the two fifth-rank martial experts from the Worship Sect he had slain earlier would come in handy they were a major military achievement and should earn him a generous reward in contribution points.
He could use those contribution points to advance his official rank.
Or exchange them for martial arts manuals and other resources he needed.
At this moment, the carriage rolled steadily toward the Inspection Office.
Inside the carriage…
Jiang Ning sat cross-legged and gently broke the seal along the jade box's edge.
As the box opened, five egg-sized fruits came into view.
One was jet-black representing the Water element called the Profound Water Spirit Fruit.
One was pure white representing the Metal element called the Gold Severance Spirit Fruit.
One was bright red representing the Fire element called the Blazing Flame Spirit Fruit.
One was a vibrant green representing the Wood element called the Verdant Wood Spirit Fruit.
One was orange representing the Earth element called the Loamy Earth Spirit Fruit.
Gazing at the five fruits, each glowing faintly with liquid-like light streaming across their surfaces, Jiang Ning's eyes lit up with joy.
These five elemental spirit fruits were a celestial treasure valued at a staggering 100,000 taels of silver.
In ancient times, such treasures would've been priceless.
According to Manager Han from Wanhua Pavilion, in those eras, consuming these fruits could alter one's physical constitution enhancing their affinity with elemental energies.
An item capable of modifying a person's innate traits such things was beyond price.
But in the current age, most ancient treasures have lost much of their former potency.
Which was why their current value wasn't sky-high.
Still, due to their extreme rarity, they were far from cheap.
The set of five fruits had cost 100,000 taels of silver. Even with his VIP token from Wanhua Pavilion, Jiang Ning had paid 80,000.
A single fruit equated to 20,000 taels a cost that spoke volumes about their worth, far above items like the Miao Flame Fruit, the Stargrass, or the Heart of the Ten-Thousand-Wood Tree.
"These five elemental spirit fruits, worth 100,000 taels… If they can provide at least 500 source energy points, that would be enough. But maybe… maybe I can get over 1,000 points from them?"
"Once I eat them, I hope there'll be more than just source energy gains!"
With that, he picked up the black Profound Water Spirit Fruit.
Crunch
One bite released a crisp sound.
Cold, sweet juice flooded his mouth with a refreshing chill.
After tasting it briefly, he finished the fruit in just a few bites skin and all.
"Not bad," he muttered.
As the fruit settled in his stomach, a cool sensation spread through his core, soon followed by a distinct feeling from his kidneys.
There was… something happening.
A flicker of surprise crossed Jiang Ning's face as he began to focus inward.
He could sense a subtle change in his kidneys slow, almost imperceptible, like gentle spring rain but undeniably strengthening them.
The sensation closely mirrored what he'd felt when absorbing elemental energy through his Five-Animal Fists.
Encouraged, he picked up the fiery red Blazing Flame Spirit Fruit next.
After another few quick bites, it too was gone.
Warmth blossomed in his chest as the juice flowed downward.
Almost immediately, his heart began to undergo a similar change to what he had felt in his kidneys.
"No wonder these fruits cost 100,000 taels they do have additional effects!"
Feeling his body change, Jiang Ning silently took note.
Then, one by one, he consumed the remaining three fruits.
As the full set entered his system, he felt all five of his internal organs heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys being nourished by some mysterious energy.
What began as subtle, individual effects suddenly merged into something far greater a transformation.
A profound elevation, a refinement unlike anything he had experienced.
And then, he understood.
Why the elemental fruits were sold only as a full set?
Why they were worth so much?
Even in this age where most ancient treasures had lost their power, some still retained a fraction of their ancient might.
These five fruits were among those rare few.
Especially when consumed together the synergy among them caused a dramatic leap in effectiveness. Far beyond what any single fruit could provide.
This change wasn't like the enhancement from practicing internal strength methods.
It wasn't even like the improvements from his Five-Animal Fists.
No this was something deeper. More foundational.
It felt like his very innate constitution was being reshaped and enhanced.
As if he had moved from the realm of those who must struggle for power… to that of those born with it.
The difference between talent forged through hardship and power granted at birth.
He quietly meditated, attuning to the changes in his organs, while the carriage drew ever closer to the Inspection Office.
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