Imperial Cultivation

Chapter 4: Chapter 4 Guidance

Mingwu Hall main hall.

The white jade stone floor is spotless.

A painting two zhang long and one zhang wide hangs on the north wall, depicting a rising sun piercing through dark clouds, illuminating mountains and a great river.

Beneath the painting is a Taishi chair.

On both sides of this Taishi chair are rows of chairs, seven in total from north to south, with nothing else around, making the space feel even more vast and empty.

The coffered ceiling is inlaid with twelve luminous pearls, their bright and soft light filling the hall.

Chu Qingfeng sits in the Taishi chair at the northern end, surveying Chu Zhiyuan: ”How is your father’s health?”

”Father is in good health.”

His ability to look within can observe not only himself but also through bodily contact can clearly see others’ internal organs, being well aware of Chu Minghou’s physical condition.

Chu Minghou looks frail, as if a gust of wind could topple him, yet within him is a flourishing vitality.

His gaze inadvertently drifts to the painting on the north wall.

The vision just seen was this painting, as if he had entered into it, yet the sensation was extremely clear, unlike an illusion.

Could this painting contain the mysteries of a Great Grandmaster?

Chu Qingfeng nodded: ”Minghou is a fortunate person; had he not been born into the royal family, he wouldn’t have survived past a year.”

Chu Zhiyuan’s sword-like eyebrows lifted.

Discussion about Chu Minghou’s frail health was, of course, not permitted in the mansion; he was always curious about Chu Minghou’s physical condition.

Clearly innately weak, spiritual medicine seemed ineffective, so where did that flourishing vitality within him come from, and if it existed, why didn’t it make his body stronger?

”When Minghou was born weakly and could barely survive, your elder brother ventured alone into Baichuan Grotto Heaven searching for spiritual medicine, and unexpectedly found a Heavenly Spiritual Fruit.”

Chu Zhiyuan slowly nodded.

The Da Jing Dynasty had four Grotto Heavens and four Secret Lands, all guarded by the Great Grandmasters of the Grandmaster Mansion. Within the Grotto Heavens are rare fruits, and within the Secret Lands are rare birds and beasts.

To think that Father had consumed a spiritual fruit from one of the Grotto Heavens.

”The Heavenly Spiritual Fruit is rare and appears only once every several hundred years.”

”It can reverse congenital deficiencies, allowing even the most frail person to live a long life. If nothing unexpected happens, you and your sister’s aptitude should be excellent.”

Chu Zhiyuan was enlightened.

No wonder this body had such excellent aptitude. Originally, he thought it was inherited from his Imperial Grandfather Chu Qingquan, but it turns out it was because of the Heavenly Spiritual Fruit.

”Don’t waste this heaven-sent opportunity,” Chu Qingfeng said slowly. ”Practice well.”

”Yes,” Chu Zhiyuan nodded solemnly.

”There’s one more thing: if you wish to become a Great Grandmaster, remember this: exercise caution with external aids, such as spiritual pills and medicine. You can use them for cleansing and purging, but don’t use them to enhance cultivation. Once external aids enhance your cultivation, the path to becoming a Great Grandmaster is cut off.”

Chu Zhiyuan was startled.

”Why are there so few Great Grandmasters in this world? First, because the path to becoming a Great Grandmaster is filled with barriers, requiring both talent and luck. More importantly, people only see the wonders of spiritual pills, not their drawbacks. Some know this but pretend otherwise.”

”Thank you, Granduncle, for your guidance!”

Many people prefer shortcuts and are eager for quick success and instant benefits.

In this world, becoming a Grandmaster is already powerful enough. Rather than forsaking shortcuts for the elusive goal of becoming a Great Grandmaster and perhaps falling halfway, it might be better to quickly become a Grandmaster.

It’s important to know that after sixty years, the door to becoming a Grandmaster is gone, and the possibility is lost.

With his Super Sense, he naturally aimed to become a Great Grandmaster.

That meant not using spiritual pills to enhance cultivation.

”You have a deep foundation and pure energy, indicating you haven’t used spiritual pills for cultivation enhancement. Remarkable.”

”Granduncle, your discerning eye is indeed correct; I haven’t used spiritual pills.”

He wanted to add a self-deprecating remark that it wasn’t for lack of wanting to use spiritual pills to enhance cultivation, just that even if he wanted to, there were none available to use. But he realized before speaking that this would sound resentful and was unwise to say aloud.

Spiritual pills that enhanced cultivation weren’t ordinary; they all came from the Court and were controlled by it, unavailable for purchase outside.

The Prince Mansion’s sources of support came from two funds: one from the taxation and special products of the fief, and the other from the salaries issued by the Court for corresponding titles.

This salary portion included spiritual pills.

The allocation for each Princely Mansion followed specifications: the number of guards was flexible, but there was a fixed number of house guards to whom spiritual pills were allocated.

The mansion was well-funded, but silver couldn’t buy top-quality spiritual pills. The allocations didn’t include those for enhancing cultivation.

To obtain such spiritual pills, one had to use military merits to exchange with the Court. Since the Prince Qing Mansion was sealed, it had no chance to earn merits, and naturally couldn’t obtain such spiritual pills.

”In your generation, aside from you, there’s the tenth and thirteenth branches; the rest...”

He shook his head.

It was indeed as the elder brother said: the Chu Family was declining, and if it continued, the empire and society would end up handed over to others.

The princes of Chu Minghou’s generation already lacked ambition and were eager for quick success, and Chu Zhiyuan’s generation of Princely Heirs was even more so, with many using spiritual pills to enhance cultivation without patience.

Mingwu Hall boasted top-notch martial arts and guidance from Great Grandmasters, yet one rule was stringent: spiritual pills for enhancing cultivation couldn’t be ingested, only those for improving aptitude and constitution.

But once one steps into the Innate, they are no longer within this rule’s bounds.

Such bans could last a while, but not forever, and force wasn’t the solution when people insisted on the shortcut of using spiritual pills to enhance cultivation.

”...Granduncle, I want to first find a step technique to practice.”

”The west side hall has secret manuals and the east side hall had miscellaneous books. Find whatever you want to practice, and ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand. Don’t practice blindly or forcibly... But you have guards, so the most essential skill to work on is the Small Purple Yang Technique. The Small Purple Yang Technique is fundamental, and one must step into the Innate before taking any assignments.”

These Princely Heirs can’t wait to take assignments.

Taking assignments leads to earning merits, and merits can be traded for spiritual pills to speed up cultivation.

These wondrous such pills aren’t just consumed themselves; they can be bestowed on subordinates to win over their loyalty.

Every Prince Mansion, every family wants to protect themselves, being alone and alert always isn’t practical.

Even if one doesn’t care about the Prince Mansion and family and only wants to focus on oneself, one still needs trusted guards since individual energy is limited, and one cannot always be on high alert.

For recruiting powerful guards, spiritual pills are necessary.

As long as the Court controls the four major Grotto Heavens and Secret Lands, holding onto top spiritual pills, there is no shortage of people willing to earn merits in exchange. Thus, even if these Princely Heirs and princes became Grandmasters or even Great Grandmasters, they still have to serve the Court.

”Yes, I will also select the Breakthrough Technique.”

”Go ahead.”

”Thank you, Granduncle.”

Chu Zhiyuan cupped his fists in a respectful gesture of thanks and exited the main hall.

The people in the Martial Arts Training Ground were bathed in golden light, standing motionless like twelve posts, with faint clouds of purple energy in their breaths.

...

Upon stepping into the west side hall, he was met with rows of bookshelves filling the entire great hall.

Fourteen rows of bookshelves, each thirty meters long and three meters high, comprising five levels.

Every bookshelf was fully stocked, the number of books collected was astonishing.

The air was fragrant with the soothing scent of books.

He stood at the center of the great hall, his eyes brightened.

Since awakening, he felt the greatest regret was that the Prince Mansion’s stored books mostly contained music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and various travel notes and miscellaneous books, scarcely related to martial arts.

According to him, cultivation wasn’t just about knowing what but also knowing why.

Understanding the value and wonders of every meridian’s flow made a world of difference compared to blindly transporting Inner Qi.

Besides, post-Postnatal Realm cultivation requires insight, no longer just moving Inner Qi around.

The stronger the martial arts foundation, the wider the path ahead.

The martial arts library in Mingwu Hall is indeed invaluable, and he stood as if amid a treasure mountain.

Internal Cultivation Methods, Qinggong, Step Technique, Fist Technique, Hand Skills, Sword Technique, Swordsmanship, Spear Technique, Stick Technique, etc., arranged by their intricacy and power, shelved at different levels.

The top level housed the most powerful or potent ones, followed by the next level, until the bottom fifth level.

There was also an independent bookshelf, inheriting from ancient sects: Taiqing Primordial Sect, Dragon Subduing Sect, Yu Xu Sword Sect, Leiyin Temple, Great Snow Mountain, Wuya Sect, six Great Sects in total.

He gradually closed his eyes, slowing his breathing, letting his senses expand.

All information within twenty zhang surged into his heart.

This information included the name of each secret manual, its appearance, location, unique scent, and differing materials.

Minutes later, he opened his eyes and approached the independent bookshelf, casually pulling out a yellowing silk booklet from the topmost shelf with four grandly written characters on the cover: ”A Step Away, A World Apart.”

A miracle technique of the Wuya Sect.

Then he pulled out an even older silk book from the topmost shelf, which wrote ”Great Snow Avalanche Sword Technique.”

A miracle technique of the Great Snow Mountain Sect.

Quickly finishing the thin booklets, he returned them and pulled out another one, a thin booklet with a golden cover and inscribed in big letters ”Jade Lock Gold Barrier Skill.”

...

As evening fell, the sound of a gong echoed, signaling the imminent closing of the palace gates.

Chu Zhiyuan reluctantly stepped out of the west side hall.

The Martial Arts Training Ground outside Mingwu Hall was shrouded in the twilight dusk, empty and deserted.

The princes and Princely Heirs practiced martial arts in Mingwu Hall during the morning and afternoon, then went home or for entertainment or attended other lessons in the afternoon.

Or, like him, they could stay until the evening.

Chu Zhiyuan left Mingwu Hall, walking between the vast palaces, suddenly feeling a sense of loneliness.

It felt as if he were the only person left in the world, drifting like a waterweed, isolated and without support.

Memories from his past life surged forth.

He wondered if his friends were still at work, whether they were married and had children, and if they had repaid their mortgages.

It was a relief that his parents had already passed away, sparing them the pain of losing a child before their time.

Sadly, he could no longer drink merrily with his friends, nor shout and curse unscrupulous bosses drunkenly.

In dreams, one forgets that they are merely a traveler.

For the past two years, he often felt a sense of daze and unreality, perhaps a side effect of his reincarnation.

...

Upon exiting the South Palace Gate, Guo Chi and eight house guards escorted him back to the Prince Qing Mansion.

As soon as he entered the mansion gate, the internal steward Feng Xi came up to him, saying that the Prince, Princess, and Commandery Princess had been waiting a long time.

During dinner, Chu Minghou, Bai Ningshuang, and Chu Yi persistently inquired.

He answered one by one, saying that all the Princely Heirs and princes were amicable and that the thirteenth Granduncle took care of him. The atmosphere in Mingwu Hall was excellent; everyone was diligently practicing, eager to step into the Innate to take assignments, leaving no time for intrigue or petty disputes.

These words finally relieved their day-long worry, putting smiles on their faces.

Chu Minghou laughed: ”See, I told you, within the palace, under Father’s watchful eyes, the youngsters won’t cause trouble.”

Bai Ningshuang huffed: ”Just afraid they aren’t that afraid of the Emperor.”

These Princely Heirs and princes were pampered since childhood, knowing no fear, and furthermore, they may not have distinguished the difference between their grandfather and the Emperor, merely thinking the grandfather didn’t become the Emperor.

Chu Yi shook her head in disappointment, prompting a sidelong glance from Chu Zhiyuan, to which she quickly smiled in return.

She originally wanted to watch a good show, seeing how her big brother would handle these Princely Heirs and princes, dominating all, but they were unexpectedly obedient, leaving her rather disappointed.

By the time he returned to the Tingtao Courtyard, the lanterns were already brightly lit.

The whole courtyard was as bright as day.

Just after changing into a loose green robe, Zou Fang came in to report that Feng Xi requested an audience.