Cang Lan Dao - Chapter 8.2

Chapter 8.2
If You Want To Be Liu Xiniang, You Have To Bear The Price of Becoming Liu Xiniang

As Liu Xiniang listened, her complexion moved slightly. She leaned against the wall and said softly, “Let me think about it.”

“Okay.” Luo Wanqing answered.

Liu Xiniang leaned against the wall and was silent for a long time. She seemed to have been thinking about something. Then, she suddenly said, “You have the medicine to delay the wound’s healing with you?”

“Yes.” Hearing this, Luo Wanqing knew that Liu Xiniang had responded.
“Give me medicine.” Liu Xiniang turned her head to look at her with a smile, “I have agreed. You can’t regret it.”

“No regrets.” Luo Wanqing spoke while taking out the porcelain bottle and wading into the water to Liu Xiniang. She poured the medicinal powder from the porcelain bottle on her fingertips. She subconsciously said, “It will hurt a little.”

“What pain am I afraid of?” Liu Xiniang smiled, “I’m a killer. The super powerful kind.”

“I know.” Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but smile, raising her hand to apply medicine to Liu Xiniang’s face, and curiously asked, “That person who dragged me today. Did you notice him long ago?”

“Yes, but he kept at a distance.” Liu Xiniang explained, “He practices the path of Wang’s Death Soldier Martial Arts. Three inches beyond the lower abdomen is their lifeline. He won’t put up defenses against you, a weak woman. If you kill him, he’ll die.”

“Wang Death Soldiers?”

“It’s the Empress’s Clan,” Liu Xiniang felt pain and frowned slightly. She hurriedly moved away as she explained, “That must be Jiang Shaoyan’s people. He’s been sending people to keep an eye on you.”

“I know.” Luo Wanqing finished applying the wound and said calmly, “The people from the Inspection Department spoke with me just now. They said that they would take care of his body.”

“If they didn’t handle the body, you’d have to add the crime of murder to the list.” Liu Xiniang immediately understood the Inspection Department’s purpose, “They don’t want you to be guilty of a capital offense?”

“They want me to be banished properly.”

“These dog officials.” As soon as Liu Xiniang heard this, she realized what the Inspection Department was planning to do. She said in disgust, “Forget it. You’re going to be a dog official in the future as well. I won’t scold you. But,” Liu Xiniang raised her eyes and looked at Luo Wanqing with worry, “The road ahead, are you ready?”

“Ready.”

“Well then, hope the heavens will shine upon you,” Liu Xiniang stretched a bit. “I’ll help you. Indeed, within three months, it’s enough for you to have the boxing and kicking skills of an ordinary salt vendor. But this identity of mine, Liu Xiniang, is not only a salt vendor but also a minor master of the Yangzhou Salt Gang’s branch and has some reputation in the underworld. If you want to impersonate me, you must have the strength to do so. And, if you want to get into the Inspection Department, you also must have the power. Otherwise, you won’t get in. So I’ll give you two choices-“
Liu Xiniang raised two fingers, “You follow the rules and take your time. But in that case, the possibility of you getting into the Inspection Department is almost zero.”

“Another choice?”

“I’ll give you half of my internal energy,” Liu Xiniang said solemnly, “But this method is dangerous. You won’t necessarily survive. I’ll forcefully pour my internal energy into your body and use my true qi to prop open your tendons and veins. You’re a doctor. You should know how painful this process is.”

“You gave me half?” Luo Wanqing frowned, “Is it possible? You’re skilled in martial arts. Isn’t it a pity?”

“If I can get out of that hellhole of Feng Yu Pavilion, what’s there to pity?” Liu Xiniang exaggerated, “If I didn’t have to go out and help you take your family away, I could have given you the other half! If you could help me leave, you’ll be my second parent, a gift of rebirth!”

“What about you?” Luo Wanqing was still puzzled, “You don’t have internal strength. What if you encounter enemies?”

“Don’t worry,” Liu Xiniang revealed her pride, “Not to mention that my enemies are definitely all rushing towards you. Even if any of the ungrateful ones find out that we’ve dropped the bag, my internal strength is enough to kill those losers.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing finally felt at ease. She pursed her lips and whispered, “Many thanks.”

“Then it’s settled,” Liu Xiniang nodded her head and hurriedly planned, “I’m afraid you won’t be able to hold on, so I’ll chain you up when I pass on the power, but remember, you have to stay awake during the process, and lead the true qi to travel around your body’s tendons and converge it into the dantian according to what I said.”

“Okay.” Luo Wanqing nodded her head.

“Come over here.” Liu Xiniang beckoned to Luo Wanqing, who didn’t hesitate and walked over to the iron chains, which Liu Xiniang used to immobilize her.

“Do you have any life-preserving medicine?” Liu Xiniang raised her eyes to look at her. Luo Wanqing immediately remembered the medicine gifted by that Inspection Department officer. She looked at her sleeve and reminded, “In my sleeve, there’s a bottle.”

Liu Xiniang sniffed and took the bottle out, pouring a pill from it. Liu Xiniang and Luo Wanqing’s eyes widened when the pill rested on her hand.

“Nine Fragrant Nurturing Pill,” Liu Xiniang twisted the pill with her index and thumb and couldn’t help but praise it, “This is good stuff. Who gave it to you?”

“A lord.” Luo Wanqing’s gaze fell on the pill. Remembering the youth behind the screen, she softly said, “A lord who will meet me at Dongdu.”

“Your noble luck is good.” Liu Xiniang smiled, then raised her hand and shot the medicine in Luo Wanqing’s mouth.

As Luo Wanqing swallowed the pill, Liu Xiniang walked behind her and informed, “I’m starting.”

The bitter flavor of the pill filled Luo Wanqing’s mouth. After waiting quietly, she felt Liu Xiniang strike her back with a palm. In an instant, she felt something violently rushing into her tendons and veins, like seawater filling a canal, exploding her tendons and veins inch by inch. The pain ran from all around her body to her dantian. Luo Wanqing was about to scream when Liu Xiniang’s voice rang. “Don’t make a sound.”

Luo Wanqing subconsciously clenched her teeth and suppressed the cry of pain.

Liu Xiniang calmly said, “The first lesson I learned after entering the Feng Yu Pavilion was self-control.”

“You must have absolute control over your voice, body, sanity, and words. You can’t shout from pain, cry from sadness, or laugh from joy. Everything you do should based on your will. Not your instinct. Only then can you truly hide yourself and be in control.”

“You need to tame your body to tame your spirit. Otherwise, the first one to die in a fight with another person will be you.”

The extreme pain caused Luo Wanqing to keep trembling. She clenched her teeth tightly as tears rolled uncontrollably from her eyes.

Liu Xiniang’s voice was like an icy spring on a mountain, pouring into her body from top to bottom without stopping. All the noises of her world were filtered, leaving only Liu Xiniang’s voice.

“Close your eyes. Feel the direction of the flow of true qi and consciously guide it, entering from the Shen Dao, going up to Baihui, down to Yangguan, traveling from Baihui to Yunmen, and going from Yunmen, leading to Shangyang, Zhongchong, Guanchong, and then returning to the Tianchi, passing through Xuangui, and sinking into the Sea of Qi, and that is the running of one small circuit.”

“Going up to Baihui, down to Yongquan, turn left and right to Laogong, returning to Tianchong and sinking into the Sea of Qi, is the running of one large circuit.”
……

Liu Xiniang carefully taught her, leading her to flow her true qi around. She felt as if the tendons and veins in her body were cracking and bulging little by little, tearing open her skin and oozing out blood. She gasped for breath but never let out a single cry of pain. She didn’t know how long it was but vaguely heard Liu Xiniang’s voice.

“Nothing in this world came for free. If you want to be Liu Xiniang, you must bear the price of becoming Liu Xiniang. Luo Wanqing, I hope you don’t regret it.”

Hearing these words, sweat mixed with blood from the cracked tendons slid down from the top of Luo Wanqing’s forehead. She barely opened her eyes and spoke hoarsely, “I won’t regret it.”

Author’s Notes:
The first ten chapters focus on the female lead’s growth. The male lead would need to wait until he appeared officially. He will soon meet the female lead as a classmate. We can’t rush this relationship too fast, ha!