Chapter 005: The Art of Cultivating Vital Energy

Unfortunately, Wen Zhao did not notice. She was biting her teeth with her head lowered, squeezing out a phrase through her teeth: "Take your time, my husband." Then she stood up and returned to the kitchen, tasting the food she had saved for herself. Hmm, it seemed that the flavor had indeed improved a bit. Although it was still bland, at least it no longer tasted like chewing wax; it had a hint of the flavor that food should have.

The first three characters left Wen Zhao feeling somewhat perplexed; this title was hardly impressive. It bore some resemblance to the gathering of yin practiced by male ghosts, and was far inferior to Wan Qing's technique of yin gathering. The character "gather" is much more domineering than "nurture"; one can tell at a glance that it refers to a more sophisticated method. However, the term "nurturing qi"—the character "nurture"—seemed to carry a flavor of pleading, akin to raising children, which is extremely arduous

Wan Qing glanced at her, revealing a smile that, in an instant, shone like pearls and jade, as if the sun and moon had embraced her. Even the shadowy aura that often lingered on her face due to her practice of the Yin-restraining technique dissipated.

She let out a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat puzzled. Could it be that being angry would not cause her any harm? While she was contemplating this, she heard the sound of the door; Wan Qing had returned. She hurriedly opened the door to greet him, and her earlier doubts were naturally cast aside.

It is quite delicious

The opening is not in line with its name; it is extremely grand. Wen Zhao feels his emotions stirred, but then he suddenly thinks that this Qi Nourishing Technique fell off from a fish, and with just a casual mention of "sashimi," it was obtained. How could it possibly be something good? Could it be mere boasting? Such occurrences are also common; in the past, what was referred to as hype was likely just this way, with the front claiming how wonderful it is, while in reality, it is quite ordinary.

He actually did not speak the truth. Upon seeing the flower basket, the City God’s entire face turned purple. The City God’s powers are even greater than those of Wanqing, so the vitality sensed from the flower basket is even more abundant. If the Yellow Springs are a river formed by the condensation of yin energy, then the vitality contained in this flower basket is like a spring; though not turbulent, it is unceasing. However, upon hearing that there was originally a live fish in the flower basket, which is now missing, the City God was even more astonished and immediately took the flower basket to the Underworld of the Ming Lord.

Wen Zhao's eyes lit up, finally unable to endure it any longer? Hurry and say something tastes bad, then she will have the motivation to improve her dark culinary skills. Every time it is delicious, making it impossible for her to muster the energy to delve into her craft. She is born in the Year of the Ox, moving forward only with talent; if she is provided with good ingredients, she lacks the spirit to strive.

Some were rather impatient, sitting cross-legged on the bed, following the method written on the fish scales to begin cultivating their energy. After nearly two hours of this practice, there was not the slightest gain. Wen Zhao slowly exhaled a long breath, not feeling disheartened. Cultivating energy is akin to nurturing a fetus; it is unreasonable to expect results overnight. She was not someone who was overly eager, and so she continued to cultivate slowly. Even if it took three to five years without any achievement, it would not be too late to enjoy sashimi at that time.

Wan Qing immediately felt embarrassed, straightened his face, and said: "This is a matter of public business, do not ask further."

Wan Qing waited for a long time, yet the City God did not return. He realized that this matter was likely extremely serious, far beyond the scope of a mere minor ghost messenger like himself. Thus, he had no choice but to return home first. When he saw his wife inquiring about him, he assumed she was worried and intentionally downplayed the situation to alleviate her concerns.

With this thought, she calmed down a bit and continued reading. The subsequent content was not overly boastful, likely because the fish scales were not large, limiting the amount of content that could be accommodated. Therefore, even if one wanted to boast, there wasn't enough space. It merely discussed methods for cultivating vital energy, stating that to nurture yang energy, one must be close to the heavens and the earth. This concept was somewhat difficult to understand. What does it mean to be close to the heavens and the earth? After contemplating the previous boastful content, she thought it likely referred to the peaks of high mountains; the higher the mountain, the closer one is to the heavens. As for nurturing yin energy, it requires delving deep underground. Upon reading this, she couldn't help but laugh. Is there a place deeper than the underworld?

In the beginning of chaos, the clear and turbid energies were distinguished. The clear ascended, condensing to form the heavens, while the turbid sank, gathering to form the earth. The heavens consist of nine layers, the purest of the pure, known as Yang; the earth consists of nine tiers, the turbidest of the turbid, known as Yin. Thus, between heaven and earth, there exist the dual energies of Yin and Yang. The essence of heaven and earth is obtained by beasts and birds, transforming them into demons and spirits. Grasses and trees acquire it, becoming spirits and monsters. If humans obtain it, they become immortals and saints.

Listen, listen, every time after taking a bite, it is always this one sentence, as if not praising her a little means he has committed some heinous crime

The Secret to Cultivating Vital Energy

Oh? Today, Wan Qing is behaving unusually; after giving a compliment, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

As the meal was served, Wan Qingbin politely bowed to her in gratitude, his movements graceful and imbued with an indescribable charm. However, Wen Zhao did not appreciate this and replied, "Simple tea and humble food, it is my inadequacy."

The tone carries a hint of sarcasm. Wan Qing, after all, comes from a prominent family; his father is the renowned Wan Caishen, whose wealth rivals that of nations. It is indeed somewhat unfair for him to be eating such simple and even somewhat bland food. If he were to shake his head and sigh, finding it hard to swallow, she would consider that to be somewhat genuine. Yet, he insists on behaving like Liang Hong and Meng Guang, treating each other with utmost respect, which comes off as overly pretentious.

Thank you, dear daughter, for your hard work

For a moment, Wen Zhao was rendered speechless by a single remark. There was no way around it; after all, she had previously agreed to the stipulation that he would make decisions regarding official matters. With Wan Qing's comment, she truly found it difficult to pursue the matter further.

"I have returned. Does the City God Temple have any statements to make?"

She stepped forward, brought water for Wan Qing to wash his face, then changed into a set of casual clothes, poured him tea and offered him books, and only then did she ask.

You take a break; I will go prepare the meal

In this marriage, neither he nor she has ever truly acknowledged it in their hearts; they share an unspoken understanding. She does not mind his disdain for the meals she prepares, but she cannot tolerate his pretentiousness, as if saying that a simple comment about the food being unappetizing would be fatal.

It is indeed more delicious than before; congratulations on the improvement of your culinary skills.

You are deceiving me

Wenzhao washed his hands and then turned to enter the kitchen. This kitchen is not large, equipped with all kinds of pots, bowls, and utensils, but there is no stove; in the underworld, fire cannot be lit, and even if there were a stove, it would be of no use.

Although Wen Zhao is not someone with a keen insight into facial expressions, he is not completely oblivious to them. Moreover, Wan Qing is not skilled at concealing his emotions. Just by observing the way his gaze shifts from side to side, it is clear that he is not telling the truth

Learning the art of shadow consumption is not difficult. One can draw energy from the pervasive shadow energy of the underworld and transform it into food commonly used by people. If one reaches a high level of mastery, the food produced can be nearly indistinguishable from the delicacies of the earthly realm, and the flavors may even surpass them. Wen Zhao has only been studying for less than six months; if we speak of mastery, she certainly does not possess it. With her current abilities, she can only prepare basic dishes such as three dishes and one soup along with corn rice, and at times, she finds herself powerless to create something more exquisite.

Wan Qing appeared somewhat fatigued, as it was evident that using the Soul Lock Chain to retrieve the flower basket had indeed consumed a considerable amount of his yin energy. After running back and forth, he had also expended a great deal of strength. Upon returning home, he washed away the dust with clear water and enjoyed some tea to alleviate his fatigue, which brought him considerable comfort and a sense of tranquility. He then reassured, "You need not worry; it is not a significant matter. Although the underworld is a place where souls gather, there are also a few paths that connect to the world of the living. It is quite common for living beings to accidentally wander into the underworld."

She stood still in the kitchen. Since arriving in this cursed place, she had never put any effort into the art of shadow eating. Why did the taste suddenly improve a little today? Could it be... Her body trembled slightly. The only difference between today and the past was that there was an extra fish in her body, and she had practiced the Qi Nourishing Technique. The fish certainly couldn't make the food taste better, so it must be the effect of the Qi Nourishing Technique? After only practicing for two hours, she felt nothing at all, yet... had it actually taken effect?

Eh... Hmm?

Wen Zhao was momentarily stunned, suddenly feeling a surge of anger rising from within. He nearly overturned the dining table but restrained himself repeatedly. Finally, he calmed down and said, "You flatter me, my husband." As he spoke, his teeth ground tightly together, making a creaking sound.

"The Lord of the Underworld, grant me abundant food"

Suddenly, a flash of golden light appeared before her eyes, and it was that fish again, diving into her forehead. Wen Zhao was taken aback and suddenly thought of Madam Zhang, who had been struck by the fish's tail; in just half an hour, nearly half of her face was gone. Now, two hours had passed—was her own head still intact? She hurriedly rushed to the basin, looked into the water, and saw her delicate face reflected there. Although her features were somewhat blurred, at least her head was still there.