Chapter 106: Calm Cultivation

Qin Wei was slightly stunned. Most people who wanted to join the Spear Saint’s sect usually bowed low and humiliated themselves, which was disgusting. After he rejected Lei Qing many times, the latter still clung to him countless times. There were countless cases of people kneeling at the gate of the Great Snow Mountain for three days and three nights, or seven days and seven nights.

He had clearly hinted to him that he could accept him into the sect. But did this kid really not understand? Or did he look down upon joining the Spear Saint’s lineage?

Immediately, Qin Wei’s face turned slightly iron-green: “Lei Qing, do you look down on the Spear Saint’s lineage? Or are you just ungrateful?”

“Regiment Commander Qin, I have admired the Spear Saint’s lineage for a long time,” Lei Qing said calmly. “But I have my own principles. If others respect me, I respect them tenfold. The Spear Saint’s lineage is indeed remarkable. However, I consider that I have my own principles for doing things. Even if I haven’t joined yet, and even if I did join, I would only act according to my own preferences and principles. Regiment Commander Qin, I have urgent matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first.”

Speaking of which, Lei Qing turned around and walked away directly, leaving Qin Wei somewhat stunned and in a bad mood.

…

Indeed, if Lei Qing had the opportunity to join the Spear Saint’s lineage, he would be very happy. However, if he were forced to bow low and compromise to join, it would be unthinkable.

Besides, the Lei Family’s ancestral Fighting Qi Technique was not weak either. After leaving, Lei Qing returned to the Xiahou Mansion and practiced swordplay and spear techniques in the courtyard.

Cultivation is like sailing against the current; if you do not advance, you will retreat. This was especially true for sword techniques like the Fighting Secret Art, which could not be mastered overnight. Every strong person was accumulated and tempered bit by bit.

In the past year, Lei Qing had leapt from Entry-rank Bronze to Early-stage Silver. His promotion speed was extremely fast. Although there was some effect from the Demonic Beast Crystal Cores, more importantly, he had lived a very exciting life in the recent year. He had fled time and time again, experiencing life-and-death trials. He had not been able to stop his pace.

Fast promotion was naturally a good thing. But at the same time, he needed to settle down in all aspects. Like some good wine, it was spicy and pungent when first brewed. Time was needed to eliminate the fire and restlessness in the wine. Only after gradually settling down could it be smooth and lingering in the taste.

What Lei Qing needed to do most now was to calm down and properly temper and polish himself, wearing away the restlessness and vanity on his body.

His feet stepped steadily, slowly practicing the Lei Family Fighting Qi Technique. The speed was very slow, but the slowness was full of charm. It seemed that Lei Qing was deeply comprehending the Fighting Secret Art within himself.

In the extremely slow movements, he used his heart to understand the true meaning of the sword moves and the Fighting Secret Art. He also used his heart to feel the realm, comprehension, and intent of the Lei Family’s Sage Ancestor when he created these techniques.

In fact, more importantly, it was an accumulation and reflection of Lei Qing’s combat experience over the past year. He integrated the life-and-death insights from all the battles he had fought into his bones, bit by bit.

Unknowingly, more than an hour had passed. Lei Qing’s movements entered a profound state. It seemed that the one dancing with the sword was just an empty body without a soul.

His consciousness was in an ethereal state. He thought of nothing and reasoned with nothing. He relied completely on instinct, repeatedly stepping into the Thunder Flash steps, dancing with the Treasure Sword, Lian Zhan.

Actually, although the Lei Family’s Fighting Secret Art emphasized momentum and speed, it did not blindly pursue speed. Sometimes, fast was not necessarily fast. And slow was not necessarily slow.

Everyone understood the simple truth that “haste makes waste,” but how many people could settle and calm their restless minds when facing a flashy reality?

Pursuing speed blindly would easily lead to a lower level. It was like new wine, strong and stimulating, but lacking depth and lingering taste.

Lei Qing’s movements were slow now, but he seemed to have found some different insights in the slowness. In this leisurely manner, he seemed to have captured something that made him savor it repeatedly.

For more than ten consecutive days, he cultivated with a calm mind. Every time Li Baobao and Zuo Qianqian came to watch him practice seriously, they would not disturb him. After watching quietly for a while, they would each find a place to cultivate. Having gone through the test of life and death, Li Baobao also began to demand more of her own combat power.

In the evening, he dined with the two women, chatted lightly, and then went to visit the injured Yang Tieshan and Li Sanba, before returning to his room to sit and refine his qi. By the way, the corpses of Miao Renjie and the others had already been buried.

Time flew by. This day, Lei Qing practiced straight until sunset, and only then did he slowly stop and open the eyes he had not noticed were closed. He felt the twilight falling, and the red sun outside the courtyard wall radiating its last warmth.

He breathed out heavily. Because he had experienced too many things, which were too mixed, his previously restless mind had become calm and settled.

Especially his eyes, which became more restrained and profound. With a quiet heart, he felt a slight secret joy. The recent period of calm cultivation allowed him to almost completely absorb and integrate various experiences from the past year.

Although he had not been tested in actual combat, he felt that he had changed slightly. There was less heat and more concentration and heaviness in his sword secret art and Fighting Qi.

“Lei Qing, have you finished cultivating?” As usual, the two women would come to find him for dinner at this time. By the way, they would also bring him a basin of water to wash the sweat off his face.

Although their relationship with Lei Qing had not developed deeply, the relationship between the two had become calm and subtle. Unknowingly, Li Baobao felt that she liked and enjoyed the calmness of her soul after the vanity and restlessness.

“En, Baobao, Qianqian, you are here.” Lei Qing smiled, thanked them, and walked forward. After wiping his face, he felt much more energetic.

As usual, during dinner, Lei Qing felt that Li Baobao seemed to have something on her mind, looking uneasy, internally restless, and wanting to speak but hesitating.

Lei Qing considerately ladled a bowl of hot soup for her and said softly, “Baobao, drink a bowl of soup to lift your spirits.”

“Lei Qing, I…” Li Baobao’s face was a bit pale. After taking the hot soup and drinking a sip, she said with a somewhat depressed tone, “Uncle Xiahou said that the expert my father dispatched arrived in Tieling City today and entered our Chamber of Commerce’s branch in Tieling City.”

Lei Qing reached out and held her soft and slender jade-like hand, encouraging her. He chuckled softly and said low, “Once today passes, the one-month deadline I set with your father will have arrived. Since he honored the agreement and was worried about you, he naturally sent an expert to pick you up. But, Baobao, all gatherings must end. You really do need to return to your father, to your home, and to your parents.”

“Lei Qing, I… I don’t have a mother. She… she died when I was just born.” Li Baobao’s eyes suddenly became moist: “From childhood to adulthood, my father raised me personally.”

Speaking of this sad point, Li Baobao could not help but cry. Lei Qing sighed lightly and hurriedly hugged her shoulder, letting her lean into his arms. He comforted her with a low and gentle voice, “That was a long time ago. Stop being sad. Besides, you still have your loving father, and us friends.”

“Yes, Sister Baobao.” Zuo Qianqian also came forward and held her hand, comforting her, “Compared to me, you are already very happy. My parents died when I was young, and my grandfather raised me. But now, my grandfather is also dead.” When mentioning this matter, Zuo Qianqian also began to cry.

The two women simply hugged each other and cried.

Lei Qing looked speechless, laughing and crying at the same time, “Hey, hey, let’s not cry together in groups for no reason. If you keep crying, I’m going to join you too? Baobao, look at your face, you’ve cried until you’re like a calico cat. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“I spit, you’re the calico cat.” Li Baobao glanced at Lei Qing with tearful eyes: “I didn’t put on makeup today either. Qianqian and I both have bitter lives. Can’t we cry? Besides, you join? What do you have to be sad about and cry together? Hmph, judging by your appearance, I know you had a happy time in the Tianlan Imperial Capital.”

“Just kidding, I was finding joy in hardship!” Lei Qing said with a bitter face. “Speaking of which, Baobao, you are still the happiest of the three of us. I have never seen my parents. I don’t know who my mother is, what her name is, or what she looks like? My father brought me back to the Lei Family when I was still in a swaddling cloth, threw me to my eldest uncle, and then disappeared immediately. To this day, there has been no news of him. I don’t know if he is alive or dead.”

“Huh!” Li Baobao widened her almond eyes and said in shock, “So you are so miserable?”

“Yes, miserable enough, right?” Lei Qing chuckled. “Didn’t you see my intelligence report? How could you not know this kind of thing?”

“Lei Qing, don’t joke,” Li Baobao glanced at him with almond eyes. “I only judged that you were from the Tianlan Lei Family based on your skills and accent. If I had to memorize detailed intelligence for a nobody like you, I would need ten times my memory.”

“A… a nobody?” Lei Qing stared at him and said, “Wanting the Ninth Young Master of the Lei Family to be well-known in the Tianlan Imperial Capital is okay, isn’t it?”

“Just your reputation? At most, it’s just the name of an unscrupulous bully who dominates the market,” Li Baobao said seriously. “Do I, the future head of the Li Chamber of Commerce, need to memorize such trivial intelligence?”

“Okay, okay, you win.” Lei Qing spread his hands helplessly. “Considering that you are leaving tomorrow, I can’t be bothered to argue with you.”

Mentioning this matter, Li Baobao’s face turned gloomy again. After thinking for a moment, she turned around, took off the Jade Pendant from her neck, and handed it to Lei Qing, saying, “You are a bandit. You robbed me of all my belongings. There is no reason not to rob this Jade Pendant as well.”

…