Jade Yin Ice Binding
Jade Yin Ice Seal (玉陰氷結).
Jade Yin Ice Seal. The moment Hongryeon stepped out, I took the book she'd handed me and hurriedly opened it.
I knew she'd come through for me!
Naturally—no way would she waste a Heaven-tier augment talent on maidservant duties.
The very first page of the manual read as follows:
'The Jade Yin Ice Seal is a secret cultivation art, the very method practiced by the Founding Grand Sect Master of the Jade Yin Sect. Though I hold the right of transmission, passing it to an outsider who is not a disciple is another matter entirely—so you must breathe no word of this to anyone.'
I'd guessed as much from the name; it seemed to be the art of the Founding Grand Sect Master, who bore the same spirit physique as I did.
'This book contains the training content up through the Qi Refining stage, and I have added annotations in my own hand—refer to them well. Should you reach the Qi Condensation stage through your own efforts, I shall take you as my direct disciple and transmit the remaining formulas to you.'
And there, at last, at the very end, was the phrase I'd been hoping for.
Direct disciple.
I couldn't fathom why she wouldn't simply accept me as a disciple from the start, but surely there was some design behind it.
For now, I opened the book.
"Wow…"
What greeted me upon opening it was a full-page illustration.
It depicted a human body with its meridian channels traced out, rendered with astonishing vividness and precision.
Checking the chapters that followed, I found page after page densely packed with text and commentary.
Isn't this practically spoon-feeding me?
The annotations were filled with explanations and advice, nearly matching the original text in volume.
Most of the other chapters were written the same way.
Confirming this filled me with confidence.
With commentary this thorough, it seemed like something I could manage even on my own.
About two si (four hours) remained until the evening Hongryeon had mentioned.
That was plenty of time for one careful read-through, so I sat down on the bed and began.
Shall we give it a try?
Perhaps because I'd become a cultivator of the Qi Refining stage, my reading and memorization had grown faster. Thanks to that, I managed to grasp every circulation route within a single si.
With time to spare, I crossed my legs on the bed as an experiment.
Training in the Qi Refining stage was much like the breathing-and-energy circulation found in martial arts novels.
The first step was to feel the qi in my lower dantian.
Truthfully, I'd been continuously aware of that energy since reaching the first star of Qi Refining, so I was able to skip ahead.
The next step was moving the qi.
Come on, move.
The qi showed no intention of budging, but recalling Cheongryu's advice from the manual, I tried again.
According to her guidance, I was to open the path I wanted the qi to travel and push it along, the way one shoves open a door.
Oh?
It had just moved—hadn't it?
Wrestling with the qi, I suddenly felt it yield to my will.
As I focused on that fleeting sensation…
Shuuuk—
The qi that had been holding firm in my lower dantian slipped down beneath it.
It's cold.
The qi traveled exactly where I intended—the perineum. A chill spread there, like water drawn from a lake frozen solid.
Yet the sensation wasn't painful at all. If anything, it was refreshing.
Following the method, I guided the qi past the perineum, through Mingmen, Shenshu, Yuzhen, Baihui, Renzhong, Chengjiang, Danzhong, and back down to the lower dantian.
Each time it crossed a point, the area turned cool and a bracing freshness washed through my whole body.
Thus I completed one circuit of the Small Heavenly Cycle and let out a breath.
"Whew…"
I could see my own breath fogging the air. The room's temperature had dropped several degrees from before I began circulating.
"How long has it been?"
I'd been so absorbed in the circulation that I hadn't noticed time passing at all.
"May I come in?"
Just then, I heard Hongryeon's voice from beyond the door, wondering if it had grown too late.
She carried in my meal, felt the chill that had settled over the room, and said,
"It seems you've made an achievement."
"Haha…"
Since Hongryeon had been the one to give me the book, her mention of an achievement suggested she knew its contents too—but just in case, I only managed an awkward smile.
"You must also learn proper table manners, so sit across from me here."
My joy at completing my first Small Heavenly Cycle lasted all of a moment before Hongryeon's talk of etiquette cooled my mood right back down.
And so a month passed.
"There's no need to be so tense."
After a month of being drilled in every manner of bearing and deportment, I stood in perfect posture before the door of the elder's chamber, Hongryeon at my side.
"I'm meeting the Mistress formally for the first time, so the nerves come naturally."
At my phrasing, Hongryeon looked down at me with a soft, indulgent smile.
Strangely, that gaze made my whole body stiffen, and my mind drifted to the past.
I remembered the switch that came flying whenever my posture slipped. Every splayed footstep, every hunched back, every graceless gesture had been met with merciless punishment.
The memory alone nearly set me trembling, and I barely suppressed the shudder, standing at attention as I waited for Cheongryu's summons.
Before long, the door slid open without a sound.
Hongryeon glanced at me once, then strode ahead as if to say, follow me.
Heart pounding, I kept my posture in check as I advanced.
"We greet the Mistress."
Hongryeon and I bowed in unison.
When I raised my head, a tall woman stood before me, having appeared without a sound.
Unlike last time, I could see her plainly. She wore only a single sheer robe, translucent enough to reveal what lay beneath.
Her voluptuous figure was on full display because of it, and before I knew it, my face had gone red.
With nowhere proper to look, my head began to sink again of its own accord.
"What a cute reaction. Lift your head."
Cheongryu's fingers caught my chin and slowly raised it.
The difference in our heights meant I had to crane my neck back fully to see her face.
And of course, the view that came with the upward tilt turned my face red all over again—but at least I could see her now.
Her hair was gathered neatly, and though her face bore not a single wrinkle, maturity and allure radiated from her eyes and expression alike.
[It seems you have trained diligently in the art I sent you.]
"!"
Had she used voice transmission? Her voice sounded as though she were whispering directly into my ear.
"Everyone but this child, out."
"Yes, Mistress."
Cheongryu licked her lips and promptly dismissed every maidservant in the room.
Before long the maids had all withdrawn and the door closed behind them.
In the spacious bedchamber, only she and I remained.
"Your technique and your constitution are clearly well matched—you've advanced remarkably fast."
"It is all thanks to the assistance you have granted me, Mistress."
"Fufu, I'm glad to hear you say so. By the way, your beauty has grown lovelier still compared to a month ago—the legend that the Yin Spirit Physique beautifies its bearer appears to be true."
Was it? I'd changed so abruptly into my current form, and being my own face, I saw it every day—the subtle shifts were hard to perceive.
"I don't know whether you're aware, but from what I can see, you've already set half a foot into the second star of Qi Refining. I shall assist you today, so sit and cross your legs."
At her words I took my seat and folded my legs. Then came the sound of Cheongryu moving behind me—
Sureureuk— mulkeok—
A heavy, soft weight pressed against the back of my head.
"Eh, hn—!"
"Fufu, what a cute reaction. Hongryeon must have drilled you far too thoroughly—you were so stiff it was rather disappointing. I much prefer you like this."
She seated me between her legs and wrapped her long arms around me, and in doing so my head became buried in her chest.
She laughed, evidently pleased by my flustered response.
When I'd first seen her with Grandmother, and from what Hongryeon had told me, she'd seemed fearsome—but seeing her now, she wasn't quite so intimidating after all.
"Focus, and begin your circulation."
For now, I obeyed her words and started the cycle.
"Your qi is remarkably gentle. Even without an elixir, opening the Conception Vessel should be well within reach."
Soon my usual circulation route shifted slightly, and the qi began charging toward a firmly sealed point along the center front of my body.
—!
KWAANG—
From deep within, I heard something like a wall collapsing.
My cold qi, sharp as an awl, punched straight through the blockage in a single stroke.
"My—I never imagined it would open in one attempt. It seems your other channels will yield quickly as well."
Even Cheongryu hadn't anticipated this; I could hear the admiration in her voice.
I hadn't realized it from text alone, but this Yin Spirit Physique was evidently far more potent than ordinary spiritual energy.
When I opened my eyes and rose, I could feel my qi had doubled from before. My head and body felt lighter, and I sensed my own strength deepening another notch.
"Congratulations on reaching the second star of Qi Refining. Now then, I find myself bored today—won't you spend some time with me?"
"Ah—yes. I shall do whatever you wish, Mistress."
At my answer, she furrowed her brow slightly.
"This 'Mistress' business is far too stiff. That tone of yours as well. A beauty like you can afford to set a little dignity aside."
Having said so, she made a small gesture with her hand—and I went floating up, borne through the air onto her bed.
"You truly have no idea how much lovelier you are than anyone else. My, but your cheeks are wonderfully soft."
"Ugegegegek! Ek!"
"Hold still."
And so, for the rest of that day, I became the living stress-relief toy of Cheongryu.