Chapter 10: The Distinguished Guest Arrives with Grace and Elegance

Lu Xiao quite enjoyed when guests visited the Marquis’s residence.

As long as there were visitors, he could spend the day in relative peace.

The servants attending the madam would be fully occupied, leaving no time to bother him.

Since last year, when Jiang Yuetou had brought people to the Marquis’s mansion, Lu Xiao felt that only during such times was he free from disturbance.

He could relax, quietly study martial arts manuals, or focus wholeheartedly on his training.

For a martial artist, the foremost principle was to temper oneself.

Relying on neither heaven nor earth, all the mysteries and wonders stemmed from within.

The path of martial cultivation was distinctly different from scholarly pursuits.

Lu Xiao was well aware that he did not want to live a life where his fate was controlled by others.

He had to dedicate himself fully to mastering martial techniques.

With the profound ability to refine all things, he already possessed an inexhaustible source of strength.

But if he grew lax and lazy, all hopes would be in vain.

Thinking of the guests arriving tomorrow, Lu Xiao planned to practice longer tonight.

The servants from the madam’s chambers, like Liu Wang and the others, would surely be too busy to seek him out.

His "Vigorous Qi Heart Manual" had been refined to the second level, and the benefits of his cultivation were increasingly evident.

Passing by, he occasionally glimpsed the training of his siblings within the Lu family. At this stage, his second-level manual was comparable to the family’s core techniques.

However, as his cultivation deepened, his need for food and rest also grew significantly.

Basic manuals were the foundation for any martial artist.

They were the root leading to greater heights.

Having a second-level "Vigorous Qi Heart Manual" was already a tremendous fortune.

As for anything else, he dared not be greedy for now.

Yet his heart brimmed with hope.

With this ability to refine, even ordinary techniques could be transformed into extraordinary skills.

The only drawback was that each higher level of refinement demanded more energy and stamina.

At his current strength, he could not yet support further refinement of the "Vigorous Qi Heart Manual."

Feeling somewhat weary from practicing it, Lu Xiao turned his attention to the "Spirit Wind Step."

Body movement techniques were equally crucial for cultivators.

Not only martial artists, but scholars also invested great effort in studying these movements.

They were the core of offense and defense alike.

The "Spirit Wind Step" had also reached the second level of refinement.

As a green-tier technique, the improvements after refinement surpassed even the white-tier "Vigorous Qi Heart Manual."

Lu Xiao had practiced it once recently but had not touched it again for several days.

Training these movements was also exhausting.

He could easily tire himself out, leaving no energy for prolonged practice.

Moreover, reaching the second refinement level meant greater depth but also increased difficulty.

Movement techniques were inherently more challenging than many other manuals.

One needed not only comprehension but also bodily agility and innate aptitude to keep pace.

Only then could the techniques be thoroughly understood and skillfully mastered.

Therefore, regarding the "Spirit Wind Step," Lu Xiao intended to proceed gradually, not rushing mastery.

With his refined manuals, he clearly knew he would improve steadily.

At the Marquis’s residence, his brothers and sisters would not allow him to watch their training sessions.

When they practiced, the residence always hired instructors.

Servants accompanied them as well.

If they saw him passing by, they would remind him to take a brief rest.

Still, some of his siblings liked to spar casually when moving about, showing off their movement techniques.

Watching them, Lu Xiao realized that his refined "Spirit Wind Step" was clearly superior.

By the hour of the Tiger, Lu Xiao returned to his small room.

Tomorrow, no one was expected to disturb him, so he could plan his day freely.

He did not intend to spend the entire time catching up on sleep, though.

He needed to cultivate during the day as well.

Also, he had to be prepared for any unexpected situations, so he rested enough to keep some energy in reserve.

Just after the hour of the Dragon, the maid Dong He, attendant to the old madam, unexpectedly came to find Lu Xiao.

“Fourth young master, the guests are about to arrive. Why are you still lying in bed?”

Hearing the call outside, Lu Xiao put on his clothes and opened the door.

Near Lu Xiao’s room was a dirt path.

With autumn rains and frost, the path had become muddy and dirty.

At this moment, Dong He did not want to soil her shoes.

Although sent to fetch Lu Xiao, she stood far away, unwilling to step onto the muddy road.

“Didn’t they inform you yesterday, fourth young master?

The guests will be here soon. If you rush over to Meixue Garden in a panic, it wouldn’t look good.”

Dong He frowned, her tone tinged with reproach.

But in truth, Lu Xiao had received no notice whatsoever.

He hadn’t even been told when he had helped clean Meixue Garden the day before.

“Will I be attending the gathering for the honored guests?”

Lu Xiao asked stiffly, looking at Dong He.

As the old madam’s personal maid, she had no intention of wasting words or explaining much.

“The old madam ordered that you must attend the gathering at Meixue Garden today.

Please prepare yourself and come with us.”

Dong He’s request for him to prepare was really a hint to change into better clothes.

But in fact, what Lu Xiao wore was already his finest set—bought by his eldest brother, Lu Zheng.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lu Xiao said nothing more and headed toward Meixue Garden.

Before he sought to remove his spiritual bone, Lu Xiao had been a mere nobody in the Lu household.

He attended the gathering at Meixue Garden at most once a year, during the year-end when the old marquis returned and examined the younger generation.

It was unusual that he was required to be there now for visitors.

Walking, his mind raced with guesses.

Most likely, the visitors had something to do with Jiang Yuetou.

His birth mother had brought him no benefits, had never raised him, yet now demanded his spiritual bone.

He could think of no other reason for this gathering.

But it was unlikely Jiang Yuetou herself would come.

Her previous arrival had spread like wildfire throughout Yonglin City.

A second visit wouldn’t be so quiet.

Arriving at Meixue Garden, Lu Xiao saw his two elder siblings already seated inside—second brother Lu Zhi and third sister Lu Qiao.

They were both studying at the Martial Sect Academy and surprisingly present today.

He had heard they had returned but thought they left after a day or two. Unexpectedly, they were back again.

Lu Xiao guessed they must have some business nearby, close enough to the Lu estate to return on short notice.