First Immortal of the Sword

Su Yi lives or dies?” said Wen Changjing impatiently.

Wen Changqing immediately fell silent. 

…..

The evening sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting flecks of light onto the floor.

Su Yi was soaking in a wooden bathtub, his eyes shut, breathing in and out.
His handsome face was utterly tranquil.

A long time passed before Su Yi let out a deep breath.
It shot through forth like an arrow, firm yet lasting, with a faint boom vaguely reminiscent of thunder. 

Starting tomorrow, I’ll have to switch to a new body-refining medicinal bath recipe.

His cultivation had just reached the pinnacle of the first stage of the Body Refining Realm, the “Refining Skin” stage.

The next stage was “Refining Muscle”!

Refining muscle meant tempering the flesh, excavating and stimulating a body’s latent potential.
This elevated a cultivator’s physique to yet another level.

At the peak of this stage, the muscles were soft as jade when relaxed, and as firm as steel when tensed.
Ordinary weapons could no longer penetrate the skin!

When tempering the skin, the ingredients in my daily medicinal bath cost about five hundred taels.
But when I start tempering my muscles, my daily medicinal expenditures will soar to fifteen hundred taels.
That’s the only way to achieve harmony with the Pine and Crane Body Refining Technique, and it’s necessary to achieve the strongest possible physique….

Su Yi rose from his bath, got dressed, and sat beside the window, lost in thought.

Only six days had passed since he began his cultivation anew.
Although he’d already reached the peak of the Refining Skin stage, he’d also burned through a full three thousand taels of silver!

Of the ten thousand silver Zi Jin first gave him, only seven thousand remained.
Based on Su Yi’s initial estimates, if he started his Refining Muscle stage cultivation, that seven thousand would only last him four or five days!

Were he any ordinary man, he couldn’t possibly have sustained such shocking expenditures.

I’ll need to find some time to take a look around the Azurecloud Mountains.
It’d be wonderful if I could find some spiritual medicines.

Spiritual medicines were different from typical medicinal herbs, as they were born of and nourished in spiritual energy.

Back in the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, with the exception of medicines on the level of “treasures of heaven and earth”, spiritual medicines of all grades were easily purchasable. 

 But within the Great Zhou’s borders, nevermind “heavenly materials” and “earthly treasures”; even ordinary spiritual medicines were rare, and all of them were incomparably precious, difficult to purchase even with a mountain of gold. 

But to Su Yi, this wasn’t actually much of a problem.

Within the Blood Circulation Realm, he didn’t need spiritual medicines, or at least, he could substitute ordinary herbal medicines.
At most, it would drag the process out and cost a little extra silver. 

Shortly after getting dressed, Su Yi got up and entered the courtyard, then started drilling the Pine and Crane Body Refining Technique as he always did.

The path of cultivation had always been incomparably arduous and dull.
Those capable of persisting all had immense will and powerful spirits. 

That was the only way to make something of oneself!

Especially since he wanted to transcend his past self.
He naturally couldn’t afford the slightest negligence!

…..

Morning the next day.

The skies had yet to brighten, but the entire Wen Family estate was bustling with activity.

Today was the matriarch’s eightieth birthday, and numerous VIP guests would soon grace their walls.
News of tonight’s event had long spread throughout Guangling City, and many were paying close attention.
No one dared slack off.

But all this commotion had nothing to do with Su Yi.
After all, in their eyes, he was nothing but an insignificant little live-in son-in-law.

As everyone else scurried about, he carried out his usual routine, stepping through the gates and strolling leisurely outside of the city along the banks of the Great Azure. 

After a while, Su Yi saw the mulberry grove.
There were two figures waiting there already.

They were none other than Xiao Tianque and Zi Jin. 

“This old man greets you, Master Su.” When he saw Su Yi, Xiao Tianque perked up.
He smiled broadly, then stepped up to greet him.

His complexion was obviously much better than when they’d first met.

“Greetings, Master Su!” Zi Jin stepped forward and greeted him respectfully.

Today, she wore a blue-green dress.
Her skin was fair as snow, with willowy eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a graceful beauty with an outstanding figure.

“The two of you surely know my identity by now.
Don’t you doubt me at all?” Su Yi asked with great interest.

Xiao Tianran said solemnly, “Worldly men have always judged others by their appearance and status.
Little do they know, those like you are the true experts!”

Su Yi laughed and shook his head.
“No need to be so polite.”

Zi Jin hesitated, then said apologetically, “Master Su, earlier, I was the one who arranged for people to investigate your background, as well as to monitor your movements in secret.
However, I swear by the heavens themselves that I had no other intentions.
If I’ve displeased you, I humbly request your forgiveness.”

As she spoke, she lowered her beautiful head and bowed.

“Just don’t do it again.” Su Yi nodded, and Zi Jin inwardly sighed in relief.
Only then did she dare straighten her back.

“Master Su, about my injuries….” Xiao Tianque couldn’t help but ask.

“Wait just a moment.
I’ll attend to your wounds as soon as I’ve completed my cultivation.”

As Su Yi spoke, he stopped in a clearing amidst the mulberry trees.
He held his breath, focused, and emptied his mind.
Then, he gradually began practicing the Pine and Crane Body Refining Technique.

He completely disregarded the two pairs of eyes still watching him from not far away. 

Seth's Thoughts

Not sure if I clarified this yet, but the word “master” here? It's not an expression of submission or anything like that; it's basically “sensei” in Japanese. 

In an ordinary modern Chinese conversation, it's more like “mister”, ie a generic but polite honorific used to address men.
I considered translating it that way; it sounds natural, and in most contexts, that would be an accurate translation.

But in more classical Chinese texts, genre fiction with a classical (or pseudo-classical) feel, and in modern Japanese and Korean, the term is reserved for teachers, doctors, and masters of their craft.
That's how they're using it here, so I decided that “mister” was a bit misleading.
Basically, they're being polite, but in a way that acknowledges Su Yi's abilities, not his status or background.