Chapter Seventeen: Strengthening the Body

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“Xiao Bai, go check the east wing. And remember, keep it quiet—don’t let anyone notice.” Upon discovering this ability, Jia Ping’an decided to send it to his father’s bedroom. It wasn’t that he was curious about what his father was doing, but rather he held a deep curiosity about what his concubine was up to.

Of course, Jia Ping’an could enter himself while hidden in the space, but since he lacked the skill to pass through walls, opening the door would inevitably cause some noise. Unlike Xiao Bai, who was extremely agile and small-bodied, making it the perfect candidate for espionage—well, more accurately, the perfect animal for the task.

Having reached the courtyard and heard Jia Ping’an’s instructions, Xiao Bai was somewhat reluctant but, thinking of the delicious taste of the Spirit Spring water and the subtle changes it had brought to its body, it agreed. Taking careful aim, it darted off in a flash.

The main room’s door was closed, but there was a step beneath it, and a hole above—probably made by mice in the past. This was fortunate for Xiao Bai, which nimbly slipped through into the room.

Then, the scene before Jia Ping’an’s eyes flickered, and everything inside the room was projected into his view.

The room was pitch dark without any candlelight. At first glance, it was just a black void.

However, after a few moments, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Jia Ping’an clearly saw everything happening inside.

His father lay on the bed, softly snoring, clearly fast asleep.

But beside him, the concubine was absent. Instead, Yu Luoli sat cross-legged, fully clothed, eyes closed—engaged in meditation, one of the fundamental practices of martial artists.

Perhaps she was too absorbed, for Xiao Bai’s presence did not catch her attention. Maybe she heard some faint noise but dismissed it as a mouse and paid no mind.

At this moment, Yu Luoli’s body emitted a faint warmth. Though not much, due to the cold weather, it was visible to the naked eye.

“So this is internal energy? Quite enviable,” Jia Ping’an murmured inwardly. On the way over, he had chatted with Ren Qinghu, who had guided him to understand that in this era, there was indeed internal martial arts—what people called inner power.

With this knowledge, Jia Ping’an was certain that what he was witnessing was Yu Luoli cultivating internal energy, which only deepened his curiosity.

She knew martial arts, seemingly well; and also knew Gu techniques, able to implant Gu into her own body. So who exactly was she?

After a while, Jia Ping’an still could not figure it out. At this time, he noticed Yu Luoli’s body gradually relaxing—a sign she was about to end her cultivation. He hastily told Xiao Bai to retreat.

After completing its mission, Jia Ping’an rewarded Xiao Bai with a night off, warning it not to cause trouble and to return before dawn, then left it be. As for himself, stirred by Yu Luoli’s example, he realized that at his age, learning internal cultivation was likely too late. He would have to focus on external martial arts.

Without a teacher, and unable to seek one out.

He gave off the impression of being physically weak. If he suddenly recovered and started practicing martial arts, anyone who knew him would surely become suspicious.

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Without a master’s guidance, everything would have to be self-taught. Jia Ping’an thought long and hard, recalling a phrase: “Strength surpasses skill.”

There was no need for complex techniques or even basic forms he didn’t know. He might as well just train his physical strength.

As long as he was strong, combined with his spatial stealth ability, if he suddenly appeared somewhere and delivered a heavy punch, the effect would not be bad.

He found a stone in the forest weighing about twenty jin (ten kilograms) and decided to use it for his training.

Holding the stone with both hands, he raised and lowered it repeatedly until he was sweating and his strength waned. Then he drank the Spirit Spring water, which refreshed him instantly, and he continued his training.

In this era, to survive well, one needed not only a sharp mind but also a strong body.

In his previous life, due to a busy job, he hardly had time to exercise, aside from occasional runs or basketball games with senior leaders. Now, given a second chance, though he didn’t necessarily want six-pack abs, being stronger certainly wouldn’t hurt.

At the very least, in a real danger, a tougher body could take more hits, and it would buy him more time to escape into the space.

That entire night, Jia Ping’an did not sleep, persisting with his training. Thanks to the Spirit Spring water, he could quickly recover his strength and found that he felt little drowsiness.

At dawn, when Xiao Bai returned, Jia Ping’an brought it into the space and took its place outside, feeling refreshed and completely free of fatigue despite the sleepless night.

After breakfast, Jia Ping’an went to the mountain as usual. This time, the concubine did not stop him but allowed Chang Chao to accompany him.

Not wanting to worry Yu Luoli, Jia Ping’an didn’t refuse and took Chang Chao with him out of the courtyard. Near the foot of the mountain, he told Chang Chao to return. “Stay near the tavern and inquire about the ginseng prices.”

Although Chang Chao grew up in Ningguta and was familiar with the area, he knew little about the price of ginseng. Simply put, he rarely dealt with such things and had never paid much attention.

Now that his lord gave him a task—his first since joining him—Chang Chao was earnest. After warning Jia Ping’an to be careful on the mountain, he ran back into town.

Preferring freedom alone, Jia Ping’an strode into the deep mountains. When he reached a deserted spot, he released Xiao Bai, which gleefully ran ahead to lead the way in search of wild ginseng.

Without venturing deep into the mountains, it was impossible to find mature ginseng. Fortunately, Jia Ping’an wasn’t after such roots. Under Xiao Bai’s guidance, he quickly found over twenty wild ginseng seedlings.

Seeing no one around, Jia Ping’an slipped into the space.

He had felt the wild ginseng growing in the black soil during last night’s training. With the nourishment of the Spirit Spring water, everything grew rapidly.

Upon returning to the space, the earliest ginseng seedling, weighing three qian (about 11 grams), had matured, boasting twenty years of age.

“Only two nights, and it’s already twenty years old. Not bad,” Jia Ping’an smiled broadly as he looked at the medicinal ginseng.

The major work was done; now it was a matter of how much this ginseng could fetch. His plan to make money was about to begin.

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Back at the Huai Cai Tavern, just as Jia Ping’an found a table and sat, Chang Chao hurried over and joined him.

“Sit down,” Jia Ping’an gestured to the seat opposite him casually.

“I don’t dare,” Chang Chao quickly shook his head. Just yesterday, he was a despised beggar. Jia Ping’an had taken him in, given him new clothes—not luxurious but enough to transform his appearance.

Before, he wouldn’t dare enter the Huai Cai Tavern. Now, in better attire and with more dignity, Chang Chao found the courage to step inside.

“There’s no ‘dare’ about it. I told you to sit,” Jia Ping’an said, raising his brows slightly.

That small gesture was enough to make Chang Chao feel pressured. He hastened to reply “Yes,” and took the seat opposite Jia Ping’an.

A waiter soon arrived with tea and two small dishes. Only then did Jia Ping’an ask, “What did you find out?”

“Master, I’ve inquired thoroughly. In Ningguta, there are many shops buying ginseng, but the Hu family and Zheng family’s shops are the main ones,” Chang Chao spoke quietly to ensure Jia Ping’an could hear clearly.

As a ginseng hub, Ningguta indeed had many small ginseng-buying shops. However, shops varied in size. Some people who occasionally found good ginseng, wishing not to flaunt their wealth, preferred selling at smaller shops. This allowed them to get higher prices quietly, without drawing attention—quietly making money.

But such shops had drawbacks—they lacked security.

Some even played dirty tricks, the classic “rob the robber.” They would offer market prices to lure sellers in, but once the ginseng was handed over, the sellers would be marked and possibly ruined. This was the law of “harboring guilt.”

Official government ginseng-buying shops were safer but offered very low prices.

By comparison, the Hu and Zheng families’ shops didn’t offer the highest prices but were fair and, importantly, secure.

Though Chang Chao didn’t know why Jia Ping’an sent him to inquire, he understood his lord’s mindset. If he were to sell wild ginseng, the priority would be fair price and safety. He then recommended the Zheng and Hu families’ shops.

“Tell me more about these two,” Jia Ping’an nodded silently. He was thinking of long-term cooperation. Those small shops were unsuitable—not because he feared retaliation, but because they lacked the financial strength to buy his abundant wild ginseng.

Unlike others who might get lucky and find one old ginseng root, Jia Ping’an, with his spatial ability, could produce many. Without sufficient funds, how could one discuss long-term business?