Chapter 9: Secluded Cultivation

Fan Li had finally begun his cultivation.

With an introductory manual on Body Refinement tucked under his arm, he plunged straight into the training hall of the Fan residence.

His eldest brother, Fan Ming, handed him a massive gourd that rattled with a cacophony of thuds when shaken, clearly filled with an assortment of miraculous pills.

“Eat as many of these as you like!”

For his first attempt at cultivation, Fan Li’s goal was simply to formally enter the Body Refinement stage.

He surmised that, despite the abundance within the gourd, the pills must be gentle in potency and relatively low-grade, so he paid them little mind.

Yet in truth, at that very moment, the Fan family’s apothecary in the capital of Great Chu had already hung a sign for temporary closure!

The Fan family’s pharmacy never dealt in low-grade pills. Their stock was always scarce, but every item was of inestimable worth—true premium goods!

This gourd contained every pill the Fan apothecary had slated for sale that month.

For the remainder of the month, not a single noble or royal in the Great Chu capital would be able to purchase a high-grade pill.

After all, the Fan trading house was known for its monopoly.

“Why does this pill have five colors?” Fan Li poured out a pill from the gourd.

Though he found its mottled hues odd, he swallowed it regardless.

The medicinal power transformed into a warm current, coursing through his body.

Fan Li felt pleasantly comfortable, secretly impressed by the pill’s efficacy. Was it, perhaps, exceedingly expensive?

He opened the gourd again and peered inside.

Hundreds of pills, and among them, more than a hundred of these five-colored ones!

“Rarity determines value, but it appears these are not particularly uncommon.” Fan Li mused, then promptly poured out several more five-colored pills and swallowed them all at once.

Only then did he begin his cultivation.

At the very same time—

Within the training chamber of the imperial palace, the Emperor of Great Chu, Xiang Ning, raised her right hand, palm up, holding a five-colored pill.

She leaned in, greedily inhaling the fragrance, unable to suppress her admiration.

“The Five-Spirit Pill truly deserves its reputation as a heavenly-grade medicine, forged from the fusion of five spiritual roots. If only it weren’t so rare—I barely receive seven each month!”

Beside Xiang Ning sat a dozen delicate blue-and-white porcelain bottles, each inscribed with the characters for Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow—the established grades of medicinal pills.

“Once I finish this last heavenly-grade Five-Spirit Pill, I’ll have to rely on earth, profound, and yellow-grade pills for the rest of the month. Alas!”

Reluctantly, Xiang Ning swallowed the Five-Spirit Pill and unfurled a slip of paper.

It was intelligence gathered by Eunuch Chen’s spies, monitoring the Fan residence from outside the palace.

“So Fan Li has begun his cultivation?”

“Hmph! I’ve trained for years—how could he ever hope to match me?”

“Besides, as the Son of Heaven, I am nourished by all under heaven. Just the pills I use for cultivation alone are beyond Fan Li’s reach.”

“In time, he’ll realize how far behind he truly is. Will he still dare demand I call him ‘Prime Father’? Hmph!”

The more Xiang Ning thought, the more pleased she became, even licking her lips to savor the lingering taste of the Five-Spirit Pill.

Ten days later—

Fan Li emerged from seclusion.

Outside the training hall, Fan Ming, Fan Chun, and Fan Yuehua had waited for some time.

Fan Li casually tossed the gourd, which Fan Ming caught securely.

“All finished?”

Fan Ming weighed the gourd and found it empty.

“Yes,” Fan Li nodded, as if reminiscing, “the pills were quite good. Get me some more when you can—they’re rather tasty.”

Fan Ming’s face stiffened, and he nodded with difficulty. “Alright, I’ll do my best!”

Fan Chun spoke in a small voice, “Second Brother, those were heavenly and earth-grade pills. They’re not easy to obtain…”

He hadn’t finished his sentence before Fan Ming and Fan Yuehua each kicked him hard, glaring fiercely.

Their looks clearly said: Whatever Fan Li wants, we’ll get it for him, even if we have to sell everything we own!

Fan Chun rubbed his backside, looking thoroughly aggrieved.

“Second Brother, what were your gains from seclusion?” Fan Yuehua asked expectantly.

“The Body Refinement stage, of course. What else?” Fan Li replied matter-of-factly.

His initial goal had been to enter Body Refinement.

Now that he had achieved it, he was at the first tier of Body Refinement, and so naturally he emerged.

Ten days to reach Body Refinement—Fan Li was quite satisfied with himself.

Yet he noticed his three siblings were momentarily stunned.

“What is it? Is my cultivation speed so fast it surprised you?” Fan Li asked with a smile.

“Fast?” the three replied in unison.

Then, they all fell silent together.

Body Refinement was the most basic stage, the easiest to achieve.

Even ordinary folk, with ten or fifteen days of seclusion, could typically attain the first tier of Body Refinement.

Fan Li, born with the Wind, Cloud, Dragon, and Tiger anomaly, and aided by hundreds of heavenly and earth-grade pills, had undergone ten days of intensive cultivation—

And yet, he was only at the first tier of Body Refinement?

After repeated checks, the three confirmed that Fan Li truly had only reached the first tier.

“Cough!”

Fan Ming cleared his throat.

“I hereby declare that all matters related to Second Brother’s cultivation are to be deemed the highest secret of the Fan family. No word must be leaked!”

Fan Chun and Fan Yuehua nodded solemnly in agreement.

The Prime Minister of Great Chu, Second Master of the Fan residence, Fan Li—wielding unrivaled power—had a cultivation aptitude even worse than ordinary people?

This secret could never be divulged!

“Is the Wind, Cloud, Dragon, and Tiger anomaly a sham? Or has Second Brother’s constitution not fully recovered?” All three wondered simultaneously.

But innate anomalies were rare, seen only among ancient sages or founding emperors of the Three Kingdoms.

Historical records were vague, and none could explain their mysteries precisely.

The trio gathered around Fan Li, offering comfort and encouragement.

Only then did Fan Li realize, he had performed poorly in cultivation.

“Second Master, someone from the palace reports that His Majesty has emerged from seclusion and will attend court today.”

Just then, a servant hurried in to announce.

The young emperor out of seclusion?

Fan Li recalled Xiang Ning in female attire ten days prior—had she truly been cultivating, or merely indulging her penchant for women’s garb?

“Understood. I’ll change into court robes.”

In the main hall of the imperial palace—

Civil and military officials lined up in two rows, Xiang Ning seated atop the dragon throne.

Fresh from seclusion, she wore a smile radiating confidence and mystery.

“The Prime Minister still hasn’t arrived?” Xiang Ning asked expectantly.

A young eunuch replied, “He’s already been summoned. The Prime Minister should be here soon.”

As they spoke, a voice rang out from outside.

“Prime Father has arrived!”

Xiang Ning’s smile froze instantly—how could she have forgotten this?

Prime Father?

The very sound was infuriating!

Fan Li strode forward, head held high, bypassing all the officials and ascending the imperial steps to stand beside the dragon throne.

“Your Majesty has emerged from seclusion?”

Fan Li stood, looking down at Xiang Ning seated upon the throne.

“Yes… Prime Father…”

Xiang Ning hadn’t expected Fan Li to be so brazen, standing before her and speaking so directly, prompting her to address him as ‘Prime Father’ without thinking.

Yet to the officials below, this seemed entirely normal, for Fan Li was the foremost power in Great Chu.

A wave of anxiety struck Xiang Ning, and the confidence born from her breakthrough evaporated in a single exchange.

“How pathetic! Why am I still so intimidated by him? I’ve already advanced!”

Xiang Ning, on the verge of tears, could only swallow her grievances in silence.