From stable boy to peerless immortal

Chapter 39 The Sincere Gentleman

"Brother Shen, don't think that raising this kind of horse is easy."

Hua Yulin seemed to see what Shen Yuan was thinking, and shook his head with a wry smile: "My spirit horse needs to eat an Iron-Horned Bull and two hundred catties of unshelled spirit grains every meal. It drinks from the spirit spring, and its dwelling needs to be set up with a spirit-gathering array. It also needs more than a dozen people to serve it every day. It's quite expensive to keep it."

"This horse has a precious bloodline and is no less intelligent than a human, so the requirements are naturally more stringent."

Shen Yuan nodded in agreement. He naturally understood that what the other party said was true. The Iron-Horned Bull was a strange beast with delicious meat. It was transported from the Northwest and weighed several thousand catties, worth several hundred taels of silver.

Spirit rice is also spiritual rice grown in spiritual fields. It is a food specially supplied to martial artists and cultivators. It has very few impurities, is rich in vital energy, and can nourish the body. Ordinary people can eat it all year round and will not get sick and will be strong and healthy.

Even with the spiritual spring water and the spirit-gathering array, these resources are enough to support even a few cultivators.

Poor scholars, rich warriors; practicing magic ruins families—one can imagine the immense cost.

However, the Hua Rong family was a large and wealthy family, and even a single hair on their head could make them rich and powerful. In fact, they could afford to raise not just one black-blooded unicorn horse, but ten or even a hundred!

"The transformation of a spirit species like the Black Blood Qilin Horse is bound to be difficult. Young Master, you could search for items containing the aura of the Qilin and place them in the stable, such as Qilin Bloodstone or Black Qilin Grass, which should be of great benefit to it."

Shen Yuan offered a reminder.

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Shen." Hua Yulin nodded gently, indicating that he understood.

The two discussed horse breeding, and then Shen Yuan, with a slight stirring in his heart, tentatively asked the other party for advice on martial arts.

"I have long heard of your extraordinary talent, Young Master, that you are a born martial arts prodigy. May I ask how you managed to thoroughly refine and open up your skull during your bone-refining process?"

The human body has 206 bones. While the bones in other parts of the body are relatively easy to manage, the bones in the head require the utmost care when it comes to strengthening the head, as they involve many acupoints in the brain and the very core of the brain.

"You're probably more curious about my Dragon-Elephant Body, aren't you?"

Hua Yulin smiled and saw through Shen Yuan's purpose at a glance, but he was quite easygoing and did not intend to hide anything: "I know many of you are curious about my talent and say that I am the so-called number one genius of Hua Rong Prefecture, but it's really nothing special."

"To put it simply, the Dragon Elephant Body is a special physique that endows me with natural strength and physique far exceeding that of ordinary people, making my cultivation journey smoother and my foundation more solid."

"This innate physique does give me a huge advantage in the early stages of cultivation, but once I reach the advanced level of Martial Arts Grandmaster, these advantages will gradually balance out. At this point, the word 'enlightenment' becomes even more important. If you understand it, you can transcend the ordinary and become a saint; if you don't understand it, no matter how talented you are, you will ultimately only fall into dust."

Hua Yulin stood with his hands behind his back, speaking eloquently. His gaze was gentle and refined, pure and calm.

"The path of martial arts lies in continuous self-improvement and not relying on external means. Therefore, martial arts is also the way of humanity, following the path of human determination to overcome nature. Since Brother Shen also cultivates martial arts, he should not be too concerned about things like innate talent and physique, but should instead take steady steps forward."

"Thank you for your guidance, young master. I will keep it in mind!"

Shen Yuan's expression turned unusually serious, and he was extremely surprised.

The other party's words pointed directly to the essence of martial arts, which was truly thought-provoking and enlightening. He also gained a lot of insights and benefited greatly, which is enough to show that Hua Yulin's vision and realm are far beyond the reach of ordinary people!

"I had a very pleasant conversation with Brother Shen today; we feel like old friends."

After the two talked for a while, Hua Yulin smiled and took out a jade pendant: "This is a yellow crystal pendant, carved from earth element yellow crystal. Wearing it for a long time can nourish your blood and strengthen your bones, which is perfect for your current bone-refining cultivation. It's also a rather interesting little trinket, so I'm giving it to Brother Shen."

"Thank you, young master!"

Since the other party was so generous, Shen Yuan did not refuse and took it. He felt a warmth when he touched it, and a faint energy flowed into his body. His bones felt numb and itchy, which was very comfortable.

"No need to be so polite. I've troubled Brother Shen for so long, it's time for me to take my leave."

Hua Yulin turned and left, waving his hand behind his back to Shen Yuan with a carefree and elegant demeanor.

"Please take care, young master. We won't see you off." Shen Yuan bowed slightly.

A moment later, Shen Yuan raised his head and watched Hua Yulin's departing figure. His face was calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of solemnity.

Having lived two lives, Shen Yuan considers himself quite adept at judging people.

He could sense whether someone was hostile or not when they were in close contact with him.

But just now, he did not sense any hostility or malice from Hua Yulin. All he could feel and perceive was his gentle and refined manner, his sincerity towards others, and his demeanor as an ancient gentleman!

As the future heir of the Hua Rong Mansion and a 26-year-old martial arts master, Hua Yulin treated Shen Yuan, a mere stable manager, with gentleness and courtesy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he treated the virtuous with respect and humbled himself to befriend him!

Many people would probably be moved, and might even feel the urge to die for a friend who understands them.

However, Shen Yuan was different; he was very suspicious.

The more generous, easy-going, and flawless the other person appears, the more he becomes wary and dares not underestimate them.

He wasn't sure whether Hua Yulin's behavior just now was a pretense or that of a truly sincere gentleman.

If it is the former, then the other party is obviously cunning and treacherous, and such a hypocrite is far more terrifying than the likes of Steward Wu and Hua Yujie.

But if Hua Yulin is the kind of sincere gentleman who is genuine and consistent in his words and deeds, yet whose true nature is hard to fathom... then that would be even more terrifying!

Because it's true that this kind of person has good intentions towards you, and it's also true that their words and actions are consistent, but you will never know what they are thinking, nor will you know what their bottom line, trump card, and purpose are.

Hua Yulin's visit to him today, showing a hint of goodwill, was clearly not without purpose.

Without knowing the other party's purpose, all Shen Yuan could do was to be on guard!

......

After feeding the horses, Shen Yuan headed straight for Musashi's storehouse.

Musashi Storehouse is an important location in Huarong Prefecture.

As the name suggests, it is a storeroom for storing martial arts techniques.

In fact, this is indeed the case.

Hua Rong Mansion is the residence of the Hua family, whose ancestors were meritorious officials who followed the emperor into the new dynasty. They started by raising horses and were themselves renowned for their military achievements. The family had a strong tradition of martial arts and naturally had a variety of martial arts cultivation methods.

However, besides martial arts techniques, the Musashi Collection also houses many cultivation methods from the Taoist, Buddhist, and unorthodox schools such as Gu and witchcraft, making it a veritable treasure trove! It is a place that many people dream of visiting!