Deep into the night, inside the Cultivation Room of Frost Moon Villa.
Su Ping couldn't wait to use the delivered herbs to prepare the first batch of Medicine Bags.
He then arranged for the servants to bring over a man-high white jade bathtub from the bathroom, filled it with boiling water, and immersed the Medicine Bag into it.
Minutes later, a thick medicinal fragrance wafted through the air.
Su Ping nodded slightly in approval and after instructing the maids not to disturb him, he put a Qi Blood Waste Pill in his mouth, stripped naked, and submerged himself in the tub to absorb the medicinal power.
"For tonight, the master needs to cultivate, there's no need to arrange for new maids to take turns coming over."
Outside the door, Ping'er, the maid, saw the second manager, who was in charge of organizing opera performances and musical entertainments, hurrying over and looking towards her.
Knowing what the other person was here for, Ping'er thought that since he was from the same household, she reminded him:
"Our master isn't like those old cultivators who are nearly dead; you must stick to your duties!"
"Days are long, and how many below are eyeing your position?"
The second manager's body trembled, and he quickly thanked Ping'er for her reminder, sweating like rain.
When he went back, he resolved to return the bribes he had received.
Inside the Cultivation Room, as the water slowly cooled down, Su Ping emerged from the tub with a splash.
"The first step of Body Cultivation, Body Refining, seems easier than I had imagined?"
Su Ping felt the increased strength in his body, then looked at the water in the bathtub, which hadn't faded much in color.
Su Ping took out a Fire Extinguishing Flag from his storage bag and, after filling it with Mana,
left this inferior cooking Magic Artifact to fire up beneath the bathtub as set, facilitating the continuous effect of the Body Tempering Liquid.
And so the night went on.
When Su Ping got out of the bathtub, the water inside had returned to its original heat.
The medicinal properties of the Body Tempering Medicine Bag had been thoroughly exhausted.
"According to the reminder on the Jade Scroll, a Medicine Bag can be used three times, ideally spaced three to six days apart,"
"Otherwise, one risks incurring internal injuries from Body Refining and the accumulation of medicinal toxins."
"I also sped up my cultivation progress by taking a Qi Blood Waste Pill."
"Let me check..."
Su Ping slowly closed his eyes to inspect his inner condition.
He soon chuckled softly:
"Well, fellow, the meridians in my lower body are almost completely blocked?"
"I even thought that in the aspect of Body Cultivation, my talent would be somewhat higher!"
"Fortunately, I rely on fishing for Immortal Cultivation, where innate talent isn't a necessity!"
Having said this in his mind, Su Ping exchanged a bottle of Purification Spirit Medicine and swallowed a tenth of it.
In a blink, Su Ping's skin regained its flawless whiteness, as tiny streams of black liquid were expelled from the heels of his feet.
"No need for rest, my cultivation can continue!"
"Right!"
"As long as I can withstand it, not afraid of side effects, I can certainly be bolder!"
"How could one Body Tempering Medicine Bag be enough? Let's try five tonight first!"
"I remember that a Qi Blood Waste Pill will be completely transformed into medicinal power replenishing the body in no more than two hours."
"Tonight, I can take three to five!"
"Then, I'll exchange Life Spirit Medicine to push the upper limit of my endurance!"
With a longing for power and the experience of his first Body Cultivation session, Su Ping quickly devised this bold yet controlled cultivation method.
Feeling joyful, Su Ping had Ping'er come in to help him dress, thus ending this cultivation session.
Relaxation after hard effort, combining work with leisure, that's what cultivation is all about!
And so Frost Moon Villa became a hive of activity.
Teams were dispatched to purchase Body Tempering Herbs, with as many as seven groups heading out!
The landlords and nobles of Golden Sparrow City quickly noticed the movements of this Inspector.
Ji Hu, who was the City Defense Officer, exclaimed, and immediately went to his great uncle—a rare Body Cultivator among Loose Cultivators—to inquire about the news.
Then, Ji Hu quickly pieced together information and arrived at a shocking theory for his clan!
The Inspector of Golden Sparrow City might be a genius in Body Cultivation!
That's why he felt that the herbs the families had collectively sent the previous day were not enough, and he needed to prepare medicines early for emergency needs!
As for possibilities like hoarding, they hadn't even considered them.
The medicinal ingredients for the Body Tempering Medicine Bags that can be purchased with gold and silver are essentially mundane.
Cultivators don't regard them highly, and body cultivators, especially those without any backing who can only rely on collecting their own medicinal ingredients, are few and far between in number.
Apart from personal use, stockpiling them would mean they only end up giving them away or watching the ingredients rot.
"A body cultivation genius?"
Having left the secret room, Ji Hu, who appeared to be a brash man, was in fact bold yet meticulous.
He reflected on the intelligence about the Inspector he had gathered over the past few months.
Suddenly, his heart stirred:
"If the other party truly is a body cultivation genius, given his age, maybe he could return to the Immortal Sect?"
"An Inspector returning to the Immortal Sect is indeed rare, but according to the family records, there have been such cases."
"In that case, it's worth making a personal visit. If there is a possibility, our Ji Family must not let this opportunity slip by!"
"After all... It's time for the young tiger of my Ji Family to start his ascent."
Ji Hu thought of his youngest son—the hope of the Ji Family—who started Qi Cultivation at the age of three and had already reached the First Layer of Qi Cultivation at ten.
This was an achievement earned in the Qi-deficient Golden Sparrow City!
Several Loose Cultivators had already concluded that this child would at least possess a Low Grade Spirit Root.
Just waiting for the Immortal Ascension Conference in Golden Sparrow City to begin, the Inspector would assist the Immortal Sect in conducting checks to determine the exact quality, before having him enter the Immortal Sect!
If Su Ping, this Inspector, truly could return, he would have the capability to greatly assist the child.
Ji Hu decided to ask his body cultivator uncle to take action. From the treasury, with a stroke of resolve, he took out a Body Tempering Pill extremely helpful for body cultivators as a gift.
Unlike the Body Tempering Medicine Bag, the Body Tempering Pill is refined by cultivators and can be sold for Spirit Stones.
Upon learning this, Su Ping, too, was curious about the pill's effectiveness and accepted the medicine, meeting with Ji Hu and his party.
The meeting was very pleasant for both parties.
Especially the body cultivator brought by Ji Hu, though he was just a Loose Cultivator equivalent to the Second Layer of body refining and Qi Cultivation.
Having walked the path of body cultivation for forty to fifty years, he had rich experience in Body Refining and clarified several doubts for Su Ping in the course of their conversation.
"I must apologize, my lord, but to answer this question, I need to take your pulse first,"
After consuming a sip of strong liquor, the body cultivator became more relaxed as the conversation went on, and extended his right hand to take Su Ping's pulse.
This was because Su Ping wanted him to clarify a question regarding an anomaly in his cultivation.
As his fingers touched Su Ping's wrist,
the body cultivator's complexion suddenly changed, and his eyes filled with light when he looked at Su Ping.
"My lord... Have you really just encountered the Body Cultivation Method?"
"Yes, I only used the Medicine Bag for the first time yesterday to practice the Body Tempering Method,"
Su Ping answered truthfully, though he did not mention how he had exhausted the Medicine Bag in one go and taken Qi Blood Waste Pills.
"Just... just one night?"
"No, the first Body Refining session was at most a couple of two-hour periods, and yet, my lord, your cultivation progress is already what others achieve in a month!"
"Furthermore, your body's meridians are clear and unblocked, appearing completely free of any medicinal toxicity."
"My lord!"
"You are truly a rare body cultivation genius!"
The body cultivator released his wrist and, having made his judgment, became reserved once more.
After the Ji Family members took their leave,
Ji Hu hurriedly approached the body cultivator elder of his family:
"Uncle! Is what you said true?"
"Is the Inspector truly a body cultivation genius?"
"Honestly, I don't know if the lord is a body cultivation genius, as I am just a Loose Cultivator who knows only other Loose Cultivators,"
"But I do know that the lord's body cultivation progress is beyond my wildest dreams!"
With this, recalling the hardships of Loose Cultivators' cultivation, the body cultivator couldn't help feeling deeply moved:
"His one day of effort is worth one of my months!"
"Ji Hu, I think even if the Immortal Sect's assessment is rigorous, such body cultivation talent should be accommodated!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Hu's eyes widened further:
"I understand what you mean, uncle!"
"From today onwards, our Ji Family is at the service of the Inspector!"