Chapter 4: The Compendium of Mortal Beauties
Purple Radiance Hall, atop the dragon bed.
Xiao Ruxue had long since fallen into a deep sleep. Her delicate face still bore the traces of two tear stains, clear evidence of her inability to withstand his attentions.
Meanwhile, though Zheng Yi’s back ached and his body felt drained, his spirits soared.
In his previous life, he had been single for decades, never even holding a girl’s hand. Yet, on the very night he crossed into this world, he slept with this stunning beauty. Even if he were to die and become a ghost, it would be worth it!
“Tsk, tsk, as expected of a beauty—so tender, so soft, so sweet~!” Zheng Yi’s large hand still roamed as his heart surged with excitement. “If I weren’t the Retired Emperor and forbidden to take concubines, I’d surely confer upon you the title of ‘Consort Softness’~”
Suddenly, the pink scroll within his mind’s eye quivered gently, releasing a flood of rosy mist that gathered back toward the scroll.
Zheng Yi quickly focused his mind, and to his astonishment, upon the formerly blank scroll, beneath the shroud of pink mist, the vague silhouette of a woman began to appear!
Her long hair tumbled like a waterfall; her face was round and smooth as an egg, with charming, almond-shaped eyes. She wore a brilliant red palace gown that bared snowy-white, tender shoulders. A blend of youthful innocence and seductive allure, her presence was unspeakably enchanting.
This woman was none other than Xiao Ruxue, the very beauty who had just shared his bed!
“What’s going on? Why is the ‘Compendium of Worldly Beauties’ reacting? Could it be...?”
As he gaped in wonder, Xiao Ruxue’s image on the Compendium grew ever more distinct, finally forming a perfect portrait engraved upon the scroll.
At that moment, a wisp of pink energy, like a tiny snake, condensed from her painted figure, swaying as it darted toward Zheng Yi and melted instantly into his sea of consciousness.
“What in the world?” Zheng Yi was stunned. Had he finally discovered the true purpose of the Compendium of Worldly Beauties?
Almost simultaneously, lines of text, visible to the naked eye, appeared upon the scroll beside Xiao Ruxue’s portrait, at the far left—the very first page.
[Absorbed Pure Yin Qi, condensed one thread of Worldly Qi.]
[Absorbed Pure Yin Qi, blood vitality increased.]
[Lifesource Artifact: Compendium of Worldly Beauties]
[Master: Zheng Yi]
[Lifespan: 60/69 (+)]
[Spiritual Root: None]
[Worldly Qi: 1]
[Martial Prowess: Blood Refinement]
[Techniques: Purple Radiance Method (Mastered), Hundred Battles Blade Art (Mastered), Evergreen Longevity Technique (Minor Accomplishment)]
Whether it was due to the Worldly Qi or not, Zheng Yi’s personal attributes on the Compendium now included the ‘Spiritual Root’ category!
There were also detailed listings for martial prowess and techniques.
As a seasoned reader of countless online novels, how could Zheng Yi not know what a Spiritual Root was?
“A Spiritual Root!”
“Worldly Qi?”
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“Could it be that Worldly Qi is connected to Spiritual Roots?”
“Or perhaps, if I accumulate enough Worldly Qi, I can gain a Spiritual Root?”
“Or maybe…”
Instinctively, Zheng Yi glanced at Xiao Ruxue beside him, his eyes flickering.
“Xiao Ruxue should be an ordinary woman. If I were to sleep with a female cultivator instead… hmm…”
Suddenly, Zheng Yi’s eyes lit up, for at the end of the lifespan line on his attribute panel, there was a ‘+’ symbol!
“‘+’?”
“What does this mean?”
“Does this mean… my lifespan can be increased?”
“Is this for real?”
With a thrum of excitement, Zheng Yi placed his consciousness on the lifespan entry and mentally pressed the ‘+’ symbol as an experiment.
In an instant, the ‘+’ vanished, and his total lifespan immediately changed from ‘69’ to ‘70’.
At the same time, the single thread of Worldly Qi dissipated, returning to zero.
“Ah… it really increased!” Zheng Yi exclaimed with delight. Did this mean that as long as he remained within the deep palace, constantly enjoying the company of women, his lifespan would be inexhaustible—immortality achieved?
“No! That’s not right… This isn’t true immortality!”
Surveying his elderly body once more, Zheng Yi muttered, “I may be undying, but I am not eternally youthful.”
“My body is still mortal, my blood and vitality still waning, a martial artist at the Blood Refinement level.”
“And a mortal body is frail—one could be killed, poisoned, or even catch a chill and die from a simple fall into a lake!”
“No, this won’t do!”
“With the Compendium of Worldly Beauties, I see the hope of longevity—I must not die so easily.”
A powerful resolve surged within him as he turned his gaze to the ‘Spiritual Root’ entry.
“Spiritual Root! Spiritual Root!”
“With a Spiritual Root, I can embark upon the path of cultivation!”
“If I were a cultivator…”
He took a long breath, forcing down the excitement in his chest.
This matter could not be rushed; it would require patient scheming. Though he was now the Retired Emperor, he was, after all, imprisoned by the Second Prince, Zheng Yuansen, and his freedom was curtailed.
Only by biding his time and lulling his captors into complacency would he have a chance to achieve his aims.
Next, he focused his mind on the Martial Prowess and Techniques entries.
Martial Prowess: Blood Refinement!
In this world, martial realms were split between the Body Tempering and Qi Refinement stages.
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The Body Tempering stage itself was divided into seven ranks:
Tempering Skin, Tempering Flesh, Tempering Sinews, Tempering Bone, Tempering Marrow, Blood Refinement, and Orifice Tempering.
The Qi Refinement stage contained only three ranks:
Innate, Spirit Communication, and Martial Deity.
As one of the leading noble houses vying for supremacy in the late Jin Dynasty, Zheng Yi’s clan possessed a wealth of martial manuals.
The Purple Radiance Method was the internal cultivation art of his house.
The Hundred Battles Blade Art was a killing technique for the battlefield.
Having roamed the battlefield for more than a decade, Zheng Yi had naturally already perfected this blade art.
As for the Evergreen Longevity Technique, it was a health-preserving method acquired after establishing the Yu Dynasty, collected from various martial sects, and practiced only a handful of times.
As he concentrated, the data for these three techniques materialized before him as well:
[Purple Radiance Method (Mastered): 210/10,000]
[Hundred Battles Blade Art (Mastered): 1,445/10,000]
[Evergreen Longevity Technique (Minor Accomplishment): 89/1,000]
“So these must be the specific techniques and stats cultivated by Zheng Yi, the founding emperor—a life spent on the battlefield.”
“And these numbers… proficiency levels?”
“Could I, by continuous practice, max out these techniques to perfection?”
“I wonder if Worldly Qi will affect the stats of these techniques?”
“And blood vitality… Pure Yin Qi can be converted into vitality? Or is Xiao Ruxue not an ordinary woman at all, but a martial artist with an advanced technique?”
“Tsk, tsk, it seems that son of mine really doesn’t trust me—Xiao Ruxue is likely his spy.”
“To send such a beauty as a gift—what a lavish gesture!”
By now, Zheng Yi was completely at ease. Though he’d transmigrated into the body of a sixty-year-old man, he was, after all, the Retired Emperor, still holding some power.
As long as he remained quietly within the deep palace, harboring no thoughts of restoration, he could enjoy endless luxury and pleasure for a lifetime.
Even if he was imprisoned, so what? In fact, viewed from another angle, being under house arrest was even safer, wasn’t it?
With the Compendium of Worldly Beauties at his side and the hope of longevity ahead, he felt even less inclined toward reckless schemes.
If he could simply remain quietly within the palace for hundreds or even thousands of years, then someday…
Heh, heh, heh…
With these thoughts, Zheng Yi felt completely at ease.
He turned over, drew the peerless beauty beside him into his arms, inhaled the faint fragrance in her hair, and sank into a deep sleep.
“Hm~ Looks like I’ll have to find a way to get that son of mine, Zheng Yuansen, to send me even more beauties~”