Chapter 73 Rose’s Confession

"Expanding the meridians!" Lin Xing replied.

"Expanding meridians? What's that?" Xiao Bao asked blankly.

"Meridians are the pathways inside your body where your Zhen Qi flows, just like rivers outside. The meridians are the riverbeds, and your Zhen Qi is the water. Does that explanation make sense?"

"I think I sort of understand," Xiao Bao said, seeming only half-convinced.

"What do you mean 'sort of'? You either understand or you don't. There's no such thing as a vague 'sort of'." Lin Xing rapped Xiao Bao's head lightly, laughing as he scolded him.

"But I really do sort of get it," Xiao Bao said with a pitiful look.

"Alright, I don't care if you really understand or just pretend to. Even if you truly don't get it, you have to figure it out, understand? I don't have much time to teach you."

Xiao Bao said "oh" and added, "I'll listen carefully."

"Take rivers, for example. You know the difference between a small stream and a big river, right?" Lin Xing asked.

"A small stream has less water than a big river, and it's not as wide," Xiao Bao answered without hesitation.

"What else?" Lin Xing asked with a smile.

"Also, also..." Xiao Bao thought for a moment. "That, and... hmm, the water in the big river flows much faster than in the small stream!" Xiao Bao stated confidently, looking at Lin Xing.

"Good," Lin Xing nodded in satisfaction. "You're right. Also, the water in a big river has much greater force of impact than in a small stream. The meridians in the human body are like rivers. The larger the meridians, the more Zhen Qi they can hold. With more Zhen Qi, and if the meridians are wide enough, the flow of Zhen Qi becomes faster! At the same time, the force—or the attack power—of the Zhen Qi becomes greater! That makes the person stronger."

"And what I'm going to do for you—expanding your meridians—means using an external force to widen the meridians inside your body! This will allow them to hold more Zhen Qi, giving you a higher starting point!"

There was a reason Lin Xing chose to expand Xiao Bao's meridians rather than perform Meridian Cleansing for him. While Meridian Cleansing would indeed speed up cultivation, it wasn't necessarily the best choice. For Lin Feng and his three brothers, it was fine because Lin Xing was there to guide them, and he needed them to grow quickly.

But Xiao Bao was different. For one, Lin Xing didn't have extra time to stay by his side and provide guidance. If he performed Meridian Cleansing, while it would increase his cultivation speed, the drawbacks would outweigh the benefits.

After all, cultivation built from a solid foundation is more stable. Only with a firm foundation can you make better progress. Without guidance, it was best for Xiao Bao to grow step by step. Although slower, his foundation would be much more solid, leading to a deeper understanding of martial arts.

"Alright, let's begin now," Lin Xing said. "But this process will be very painful for your body. You must endure it. 'Endure the bitterest of hardships to become a person among people.' How much you benefit depends on your willpower."

He had Xiao Bao sit cross-legged in front of him. Lin Xing placed a hand on Xiao Bao's back, channeling his spiritual energy into his Zhen Qi, and carefully guided a strand of his own Zhen Qi into Xiao Bao's meridians.

Lin Xing cautiously controlled his Zhen Qi as it advanced through Xiao Bao's meridians. Even though he had experience performing Meridian Cleansing for Lin Feng and the others, he didn't dare relax in the slightest.

Wherever his Zhen Qi passed, Xiao Bao's delicate meridians were violently torn apart! They were then immediately repaired by the freakish recovery power of the Nine Yang Zhen Qi. The repaired meridians were slightly expanded.

Feeling the constant, searing pain inside his body, Xiao Bao clenched his teeth, not making a sound. However, sweat dripped continuously from his forehead. His face was ashen with pain, twitching uncontrollably.

Lin Xing gradually increased the flow of his Zhen Qi, continuously surging through Xiao Bao's meridians. Finally, seeing that Xiao Bao's meridians had been significantly enlarged and judging it to be the limit of what Xiao Bao could currently endure, Lin Xing slowly withdrew his Zhen Qi. He left a strand of his own Zhen Qi within Xiao Bao's body.

Xiao Bao was tough; he actually endured all that pain without fainting.

"Xiao Bao, can you feel the expanded meridians in your body and the strand of Zhen Qi I left for you now?"

Xiao Bao nodded weakly.

"Then, try to guide the Zhen Qi I gave you to flow through your meridians. Don't let the newly expanded meridians shrink back," Lin Xing instructed.

Xiao Bao gave a slight nod and began guiding the Zhen Qi Lin Xing left behind to circulate within his body. Lin Xing stood guard beside him.

While Lin Xing was expanding Xiao Bao's meridians, at the entrance to the backyard...

"Sister, we should go back. They're at a critical moment. We shouldn't disturb them."

"Alright," Rose nodded, taking one last, reluctant look inside before retreating with Ye Bing.

Lin Xing had noticed their arrival, but he had no time to deal with them at the moment, so he let them be.

Five days had passed since Lin Xing expanded Xiao Bao's meridians. Xiao Bao was now familiar with the state of his body, and the Zhen Qi Lin Xing left behind had already stimulated the generation of a faint stream of his own Zhen Qi.

Over the past few days, Lin Xing had also explained some key points about cultivation to Xiao Bao and found a suitable Cultivation Method for him to practice. Xiao Bao practiced with great seriousness.

However, what puzzled Lin Xing was Rose's behavior these past few days. She often lowered her head when she saw him and seemed prone to blushing. Her face would turn red as soon as she saw him, and she no longer spoke to him the way she did when they first met.

Ye Bing, on the other hand, often looked at Lin Xing with a knowing gaze, making him feel quite awkward. When he asked Ye Bing what was going on with Rose, Ye Bing would just look at him and smile mysteriously. That look made Lin Xing uncomfortable. "Ask her yourself," Ye Bing would always reply, leaving Lin Xing utterly baffled.

This left Lin Xing feeling particularly frustrated. Ask Rose? She blushed every time she saw him now, let alone having a conversation.

That evening, Lin Xing was standing by the window, gazing at the stars outside.

A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Lin Xing said, knowing it was Rose.

"Have a seat," Lin Xing said, pointing to a chair.

Rose gave a soft "mm" and sat down. Lin Xing also sat down not far from her.

Seeing Lin Xing sit nearby, Rose's heartbeat quickened. She nervously lowered her head.

After several days of psyching herself up, Rose had finally decided to come tonight to confess her feelings to Lin Xing.

"What brings you here to see me?" Lin Xing asked curiously. Rose usually never sought anyone out at night.

Hearing Lin Xing's question, Rose felt a wave of panic. She opened her mouth, but the words she had prepared stuck in her throat.

Seeing Rose's strange behavior, Lin Xing found it a bit odd. He looked at her, waiting for her reply.

"I... I came to thank you on behalf of Xiao Bao," Rose blurted out at the last moment, the words she had rehearsed so long turning into this simple sentence.

Her heart was still racing wildly. She lifted her head and stole a glance at Lin Xing, only to meet his gaze directly. Flustered, she quickly averted her eyes and lowered her head again.