64: The spirit field spreads rain, and the Tai Chi is taught.

With Wang Tiezhu gone, the burden of New Town truly and completely fell on Li Qingfeng's shoulders.

The construction of New Town was still in its final stages, with a constant stream of miscellaneous tasks.

At their new Ancestral Hall, the foundation had just been laid, and piles of wood and stone materials needed to be supervised.

The newly established Qingxuan Guards, hundreds of eager young men, required his approval and decisions on training regulations, personnel grouping, weapon allocation, and daily drills.

The Town Guardian Residence's expenses were pouring out, and he had to find time to review the accounts.

Most critically, the Azure Origin Fruits and Cloud Wave Golden Crystal Rice in the spiritual fields, which had been painstakingly cultivated to the east, had just sprouted. This was a time when they needed meticulous care, especially delicate tasks like cloud-seeding and rain-making. Previously, Wang Tiezhu had assisted, but now it all fell on him alone.

Li Qingfeng was so busy he barely touched the ground, running back and forth between the Town Guardian Residence, construction sites, military camps, and spiritual fields all day, not even having time to drink water.

That day, he had just finished processing a stack of documents regarding the Qingxuan Guards' rations at the Town Guardian Residence. Rubbing his throbbing temples, he was about to head to the spiritual fields to cast rain when he saw Li Qinghe leisurely strolling back from that direction.

"Third Brother, are you done?"

"I was just about to go and make it rain," Li Qingfeng sighed. "The seedlings have been a bit wilted these past few days; they need more watering."

"Eh? Wait! Qinghe? Why are you here?"

Li Qingfeng was a little surprised. He knew his Fourth Brother cultivated like a madman, usually holed up in his Immortal Cave in Heishan, except for gathering Qi and practicing swordplay.

"Oh, I just finished up over at the spiritual fields," Li Qinghe said nonchalantly.

"Ah?" Li Qingfeng was stunned. "You finished? When?"

"Just now."

Li Qinghe pointed towards the spiritual fields. "I saw you were busy, barely touching the ground, and the spiritual fields couldn't be delayed, so I went and cast today's rain. And by the way... well, I also taught those little rascals how to calm their minds and nourish their Qi."

Only then did Li Qingfeng notice that Li Qinghe still carried a faint trace of water vapor, and his aura was harmonious and peaceful.

He carefully scrutinized his brother for a few moments, then exclaimed in surprise:

"Fourth Brother, your Spirit Awakening Stage spiritual power has been refined to Perfection! You're just one step away from breaking through to the Qi Refinement Stage, aren't you? Is it because of the quality of the Spiritual Qi? Do you need any spiritual items to assist you? Tell Third Brother, and I'll get them for you!"

Li Qinghe waved his hand:

"Third Brother, really, there's no need. My Breakthrough... has to follow my own path; I can't rush it. I've been gathering Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, it's just... a bit slow."

"Slow? How slow?"

Li Qingfeng pressed, feeling stressed lately and always short on time.

Li Qinghe calculated: "If I follow the usual pace, gathering Qi will take another two years or so, and the Breakthrough will probably be around three and a half years."

Li Qinghe saw his Third Brother's brows furrow into a knot and couldn't help but ask:

"Third Brother, is something bothering you? I've noticed you've been... especially anxious lately."

Li Qingfeng hesitated for a moment, then briefly told Li Qinghe about what he had heard from Zhao Tianbao, as well as the news from the refugees further north: the southward migration of the Blood Wolf Tribe Barbarians and the appearance of their Wolf Cavalry on the outskirts of Heishan.

"...If the Barbarians really Move south on a large scale to plunder, our New Town and Black Mountain Town will bear the brunt! Pillar has gone back to Break through, and if you can also quickly Break through to the Qi Refinement Stage, with us two brothers holding the fort, I'll feel much more at ease!" Li Qingfeng's brows were tightly furrowed.

After listening, Li Qinghe, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief, his expression relaxing considerably:

"Oh, is that all? Third Brother, don't worry!"

"Don't worry?" Li Qingfeng was taken aback.

"That's right!" Li Qinghe said with certainty:

"Those Barbarians, want to cross through Heishan on a large scale? No way!"

"Why not?" Li Qingfeng was puzzled.

"How many years have I been wandering around the outskirts of Heishan?"

Li Qinghe pointed to the dark mountain shadows to the west: "It's quite lively in there now! There are many Spiritual Plants and spiritual mines, but even more Yao Beasts fighting for territory! The battles are incredibly fierce! I've personally seen several groups, with Demonic Qi soaring to the sky; Qi Refinement Stage cultivators are just small fry! I even sense old monsters at the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

"Think about it, those Barbarians from the Blood Wolf Tribe aren't stupid. Why would they abandon flat, easy roads and insist on going into the old forests of Heishan to fight for territory with those bloodthirsty Yao Beasts? Isn't that seeking death? If they want to go south to plunder, they'll definitely take a longer route, coming from flatter areas with fewer Yao Beasts, such as... Zhao Tianbao's Qingshui Town area."

Li Qingfeng was half-convinced, half-doubtful: "Is your information... reliable? Where did you hear it?"

Li Qinghe chuckled, patting his chest:

"Third Brother, don't worry about where I heard it. Just remember, your little brother here, though lacking in other skills, is top-notch at self-preservation and gathering information! Would I lie to you? We're blood brothers!"

Seeing Li Qinghe's confident expression, Li Qingfeng's tense nerves relaxed a little.

Although he still felt a bit uneasy, Fourth Brother's experience on the outskirts of Heishan was indeed much richer than his own.

"Alright, it's good that you know what you're doing," Li Qingfeng sighed.

"Then, the spiritual fields... I'll have to trouble you to look after them more. And those children, please help guide them, especially Lin Luo and Youfu; they have Spiritual Roots, so we must seize this opportunity."

"Don't worry, Third Brother, leave it to me," Li Qinghe readily agreed.

Bidding farewell to his Third Brother, Li Qinghe casually strolled back to the spiritual fields.

Five children, neither too big nor too small—Lin Luo, Li Youfu, Pu Liangmu, He Baibai, and Liu Yaowen—were sitting obediently on the field ridges, meditating and nourishing their Qi.

Seeing Li Qinghe return, Lin Luo, with the sharpest eyes, was the first to jump up:

"Junior Martial Uncle Qinghe! You're back!"

The other children quickly followed suit, shouting:

"Junior Martial Uncle Qinghe!"

Li Qinghe winced at the address and waved his hand:

"Stop, stop, stop! What 'Junior Martial Uncle'? It makes me sound like an old man."

"I'm not much older than you all, just call me Brother Qinghe!"

Lin Luo reacted the fastest, immediately changing his address: "Okay, Brother Qinghe!" The other children also timidly followed suit.

The honest Li Youfu scratched his head and boldly asked:

"Brother Qinghe, you just taught us to calm our minds, but I... I still can't calm down; my mind keeps thinking about things."

Li Qinghe looked at these half-grown children; it was indeed a bit difficult for them to just sit still and nourish their Qi.

He thought for a moment, then walked to the open space in the middle of the field ridge.

"Can't calm your mind, huh? Alright, today Brother Qinghe will teach you something fun that can also calm your mind."

He stretched his limbs. "Watch closely!"

With that, he assumed a stance on the field ridge.

His movements were slow, each Move, harmonious and fluid.

As he moved, a deep blue light, like flowing water, naturally emanated from him, enveloping his body.

"Watch closely, this is called 'Commencing Form'... 'Wild Horse Parts Its Mane'... 'White Crane Spreads Its Wings'..."

Li Qinghe slowly performed the forms, while reciting the names of the Moves.

The deep blue light flowed with his movements, soft yet possessing an indescribable charm.

The children were captivated, even their breathing grew lighter.

After completing the entire set, Li Qinghe slowly brought his movements to a close.

The deep blue light swirled around him for a moment, then, behind him and on the ground beneath his feet, a slowly rotating aqua-blue Tai Chi pattern clearly appeared, lasting for several breaths before gradually dissipating.

"Wow—!"

The children's eyes were wide, their mouths agape in astonishment.

Li Qinghe smiled, wiping away non-existent sweat:

"See? This is the effect of practicing with a calm mind. Don't think about glowing yet; first, get the movements down, then slowly find the feeling."

"That's all for today. Practice more when you have time, and your mind... will naturally calm down. When your mind is calm, nourishing your Qi becomes easier."

With that, he didn't linger, walking away with his hands behind his back, strolling towards the direction of Heishan outside the town, leaving five children with various thoughts, still pondering the slow-moving "Tai Chi" in place.