An hour passed. The water in Bian Ruxue’s tub had become perfectly clear, every trace of the medicinal concoction absorbed into her body. Maids dressed her in fresh, clean clothes and dried her hair. She stood silently beside Zhao Feng’s tub, not understanding the full significance of the events unfolding, but content to wait quietly for him to emerge. Zhao Feng, in contrast, was still soaking in his own tub, a concession to Lin Haixia's stern insistence. The liquid surrounding him remained a glaring, undiluted purple. The female servant attending Bian Ruxue glanced over and froze, her jaw slack. As another hour went by, servants and maids from across the estate, having heard the news, rushed over to see for themselves. Every one of them was shocked into silence. Having spent their lives in the Sky Marshal Manor, they understood exactly what this meant. They exchanged glances, and in each other's eyes, they saw the reflection of a collapsing world. The noble son of the Martial Marquis, incapable of practicing martial arts? This was the bloodline of the Zhao Clan! Such a thing was simply beyond belief. But the proof was right before them. The entire courtyard fell still. It was a house servant who broke the spell, scrambling away in a flustered panic. Before long, Sun and Moon Pavilion was filled with a multitude of brightly colored figures. The ladies from the various other courtyards had arrived. They gathered around the medicinal tub, and upon hearing from the servants how long Zhao Feng had been soaking, their faces filled with disbelief. Liu Yue Rong stood among them, her heart giving a painful lurch. Could it be that medicine? But she had never heard of a side effect this severe. A knot of panic tightened in her chest, but her face remained a mask of composed sorrow and urgency. Meanwhile, Zhao Feng, stewing in the tub and feeling that life had lost all meaning, watched the second wife's masterful performance. And yet, beneath the act, he caught a flicker of genuine panic in her eyes. Had he startled the second wife? Zhao Feng sneered inwardly. As the courtyard grew noisier, the chief wife’s face hardened. She ordered the servants to leave, allowing only the ladies of the courtyards to remain. This matter, she commanded, was not to be spread. It must not be leaked. Seeing that the Foundation Establishment elixir showed no signs of diminishing, Lin Haixia’s heart turned to ice. This couldn't even be called "slow." He thought of a terrible, cursed constitution and shivered. Could it be? Was the Lord’s own Qilin Child a complete waste, unable to cultivate martial arts? Putting a stop to the proceedings, Lin Haixia lifted Zhao Feng out of the tub. The ladies watched, their expressions shifting as they took in the sight of Zhao Feng’s pale, oxygen-starved body, his skin puckered and white from the six hours of immersion. The Foundation Establishment elixir remained utterly unchanged, highlighting the gravity of the situation. Seeing that even Zhao Feng's lips had turned white from the soak, Liu Yue Rong was certain this was no act. Her heart seized. She had only meant to destroy the boy’s Divine Blood, not ruin him completely. To be rendered a complete invalid would make the whole affair far too suspicious. This was the peerless bloodline of the Zhao Clan, unable to cultivate? If someone were to investigate the cause… The chief wife was the first to recover her composure. She immediately instructed Lin Haixia to take good care of Feng'er and sent her own maids to fetch warm, tonic soups to nourish Zhao Feng’s weakened body. The next day. Lin Haixia prepared two more tubs of Foundation Establishment elixir, one each for Zhao Feng and Bian Ruxue. He watched intently as Zhao Feng was lowered into the bath. Zhao Feng felt a sense of helplessness. It was a futile effort, a waste of precious herbs, but he couldn't argue with the man and simply complied. He figured they would give up on him soon enough. Just then, the same text prompt from yesterday appeared. [Detection of unknown substance, analyzing…] [Analysis failed, automatic isolation initiated.] Zhao Feng had expected this and wasn't particularly surprised. He stayed obediently in the medicinal bath, wiggling his toes out of sheer boredom. As time ticked by and the elixir remained stubbornly purple, the short man from the military finally lost his composure, letting out a low growl. "How can this be?!" Lin Haixia was agitated, his disbelief seeming to run even deeper than Zhao Feng’s. He paced frantically beside the tub, striking his own head. "There's nothing wrong with the elixir, it can't be! Could it be that the Lord's son truly cannot cultivate?!" This was the Zhao Clan bloodline! Zhao Feng didn't feel particularly upset. He had his panel, after all; he could grow stronger without these concoctions. But seeing his teacher so distressed made him feel awkward. "Uncle Lin, it's okay," he consoled him. "Don't be so sad." At his words, Lin Haixia’s body shuddered. He looked down at the child in the tub, and his eyes suddenly welled with tears. Child, you have no idea what kind of fate awaits you. Seeing the boy's optimistic, untainted gaze, Lin Haixia felt as if his heart were being torn in two. The Commander-in-Chief’s only son… could this truly be his future? There was nothing he could do. In Zhao Feng’s case, he could think of only one possibility: innate meridian obstruction. It was the classic sign of a martial arts cripple. In an ordinary family, it would be no great shock; eight or nine out of ten commoners were born this way. But this was the Zhao Clan. The Zhao family that produced True Dragons, generation after generation. Even their least talented children were paragons compared to others. And as for those True Dragons of the Zhao family—were they not all world-renowned figures? And yet, this child… Lin Haixia was choked with emotion, unable to speak. He, who could gaze upon mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the battlefield without flinching, now found he couldn't bear to look at the boy any longer. That clear, innocent gaze was heartbreaking. "It's okay, it's okay…" Seeing that the man’s sorrow was genuine, not an act, Zhao Feng felt a warmth spread through his chest. He stood up from the bath and tugged on the man’s trouser leg, trying to offer what little comfort he could. The second attempt with the Foundation Establishment elixir was declared a failure. The news tore through the Sky Marshal Manor like a hurricane. With it, the fact of Zhao Feng’s inability to cultivate was solidified. The madams and servants of the various Zhao Clan Courtyards were all shaken, their minds reeling with disbelief. In the days that followed, the medicinal baths ceased. Instead, a stream of visitors came to examine Zhao Feng’s body, but each one left shaking their head. Zhao Feng managed to overhear them, learning that his condition was known as a Martial Arts Disabled Body. This physique didn't make cultivation completely impossible, but it would be exceedingly difficult. He would be unable to absorb elixirs or external energy, forced to rely on grueling self-cultivation for even the smallest gains. Furthermore, he could only ever reach the Second Realm. Breaking through required a connection with the energy of heaven and earth, making the Second Realm his absolute limit. The news apparently reached the Beiyan Demonic Wastes battlefield. Not long after, an urgent family letter arrived, carried over a thousand miles. The contents of that letter, however, sent another shockwave through the Sky Marshal Manor. The Grand Marshal had broken through to the Three Immortal Realms. The letter commanded that the Lady of the House must not give up on Feng'er. No matter how arduous the path, she was to see to it that he started on the Martial Path. Even a mere beginning would suffice. In the future, once his Divine Blood awakened, he could still achieve something. He might never be a genius, but he could at least secure a centurion’s position in the military. In that, he would not disgrace the name of a Zhao family son. The Lady of the House was from the He Family, her name Zhao Jianlan. Zhao Jianlan, though over sixty years of age, possessed the appearance of a woman in her forties. After reading the family letter, she sighed deeply. "Feng'er’s fate is a bitter one. It’s all because of that despicable woman." No one knew who she was referring to. In the following days, life for Zhao Feng felt as if it had returned to normal. The Foundation Establishment was no longer a concern; it was said they would attempt the Blood Melting when he turned four. As such, with nothing else to do, Zhao Feng found even more time to secretly play chess, and his experience points grew quietly and rapidly. Somehow, however, news of Zhao Feng's Martial Arts Disabled Body leaked beyond the mansion walls. The teahouses and restaurants of Lincheng City suddenly had a new topic for discussion, though most dismissed it as a storyteller’s fanciful tale. After all, this was a son of the Zhao family. But for the Zhao family’s enemies in the royal court, the news was a lightning bolt. They sent agents to investigate, and upon confirming the truth, their families were filled with a mixture of delight and astonishment. They were delighted that the Zhao family, glorious for a thousand years, was finally showing signs of a failing bloodline. They were astonished at the depth of the Grand Marshal’s concealment. He had reached the Three Immortal Realms long ago, and only now was it being revealed. Fortunately, his son was a martial arts cripple. Otherwise, the boy would have likely grown to become another Li Junye. In the blink of an eye, Zhao Feng turned four. After a year of sneaking around and diligently practicing, Zhao Feng successfully entered the second tier of Dao of Chess. This granted him another Artistic Art Point, which he immediately invested into Sword Dao without a moment’s hesitation, elevating it to the second tier. Unlike the overwhelming flood of information from the first tier, his four-year-old mind could withstand this new influx, leaving him with only a faint pressure in his head. With the improvement in Sword Dao, the skills on his panel changed as well. [Name: Zhao Feng] [Age: 4] [Cultivation Level: Mortal] [Sword Dao: Second Tier] [Skills: Boundless Sea·Tide (Perfected)[Forbidden]] [Known Art: Dao of Chess] [Dao of Chess: Second Tier (0/1000)] [Chess Catalogue Collection: 0] [Artistic Art Points: 0] However, after advancing Dao of Chess to the second tier, Zhao Feng discovered that playing against himself no longer earned him any experience points. He would have to find someone to compete against.

Chapter 5: A Noble's Shame