Daily Dossier: Secrets of a Lazy Husband

5

After lunch,

Caelum moved a reclining chair over and had Luna prepare a tea set. He sat in the pavilion, sipping tea and enjoying the gentle breeze. The early summer sun wasn't glaring, and the soft breeze made him feel incredibly comfortable.

"Mountains, water, flowers, grass, beautiful scenery, and tea—this is life!"

Caelum thought, a smile appearing on his face.

Even Luna couldn't help but glance at his carefree, sunny profile. In her eyes, her Master was exceptionally handsome—a pure white scholar's robe, long black hair tied up to his waist, two strands framing his face, which accentuated his refined features, giving him an elegant and gentle air. In short, he was very special, unlike any other talented scholars she had ever met. Perhaps this was the "learned scholar" Miss Wan had mentioned.

"Young Master, Miss just said that your martial arts instructor will be arriving this afternoon."

Caelum said without turning his head, "So soon?"

At that moment, he was staring at a grove of purple bamboo by the pond, thinking about making a fishing rod from them. A few goldfish had jumped around earlier, splashing him with a lot of water, and he couldn't satisfy his itch until he caught one.

Luna, remembering what Miss Wan had said, lowered her head and said, "Young Master, it's all... it's all Luna's fault..."

Caelum turned to look at her and asked with a smile, "What's your fault?"

"A few days ago, Miss asked me about Young Master's recent situation, and I... I told her everything."

"I see," Caelum withdrew his gaze, continuing to look at the bamboo grove, and smiled, "It's alright, it's fine."

Now that he was in the Xiao residence, his every word and action would be reported to the powerful figures within the residence. Even if Luna didn't say anything, others would tell them.

"But Miss said that the Old Marquis arranged for you to learn martial arts after hearing about the poem the young master wrote."

Luna hadn't thought anything was wrong; she was just ordered by the young lady to keep a close eye on the young master. But after learning she had become Caelum's personal maid, she felt a pang of guilt. If it weren't for her, the young master could be resting right now.

"It's alright."

"Young master, aren't you angry?" Luna slightly raised her head, her eyes peering through the stray hairs on her forehead at his profile.

Caelum said nonchalantly, "Just consider it exercise. Don't think about that. Before anyone arrives, find me some tools."

"What does the young master want?" Luna breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face.

"A knife, string, and nails."

Looking at Caelum's mysterious expression, Luna was full of questions, but she still found them for him.

Soon, she understood Caelum's plan.

"A fishing rod?"

"That's right."

Caelum looked at the fishing rod in his hand, a rod that couldn't even be described as "simple." "Luna, don't let its unassuming appearance fool you. Do you believe I can use this to clear out all the fish in the pond?"

Limited by resources, he had to make do with what he had. The fishing rod was made from thin bamboo from the pond's edge, the fishing line from yarn, which he had specially coiled into a ball, and the hook was a small iron nail that he had bent and polished. In less than half an hour, this makeshift fishing rod was freshly made.

"Young master, those fish were specially brought from Guangyue Prefecture by the Second Miss Celeste. They're said to be of very high quality," Luna whispered a reminder.

Caelum stroked the fishing rod like a precious treasure. "Don't worry, don't worry, I'm just fishing, I don't plan to eat them." For a fisherman, the enjoyment comes from the sense of accomplishment of catching a fish. Clearly, she was the "outsider" Caelum was thinking of, and she couldn't understand the fisherman's joy.

Before Caelum could even cast his line to test the depth of the fish, a rumbling sound, like wheels rolling, came from outside the garden. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw the tall and burly Wang Lixing carefully pushing a middle-aged man in a wheelchair towards them. The man had a dignified appearance, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, exuding the decisiveness and resilience of a soldier. However, perhaps because of his disability, there was an unyielding sorrow between his brows.

Luna glanced at him and quickly whispered, "Young Master, it's Miss's second uncle, Xiao Xuanshuo." After saying that, she stood by the pavilion and bowed respectfully. Caelum nodded slightly, handed the fishing rod to Luna, and before the two of them came over, he stepped forward and bowed slightly, saying, "Caelum greets Second Uncle Xuanshuo."

He had heard Luna mention Xiao Xuanshuo before. It was said that a few years ago, when he was inspecting the military town, he was ambushed by barbarians, and only managed to escape after hundreds of his personal guards fought desperately. However, Xiao Xuanshuo was also seriously injured in the process, and since then, he had been confined to a wheelchair.

Xiao Xuanshuo slightly raised his head, saw the fishing rod in Luna's hand, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He said calmly, "As per the Old Marquis's instructions, I will teach you martial arts. But let me make it clear beforehand, you are merely a son-in-law of the Xiao family, therefore what you practice and learn is only the foundation of martial arts. If you achieve something in the future, or if you contribute to the Xiao family, someone will naturally teach you more advanced techniques."

Before Caelum could speak, Xiao Xuanshuo's tone became more serious: "I don't care what you did in the Chen family before, and I can forgive your elopement, but if you do anything to damage the reputation of the Xiao family again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Caelum nodded calmly: "I will follow your arrangements, Second Uncle Xuanshuo." He could hear the dissatisfaction in Xiao Xuanshuo's voice, and he knew that he was the one who had suggested expelling him from the family in the punishment hall, but... so be it.

Luna had already quietly left Chunhe Garden before Xiao Xuanshuo finished speaking, and was now guarding the corridor leading to Jiaxing Garden. The Xiao family treated their servants well, but when it came to martial arts techniques, ordinary maids and servants were not allowed to observe.

Not long after, the three of them found a spacious open space by the pond. Xiao Xuanshuo glanced at Caelum, then instructed Wang Lixing, "Standing stance, spear."

Wang Lixing responded loudly, stood in front of Caelum, and said solemnly, "All martial arts in the world share the same origin, all starting with tempering the body, training muscles, bones, and skin..." As he spoke, he slowly demonstrated. In his starting stance, he stood ramrod straight, like a spear standing upright, then pushed his hands forward, took a deep breath, and his chest suddenly swelled as if a stone had been placed inside.

After a few rounds, Wang Lixing exhaled and said, "The Great Spear Stance Technique requires specific breathing exercises to gradually train the body and strengthen the physique. Once the muscles, bones, and skin are thoroughly trained, and internal energy is generated, you can proceed to the next step: using the dantian energy to refine the five internal organs and meridians, until the four main meridians are opened, thus reaching the peak of the ninth rank of martial arts..."

Despite Wang Lixing's rough appearance, he was meticulous in his instruction. After demonstrating several times, he had Caelum stand in the Great Spear Stance Technique. There was no need for acting. Caelum knew his performance was poor; his posture was loose and sloppy, lacking strength, and even his movements were incorrect.

Wang Lixing seemed to have anticipated this, slapping his large palm several times, hitting each of his mistakes.

"Waist, tighten."

"Chest out, abdomen in."

"Left leg forward half a step... Hold this posture, inhale, exhale..."

Caelum endured the pain in his body and the soreness in his limbs, following Wang Lixing's rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. Instantly, he felt a surge of heat from an unknown source, making his body feel hot and restless, as if his blood was boiling, and his heart pounding rapidly.

[Successfully mastered the Great Spear Stance Technique (Mystic Rank), Level: Beginner]

[Martial Arts - Body: Not Yet Entered 0/1 (Points Can Be Added)]