Advancing the Breathing Technique

[Black Serpent Breathing Technique Proficiency +3]

[Black Serpent Breathing Technique Proficiency +2]

...

[Black Serpent Breathing Technique: First Tier (233/1000)]

With the proficiency panel providing feedback, Li Wei silently practiced the breathing technique day by day. Apart from necessary breaks for meals and sleep, he devoted the rest of his time to training. It could be said that he truly lived by the motto of "train until you can't train anymore."

To the point where the other servants rarely saw Li Wei within the castle. On the rare occasions they did catch sight of their lord, he was either contorting his body in strange ways or wearing heavy armor, wielding a shield, and tirelessly defending against the relentless attacks of the Serpent Eagle Knight.

"Our lord is so young, yet so diligent. It makes me feel ashamed."

The militia members, witnessing Li Wei's dedication and effort, no longer felt comfortable slacking off. After all, it wasn't right for employees to be lazy when their boss was working so hard. They began to push themselves harder, but no matter how hard they worked, they couldn't surpass their tireless lord. Eventually, they accepted this fact.

Seeing Li Wei's diligence, Frederick was delighted. While Li Wei was busy training, Frederick took care of managing the estate's affairs with the steward, ensuring that their lord's training time was not disrupted.

However, some disputes among the residents of the estate still required Li Wei's personal intervention for judicial rulings. This was necessary to maintain his lordly dignity and authority, considering that he was a lawyer in his previous life, making this the only somewhat professionally relevant task since his arrival in this new world.

The month of the Northern Winds passed by in a rush as everyone was busy with their tasks.

The coldest month of the year, known as the "Month of Biting Cold" (December), had silently arrived. This meant that for regions like Blackwater Valley in the northern territories, the cold waves would become more severe, and snowstorms would intensify.

Many of the dilapidated cottages of the serfs had long been neglected and were now being ravaged by the cold winds and snow. With heavy snowfall blocking the mountain passes, rebuilding was a task that could not be rushed during this harsh winter month.

The benevolent Lord Li Wei temporarily housed these serfs within the castle, finding them roles within the castle to perform. Young girls and women were appointed as maids, responsible for taking care of Li Wei and Sir Frederick's daily needs.

Furthermore, Li Wei selected a group of able-bodied young men and incorporated them into the militia. As a result, the number of militiamen under his command reached an unprecedented fifty.

These militiamen were all under the leadership of Sir Frederick, who also instructed them in basic combat skills. Apart from training, they were responsible for repairing the castle's structures, performing heavy labor, herding, and farming. They were not full-time soldiers, as the current state of Blackwater Valley couldn't afford to sustain a professional army.

The elderly and children were tasked with less strenuous physical labor, ensuring that everyone contributed their share to the estate. They received a portion of food in return, consisting of a piece of brown bread and a bowl of something like red bean soup.

While brown bread was better than black bread, it still fell short of the softness and fragrance of white bread. In fact, the productivity in Blackwater Valley was such that even exquisite white bread could barely suffice for Li Wei and Sir Frederick's consumption. The powerful bodies of knights came with a significant caloric demand. Li Wei now required around five to eight times the daily caloric intake of an average person. Most of these calories were efficiently used by the breathing technique to strengthen his body, while a small portion was converted into waste, causing him to need three bathroom breaks a day.

On the other hand, Sir Frederick, being a formal knight who had already passed the rapid growth phase of the breathing technique, had a caloric intake only three times that of an average person when he didn't deliberately activate the breathing technique.

Li Wei's generosity earned the gratitude of the serfs within the estate. They were thankful for the gifts from their young, kind, and handsome lord.

As for Li Wei himself, he was deeply immersed in the practice of the breathing technique, watching his proficiency in the Black Serpent Breathing Technique visibly improve day by day. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming.

Simultaneously, he remained vigilant for the arrival of wandering knights or bands of bandits in the wilderness. After all, for those "homeless dogs," someone like Li Wei, a seemingly vulnerable lord, was undoubtedly an attractive target for robbery.

Nevertheless, with Sir Frederick Knight by his side, Li Wei had no need to worry about ordinary external threats. As the right-hand man of the Black Serpent Knight, Sir Frederick's reputation as the "Serpent Eagle Knight" still carried considerable weight in the surrounding territories.

While continuing his training, Li Wei occasionally visited to inspect the progress of the militia under Sir Frederick's guidance. They had come a long way from the initially disorganized group and were now showing visible improvement under the knight's tutelage. In the future, they would become an essential force for protecting both him and the estate.

To be honest, the population of Li Wei's estate was still too small, and its productivity was at the bottom of the baronial territories. After all, he had essentially "started from scratch" when he returned to Blackwater Valley. For the relatively weak Li Wei, this was a necessary step.

His training continued tirelessly, and there was no concept of time passing in his peaceful lordship. Finally, the most challenging month, the coldest month of the Northern Territories, known as the "Month of Biting Cold," came to an end.

In the year 1004 of the Radiant Calendar, on the first day of the Primordial Month (January), which was the birthday of the "Benevolent Father in Heaven" and also marked the New Year of the Emerald Kingdom, a significant coincidence occurred. It was also Li Wei's birthday.

Li Wei, Baron of Blackwater, Earl of the Golden Tulip, and master of Storm's Peak, had turned thirteen years old.

Within Blackwater Valley, the cold winds still howled, but inside the castle, Li Wei had finished performing the peculiar and contorted breathing exercises. He stretched his full 1.8-meter-tall body, standing on the second floor of the castle in a JoJo-like pose, gazing down at the residents below.

His overall demeanor was entirely different from over a month ago. Beneath the sunny and handsome appearance lay a mysterious aura akin to a snake. His body was now muscular, robust, and perfectly sculpted, resembling the statues of ancient Greece.

Seeing Li Wei like this, one couldn't help but marvel: Is this really a thirteen-year-old?

As he looked out at the snow-covered landscape, he felt exceptionally cheerful. It was a new year, and the castle was adorned with lights and decorations. Young and freckled maids scurried about, their rosy cheeks contrasting with the cold wind. They giggled and prepared for the Lord's New Year and birthday banquet.

The soldiers, for a change, were enjoying strong liquor, sharing stories and gratitude with Sir Frederick Knight for the gifts from the past year and offering New Year and birthday blessings to the Lord.

Other serfs brought fresh ham, cheese, dried fruits, fruit wine, and other agricultural products to the castle, expressing their gratitude to Li Wei.

Compared to the other feudal lords in this world, Li Wei, who had transmigrated from modern times, treated these serfs and laborers with a thousand times more respect and kindness.

So, even though they lived in poverty, the serfs in Blackwater Valley were content. At least here, they could occasionally experience the dignity of being human and receive the protection of the Lord and Sir Frederick Knight, providing a basic level of security.

Of course, Li Wei's cheerful mood wasn't solely because of these factors. Most importantly, after two months of relentless practice and dedication, his Black Serpent Breathing Technique had finally broken through to the second stage.