Unknowingly, half a year has passed, and it is now the time of 'Mengchun' (the beginning of spring).
Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on a moss-covered stone, observing the fallen leaves hanging with frost and the pine trees adorned with frozen bells.
He thought to himself, "There is a saying: the year has three springs, three summers, three autumns, and three winters. The first spring, the second spring, and the last spring are called the three springs. Similarly, the first summer, the second summer, and the last summer are called the three summers. Furthermore, the first autumn, the second autumn, and the last autumn are called the three autumns. Lastly, the first winter, the second winter, and the last winter are called the three winters. This marks the passing of a year."
"However, it is currently the first spring, and the gentle winds should be arriving, yet the biting north wind shows no sign of stopping."
Earlier, the child had met with the head of the Zuo family, knowing that Mengchun had just arrived, and had made ample preparations, waiting for the gentle winds to come.
Unexpectedly, the north wind was fierce and relentless, showing no signs of abating.
Due to the ever-changing weather, there is a saying: 'Heaven has unpredictable winds and clouds.' This taught the child to remember that when collecting herbs, timing is crucial.
The ancestors have said that one should collect herbs when the gentle winds arise and stop when the north winds cease, in order to achieve a proper harvest.
Jiang Yuan shook his head; he did not know when the north wind would stop.
Such knowledge of the weather was something he had yet to learn.
While he was deep in thought, a voice suddenly called out.
"Master, Master!"
Jiang Tong'er opened his eyes to see the woodcutter from the Zuo family approaching.
As the man drew near, he asked, "Young one, why are you here in this freezing cold?"
The woodcutter held a bowl of steaming soup and said, "I know that Master is cultivating and is not affected by the cold or heat. I boiled some water at home to bring to Master for warmth."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan took the bowl and drank it all in one go, smiling as he said, "You are very courteous! Is there enough firewood at home?"
The woodcutter laughed, "How could there be a shortage? Our family has been chopping firewood for generations. I plan to return home one day to live a prosperous life, so I have as much as I need."
Jiang Yuan pointed at the woodcutter and said, "Your family business is impressive. This north wind is like a knife; do take care of yourself. If any demons or monsters threaten your life, come to the Sanxing Immortal Cave to find me."
The woodcutter nodded and bowed before leaving.
Jiang Yuan watched the woodcutter depart, then sat cross-legged on the moss-covered stone, closing his eyes to cultivate his spirit.
Time passed swiftly, and before he knew it, half a month had gone by.
As Mengchun reached its midpoint, the north wind finally ceased.
Jiang Tong'er felt the gentle winds begin to blow and did not dare to delay.
He entered a meditative state, calling upon his heart monkey to collect herbs.
The black and white fish received the command and entered the heart palace to gather herbs.
His mind followed the heart monkey's movements, guiding it into the heart palace.
Upon entering the heart palace, he saw a mysterious red light swirling in mid-air, which was the 'Wujing' (Black Essence).
The black and white fish swam around the red light, circling it as their mouths opened and closed, seemingly gathering the red light.
The black fish was quick, while the white fish was slow, working together seamlessly.
Jiang Yuan understood the importance of the heart monkey's focus and would not allow it to act recklessly.
Thus, he wanted to withdraw his mind from the palace, waiting for the right moment to weigh the herbs, but before he could do so, he noticed the red light of Wujing beginning to disperse.
This was because this herb was not an ordinary herb; it was a medicine for the body, a primordial medicine for the five organs.
If dispersed, it would blend together without distinction, but if gathered, it would condense into a medicine.
This gathering required the mind to guide it; if the mind left, the medicine would become formless and elusive.
Jiang Yuan thought to himself, "If it continues like this, my mind must guide the medicine; I cannot leave. How can I find the right moment here? Could it be that I need my master’s assistance? No, the Golden Core is my path. If my master assists me, I will surely lack something in the future."
He calmed his thoughts, remaining neither anxious nor impatient, allowing the heart monkey to collect herbs.
He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly devised a plan.
He communicated with his mind to the Niwan Palace, instructing his primordial spirit to assist him in guarding the timing.
Upon receiving the command, the Niwan Palace trembled greatly, responding to him.
With this, Jiang Yuan felt at ease and focused on collecting herbs.
As the gentle winds blew, spring blossomed, with vibrant reds and greens.
Jiang Tong'er sat cross-legged on the moss-covered stone, cultivating his mind, remaining neither anxious nor impatient, as cultivation knows no passage of time.
Unbeknownst to him, the gentle winds quietly ceased, and the fragrant winds began to blow, with the plum rains falling softly, the seasons changing silently.
Before long, the north wind finally arrived, and when it ceased, Jiang Yuan felt the Niwan Palace tremble, signaling his primordial spirit's reminder that the north wind was about to stop.
He quickly commanded the heart monkey to cease collecting herbs.
In the brief moment when the north wind stopped, he managed to gather a measure of Wujing.
He saw the Wujing manifesting as red light, flying into the spleen, where the Huang Po (Yellow Mother) awaited to gather the herbs and send them into the Golden Cauldron and Jade Furnace, thus completing the herb collection.
Jiang Yuan finally opened his eyes, quietly exhaling, and thought to himself, "The path of herb collection is easy to say but hard to do. It is easy when five people work together, but difficult when the timing is unpredictable."
At this moment, the gentle winds had not yet risen, and he found himself with free time.
If the gentle winds were to blow again, he would need to gather his mind to collect the herbs, and the heart monkey would come to gather, without allowing his mind to wander.
Thinking of this, the child felt a surge of thoughts.
The Golden Core path is indeed difficult, with the heart monkey, the Golden Lord, the wild horse, the wooden mother, and the Huang Po all working together, followed by setting up the cauldron, collecting herbs, controlling the heat, refining, nurturing, and merging, until the nine transformations yield the Golden Core.
What difficulty could be expressed in words? If compared, the heterodox paths are much easier.
As Jiang Yuan pondered, he suddenly felt the Niwan Palace tremble violently, his thoughts dissipating.
The primordial spirit came to assist him, and he finally awakened, realizing the matter at hand was due to the disturbance of the two spirits.
These two spirits, compared to before, were indeed formidable, affecting his mood invisibly, causing him to misstep.
Perhaps they feared he would collect herbs and truly achieve the Golden Core.
Jiang Tong'er waved a dust whisk and said, "There is a saying: 'When the heart arises, various demons arise; when the heart extinguishes, various demons extinguish.' I shall calm my heart and not let the two spirits find a way in."
Now, with all five of them present, the primordial spirit was undisturbed, firmly seated in the Niwan Palace, waiting for him to guard his heart.
How could the two spirits cause trouble?
Jiang Yuan focused on guarding his spirit, nurturing his nature, and cultivating the truth, quietly waiting for the gentle winds.
In just a few days, the gentle winds blew again, and he entered the heart palace once more, allowing the heart monkey to collect one measure of Wujing.
Collecting herbs was not a great difficulty for the child; he had three measures of Wujing hidden in the heart palace, three measures of rabbit marrow hidden in the kidney pavilion, two measures of wooden liquid hidden in the liver, and two measures of golden essence hidden in the lungs.
Without the effort of guarding the spirit and calming the mind, one could not collect herbs.
Jiang Tong'er had cultivated for hundreds of years, knowing that if he were to lose focus, the two spirits would disturb him, causing his alchemical efforts to fail.
Thus, he remained vigilant while collecting herbs, not daring to slacken.
Unbeknownst to him, after more than eight years, the child had collected three measures of Wujing, three measures of rabbit marrow, and two measures of wooden liquid, yet he still lacked one measure of golden essence.
One day, Jiang Yuan sat cross-legged on the moss-covered stone, quietly waiting for the gentle winds to arrive.
In this herb collection, he had come to understand what he was gathering.
This herb could only be found within the body; it could not be collected from the outside.
This was because the four herbs were primordial medicines, existing before the body was born, merging into the formless.
Thus, they could not be sought after.
If one does not follow the proper path, this herb will never be seen in a lifetime.
Only by following the right path, at the right time for collecting herbs, and with the mind as a guide, can one see this primordial medicine.
Jiang Yuan had been setting up the cauldron for a long time, and as he was about to complete his herb collection, he finally realized that the Golden Essence was not cultivated in the belly's Niwan but was cultivated in this body and this primordial spirit, allowing the immortal body to transform into the Golden Core when the time is right, and when this passage is opened, all passages will be opened.
This right path is fundamentally different from the heterodox paths.
The right path cultivates the self, having roots and connections, leading to longevity, while the heterodox paths cultivate external methods, lacking roots and connections, leading to destruction and death.
He felt joy in his heart but did not dare to be careless.
He still lacked one measure of golden essence, which he needed to collect.
Once the herb collection was complete, he would meet with his master and share the joy together.
Thinking of this, the child closed his eyes to nurture his spirit, waiting for the gentle winds to rise again, so he could collect one measure of golden essence.
The golden essence is found within the lungs.
When his mind reached there, the golden essence manifested, revealing a white light in the palace.
The Golden Lord received the command to collect herbs, and after gathering for a full year, he finally stopped...
(End of Chapter)