There are many schools of thought in cultivation. As Liu Su once said, the Xuanmen (Mystical Gate) does not always advocate for complete renunciation of desires; it mainly depends on one's understanding.
The concept of the sun and moon intersecting, and yin and yang responding to each other, is usually explained as the interaction of one's own yin and yang energies with those of the universe. However, if one insists on interpreting it in terms of male and female, there is a whole system that can justify that.
You can disagree, argue, or even label it as heretical, but that just means the paths are different, not that it isn't a legitimate cultivation system.
In fact, what Dong Huazi taught the king was quite similar—otherwise, why would he have him practice alchemy? The king had an ailment, so starting from there would be the easiest way to make progress. If you really advised him to clear his heart and desires, it would be much harder to succeed.
Qin Yi remembered Liu Su's comment to Li Qinglin last night: "No emperor in the world can achieve immortality. Why can't human emperors cultivate the Dao? Because their desire for immortality stems from an unwillingness to part with everything they have, which is contrary to the essence of cultivation. They will never achieve anything. So you are more suitable; come cultivate with me..."
Qin Yi also recalled his response: "So the essence of cultivation is indeed just a repeating machine, right?"
That made Liu Su sulk.
In truth, Qin Yi's heart had long been shaken. He really wanted to cultivate, and as his relationship with Liu Su grew closer, the wariness he felt when he first arrived had almost faded away. He truly didn't believe Liu Su would harm him...
The atmosphere in the king's palace was a bit strange. The king was staring at Qin Yi, seemingly deep in thought, while Qin Yi was lost in his own world, making it look like they were both serious scholars discussing the Dao...
After a long while, the king finally spoke slowly: "The alliance between our two countries is of great importance. If Daoist Qin gives up on Zhao Yang and persuades her to marry into the West Wilderness, I can grant you five hundred maidens to help you establish a foundation."
Without even thinking, Qin Yi replied, "Even with a thousand beauties, I only want Qing Jun."
The king narrowed his eyes: "You are putting me in a difficult position."
Qin Yi couldn't help but say, "The crown prince was most likely assassinated by the West Wilderness. Qing Jun sees the battle at Mang as a personal enemy; even without me, she wouldn't willingly agree."
The king said lightly, "We must take it step by step. You are the first step."
Qin Yi changed his angle: "If the West Wilderness assassinated the crown prince, and we send the princess over in marriage, has the king considered how the world would view this matter?"
The king shook his head: "The national master divined and said the murderer is in the capital."
Your son is dead, and instead of investigating, you go to ask for divination! No wonder the national master insists Li Qinglin is suspicious; you're really hesitating. Qin Yi couldn’t help but complain, so he said, "I divined that the murderer is in the West. Should we let the national master debate this again?"
The king looked at Qin Yi for a moment and slowly said, "This divination was not from the national master, but from the real master Ming He, who comes from the First Palace of the Heavenly Pivot."
Ming He...
You're a real cultivator, catching monsters is one thing, but why meddle in the mundane world!
It's really a headache. Ming He must have confirmed Li Qinglin's suspicion, but who knows how much she told Dong Huazi. If she only divined that the murderer is in the capital, then it’s just Dong Huazi's interpretation; that would be better. But if she even said that there are signs of monsters in the royal palace, then it would be terrible.
Before Qin Yi could speak, the king continued, "In fact, whose divination is accurate is not important; who the murderer is also doesn't matter. What matters is making the people believe the murderer has been caught; that can be achieved with just a word. If we can truly bring peace between our two countries, that is the long-term plan. Do you agree?"
Qin Yi felt a chill in his heart.
The royal family is the most heartless. This king is even colder than Li Qinglin.
He gave up on persuading the king and directly pulled out a blue pill, saying, "I believe the king will be more interested in this than in a marriage alliance."
"Oh?" The king indeed showed great interest: "What kind of pill is this?"
"Blue fruit pill," Qin Yi made up a name seriously. "I can't say it will grant you immortality, nor can I claim it will clear your mind and make you feel like a celestial being, but it can significantly alleviate your symptoms of drowsiness, fatigue, back pain, and diminished eyesight."
A fierce look flashed in the king's eyes: "How do you know I have these symptoms?"
Qin Yi replied nonchalantly, "If you can't see this, then your alchemy skills are wasted. If the king suspects someone around him is leaking information, I can even mention symptoms that even those close to you wouldn’t notice... like occasional palpitations."
The king's hand trembled slightly. He waved his hand, and immediately a eunuch came over to take the pill, carefully handing it to him. This pill didn't look like the glossy, round ones made by the national master; instead, it had some strange patterns, with a faint glow shimmering within the patterns, looking quite celestial.
"This..." The king had practiced cultivation for so many years and had some basic knowledge: "I can feel it; there is a Dao within... This is a true pill!"
The eunuch cautiously said, "Let me try it first..."
"Get lost! Such a precious celestial item, how can it be wasted!" The king swallowed the pill without hesitation. It melted in his mouth, leaving a fragrant taste. The medicinal effect spread quickly, and the pain in his back from sitting for too long suddenly felt cool, instantly alleviating a lot. The effect was incredible.
The king was overjoyed, forgetting to sit down, he stood up and laughed heartily: "This is indeed a celestial pill!"
What clearing the mind and becoming like a celestial being; that kind of hallucinatory drug may be addictive, but its effect on alleviating physical ailments is no less effective. With just this one pill, Qin Yi’s status in the king's mind suddenly rose countless levels, almost on par with Dong Huazi.
Qin Yi sighed. This pill wasn’t for treating illness; it was for detoxification. It was the antidote he had refined before leaving the mountain, which he had given to Li Qingjun to deal with the spider demon. He had refined a few more pills during the journey. This king was clearly suffering from lead and mercury poisoning, and this antidote was just right for him, but it could only relieve the new poison temporarily. His condition was too serious; this low-grade celestial pill couldn’t cure him, especially since he continued to consume poison every day...
"I didn't expect Daoist to be so young yet possess true cultivation." The king actually bowed his hand in respect: "I underestimated you."
Qin Yi stood up from his seat: "I don't dare to take credit. Since we are friends, we should help each other. I can refine other pills according to the specific situation. I can't promise immortality, but at least I can extend your life."
The king calmed down a bit and nodded slightly: "So your condition is Zhao Yang?"
Qin Yi didn’t dare to get carried away and replied cautiously, "I wouldn't call it a condition. It's still the same saying: mutual affection, willing to be partners; I hope you can fulfill this."
The king found this agreeable and asked, "In our country, the son-in-law cannot hold an official position... Do you know what you could have gained?"
Qin Yi repeated, "I don't want anything but Zhao Yang."
The king pondered for a long time before finally saying, "You may return for now. I will think this over."
After leaving the palace, Qin Yi couldn't help but stop and look back.
The task seemed to have been completed quite well... Encountering such a king was indeed a rarity. If he had met those capable and ambitious rulers, he would likely have just been used as a royal alchemist, but here he could be called a friend and even receive a bow from the king.
He really didn’t know how the king would ultimately decide between health and state affairs, which was more important?
Thinking too much was useless. Qin Yi quickened his pace and hurried back home.
He had left Bang Bang early in the morning and missed it.
As soon as he entered his guest courtyard, a strong smell of blood hit him, making Qin Yi's hair stand on end. In that moment, he felt like something in his heart was about to explode, and he rushed toward the back courtyard in a panic.
In the courtyard lay several corpses, shattered in the wooden sword formation.
The wolf fang club stood quietly beside the swords, as if watching him.
Qin Yi felt relieved and rushed over to hug it, not caring that the spikes on the club pricked his skin: "You scared me to death... I'm glad you're okay..."
Liu Su, who usually mocked him, was surprisingly quiet at this moment. After a long while, she finally said, "Fool."
(End of Chapter)