Three months ago, Author: Xun Chun Xu Zhou
Chapter 44 Water and Fire, Kan and Li, Adjusting Lead and Mercury (4k) - So, behind the wooden screen, there arose a cold, clear sound resembling the tone of a qin, as if echoing laughter.
"So, Senior Brother only knows this much? I still wish to know more details here..."
As she spoke, Chu Weiyang had already stood up, gently stroking the red tassel wrapped around the sword hilt.
When the laughter in her mind faded, Chu Weiyang calmly spoke, "Where would I know the details... It's this young lady, if you are truly interested in that fugitive, you should find a boat now and head back along the Bao Ping River. When I left the He Yuan Di Fang Market, I happened to hear that this person was being pursued by a madwoman from Ting Chang Mountain, chasing him all the way. If you're lucky, you might just run into him on your way back."
As the conversation reached this point, suddenly, behind the wooden screen, the sound of a qin rang out clearly.
It turned out that the pleasant sound was not just the cold voice.
With this thought in mind, Chu Weiyang took a step back, about to bid farewell.
Suddenly, behind the wooden screen, the qin-like voice continued with its natural melody.
"Whether he is a fugitive or not, this young lady is not interested. I only asked Senior Brother about it because of the news I just heard - it is said that the elder of the Sword Sect, in the Ding You year, for some reason, angrily betrayed the sect and fled. If he manages to survive, he may soon have to flee to the Bao Ping River."
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang paused, his movements frozen in place, still bowing with his sword towards the back of the wooden screen.
"Whether it's Ding or not, I'm not very interested. Considering the grandeur and bustling atmosphere of the Sword Sect, with numerous disciples and various characters, it's not surprising if something unexpected happens. It shouldn't shake the foundation. Senior Brother's words are profound and reasonable. We have had this brief encounter, I am Shi Yuting, how should I address Senior Brother?"
As she spoke, most of Chu Weiyang's body had already disappeared outside the open window.
Faintly, only the crimson sword tassel could be seen swaying with Chu Weiyang's movements.
"I am Guo, a wandering cultivator... Guo Dian. Miss Shi, the boat is about to dock, we are fated... until we meet again."
With that said, Chu Weiyang stepped back again, and even the crimson sword tassel disappeared outside the open window.
As Chu Weiyang's slender figure walked through the empty corridor, the river breeze blew in, causing the young man's large robe to rustle.
In the silence of his mind, after a while, a mocking laughter suddenly emerged.
"Haha—Madwoman?"
Behind the screen, delicate flowers adorned the jade vase, exuding a faint and elegant fragrance.
Below the jade vase was a dark brown wooden tray holding a sandalwood incense stick, with wisps of grey-white smoke rising and spreading a soothing fragrance.
From within the gauze-like sleeves, the woman's slender fingers reached out, resembling sheep-fat white jade, casually stroking the strings of the qin.
After a while, the woman suddenly chuckled.
Her delicate nostrils trembled under the pearl curtain, amidst the elegance and fragrance, one could still sense the medicinal aroma.
"Guo Dian?"
"Chu... Wei... Yang?"
"This person is quite interesting..."
Jing An Dao City.
By the banks of the Bao Ping River, under the city tower, Chu Weiyang stood quietly before the massive structure built of black boulders, exuding a heavy and mountainous aura.
Looking up, it seemed to stretch for dozens of floors, and observing the thickness of the city walls, the details were no longer clear in sight.
Lost in thought, Chu Weiyang finally withdrew his gaze.
With a sense of unease and confusion, the young man slowly walked towards the city gate.
In front of the open gate, a group of thirty to forty Taoist soldiers stood in a row, and the sparse crowd passed through them in an orderly manner, being checked by the soldiers before entering the city.
As he walked, Chu Weiyang turned back, perhaps thinking of something.
But by the ship's side, only a few passengers were moving around, and even when the sailors were shouting on the deck, Chu Weiyang did not see the figure of the woman with the clear voice.
Shaking his head, in the slightly dim and sandy dusk, Chu Weiyang smiled to himself, then turned back and continued walking forward.
After a while, the sparse crowd gradually dispersed in front of Chu Weiyang, leaving only the clear figures of the Taoist soldiers, becoming more vivid in Chu Weiyang's sight, until even the smell of blood from their dark armor filled Chu Weiyang's nostrils.
Upon closer inspection, this group of Taoist soldiers seemed to be cast from the same mold, their cold gazes like sharp blades, slicing through Chu Weiyang from head to toe with each breath.
The leader's gaze first stopped at the sword in Chu Weiyang's hand, then glanced at the edge of Chu Weiyang's shoe, before finally returning to Chu Weiyang's wrist, staring fixedly without moving his eyes away.
Inside his wide sleeves, as Chu Weiyang's arm moved, the white jade poisonous snake skillfully poked its head out, emitting a slightly uneasy buzzing sound.
With a slight movement, Chu Weiyang shyly smiled, raising his left hand slightly.
The flickering of his fingertips seemed to produce a fleeting emerald flame that appeared and disappeared.
"Coming to the city is for slaying demons and cultivating. I nurture this spirit pet due to my cultivation techniques."
Hearing Chu Weiyang's hoarse voice, the leader of the Taoist soldiers finally shifted his gaze slowly, without saying a word.
The soldiers simply stepped aside, leaving a narrow passage for Chu Weiyang.
With his head slightly lowered, Chu Weiyang, like the others before him, took a few hesitant steps forward.
Before the people behind him could catch up, Chu Weiyang turned back and asked.
"May I ask, do you have the Rejuvenation Pavilion open in the city? And how should I get there?"
Upon hearing this, even the people queuing behind Chu Weiyang looked surprised.
Under the mask of the black armor, a muffled voice finally sounded, somewhat mocking and somewhat similar to the initial tone of Chun Yu Zhi.
"The Rejuvenation Pavilion? This is Jing An Dao City, not Jing An Fang Market. Even if people from the Dan River Valley come in to do business, they still need to use the correct name!"
With that said, perhaps feeling that showing off a bit of authority was meaningless, the Taoist soldier raised his hand and pointed towards the gate of the city.
"You don't need to ask for directions, just go straight in, find the widest street in the city center, and the first building at the front is the shop of the Dan River Valley."
Reflecting on the implications of these words, Chu Weiyang nodded lightly.
"Understood, thank you."
But there was no response from the Taoist soldier.
Throughout the journey, having traversed through mountain forests, the city in front of Chu Weiyang seemed to be the most bustling place he had encountered.
However, from the first glance and the first words, an inexplicable coldness and solemnity enveloped the massive structure, seeming to shroud Chu Weiyang's figure with each step he took.
It felt as if he had arrived at a Dao city by the sea, or perhaps accidentally stumbled into a demon-sealing cave.
Silently sighing, Chu Weiyang continued to walk into the city.
Late into the night.
In a remote corner of the Dao city, in an inn adjacent to the city wall, on the second floor in the bedroom.
The window was slightly ajar.
The sound of the roaring sea outside the Dao city faintly reached Chu Weiyang's ears.
Even the slightly cool night breeze carried the scent of the vast sea.
At this moment, without the thick mist from the forest, illuminated by the bright moonlight cascading from the clear sky, Chu Weiyang sat quietly on a wooden chair, carefully examining the items on the table—
A porcelain bottle containing the Breakthrough of Hundred Herbs Pill, and a wooden box containing the Dragon and Tiger Revitalization Pill.
Earlier, Chu Weiyang had tried both, but the pills from the Dan River Valley shop did not seem to possess the same potency and spiritual energy as those from the Rejuvenation Pavilion.
Perhaps the only advantage was the ample stock available.
As long as there was enough alchemy and spirit stones, Chu Weiyang could freely cultivate without worrying about running out.
Finally, Chu Weiyang's gaze fell on a jade pot beside him.
This was the fresh and stubborn item he had exchanged from the Dan River Valley shop—Azure Cloud Dissipating Spirit Pill.
In terms of price, it was almost comparable to the Dragon and Tiger Revitalization Pill, but this pill did not dispel evil energy; instead, it was full of toxic energy.
It was said that the main ingredient of this pill was the demonic blood of a sea snake found in the outer sea, a specialty only available in the Dao city.
If one were to go to the markets in the north and south of the Jade Marrow River, the price would likely increase by thirty percent.
Being in the Jing An Dao city to do business, Chu Weiyang had only heard a few simple words from the shopkeeper.
He felt as if he had made a good deal, hesitating at first, but thinking of the wealth he had earned from Yan Jianming and Chun Yu Huai, he impulsively bought a pot.
After a day of clear cultivation, a verdant jade fire was born in the Palace of the Moon, and Chu Weiyang could already combine the Five Organs Qi Nourishing Technique with the Great Sun Pure Yang Fishing Toad Technique, multitasking.
However, after trying the Azure Cloud Dissipating Spirit Pill, the spiritual light burst forth upon consumption, and spiritual energy cascaded from the meridians straight into the Qi Sea.
But while the medicinal power surged, there was not much toxic energy entering the Heart Fire.
Compared to the medicinal mud, even the toxic energy of the white jade snake was far inferior.
Did he make a bad purchase?
Was he deceived by the shopkeeper?
Thinking of the wealth he had obtained from Yan Jianming and Chun Yu Huai, which he had earned through hard work, Chu Weiyang felt a pang of regret, sitting by the window, unable to speak for a long time.
Perhaps unable to bear it, before the night grew darker, Chu Weiyang's mind was filled with Chun Yu Zhi's accusing and "iron cannot turn into steel" admonishments.
"I really can't understand, how can someone with your level of Dao foundation survive for so long! Or is it that those involved in swordsmanship all have such muddled minds? What were you thinking, using a poison-refining technique to refine a water-based toxic pill? Do you even understand the principles of the Five Elements' generation and control?"
One sentence, like a thunderbolt, suddenly awakened Chu Weiyang.
But as Chu Weiyang's eyes wandered, facing Chun Yu Zhi's mocking words, he didn't know how to react.
In the sword's hilt, there was a moment of hesitation.
Not seeing Chu Weiyang's response, Chun Yu Zhi seemed to understand and continued speaking, unable to stop herself.
"Moreover, do you really think that your 'Five Organs Qi Nourishing Technique' is an unparalleled immortal technique that responds to your thoughts? No matter how mysterious your cultivation method is, there must be reason behind it, right? Swallowing a toxic pill will naturally have a toxic effect, but it won't strengthen the spirit. Even the precious medicine for nourishing the spirit won't produce Qi and blood.
Your cultivation method, I don't quite understand, but the principle of refining the meridians is crystal clear to me! Do you really think that multitasking and combining techniques is a good thing? In cultivation, the growth of spiritual power is the least of your concerns. Ensuring the three elements are stable, the meridians are harmonious in movement and stillness, that is the priority!
I don't expect you to refine all the meridians of the Five Organs, but after refining the Heart Fire, why not refine a water-based technique? You know that the meeting of the Dragon and Tiger is the essence of internal cultivation. Why do you only see the Azure Dragon and not the White Tiger? Water and Fire, Kan and Li, adjusting lead and mercury, this already contains the Yin and Yang aspects, the true path of the Yellow Bud Pill!
Half-understanding, half-not understanding, only seeing the pleasure of demonic cultivation. If you want both eyes to turn emerald green one day, then continue as you are, even the fools of the Sword Sect know that their swordsmanship is extreme, and they should seek to harmonize the opening and closing, and those who cultivate in the Cloud Constellation should seek the Earthly Poison Qi.
Also, with your current stubbornness, Chu Weiyang, you should think carefully, were you born this way? Or did you go crazy from running all the way? Or did the water-based toxic pill ignite your Heart Fire, intensifying the refinement of your mind, causing your thoughts to be anything but clear?
At this moment, it's just disharmony in cultivation, but if one day you meet someone in a life-and-death battle, Chu Weiyang, this will be the key to your life!
Take these words from me and be happy! When cultivating in the mountains, many people have heard these words and have bowed their heads from morning till night!"
Just as she reached this point, Chu Weiyang's hand had already gently touched the edge of the sword.
Having vented her feelings, Chun Yu Zhi seemed to regret her outburst, and her words suddenly stopped.
"I shouldn't have said that, remove your hand!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Weiyang slightly turned his wrist, his fingertips brushing against the sword tassel.
With a clear intention, in an instant, all the fervor in Chu Weiyang's Heart Fire dissipated, and his mind was filled with agile clarity.
"Regardless of how it sounds, Miss Zhi, I must thank you for your guidance. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, I will remember this kindness."
Many books are hard to find now, so cherish what you have.