Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 4 Preaching and Instructing

The next day at dawn, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Zhou Ning, dragging his aching body, staggered to the back mountain.

I managed to rest for a few hours at Lanruo Temple last night. Although my wounds have scabbed over, the deep-seated fatigue and chill have not yet subsided.

He didn't know if he could hold on.

But he knew this was the first test the immortal had given him.

Arrived on time.

The back mountain is a sparse pine forest, shrouded in morning mist, with cool and humid air.

Yan Chixia stood with his hands behind his back on a huge rock, his robes fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.

"They're here."

Yan Chixia did not turn around, his voice calm.

"Disciple Zhou Ning greets Master."

Despite the aches and pains all over his body, Zhou Ning bowed respectfully.

"Don't rush to call me Master."

Yan Chixia turned around and looked at his pale face.

"Being a nominal disciple is merely a title. Whether you can truly step into the gate of cultivation depends on your own destiny."

Zhou Ning's heart tightened, and he solemnly said:

"Disciple understands."

Yan Chixia nodded slightly, took out a roll of yellowed silk from his sleeve, and casually unfolded it.

The silk was covered with tiny characters written in tiny characters, accompanied by a few simple diagrams of the human body's meridians. It looked very old, with some wear and tear on the edges.

"This is the general outline and the first level of the formula of the Primordial Qi".

Yan Chixia handed the silk to Zhou Ning.

"Since you have studied the classics, recognizing characters and understanding texts is a piece of cake for you. Read it once first, and ask if you don't understand anything."

Zhou Ning accepted it with both hands, his gaze falling on the silk.

"Heaven and earth possess a righteous energy, which manifests in various forms. Below, it becomes rivers and mountains; above, it becomes the sun and stars. In man, it is called the vast and righteous spirit, which fills the boundless sky..."

The opening sentence was familiar, and Zhou Ning was slightly taken aback.

This... isn't this the Confucian "Ode to Righteousness"?

Yan Chixia seemed to see through his doubts and said calmly:

"The 'Innate Qi' is neither Buddhist nor Taoist; it was created by an extraordinary person in ancient times who practiced both Confucianism and Taoism. It is based on the righteous energy of heaven and earth and rooted in the righteous energy, which is very different from those cultivation methods that pursue the Golden Elixir and longevity."

"This method does not seek quick results or supernatural powers; it only seeks 'righteousness.' When the heart is righteous, the qi is righteous; when the qi is righteous, the body is righteous; when the body is righteous, evil cannot invade. The progress of cultivating this method is slow, but the foundation is solid, and it has a natural restraining effect on demons and ghosts."

Zhou Ning listened intently, and it seemed to be from the same source as the warm and righteous energy he had felt on the broken stele last night.

"Study this carefully, and I will first explain to you the secrets of the human body's meridians and the sensation of Qi."

Yan Chixia sat down cross-legged and gestured for Zhou Ning to sit as well.

Despite the pain in his knees, Zhou Ning sat cross-legged on the boulder.

Yan Chixia began to explain in detail the pathways and functions of the twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians of the human body, as well as how to guide the flow of subtle energy within the body through intention.

"The so-called 'qi sensation' is the feeling you get when you first sense that faint qi in your body."

It may feel like an ant crawling, or like warmth, or like coolness; it varies from person to person.

Some people are born with exceptional talent and can sense it after just one meditation session.

Some people are of mediocre talent and may not see any progress even after months of arduous practice.

Yan Chixia glanced at Zhou Ning:

"You are afflicted with bad luck and have a weak constitution, so it will probably be more difficult for you than for ordinary people."

Zhou Ning's heart sank, but he still said firmly:

"This disciple is willing to do his utmost."

"Alright." Yan Chixia stood up.

"You stay here and study the mantra, try to meditate and sense your progress. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I want to see your progress before sunset."

After saying that, he flashed and disappeared into the morning mist.

Zhou Ning watched his master leave, took a deep breath, and refocused his attention on the silk.

He studied it word by word, and when he encountered unfamiliar terms, he would repeatedly ponder them by referring to the meridian diagram.

Fortunately, he was already well-versed in the classics, history, philosophy, and literature, so understanding these semi-classical and semi-vernacular martial arts formulas was not too difficult for him.

The core of the first level of "Innate Qi" is to "sensor the righteous Qi of heaven and earth, guide it into the body, and circulate it along the Ren and Du meridians to cleanse the body of turbid and obscure Qi and nourish the meridians and internal organs."

It sounds simple, but it's incredibly difficult to do.

Zhou Ning closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing according to the instructions, relaxed his body and mind, and concentrated his mind on his dantian.

An incense stick has burned out...

Two incense sticks have burned...

Half an hour has passed...

His mind was blank; he couldn't sense anything.

There was no ant movement, no warmth, and no sensation of qi as described in the mantra.

Only the rustling of the mountain wind through the pine forest and his increasingly rapid breathing could be heard.

Zhou Ning opened his eyes, his forehead already beaded with fine sweat.

He was somewhat frustrated, but quickly shook his head.

This has only just begun, what's the rush?

He closed his eyes again and tried once more.

This time, he no longer focused on the "sensing" itself, but instead followed the instructions to first adjust his breathing and calm his mind.

He imagined himself as a stagnant pool, without ripples, quietly sensing the breath of heaven and earth.

After an unknown amount of time, just when he was about to give up, a faint, almost imperceptible warmth quietly rose from his dantian.

The feeling was like someone stuffing a freshly baked sweet potato into your arms in the dead of winter—warm, with a hint of indescribable "liveliness."

Zhou Ning was startled and almost cried out in surprise.

Qi sensation?

He sensed it.

But in the instant his mind wavered, that warmth, like a startled rabbit, instantly retreated and vanished without a trace.

Zhou Ning slapped his head in frustration, but felt more excited than anything else.

He could sense it.

This shows that he is not a "rotten piece of wood".

With the experience gained the first time, Zhou Ning's confidence increased greatly.

He calmed himself down again and tried to guide the faint breath to flow slowly along the meridians, following the instructions.

This time, it took him a full hour to barely guide that wisp of energy to the Guanyuan acupoint near his dantian.

Even this insignificant progress left him drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.

"Cultivation... is truly not easy."

Zhou Ning gave a wry smile, opened his eyes, and found that Yan Chixia was already standing beside him, looking down at him.

"Master."

Zhou Ning hurriedly tried to get up and bow.

Yan Chixia raised her hand to stop him, her gaze falling on his face with a hint of scrutiny:

"You sensed it?"

"Yes," Zhou Ning said excitedly.

"This disciple sensed a trace of warmth rising from the dantian. Although it was very faint, it was definitely there."

Yan Chixia nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He reached out, placed two fingers on Zhou Ning's wrist, and closed his eyes to sense it for a moment.

Then, he frowned slightly.

Zhou Ning's heart tightened:

"Master, is there... something wrong?"

Yan Chixia did not answer immediately, but remained silent for a moment before releasing his grip and saying calmly:

"That wisp of energy within you does exist. But its properties..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words.

"He is somewhat different from ordinary practitioners of 'Innate Qi'."

Zhou Ning was taken aback:

"Different? How are they different?"

Yan Chixia looked at him and slowly said:

"When ordinary cultivators first sense an aura, it is mostly neutral or slightly warm pure yang energy. But the aura within you..."

His gaze was profound, as if piercing through Zhou Ning's body and looking directly at his very essence:

"It carries a hint of... the beginnings of righteousness."

Zhou Ning was bewildered:

"Upright and righteous spirit? Isn't that...?"

That's not something you should be concerned about right now.

Yan Chixia interrupted him, stood up, turned his back to him, and spoke in a tone that revealed neither joy nor anger.

"Continue your cultivation. Before sunset, I want to see you guide that wisp of energy to your Qi Sea acupoint."

After saying that, he disappeared again.

Zhou Ning stared in the direction where his master had disappeared, his heart filled with doubt.

The embryonic form of righteous spirit?

Is that a good thing?

Or... something bad?

He shook his head, banishing these distracting thoughts, closed his eyes again, and continued his cultivation.

In any case, now that we've embarked on this path, we can only move forward without hesitation.

Behind him, deep in the pine forest, Yan Chixia stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through the layers of shadows and landing on the young scholar who was meditating diligently.

A fleeting, enigmatic look crossed his eyes.

Righteousness and integrity...

This kid is indeed somewhat unusual.

Perhaps, the righteous energy on that broken monument was not merely "sensed" by him, but rather... "absorbed" by him?

Yan Chixia withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

This matter needs further observation.

But if that's really the case...

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

So this trip to Lanruo Temple wasn't a complete waste.