22: Chapter 22 Yi Mai

The spring rain had ceased for two days, and the moss by the well in Niubei Hollow was only just beginning to turn green again.

Jiang Chengning sat by the table and repeated what he had heard from Sun Changshui.

"The first three stages of Cultivation, Breathing and Pattern Fixing, are about nurturing a breath of Qi and anchoring it within the body."

"Once you reach the fourth stage, it is no longer about retaining Qi, but about Pulse Alteration."

He tapped his fingertip on the tabletop, his voice low.

"For a Cultivator, the first three stages are merely hanging the Seasonal Qi upon oneself. To enter the fourth stage, one must guide the Seasonal Qi into the main meridians. Only once that is achieved can one be considered truly in the Middle Stage of Cultivation."

The few people in the room listened quietly.

Lin Suwen's injuries had mostly healed, though her shoulders and back remained a bit stiff, requiring her to shift her posture after sitting for too long.

Jiang Xingchuan leaned against the doorway, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his palms.

Jiang Yuhe sat under the lamp, listening quietly, her sleeves resting on the family genealogy.

Jiang Shoushan stood by the door, remaining in his usual silent manner.

Jiang Chengning continued:

"To pass this hurdle, three things are required."

"First is the technique; you must know how to alter the meridians. Without a technique to guide the way, it is very easy to guide the Qi into the wrong meridians and cause errors."

"Second is a Spell capable of supporting the magical seal. Yuhe has Listening to Rain, Xingchuan has Thunder Bud, and Shoushan has Sound Concealment; all can be considered as having a foundation."

"As for your mother and me, we practice the Start of Spring. Although we haven't developed any innate companion Spells, Spells of the Start of Spring category are the most numerous—Spring Bone, Returning Green, Green Bud—as long as one is willing to spend Spirit Resources, one can always trade for a rudimentary one."

"Third, there are the corresponding Spirit Resources. Yuhe needs items like Grain Rain to nourish the meridians, Xingchuan needs the thunder attribute of Awakening of Insects, and Shoushan needs the cold attribute of Winter Solstice."

He paused here, his gaze falling upon the family genealogy at the corner of the table.

"What we lack most right now is the technique."

After these words were spoken, Zhou Wang also sank deep into the paper.

The technique. He understood.

The first three stages are about retaining Qi, while the fourth stage is about guiding that Qi into the main meridians. Without this chapter, even if Yuhe, Xingchuan, and Shoushan gathered enough Spirit Resources, they would only be able to grope at the edge of the third stage. If they did that for too long, they would end up like Sun Changshui, stuck there for a lifetime.

But if he were asked to write it, he could not.

The family genealogy could alter paths, follow trends, and slowly unearth the Grain Rain notes and Awakening of Insects notes within the Lesser Start of Spring Guide, but those things did not appear out of thin air. There had to be a shadow within the paper, an old riverbed, for him to nudge things along the flow of the water.

The Jiang Family did not have a Pulse Alteration technique.

He flipped to the back. When Qiu Hanshan died, the family genealogy had recorded something.

A fragment of the Snow Burial Chant. A single form of the Severing Frost Edge.

At that time, the connection between Jiang Xingchuan and the cause of Qiu Hanshan's death was shallow, so the family genealogy recorded it shallowly as well. The Cultivation Technique was incomplete, and there was only one form of the Spell. Yet, Qiu Hanshan was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator after all; the things that fell from his death, no matter how fragmented, were not things a Cold Household could easily see.

Zhou Wang pressed his thoughts into that half-chapter of the Snow Burial Chant.

Although it was a fragment, it was enough to Cultivate up to the Late Stage of Cultivation, and the Cultivation Technique mentioned some secrets of Pulse Alteration.

After the third stage, the Seasonal Qi must no longer hang upon the old meridians. First, break the old springs, then open the cold gates. Use a spiritual object as a wedge, and a Spell as a stake, to keep the Qi from dissipating and the meridians from escaping.

Zhou Wang stared at these lines for a long time. This was the Pulse Alteration method for winter cultivation.

It was not suitable for spring, nor for Awakening of Insects or Grain Rain, but the principle remained the same.

For the Seasonal Qi to enter the main meridians, the old meridians must first make way. The Spirit Resources are the wedge, the Spell is the stake, and the technique is the hand that keeps the Qi from running astray.

Having made up his mind, Zhou Wang began to write slowly. The lamplight flickered.

The family genealogy on the table suddenly opened half a page on its own. Jiang Yuhe saw it first, immediately reached out to press down the corner of the book, and whispered, "Father."

Jiang Chengning looked up. The ink on the paper slowly gathered, first as a few intermittent characters, then connecting into a single line.

"Cheng-Hou Pulse Alteration Chapter"

A few more lines appeared below: "After the third stage of Pattern Fixing, first establish a stake with your own Spell. If the Spell is not accomplished, do not force Pulse Alteration. Use Spirit Resources as a wedge, and enter one inch first. The Qi follows the wedge in, and the meridians open with the Spell. Spring, Thunder, Rain, Winter—each must take its own Seasonal Qi; they must not be mixed."

Jiang Xingchuan stared, his eyes wide. "Is this... a fourth-stage technique?"

Jiang Chengning did not answer immediately. He read those lines over and over, his expression grave, yet there was a light in his eyes. "It is only the beginning."

Lin Suwen also moved closer. "Having a beginning is good enough."

Inside the paper, Zhou Wang felt drained and hollow. This "Cheng-Hou Pulse Alteration Chapter" was incomplete; it had merely pried open a crack in the most critical gateway of the Pulse Alteration hurdle. However, this was enough; now, there was a path.

The tension that had been pressing down in the room for so long finally eased a little.

It was at this moment that a "clatter" suddenly sounded outside the courtyard. It sounded like a wooden basin hitting the ground.

Jiang Shoushan was the first to stand up, reaching the door in a few strides. Lin Suwen followed him out. Zhao Xing stood by the well, half a bucket of water spilled on the ground, her face pale, her hand gripping the edge of the well as if she hadn't yet recovered her senses.

"What's wrong?" Lin Suwen went over to support her.

Zhao Xing wanted to say it was nothing, but just as she opened her mouth, her brows furrowed slightly. Lin Suwen placed her hand on her wrist, and after a moment, she calmed down completely.

Jiang Shoushan stood nearby, his gaze changing.

Lin Suwen did not rush to speak; she first helped Zhao Xing back into the room, told her to sit down, and asked the Song Clan to boil hot water.

Zhao Xing lowered her head, her face turning red bit by bit. "Aunt... I might be pregnant."

Lin Suwen looked at Jiang Shoushan. "Don't let her carry the firewood from the back slope anymore."

Jiang Shoushan froze.

Lin Suwen added, "The wind is heavy by the well; she should come out less at night."

This time, everyone in the room understood. Jiang Xingchuan looked at Jiang Shoushan first, wanting to laugh but holding it back. Jiang Yuhe's eyes softened as well. Jiang Chengning sat by the table, his hand still pressing on the page of the "Cheng-Hou Pulse Alteration Chapter" that had just appeared, and he remained silent for a long while.

Zhao Xing's voice was very soft: "It was only just discovered; it might not be stable yet."

Jiang Shoushan looked down at her. No matter how steady he usually was, at this moment, he seemed not to know where to put his hands.

After a long while, he said, "I'll go fix that drafty board in the back room."

Lin Suwen said, "No rush."

Jiang Shoushan was already walking out. Ah Shi and Zhao Zhi were squatting in the corner of the courtyard peeling beans. Seeing him take a wooden board and nails, Ah Shi asked, "Uncle, where is it leaking?"

Jiang Shoushan looked at the back room. "It can't leak anymore from now on."

Ah Shi didn't understand. Zhao Zhi, however, seemed to understand a little; she covered her mouth and giggled, but fearing Ah Shi would take the opportunity to snatch more beans, she quickly gathered the beans in her hands into her arms.

On this day, the Jiang Family rarely had a bit of joy. The joy dared not be too great. It was just like the faint fire under the stove, pressed into the ashes—it could not be blown by the wind, nor could it be seen by others, but it was burning there nonetheless.

Chen Xiaoyan entered the house two days later. There was no banquet, nor were there red lanterns. After the second watch, Old Crow Chen personally escorted her to the back slope of Niubei Hollow. Jiang Xingchuan carried a lantern to meet her; the light revealed the small wooden box in her arms, a few pieces of clothing, two volumes of medical records, a bundle of sewing needles and thread, and half a bottle of Rain Water Pills.

Jiang Xingchuan reached out to take it. Chen Xiaoyan didn't give it to him. "I'll carry it myself." Jiang Xingchuan had no choice but to withdraw his hand.

The two walked up the slope path; the night wind was cold, and the tips of Chen Xiaoyan's hair were blown to the side of her face. After walking a few steps, she suddenly said, "My father said, no ceremony."

Jiang Xingchuan gave an "hmm." Chen Xiaoyan stopped and glared at him. "That's all you have to say?"

Jiang Xingchuan quickly remedied, "We'll make up for it later."

Chen Xiaoyan glanced at him, said nothing more, and continued walking forward. As they neared the courtyard gate, she whispered again, "Don't feel aggrieved."

Jiang Xingchuan shook his head. "It is I who have wronged you."

Chen Xiaoyan tightened her fingers on the edge of the wooden box, and after a long while, she said, "You, you're actually not stupid when you say serious things."

In the room, Lin Suwen had saved some soup for her. Chen Xiaoyan called out "Aunt," and Lin Suwen responded, pushing the soup over. "Drink it first; the night is cold."

Jiang Chengning didn't say much, just glanced at Jiang Xingchuan, then at Chen Xiaoyan, and finally said, "If anyone outside asks, just say Xiaoyan came to help Suwen look at the medicine."

Chen Xiaoyan nodded. "I understand."

Zhou Wang, huddled in the family genealogy, saw a thin wisp of rain Qi appearing beside the character "Chuan." It did not enter the main record, nor did it dissipate, as if it were slowly taking root around that character. He did not touch it. With every marriage added to the family, every unborn child, every additional line of human connection, the Jiang Family was no longer the thin, easily torn booklet it once was. But this booklet was still thin.

Over at Shuangxi Ferry, the wind had also risen. The New Dharma monk's porridge shed expanded to the outside of the ferry crossing, with white banners hanging by the shed, and people chanting verses at night. Several tenant farmers who owed rent went to listen, and the next day they went about their work as usual, smiling at everyone they met. When asked about the children who had died in their families, they only said, "They have gone to a place of happiness."

The Main Peak decided on a plan that very night. Of the Zhou Family's five Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Family Head remained to guard the Main Peak, and the other four descended the mountain.

At the small Earth Temple outside Shuangxi Ferry, anchor points had long been buried at the four corners to set up an array. The array was not large, trapping only one temple, but its strength lay in its concealment.

When the monk was closing the shed, he heard weeping coming from behind the temple. It was very faint. A layman in grey robes advised him not to go. The monk picked up his bronze alms bowl and said, "I will go take a look." He walked into the rain.

The temple door was half-open, and inside was a bit of white light. In the light, it seemed there was a woman holding a dead infant, a porter with a broken leg lying in the mud, and a young monk sitting under the statue, asking him in a low voice, "Senior Brother, if people no longer know suffering, does the suffering still exist?"

The monk's footsteps slowed for a heartbeat. When the young monk looked up, his face looked exactly like his former Junior Brother. The monk was instantly horrified. This was the Immortal Foundation, Mirage Spring Sea!

An Immortal Foundation is what forms within the body when a Cultivator of the Qi Refining stage achieves Foundation Establishment. Different types of Immortal Foundations have different effects, and Mirage Spring Sea was a very obscure one, but it was also a type his Revered Master had emphasized repeatedly.

Because it has a slight similarity to Buddhist Dharma, Mirage Spring Sea weaves a web using the obsessions of others. Its most famous Spell is the Spring Mirage Illusion, where a person will be unconsciously captivated, feeling only that it is a place they must go.

This Immortal Foundation does not suppress Divine Sense; it simply follows the bit of emotion in the monk's heart to finish weaving the dream for him. The more the monk's emotions rise, the deeper his thoughts become.

The monk chanted a low Buddhist chant, and the bronze alms bowl vibrated. The illusion shattered by one layer. Outside the temple, the lines of rain tightened simultaneously.

Someone from the Zhou Family had sealed the escape route, and several strands of rain fell between the threshold, the wall corners, and the locust tree roots. The monk wanted to retreat, but his feet were half a beat too slow. Half a beat was enough.

Zhou Boyan appeared from behind the side wall, and a bit of cyan-white firelight lit up in the Spring-Binding Bone-Illuminating Lantern in his hand. As the light shone over, the layer of Vow Light beneath the monk's monk robes turned white, and an unformed Vow Wheel emerged at his chest. The monk's expression changed slightly. "The Zhou Family?"

Zhou Boyan did not answer. The lantern flame, like a willow, pressed toward his chest. On the other side, the old elder Zhou Shuyan opened a black wooden plaque box, and several wordless wooden plaques flew out, pressing down on the corners of the array, cutting off the warm white Vow Light vaguely coming from the direction of the porridge shed.

The monk raised his bowl to meet it. As the bronze alms bowl touched the lantern flame, a fine crack appeared on the rim of the bowl. The weeping in the temple rose again. The woman, the young monk, and the porter in the Mirage Spring Sea all looked up at him together. A trace of inexplicable hesitation appeared in the monk's eyes.

Zhou Boyan suddenly closed the distance, striking the monk's chest with a single palm. The monk's hesitation finally shattered, and his face turned terrified in an instant.

"A fine Spring-Binding Bone-Illuminating Lantern! So it is not the function of the lantern; the lantern is merely an ordinary killing Magical Artifact. The true treachery lies in your Immortal Foundation, Bone-Illuminating Spring!"

The monk looked at Zhou Boyan, his eyes full of terror and anger. Buddhist Cultivators are best at preserving life; as long as there is a trace of karmic affinity, even if the body dies, one can be reborn in the Buddhist Land and find a new body. But Bone-Illuminating Spring can lock false bodies, substitute bodies, life-parasitizing corpse techniques, and sever life and death, forcibly severing the connection between him and the Buddhist Land!

The rain lines locked his feet, and the wooden plaques approached his brow. The bronze alms bowl vibrated again, and the Vow Light surged, causing the surrounding rain lines to be thrown into chaos for a moment. The monk covered the already pierced wound on his chest with one hand, his figure retreating, but his back hit the Restriction built with Green Mulberry Nails, and circles of pale cyan patterns appeared on the temple wall.

The killing trap was set. Countless Spells immediately converged toward the center. Outside the dilapidated temple, the sound of rain was dense. Inside the temple, the bronze alms bowl suddenly rang, but the sound was already half-muffled, as if it were wailing.