Chapter 12: Never Seen Anyone So Shameless

Opening the meridians was a slow process. These meridians had never been formally put to use before, so their foundations were weak. They could not withstand being violently scoured open all at once; they needed time to adapt. It was much like a poor-quality water pipe. Subject it suddenly to high pressure and it could easily burst.

The meridians through which qi circulated were the foundation of true-qi cultivation. Cultivation had a stage known as Foundation Establishment. In essence, “establishing the foundation” meant strengthening the web of qi pathways throughout the body until those channels could carry true qi smoothly under high pressure and withstand rapid surges. Once that foundation had been properly built, a cultivator had reached the so-called Foundation Establishment Realm and could finally begin using power without constantly holding back.

Naturally, foundations differed in quality. The stronger the foundation, the greater the pressure it could bear. Niu Youdao, however, had only just begun within the Qi Refinement Realm. Foundation Establishment was still far away. Clearing the meridians was not something that could be completed in a day or two. It was delicate work and required time. More importantly, during the day he still had to show his face and deal civilly with the people watching him.

The instant dawn appeared, he ended his cultivation. The single strand of true qi returned to his dantian and hovered upright there like a treasured sword poised to strike, its vitality full and keen. He washed and bathed, removing the bloody, foul smell from his body, then stood in the courtyard and spread his arms to welcome the first ray of sunlight. Now that true qi had been formed, the long-lost sensation of vigor filling his entire body had finally returned.

During the day he dealt with Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo. The moment night came, he temporarily abandoned his other training and devoted himself entirely to clearing his meridians. And so the days passed one after another. No one seemed willing to spend much attention on him. Niu Youdao had the distinct feeling that he had been left forgotten in some corner.

Song Yanqing, however, never forgot him. Every few days he came running over to ask whether Niu Youdao had remembered any more of his teacher’s poems or lyrics. Naturally, Niu Youdao always answered him with a soft refusal. He would not loose the hawk until it saw the rabbit.

Several days later, Elder Luo Yuangong came to Peach Blossom Spring. He was the Shangqing Sect’s Elder of Instruction, a broad, powerful-looking man with three long, ink-black whiskers. He carried an imposing air that made him seem stern even when he was not angry. By comparison, Elder Su Po was known among the Shangqing Sect’s disciples as taciturn and rarely spoke. Elder Tang Susu, on the other hand, had a much sharper temperament. Whether that had anything to do with her being a woman, no one could say.

Song Yanqing came with Luo Yuangong. Their purpose was straightforward: the Shangqing Sect had finally come to formally transmit its cultivation methods to Niu Youdao. Luo Yuangong’s personal presence was little more than a small ceremony. Even so, Niu Youdao found himself impressed by Song Yanqing’s influence. The fellow had actually managed to bring Luo Yuangong here. It said plenty about the Song clan’s weight within the Shangqing Sect.

Peach Blossom Hall also contained a seated statue of the Founding Patriarch. After Niu Youdao paid his respects, Luo Yuangong ordered an accompanying disciple to present several books to him. Then Niu Youdao was made to kneel before the statue and swear a severe oath that he would never reveal the sect’s cultivation methods to outsiders.

When the ceremony ended, Luo Yuangong looked at him with a complicated expression. Luo Yuangong himself understood the reasons better than anyone. To say that he felt guilty would not have been wrong, especially while standing before the Founding Patriarch’s statue. He seemed several times on the verge of speaking, then stopping.

At last the sternness in his face eased. In a gentler tone, he said, “My senior brother always had a discerning eye. The disciples he accepted were all exceptional among their peers, and your master was one of them. He was one of the few outstanding talents the Shangqing Sect has produced in recent years. Cultivate well. Do not disappoint your master’s final hopes for you. I hope you achieve something in time and can contribute to the Shangqing Sect’s future.”

“Yes. This disciple will remember!” Niu Youdao answered with perfect respect, holding the books in both hands.

Inside, he was almost beside himself with joy. He wanted nothing more than to open the volumes on the spot and devour every word.

Luo Yuangong turned to Song Yanqing. “Fellow disciples should support one another. Your Senior Martial Uncle Dong Guo has passed away, and Niu Youdao has no one to transmit teachings to him. I’ll leave it to you to guide him in cultivation, point out the road when he is confused, and answer his questions. Any objections?”

Song Yanqing immediately cupped his hands. “None. This disciple will do his utmost!”

Luo Yuangong nodded. Afterward, he wandered around Peach Blossom Spring for a while. Perhaps the place reminded him of Dong Guo Haoran’s untimely death. He sighed several times before leaving with a melancholy expression. The moment the outsiders were gone, Niu Youdao began flipping through the books with the hunger of a starving man. His eyes practically shone.

Wasn’t this exactly what he had endured all that hardship to come here for? One volume was the Shangqing Heart Sutra, the Shangqing Sect’s orthodox cultivation method. Another was the Shangqing Record of Gleanings, a vast miscellany divided into numerous sections: medicinal herbs, medicinal pills, birds and beasts, external affairs, and more. The so-called External Affairs section recorded people and events from the cultivation world. Niu Youdao flipped through it briefly and could tell from the dates that new material had been added continuously over the years.

The Shangqing Record of Gleanings was exactly the sort of thing Niu Youdao needed. It would be invaluable for understanding the circumstances of this world. For the moment, however, he merely skimmed it and set it aside. Most of his attention went straight to the Shangqing Heart Sutra.

This was what he had been desperate to obtain. Once he began reading, he became completely absorbed. In his previous life, to cultivate Taiyi, he had studied countless ancient texts and visited more experts than he could remember in search of answers before finally comprehending the Taiyi writings. All the knowledge he had accumulated then now proved useful in interpreting the Shangqing texts. Understanding them was not especially difficult. In fact, he found the process thoroughly enjoyable.

He knew perfectly well that the Shangqing Sect must possess other methods it had not given him. No sect would dump everything into the hands of a newcomer on the first day. He did not resent it. One step at a time. He understood the principle that biting off more than one could chew only led to trouble. What he already had was enough to occupy him for a long while.

The next day, Song Yanqing came running over again to demand poetry. As for the promise he had made Luo Yuangong, Song Yanqing treated it little differently from passing wind. Niu Youdao held up the Shangqing Heart Sutra and asked what a certain passage meant. Song Yanqing had no patience whatsoever to explain it. His attitude could be summed up simply: I already gave you what I promised, so now you had better give me what you promised.

Bastard!

Niu Youdao silently bestowed the three-character judgment on him, then ground the ink, took up the brush, and wrote another lyric.

Song Yanqing read it and was overjoyed. He looked up eagerly. “Any more?”

Niu Youdao put on a pained expression. “For now, I only remembered this one.”

There was no chance he was going to dump everything out at once and leave himself with no leverage.

“Only one?” Song Yanqing’s face sank.

“Senior Brother, my memory isn’t very good. You have to give me time to think.” Niu Youdao lifted the Shangqing Heart Sutra again. “What does this part mean?”

Song Yanqing said impatiently, “If there’s something you don’t understand, ask Xu Yitian or Chen Guishuo. And don’t delay the important matter I gave you, or don’t blame me for being unpleasant.”

Leaving the threat behind, he turned and walked away. Niu Youdao did exactly as he had said. Whenever there was something in the Shangqing Heart Sutra he did not understand, he asked Xu Yitian or Chen Guishuo. It was not that the knowledge from his previous life had become useless. The circumstances of the two worlds were simply different, and some things naturally diverged. There were indeed places where he needed clarification.

And so he studied the texts during the day and cultivated quietly at night, continuing to open his meridians. While working through those meridians, he discovered another problem. It was something Dong Guo Haoran had left inside him. The Transmission Protective Talismans driven into his acupoints were actually entrenched there like spiderwebs. With his current cultivation, he could not remove them.

He tried forcing the issue once. The moment he did, the Transmission Protective Talisman reacted like a great formation. It had already linked itself to his blood and qi. Any attempt to tear it out provoked a rebound, and his Taiyi true qi was simply too weak by comparison. It was knocked aside instantly.

With the talismans occupying his acupoints like this, they interfered to some degree with the circulation of his true qi. Now that he had cultivated true qi, he could actually trigger the talismans and release them. But after considering the matter, he decided not to waste them. They genuinely could protect his life, so there was no harm in keeping them for emergencies.

“Enter the gate of my longing,
And know the bitterness of longing.
Long longing brings long remembrance;
Brief longing stretches without end...”

In a secluded courtyard, Tang Yi walked slowly while holding another sheet of Song Yanqing’s calligraphy, softly reciting the verse. When emotion stirred within her, she could not help pressing the page to her chest and lingering over the feeling for a long while. Once again, she had people discreetly inquire about Song Yanqing’s movements.

Once again, there was no sign that he had received any correspondence from outside. What they did learn was that he had gone to Peach Blossom Spring again. Niu Youdao immersed himself in cultivation. Song Yanqing came to bother him every few days. And every few days, Tang Yi received another fine poem or lyric from Song Yanqing.

“I ask the world: what thing is love,
That it binds one to vows of life and death...”

Tang Yi walked slowly through the courtyard.

“Having crossed the boundless sea, no other waters count as water;
Save the clouds of Mount Wu, no other clouds are clouds...”

Tang Yi sat before her dressing table.

“Calling, calling, the ospreys,
Upon the river islet.
Graceful and good, the maiden;
A gentleman’s fair mate...”

Tang Yi leaned halfway against the window.

“Amid falling blossoms one stands alone;
In fine rain, swallows fly in pairs...”

Standing atop a small pavilion, Tang Yi slowly lowered the sheet in her hands. Her bright eyes looked into the distance, toward Peach Blossom Spring on the opposite cliff. If she had not already known what sort of person Song Yanqing was, he might truly have bewildered her. Every few days he produced another excellent poem or lyric and sent it to her. Worse, every one of them was about love. The assault was simply too fierce, more than enough to stir the heart. Her own little heart had been set pounding more than once, and she had nearly found herself unable to withstand it.

By now, however, she had identified a pattern. Whenever Song Yanqing went to Peach Blossom Spring, a good poem or lyric inevitably arrived afterward.

Who was at Peach Blossom Spring?

Xu Yitian and Chen Guishuo took turns standing guard, and their visits overlapped irregularly with Song Yanqing’s. That left only the person under house arrest there. But that only raised another problem. Even if a mountain boy had read books and could compose poetry, how old was Niu Youdao? How could a boy his age possibly write love poetry like this?

If it was not him, then who was writing it?

Song Yanqing himself?

Impossible.

If he truly possessed this kind of talent, how could he have kept it bottled up until now before suddenly blossoming? Tang Yi vaguely suspected that Niu Youdao might simply have heard these verses somewhere else. But if that were the case, why not write them all down at once? Why make Song Yanqing run back and forth to Peach Blossom Spring every few days?

There were simply too many unanswered questions. The affair hung before her like a bank of fog, leaving her unable to see through it...

“Take care, Senior Brother Song!”

Niu Youdao cupped his hands and saw Song Yanqing out of the courtyard.

Once Song Yanqing had disappeared, Niu Youdao muttered under his breath, “I’ve seen shameless people before, but I’ve never seen anyone this shameless. It just never ends... Ah, Senior Brother Chen!”

Chen Guishuo had come strolling in with a cheerful expression.

He glanced at the food box set to one side and clicked his tongue. “Senior Brother Song has been treating Junior Brother remarkably well lately. Every time he comes, he personally brings wine and dishes.”

Niu Youdao did not know whether to laugh or be annoyed. For Song Yanqing to be this attentive, he had presumably succeeded in pleasing Tang Yi. There was no point dwelling on it. As usual, Niu Youdao picked up the food box, opened it, and shared the contents with Chen Guishuo. The two drank and chatted together. By now, they were already quite familiar.

For the moment, other matters were not especially important to Niu Youdao. He had finally cleared every meridian in his body and discovered, to his great delight, that his aptitude for cultivation was actually quite good. He therefore began devoting his energy to cultivating the Shangqing Heart Sutra.

But after practicing it for a while, he discovered another problem. Perhaps he had done something wrong. The Shangqing Heart Sutra, which he had gone to such lengths to obtain, was actually less effective than Taiyi in terms of cultivation speed. And it was not merely a little slower.

The difference was substantial.

[End of Chapter 12]