pjbooks Chapter 19 North and South
Chapter 19 North and South
A few days later, a young man dressed in brocade clothes whittled a fishing rod at the Taoist temple and began to learn how to fish, imitating the old man.
Don't ask where the brand-new Taoist robe went.
They've washed themselves in the river more than a dozen times in the dead of night; even the river god is about to curse them.
As for the fish that live in the water, whether you dare to eat them after catching them is completely irrelevant to Zhong Ming.
I promised the half-corpse on the driftwood that I would avenge him.
I'm fishing for black carp.
Hold a grudge.
The sun was setting in the west, just past Shen time, and You time was approaching.
Zhong Ming reeled in his fishing rod; it was the perfect time to practice his martial arts.
Because of the existence of the dragon vein, Zhong Ming's cultivation technique has an extra starting point compared to ordinary people. He can start not only from the dantian but also from the dragon vein.
However, the dantian itself has its own spiritual energy, and after entering meditation, it can directly begin to circulate the Great Circulation. The spiritual energy of the dragon vein is stored in the flesh and blood walls, and it takes some time to guide it out.
This is also why it starts running before the hour of You (5-7 PM).
The time of You (5-7 PM) is beneficial for the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. At this time, the spiritual energy gathered from the dragon vein enters through the Zhongzhu acupoint and joins the Great Circulation, making the effect twice as good with half the effort.
The method of circulating the Great Heavenly Cycle varies slightly among different schools of Taoism. Zhongming's method involves first entering the Dantian through the Zhongzhu acupoint, taking advantage of the "favorable timing and location" of the Dragon Vein and the hour of You (5-7 PM) to increase the amount of spiritual energy. Then, the spiritual energy in the Dantian is guided to complete a Great Heavenly Cycle, and finally, it returns to the Zhongzhu acupoint, circulates the Dragon Vein again, and the spiritual energy returns to the Dantian in a mighty and powerful manner.
While others have twelve regular meridians plus eight extraordinary meridians, Zhong Ming suddenly gained an extra dragon vein, significantly increasing his cultivation speed...
They can't even compare to those cultivation geniuses.
According to the inscription on the merit stone tablet treasured inside the Taoist temple, an ancestor spent a hundred days building his foundation and broke through to a higher realm as easily as drinking water. As a result, he was rated as having average ability, which was not shameful.
After completing one cycle, one reaches the peak of the first level of Qi Refining in the sense of a cultivator. It's already late, but Xiao Yu is in charge of cooking, so there's still time to fish for a while.
Turning around, he saw a pitiful black carp behind him, suffering the agony of being slowly sliced apart, its flesh being scraped off piece by piece by Zhong Ming and hooked onto the fishhook.
As the fishing rod was cast, Zhong Ming's thoughts began to wander, his mind drifting far away.
The storage stone is hard to control; it takes things in and out of its mouth, just like a toad.
The black jade tablet made of mica and celestial stone given by Uncle Bei is too big. I almost spit it out. If it got stuck, my mouth would be torn apart.
If my cultivation progresses slowly, does that mean I'll never have the strength to surpass him?
Can you use spirit stones to increase your cultivation level?
When my master was teaching me the cultivation techniques, there was also a natal spell used to maintain spiritual artifacts and magical treasures. I remember it was something like... after the spiritual energy gradually flowed from the body into a stone, it was vigorously rubbed against another stone, which actually allowed the other stone to gain more spiritual energy.
Isn't this just sharpening a knife?
Moreover, the most counterintuitive thing is that when you normally sharpen a knife, it becomes thinner and smaller. But when a cultivator "maintains" it, it becomes thicker or more spiritually richer.
Could I ask my master to push me along and speed up my progress?
.....
All sorts of wild ideas were interrupted by the violent twitching of the fishing rod.
Zhong Ming abruptly reeled in his fishing rod, and a fish took the bait. The more he thought about it, the more agitated and anxious he became.
A black harlequin was dragged closer. This fish was about two feet long and was nothing compared to the ones they had seen before.
Zhong Ming skillfully pulled out a rope, one end of which was made of iron and hooked onto the fish's head, which was full of sharp teeth. The other end was a normal rope, which he tied to the fish's tail and pulled hard.
This is called the bow fish technique, which, as the name suggests, involves tying the fish into the shape of a bow. This keeps the fish's gills open, and even if the fish is out of the water for dozens of hours, it can still survive by sprinkling some water on it.
Several fish are ready; I wonder if I can sell them for some money.
They walked back slowly. Eating together was always awkward. Bai Gu Niang never ate with them. Xiao Zhao and Xiao Yu ate very little. Zhong Ming seriously suspected that they had been stealing food while planting vegetables and collecting firewood or bird eggs.
Only the old Taoist priest ate with him in a very formal and rigid manner, which often created a great sense of pressure.
It's awkward to stay silent, but I'm afraid of being scolded if I say anything lighthearted.
Today, Zhong Ming finally mustered up the courage to ask that question.
"Master, can spirit stones help me cultivate?"
"sure."
The old Taoist priest ate and spoke with perfect clarity, and it was a mystery why the food didn't seem to hit his throat.
"Master, could you give me some spirit stones? I'll definitely cultivate diligently."
The old Taoist priest glanced at Zhong Ming, then continued to pick at his vegetables. His voice drifted from somewhere, "Whether you have money or not, do you ask your master for it? Go earn it yourself. Wait a minute, I'll think of a way for you to earn spirit stones."
Zhong Ming looked at him hopefully. Could it be that he would be hired to clean the Taoist temple with spirit stones? Or that he could go up the mountain to collect herbs and exchange them for spirit stones with his master?
One second, two seconds...
A dozen or so breaths passed, and the master looked up. "Alright, I'll go ask the authorities. Remember to clean up the dishes."
???
Zhong Ming: Huh?
In that short time, the food on the table had been completely devoured by the master. Zhong Ming looked closely and saw that there was only some soup left in the plates. He had no choice but to pour it into his bowl and mix it with rice to make do with the meal.
The master left immediately after finishing his meal, without the slightest hesitation.
He returned that very evening.
It's just... a little late.
"The bell tolls... the bell tolls?"
"Crack~"
A hard slap brought Zhong Ming back to his senses.
"Ah~ Ah, Master, what terrible thing has happened?"
"Didn't you want spirit stones? I've told you about a way to earn spirit stones. Go do it tomorrow."
The old Taoist priest spoke very seriously, but he was secretly delighted.
No wonder Lao Bei likes it this way, it really feels great.
Zhong Ming perked up immediately upon hearing this; anyone who listens to matters of cultivation becomes clear-headed.
The old Taoist priest drew a line on the ground and said, "Look, suppose this is the Yelan River. To the north are the four continents of humankind, and to the south are three continents. The Taoist temple is right in the middle."
Then the old Taoist priest pointed to several dots in the north and drew several circles in the south.
"In the four northern states, cultivation forces generally exist in the form of sects. Powerful sects have many smaller sects as their vassals. Secular dynasties obey the orders of these sects. Of course, these dynasties are all made up of mortals. Can you guess what the purpose of the existence of secular dynasties is?"
Zhong Ming wondered, "Didn't you find me a job that earns spirit stones? Why are you asking me questions?"
"I believe that mortals are also a force. Although they cannot defeat cultivators, they have the advantage of numbers, making it easier to find treasures in the land."
"No, no, no," the old Taoist waved his hand, "That's not the main point. You're right about one thing, it's that there are too many people. People with spiritual roots are one in ten thousand, but so what? If they're one in ten thousand, then I'll raise ten million people, a hundred million people. As long as there are enough people, some cultivation geniuses will always emerge."
"So, the purpose of a secular dynasty is to ensure a large population." Zhong Ming finally understood why his father's sparse "martial arts" could save an emperor. It turned out that cultivators simply didn't care about these mortal emperors.
What we need is a prosperous population and promising cultivators. Who becomes emperor is of no importance. Anyone who acts perversely, causing chaos and population decline, will be immediately annihilated by the immortals with the power of thunder.
"In the three southern states, the situation is completely different. The cultivation forces exist in the form of dynasties, which are essentially clans. The bloodline of the royal family is often incredibly powerful. Combined with their innate cultivation methods, they can overpower all others and command the entire state without anyone daring to disobey."
In the South, cultivators held a high status, while mortals were considered lowly and worthless. The South was far less prosperous than the North, but cultivators were far stronger. While northern sects were embroiled in internal strife, southern cultivators, under the imperial decree, were already gathering strength to expand their territory.
The old Taoist priest clapped his hands twice at the southernmost point.
There's a war going on here!
"Furthermore, there are indications that Gao Jin has also fled south, so..."
Zhong Ming was filled with excitement. Could it be that he...
The old Taoist priest pointed to a southern region very close to the Yelan River, "Why don't you go and mine here?"
"what?"