Chapter 32: The Art of Qi Huang

  "Lao Wu, isn't that female Taoist priest frowning?" Ye Xiao Yao turned his head towards Lao Wu.

  "No, I saw everyone greeting her and she would smile and nod, but what she wore..." Old Five shook his head.

  "How old is he?" Ye Xiao Yao interrupted Lao Wu's words.

  Mo Wen heard the words and frowned, shaking his head. He picked up his bowl and chopsticks and turned to leave the house. Ye Xiangyao and others surrounded Lao Wu, asking him questions left and right.

  At the corner of the dining hall, Mo Wen suddenly ran into Ah Jiu who was returning to the West Wing from the dining hall. He thought of last night's events and his face turned red in an instant. "Ah Jiu, I assure you that what happened last night was not intentional, please forgive me."

  "You're such a pedantic bookworm." Ah Jiu chuckled and turned around to walk away.

  After Ah Jiu left, Mo Wen's face turned even redder. He quickly glanced around and saw that no one was paying attention to him, so he hastily walked towards the dining hall. Not long after, the others also came to the dining hall for porridge. The female Taoist priest who had taught them medical skills became the subject of their conversation. As a result, no one teased Mo Wen anymore. Seeing this, Mo Wen felt secretly delighted in his heart. Moreover, no matter how embarrassing things were, they would eventually fade away with time.

  The time for the Taoist priests to eat is also limited, not less than half an hour and not more than one hour. After finishing breakfast, everyone comes to stand outside the East Hall and wait. When the time of Chen (7-9 am) arrives, a green-clad Taoist nun slowly enters from the main gate.

  The moment he saw this person, Mo asked him to frown. He finally understood why Qingyangzi had smiled and not answered Liu Shaoyan's question that day. This Taoist nun was less than thirty years old, with a high bun, a slightly round face, thin eyebrows, big eyes, small mouth, and a straight nose. She looked extremely beautiful. Her feet were wearing white cloth Taoist boots, and her body was wearing a green Taoist robe. The problem lies in this green Taoist robe. The Taoist robe worn by this nun was as thin as a cicada's wing, and her figure was hidden and revealed when she walked, attracting attention and causing trouble.

  At this time, the folk customs of Zhongtu have been greatly influenced by the Hu people, and it is not uncommon for women in Jin or Zhao to wear silk clothes. However, when silk clothes are worn on a Taoist priest, they appear very eye-catching, showy and flashy, which is quite different from the steady style of Taoism.

  Everyone stared in astonishment as the young Taoist nun walked up slowly. Mo Wen had thought of lowering his head to avoid suspicion, but after hesitating, he did not lower his head, because at this time he was no longer a Confucian disciple who "does not look at what is not proper", but a Taoist sect member who "as long as the heart is open and aboveboard, there is nothing wrong with talking at midnight".

  "Boundless Heaven Venerable, I've seen Daozhang." The seven people waited for Daogu to approach, then bowed their heads in respect.

  "Fusheng has infinite respect for Tianzun, and Yulingong returns the courtesy." The young Taoist nun bowed her head in reverence along with everyone else.

  The crowd heard the words and parted to both sides, bowing their heads to make way. Mo asked blankly for a moment, his movements slightly slower than the others. When Yu Linglong greeted everyone, she used her full title "Fu Sheng Wu Liang Tian Zun", which showed that she was not only the leader of a sect but also a master who had passed through the heavenly tribulation. In addition, Daoist names usually have a suffix, although some Kun Dao do not have one. Yu Linglong took the high and pure jade to use as her Daoist name, which is acceptable, however, Yu Linglong was also an elegant name for water lily, and water lily was a highly toxic flower.

  "The seven of you are esteemed as Upper Clear Disciples, and your future achievements will be immeasurable. It's better if we just address each other as fellow disciples." Jade Linglong smiled as she glanced around at the crowd.

  "May I ask what is your secular surname, True Man?" asked He Yanzhi with a smile.

  "The humble Taoist is a layman with the surname Li, why are you holding that small urn?" Yuling pointed at Ah Jiu's hand, where he was holding the urn.

  "This was left to us by Xuan Yuanzi, and it contains twelve beads. It requires one to take them out with their left hand at once, but none of us have been able to do so, that's why we always carry it with us." Ah Jiu replied.

  Yu Linglong heard this and felt quite amused, raised her hand to take the jar from Ajiu's hand, looked at it for a moment, then reached in and pinched all twelve beads between her fingers, turned her hand over and brought them out. "Xuan Yuanzi really is thoughtful."

  "We seven have been puzzled as to why Xuan Yuanzi senior wants us to capture the round pearl, and we hope the true person will enlighten us." Mo Wen spoke up seeking an explanation.

  "The practitioner must use their left hand to pinch the key, and the five fingers of the left hand and palm correspond to the stars of the Big Dipper, the Nine Palaces, the Eight Trigrams, and the Twelve Earthly Branches. The finger key must be pinched accurately, otherwise it will not work. Beginners' fingers are stiff, their strength is unstable, and they cannot accurately pinch the finger key. This small object can train your fingers to be agile and strong, laying a foundation for practicing finger keys and performing magic in the future." Yuling dropped the crystal ball and returned the small vessel to Ajiu.

  Everyone suddenly realized and appreciated Xuan Yuanzi's kindness, and at the same time, they also became more affectionate towards Yu Linglong. Yu Linglong smiled warmly and spoke calmly, she must be easy to get along with.

  Yu Linglong returned the urn to Ah Jiu and turned around to enter the temple, with everyone following behind.

  "Everyone should report their Dao number, after all, there must be a title." Yuling sat down and raised her hand to speak.

  "Junior Tianzhui." Mo Wen spoke first.

  "Junior Tianxuanzi," said Ajiu.

  "Junior Tian Ji Zi." Ye Xiao Yao said.

  "Junior Heaven's Righteousness." Liu Shaoying bowed his head.

  "Junior Yu Hengzi." said Baili Crazy Wind.

  "Junior Kai Yangzi." said Liu Sheng.

  "Junior Shaking Light." Qian Sui finally reported his Taoist name.

  "Sit down one by one, it's easier to remember." Yuling said with a smile.

  The happiest person to hear this was Baili Kui Feng. No matter which master taught the skill, they would usually use their left hand as the first example. Last time, he had let Xuan Yuan Zi drag him and ended up with a swollen nose and bruised face, so he had long since wanted to switch seats.

  Mo Wen wasn't afraid of sitting in the first place, but as a result, A Jiu ended up sitting next to him. Sitting side by side like this was always going to be awkward.

  Yu Linglong waited until everyone had taken their seats before speaking again, "Since receiving the divine decree from our ancestor, I have been filled with anxiety. The art of Qi Huang is in harmony with the yin and yang of heaven and earth, and it's difficult to fully grasp its subtleties even after a lifetime of dedication. It's impossible to master it within half a year, so after much deliberation, I can only take expedient measures - I will transmit the teachings, but not the techniques."

  Mo Wen nodded slowly, his family had been medical practitioners for generations, he deeply understood that learning medicine was not a one-day task, and there were hundreds of prescriptions for treating ordinary diseases, which could not be memorized one by one.

  "All things in the world are formed by the condensation of yin and yang, when the two qi are biased, diseases appear, and when the two qi are balanced, diseases are cured. What is meant by treating diseases and saving people is actually balancing yin and yang." Yuling's words were clear and calm, neither rushed nor slow, "To balance yin and yang, one must first distinguish between yin and yang, but yin and yang have no fixed form, and it is not easy to distinguish them."

  "Tian Shu Zi, is this thing yin or yang?" Yu Linglong raised her hand and pointed to the top beam of the pillar not far away, asking Mo Wen.

  "Trees take root in the earth and receive rain and dew from above; they embody the harmony of yin and yang." Mozi rose to answer.

  "All things are formed by the condensation of yin and yang, can it be an exception? But if yin and yang are completely balanced, they will attain eternal life. Since it is slowly decaying, it must be that yin and yang are not equal, and since they are unequal, there must be more or less of one or the other. Is this thing yin or yang?" Yu Linglong asked with a smile.

  Don't ask Wen Yu didn't answer immediately, this question is too broad and has no clear judgment standard. This pillar is extremely hard, which is its yang side, but it will eventually be corrupted into dust, which is its yin side. How much or how little can't be judged at all.

  "It's cloudy." Mo Wen finally gritted his teeth and spoke out his own judgment.

  "Why did you say it's gloomy?" Yuling asked with a smile, her smile was different from others, when she smiled, the right corner of her mouth curled up.

  An axe can chop down a tree, fierce fire can burn it, but if the yang energy is insufficient, it will become yin. Don't ask me to answer.

  Yu Linglong smiled slightly again upon hearing this and gestured for him to sit down, without making any judgment on his answer.

  "Tian Xuanzi, is the small altar next to you yin or yang?" Yu Linglong asked Ah Jiu.

  "Returning to the truth, this thing should be Yang." Ajiu stood up and replied.

  "What is considered Yang?" asked Yuling.

  "Enduring fierce fire to be formed, a thousand years without decay, longevity is Yang." Ah Jiu replied.

  "If you throw it at a wooden pillar, can it still last long?" Yu Ling's eyebrows slightly furrowed, clearly dissatisfied with Ah Jiu's answer.

  Ajiu heard this and stood silently, no longer speaking. Yuling also didn't make things difficult for her, raising her hand to signal her to sit down.

  "Tian Qi Zi, why have you been secretly glancing at me?" Yu Linglong glanced sideways at Ye Xiao Yao.

  Ye Xiangyang was shocked by the words and hastily stood up from his seat, "I wonder what object the True Person will ask me about."

  As soon as this was said, the other people couldn't help but burst out laughing. Although he was a lecher, he was extremely quick-witted in times of crisis.

  "Is this silk garment yin or yang?" asked Yuling with a raised sleeve.

  Ye Xiangyao didn't respond immediately, but instead widened his eyes and scrutinized carefully, as to what he was scrutinizing, whether it was the silk clothes or something else, only he himself knew.

  "Soft and smooth, it should be yin." The night wanderer had enough of watching before speaking up.

  "This silk garment can avoid water and fire, and is not afraid of knives and guns. How could it be for Yin?" Yu Linglong shook her head.

  "It was an immortal object after all. Immortal objects can naturally last forever, and since it can last forever, it's yang." Ye Xiao Yao hastily changed his words.

  "But this thing also has something it fears, if it encounters it, it will dissolve." Yuling said shaking her head.

  "What the superior man calls right, is right; what he calls wrong, is wrong. The inferior man's good or ill fortune has come."

  Jade Linglong saw that Lai Pi was not to blame, and only shook her head with a smile before speaking calmly. "As I said earlier, yin and yang have no fixed form. Whether something is yin or yang is not determined by itself, but by what it responds to. It's true that all things in the world have both yin and yang aspects, and it's also true that yin and yang are not equal. However, one must not determine whether something is yin or yang based on appearances alone. As long as you find the thing that can control it, everything becomes yin. As long as you find the thing that can cure it, all illnesses can be healed. In this world, there's no one who cannot be saved, only methods that don't work."

  Everyone heard the words and bowed their heads in deep thought, only Mo Wen suddenly enlightened. This was not because his natural talent exceeded that of others, but because his family had previously opened a pharmacy, seeing too many incurable diseases that left doctors helpless. Yu Linglong's previous words spoke of the way of yin and yang mutual restraint, but the deeper meaning was to elevate everyone's mood and momentum, allowing them to transcend the mundane idea of "treating illnesses that cannot be cured" and establish the sacred hand aura and style of "as long as I take action, you will not die".

  Mo Wen did not lower his head, and the other six people also looked up one after another within a minute. Yu Linglong saw this and nodded slowly, then continued to explain "The way of yin and yang is only in understanding reason, to harmonize yin and yang to cure diseases and save lives, we should start with the five elements that are derived from the two qi of yin and yang..."