Eight Gates
But far more remained unknown, leaving not even a trace behind when they departed. No one would remember them, as though they had never come at all.
Someone like Qing He Miao, who knew money was a good thing and also knew why it was a good thing—
She had never encountered anyone like that at his age before.
She had to admit the child's thinking made sense, and that he saw things with remarkable clarity.
If she had to say what was wrong with it, it was that this very clarity made him overly pragmatic, leaving him somewhat short of the sharp spirit a young man should have and the curiosity and longing for the "Great Dao" itself.
Each age ought to have the characteristics of its own stage of life.
She did not know whether something that went against that natural growth was good or bad.
After pondering for a moment, Guan Shihua made up her mind. Rather than trying to persuade Qing He Miao to change his mind, she offered a practical and generous arrangement:
"All right. Since you've put it that way, this old woman won't try to persuade you anymore. As for money, that's easy enough."
Money was still worth a great deal these days.
But as the Grand Headmaster in charge of the Horse-Riding Immortals across the three northeastern provinces, she was no empty figurehead and had considerable wealth of her own.
She held up one finger.
"First, this is our first meeting, and you've opened my eyes, child. By custom, an elder should give a junior a red envelope. I'll put ten thousand yuan of my own money in it, as a small token from me."
Then she considered the matter and said:
"Second, I'll talk things over later with a few old fellows I know in our Horse-Riding Immortal lineage and see if we can secure a special education fund for you. If nothing else, it should at least cover your schooling expenses. That way, the burden on your parents will be much lighter too."
"Qing He Miao, a disciple of the Horse-Riding Immortal lineage, thanks the Grand Headmaster for her generous gift!"
At this, Qing He Miao felt reassured. Knowing these were tangible benefits he could actually pocket, he bowed without a moment's hesitation.
He stepped back, respectfully cupped his hands toward Guan Shihua, and bowed deeply to the ground, offering formal and solemn thanks.
His bow was both an expression of gratitude and a deliberate acknowledgment of his ties to the Horse-Riding Immortal lineage, a sign that he would not dare forget them.
Of course, that made it a risky investment for the Horse-Riding Immortal lineage.
"As for cultivation... such a promising talent must have the necessary guidance and access to a higher platform."
Guan Shihua nodded with satisfaction, then added:
"Then let's put your name down at the main hall and see whether any of the immortals there feel an affinity with you. We can find one for you to serve as a Shaman Disciple and receive some guidance from. Surely that's acceptable?"
"In our lineage, inviting another immortal to serve as a teacher isn't out of line, as long as the proper courtesies are observed."
Her arrangement covered every angle.
In the Horse-Riding Immortal lineage, it was not because Guan Shihua was the Grand Headmaster that those immortals belonged to the main hall.
Rather, it was because Guan Shihua had enlisted the immortals of the main hall and had attained a respectable level of cultivation that she was now the Grand Headmaster.
Every immortal who could take up residence in the main hall was a formidable figure from history, among the finest this land beyond the passes had to offer.
Securing the aid of an immortal from the main hall was an opportunity countless Shaman Disciples dreamed of.
Unexpectedly, Qing He Miao shook his head again.
"Grandma Guan, thank you for your kindness, but I think I'd rather not trouble the other immortals."
"Oh?"
Guan Shihua, somewhat irritated by the repeated surprises, raised an eyebrow as she looked at the young man before her who had made such an unconventional choice.
"Why? Can you tell me your reason? Finding you a better teacher would save you from taking detours. Isn't that a good thing?"
"My master, Chai Ningshen, might not be considered one of the best by many people. His hall isn't large either, and you could even say he's been mediocre all his life and never amounted to much."
Qing He Miao straightened up, his gaze clear and his tone serious.
"But a teacher is one who passes on the Dao, imparts knowledge, and resolves doubts. He is the esteemed master who taught me, who gave me the foundations I need to establish myself in this world."
He paused and glanced at Master Chai beside him, whose expression had grown complicated at his words. A determined light shone in his eyes.
"So I think I have a chance of reaching the point of Ascension in the future. If I really do accomplish something someday, I hope that when people mention me, Qing He Miao, at least within the Horse-Riding Immortal lineage, more of that glory will go to my master, Chai Ningshen, to our little hall, and to the White Immortal Family of our branch. It would be my gift to him for the time we spent as master and disciple in this life."
His words were not the product of a moment's passion, but of careful thought.
As the saying went, "Only when people have enough food and clothing do they know honor and disgrace; only when their granaries are full do they know propriety." Now that he had the system as the fundamental support on which to build his life, he had the confidence and freedom to pursue a higher realm.
Naturally, he could also spare some thought for the feelings of those around him and lend a hand to their inner lives along the way.
For instance, his master, who had lived an ordinary life, could bask in his disciple's glory in his later years.
Master Chai stood to one side, and when he heard his disciple out, his face was first filled with astonishment and disbelief. Then his chest felt slightly heavy.
But more than that, he felt helpless and angry that his disciple's ideas were so far-fetched as to be almost absurd.
He opened his mouth, intending to say a few polite words to ease the situation, but in the end he said nothing, choosing to remain silent.
Chapter 21: Eight Gates
When Guan Shihua heard Qing He Miao mention a goal like "ascending to immortality," she could not help finding it somewhat childish and arrogant in a way peculiar to the young, leaving her unsure whether to laugh or cry.
But seeing the sincerity and persistence in his eyes, qualities likewise belonging to youth, she smiled, her tone tinged with emotion.
"If that day really comes, and you accomplish what you've said... then your Master Chai will indeed be honored beyond measure, and his name will go down in the history of our Horse-Riding Immortal lineage.
"And if that White Immortal of yours can teach a Horse-Riding disciple like you, they may well be able to enter the main hall thanks to you. The benefits they could gain would be immeasurable."
One of the original reasons the Horse-Riding Immortal lineage had formed—
Was it not that spirits who had reached a bottleneck in their cultivation chose to cooperate with humans, relying on their Shaman Disciples to do good deeds and accumulate merit, thereby aiding their own cultivation?
If they really could nurture a disciple with the prospect of "Ascension," then for the immortal associated with that disciple, it would be a tremendous blessing and opportunity beyond their wildest dreams!
Seen from that angle, Qing He Miao's insistence was an opportunity the White Immortal Family of that little hall could only have wished for.
She changed tack and pressed him no further.
"All right, let's leave it at that for now. The bond between an immortal and a Shaman Disciple also depends on fate; both must choose each other."
"You and your master can stay here for now and get familiar with the surroundings. In the meantime, think it over and see whether you change your mind. Even if you don't take a new teacher, it'll do you good to listen and observe more at the main hall."
"Thank you for your kindness, Grand Headmaster!"
Master Chai and Qing He Miao thanked her together once more, both sounding a little more relaxed this time.
Once those important matters were finally settled, Guan Shihua drew Qing He Miao close again, the kindly curiosity of an elder returning to her face.
She asked with a smile:
"All right, we're done with the serious business. Little one, I'm not trying to pry into your secrets, but could you tell Grandma what happened when you knocked Youcai down just now? How did you suddenly burst out with such strength and speed? That didn't look like something ordinary qi cultivation could achieve."
Here it comes!
Qing He Miao had long been prepared. A slightly embarrassed smile appeared on his face as he began to deliver the story he had already made up.
"Grandma Guan, that was actually just a little trick I worked out on my own. It's a bit like... well, like the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Technique in those stories, but not as sinister, and it doesn't damage my foundation."
He did his best to make his description sound plausible.
"Heaven and earth are the greater cosmos, and the human body is the lesser cosmos. I worked out how to use qi to precisely stimulate several important acupoints and meridian nodes in the body, making it operate beyond its limits for a short time and releasing potential far beyond the ordinary. That gives me explosive strength and speed. But afterward I feel a little drained and need time to recover. I call it the Eight Gates."
The Eight Gates was a mysterious system of divination from ancient China, often used in military affairs, feng shui, fortune-telling, and other fields.
The theory was mysterious beyond mystery, and it sounded as though it might hold together.
Most importantly, in this world where supernatural powers existed, his story could neither be verified nor disproved.
But what sort of person was Guan Shihua?
She herself had profound attainments in medicine and divination, and was especially masterful in using qi to regulate the human body.
Having heard him out, she was clearly not entirely convinced.
"Oh? Stimulating acupoints with qi to bring out your potential? The theory is plausible enough. But which acupoints specifically? What are the requirements for the strength and order of the stimulation, and the properties of the qi? How did you work it out? If your medical skills have reached such a level, the two of us could exchange insights often."
This was not something one could accomplish by trying things at random. It required profound medical knowledge and an understanding of qi.
The slightest mistake could damage the meridians at best; at worst, it could leave hidden injuries or even cause sudden death on the spot.
Guan Shihua's questions were measured.
They concerned only the general line of thinking and did not touch on the specifics.
If what Qing He Miao said was true, she might even be able to help him improve it.
Faced with these technical questions, Qing He Miao could naturally only put on a bewildered, innocent expression that said, "I can't explain it either," and shake his head as he explained:
"Grandma Guan, this... I really can't explain it in detail. It seems I was born with an especially strong sense of control over and intuition for the qi in my body. I don't need to deliberately remember any routes; wherever I direct my thoughts, the qi seems to find its own way.
"So, little by little, I worked out a method to make my body temporarily 'excited.' But as for exactly how I do it, it's like... like how people are born knowing how to breathe, and fish are born knowing how to swim. If you ask me for the details, I still can't explain them."
His explanation sounded almost absurd.
But in the bizarre and fantastical Outcast World, it was not entirely implausible.
In this world, besides individuals born with traits resembling superpowers, known as innate Outcasts, and Outcasts who cultivated orthodox techniques,
there really were also people with unique talents.
Once introduced to qi, they needed no profound secret manuals to develop unique methods of their own.
More extraordinary still, some beings were born with an affinity for and understanding of the Dao, or of certain rules, that surpassed those of ordinary people.
As far as Qing He Miao knew, Feng Yao from the original story, who went by the alias "Wu Gensheng" and stirred up storms across the world, was an extreme example of someone "born close to the Dao."
Thinking of this, everyone in the room, including the knowledgeable Guan Shihua, the experienced Master Chai, and even Deng Youcai, who had been listening in, felt that Qing He Miao's explanation was a little too fantastical.
But taken together with the abnormalities he had previously displayed, such as "how quickly he had first learned Qi Sense," it seemed... not entirely impossible.
After all, the one thing the Outcast World never lacked was all manner of incredible people and strange happenings.
On closer thought, they even felt somewhat pleased.
Had someone like that finally appeared in their Shaman Lineage?
"Enough, enough."
In the end, Guan Shihua waved a hand and stopped probing, merely offering Qing He Miao a warning based on her own experience.
"Everyone has their own fate and secrets. As long as it does you no harm and causes no damage to others, let it be. But child, a method of drawing out your potential like this is ultimately a shortcut. You mustn't rely on it too much, much less abuse it, or you may damage your foundation and lose more than you gain."
"Yes, Grandma Guan. I'll remember."
Qing He Miao hurriedly nodded and agreed, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. He had finally managed to bluff his way past this hurdle for the time being.
And so Master Chai and his disciple Qing He Miao settled down for the time being in this main hall's residence, deep in the mountains of the scenic area.
"Whoosh—!"
A whip's shadow struck like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, tearing through the air without warning and stabbing straight for Qing He Miao's face!
A War King Whip was generally a little over two feet long, its length braided from several strands of tough animal sinew or specially treated soft leather.