"Shang Qing Xuan Jing Qi Induction Art"

When he arrived at the rear office, he found Old Daoist Liu lying in a grand armchair, his face flushed red from drink. He sipped wine while shaking his head and humming a little tune:

"Dao, dao, dao, dao, dao... The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; Heavenly Dao, Earthly Dao, Human Dao, Sword Dao..."

Sensing someone approach, he slightly lifted his eyelids. Seeing Chen Yan before him, he lazily asked:

"Why have you come to the Three Treasures Hall for no reason today, boy? The Medicinal Bath won't be ready so soon. It was only reported yesterday; at the earliest, it'll take seven days to reach Shanxi Town."

Chen Yan stepped closer, wearing an ingratiating smile as he said rather sheepishly:

"I'm not in a hurry. I mainly came to borrow something from you today, Old Daoist Liu..."

"Borrow something?"

Old Daoist Liu warily sat up straight and gave Chen Yan a guarded look.

"Let me say this first: this old Daoist has no money."

"I'm not borrowing money!"

Chen Yan was left speechless. "I came today to borrow the Talisman Brush, Yellow Paper, cinnabar, and such used for drawing talismans..."

"Talisman Brush, Yellow Paper, cinnabar..." The more Old Daoist Liu heard, the tighter his brows knitted. In the end, he shot Chen Yan an unhappy glare and sternly rebuked him:

"I think killing two petty thieves has made you so full of yourself that you've forgotten who you are. You haven't even learned to walk, yet you want to run! Don't think that having a bit of talent in martial arts means you can look down on cultivation!

Cultivation is far more difficult than you imagine. Back then, this old Daoist spent three years up in the mountains nurturing his heart and calming his spirit, then another three years thoroughly studying the Daoist Canon, and finally three years Consolidating the Foundation and Cultivating the Origin. Only then did my master grant me a method, allowing me to undergo Qi Induction and transform it into essence..."

At this point, Old Daoist Liu cast Chen Yan a sidelong glance.

"How far have you even gotten, boy? Have you finished reading the Tai Wei Eight Sceneries Record? You haven't even begun reading it, yet you're already thinking of drawing Eight Sceneries Talismans. Do you even have Magic Power, thinking you can draw talismans..."

Before Old Daoist Liu could finish, Chen Yan blinked innocently and said:

"I have Magic Power."

"..."

Old Daoist Liu choked on his words. Then his eyes flew wide open, and he snapped like a cat with its fur standing on end:

"You have Magic Power?"

"Mm-hm."

Chen Yan nodded. Then, pinching the Evil-Slaying Talisman Old Daoist Liu had previously given him between his fingers, he infused it with Magic Power. The talisman paper, traced in crimson cinnabar, began to shine with a soft glow. This was the state in which a talisman could be activated at any moment. Since no Heart's Yang Blood had been used, there was clearly no way it could be faked.

Old Daoist Liu was staring dumbfoundedly now, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You actually cultivated Magic Power?"

Chen Yan nodded, then briefly explained how he had fortuitously learned the Five Grains Qi Nourishment Record from the jade pendant given to him by the old woman.

The old Daoist's face turned red as he listened. At last, he glared at Chen Yan with reddened eyes for a long while before finally squeezing out one sentence:

"You lucky bastard..."

It was like painstakingly studying for three years in high school only to get into a third-rate college, while a classmate spent those three years playing around, learned nothing at all, and still got directly admitted to a top university. That feeling could hardly be captured by mere envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Only after a long while did he calm himself. Old Daoist Liu let out a long sigh and said with considerable admiration:

"This Chen Ancestor truly was remarkable. He must have been a peerless genius in his day, able to blaze a new trail and create such a method, becoming the first of his generation..."

At this point, Old Daoist Liu could not help but warn Chen Yan again:

"However, don't think having this method means you can rest easy. After all, this method is incomplete. At most, it is only effective for you before Fetal Breathing. After Fetal Breathing, you'll still have to rely on yourself. And as for secret methods, as far as this old Daoist knows, the Immortal and Buddhist Orthodox Schools do not lack Secret Scriptures comparable to this method—some are even a cut above it.

Since you have already set foot on the path of cultivation, you must guard against impatience and practice steadily, understand?"

"Yes, yes, your teachings are right."

Chen Yan nodded humbly, then said bashfully, "Then the Talisman Brush, cinnabar, and the like, can I..."

"Go, go, go! Take your things and get out! This old Daoist doesn't want to see you right now!"

Old Daoist Liu's face darkened. With an irritated wave of his hand, a stack of talisman paper, a box of cinnabar, and a Talisman Brush appeared in midair and flew toward Chen Yan in the blink of an eye.

Chen Yan hurriedly caught them, only to see another object flying straight at him. Catching it and looking it over, he found it was a jade slip similar to the one that had recorded the Five Grains Qi Nourishment Record. He raised his head in confusion.

"This is...?"

"The Shang Qing Xuan Jing Qi Induction Art. Since you have already undergone Qi Induction, cultivate this method. It is the orthodox Daoist Qi Induction Art; most Daoist disciples cultivate it."

"Old Daoist Liu..."

Chen Yan put on a touched expression.

"Enough, enough. Don't start shedding crocodile tears. This old Daoist doesn't buy that act."

"No, I wanted to ask whether you could give me one of those treasures that Shrink the Mustard Seed too..."

"Get lost!!!"

Thus, Chen Yan was driven out of the yamen in a sorry state, drawing stifled laughter from the constables, who wanted to laugh but did not dare.

"That old man, I was only asking. Why's he got such a temper..."

Chen Yan dusted himself off in embarrassment, muttering a few curses under his breath, yet the corners of his mouth were lifted in a smile.

Though he and Old Daoist Liu had no master-disciple title between them, they had the substance of such a relationship. He never said it aloud, but Chen Yan had always regarded Old Daoist Liu as his master.

Carrying the Yellow Paper and cinnabar, Chen Yan headed back toward Ping An Fang.

Because Chen Yan and Old Daoist Liu had eliminated quite a number of Skin-Peeling Puppets recently, the true culprit behind the scenes seemed to have entered a dormant period. Even members of the Rebirth Cult were rarely seen.

Shanxi Town had been much more peaceful during this time and gradually regained a bit of vitality. There were visibly more pedestrians on the streets.

Along the way, the cries of small vendors rose without end, and passersby streamed back and forth. Restaurants and teahouses lining the streets resounded with gongs and drums, making for a bustling scene.

"This is what the breath of life feels like."

Chen Yan threaded his way through the mortal world, experiencing the vicissitudes of life, partings and reunions within this realm of dust.

By dusk, the sun was setting in the west, and its lingering rays dyed Shanxi Town in a wash of red.

At this time, the businesses of brothels and courtesans were clearly much livelier. From time to time came the giggles of young women and the teasing voices of scholars and merchants, causing passersby to turn their heads.

Naturally, there was no shortage of clandestine prostitutes hiding in dark alleyways along both sides of the streets.

Whenever they saw someone pass by, they would step forward to solicit business. Those with good luck could secure four or five customers in a night.

Most of these young women were refugees who had fled to Shanxi Town and settled there. Some were women from nearby villages who entered the town to earn this money from the flesh to supplement their household expenses.

Yet in truth, little of it reached their own hands, because a substantial portion had to be handed over to the gangs.

"No! Sixth Brother! Please show mercy! My little brother is sick and urgently needs money. Can't it wait until tomorrow? Tomorrow, I'll take on a few more customers and make up for today's share!"

A woman's tearful voice suddenly rang out to Chen Yan's left.

Chen Yan stopped and turned his head. In an empty alley, three Thugs had surrounded a woman. The leader bore a scar over his left eye, giving him a hint of viciousness.

"I sympathize with you, but who sympathizes with me? Xiaoyun, this isn't your first day in this line of work. The gang has its rules. If you do this, you're making things very difficult for Sixth Brother."