Qi Condensation Talisman Drawing

"Practice the thirty-six forms I taught you once for me to see."

Early that morning, in the small courtyard on Tianhao Peak where Luo Bei lived, a man in a black robe, his hair casually tied behind his head and his face as cold as water, watched Luo Bei perform the forms one by one.

This icy-faced man, who seemed never to have smiled in his life, was Duan Tianya, the seventh disciple of Yan Jingxie, who oversaw the Geli Peaks.

Over the past dozen days, Luo Bei had nearly finished memorizing the basic introductory texts of Shushan. Xiao Xiao no longer came, and Duan Tianya had taken his place to teach him Shushan's introductory Thirty-Six Foundation Establishment Fist Forms.

These Thirty-Six Foundation Establishment Fist Forms were not meant to wound enemies. They were merely guiding and body-strengthening stances. The temperatures in the mountains changed drastically between day and night; by practicing these stances consistently, disciples who had only just entered the sect and had yet to cultivate Daoist arts could loosen their channels, invigorate their blood, strengthen their sinews and bones, and avoid falling ill.

Unlike Xiao Xiao, who had been approachable and amiable, Duan Tianya was always icy and unsmiling, and exceptionally strict with Luo Bei.

"Martial uncle Duan told me yesterday that, in this form, both arms must be stretched out as far as possible while remaining on the same level..."

When he reached the Bow-Draw Form among the thirty-six forms, Luo Bei recalled what Duan Tianya had told him during yesterday's practice, and his body paused slightly.

Duan Tianya's gaze turned cold. At that brief pause, Luo Bei received his rebuke. "You performed this incorrectly yesterday, and today you still hesitate. You are clearly slacking off and practicing too little! Do it five more times!"

How could Luo Bei have been slacking off and practicing too little? In fact, after Duan Tianya left yesterday, Luo Bei had performed the forms another dozen or so times and had already become highly proficient in all thirty-six. He had only made this mistake because Duan Tianya's presence had made him nervous for a moment.

But Luo Bei did not argue. He simply performed the forms another five times with utmost seriousness.

"The thirty-six stances are barely acceptable now. But intent must move before the body. When you practice these thirty-six stances again, remember: before the body moves, the intent moves first." Watching Luo Bei perform the forms five more times with utmost care, without making a single mistake, Duan Tianya showed no hint of approval in his eyes and merely spoke in the same icy tone.

After saying this, Duan Tianya turned around, pushed open the gate to Luo Bei's courtyard, and said, "Come with me. Starting today, you will cultivate together with the martial brothers of Tianyu Peak."

"I can go now?" Luo Bei lifted his head in delighted surprise.

"To cultivate the Dao, one must endure loneliness. Cultivation is not play—what is there to be delighted about?" Duan Tianya walked out of the courtyard without looking back. When Luo Bei followed him to the long mountain path and faced Tianyu Peak opposite them, wreathed in clouds and mist, Duan Tianya spoke coldly again. "Luo Bei, you should know that most people in Shushan consider your talent extraordinary. But I have seen many people of extraordinary talent whose achievements fell short of those with merely ordinary aptitude. And the greater one's talent, the more disappointing and contemptible it is when one achieves less than others. Letting you live here alone is special treatment, but I hope you do not think of it that way yourself. Remember this: those who achieve greatness are often not superior because their talent stands above others, but because they put in more effort than ordinary people. Whether you cultivate alongside your martial brothers or live here, you would do best to regard this extra stretch of mountain road as extra cultivation, rather than proof that you were born above others."

Was that a rebuke, or a well-intentioned warning?

Luo Bei stood stunned for a moment. It suddenly seemed to him that Duan Tianya, who had said these words to him, was not as cold as he appeared. But when he looked up again, Duan Tianya was already walking coldly ahead along the mountain path.

Duan Tianya truly was not as cold as he appeared, but he did not know that Luo Bei possessed a resilience beyond anything he could imagine. Nor could he have imagined that as Luo Bei followed behind him along this rugged mountain path, barely wide enough for two people to walk abreast, what Luo Bei was thinking was, Senior brother Lin Hang has to run along mountain roads like this every day to bring me meals. It really is not easy. What martial uncle Duan said makes a lot of sense—I can tell senior brother Lin Hang too.

***

"Is he Luo Bei?"

Following behind Duan Tianya, Luo Bei hurried along mountain paths for more than two hours. The instant he crossed the threshold of a great hall on Tianyu Peak with a plaque reading Hall of Nourishing the Heart, he felt dozens of gazes snap onto him.

"There are not many disciples in the Geli Peaks either. Becoming a Shushan disciple surely cannot be easy."

With one sweep of his eyes, Luo Bei saw dozens of yellow mats spread across the hall. Sitting upon them were thirteen or fourteen youths about his own age, as well as two young women of similar age. Before them stood a large table, and at its front was a scholar Luo Bei had never seen before, dressed in a green robe. He appeared to be in his thirties, somewhat short and stout, but wore a kindly expression.

"Senior Brother Lin Hang..." Luo Bei saw Lin Hang sitting alone in a corner, his small, thin body sharply divided from the empty space around him and everyone else.

Luo Bei also saw Zi Xuangu and Ling Dong Shan among them, nodding slightly at him. Before he could take a closer look at the others, Duan Tianya coldly said, "Why have you not yet greeted Martial Uncle Ming Hao?"

"Martial Uncle Ming Hao." Luo Bei had only just saluted Ming Hao, who was examining him in his green robe, when Duan Tianya turned and walked out coldly. "Starting today, you will temporarily cultivate under Martial Uncle Ming Hao."

Ming Hao in the hall seemed long accustomed to Duan Tianya's manner. Seeing Duan Tianya leave coldly, he did not mind in the least and merely smiled. "Luo Bei, just choose any place and sit down."

"Why does Luo Bei insist on being close to that trash?!"

Upon hearing Ming Hao's words, Zi Xuangu and Ling Dong Shan immediately shifted quietly, clearing a space beside themselves. But neither expected that Luo Bei would not sit with them. Instead, he sat down beside Lin Hang.

"L-Luo Bei, Junior Brother..." Lin Hang was so stirred that he could not speak for a moment.

"So he is Luo Bei, the one they say has the best aptitude among the new disciples. I refuse to believe I am inferior to him!" Just as Luo Bei sat down, a handsome youth on the left side of the hall, his hair tied in a Daoist topknot and his face like polished jade, fixed Luo Bei beneath a cold gaze.

"So this is Junior Brother Luo Bei. They say his aptitude is good; I did not expect him to look rather good too." Of the two exceedingly beautiful young women, the slightly older one with the somewhat round face secretly studied Luo Bei with her bright eyes as well.

"Hmph! Senior Sister Yanran is mooning over someone again. Luo Bei ran over to Lin Hang instead of joining us—is he trying to show that he disdains being in our company? I say he is nothing more than a frivolous fool relying on his natural talent!" The one who gave this disdainful snort in her heart was the younger of the two young women, a delicate beauty as exquisitely sculpted as jade.

"Luo Bei, tomorrow morning, you are to come here and practice the Thirty-Six Foundation Establishment Fist Forms." Ming Hao did not say much more. After clearing his throat, he stood before the table and spoke as though teaching in a private school. "I will now formally begin today's cultivation lesson. Watch carefully. I will only do this once, so do not blame me if you fail to remember it."

Luo Bei had never attended school. Back in Luofu, he had almost always listened to Old Zhao Nan explain things before memorizing them by rote. Now, sitting among so many people his own age and listening to Ming Hao teach the Dao, he found the experience indescribably novel. But when Ming Hao said he would only demonstrate once, Luo Bei immediately cast aside all other thoughts and stared intently at Ming Hao before him.

"What is that?!"

A sudden light flashed before his eyes. Ming Hao's body did not move, but he raised a hand and drew several strokes through the air. In the air before him, the illusion of a strange plant appeared, shaped like a scallion but blooming with blue flowers.

A chorus of startled cries rose. As Luo Bei stared in amazement at the illusion Ming Hao had created, he heard those voices beside him as well. Clearly, none of the others had seen Ming Hao use such an art before.

"Martial Uncle Ming Hao," a plump youth immediately asked the question in Luo Bei's heart, unable to restrain himself. "What is that?"

"Wen Huan, remember this: next time, before I say you may ask questions, you are not permitted to interrupt." Ming Hao was clearly far more amiable than Duan Tianya. Though his words sounded stern, he still patiently answered the little fat boy named Wen Huan. "This is Zhu Yu Grass. I will explain its effects tomorrow. Today, first remember what this herb looks like, because it is the first herb you must seek out today."

"Martial Uncle Ming Hao, I remember it. But I was not asking what herb it is. I was asking what method you used to conjure the image of the herb."

"This is the method of Qi Condensation Talisman Drawing. After you learn the secret arts of talismans and reach a certain level of cultivation, you will be able to condense qi and draw talismans to fight enemies. I merely used this qi-condensing method to create the appearance of the herb."

As Ming Hao said this, Luo Bei turned his head in surprise and looked toward the younger young woman seated on the other side, with several people between them.

The reason he looked at her in surprise was that before Ming Hao had spoken those words, Luo Bei had already heard her give a quiet snort. "What ignorance. Is this not simply the method of Qi Condensation Talisman Drawing?"

As Luo Bei looked toward the young woman, she seemed to notice him watching her and turned her head as well. Their gazes met. Suddenly, she blinked at him several times, then secretly made several gestures toward him with her hand.

"What?" Luo Bei did not understand what she meant. He was momentarily bewildered, his face full of confusion.

Seeing this, the young woman blinked several more times and secretly made a few more gestures. Luo Bei became even more baffled. Then a trace of smug delight appeared on her face. At that very moment, Luo Bei heard Ming Hao say, "This is the second herb you are to seek today: Ci Tong Grass. Remember it clearly, and do not forget."

"Oh no!" Luo Bei froze. When he abruptly turned his head back, the second illusion Ming Hao had conjured before him had already faded away.