Teaming Up

A'Du noticed Li Qi's shifting expression, so he immediately elaborated, "This is what we commonly call Essence, Qi, and Spirit. However, Qi is not the same as 'qì'; calling it 'qì' is purely a misnomer."

As he spoke, he dipped his finger in tea and wrote two homophonous characters on the table to distinguish them.

"Essence refers to the strength of the physical body – the body's blood and Qi, muscles, bones, and internal organs. Together, they form vitality. When we do physical labor, it's our vitality that's consumed. When vitality is abundant, one has 'fire energy,' and minor ghosts cannot approach. Brother Li, you are full of vitality, and it's clear you have plenty of fire energy; even walking through a graveyard, no ghosts would bother you," he said with a smile.

"'Spirit' refers to the vitality of our thoughts. When we think and are conscious, we are using spiritual power. Sometimes, even if we are lying in bed and haven't done any strenuous physical activity, we feel utterly exhausted after a day of thinking. This is because our vitality is present, but our spiritual power has been depleted. When spiritual power is abundant, one becomes sharp-minded and incredibly intelligent," A'Du explained.

"So, Brother A'Du, you must be one of those people with abundant spiritual power?" Li Qi asked with a smile.

"Heh heh, I wouldn't say that, I wouldn't say that," A'Du scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly. Then, he steered the conversation back to the main topic, "As for the final element, Qi, it is the most important."

"Essence, Qi, and Spirit are indispensable for the human body's functioning. Without them, a person becomes weak. When we usually say someone lacks spirit, we're actually speaking in veiled terms. These fundamental elements have long been disseminated throughout the world by the sages," A'Du said to Li Qi with a touch of emotion.

Li Qi deeply resonated with this.

The most basic axioms were always the most widely circulated. But the more fundamental something was, the more unshakeable it became, because all higher existence was built upon it.

As everyone knew, cutting-edge technologies published in top journals were constantly being overturned and rebuilt every year, and ordinary people simply couldn't be bothered to understand them.

But if a single law from elementary school textbooks were ever changed, it would cause a massive upheaval in the entire edifice of science.

This world, he surmised, was likely no different.

"However, Essence, Qi, and Spirit do not exist independently. Qi mediates between them. Qi is formless and intangible, yet it is the foundation of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Yang energy is a form converted from Qi. All life activities depend on Qi; it is the origin of life itself."

"The three are closely related, mutually generating, and interdependent, forming a person together. And this is the main point I'm about to discuss. Brother Li, the Three Innate Treasures can be weakened or activated through certain methods. Once activated, they have a restraining effect on demons and ghosts. If we want to travel through the wilderness, we must learn these methods," A'Du said.

"You want to teach me?" Li Qi was surprised.

Not only was this person freely telling him what the Three Innate Treasures were, but he was also willing to tell him how to activate them?

This wasn't exactly a cultivation technique, but such a small trick wouldn't typically be shared with a mere stranger, would it?

Li Qi's guard went up.

No one offers favors for no reason; they either have ulterior motives or are up to no good. This person might be trying to lead him into a trap.

"I wouldn't say 'teach,' I just want to increase our chances. Brother Li, I truly have very important matters to attend to, so important that I have to go out even if I'm alone. We both know how dangerous it is to travel far alone," A'Du said, scratching his head with a wry smile. "So, I'm really afraid something might happen. It wouldn't matter if something happened to me, but delaying the matters I have to attend to would cause huge problems. I would regret it for the rest of my life."

"Therefore, anything that can increase our odds, I will definitely do it, just like how I suddenly came to disturb you," A'Du said with a sincere expression.

"Then why don't you join them?" Li Qi subtly pointed with his finger at a group of traveling merchants nearby.

There were two such merchant groups at this tea stall. He pointed to the one closest to them.

Both groups consisted of more than ten people, gathered together, eating and drinking quietly. Even their conversations were hushed, just like Li Qi and A'Du.

Li Qi and A'Du were also speaking in low voices, and anyone further away couldn't hear them.

However, somehow, it seemed they had been overheard.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" A tall, burly man from the merchant group Li Qi had pointed at suddenly stood up.

He wore coarse linen clothes, stood about eight feet tall, a full foot taller than Li Qi. He was powerfully built, with thick joints and abundant body hair, his beard and chest hair merging into one. His appearance was fierce, and he wore a bamboo hat. He walked over with clear dissatisfaction.

"Ah, I apologize, I was just giving an example," Li Qi immediately stood up and apologized with a smile.

It was quite awkward to be overheard talking about someone behind their back, so an apology was in order.

The burly man, halfway to them, heard Li Qi stand up and apologize. He snorted, "You know better." With that, he returned to his group.

This wasn't unexpected. When traveling, having a temper could be acceptable, but constantly resorting to violence over trivial matters would only lead to trouble and a short life. Most likely, they would end up dead on the road.

Li Qi sat down, not feeling embarrassed. However, after this incident, he understood why A'Du didn't want to travel with those people.

A'Du also took the opportunity to explain in a low voice, "So... Brother Li, do you understand why I came to find you? If I were to join them... I'm afraid not even my bones would be left."

Li Qi nodded, deeply agreeing.

Given their quick temper that could flare up over a single word, combined with their group mentality, if these merchants harbored malicious intent, regardless of whether they would personally kill someone, it was entirely possible they would strip A'Du of his goods, dump him in the wilderness, and leave him to die a gruesome death.

Who would know how he died in the wilderness? The government office would likely not even bother to investigate.

In other words, A'Du chose Li Qi because he believed Li Qi posed less of a threat. A'Du was confident he could escape if Li Qi suddenly attacked him alone.

As he thought about these things, Li Qi suddenly froze.

Was he being a bit... paranoid?

It was just a matter of traveling with someone. Why did such a normal thing require such intricate scheming? Constant testing, all sorts of assumptions, and self-serving deductions about others' motives.

"Sigh..." Li Qi shook his head and rubbed his temples.

It was wise to guard against others, but that didn't mean one had to be like a porcupine, treating everyone with extreme vigilance. Besides, A'Du didn't seem to have any issues, and his explanations all added up. There was really no need to speculate about others with malice.

Although he spoke of killing as if it were nothing, it seemed to have left him with some psychological trauma...

"Brother Li, why the sudden sigh?" A'Du, seeing Li Qi's expression suddenly change from wariness to a wry, shaking head, looked puzzled.

"It's nothing. Let's finish eating quickly, rest well, and then we'll be on our way," Li Qi didn't say much more, but he was no longer as resistant to having someone around.