The Way of Outer Elixirs

"Thud..."

A bell rang in the Daoist temple.

Lin Jue hurried out of bed and pushed open the door.

Just as he'd expected, the Junior Sister who had entered the temple with him hadn't remembered where the dining hall was. But she was clever, too; she was quietly waiting for him at the door.

As soon as she saw him, she stole a glance at him.

"Senior Brother, they're serving the food..."

"Hm? Yes, it's mealtime. Let's go."

Although Lin Jue looked about the same age as the little girl, he was actually older. He certainly wouldn't make such a young girl nervous. Besides, he'd already taken a good impression of her on the way here, so he smiled at her and led the way.

The dining hall was a room in a corner of the outer courtyard. Since the Heavenly Elder Hall stood between it and the kitchen, the kitchen was in another corner. As they walked over, they saw several Senior Brothers carrying large basins of food toward the dining hall.

They were both new here, and whether or not they felt at ease, they were bound to be a little unfamiliar with things. For a moment, neither knew what to do.

"Go sit down."

The Senior Brother looked quite kindly disposed.

The two of them went and sat down in the dining hall.

It was neither large nor small, with several long wooden tables, presumably for pilgrims. Two tables had been pushed together in the middle to make one longer table, and all the food was laid out on it.

There were nine disciples in the temple altogether. They sat along both sides of the long table, while Cloud Crane Taoist sat alone at the head.

Lin Jue couldn't help looking over the food on the table.

The Junior Sister was sneaking glances at it, too.

The temple's meals were simple, but not crude.

There was no great fish or meat, but there was a pot of rice. Though it had been cooked neither fluffy nor soupy, it was still better than what most households at the foot of the mountain could afford. There were only two other dishes: boiled cabbage, with a faint sheen of oil floating on top, and wild greens stir-fried with eggs. Both were served in large porcelain basins.

"I'll serve the rice."

The First Senior Brother was sitting closest to the rice pot, so he got up and served it without being asked.

Soon, a bowl of rice had been set in front of each person.

It looked like it might be all right.

Their growth over the next few years depended on this.

"Eat, eat, eat..."

At the old Daoist's command, everyone picked up their bowls.

Lin Jue waited for the others to start using their chopsticks. He discreetly looked around. No one seemed to have any reservations, and there didn't seem to be any other etiquette to follow. Everyone was quite casual, so he relaxed and picked up his chopsticks, too.

He picked up some cabbage and put it in his mouth.

"..."

Well! People at the foot of the mountain couldn't afford salt and had to pinch pennies at every meal, but this Daoist temple was downright extravagant!

Lin Jue said nothing and lowered his head to shovel in a big mouthful of rice.

Then he picked up a bite of wild greens and eggs.

"..."

The wild greens weren't ginseng leaves, nor were they any kind of wild vegetable Lin Jue recognized. They were soft, not especially suited to being stir-fried with eggs, and—as with most wild greens that hadn't been prepared properly—tasted bitter.

Lin Jue didn't say anything about that, either.

That was just how things were these days—

Iron woks had only appeared recently. Before then, there hadn't been stir-frying at all. Aside from inns and restaurants that specialized in selling meals and wine, and wealthy households with cooks, it was rare for people to know how to make food taste good. Besides, most people struggled even to eat their fill. On the mountain, they dug up whatever wild greens they could eat, without worrying about the taste.

Having food like this in a Daoist temple was already quite good.

Lin Jue glanced across the table again.

The Junior Sister, like he had when looking at the others, had been watching him. Seeing him eat without restraint, she cautiously followed his example.

She, at least, seemed quite pleased with the food.

"Don't just eat rice. Have some vegetables, have some vegetables. Eat some eggs, too. These eggs are from our own chickens, and there are plenty. We'll never finish them, so don't be shy." Sixth Senior Brother had noticed that Lin Jue kept eating rice, and so did the Junior Sister. Realizing they were too embarrassed to take any dishes, he urged them repeatedly.

"Got it, Senior Brother."

"Got it, Senior Brother!"

Lin Jue couldn't help glancing at the little girl across from him.

"The rule at our Daoist temple is that, except for Master, we take turns cooking. We switch every month. This month, it's my turn," Sixth Senior Brother said. "You two are lucky. If it weren't my turn, the best those fellows could manage would be a pot of wild greens boiled in plain water. If Third Senior Brother's cooking, either he forgets to make dinner or he pours wine into the food. You'd better cherish this month with me, your Sixth Senior Brother, cooking."

"..."

Lin Jue couldn't help glancing at Sixth Senior Brother.

"Can you two cook?"

"I can."

"I can... I can't..."

"Next month, it'll be Seventh Brother's turn to cook, and the month after that, Lin Jue's. By then, you should be familiar with the temple. It's all right if you can't cook. Your Senior Brothers can't, either. As long as you can cook the food through, that's enough."

"Got it."

"G-got it..."

They finished their supper without leaving much behind.

Lin Jue kept thinking about which of the seven arts he should cultivate first and which he should focus on. Since he didn't know enough yet, he went to find Second Senior Brother, who specialized in alchemy.

"What is it, Junior Brother?"

"Second Senior Brother, I don't know what I should study. I wanted to ask you about alchemy first."

"Don't be so formal."

Second Senior Brother didn't seem to be much of a talker; you could tell just by looking at him. He merely nodded, his expression unchanged.

The two of them strolled beneath the night sky.

A crescent moon hung above them.

"Did Master tell you that in ancient times, Human Realm cultivators focused on alchemy?"

"He did."

"You also know the difference between Outer Elixirs and Inner Elixirs?"

"I know the basics."

"Then I won't say too much." Second Senior Brother, Yan Xuanyi, nodded. "In ancient times, cultivators sought Divine Abilities through alchemy, longevity through alchemy, and Immortal Ascension through alchemy. These days, most people believe that alchemy only has the uses of healing the sick, saving people, and increasing one's cultivation. At most, they've heard the legends about a Golden Pill that could make someone an immortal with a single dose. But that's not the whole story."

"Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

Lin Jue was eager to learn, and listened attentively.

"In ancient times, everyone practiced alchemy. The Outer Elixir path was naturally a Great Dao, not some minor path. The later Spiritual Law School and the ancient Outer Elixir School had things in common, too. Alchemy drew from Heaven and Earth, and so did magic. Broadly speaking, whatever cultivation and magic could accomplish back then, alchemy could accomplish as well."

When he spoke of the practice he specialized in, even Second Senior Brother grew a little more talkative.

"For example, cultivation can lead to Immortal Ascension and longevity, and so can alchemy... You must have heard the old stories about someone eating a Golden Pill and flying off to become an immortal, gaining eternal life, haven't you?"

"I have."

"Or take the Five Elements Magic. You can learn a spell that lets you burrow through the earth. There was also an elixir that could let you burrow through the earth if you swallowed it. There are spells that let you spit fire or grow young again, and there were elixirs that could do the same if you took them."

"It was really that miraculous?"

"First came the Outer Elixirs, then the Inner Elixirs, and only after that came Spiritual Methods," Second Senior Brother said. "The two paths have things in common, but they're different, too. It's just a pity that the Outer Elixir path gradually declined, while the Inner Elixir path retreated into the mountains. With time, neither could match the Spiritual Law School's prosperity. More and more new spells appeared that alchemy couldn't reproduce. Magic kept developing, while the Outer Elixir path stood still. And it wasn't just standing still—the ancient elixir recipes were lost in ever greater numbers."

"So that's how it was."

"It's a pity our temple belongs to the Spiritual Law School. I've studied alchemy, too, but I don't have a complete inheritance. The Patriarch left behind five elixir recipes, and the generations since have collected more, but we still only have a dozen or so."

As he spoke, Second Senior Brother looked at Lin Jue.

"Besides that, I'm also proficient in Fire Element Magic that goes with alchemy, and I know the methods of 'ingesting' and 'gathering.'"

"Fire Element Magic?"

"You need fire for alchemy. But you haven't started cultivating Spiritual Methods yet. You'll need to cultivate them and build up some power before you can practice Five Elements Magic."

"Then when can I cultivate Spiritual Methods?"

"Don't rush. The First Senior Brother will teach you. If anyone should be in a hurry, it should be Master, not you." Second Senior Brother spoke calmly. "But you can't start by learning Spiritual Methods, and you can't learn only Spiritual Methods, either."

"Why not?"

"Wouldn't that mean knowing only the technique and not the Way?" Second Senior Brother glanced at him calmly.

"Knowing only the technique and not the Way..."

Lin Jue murmured the words, his expression growing serious.

"Master said you practiced the Qi Nourishing Method for a few years. If you've made up your mind and want to learn alchemy, I can teach you other aspects of it first, then teach you ingestion and gathering. Once you've cultivated magical power and learned Fire Element Magic, I'll teach you how to make elixirs." As he spoke, Second Senior Brother added a reminder. "Oh, and although you can't start learning Spiritual Methods just yet, you can keep practicing the Qi Nourishing Method you already know. When the time comes, the cultivation you've gained from it will carry over to your Spiritual Methods."

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother."

"Anything else?"

"There is..."

"What?"

"When Master and I went to Mountain Lord's banquet, I happened to get a piece of Earth Wood Essence along the way." Lin Jue took it from his robes, looking a little embarrassed. "I heard that it has an effect just by carrying it on you, but it works even better if it's made into an elixir. So I wanted to ask you, Second Senior Brother, how to refine it."

"It's just the essence of the Five Qi. All you need to do is draw out its Spiritual Resonance. If you want to make an elixir and take it, give it to me. I'll fiddle around with it for you when I have some time in the next few days."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Second Senior Brother."

"Don't be so formal."

Second Senior Brother's expression remained calm. He took the Earth Wood Essence from Lin Jue, then turned and headed toward his room in the night, his calm voice trailing behind him.

"We're a small temple, and there aren't many of us. It's just a few Senior and Junior Brothers spending all day together. There's really no need to be so formal."

"Got it."

Lin Jue stood where he was.

A few cats and dogs on the ground looked up at him curiously.

He suddenly felt glad he'd chosen this place.

He returned to his room, thought things over, and fell asleep.

Though it was already midsummer, the mountains stayed cool. At night, it was so quiet he could hear the cries of wild animals and birds from far away, making it peaceful and easy to sleep.

The First Senior Brother woke him early in the morning.

The First Senior Brother brought Lin Jue and the Junior Sister to the Mountain Moving Hall. At that hour, only the three of them were there. He gave each of them a scripture, then told them to recite it.

Lin Jue had seen the book before—

It was the Yin Yang Scripture.

"Read it a hundred times, and its meaning will reveal itself. For the first month, recite the Yin Yang Scripture once every morning."

The First Senior Brother's explanation was much like Second Senior Brother's. Their temple practiced Yin Yang Spiritual Law, but the essence of the Great Way of Yin Yang was the Way; Yin Yang Spiritual Law was merely a technique. So before teaching them Spiritual Methods, he had them recite the Yin Yang Scripture.

This must have been Floating Hill Temple's morning lesson.

Lin Jue didn't say anything and began to read.

"Heaven gives birth to the Five Qi, Earth bears Yin and Yang. Day and night alternate, the four seasons turn—these are all the Way of Yin and Yang..."

As Lin Jue read, he noticed there was no sound beside him.

He turned his head—

The Junior Sister was holding the Yin Yang Scripture, sitting on a meditation cushion. Her clear, fair little face was full of confusion, and she didn't know where to look.

She looked at the book, then at Lin Jue.

Then she turned to look at the First Senior Brother.

"What's wrong? Oh! You can't read?" The First Senior Brother understood.

"..."

"It's all right. Since you can't read, you can go back and rest for now," the First Senior Brother said. "Someone will teach you to read in a couple of days. Don't rush. Learn your characters first."

"Mm..."

The Junior Sister had no choice but to nod and put down the book.

"Go back and rest."

But the Junior Sister wouldn't leave. She stayed seated and glanced toward Lin Jue. "I'll listen to Junior Brother while he reads..."

"That's fine."

The First Senior Brother didn't object.

It was always good to be eager to learn.

Lin Jue didn't mind, either, and continued reciting.

"Heaven gives birth to the Five Qi, Earth bears Yin and Yang. Day and night alternate, the four seasons turn—these are all the Way of Yin and Yang..."

He paused as he read, then looked back.

The little girl was still very confused.

"It means that Heaven gives birth to five kinds of qi, and Earth bears the alternation of Yin and Yang. Mm, this is probably a kind of parallel phrasing. It means that both Heaven and Earth have five kinds of qi and the alternation of Yin and Yang. The changes of day and night and the turning of the seasons are all the Way of Yin and Yang..."

Then he continued with the next line.

Sitting on the meditation cushion, the little girl listened intently. Her expression showed how deeply moved—and ashamed—she felt.