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Upon hearing Feng Xue's words, Jiang Ziya hesitated for a moment, but considering that he had already been driven down the mountain and his ideal of seeking immortality, he ultimately accepted the gift with both hands in a respectful manner.

Seeing this, Feng Xue took out a token engraved with the character "Heaven" from her pocket, placed it on the table, and said to Jiang Ziya:

"The worst thing you can do when studying medicine is to work in isolation. With this token, you can take a position at the City God Temple in the North of the City and open a Medical Hall. This will allow you to accumulate some experience and earn some money, saving you from the hardship of carrying heavy loads."

Although Jiang Ziya was no longer the worldly-wise old fox he would be eight years later, he had still lived seventy-two years to the fullest. Upon seeing the token, he hesitated to accept it, and instead bowed deeply, saying:

"What merit or ability do I possess to deserve such kindness from you, senior?"

"It was just a momentary appreciation of talent, and I couldn't bear to see such a gem go to waste." After saying this, Feng Xue flicked her robes and transformed into a wisp of breeze, disappearing without a trace, along with the Tea Room, the stove, and the bamboo grove.

Jiang Ziya looked around blankly, only to find himself still sitting in front of the sieve stall, with not a single sieve left in front of him.

"Is it a dream?" Jiang Ziya wanted to laugh at himself, but when he looked down, he saw that he was holding a scroll and a palm-sized token in his hand.

"It's really true?!" Jiang Ziya's face flushed slightly. He immediately put the token into his pocket, then opened the booklet titled "The Mandrake Longevity Method" and began to read it carefully.

After flipping through a few pages, Jiang Ziya felt slightly disappointed, because the book mostly contained methods for gathering herbs and taking medicine to prolong life, and the accompanying texts were mostly analyses of human body functions.

Although it couldn't be called commonplace, for an old man who had been refining elixirs on Kunlun Mountain for decades, this content was already deeply ingrained in his mind. However, thinking of the various miraculous feats displayed by that senior, he still patiently continued reading.

As he turned the pages, his movements gradually slowed, and his initial disdain was replaced by seriousness. As the discussion deepened, the medical principles that had been commonplace to him slowly transformed into unfamiliar concepts. What was originally a discussion of acupuncture and meridians became, in just a few sentences, the development of human potential. Many of these concepts, in Jiang Ziya's eyes, had reached the realm of magic, but this was merely something that mortals could achieve by circulating qi and blood and strengthening their muscles and bones.

Further on, the concepts of Yin and Yang harmony, Dragon and Tiger balance, and the dual cultivation of body and mind, even progressing from the simple act of gathering herbs and taking medicine, all the way to the discussion of the three flowers of essence, energy, and spirit, as well as the regulation and development of the five internal organs and the five energies, all seem to be aiming for the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and the convergence of the Five Energies Returning to the Origin.

It should be understood that reaching this level means one is no ordinary immortal. Among the many disciples on Kunlun Mountain, only second-generation disciples have reached this level, and there are only a handful of third-generation and below disciples.

Jiang Ziya continued turning the pages, only to find that the book had reached its end. His expression changed from anticipation to astonishment, and finally to a bitter look.

However, this bitterness didn't last long. After only a moment, he rallied, recalling Feng Xue's earlier words, and thought to himself:

"The senior didn't write about how to go further because he didn't want me to follow someone else's path. Instead, he wanted me to forge my own. That's right. This senior used the most common alchemy and medical principles as a starting point and has already shown a complete path to enlightenment. As long as I follow the steps, I can reach that realm. What difference does it make whether he wrote it down or not?"

Thinking of this, Jiang Ziya shook his head again, looked at his somewhat withered hands, and felt an unprecedented burning passion in his heart.

"Since the senior didn't write it down, it means he didn't want me to follow in his footsteps. Although the path of entering the Dao through medicine is clear, the senior's way focuses too much on the physical body and neglects spiritual cultivation. I don't know if this is an oversight left by the senior, but I can use it as a starting point to try to find my own path!"

At this moment, Jiang Ziya was more confident than ever about his path to immortality, because he knew very well that even if his ideas failed, the contents of this medical book would be enough to prolong his life. When that time came, he could simply reorganize all the knowledge he had gained in his life.

In my early years, I only felt that the term "enlightenment" was incredibly profound, and that a master who could attain enlightenment was an even Great Power. Therefore, I never thought that I could attain enlightenment myself, and I only focused on learning the way of others.

But now, with the guidance of this senior and this medical book as a starting point, it's as if he's taken the most difficult first step towards enlightenment. If he still can't become an immortal, it can only prove that Jiang Shang is nothing special!

With his mental barrier broken, Jiang Ziya felt a surge of clarity in his mind. Even if he were to take that step, it would seem to happen in an instant. However, having made his choice, Jiang Ziya had no intention of following the methods of the Jade Void Palace. He packed up the sieve from his stall, shouldered his load, and headed towards the City God Temple in the North of the City.

(When I was a child, I thought Jiang Ziya was quite incompetent at this time, but now that I think about it, Jiang Ziya carried a load on his shoulders and walked thirty-five li every day... Thirty-five li, even for a person with good stamina, it would take seven or eight hours to walk back and forth empty-handed. Jiang Ziya carried a load of sieves and his shoulders became a little red and swollen from the weight...)

As evening approached, Madam Ma, seeing that it was almost time, got up to wait at the door, only to see Jiang Ziya arrive with lightning speed, empty-handed. She couldn't help but ask in surprise:

"The sieves are all sold out, but how come even the carrying pole is gone?"

"What sieves and carrying poles? They've all been given to the villagers," Jiang Ziya said casually, his face glowing. Upon hearing this, Madam Ma's expression immediately changed. Just as she was about to say something, Jiang Ziya pulled out a wad of loose paper money from his robes and said:

"I met a senior colleague today who helped me find a job at the City God Temple: helping people see doctors and get medicine. This is my earnings for today. Use it to buy some household items."

Upon hearing this, Madam Ma immediately relaxed. She accepted the loose change without counting it, and simply welcomed Jiang Ziya into the room, bringing him food and drink. However, she couldn't help but feel a little worried, saying:

"This City God Temple is extremely popular these days. Be careful if you seek medical treatment there, lest you end up in a murder case instead of getting your illness cured."

Jiang Ziya was somewhat displeased upon hearing this and immediately said:

"I've been practicing alchemy in the Kunlun Mountains for forty years, and I've thoroughly mastered the principles of pharmacology and medicine. How could I possibly kill someone?!"

"You talk a big game, but I've never seen you treat yourself!"

Madam Ma Jiang Ziya's confidence, Ma didn't say much, only muttering something under her breath. Little did she know that Jiang Ziya was, after all, a cultivator; even if he hadn't become an immortal, he was still sharp of hearing and sight. She immediately glared at him and said:

"What ailment do I have that requires treatment?"

Madam Ma didn't speak, but her gaze was fixed on his lower body (the original text clearly states that Jiang Ziya, unable to achieve the Great Dao, had no interest in indulging in pleasures with Madam Ma considered him useless; the original text describes him as 'a useless thing'). Seeing this, Jiang Ziya was immediately enraged. Thinking of the Yin-Yang harmony technique in the Mandrake Longevity Method, he immediately rebuked her:

"Tonight I'll show you whether I'm crazy or not!"

"Hehe."

Regarding the issue of simplified characters, firstly, the characters for "one, two, three" (一二三) predate the capitalized characters for "one, two, three" (壹贰叁) by a considerable margin. The latter was created because the former was easier to forge. Secondly, we don't need to be so clear about things in the mythological world. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong lived during the Spring and Autumn Period, and the couplets in the Water Curtain Cave were already in small regular script.

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