In the course of their conversation, they had actually mentioned him. Like Asura Contemplation: visualize yourself surrounded by hundreds of ghosts and ten thousand demons, and remain utterly unafraid. It was also a way to overcome terror. Hong Yi understood, however, that Hong Gui had once gotten drunk and happened to be summoned by Marquis Wuwen, only to be beaten with the family discipline. His soul drifted toward the eastern courtyard. He had seen both men before, when they studied together at the Hong Family clan school. "Cousin, what are you afraid of? He's just the son of a deceased concubine. I've seen him at the clan school, and he really does put on airs as though he's learned something. If you can't stand him, when the school opens again, I'll find an excuse to give him a beating." Hong Xuejiao darted back and forth. Every punch and every movement made a sound, like the blast of a fist's cutting wind, or bones shaking inside the body. The servants, guards, stewards, clerks, and maids were all gathered in the northern corner. He quickly stilled his thoughts. I've only just managed to fly as high as a person, and I drift no faster than an ordinary person running. Why does it feel so uncomfortable? At this rate, never mind making a round trip of a thousand li in a day; I'm barely any faster than walking. Clearly, my soul is still too weak. But the Amitabha Sutra's method of cultivation really is perilous. Visualize the power of the stars entering the brain, and face one illusion after another, holding firm against each. If you fail to hold firm even once, your soul will scatter. It's truly... The Daoist Classic also records methods for strengthening the soul, such as White Bone Contemplation, Asura Contemplation, Jade Maiden Contemplation, Ascension Contemplation, and so on. Yet I seem to have experienced each of these visualizations! No wonder this volume, the Amitabha Sutra, is the source of all schools of practice. Like Jade Maiden Contemplation: visualize yourself embracing a jade maiden as she makes all manner of seductive gestures, while you remain unmoved, training your heart to be as cold as ice and snow. Hong Yi let his soul drift inside again and saw Hong Xuejiao in the center of the courtyard, leaping and practicing martial arts. The other concubines lived together in the west, but none of them had a whole section of the estate to herself like the three madams. Lady Fang, the second wife, lived on the eastern side of the Marquis Mansion, in Yunting Studio, and had a daughter, Hong Xuejiao. Rong Pan chuckled. "Young Master Gui, don't be upset. I heard the Marquis won't let him practice martial arts. In our Great Gan Dynasty, scholars can only become officials, while those who serve in the military can earn noble titles. If Young Master Gui masters his martial arts and then goes to the Martial Hall to train, with the Marquis's reputation and connections from his time in the army, you'll be at least a commander after you graduate. After a few battles, wouldn't you be a marquis too? And even if Hong Yi passes the imperial exam and becomes an official, so what? One day he might displease the emperor, and then his family will be confiscated, his head will be chopped off, or he'll be exiled—it happens all the time. Our Great Gan Dynasty may nominally respect scholars, but it doesn't hesitate to behead them or confiscate their families' property." A book lay on the ground, covered with countless illustrations of people in various poses, along with written characters and annotations. Hong Yi seemed to have experienced all these scenes of contemplation while cultivating the Amitabha Sutra. In other words, in the briefest flash, the sutra's practice encompassed every kind of method. Hong Yi passed through the wall and saw two men sparring. One wielded a hard wooden staff held level with his brows, while the other seemed to be attacking with bare hands and feet. Both wore silk martial outfits, and their movements carried a hint of fierce, tiger-like force. Just as he reached Yunting Studio in the eastern courtyard, Hong Yi heard a sharp crash, as if something had exploded or a porcelain vase had shattered. One crash followed another, leaving him to wonder what was happening inside. Like Ascension Contemplation: visualize a mighty force drawing your soul upward into a daytime ascension, then resist the impulse to ascend, dispelling deluded thoughts in the process. Hearing the conspiracy, Hong Yi secretly kept his guard up, and his soul drifted away. All around was quiet, with only soft starlight spilling down. Like White Bone Contemplation: visualize your whole body rotting, covered in maggots and flies, your white bones exposed, to overcome your fear. The Marquis Mansion had three madams. The first wife, Lady Zhao, lived in the central residence and had two sons. This was Hong Yi's first time wandering by night as a soul, and he found it fascinating. Curiosity stirred in Hong Yi, and he wanted to open the book and see what it was. But he had left his body as a soul and couldn't turn the pages. The sounds came from a large courtyard enclosed by tall red-lacquered walls. Inside, he heard the swish of fists and feet, along with voices. Hong Yi floated out of a corner of the Marquis Mansion and drifted south. "Hmph. I finally got to see Father, only to be beaten with the family discipline. I was bedridden for half a year before I recovered." Poison glinted in Hong Gui's eyes. "Hong Yi saw Father once and got praised. He even got the accounts office to give him a hundred taels. He's the son of a lowly registered concubine—what makes him deserve that? Just because he passed the county-level examination? It's nothing special," Hong Gui said bitterly. What's more, neither doors nor walls could stop him. With a thought, he passed right through. The two exchanged blows for several rounds, then stopped and began talking. "Even so, I can't get this anger out of my chest." Hong Gui planted his staff against the ground. Hong Yi recognized them. The one with the staff was Hong Gui, the son of Madam Rong, the third madam; the one defending himself barehanded was a relative on Madam Rong's side, named Rong Pan. "Young Master Gui needn't get angry with someone like that." A thought stirred, and his soul suddenly shot higher into the air, drifting faster. It was now the dead of night. Everyone in the Marquis Mansion was asleep, except for the servants patrolling with lanterns and making their rounds. Hong Yi's soul left his body and floated out to wander, and he felt utterly at ease. Hong Yi heard this and gave a cold laugh inwardly. He hadn't expected that merely being seen by Marquis Wuwen would earn him so much secret envy. A soul was nothing but an intangible thought; how could doors and walls hold it back? He drifted forward with his feet a foot or two above the ground. He felt light as a feather, without the slightest weight, but unlike walking in the flesh, he felt no solid footing beneath him. The southern courtyard of the Marquis Mansion was called Lanting Studio, the residence of Madam Rong, the third wife. "Brother, I heard Father suddenly summoned Hong Yi a few days ago and even had the accounts office give him a hundred taels, telling him to prepare for the imperial examinations this spring. Do you think there's some deeper meaning in that? Has Father begun to take Hong Yi seriously? Father has never paid that kid any attention." Yet Hong Yi suddenly heard a voice. The midsummer heat made it feel as refreshing as splashing in cool water. I can't believe I've reached the Night Roaming realm so quickly. The Daoist Classic says that cultivators need at least a year of settling their minds and calming their spirits before they can barely reach this state. How did I manage it so fast? As the two spoke, Rong Pan said ingratiatingly. Just then, Hong Xuejiao's body swept past, raising a fierce gust of wind that flipped the book over. Hong Yi saw five large characters on its pages: Tiger Demon Bone Refining Fist! As his soul flew higher and his speed increased, Hong Yi felt as if he couldn't catch his breath. A chill ran through his body, as though the wind might scatter him. Madam Rong, the third wife, lived in Lanting Studio in the southern courtyard of the Marquis Mansion. She had one son. Hong Yi had read the Daoist Classic, which also recorded many methods for strengthening the soul. Some books of collected notes even say that a soul can travel a thousand li in a single night. A Daoist supposedly sat motionless in front of someone for an entire day, then woke and told them what had happened a thousand li away. He claimed that he had sent his spirit out of his body and traveled a thousand li before returning, all in one day. No one believed him, but a month later, news arrived from a thousand li away, and it was exactly as the Daoist had described. I wonder if I can travel a thousand li in my soul. Let me test how fast I can drift.
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