Ordinary people failed to live out their natural lifespans because their spirits were needlessly depleted.
The main causes of this depletion were speaking and looking.
Keeping one's mouth shut and pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth could slow the loss of spirit to some extent. The same applied to the eyes.
As the old saying went, "Close your eyes to nourish your spirit." That was because a person's essence, energy, and spirit could spill out through their eyes.
It was also this leakage that allowed some experts to sense when they were being watched.
Bai Sui gathered his mind and used his Primordial Spirit to draw back his scattered spirit, putting himself in a state where his Inner Landscape neither leaked out nor let the outside in.
In this state, Bai Sui didn't have to worry that his gaze would attract anyone's attention.
The person before him was a ninja who dealt with spiritual energy, no less. Bai Sui naturally had to be more cautious.
The result was that, to an outsider, Bai Sui's eyes looked vacant and his pupils dim, making him seem rather slow-witted.
Ignoring the unimportant details, he focused on the person in front of him.
After observing him for a while, Bai Sui noticed that his clothes were badly worn in several places. He couldn't tell whether the man was short on money or the fighting was so urgent that he hadn't had time to change.
Honestly, Bai Sui hoped neither was the case. He'd much rather the man was simply too slovenly to bother changing. Either of the other possibilities would mean the Uzumaki Clan was in a bad way.
Though Bai Sui was taking part in a low-risk transport mission, there was still some danger involved. If the fighting went badly, even if he managed to leave Uzumaki Clan Territory without a hitch, getting safely out of the war zone wouldn't be easy.
Bai Sui also noticed that the man in front of him wasn't very old. He looked about ten or so. But considering that, in the story, children could become Genin at eleven or twelve, perhaps that wasn't so young after all.
Silently following in the man's footsteps, Bai Sui arrived at a snow-storage area. Five people stood there. One wore the standard Uzumaki uniform; the other four were civilians who, like Bai Sui, had been assigned to transport supplies.
The two members of the Uzumaki Clan exchanged a glance, then turned to the civilians. "Good. Everyone's here. Some of you have done this before, while others are taking part for the first time, but that's fine. Just follow orders.
"See the supplies over there? You'll each take one cart and transport its load to the forward camp. We'll protect you along the way. As long as you do as you're told, you won't be in any danger. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The group answered in a jumble. The Uzumaki didn't seem to mind. They waved for everyone to go load the supplies.
Bai Sui followed the others to the supply depot. The goods had clearly been prepared in advance. More than twenty wheelbarrows stood in a row, each loaded with bundles of scrolls. They looked like Sealing Scrolls containing supplies, much like the ones Bai Sui remembered transporting last time.
Ninja in this world had wondrous items like Sealing Scrolls. Bai Sui didn't know about other clans, but the Uzumaki Clan specialized in sealing. How could they not make use of that advantage?
The carts might not look like much, but the supplies inside could be enough to sustain a small war.
Without saying anything, Bai Sui picked a wheelbarrow and pushed it over to the two Uzumaki, waiting for them to lead the way.
Soon, the others arrived with their carts, and the party of eight set off beneath the moonlight.
To accommodate the civilians, each cart had a torch fixed to its front. By its light, they could just about make their way through the night.
After all, not everyone was a ninja who could see clearly in the dark with only a faint glimmer of light.
Bai Sui could, of course. His dantian had already crystallized, and he was no longer like an ordinary person.
His head was clear and his eyes sharp. He could look at the sun in the daytime and see in the dark. He could spot a flower's stamen a hundred paces away, or a mosquito larva swimming in a pond. He had great strength and rarely tired. At times, he could hear the sound of wind and thunder in his belly.
His dantian was warm, he urinated less, and his limbs were light and strong. His spirit was refreshed, and he could travel five hundred li in a day. His face glowed, his skin was full and healthy, his body carried a subtle fragrance, and his mouth produced sweet fluids. His mind was at peace, his desires unmoved, and love, joy, grief, and sorrow all arose from within.
He could sense the workings of Heaven and Earth, know the shifts in wind and rain and the changes between bitter cold and warmth. He could discern the four seasons and distinguish the five elements. At times, his heart stirred with premonition, allowing him to sense fortune and misfortune.
Even if every torch were extinguished, Bai Sui could still make out the veins on leaves a zhang away.
He suspected that, apart from those with special eye techniques or related bloodline abilities, the ninjas weren't any better-sighted than he was. That might be one of his advantages.
Bai Sui suddenly felt that it might rain around noon the next day. Judging by his sense, it wouldn't be a light shower. It seemed they'd chosen a poor time to transport the supplies.
The night passed without incident. They traveled more than thirty kilometers, and by the time the sky began to brighten, they finally reached a village.
The supplies seemed to be urgently needed. Six villagers were waiting there to take the wheelbarrows from Bai Sui and the others, then continue on with the two Uzumaki.
Bai Sui and the rest were to take a short break in the village, then make their own way back to Uzumaki Clan Territory. It was an exceptionally easy and safe mission.
At the same time, Bai Sui realized that his chance to leave the Uzumaki Clan had arrived. It had come so suddenly, and so peacefully.
None of the conflicts he'd anticipated had occurred. Just like that, a safe and peaceful opportunity to leave had presented itself.
He knew that once he left, someone might report it. If the Uzumaki caught wind of his departure, he might have trouble getting away. So Bai Sui didn't set out right away. He had to stay and rest first, then leave when the rain came at noon.
First, by then, the two Uzumaki transporting the supplies would have gone far ahead. Second, the downpour would stop the civilians from sending word and cover his tracks.
Bai Sui hurried into the room they'd assigned him to rest. He'd spent all night pushing a cart and traveling, and he had no idea what he might encounter next. He needed to recover his strength.
He slept until noon. With so many people around, meditating wasn't practical, so he had to settle for the less efficient method of sleeping to restore his spirit.
When Bai Sui woke, the sky was already thick with dark clouds. After lunch, the rain began to fall.
The spring rain brought its characteristic chill, driving everyone still outdoors back inside. When Bai Sui saw that the only sound outside was the rain, he got up and went out.
He told the others who had come with him that he was going to the latrine, then strode off in his rain cape.