Generating Qi Sensation (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Guan School was the lineage of learning passed down by Zhang Zai, Master Hengqu of the Northern Song.

From the Northern Song onward, Guan School had become the leading standard-bearer of Confucianism in the Guanzhong region.

"To establish the heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure the destiny of the living people."

"To carry on the lost teachings of the sages of old, to open an age of great peace for all generations to come."

These four lines of Hengqu were not only thunderously famous in ancient times; in later generations, they were renowned far and wide as well.

Few had never heard these four sayings of Guan School.

Complete Reality Taoism and Guan School were respectively the leading standard-bearers of Taoism and Confucianism in Guanzhong. Over the past thousand years, if anyone claimed the two had no dealings or ties of origin whatsoever... likely no one would believe it.

Earning the xiucai degree once again became Xu Xing's goal.

At first, he had wanted to obtain the xiucai degree because studying was the quickest path available to him to change his fate.

Jingyang County belonged to Jingzhao Prefecture.

Though Jingzhao Prefecture stood alone at the top in terms of literary education in the northwest, far surpassing the other regions, compared with the flourishing literary culture and fierce competition of the southern provinces, taking the imperial examinations in Jingzhao Prefecture was still relatively easy.

Besides, Taste Classics Academy was one of Guanzhong's four great academies.

Its educational resources were already among the finest in Jingzhao Prefecture.

For a student of Taste Classics Academy, earning a xiucai degree was not particularly difficult.

However, it was only the eleventh month now, and nearly three months remained until next February's county examination.

There was no need to rush for the degree just yet.

At this moment, Xu Xing was still more eager to cultivate the Rock Heart Method.

Two days later.

Master Ma began instructing Xu Xing on how to develop a sense of qi.

"Circulate the method..."

"Keep your state of mind calm. Quiet your heart, embrace the primal and guard the one..."

"I'll use my inner force to simulate the meridians through which the cultivation technique runs. Feel them carefully."

Inside the farmhouse bedroom, Master Ma and Xu Xing sat cross-legged facing each other on the earthen kang bed, while Kid Brother and the other brotherhood men guarded the door outside. Seeing that Xu Xing still could not sense qi after a long while, Master Ma directly used his own inner force to help Xu Xing locate the elusive sensation of qi within the Rock Heart Method.

But—

Just as Chang Ji had said.

For an ordinary person to sense qi, even with the guidance of a renowned master, would take at least half a month.

Unfortunately, Xu Xing's aptitude in the instance world was not much different from that of his original body.

He was an ordinary person as well.

"Let's stop here for today..."

"Cultivation is not the work of a single day. It lies in diligent daily practice."

Master Ma withdrew his index and ring fingers from Xu Xing's Tanzhong acupoint. After wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his rolled-up sleeve, he took several heavy breaths and spoke.

Expending inner force continuously for two hours was exhausting enough, even for someone with considerable skill like him.

"This is some restorative medicine I had a friend buy for you, Master Ma."

"A small token of my regard."

Seeing the cold sweat on Master Ma's brow and the pallor in his face, Xu Xing knew that helping him search for a sense of qi had consumed a great deal of Master Ma's inner strength. On top of that, Master Ma was already injured.

This expenditure had truly been no small matter.

He handed the prepared bundle of medicinal herbs to Master Ma.

Recently, Governor Fang Yun had been posting wanted notices everywhere for Master Ma and the other "rebels." Medicinal herbs were exceedingly precious to the brotherhood men of Filial Righteousness Hall.

At the same time, herbal shops large and small throughout Jingyang County Town were under strict surveillance by Qing soldiers.

Fortunately, Chen Jiangong's family ran a medicinal shop, and he himself had stockpiled quite a few herbs.

Among those stored herbs were no shortage of medicines that replenished qi and nourished the blood.

The reason he had stockpiled such medicines was that scholars could easily damage their bodies through studying and visiting prostitutes...

They needed supplements!

"Medicinal herbs?"

"Then I'll accept them without further ceremony."

Master Ma had originally wanted to refuse.

After all, he already felt unworthy of having received the Rock Heart Method.

He was not someone who liked owing others favors.

But when he heard that what Xu Xing had brought was "tonic medicine," he hesitated for a moment before accepting it. He was not the only one injured in the assassination attempt on the Governor of Qin Province. Of the dozen or so brothers who had returned, nearly every one of them bore wounds. These tonics were of great use at a time like this; he could not refuse them.

"Come again tomorrow..."

"Try not to interrupt your training."

After some thought, Master Ma decided to inconvenience himself a little and help Xu Xing succeed in his training as soon as possible.

He was a good judge of people. Though Xu Xing had rather a lot of tricks up his sleeve, what scholar did not?

Judge deeds, not hearts; judge hearts, and no one is flawless.

At the very least, Xu Xing had always been working for Filial Righteousness Hall, and his conduct could be considered steady and loyal.

Besides, Filial Righteousness Hall had leverage over Xu Xing from his days as a brother. No matter how high Xu Xing leapt, he would remain a brother of Filial Righteousness Hall for the rest of his life. That could not be changed.

"Thank you, Master Ma."

Xu Xing expressed his gratitude.

He had indeed harbored a measure of calculation when he gave Master Ma the "tonic medicine."

But Master Ma's willingness to repay favor for favor still delighted him beyond all expectation.

Thirteen days later.

Taste Classics Academy welcomed its major examination.

With the blessing of the [Well-Read and Retentive (Gray ↑)] Fate, Xu Xing was nearly capable of remembering everything at a glance. Coupled with the help of the academy's fine teachers and worthy friends, his attainments in composing eight-legged essays advanced by leaps and bounds.

Though his ranking on the red list fell twenty or thirty places compared with the previous minor examination, he won even greater recognition from everyone at the academy.

Because this time, for the Four Books question, Xu Xing had not written a standard imperial examination essay. Instead, based on what he had recently learned and using such model essays as a blueprint, he had independently completed all of the eight-legged essays.

Though the eight-legged essays he wrote were still immature, with phoenix heads and rat tails...

anyone with a discerning eye could see that Xu Xing's progress compared to last time had been extraordinarily rapid.

And through this, Xu Xing's Fate was strengthened once more.

[Mirror Master: Xu Xing.]

[Dao Fruit: An Ordinary Life (White), Well-Read and Retentive (Gray ↑).]

[...]

[Fate: Well-Read and Retentive (White).]

With the blessing of the [Well-Read and Retentive (White)] Fate, Xu Xing discovered that not only was his memory far superior to before, but even his comprehension of the classics was much easier than it had once been.

In other words, his aptitude for enlightenment had also improved considerably.

"Five centers facing heaven, keep the qi within the meridians..."

"Calm your mind. Let your spirit follow my inner force and feel the circulation through the meridians..."

Seventeen days later, Master Ma instructed Xu Xing once again.

"Did you remember it?"

"If not, I'll guide you through it once more with my inner force..."

Seeing Xu Xing still sitting with his eyes closed in thought, Master Ma sighed faintly to himself and asked.

Compared to his own son, Xu Xing's talent for martial arts was lacking by far more than a little. So many days had passed, yet under his patient guidance, Xu Xing had still made no breakthrough.

Though it was only natural that Xu Xing had not broken through...

watching day after day pass without success, not only was Xu Xing growing anxious, but he himself was gradually losing patience as well.

"It's done."

Suddenly, a light, drifting voice reached Master Ma's ears.

He shook his head. "It's fine even if it isn't. Don't be impatient. You scholars have too many thoughts, so you can't settle your minds. Practice more... Wait, did you say...?"

Master Ma reacted.

He stared intently at Xu Xing for several moments. "You really did it?"

Achieving success in seventeen days—this talent was neither good nor bad.

But considering Xu Xing's age, succeeding in seventeen days was quite decent.

After all, the older one grew, the more severely blocked one's meridians became.

"I really did it!"

Xu Xing looked at the new words that had appeared beneath the [Fate] entry and nodded earnestly.