Merit as the Catalyst

Before Chen Cuo could speak, Chen Jiao laughed.

"Second Brother, have you forgotten? Before the New Year, an old beggar came asking for food. You hadn't moved into your own residence yet, so you saw him too. I felt sorry for him and got him some noodle soup. He thanked me and said I had exceptional talent, that I was made for cultivation, and that he wanted to take me as his disciple. But you stopped him..."

"An old beggar?"

Chen Jiao nodded. "You had your men drive him away. Before he left, he gave me a few trinkets, including this Paper Crane, and taught me a verse to recite day and night. A few days ago, I suddenly found I could control the crane..."

She spoke casually, but Chen Cuo's heart surged.

He silently sifted through the fragments of his memory, searching for clues.

Suspecting something was one thing; seeing it with his own eyes was another. If what Chen Jiao said was true, he needed to change his plans quickly.

If I'd merely traveled back to ancient times, I'd have options. With my position, I could build industries, train a new army, or enter the court and push for reform. I might even turn the tide of history—or at least protect Chen Fangqing's household. Then I wouldn't have taken over this body for nothing. But once the Immortal School enters the picture, there's no telling how deep this goes. The course of history itself might be the result of struggles between cultivators. What could a worldly noble do to change it? There probably isn't much time before All Under Heaven is unified. How much can one man change in so short a time?

He had thought he had landed in the ancient world. That, at least, he had some knowledge to draw on. But if the Immortal School was involved, all his determination would not be enough.

Wait. If that's true, Zhou Youzi's book clearly wasn't nonsense. This could be an opportunity. But I still need to confirm it...

His eyes brightened at the thought. He asked Chen Jiao, "Can you tell me the verse the old beggar taught you?"

Chen Jiao's face turned stern. "I can't. Don't be angry—the old beggar told me not to. He said you had little fortune and a life full of ill luck, so he wanted nothing to do with you. Oh, don't look at me like that! I don't mind, and I even argued on your behalf. But the old beggar said, 'One of your elder brothers is cruel, and the other is ill-fated. I fear neither will come to a good end. Stay with them, and disaster will catch up with you sooner or later. You'd be better off becoming my disciple. I come from...'"

"From where?" Chen Cuo knew Southern Chen would eventually fall to a northern dynasty, but he had traveled here with knowledge of history. How could an old beggar living in this world know? Perhaps the man truly had some skill.

"I don't know where he came from." Chen Jiao spread her hands. "Before he could finish, your men arrived and drove him off!"

Chen Cuo had no answer to that.

Chen Jiao's eyes suddenly lit up. "My little crane is sending back word! I'll tell you what's happening, Brother. Mother is speaking with that gentleman about Eldest Brother! This Master Zhou really has the air of an immortal. He looks more like an expert than that old beggar did! Oh, I'd better stop talking. Master Zhou glanced at my little crane. He must have noticed it. I need to call it back before something happens to it. I don't have anything else nearly as fun!"

With that, she hurriedly formed a hand seal.

In the main hall, the dignified madam of the Chen Residence was speaking with a Confucianism scholar.

The man appeared to be around forty. His long eyebrows reached toward his temples, and he wore a long beard. His hair was loosely fastened, with most of it hanging free. His robe was wide, his bearing refined. He was Zhou Youzi.

He withdrew his gaze from the window and smiled at Madam Chen. "I heard that before the late Prince Min departed for the north, he left behind two sons and a daughter. His Highness has now gone south to take command, and the younger lord has received his title. But how fares your daughter?"

"Hmm?" The Chen Residence madam looked startled, then smiled. "Since you ask, sir, I have no reason not to answer. My daughter is unruly. I feared she might offend you, so I did not summon her."

Though everyone in the residence called her the old madam, Chen Cuo's Mother was only in her forties, still handsome despite her years.

As she finished speaking, a young man nearby said with a smile, "You should know, sir, that my cousin is very clever. I'm sure you would like her if you met her."

Zhou Youzi nodded and smiled. "Indeed, Young Master Zhang. I would like to meet her."

Chen He entered just then and murmured a few words into Madam Chen's ear. Her expression did not change. She said to Zhou Youzi, "Since you wish to meet her, I'll have her come pay her respects. My disappointing second son has recovered somewhat, so I'll summon him as well."

Before long, Chen Cuo and Chen Jiao arrived at the main hall together.

Chen Cuo spotted Zhou Youzi at once. The man did indeed have an extraordinary bearing, like a self-help guru from his former life. Chen Cuo's heart tightened. Then he saw Chen Cuo's Mother in the seat of honor, with the young man beside her.

The young man was Madam Chen's cousin's son, Zhang Ju, a member of the Zhang clan of Wu Commandery. He served at court as a court historian. His residence was not far from the prince's, and he visited often. He treated Chen Fangqing's elder brother with the utmost respect and was courteous to Chen Cuo as well. Now, seeing Chen Cuo enter, he smiled and nodded.

Madam Chen's expression was far less welcoming. With Zhou Youzi present, she restrained herself and merely said without expression, "Master Zhou is an old friend of our family. He is also known as Daoist Half-Heart. Come pay your respects."

Chen Cuo and Chen Jiao bowed to Zhou Youzi.

"My lord, my lady, please rise. I'm but a commoner; I don't deserve such courtesy." Despite his polite words, Zhou Youzi made no move to stop them. His gaze passed over Chen Cuo and settled on Chen Jiao. He nodded repeatedly.

Chen Jiao looked perfectly composed. After bowing, she stood to one side in silence.

The Paper Crane was still on Chen Cuo's mind, and he wanted to ask about it. But seeing the situation, he held back his curiosity and decided to observe before making a move.

Chen Cuo's Mother said, "You've seen them both now, sir. Compared with my Eldest Son, they still have some way to go. To be frank, I invited you here in the hope that you might grant him an opportunity."

"His Highness holds the southern frontier and is a pillar of the court. I'm a wanderer with no official post and can do little to help him. But the late Prince Min showed me great kindness before he departed for the north. I have never forgotten it, and it is only right that I repay him..." As he spoke, Zhou Youzi drew his gaze away from Chen Jiao. His broad sleeve swept across the table beside him, leaving two palm-sized wooden boxes behind, one bright red and the other jet-black.

"What are these?" Chen Cuo's Mother asked quickly, looking at the boxes.

Zhou Youzi picked up the red box. The moment he opened it, a strange fragrance filled the hall. Inside lay a vivid red pill.

Everyone in the room looked over. Even the servants attending them inside and outside could not resist craning their necks, their faces filled with varying degrees of wonder.

Chen Cuo's Mother waved away the servants who did not need to be there, keeping only three or four trusted attendants.

Some of those dismissed looked back reluctantly, but none dared disobey.

Only then did Madam Chen ask about the pill.

Zhou Youzi smiled. "This is a Clarity Pill, refined by my Master’s Sect. Held in the mouth, it clears the mind and sharpens understanding. Swallowed, it calms the Mind Monkey and restless thoughts within a short while and brings clarity of Wisdom. I brought it here as a gift for your family."

"So it's that pill!" Zhang Ju murmured.

"You know of it, nephew?" Chen Cuo's Mother turned to ask.

Zhang Ju nodded and cupped his hands. "I once watched the renowned go master, Elder Shi, play a match. He was past sixty, and by the middle game he had grown drowsy and exhausted. His white stones were losing. He had someone bring him one of these pills, and as soon as he held it in his mouth, he became alert and won three games in a row! Afterward, he spat it out and stored it carefully, refusing to let anyone see it. I later heard that it can increase one's Wisdom!"

"It has such remarkable effects?" Chen Cuo's Mother grew solemn. "Something so precious must be difficult to refine."

"It does take time, and several of the ingredients are harder still to gather, but it is not without its limits. The pill clears the mind, though only temporarily. Disciples of my sect take it when they enter seclusion to contemplate profound mysteries. It works on ordinary people as well." Zhou Youzi closed the lid, and the fragrance vanished at once. His gaze drifted toward Chen Jiao, seemingly by chance.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. You have my thanks!" Chen Cuo's Mother nodded with a smile, then looked at the black box.

Zhou Youzi opened the second box.

What lay inside startled both Chen Cuo and Chen Jiao: a Paper Crane carved from black jade.

"This is an Ink Crane," Zhou Youzi said with a smile, stroking his beard. "It can be guided by thought to fly within ten li, letting its master see and hear distant things as though they were close at hand."

Chen Cuo's Mother was visibly moved.

It was a marvelous tool for scouting and gathering information. Her eldest son was stationed away from home, nominally in command of the troops. Others might handle the actual work, but such a device ought to be useful to him. Even if he merely kept it on display, it would still be worth having.

"Such a valuable gift must have cost you much effort." She rose with difficulty, intending to bow.

Zhou Youzi shook his head to stop her. "My teacher gave it to me. With less than ten years of cultivation, I haven't even completed the first step on the path. I still wander the mortal world, without inner fire. How could I refine a Magical Artifact?"

Chen Cuo's Mother was startled. "Then it's more precious still! How can we accept it?"

"Please don't refuse so quickly, Madam. There is a reason behind this; you will understand in time. Besides, I have my own considerations in offering these two gifts." Zhou Youzi pointed to the boxes. "My teacher's teachings descend from a branch of the Guangcheng Dao Lineage. Though we no longer follow the path of refining qi, we still cultivate virtue. An ordinary disciple needs a catalyst to take our sect's pills, while the Ink Crane requires a token to recognize its master."

"May I ask what is needed?" Chen Cuo's Mother had already made up her mind. She could not let such wondrous treasures slip away. Whatever they required, she would find a way to obtain it.

Zhou Youzi answered plainly. "Merit. Merit is the catalyst for the pill. For the Ink Crane to soar, its master must also be protected by Merit, which forms a Talisman to guard the mind and allow its control. Otherwise, the soul can easily lose its way..."