Enter Samadhi

For the next four or five days, Liu Yuanzhou went to Third Master's house once each morning and evening to cook for Miss Qin.

After breakfast that day, Liu Yuanzhou cleared away the bowls and chopsticks but did not leave. He sat on the edge of the kang with one leg crossed over the other and said, "Miss Qin, we've finished all the meat we bought last time. I'll go buy some more in a while. Is there anything else you need?"

Miss Qin sat at the head of the kang. She put down the book in her hands, pondered for a moment, and said, "Buy a bar of soap, and get a few more handkerchiefs as well. Does the market sell rice?"

"I think the grain shop sells it. I'll buy some and bring it back," Liu Yuanzhou said.

"Do you have enough money?" Miss Qin asked.

Liu Yuanzhou hurriedly said that he did, and Miss Qin picked up her book and resumed reading.

After a while, Miss Qin lifted her gaze from the book and looked at Liu Yuanzhou. "Is there something else?"

Liu Yuanzhou said awkwardly, "For the past few days, I've kept up four stance sessions every day. Each time, I can only barely manage three segments. It's already been over four days, but it doesn't feel like I've made any progress. I just want to know—how long do I have to keep practicing the stance before I can become a martial artist?"

Miss Qin closed her book and set it aside, then sat up straight. "Originally, I was going to tell you these things after you had practiced the stance for a while longer. Since you've asked today, I'll explain them to you."

Liu Yuanzhou immediately straightened his back, scooted closer to Miss Qin, and looked at her.

Miss Qin continued, "I already told you that once one's skill reaches the Ming Jin Realm, one can be called a martial artist. So what counts as reaching the Ming Jin Realm?"

"'Ming' means external. In other words, Ming Jin is actually the cultivation of external force—rigid force and fierce force."

"'Ming' also carries the meaning of understanding. The Martial Classic says: 'The square rectifies what lies within; this is wholeness.' Wholeness is Whole Strength. Once you clearly understand and comprehend this Whole Strength, you will have reached the Ming Jin Realm."

"What exactly is this Whole Strength? That truly cannot be described with words. Once you comprehend it, you will naturally understand."

"Generally speaking, once you can maintain the stance for around Twenty-Five Segments at a time, you should be able to comprehend this Whole Strength."

Liu Yuanzhou calculated silently. If one segment of the Limitless Stance took the time it took to burn one and a half incense sticks, then Twenty-Five Segments meant twelve and a half incense sticks' worth of time—roughly half a shichen and a quarter. He could not help clicking his tongue inwardly. Right now, he could not even stand for the time it took to burn two incense sticks. When would he ever reach twelve?

Thinking of this, Liu Yuanzhou asked, "How long would it take to reach Twenty-Five Segments?"

Miss Qin glanced at him and held up two fingers.

"Two years?" Liu Yuanzhou said. That was not too long, and joy rose in his heart.

"No. About twenty years. Through bitter winter and scorching summer alike, you must persist every day without fail before you can hope to reach it." Miss Qin shook her head.

"Twenty years?" Liu Yuanzhou cried. He rose onto his knees and stared at Miss Qin, his face full of disbelief.

Miss Qin raised a hand and pressed it down through the air several times. "Sit down. Listen to me finish."

Liu Yuanzhou slowly sat back down, his heart turning icy cold. Twenty years... I'll be holding my grandchildren by then. What the hell would I still be roaming the world for?

Miss Qin said, "You need to understand that the farther you go in stance practice, the harder it becomes. Especially after fifteen segments, every additional segment is measured in years."

"And these Twenty-Five Segments are a hurdle. Cross it, comprehend Whole Strength, and from then on the sea is vast and the sky is wide—you will have entered the Ming Jin Realm. Of course, twenty-five is not absolute; it varies from person to person. Some may comprehend Whole Strength at twenty segments, while others may not awaken to it until thirty."

Liu Yuanzhou's heart was cold as ice, but then he suddenly thought of something. His eyes lit up as he stared at Miss Qin. "There must be another way. Miss Qin, you're already a martial artist at such a young age. You couldn't possibly have started practicing martial arts when you were two or three. Hurry and tell me."

"Hehe, of course there is. Otherwise, who would still roam the martial world at seventy or eighty?" Miss Qin said with a smile.

Liu Yuanzhou's spirits immediately lifted.

Miss Qin turned serious. "Enter Samadhi. So long as you can Enter Samadhi while practicing the stance, you can greatly shorten the time required. Take you, for example. If from this moment on, you can Enter Samadhi every time you practice the stance, then perhaps you truly can comprehend Whole Strength and enter the Ming Jin Realm within two years."

"Just Enter Samadhi?" Liu Yuanzhou said in astonishment. He had thought Miss Qin was about to mention some heavenly treasure or earthly marvel.

"Do not underestimate Entering Samadhi. This is the most important talent in martial arts cultivation. In the vast martial world, there are countless people who practice martial arts, yet fewer than one in a hundred ultimately become martial artists. Not everyone can persist unceasingly for twenty years as though it were a single day." Miss Qin sighed faintly.

Liu Yuanzhou fell silent at that. Would he be one of that one in a hundred? He forced his spirits up and asked again, "How can one Enter Samadhi?"

Miss Qin said, "Entering Samadhi is a deeply settled state. Your awareness turns inward, casting aside every stray thought beyond your body. In this state, one is best able to comprehend the small universe of the human body."

"As for how to Enter Samadhi, it is nothing more than keeping your mind pure, neither thinking nor pondering, with your awareness always resting upon your own body. Ideally, you should forget things such as breathing techniques, stance forms, and the like. Of course, to forget them, your form and breathing technique must first become your body's instinct. Otherwise, you're merely practicing blindly."

"I cannot say too much about Entering Samadhi. Saying too much will instead form a demon's barrier in your heart, making it even harder for you to Enter Samadhi."

Liu Yuanzhou nodded after hearing this and silently digested Miss Qin's words.

That evening, after dinner, Liu Yuanzhou went to the open patch by the riverbank. He assumed his form and began practicing the stance. After one segment of the breathing technique, he began trying to Enter Samadhi. But how could it be so easy? His thoughts swirled chaotically, his mind leaping about like a restless monkey. The more he tried to be still, the more tangled his thoughts became, until even his breathing technique fell into disorder. Liu Yuanzhou ended his practice, sighed, and headed home. I'm still too impatient. It seems Entering Samadhi can't be forced. I should first turn the form and breathing technique into bodily instinct.

For more than ten days afterward, Liu Yuanzhou lived a life that ran between two points and one line. He practiced the Limitless Stance for half a shichen each morning and evening, cooked three meals a day for Sister Qin, and helped his family whenever there was work at home. His parents asked what he did at Third Master's house all day, and Liu Yuanzhou said he went there to read and to heat Third Master's kang. Since Liu Da and his son had both heard Third Master's instructions to Liu Yuanzhou on the day they saw him off, no one suspected anything. They were even quite gratified. During this time, Liu Chuang and Zhang He came to invite him out, but he turned them down every time, saying he had matters to attend to.

Over those ten-odd days, Liu Yuanzhou practiced the stance four times every day without fail, as steadfast as thunder that never failed to strike. He stood for three segments each time and did not force himself, concentrating only on training the breathing technique into bodily instinct. As for Entering Samadhi, he only sampled it lightly, so he made no real progress. Still, he gained some understanding of emptying his mind. He did not lose heart. Though he could not help growing restless at times, he always reflected inwardly. Perhaps his talent was lacking, and that was not something he could control. The only things he could do were work hard and persist. As he thought this, his heart gradually calmed.

That morning, the sky was heavily overcast. Before long, goose-feather snowflakes began drifting down in a fluttering swarm.

Liu Yuanzhou braved the snow into Third Master's courtyard, only to see Miss Qin leaning against the doorpost, staring blankly at the snow filling the sky. He greeted her, then went to practice his stance.

After finishing, Liu Yuanzhou ended his practice, brushed the snow from his body, and walked to the doorway. "Miss Qin, does it snow where you're from in the south too?"

After more than ten days of spending mornings and evenings together, the two had become familiar. When there was nothing to do, they would chat about everyday matters. Liu Yuanzhou knew that Miss Qin's home was in Lingnan.

"We don't get snow this heavy over there," Miss Qin said absentmindedly.

"Do you miss home?" Seeing that her mind was elsewhere, Liu Yuanzhou assumed she was homesick.

"Home? If the sect counts as home, then I suppose I do miss it somewhat. I hadn't realized I'd been away for so long." Miss Qin sighed inwardly, but aloud she said, "Hehe, I'm not like you."

After breakfast, seeing that the snow was still falling, Liu Yuanzhou was in no hurry to leave. He vigorously added more firewood to the stove, and the flames roared. For a time, the cave dwelling grew warmer by several degrees.

Liu Yuanzhou brewed a pot of tea and carried it, along with the cups, to the kang table. He poured two cups, handed one to Miss Qin, and said, "Miss Qin, tell me some more about the martial world."

Miss Qin took a sip of tea and frowned. "This tea is a little bitter today." With that, she set down her cup.

Liu Yuanzhou hurriedly poured out the water in the teapot, refilled it with boiling water, brought it back, and replaced her tea.

Miss Qin then began, "Earlier, I told you about the five most formidable sects in the martial world, respectfully known as the Upper Five Sects. They are Taixuan, Mingyou, Donghua, Ziwei, and Changbai. Today, I'll tell you about some other sects. There are many of them, such as the Guiyi Alliance, the Tianshan Sect, the Yanshan Sect, the Three Immortals Sect, and so on."

"The Tianshan Sect lies in the Tianshan Mountain Range of the Western Borderlands. This sect specializes in swordsmanship and is known as Northern Sky One Sword. Its Sect Leader and five great venerables are all supreme experts of the Qi Refining Realm..."

"The Guiyi Alliance has its headquarters in Luoyang, at the foot of the imperial city, and has countless threads of connection with the authorities..."

"The Yanshan Sect is located in the Yanshan Mountains of Jizhou. It is said that most disciples who leave the sect enlist in the army. They excel most at saber techniques and spear techniques, and are also skilled in battle formations..."

Miss Qin spoke with ease and vivid detail, while Liu Yuanzhou listened with his heart racing. Before he knew it, noon had already passed.

After lunch, Liu Yuanzhou stepped outside and saw that the snow had stopped. When he stepped onto it, the snow on the ground rose past his ankles. Playfulness seized him. He took a broom and swept all the snow in the courtyard together, piling it into a snowman. Miss Qin could not help the curl of her lips. But an instant later, she seemed to think of something, and her expression darkened again.

"Ah." She let out a long sigh, turned, and went back into the cave dwelling.