Circulating Qi to Heal His Injuries

"Qingfeng, hurry and carry this young brother inside," the old Taoist instructed.

The Taoist called Qingfeng naturally noticed Huang Xiao in his master's arms. Seeing his wretched condition, he dared not ask questions. He took Huang Xiao from his master and hurried into the Taoist temple.

"Master, who is he?" In a room, three Taoists stood behind the old Taoist, one of them Qingfeng. Of the other two, one was around thirty, about Qingfeng's age, while the other looked to be in his twenties.

"Qingyun, Qinghe, you're both here too. Good." The old Taoist neither turned around nor answered their question. Instead, after carefully examining Huang Xiao's condition, he said, "Strange."

"Master, this young brother seems to have suffered internal injuries. His external wounds aren't that serious," said Qinghe, the youngest, who was in his twenties.

"Hasn't he?" Qingyun could not help asking when he saw his master shake his head.

"It looks as though he has suffered considerable internal injuries, but the injuries inside him weren't actually caused by internal energy." The old Taoist pondered for a moment. "Whatever the case, two strange currents of energy are wreaking havoc inside him. I'll find a way to harmonize them. Qinghe, your cultivation is the highest among your fellow disciples. Lend me a hand."

The old Taoist sat cross-legged behind Huang Xiao and pressed both palms against his back, while Qinghe sat facing Huang Xiao and pressed both palms against his chest.

"We'll circulate our energy together and harmonize the two currents inside him. Then his internal injuries will no longer pose a problem," the old Taoist instructed.

Under the old Taoist's direction, Qinghe worked with his master, sending his own true qi through the meridians throughout Huang Xiao's body.

Before long, Qinghe's expression changed. With some difficulty, he said, "Master, my true qi is slipping out of my control. What should I do?"

"Out of your control? Is your true qi disappearing for no apparent reason?" the old Taoist asked urgently.

"Yes. It seems that thirty percent of the true qi I sent into him has vanished," Qinghe replied.

"Withdraw your true qi," the old Taoist said at once.

Qinghe hurriedly withdrew his true qi upon hearing this, and his face grew somewhat pale. Beside him, Qingfeng and Qingyun hastily asked, "Junior brother, are you all right?"

"Senior brothers, I'm fine. I've only used up a little internal energy. A few days of regulating my breathing will restore it," Qinghe replied.

"Master? Are you all right?" Qingfeng and Qingyun had also noticed their master's expression shift.

"I'm fine." The old Taoist frowned, deeply puzzled. As soon as his internal energy entered Huang Xiao's body, he had found it difficult to control his true qi, as though a force inside Huang Xiao was swallowing it up. He could withstand that suction, of course, but it had still cost him some true qi. Still, he would only need a few hours of regulating his breathing to recover it.

"Master, this young brother's meridians are very strange. He's so young, yet his meridians are extraordinarily broad. But there isn't a trace of true qi in them, so he clearly isn't a martial artist," Qinghe said questioningly.

"Indeed. In terms of the breadth of his meridians alone, even I fall short," the old Taoist replied. "It seems this young brother encountered a rare stroke of fortune. He must have eaten some extraordinary fruit that expanded his meridians. The currents of energy remaining inside him are what's left of that fruit."

"Such a thing actually happened? It's truly rare for someone to swallow an extraordinary fruit and survive. He really has a tenacious hold on life," Qingfeng said in surprise. He knew about some of the extraordinary fruits found between heaven and earth. They were exceedingly rare and often had miraculous effects, such as increasing cultivation or healing injuries. But none could be eaten directly. Unless one's cultivation was profound enough to perhaps withstand them, one's body would most likely burst apart, resulting in death. Even those with profound enough cultivation to withstand them would not eat them directly, because refining these extraordinary fruits into pills would yield better effects.

"Master, he should be all right now, shouldn't he?" Qingyun asked.

The old Taoist shook his head. "He's still in danger, but we can't use internal energy to save him. It seems even heaven is watching over him this time."

"Master, what do you mean?" Qinghe was somewhat puzzled.

Qingyun, however, caught on and said in surprise, "Master, could you be thinking of using that five-hundred-year-old reishi?"

"Qingyun, you have the greatest attainments in pill refining, so you should naturally understand the effects of reishi. Nothing could be better for prolonging a life. An ordinary reishi probably couldn't save him, but I believe this five-hundred-year-old one should be enough," the old Taoist said with a smile.

"Master, this is a five-hundred-year-old reishi! You couldn't exchange a thousand gold pieces for it!" Qingfeng said urgently.

"Qingfeng, we are all cultivators of the Tao. Wealth is merely an external possession. Besides, saving lives and showing kindness to others are our duties as Taoists. What does a mere five-hundred-year-old reishi amount to beside that?" The old Taoist shook his head.

"Your lesson is right, Master. I was wrong," Qingfeng said, somewhat ashamed.

"It's good that you recognize your mistake. Your reaction was quite normal, and I don't blame you. Still, your cultivation of the mind needs improvement." The old Taoist smiled. "Qingyun, hurry and grind the reishi into powder."

Before long, the reishi powder had been fed to Huang Xiao.

"Master, did it work?" Qinghe asked, somewhat nervously. After such a precious reishi had been administered, he naturally hoped it would succeed.

The old Taoist, who had been examining the currents of energy inside Huang Xiao, opened his tightly shut eyes and smiled. "He's more or less out of danger. There were already two currents of energy inside him, one cold and one hot. Given time, they could have harmonized on their own, but his body couldn't hold out that long. The reishi kept him alive, and now the two currents have merged. I imagine he'll wake up soon."

Hearing their master's words, all three breathed a sigh of relief, and joy appeared on their faces.

"Master, this young brother swallowed an extraordinary fruit, so his aptitude is no ordinary thing. If he could join our temple, then we...?" Qinghe said expectantly.

"Qinghe, although we saved his life, we can't force anything on him. Still, this young brother's meridians are now unlike those of ordinary people. Even mine can't compare. When he practices martial arts in the future, he'll surely reap twice the results with half the effort." The old Taoist smiled. "By the way, Qingyun, how is your refining of the Origin-Nourishing Pills coming along?"

"Master, I've finished two batches, ten pills in total. The remaining batch of five will be ready to come out of the furnace tomorrow," Qingyun said.

"It seems your pill-refining skills are nearly catching up to mine," the old Taoist said, gratified.

Being praised by his master left Qingyun deeply excited.

"Master, for the Huaqing Sect leader's sixtieth birthday, our temple really has nothing to offer as a congratulatory gift," Qingfeng said with some concern.

"We can't compare with those great sects and schools. The fifteen Origin-Nourishing Pills Qingyun is refining this time will serve as a gift. Of course, I think I should be able to refine a few Origin-Enhancing Pills with the remaining five-hundred-year-old reishi powder in the time ahead," the old Taoist said.

"Origin-Enhancing Pills? Master, do you really mean it?" Qinghe's eyes lit up when he heard this.

"Haha, I knew you'd be the happiest to hear that. Don't worry. If I do succeed in refining them, I'll certainly set one aside for you. I think it should add ten years to your cultivation," the old Taoist said with a smile.

Looking at the three men's happy faces, the old Taoist continued, "All right, go about your work. I'll watch over him."

"Yes, Master!" The three said no more. They knew that once their master made a decision, he would not change it.