Spark Instruction

Yu Tunzhou carried a fish basket on his back as he descended the mountain. The path was still wet and slippery, and he placed his feet carefully.

Near the foot of the mountain, several unfamiliar faces approached him on the path.

At their head was a handsome young gentleman, tall and slender, wearing a loose, moon-white robe with wide sleeves. A string of prayer beads wound around his right hand, and he gently rolled them between his fingers as he walked. He seemed to be a believer in Buddhism.

He smiled warmly and cupped his hands in greeting to the approaching Yu Tunzhou.

"Friend, I am Chen Xuanye, from Northern Chen. May I ask if the places where Masters Shouxin and Xuanku practice are on this mountain?"

Yu Tunzhou nodded, discreetly sizing up the group.

Northern Chen?

Old Mo had told him that beyond the town, the two feudal states closest to them were known as Southern Chu and Northern Chen.

The young gentleman was just about to speak again when a guard behind him sent him a report through voice transmission.

"Your Highness, this is the country youth who, according to the intelligence, wandered into this place by mistake three years ago. Mr. Zhu of Jixia Academy has already examined him. His talent is ordinary, his fate utterly mundane. He is like a stalk of barnyard grass growing by a furrow in the fields, not worth a moment of Your Highness's attention."

Chen Xuanye, whom the guard had respectfully addressed as Your Highness, looked thoughtful.

So it was this kid.

His smile faded slightly. His face remained amiable, but he no longer intended to continue talking with Yu Tunzhou.

The mountain path was narrow, and as the two parties brushed past each other, the fishy smell on Yu Tunzhou hit Chen Xuanye's nose. His brows knitted slightly. He covered his nose and edged aside, as though afraid of being tainted by filth.

"Wait."

Chen Xuanye suddenly called Yu Tunzhou to a stop. His gaze fell on the fish basket on Yu Tunzhou's back, and his smile remained warm.

"Little brother, are those fish for sale? Name your price. I'll take them all."

Hearing that a buyer had come along so quickly, Yu Tunzhou's eyes lit up. He immediately said,

"They're not for sale. I'll only trade them for a Qi Ingestion Method."

Chen Xuanye frowned slightly. "I can pay a high price. Just name it."

"Only a Cultivation Method." Yu Tunzhou shook his head. "If I can't leave this town alive, what use would I have for money?"

Chen Xuanye raised a brow. Apparently, this fellow wasn't as easy to deal with as he had imagined. He shook his head and said,

"Little brother, do you know what even a Lower Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method costs outside this town? These Dragon Fish..."

Yu Tunzhou interrupted him and said sincerely,

"All I know is that, in each round, at most half the people in town leave alive, and at least only one. One more Dragon Fish means you're one step ahead of everyone else. No matter how many Cultivation Methods or how much money you have, can you take them into your next life? You're not trading for Dragon Fish, but for your own sliver of hope for survival!"

After hearing him out, Chen Xuanye stared at him for a long while. The contempt in his eyes faded, and he seemed to see the youth before him in a new light.

He suddenly sighed and shook his head. "If you hadn't wandered in here by mistake, you might have made something of yourself in business someday. What a pity..."

"Trading Dragon Fish for a Cultivation Method won't work in this town."

He looked at Yu Tunzhou, pity in his eyes.

"I can tell you why. The households wouldn't go so far as to openly collude against you, but they do have an understanding. For instance, none of them will ever privately teach you a Cultivation Method."

Yu Tunzhou frowned, but his brow soon smoothed out.

The town's thirty-nine households couldn't possibly be an iron plate. In a life-or-death "Gu contest," who would care about some understanding?

Getting his hands on Dragon Fish and gaining a head start-that was what mattered.

"Forget it, then. I'll ask someone else." Yu Tunzhou turned to leave, decisively and without the slightest reluctance.

"Wait!"

Chen Xuanye called Yu Tunzhou back again and frowned.

"If I teach you a Cultivation Method, the others will be sure to set their sights on me and think I've broken the rules. For just two Dragon Fish, the loss outweighs the gain. You'll get the same result if you ask anyone else."

Yu Tunzhou understood what he meant. He wanted to negotiate the price.

As long as they could negotiate, everything else was easy to discuss.

Just then, an imperious voice came from below.

"Hey, didn't I tell you this morning to save the Dragon Fish for me?"

A figure appeared with a graceful drift, his robes fluttering and his bearing unworldly. The arrogance in his features was undisguised, and he opened the folding fan in his hand, looking like a noble young master out to enjoy the spring scenery.

He glanced sidelong at Yu Tunzhou. "Friend, that's not a very honorable way to do business."

Yu Tunzhou was visibly startled.

The newcomer was none other than Xie Linchuan, whom he had met that morning!

In bearing and looks alone, this fellow was far superior to Chen Xuanye. His face was as fair as carved jade, and the opening and closing of his folding fan lent him an even more dashing air.

Before Yu Tunzhou could reply, Chen Xuanye's face darkened and he cut in coldly. "Xie Linchuan, the Xie Household's third son? You dare openly defy the households' understanding and privately teach this boy a Cultivation Method?"

"It's only a Qi Ingestion Method." Xie Linchuan waved his folding fan lightly and said, unconcerned, "As long as I'm not the one who gives him the visualization diagram, who can make trouble for me? Even if someone really wants to, would I be afraid? Let them come."

He looked at Yu Tunzhou and said coolly,

"I've already prepared a Qi Ingestion Method, the Supper Eating Method, of Lower Vehicle rank. But besides these two Dragon Fish, you'll have to give me next week's share as well. If you have no objections, deliver the Dragon Fish to my residence."

Yu Tunzhou blinked. As their eyes met, he grasped Xie Linchuan's deeper meaning.

He looked at Chen Xuanye and said sincerely, "The highest bidder gets them. If you don't raise your offer, I'll trade with him."

Chen Xuanye paid him no attention. Ever since Xie Linchuan appeared, he had been staring coldly at him, his expression darkening.

At Yu Tunzhou's words, Xie Linchuan let out a derisive laugh. He snapped his paper fan shut and pointed it at Chen Xuanye.

"Friend, you've got the wrong man. Let me introduce him. This is the crown prince from Northern Chen-oh, no, that's not right, the deposed crown prince! He's already been stripped of his position. Is he fit to compete with me?"

Yu Tunzhou marveled inwardly. Brother Xie was a fine actor. That overbearing, good-for-nothing young master act was enough to make anyone angry just looking at him.

Hmm...

Then again, maybe he wasn't acting.

Just then, an attendant behind him suddenly sent a voice transmission. Chen Xuanye's gloomy expression instantly cleared, as though bathed in a spring breeze, and a look of determination to have his prize appeared in his eyes as he looked at Yu Tunzhou.

"Little brother, our meeting must be fate. I can offer you a Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method, but besides these two Dragon Fish, you must also give me your shares for the next month."

"What do you say?"

He paused, his tone somewhat boastful. "Out in the wider world, a Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method would be enough to make every faction scramble for it and serve as the foundation of a whole Lineage."

Xie Linchuan challenged him on the spot. "Have you lost your mind? You dare offer your Northern Chen imperial family's Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method in a trade?"

People like them had no shortage of Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Methods, but those were support from the Lineages and sects behind them, certainly not bargaining chips they could use in a trade.

Chen Xuanye smiled without answering, his gaze fixed on Yu Tunzhou. This time, he didn't even look at Xie Linchuan.

Yu Tunzhou fell silent for a few breaths, then slowly said, "Fine, but I don't trust you. I want him to verify it first."

He pointed at Xie Linchuan.

Xie Linchuan snapped his paper fan shut and sneered at just the right moment. "I'd like to see what Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method you can produce!"

Chen Xuanye did not refuse. He said calmly, "Very well. Let Young Master Xie broaden his horizons and see the gap between the foundations of an Aristocratic Clan and an imperial family."

He produced a jade pendant from somewhere and handed it to the attendant behind him. The attendant accepted it, stepped forward, and held it out to Xie Linchuan.

Xie Linchuan snatched the pendant and pressed it to the center of his forehead, examining it with his mind.

"Hm?" He abruptly looked up at Chen Xuanye and said gravely, "The Spark Instruction of High Antiquity?! Your Northern Chen really found the ruins left by the Human Emperor of High Antiquity?!"

Certain of victory, Chen Xuanye smiled breezily and said,

"What do you say, friend? The difference between Higher and Lower Vehicle Qi Ingestion Methods is no small thing. Only with a Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method are you qualified to take part in the town's 'feast.'"

Xie Linchuan suddenly said, "Though this Spark Instruction is Higher Vehicle, it belongs to the ancient methods, and ancient methods usually have considerable side effects."

Chen Xuanye turned a deaf ear, waiting only for Yu Tunzhou's answer.

Yu Tunzhou, however, knew better than to speak on what he didn't understand. Eyes on his nose, mouth on his heart, he seemed content to let them disparage each other.

His impervious attitude annoyed Chen Xuanye, who thought, He really doesn't know how to appreciate a favor.

Out in the wider world, the appearance of a Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method would be enough to make every faction scramble for it. By comparison, what were a few Dragon Fish?

If he hadn't been certain that Yu Tunzhou couldn't leave the town, and that there was more to this method than met the eye, he wouldn't have offered it.

Chen Xuanye said coldly, "If you have another choice, friend, I won't stop you. Go and look around town all you like. See whether anyone else can offer a higher price than I, Chen Xuanye!"

After Xie Linchuan gave him a look signaling that he should quit while he was ahead, Yu Tunzhou immediately stepped forward, took the jade pendant from his hand, and readily said,

"Good! It's a deal. Besides these two Dragon Fish, I'll deliver two more every week for the next month!"

Only then did Chen Xuanye's expression improve somewhat. The attendant behind him stepped forward and took the fish basket.

Chen Xuanye smiled. "Come to think of it, I haven't yet asked your name, friend."

"Yu Tunzhou."

"Brother Yu, what you said just now made a great deal of sense. What I traded for wasn't Dragon Fish, but an advantage that will put me above everyone else!"

With that, Chen Xuanye laughed, turned, and strode up the mountain.

"Wait!"

This time, it was Yu Tunzhou who spoke.

He pointed at the fish basket in the guard's hand and said sheepishly, "Sorry for the trouble, but please return the basket to me afterward. It's a bother to weave one."

Chen Xuanye's face twitched, and he somewhat regretted stopping.

Once they were out of sight of Yu Tunzhou and Xie Linchuan, the attendant carrying the fish basket smiled.

"Your Highness, these Dragon Fish are of excellent quality. With their help, your chances of taking first place have grown greater still."

Chen Xuanye looked at the basket, his eyes full of satisfaction. "Your suggestion just now was a good one. I'm really looking forward to seeing what that fellow looks like after he cultivates the Spark Instruction."

He had traded one Higher Vehicle Qi Ingestion Method for ten Dragon Fish in all. It looked like an enormous loss, but in truth he had lost nothing.

That was not only because he was certain Yu Tunzhou couldn't leave the town, but also because of the Qi Ingestion Method's side effects.

The Spark Instruction had indeed been passed down from the Human Emperor of High Antiquity, but that also meant it was an ancient method!

The present did not necessarily surpass the past.

Nor could the past necessarily claim certain victory over the present.

At least in the refinement of laying the martial foundation and Qi Ingestion and Meridian Opening, the present age had already pulled far ahead of High Antiquity.

The Spark Instruction, for example, was said to have been created when the Human Emperor of High Antiquity stood in the middle of a battlefield where blood flowed deep enough to float oars. Seeing the land strewn with suffering people and the myriad races scattered by chaos, he observed heaven and earth's yin and yang grinding against each other and the grand course of the sun and moon as they revolved through the heavens.

In the loftiness of its intent alone, few methods of later ages could indeed stand beside it.

But in its effectiveness at ingesting Qi, it only barely qualified as a Higher Vehicle method in the present age. It fell several notches short of the various households' finest Qi Ingestion Methods and, at the same time, carried severe side effects.

That was because this method did not favor the gentle, enduring nature of heaven and earth's clear, spiritual Qi. It preferred the murderous, savage Sha Qi of the battlefield. It was ferocious and forceful to the extreme, leaving not an inch of "Qi" wherever it passed, and could very easily injure or kill its practitioner.

As far as Chen Xuanye knew, the imperial family had long since assigned a group of people to test the method. While they cultivated it, their meridians had repeatedly snapped and their internal organs had suffered damage.

And Yu Tunzhou was an ordinary commoner of poor and lowly birth, with no resources specially allocated to him and no special physique. Even his coming shares of Dragon Fish had fallen into Chen Xuanye's hands. Did he still dare cultivate this Qi Ingestion Method?

Even if he succeeded by some stroke of luck, he was destined to end up half-dead.

That way, the other households would have no grounds to accuse him of breaking the rules.

An amused look appeared on Chen Xuanye's face, and he looked forward all the more to their next meeting.

"Your Highness, I don't have much time left to remain here. Please make haste up the mountain."

On the other side, an old man with snow-white hair and beard suddenly spoke up to remind him.

Chen Xuanye's expression turned solemn. No longer daring to delay, he led those beside him onward at a faster pace.

The purpose of his visit was to represent the Northern Chen imperial family, call on the two senior experts holding the fort here in accordance with an old agreement, and have them divine whether the Northern Chen imperial family's future held prosperity or decline.

"Your Highness, there's a little monk over there."

Halfway up, the attendant suddenly pointed toward a spot.

Near the woods, a little monk in a gray robe stood with his back to them, mumbling something into the depths of the bushes.

The old man who had spoken earlier suddenly said gravely, "That should be Master Xuanku's disciple, the future Buddhist heir personally chosen by the Vajra Chan Temple. Your Highness, you must not neglect your manners!"

Chen Xuanye's gaze burned as he gripped his prayer beads tightly. Buddhism flourished in Northern Chen. If he could gain this Buddhist heir's approval, he would be fully confident of reclaiming the position of crown prince when he returned to Northern Chen!

He hurried forward, but just as he was about to speak, the little monk's mumbling toward the woods reached their ears first.

"Great Chu rises, Chen Sheng is king..."

The old man's expression changed drastically first.

Chen Xuanye then looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His face went paper-white, and he staggered unsteadily, nearly falling. He cried out instinctively,

"Impossible!"

Great Chu rises...

Chen Sheng perishes?!

How could that be!

Our Northern Chen imperial family had only just discovered...

Could that ruin really be a curse rather than a blessing?!

Ahead, in front of the bushes.

The little monk was somewhat troubled as he looked at the little fox before him, which had its head tilted and was staring at him as though he were a fool.

"Senior Brother lied to me again. That's not how foxes sound at all..."