Medicinal Bath, Learning New Knowledge

The aroma of the herbal blended with mountain spring water is intoxicating.

Su Ziyang stood aside, looking at the murky, dark green herbal soup and smelling the herbal scent, wondering what Master Luo was up to.

With a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, Su Ziyang remained quiet.

The steam, accompanied by a gurgling sound, made Su Ziyang stare in a daze.

Master Luo remained silent, staring at the pot and then at the fire.

Master Luo only told him to stop cooking when the fire was hot enough.

Su Ziyang removed the wood, and the broth in the pot gradually stopped boiling.

Master Luo didn't speak, but suddenly took out a slightly yellowish gauze.

"No need to say anything, just follow me and filter the herbs in the pot."

Working together, the two filtered the herbs in the pot, and then Master Luo poured the filtered concentrated liquid into a large basin.

Master Luo added some spring water, which made the thick sauce smell better and lightened the color of the cloudy sauce.

"Sit down."

When Master Luo asked Su Ziyang to sit in the broth made from various herbs, Su Ziyang was stunned for a moment, then dared not delay and sat down in the large basin without any preparation.

The warm water made Su Ziyang's bottom itch. Master Luo took out a small wooden spoon, which looked like it was made from a tree root, scooped up the water from under Su Ziyang's bottom, and poured it over Su Ziyang's head.

"A hundred-herb soup poured over the head, eradicating all worldly suffering."

Master Luo spoke in a very soft voice, but it sounded extremely authoritative. Su Ziyang, with a leaf in his mouth, lowered his head and let the dark green herbal juice drip from his head.

"Child, do not speak. I am speaking, and you are listening. Today is the day you are forbidden. You must always remember the Five Precepts and the Ten Virtues."

The so-called Five Precepts are: first, not to kill; second, not to steal; third, not to commit adultery; fourth, not to lie; and fifth, not to drink alcohol or be jealous.

The Ten Virtues are: 1. Helping those in distress; 2. Burying all dead people, birds, and animals that you see on the road; 3. Respecting ghosts; 4. Not killing, but having a compassionate heart; 5. Not pitying the rich and hating the poor; 6. Acting with equanimity; 7. Not favoring the noble over the lowly; 8. Not eating alcohol, meat, or the five pungent spices; 9. Not indulging in sensual pleasures; 10. Harmonizing one's mind and nature, not being easily angered or easily pleased.

"Life is easy, but adhering to the precepts is difficult. From this day forward, you are qualified to be a precept master. Each generation has its own lineage. Only after bathing and changing clothes can the true transmission of the Dharma begin. Rise."

Su Ziyang was so captivated by the smell of grass that he didn't know what to do. When Master Luo said "Let's get up, "Su Ziyang immediately climbed out of the basin.

Still forbidden to speak, Su Ziyang lightly shook off the juice from his clothes and followed Master Luo into the house.

At some point, a portrait was hung in Master Luo's main room.

The man was dressed in ancient official robes, sitting upright, with a painted beard on his face.

Su Ziyang was engrossed in watching when Master Luo suddenly shouted from behind, "Kneel down! "Su Ziyang instinctively bent his knees and knelt down.

Master Luo lit candles in front of the portrait, and then lit a whole bundle of incense.

After drawing a circle around Su Ziyang, he muttered, "Today, the twenty-first generation disciple is subject to the prohibition. The ancestral master's name is renowned, and the prohibition is practiced in myriad ways. Today, disciple Su Ziyang bathes in fragrant water, hoping for the ancestral master's blessing, wishing that the prohibition will be practiced in myriad ways! Twentieth generation disciple, Luo Youxing!"

After Master Luo finished reciting the incantation, Su Ziyang suddenly felt dizzy. The smell of medicine in his nostrils, like a sedative, made him feel disoriented.

Su Ziyang felt incredibly small, while Master Luo was terrifyingly tall.

The image of the patriarch hanging in front of them appeared even more imposing.

In a daze, Su Ziyang saw Master Luo take a jar and walk up to him.

"Child, draw a lot from the jar. Whichever lot you draw is a lifelong taboo. You can never touch it again. Draw."

In his confusion, Su Ziyang stretched out his right hand and drew a fortune stick from the jar.

"Draw one more, draw an even."

Su Ziyang drew another one.

Master Luo took the slip of paper from Su Ziyang, and frowned as he looked at it.

The first slip of paper had a fish written on it.

The second slip of paper had a cow on it.

"Two food sticks???"

Surprised, Master Luo examined the slip of paper again and confirmed he hadn't misread it. After carefully putting it away, Master Luo sighed softly, "This child is blessed."

After drawing lots, Su Ziyang felt his mind gradually clearing up.

"The first sign means you are forbidden to eat fish from now on, all kinds of fish are prohibited. The second sign means you are forbidden to eat beef, anything from a cow is prohibited. Got it?"

Unable to speak, Su Ziyang nodded to Master Luo.

"Now I'll remove the leaf from your mouth, and then you can speak. Kneel three times before the patriarch, and don't wash your hands or bathe for a week, and your ritual will be complete."

Master Luo removed the leaf from Su Ziyang's mouth. Su Ziyang opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, so he closed it again, walked to the portrait, and kowtowed three times.

For some reason, Su Ziyang felt extremely dry in his mouth and had no energy.

"Master, is there any poison in this soup? I feel dizzy and lightheaded."

Su Ziyang rubbed his head, and the veins on his forehead stood out.

"Feeling dizzy is normal, go back to sleep."

Master Luo helped Su Ziyang to bed, and Su Ziyang closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately.

After falling asleep, Su Ziyang felt the Qi around his body constantly circulating, and there was an additional power in the Qi that did not belong to him. When he practiced internal meditation, the Qi around his body was pale white.

However, this power, or rather this external Qi, is gold and blue in color, and it circulates continuously within the meridians.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, Su Ziyang lay in bed for a full day and night. When he finally got up, it was just beginning to get light.

As soon as Su Ziyang opened his eyes, he saw Master Luo standing guard by his bedside, a pipe in his mouth, but he wasn't smoking it, as if he was afraid of disturbing Su Ziyang.

"Master Luo," Su Ziyang cleared his throat and called out.

"You're awake. Get up and have some food."

The chili peppers that were previously on the table were gone; there was only a dish of dried bamboo shoots and pickled vegetables, and a bowl of plain porridge.

"Eat up. Do you remember what I told you yesterday?"

Su Ziyang sat at the table, shook his head, and thought for a moment.

"You can't eat fish, you can't eat beef. And from now on, you can't charge for using Zhuyou Technique to treat patients..."

Su Ziyang felt that although he hadn't listened to anything yesterday, these precepts seemed to be engraved in his head with a carving knife.

"Child, eat, and I'll tell you. The Zhuyou Technique includes many types and many parts. When my master passed it on to me, it wasn't comprehensive, so I'll pass on everything I know to you. Okay?"

Master Luo sat to the side watching Su Ziyang slurp down his porridge, then lit his pipe and began to puff away.

Su Ziyang put down his rice bowl, looked at Master Luo, and was about to turn around to get his notebook.

"What are you doing? Go eat! What are you doing inside?" Master Luo didn't know what Su Ziyang was up to, so he quickly called out to Su Ziyang.

Seeing Su Ziyang bring over the notebook and pen, Master Luo smiled, "No need for that. What I tell you in these seven days, you'll never forget once. You don't need these paper and pens."

"Huh?" Su Ziyang exclaimed first, then thought that what Master Luo said was indeed the truth, because he was so confused yesterday that he didn't remember anything, but today when Master Luo asked, he recited all the precepts from yesterday in a very serious manner.

"Our lineage can treat diseases of both major and minor meridians. Major meridians are internal medicine diseases, minor meridians are pediatric diseases, and we can also treat diseases related to wind, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, dentistry, traumatology, herpes and smallpox, metal-related injuries, and sores."

Master Luo spoke, Su Ziyang listened.

"Today, I mainly want to talk to you about talismans. We use incantations and talismans to heal. Incantations need to be used in conjunction with hand gestures to be effective, but talismans don't. I will teach you the incantations at night. Remember that. When you take on apprentices in the future, you must also follow this rule."

Master Luo tapped his pipe as he spoke, and Su Ziyang nodded repeatedly.

After Master Luo finished writing, he gave Su Ziyang a word of advice. Su Ziyang lowered his head and remained silent, his eyes still glazed over by the words in his mind.

Master Luo seemed to know that Su Ziyang couldn't speak, so he patted Su Ziyang's head with his large hand, and Su Ziyang felt his head cool down a lot.

"Sit down, I'll make you lunch. You can't eat spicy food these days, so just have some porridge, rice, and pickled vegetables."

Master Luo's words made it sound like Su Ziyang couldn't live without chili peppers, but what Master Luo didn't know was that Su Ziyang was so happy to hear that they wouldn't be eating chili peppers today that he was practically jumping for joy.

Having been here for over a week, I've been eating chili peppers every day. These chili peppers are so spicy, they burn my front and back doors. When Su Ziyang goes to the toilet, his anus feels like it's on fire.

But seeing that Master Luo, who was ninety years old, was fine, Su Ziyang suspected that Master Luo might have used talismans to bless his stomach and intestines...

After a simple lunch, Master Luo took out a set of writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and then demonstrated to Su Ziyang how to chant incantations and write talismans.

Master Luo's calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, while Su Ziyang's calligraphy was slightly immature, but by imitating him, he managed to write down the words in his mind.

"Hmm, not bad. The talisman is convenient, but also troublesome."

After watching Su Ziyang write several talisman characters in succession, Master Luo signaled that Su Ziyang was done, and then pulled Su Ziyang to sit on a small stool.

Why do you say that?

Su Ziyang asked questions when he didn't understand.

"It's convenient because the talismans are passed down from generation to generation of masters, containing their merits and power. You just need to write them down according to the instructions and use them accordingly, and they will be effective. Moreover, there is no risk involved."

Master Luo was speaking, Su Ziyang packed a bag of cigarettes for Master Luo.

What risks are you referring to?

"I'm talking about Illness Qi, or a little bit of cause and effect. We follow so many rules, and we even maintain a lifelong abstinence, precisely to reduce the impact of cause and effect on us."

Master Luo may look rough around the edges, but he speaks eloquently and fluently.

"The talisman is just the most basic one, which is why it's simple and convenient. But when some emergencies occur, such as the bleeding you saw last time, or being injured by an arrow, then even if you chant the incantation three times, it might be too late."

Master Luo's words make sense, and that's exactly what Su Ziyang wanted to ask.

I have witnessed Master Luo's divine intervention several times, but I have never seen Master Luo use a brush, ink, paper, or inkstone to draw talismans or anything like that. I have only seen Master Luo muttering incantations.

Even when he first arrived, Master Luo stopped the bleeding with a blank sheet of paper without chanting any incantations; he simply uttered a sound, and the bleeding stopped instantly.

"So in the future there will be incantations and Visualization. Once you're proficient, you won't even need Visualization or incantations; you can achieve whatever you want just by exhaling. This is the true forbidden technique, and also the highest level of forbidden technique— the Qi Suppression Method."

Master Luo's eyes lit up as he spoke to Su Ziyang, just like when Monkey Sun went up the mountain.

"Master, what you say is so accurate. I've never actually seen it myself. Hehe, could you perhaps...?"

Su Ziyang wanted Master Luo to show him his skills. Master Luo finished his last puff of cigarette and smiled.

"You silly child, fine. Come with me."

Master Luo stood up and led Su Ziyang outside, and Su Ziyang quickly followed.

The two walked for nearly an hour before Master Luo finally stopped.

Listening to the gurgling sound of water, Su Ziyang saw a spring hidden in the grass in front of him.

"This is a place where I practiced Falun Gong when I was young. I haven't been here for several years. Go and clear away the weeds."

Upon hearing Master Luo's words, Su Ziyang quickly jumped over and used a machete to clear away the surrounding weeds.

After clearing away the weeds, a few rocks were revealed, and a clear spring flowed from the crevice between the rocks.

"Come over."

Master Luo had Su Ziyang stand beside him so he could observe carefully.

As he spoke, Master Luo pointed to the spring, Su Ziyang heard Master Luo seem to let out a soft sigh.

I watched for three minutes... and nothing happened.

Su Ziyang pursed his lips and looked at Master Luo, but Master Luo didn't look at him. Instead, he kept staring at the spring water, then took a breath and exhaled into the spring.

In an instant, the quietly flowing spring water seemed to be blown up by a bomb, the trickle turning into a waterfall, the noisy sound of the water making Su Ziyang's ears hurt.

"..."

You can't swear or curse in the street; doing so will break the law.

Su Ziyang took a deep breath, composed himself, and stared at Master Luo in shock.

Upon hearing Su Ziyang's words, Master Luo chuckled, "Hehe, I didn't believe it when I was young either. There used to be wild boars on this mountain. Wild boars are very dangerous animals in this kind of forest. Years ago, my master took me up the mountain to collect herbs, and a 500-pound wild boar charged at the two of us. My master simply exhaled, and the wild boar lay motionless on the ground. Even when we were almost down the mountain, the wild boar was still there, completely still. That was the first time I witnessed a forbidden technique."

"Incredible. Was this the very method that Perfected Sun used to subdue dragons and tigers?"

Su Ziyang muttered to himself.

"You mean Sun Simiao, the Medicine King? He was skilled in this, but all the legendary doctors of ancient times possessed extraordinary abilities; it's just that everyone kept quiet about it."

Master Luo seemed to know everything, and Su Ziyang nodded repeatedly as he listened.

"Go home. I'll send you a Visualization after we get home."

The small stool was still sitting in the house, with Master Luo smoking a cigarette. Su Ziyang's eyes were wide open as he listened to Master Luo explaining protective techniques to him.

*...*

"You're learning pretty fast, haha."

Master Luo looked at the changes in Su Ziyang and laughed heartily.

"Thank you, Master."

Su Ziyang quickly thanked him.

"Alright, that's all for today. Let your mind relax. Take a nap for a bit, and I'll teach you a few spells tonight."

Master Luo told Su Ziyang to relax, but Su Ziyang didn't want to rest at all; he just wanted to learn more. However, Master Luo seemed to have his own plans and stopped talking.

Catching his breath, Su Ziyang suddenly remembered what Fairy Li had said to him as she was leaving, pinching her own flesh. "If this old man teaches you his skills and asks if you have anyone behind you, you must say yes."

Now that he's already started teaching skills, Master Luo didn't ask him this strange question.

So, out of curiosity, Su Ziyang asked the question.

Master Luo laughed again upon hearing this, "Haha, this little girl is interesting. Our sect doesn't have this rule; it's something they use when practicing their secret techniques. Asking if you have anyone behind you is asking if you'll leave any descendants. If you say no, then you won't have any descendants. But the magical power gained by having no descendants is exceptionally strong, and their magic is extremely effective."

"What if there is?"

Su Ziyang hadn't expected that this kind of technique had been passed down.

"If I said yes, then you wouldn't be able to receive the complete inheritance, and none of your techniques would be efficacious or powerful. It's that simple. You drew lots, didn't you? That's our rule."

Master Luo explained it to Su Ziyang. Su Ziyang thought that he would never be able to eat fish or beef again in the future, and felt that the rule was not too difficult, since he didn't want to eat fish in the first place.

"Master Luo, may I ask what you smoked back then?"

Su Ziyang rubbed his hands together and asked with a chuckle.

"Hey, you're Yunqi than me, kid." Master Luo took a puff of his pipe, his eyes somewhat lost, as if he had returned to his younger days.

"I smoked the words 'bed' and 'car.' I'll never be able to sleep in a bed, and I'll never be able to ride in a car."

When Master Luo said this, his eyes turned cool again. "But it doesn't matter anymore, whatever you do is only for a lifetime."

Su Ziyang frowned as he listened, and at the same time he understood why there was no bed in Master Luo's room. He also suddenly understood why someone with such great skills was willing to stay in a remote mountain valley.

It wasn't that he didn't want to get out, but that he was trapped in this place.

Being unable to ride in a car for the rest of one's life... In modern society, that's such a cruel thing. Compared to Master Luo's car and bed, my dietary restrictions are nothing!

"Master, you're from Northeast China."

As soon as he uttered those words, Su Ziyang covered his mouth, realizing he had said the wrong thing.

"Yes, I'm from Northeast China. When I was thirty, I met my teacher, and I've never left that place since, nor have I ever returned to my hometown."

Master Luo seemed quite perceptive. He didn't blame Su Ziyang for what he said, but simply sighed softly, stopped talking, and silently went into the kitchen to cook.

Previously, Su Ziyang was in charge of cooking, but since he couldn't wash Su Ziyang hands for seven days, he couldn't cook either. So, Master Luo has been cooking for the past few days.

The evening meal included some oil, but it was still a vegetarian meal.

Master Luo only drank a bowl of porridge, and Su Ziyang didn't really want to eat much either. He ate a couple of bites of vegetables and drank a little more porridge, and that was the end of their dinner.

"Since you don't want to rest, I'll teach you something else. These are some techniques and hand gestures that you might use in the future, so be sure to remember them."

After finishing speaking, Master Luo grabbed Su Ziyang 'Su Ziyang hand and gestured on it.