A Change in Outlook

Zhang Xuezhou did not stay at the Dong residence, nor did he return to the guesthouse. Instead, he carried Rong Tianding on his back to the road leading to the restaurant.

This is where Rong Tianding mentions the unusual phenomena that guide the understanding of the Fen Jing.

At this moment, Rong Tianding was not fully awake, but unconsciously repeated the "Tomb Scripture" in a low voice.

This is clearly a good sign.

Compared to his cold body and complete lack of life, Rong Tianding did show signs of regaining consciousness.

Rong Tianding's body was placed on the ground, and Zhang Xuezhou chanted incantations, continuously releasing the soul-collecting technique that had previously been ineffective against Ren Yisheng.

Regardless of whether it's useful or what role it plays, he uses any method that works.

Rong Tianding's low recitation was accompanied by Zhang Xuezhou's low recitation.

The sun's rays rose in the east, and people began to move through the streets.

What happens in the palace is far removed from the ordinary world, and the darkness of night conceals everything. Today, Chang'an City is still bustling with people, many of whom are busy making a living.

Several half-ounce coins fell to the ground and rolled down in front of Zhang Xuezhou.

"If you're sick, go see a doctor!"

A kind passerby gave Zhang Xuezhou look up and force an awkward smile.

"He's... he's rich!"

As Rong Tianding lay on the ground, his muttering stopped, and he began to utter some different words.

Rong Tianding even stretched out his hand, wanting to grab the crisp sound of the half-ounce coin falling to the ground.

"Cousin!"

Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed that from despair to hope, and now to surprise, he has undoubtedly gone through an extremely difficult psychological journey.

He himself had experienced many ups and downs, but this was the first time Zhang Xuezhou had experienced such a close separation between loved ones by death.

Rong Tianding's eyes were still somewhat vacant, but the fact that he could now use the chanting of tomb scriptures to make money meant he was undoubtedly starting to return to normal.

Zhang Xuezhou was overjoyed and quickly helped Rong Tianding had regained some vitality, to his feet.

"We have fewer illnesses and fewer disasters..."

He murmured to himself, feeling as if Rong Tianding had already overcome a life-or-death ordeal.

He's not the type to forget past mistakes; rather, accidents are unpredictable.

Just as the rising sun brings the revival of all things, the sunlight, while sweeping away the gloom, also clears away the gloom in Zhang Xuezhou's heart.

But Zhang Xuezhou did indeed bear many deep imprints on his heart.

At this moment, he was not so eager to increase his strength or pursue various powerful methods.

In this era, while strong cultivation is certainly good, there are far too many people who surpass Zhang Xuezhou, and given his current physical problems, even with diligent effort, the limits he can reach are limited.

Zhang Xuezhou's views shifted towards metaphysics.

Ordinary metaphysics is like a twitching left eye for good fortune and a twitching right eye for bad luck—it doesn't really work and is just something to talk about.

However, advanced metaphysics involves 'luck', which affects a person's fate and can even influence others.

However, very few people are well-versed in this kind of metaphysics. Even a learned man like Dong Zhongshu never mastered it, and the influence of texts like the "Tomb Classic" was limited.

"The teachings of Huang-Lao, the study of Yin and Yang, the teachings of Fuxi Physiognomy School..."

Various experiences kept lingering in Zhang Xuezhou's mind. Combining what he had with what he had learned in reality, Zhang Xuezhou decided to explore this metaphysical power.

He hoped that the sutra would not only fulfill a wish, but also allow the power of that wish to accompany him.

Even if he doesn't have good luck all the time, he at least needs to avoid bad luck.

Zhang Xuezhou's aspirations were not empty talk.

Putting aside his discovery of this metaphysical power, whenever Zhang Xuezhou used his Person-Fixing Technique to observe the myriad people in the world, he would know who was destined for wealth and honor, and who had attracted trouble and needed to be kept at a certain distance.

Dong Zhongshu mentioned that getting to know influential people can change one's fortune, and this method of differentiation will surely allow him to come into contact with such people.

The Person-Fixing Technique was merely the starting point for his pursuit of metaphysical power, not the end point of his research.

Zhang Xuezhou believes that through continuous exploration, he will inevitably gain more insights and come into contact with more knowledge, thus getting closer to his goal.

Having experienced the trials of modern society, he is clearly more organized in summarizing and synthesizing knowledge.

Moreover, he was not a person who adhered to conventions, nor did he cling to the knowledge of a particular school of thought.

He will learn and apply what he has learned, just like Dong Zhongshu, and he will also seek to innovate.

He gradually transformed from someone who only knew how to learn from others into someone who not only learns but also explores new paths forward. This is the change in Zhang Xuezhou's attitude towards life that he learned from his experiences.

His cultivation level was neither high nor low, and his knowledge was neither too much nor too little.

In the nascent stage of this life-changing event, everything was just right.

When Ren Yisheng first conceived the idea of forging ahead, he was probably around the same age as him. When Dong Zhongshu embraced countless practices and cultivated his skills, he was only a few years older than him.

At the very beginning of their cultivation journey, those predecessors were perhaps even younger and possessed even less knowledge.

"Cousin... cousin..."

Rong Tianding gripped the two copper coins tightly and shook his head vigorously, his speech still somewhat unclear.

He felt he had gained some memories, but some of them were blurry, as if his mind were shrouded in mist.

"The restaurant charged us 122.5 taels of silver for eight catties of dog meat, two catties of beef, and a chicken!"

As Rong Tianding was being helped along by Zhang Xuezhou, he felt his many experiences returning. He could even sense that he had recited Buddhist scriptures along this path.

As fragments of memories resurface, they propel Rong Tianding's revived memories forward.

This gradually reminded him of what had happened the night before.

He remembered his protruding teeth, his stiff body, the fine black hair growing all over his body like mold, and everything he saw in his blurry vision.

"I felt like I was really amazing. I think I held my breath until I almost suffocated, then I kept chanting some kind of 'cosmos,' and I felt like I stepped into a long river, found my normal self from yesterday, and then I woke up... I woke up!"

Everything that happened last night felt like a dream to Rong Tianding, and only after the nightmare shattered did he find himself again.

He muttered his observations to himself while swallowing the meat porridge from the restaurant, trying to recover.

It wasn't until his stomach was about half full and his body gradually regained its senses that Rong Tianding realized something was wrong with his body.

It was filled with countless tiny orifices, yet something like silk threads weaved through them, making his body feel as if it were wearing a soft armor.

Rong Tianding could sense that the 'soft armor' seemed to be absorbing the remaining Yin Qi in his body, and constantly devouring Yin Qi. Even the Law Power generated within his body was slowly merging into it, continuously strengthening the protective power of the 'soft armor'.

"This is a precious substance that you drank. It only makes your cultivation a bit more difficult, but it should have some positive effects, so it's more beneficial than harmful!"

Putting aside his own thoughts, Zhang Xuezhou listened attentively to everything Rong Tianding had to say.

This made him feel that the two of them had escaped a major disaster, but minor troubles were clearly still lingering.

For example, the Essence Blood of the ancestral dragon provided by the woman could have potential consequences. If it were too conspicuous, it might attract the attention of certain people in the court, and it might also shorten Rong Tianding's lifespan.

But there's also some good news!

Rong Tianding experienced some problems with his health and cultivation, but the best thing was that the sect leader of the Corpse-Crossing School had died. As long as Rong Tianding cultivated the Corpse-Crossing School and stayed at the forefront, no one could control him because of his cultivation techniques.

This is what Rong Tianding witnessed firsthand when he was experiencing mental abnormalities. He saw Shi Wudao reciting scriptures and was also shot and killed by Li Guang.

The biggest loophole in this school's cultivation techniques has undoubtedly been closed, and given the imperial court's previous crackdown on the Corpse-like School, there are probably very few survivors.

As long as he can find Xu Ji and others to obtain the inheritance, Rong Tianding will no longer need to get caught up in the internal struggles of the sect like he and Wu Chao, and from then on, he can have a smooth path ahead.