“I still have two older brothers at home, so my father doesn’t need to worry about carrying on the family line.”
Qin Sang tried hard to curry favor. “Daozhang, you are so learned and your medical skills are so profound; your background must have been extraordinary. What did you do originally?”
“This poor Daoist has been a priest since I was a child, but…”
Daoist Jixin sipped his tea, looked at the bright moon, and said leisurely, “Your grandmaster—that is, my master—was once an imperial physician. He was once full of spirit and ambition, but unexpectedly, he used the wrong herb one time and nearly faced execution. After being expelled from the palace, he became disheartened, took up the Dao, and called himself Yun Youzi. My Daoist name was given to me by your grandmaster, and all the skills I possess were learned from him. So, you must remember: when you practice medicine alone in the future, you must deliberate over your prescriptions and never be careless.”
Mingyue swallowed the snack in his mouth and said solemnly, “Disciple understands.”
“So Daozhang comes from a prestigious background!”
Qin Sang’s face was full of admiration as he refilled Daoist Jixin’s tea. “Grandmaster served as an imperial physician and walked the forbidden palace grounds; he must have known many secrets. Did he ever see an immortal master with his own eyes?”
The old priest shook his head. “Never. However, when my master was an imperial physician, he heard many rumors that immortal masters had once frequented the palace and were on good terms with the royalty and nobility. Wealth, beauty, fame, and profit dazzle the eyes. In this poor Daoist’s opinion, those so-called immortal masters likely couldn’t escape the seven emotions and six desires, so they can’t be considered truly detached.”
Qin Sang was stunned.
His inherent impression of those who cultivated immortality was that they drank morning dew, ate the evening mist, hid themselves in famous mountains and great rivers or blessed lands, slept for a thousand years, remained untainted by worldly affairs, and rarely appeared before people.
He was actually wrong!
Could it be that he had to go to the capital to try his luck?
Daoist Jixin seemed to see through Qin Sang’s thoughts and dealt him a blow. “Don’t indulge in wishful thinking. My master served as an imperial physician for over thirty years, entering and exiting the palace and noble mansions daily, yet he never saw an immortal master with his own eyes; he only heard a few legends. Besides, if there really were immortal destiny in the capital, wouldn’t those princes and grandsons fight tooth and nail for it? Would it ever be your turn?”
……
Looking up at the bright moon and listening to the chanting of the master and disciple in his ears, Qin Sang sat on the bed, silent for a long time, before finally giving a self-deprecating laugh.
If immortal destiny were so easy to encounter, wouldn’t everyone in this world be able to become an immortal? Regardless, he still had the *Nether Scripture*; there was still a glimmer of hope.
With this realization, Qin Sang temporarily set aside his unrealistic delusions and focused on comprehending the *Nether Scripture*.
Without realizing it, winter had arrived. The old priest took in several families of disaster victims, and the Daoist temple gained much more vitality.
The first snow suddenly fell on the mountains.
The mountains turned white overnight. Qin Sang followed the old priest and his disciple down the mountain to provide free medical treatment. Seeing the disaster victims frozen to death by the roadside, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. The old priest sighed; he was just a poor, shabby priest, and the Qingyang Temple only had a few old rooms—how many homeless people could he shelter?
They could only do what they were capable of.
Qin Sang squatted by a stone hollow to tend the fire. In the pot was a large batch of cold-dispelling herbs, boiled into a medicinal soup to be distributed to the victims.
While tending the fire absentmindedly, Qin Sang silently recited the *Nether Scripture* in his heart.
He had now memorized the *Nether Scripture* until he knew it by heart. He had pondered every line of the scripture countless times, and he hadn’t changed a single word of his translation in the past few days. Feeling that he had understood the *Nether Scripture* deeply enough, he planned to start practicing tonight!
The snow had not yet melted, and the bright moon hung in the sky, making the night as bright as day.
The families staying at the temple were crowded into the front rooms, but Qin Sang still lived alone, so he didn’t have to worry about being discovered.
He formed a seal and sat cross-legged, following the guidance in the *Nether Scripture*, calming his heart to enter meditation and attempting to practice.
Although the scripture was clear in his mind, he sat rigidly for several hours without being able to enter the gate. Not only could he not calm his heart, but distracting thoughts grew instead. He became secretly anxious, wanting to eliminate the distractions, only to suddenly realize that this very thought was itself a distraction.
As dawn approached, Qin Sang still could not reach the state of "heart like still water, hiding the spirit within the body" described in the scripture. Since he had to go down the mountain for free clinics tomorrow, he had to stop for now.
Providing free clinics down the mountain during the day, practicing at night, and training in martial arts morning and evening—Qin Sang’s days were monotonous yet fulfilling.
By this time, he had realized that whether the *Nether Scripture* was a martial arts manual or an immortal cultivation technique, it was definitely not easy to practice. He would need to have enough patience.
Returning from another day of free clinics, Qin Sang was in his room pondering the *Nether Scripture* when he saw Mingyue running up, panting, carrying two bowls of porridge.
“Senior Brother, Master says the herbs in the temple are running low. He’s going up the mountain to gather herbs tomorrow and wants you to pack your bags and go with him.”
Qin Sang stopped and looked out at the distant mountains. The snow had stopped seven days ago, and today the sky was clear for thousands of miles. After today, the snow on the mountains should all be melted.
Providing free clinics down the mountain required boiling several pots of medicinal soup every day, consuming herbs rapidly. It was no wonder they needed to gather more.
There was no snow on the mountain, but there might be ice on the road. Qin Sang was worried about the old priest going up the mountain alone, so he readily agreed. After finishing his porridge, he returned to his room to pack.
In truth, other than the ebony sword and a few other things, he didn’t have many belongings. The tools for gathering herbs and food were prepared by Mingyue. He bundled his cotton-padded clothes with cloth strips and brought a pair of thick cotton shoes; that was all his luggage.
The next day, before dawn, Qin Sang set off with the old priest.
Cuiming Mountain was still manageable, as there was a path worn by people. Once they descended Cuiming Mountain and headed further in, it was completely wild mountains and forests. They had to follow animal trails, pushing through waist-high weeds. Even in broad daylight, Qin Sang couldn’t tell where they were going and could only follow the old priest step by step.
Climbing from the valley to the mountainside, then turning along a narrow, winding path on the cliff, they descended and ascended again. It wasn’t until noon that they reached the foot of the legendary Huanghuang Mountain.
Walking on such paths, Qin Sang slipped several times, trembling with fear, while the old priest was as steady as Mount Tai. Qin Sang couldn’t help but wonder who the young person was.
The schedule was tight; they had to return to the temple by tomorrow night, so they gathered herbs without stopping after climbing Huanghuang Mountain.
Listening to the strange roars coming from the forest from time to time, Qin Sang felt tense. He thought to himself, *I hope I don’t end up dying in a tiger’s maw before I even find the path to immortality.* As he walked, he asked softly, “Daozhang, you come to such deep mountains to gather herbs; aren’t you afraid of being eaten by tigers or wolves?”
“I have encountered mountain wolves before. This poor Daoist has a beast-repelling powder passed down by my master, which can be of some use.”
The old priest was lighthearted, using his herb hoe to push aside the weeds. “The herbs outside have long been picked clean; we have no choice but to enter the mountains. You have martial arts to protect yourself, what are you afraid of?”
Qin Sang, holding a wooden stick, couldn’t help but feel guilty. “Daozhang, please don’t mock me. My crude skills are not worth mentioning.”
The old priest chuckled. “I noticed that the fist technique Mingyue learned from you seems to have more to it. Is it incomplete?”
“Daozhang has a sharp eye.”
Qin Sang said, “This *Tiger-Subduing Long Fist* was taught to me by the big brother who saved my life. He only had time to teach me three forms. However, this fist technique is quite common. In a while, I will go to the martial arts school in the city to ask for advice, and I should be able to complete it.”
(End of chapter)