Chapter 38 – Instructing
Words on ideals, dreams, and persistence were naturally very fitting for the contents of the first lesson. But a matter that could be understood with a couple of concise sentences was clearly not enough to encompass the contents of an entire lesson. Chen Changsheng eventually had to speak about truly useful things.
He took from the bookshelf a book that summarized the meridians that had been approved by the Orthodoxy’s Hall of Literary Glory. Flipping past those pages giving basic information, he went straight to the colorful diagram on the very last page. Pointing at the green and red lines drawn on the human body in the center of the diagram, he began to contrast this diagram to Luoluo’s specific situation.
Those lines represented the meridians of the human body and were extremely complex. The basic introductions calculated there being several dozen meridians, but if one examined even more carefully, that number would double. However, based on what Luoluo had said herself, her body simply did not have this many meridians.
These were two completely different systems of meridians. One was complex and fragile, the other simple and resilient, thus allowing two species of intelligent beings to walk on two paths in completely opposite directions. It was impossible to conclude which path could go the farthest, but at least in known history, this competition still had no result.
Chen Changsheng did not sigh about the peculiarities of this other form of life. He was only stunned by the miraculous workings of the creator, and he understood even more that if these two forms of life wished to cross that boundary in the middle and learn the cultivation methods of the other side, it would be an incredibly difficult task.
If Luoluo’s race had been able to easily learn the cultivation methods of humans, then she would assuredly not be learning the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong, but the secrets of the Mount Li Sword Style that she had gifted to Chen Changsheng yesterday. The Mount Li Sword Style was one of the strongest martial arts of the human world. For her race to learn it would naturally be as difficult as climbing up to the sky, so they might as well settle for second best.
All human cultivation methods were constructed from two parts: technique forms and methods of circulating true essence. To use the Wind and Rain Sword as an example, merely having a grasp of the sword manual was far from enough. One also needed a grasp of the true essence circulation methods used in this sword style, and only then could one display the sword style’s true might.
Luoluo’s body simply did not have the meridians possessed by humans, so how could she grasp these methods? She understood what it meant when the sword manual said to circulate and casually let true essence flow through her Rao meridian, but the problem was that she had no Rao meridian, so no matter how strong her soul was, where was she going to let it flow through?
“Only on that night, when I acted according to Teacher’s words and attempted to move true essence, did I realize that I could control the Wind and Rain Sword like a human. Was this an imitation or… was this a method for me to match my true essence with the sword manual?”
Luoluo was very studious and seriously asked.
Chen Changsheng pondered this question, but did not answer her question immediately. He turned and exited the library, picking out a branch on the lake shore that had been severed from its tree by the fight from that night. Taking out his dagger, he peeled all the bark off the branch, transforming it into a slim and slightly white stick. He did not forget to use a rock from the lake to round off the end of the branch.
He returned to the library and said, “If you’re not willing, just speak.”
Luoluo gazed at the thin wooden stick in his hands, her eyes open wide. She thought to herself, I just acknowledged him as my teacher; could it be that now I have to suffer the rod? Could it be that Teacher is a person that believes in education through the rod? But it had not been easy to make Chen Changsheng acknowledge her as his student, so she was unwilling to utter the three words “I’m not willing” and forcefully nodded her head.
Chen Changsheng raised the thin stick in his hands and pointed at a certain place in her chest through her clothes, saying, “Bring your true essence to this place.”
Humans had a so-called Qi Sea in their elixir field, but he didn’t know if Luoluo had one. It wasn’t very convenient for him to ask about these sorts of secrets about the bodies, but seeing Luoluo’s expression, he felt that there shouldn’t be any problems. After a moment, he asked, “What do you feel?”
Luoluo earnestly sensed the feeling coming from the place that stick was touching and said, “It’s somewhat hot.”
“When weak, Yang Fire can also be expressed externally. Since you have this feeling, then in my view, this place doesn’t have too different of a use from the Rao meridian.”
While speaking, Chen Changsheng was also taking notes.
On that night, he had spoken only one remark and had allowed Luoluo to successfully move her true essence and truly control the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong for the first time. But it was only one technique and luck had been involved. What he needed to do now was break through the limits of the human meridians and construct another system. It was naturally extremely difficult.
This was definitely not a one-day affair.
If he had not memorized the Daoist Canon ever since he was a child, if his long illness had not made him a doctor, and if his meridians were not so different from others, there might not even be a possibility of success.
After finishing his notes, he raised his head once more, thought, and then extended the thin stick to lightly poke at a place on Luoluo’s neck. Of course, it was still through her clothes.
“Carefully, a little slower.
“What do you feel?”
“Somewhat cold.”
“Mm.
“What about here?”
…
…
The wooden stick fell on Luoluo’s body, pointing and then directing. This was instructing.
Chen Changsheng would receive feedback, record it on his notes, and then continue.
Time quickly passed under this directing and conversing.
At twilight, Chen Changsheng’s arm felt somewhat sore. He placed the stick down and gazed out the window. He saw only yellow roof tiles and red walls, but he suddenly smiled.
Using half a day, he had come up with a certain possibility, found a possible path, a path within Luoluo’s body.
“Try?”
He pulled his gaze away from the sight of the capital under the setting sun and turned to Luoluo, taking his dagger from his waist and offering it to her.
Luoluo received the dagger and took in a deep breath. Her eyes became abnormally bright, and then she closed her eyes and remained silent for a very long time.
In that second in which the setting sun was swallowed by the city walls, she opened her eyes and let out a soft shout.
This shout was very crisp without the slightest impurity. It was transparent as the spring waters or the spring breeze.
With this clear shout, the dagger in her hands floated up from her waist level like a poplar flower, gently drifting upwards until it seemed to reach the ninth heaven.
Countless sword shadows like the rain, unstoppable sword intent like the wind.
This was wind and rain.
The Wind and Rain Sword.
…
…
Without human meridians, it was impossible to use the true essence circulation methods described in the Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong, but the sword that was ultimately displayed was actually the true Wind and Rain Sword of Mount Zhong. This meant that the true essence circulation method used by the wielder could almost completely imitate the true essence circulation method used by humans.
The wind and rain gradually descended in the remnants of the setting sun. As the night gradually approached, the old garden was peaceful.
The library was silent.
Luoluo’s hand holding the dagger was shaking slightly.
She turned to Chen Changsheng, her voice also somewhat shaky as she said, “Teacher, you truly are extraordinary.”
She was very shocked. She felt that her teacher was an immortal descended from the heavens, or how else was it possible for him to teach her so many things in such a short amount of time?
So shocking that he must be a celestial being.
Chen Changsheng placed the thin stick down in front of his knees and began to happily laugh.
In these past few days, no, in these past few years to be precise, he had always been thinking about this problem of how to cultivate when one’s meridians were severed. In the past, because he had not cultivated, all his contemplations were in the void, blindly advancing forwards in the darkness. Now, however, although he still did not have the slightest trace of true essence, he had a female student. This female student was outstanding, could perfectly realize all his hypotheses, and even proved all his conjectures right in the space of half a day.
Luoluo said, “Thank you, Teacher, for your instruction.”
Chen Changsheng replied, “The same to you, the same to you.”
The twilight was not at all like blood, but like the fires of the stove in the wonton stand, sublimely warm.
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