“Turning stones into gold?” Mei Qing clearly found it hard to accept. “Isn’t this some kind of trickery involving sleight of hand?”
Old Sixth shook his head. “You didn’t witness the actual scene back then. The young master specifically pointed at a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai on the shelf and asked him to transform it. That stone turned into gold, and the light and color couldn’t possibly be deceptive. Yet it retained the original odd shape of the stone, something no ordinary trick could achieve.”
Mei Qing still found it hard to believe. “Even if there were such a method of transformation, it couldn’t possibly happen in an instant, could it? Besides, from what I know, even if one could transform ordinary iron and stone into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver themselves.”
Old Sixth nodded. “That’s indeed true. But at the time, I didn’t know much about forging artifacts or external alchemy, so I couldn’t detect anything suspicious about him. Besides, after the incident, we soon forgot about it and didn’t pursue the matter further.”
“If it were true, couldn’t you have simply asked him to transform a few more stones to confirm?” Mei Qing thought maliciously. If this fellow were asked to produce several thousand catties of gold, even a magician would find the cost unbearable.
“Actually, we did make such a request back then. However, Master Maoyang claimed that the technique consumed a huge amount of true energy, and after performing it once, he needed a whole year to recover before he could do it again. To be honest, at the time we didn’t think much of it. If we had known better, we could have simply cut open that piece of gold to check. Perhaps he had merely used some magic to coat the outside with a layer of gold foil.”
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. In fact, this was the most likely possibility according to Old Sixth’s explanation.
“But at the time, we were all genuinely impressed. Even I thought Master Maoyang’s abilities were quite remarkable. As for the young master, he immediately invited this fellow to reside in the mansion as a private tutor and began learning Daoist cultivation techniques from him.”
“After the young master practiced for a while, I kept observing him secretly. The cultivation techniques taught by Master Maoyang were indeed not particularly profound, but they weren’t entirely wrong either. However, this person seemed to focus more on external alchemy, teaching mostly about lead, mercury, and related consumption techniques.”
Upon hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but softly exclaim, “Oh?”
Old Sixth smiled. “Actually, consuming substances is indeed a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient Daoist traditions. However, later on, many false teachings emerged, causing harm and leading people to reject the true path of substance consumption. The alchemical methods passed down by Master Maoyang were all examined by me. While not extremely profound, they were far superior to common external alchemical techniques.”
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing was clearly finding it hard to accept. “Isn’t that some kind of sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t see the actual scene back then. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, and the luster was unmistakable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was no ordinary magic trick.”
Mei Qing still found it hard to believe. “Even if such an alchemical method exists, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Besides, as far as I know, even if one could turn ordinary iron and stone into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “That’s true. But at the time, I wasn’t very familiar with alchemy or external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Moreover, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and that would have clarified things, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously that if they had asked the guy to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he probably couldn’t bear the cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but the Maoyang Master said it consumed a great deal of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. We didn’t think much of it back then. If it were now, we could have simply cut open the gold piece to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic,” Sixth Master said, shaking his head.
Mei Qing nodded. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at the time, we were all stunned. Even I felt that the Maoyang Master’s abilities were quite impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning the Daoist arts from him.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed the teachings of the Maoyang Master. The techniques he taught were not particularly profound, but they weren’t wrong either. However, he seemed to focus more on external elixirs, and most of his teachings revolved around ingesting substances like lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” at this point. Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the practice of ingesting substances is also a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, it later became muddled with harmful practices, leading to its disrepute. The alchemical teachings of the Maoyang Master, though not exceptionally profound, were far superior to ordinary external alchemy.”
Mei Qing’s knowledge of ingestion was quite limited. Generally, ingestion techniques were divided into two categories: herbs and minerals, with minerals being the orthodox path. Among minerals, there were further divisions into external alchemy and single mineral ingestion. Common herbs referred to spiritual medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restoratives, while minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
The difficulty with herbal ingestion lay in the rarity of top-grade herbs. For instance, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root were undoubtedly valuable, but such items were hard to come by, even for the wealthy. As for mineral ingestion, apart from the scarcity of high-grade minerals, the methods of refining were also closely guarded secrets, passed down only within certain sects.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang dynasty, the path of external alchemy has gradually been lost. Today, those who specialize in external alchemy are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan sect, there are no practitioners of external alchemy. However, the Lingbao Gezao sect, due to its inheritance from the Immortal Ge, still preserves some traditions of external alchemy. At the time, seeing the Maoyang Master speak so eloquently and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did the Maoyang Master really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we were not allowed to observe during the refining process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far beyond what ordinary alchemy could produce. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for building foundations and nurturing vitality.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. The path of ingestion, compared to the dry and arduous practice of cultivation, certainly had its advantages. However, upon reflection, he thought of his own father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the Emperor, whose cultivation didn’t seem particularly advanced. This suggested that the results of ingestion might still be uncertain.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I began to notice something amiss. The young master’s use of these elixirs for building foundations and nurturing vitality seemed to have little effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after taking the elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone using auxiliary pills for sexual cultivation.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Sexual cultivation also involves the use of ingestion aids. Although I had never seen it, I had heard of it, and it was exactly like the young master’s situation. Later, I secretly asked the young master, and he said, ‘The Maoyang Master’s teachings on the golden elixir path are based on ingestion. When cultivated deeply, one can perform talismans, refine tools, subdue demons, and capture ghosts. The path of dual cultivation is particularly important.'”
“I found this quite suspicious at the time. How could one practice encompass all these abilities? But the young master was already deeply immersed, rarely leaving his room and becoming distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became more vigilant and secretly contacted Lu Zhong, arranging for people to investigate the young master’s nightly activities, and I was even more surprised.”
“Normally, as a prince, the young master would have had specific guidance on matters of intimacy. Generally, after the age of thirteen, special maids would be arranged to accompany and guide him. However, due to the mourning period for the old prince, this was delayed. Later, the princess, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the young master’s life, arranged for two knowledgeable maids to be assigned to his room.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have been just beginning to understand matters of intimacy. The concern should have been about excessive desires harming his health. However, the information I gathered suggested that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, truly like a celibate monk.”
“Our Daoist cultivation is different from Buddhist practice; we don’t advocate complete abstinence from desires. Later, I couldn’t hold back and directly asked the young master, who said, ‘This is the great path taught by the Maoyang Master. It’s not about abstaining from desires but about preserving one’s essence and not losing it lightly. One must wait until the time is ripe and the conditions are right before engaging in sexual cultivation.'”
“Although I found this somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing the young master’s impatience, I didn’t press further. By then, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The rear storeroom was repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s elixir refining, and only one item each day, without fail. At first, no one paid much attention, but when the young master’s elixir ingredients were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate, which was when I became aware of the situation.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guards’ vault, was still a heavily secured area, not something an ordinary thief could easily enter. However, despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and keeping a close watch, the thefts continued. The thief’s methods were baffling; every day, something would go missing, and it was always one specific item. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the door of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. Yet, without the door being opened, the lock being tampered with, or the chest being damaged, the items inside would vanish without a trace.”
“This made me suspicious, and I felt there must be something unusual going on. However, when I observed at night, the mansion was peaceful, with no strange spiritual fluctuations. Could it be that some master had set their sights on the mansion? But if the thief was after the medicinal ingredients, why not take them all at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’Bi’s mother, who said it might not be a master. If someone were truly that skilled, they wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft. It was more likely some unorthodox master or someone with a peculiar magical tool that prevented any spiritual disturbances, making it impossible to detect.”
“At that time, A’Bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often, only sneaking out to see each other. The next day, A’Bi’s mother gave me a strange little mirror, saying it could detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if there was anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light flashed, and I saw five小鬼 (little ghosts) slipping through the door crack.”
Mei Qing was startled. “The Five Ghosts Theft Technique!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was the Five Ghosts Theft Technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden story behind the Five Ghosts Theft Technique. He had once seen A’Bi use this technique, which led to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, because A’Bi had a strained relationship with Lu Bing, she never told anyone else, making it a secret between them.
Now, hearing Sixth Master recount the past events involving his parents, where someone had also used the Five Ghosts Theft Technique, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Theft Technique known to many?”
“The Five Ghosts Theft Technique is known to many, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice it are extremely rare,” Sixth Master said, looking at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing clearly found it hard to accept. “Isn’t that some kind of deceptive trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t witness the actual scene back then. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, and the luster was undeniable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was no ordinary magic trick.”
Mei Qing still felt skeptical. “Even if such an alchemical method exists, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, from what I know, even if ordinary iron and stone could be transformed into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver itself.”
Sixth Master nodded. “That’s true. But at the time, I wasn’t well-versed in alchemy or external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and you would have understood, right?” Mei Qing couldn’t help but think maliciously. If they had asked him to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he wouldn’t have been able to bear the cost.
“Actually, we did ask him at the time, but Master Mao Yang said that it consumed a great deal of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. We didn’t think much of it back then. If it were now, we could have simply cut open the gold to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic.” Sixth Master shook his head.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible explanation.
“But at the time, we were all truly astonished. Even I felt that Master Mao Yang’s abilities were quite impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning the Daoist arts from him.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed Master Mao Yang’s teachings. His methods weren’t particularly profound, but they weren’t wrong either. However, he seemed to focus more on external elixirs, and most of his teachings revolved around the ingestion of lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” upon hearing this. Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the practice of ingesting elixirs is a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, over time, it became mixed with harmful practices, leading to its disrepute. The elixir teachings of Master Mao Yang, though not exceptionally profound, were far superior to ordinary external elixir methods.”
Mei Qing’s knowledge of elixir ingestion was quite limited. Generally, elixir ingestion was divided into two categories: herbal and mineral, with the latter being considered the orthodox method. Among minerals, there were further divisions between external alchemy and single mineral ingestion. Common herbs referred to spiritual medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restoratives, while minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
The difficulty with herbal ingestion lay in the rarity of top-grade herbs. For example, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root were undoubtedly valuable, but such items were hard to come by, even for the wealthiest families. As for mineral ingestion, apart from the scarcity of high-quality minerals, the methods of alchemy were also closely guarded secrets, passed down only within certain sects.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang Dynasty, the art of external alchemy has gradually been lost. Nowadays, those who specialize in external alchemy are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan Sect, there are no practitioners of external alchemy. However, the Lingbao Gezao Sect, due to its inheritance from the teachings of Ge Xianweng, still preserves some knowledge of external alchemy. At the time, seeing Master Mao Yang speak so convincingly and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were inclined to believe him.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did Master Mao Yang really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the alchemical process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far beyond what ordinary alchemy could produce. Those who tested the elixirs confirmed that they were indeed marvelous for foundational cultivation and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. Compared to the dry and arduous path of cultivation, elixir ingestion certainly had its advantages. However, upon further reflection, he recalled that Sixth Master’s own father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the Emperor, didn’t seem to have any remarkable cultivation achievements. This made him wonder if there were still uncertainties in the results of elixir ingestion.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I began to notice something was amiss. The young master’s consumption of these elixirs didn’t seem to have much effect on his foundational cultivation. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after taking the elixirs, the young master exhibited symptoms similar to those who used auxiliary pills in dual cultivation techniques.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Dual cultivation techniques also involve the ingestion of elixirs. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard that it can lead to situations like the young master’s. Later, I secretly asked the young master about it, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Master Mao Yang is based on elixir ingestion. When cultivated to a deep level, it encompasses talismans, alchemy, demon subduing, and ghost capturing. Dual cultivation is particularly emphasized in this path.'”
“I found this quite suspicious. How could one cultivation method encompass everything? But by then, the young master was deeply engrossed, rarely leaving his chambers and becoming distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became more vigilant and secretly sought out Lu Zhong to arrange for someone to investigate the young master’s nightly activities. What I discovered was even more surprising.”
“Normally, as a prince, the young master would have had specific tutors for matters of intimacy. Generally, after the age of thirteen, special maids would be assigned to guide him. However, due to the mourning period for the old prince, this was delayed. Concerned that the three-year mourning period might affect the young master’s future, the princess arranged for two maids to be assigned to his chambers.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have been just beginning to understand matters of intimacy. The concern should have been about excessive indulgence harming his health. But to my surprise, the reports indicated that the young master paid no attention to the maids, behaving like a celibate monk.”
“Our Daoist cultivation is different from Buddhist practices; we don’t advocate complete abstinence from desire. Eventually, I couldn’t hold back and directly asked the young master about it. He replied, ‘This is the great path taught by Master Mao Yang. It’s not about abstaining from desire but about preserving one’s essence and not losing it lightly. Only when the time is ripe and the conditions are met can one engage in dual cultivation techniques.'”
“Although I found this explanation somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible argument. Seeing that the young master was becoming impatient, I didn’t press further. By then, another year had passed, and it was the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The storerooms were repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s alchemy, and only one item each day without fail. At first, no one paid much attention, but when the ingredients the young master needed for his alchemy were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate. That’s when I became aware of the situation.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guard’s vault, was still a heavily secured area with layers of guards. It wasn’t a place an ordinary thief could easily enter. But frustratingly, despite Lu Zhong increasing the number of guards and keeping a close watch, the thefts continued. The thief seemed to have some method of entering undetected, stealing one item each day without fail. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the entrance of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. But even though the door remained locked and the chests untouched, the contents would mysteriously disappear without a sound.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and suspected that there was something unusual going on. However, when I observed the mansion at night, everything seemed calm, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could it be that some master cultivator had set their sights on the mansion? But if that were the case, why wouldn’t they take everything at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’Bi’s mother, and she said, ‘It might not be a master cultivator. If someone were truly that powerful, they wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft. It’s more likely to be some unorthodox practitioner with a peculiar magical tool that allows them to move without disturbing the spiritual energy, making them undetectable.'”
“At that time, A’Bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often and would sneak out to see each other. The next day, A’Bi’s mother gave me a strange little mirror, saying it could be used to detect spiritual energy and capture spirits. She told me to use it at night to see if I could spot anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light suddenly flashed, and I saw five small ghosts slipping through the cracks in the door.”
Mei Qing was startled. “The Five Ghosts Theft Technique!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was indeed the Five Ghosts Theft Technique. How is it that you, Mei Qing, are familiar with this spell?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden truth behind the use of the Five Ghosts Theft Technique. He had once witnessed A’Bi counter this technique, which led to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, due to A’Bi’s strained relationship with Lu Bing, she had never disclosed this to anyone, making it a secret between the two of them.
Now, hearing Sixth Master recount the story of his parents’ past and the use of the Five Ghosts Theft Technique, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Theft Technique known to many?”
“Many have heard of it, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice this technique are extremely rare.” Sixth Master looked at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
At this point, Old Sixth shook his head. “Since the Tang Dynasty, the art of external alchemy has gradually been lost. Now, there are very few people who specialize in external alchemy. Even the authentic Maoshan sect no longer practices alchemical consumption. Only Lingbao Gexian Sect, inheriting the legacy of Ge Xianweng, still has some transmission of external alchemy techniques. However, at the time, seeing how Master Maoyang spoke eloquently and produced elixirs with abundant spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced of his authenticity.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing said with growing interest. “So this Master Maoyang really did produce elixirs?”
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing was clearly finding it hard to accept. “Isn’t that just some sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t see the actual scene back then. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, its luster undeniable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was no ordinary magic trick.”
Mei Qing still found it hard to believe. “Even if such an alchemical method exists, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Besides, as far as I know, even if one could turn ordinary iron and stone into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. But at that time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy and external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Moreover, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and that would have clarified things, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously. If they had asked that guy to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he probably couldn’t have borne the cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but Master Mao Yang said that it consumed a lot of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. Back then, we didn’t think much of it. If it were now, we could have simply cut open that piece of gold to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic.” Sixth Master shook his head.
Mei Qing also nodded. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at that time, we were all truly stunned. Even I felt that Master Mao Yang’s abilities were indeed remarkable. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning the Daoist arts from him.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed the techniques Master Mao Yang taught. They weren’t particularly profound, but they weren’t wrong either. However, it seemed that Master Mao Yang focused more on external elixirs, and most of the alchemical teachings revolved around consuming substances like lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” upon hearing this. Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the practice of consuming elixirs is also a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, it later became muddled with harmful practices, leading to its disrepute. The alchemical teachings passed down by Master Mao Yang, though not extremely profound, were far superior to ordinary external alchemical methods.”
Mei Qing’s understanding of elixir consumption was quite limited. Generally, elixir consumption techniques were divided into two categories: herbal and mineral, with the mineral path being the orthodox one. Among minerals, there were further divisions between external alchemy and single mineral consumption. Common herbs referred to celestial medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restoratives, while minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
The difficulty with herbal consumption lay in the rarity of top-grade herbs. For example, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root were undoubtedly valuable, but such items were hard to come by, even for the wealthy. As for mineral consumption, apart from the rarity of top-grade minerals, the methods of refining were also closely guarded secrets, passed down only within certain sects.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head and said, “Since the Tang Dynasty, the path of external alchemy has gradually been lost. Nowadays, those who specialize in external alchemy are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan Sect, there are no practitioners of external alchemy and elixir consumption. However, the Lingbao Gezao Sect, due to its inheritance from the teachings of Ge Xianweng, still has some remnants of external alchemy. But at that time, seeing Master Mao Yang speak so eloquently and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did Master Mao Yang really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the refining process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far superior to the so-called elixirs of the mundane world. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for foundational cultivation and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. The path of elixir consumption, compared to dry and arduous cultivation, indeed had its advantages. But then he thought of Sixth Master’s mention of his own father, the former Prince of Xingxian and now the Emperor, who didn’t seem to have any remarkable cultivation achievements. This made him wonder if there were still variables in the results of elixir consumption.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I noticed something was amiss. The young master’s consumption of these elixirs for foundational cultivation didn’t seem to have much effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after consuming the elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone who had taken auxiliary pills for bedroom arts.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Bedroom arts also involve elixir consumption. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard of it, and it was similar to the young master’s situation. Later, I secretly asked the young master about it, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Master Mao Yang is based on elixir consumption. When cultivated to a deep level, one can perform talismans, refine tools, subdue demons, and capture ghosts. The path of dual cultivation in bedroom arts is particularly important.'”
“I felt something was off at the time. How could one cultivation method encompass everything? But the young master was deeply immersed in it, rarely leaving the house, and even grew distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became suspicious and secretly sought out Lu Zhong, arranging for people to investigate the young master’s nightly activities, and what I found was even more surprising.”
“Normally, as the prince’s son, the young master would have had specialized instructors for matters of the bedroom. Generally, after the age of thirteen, specific maids would be assigned to guide him. However, due to the old prince’s mourning period, this was delayed. Later, the princess, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the young master’s life, arranged for two knowledgeable maids to be assigned to his room at the beginning of the year.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have been just beginning to understand matters of the bedroom. The concern should have been about excessive lust harming his health. But the information I gathered was that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, truly like a celibate monk.”
“Our Daoist cultivation is different from Buddhist practice; there’s no emphasis on celibacy or severing emotions. Later, I couldn’t hold back and directly asked the young master, who said, ‘This is the great path taught by Master Mao Yang. It’s not about severing desires but about guarding one’s essence and not losing it lightly. Only when the time is ripe and the conditions are met can one practice bedroom arts.'”
“Although I felt this was somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing the young master’s impatience, I didn’t press further. At that time, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The rear storeroom was repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s elixir refining, and only one item each day, without fail. At first, no one paid much attention, but when the ingredients the young master needed for refining were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate, which was when I found out.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guards’ vault, was still a heavily secured area, not something an ordinary thief could easily enter. But frustratingly, despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and keeping a close watch, they still couldn’t prevent the thefts. It was unclear how the thief managed to steal something every day, always taking just one item. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the door of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. But even though the door wasn’t opened, the lock wasn’t tampered with, and the chest wasn’t broken, the items inside would still vanish without a trace.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and felt there must be something fishy going on. But when I kept watch at night, the mansion was as peaceful as usual, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could there be some powerful figure targeting the mansion? But if that person was after the medicinal ingredients in the vault, why not take them all at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’Bi’s mother, who said it might not be a powerful figure. If someone were truly that powerful, they wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft. It was more likely some unorthodox practitioner with a peculiar magical tool that didn’t disturb the spiritual energy, making it hard to detect.”
“At that time, A’Bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often, only sneaking out to see each other. The next day, A’Bi’s mother gave me a strange little mirror, saying it could be used to detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if there was anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light suddenly flashed, and I saw five小鬼 (little ghosts) squeezing through the crack in the vault door.”
Mei Qing was startled. “Five Ghosts Transportation!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was the Five Ghosts Transportation technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden story behind the Five Ghosts Transportation technique. He had once seen A’Bi use it, and after she dispelled the five ghosts, a series of events unfolded, altering their relationship. However, due to A’Bi’s strained relationship with Lu Bing, she had never told anyone else, making it a secret between them.
Now, hearing Sixth Master recount the past involving his parents and the use of the Five Ghosts Transportation technique, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Transportation technique not widely known?”
“The Five Ghosts Transportation is known by many, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice this technique are extremely rare.” Sixth Master looked at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing clearly found it hard to accept. “Isn’t that just some sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t see the actual scene back then. The prince pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, its luster undeniable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was definitely not something an ordinary magic trick could achieve.”
Mei Qing still felt somewhat incredulous. “Even if there is such a transmutation method, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, as far as I know, even if one could turn ordinary iron and stone into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “That’s true. But at that time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy and external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and that would have clarified things, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously. If they had asked him to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he probably couldn’t bear such a cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but Master Mao Yang said it consumed a lot of his vital energy. Each time he performed it, he needed a year to recover before he could do it again. In fact, we didn’t think much of it then. If it were now, we could have simply cut open that piece of gold. Perhaps he just coated it with a layer of gold foil using some spell.” Sixth Master shook his head.
Mei Qing also nodded. In fact, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at that time, we were all truly shocked. Even I felt that Master Mao Yang’s abilities were indeed impressive. The prince, needless to say, immediately invited him into the palace as a tutor and began learning the Dao and practicing magic under him.”
“After the prince had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed him. The techniques Master Mao Yang taught were not particularly profound, but they weren’t wrong either. However, he seemed to focus more on external elixirs, teaching mostly about consuming lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but softly exclaim, “Oh?” Sixth Master smiled. “Actually, the path of consuming elixirs is also a legitimate practice, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, it later became mixed with harmful practices, leading to its denunciation by the world. The elixir path taught by Master Mao Yang, though not extremely profound, was far superior to ordinary external elixir methods.”
Mei Qing had limited knowledge about elixir consumption. Generally, elixir techniques are divided into herbal and mineral categories, with minerals being the orthodox. Among minerals, there are external elixir smelting and single mineral consumption. Common herbs refer to spiritual medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restorations, while minerals include cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
Herbal elixir consumption is challenging due to the rarity of top-grade herbs. For example, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root are undoubtedly valuable, but such items are hard to come by, even for the wealthy. Mineral elixir consumption, besides the difficulty in obtaining top-grade minerals, also requires smelting techniques that are not widely transmitted outside of orthodox sects.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang Dynasty, the path of external elixirs has gradually been lost. Today, those who specialize in external elixirs are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan Sect, there are no practitioners of external elixir consumption. However, the Lingbao Gezao Sect, inheriting the legacy of Ge Xianweng, still has some traditions of external elixir smelting. But at that time, seeing Master Mao Yang speak so eloquently and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did Master Mao Yang really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the smelting process, I saw the elixirs afterward. They were far superior to ordinary elixirs in the world. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for foundational cultivation and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. The path of elixir consumption, compared to dry and arduous cultivation, indeed has its advantages. However, upon reflection, Sixth Master mentioned that his biological father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the Emperor, didn’t seem to have any remarkable cultivation achievements. Thus, the results of elixir consumption might still be uncertain.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I noticed something was amiss. The prince’s consumption of these elixirs for foundational cultivation didn’t seem to have much effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practice dual cultivation, I am more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after consuming the elixirs, the prince’s behavior resembled that of someone using auxiliary pills for bedroom arts.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Bedroom arts also involve elixir consumption. Although I haven’t seen it, I’ve heard of it, and it matches the prince’s situation. Later, I secretly asked the prince, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Master Mao Yang is based on elixir consumption. At its depths, one can perform talismans, smelt tools, subdue demons, and capture ghosts. Dual cultivation in bedroom arts is particularly important.'”
“I felt something was off at the time. How could one practice cover everything? But the prince was deeply immersed, rarely going out, and even grew distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs in his room and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became suspicious and secretly contacted Lu Zhong, arranging for people to investigate the prince’s nightly activities, which led to further surprises.”
“Normally, a prince’s sexual education is guided by specialized tutors. Generally, after the age of thirteen, specific maids are arranged to accompany and guide the prince. However, due to the old prince’s mourning period, this was delayed. Later, the princess, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the prince’s life, arranged for two knowledgeable maids to be placed in the prince’s room.”
“The prince was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when one begins to understand sexual matters. The concern should have been excessive lust harming his health. Surprisingly, the investigation revealed that the prince didn’t even glance at the maids, truly like a celibate monk.”
“Our Daoist cultivation differs from Buddhist practice; it doesn’t advocate complete abstinence from desires. Later, I couldn’t hold back and directly asked the prince. He said, ‘This is the great path taught by Master Mao Yang. It’s not about abstaining from desires but preserving one’s essence, not to be lightly lost. One must wait for the right moment and the right level of cultivation before practicing bedroom arts.'”
“Although I found this somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing the prince’s impatience, I didn’t press further. By then, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the palace. The treasury was repeatedly robbed. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the top-grade medicinal herbs needed for the prince’s elixir refining, taking one item each day without fail. Initially, no one noticed, but when the prince’s elixir ingredients were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate, which is how I found out.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince Xingxian’s palace, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guards’ vault, was still a heavily secured area, not something an ordinary thief could penetrate. Frustratingly, despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and closely monitoring, they couldn’t prevent the thefts. The thief somehow managed to steal one item each day without fail. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the door of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. The door wasn’t opened, the lock wasn’t tampered with, and the chest wasn’t broken, yet the items inside vanished without a trace.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and suspected something was amiss. However, when I observed at night, the palace was calm, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could there be a master targeting the palace? But if it were for the medicinal herbs, why not take them all at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A Bi’s mother. She said it might not be a master. If someone were truly that skilled, they wouldn’t waste time on such trivial matters. It could be some unorthodox master or someone with a peculiar magical tool, allowing them to move without disturbing the spiritual energy, making them undetectable.”
“At that time, A Bi’s grandmother didn’t favor me, so we didn’t meet often, only sneaking out to see each other. The next day, A Bi’s mother gave me a strange small mirror, saying it could detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if there was anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light flashed, and I saw five小鬼 (little ghosts) squeezing through the door crack.”
Mei Qing was startled. “Five Ghosts Transporting!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was the Five Ghosts Transporting technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden story behind the Five Ghosts Transporting technique. He had once seen A Bi deal with the Five Ghosts Transporting, which led to a series of events and changes in their relationship. However, due to A Bi’s strained relationship with Lu Bing, this had remained a secret between them.
Now, hearing Sixth Master mention the Five Ghosts Transporting technique in the context of his parents’ past, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Transporting technique known to many?”
“The Five Ghosts Transporting is known to many, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice it are extremely rare,” Sixth Master said, looking at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing clearly found it hard to accept. “Isn’t that some kind of sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t witness the actual scene. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, and the luster was undeniable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was definitely not an ordinary magic trick.”
Mei Qing still felt skeptical. “Even if there is such a method of alchemy, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, as far as I know, even if one could transform ordinary iron into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “That’s true. But at that time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy and external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and you would have understood, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously that if they had asked the guy to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he wouldn’t have been able to bear the cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but Master Mao Yang said that it consumed a lot of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. We didn’t think much of it then, but now, if we were to cut open that piece of gold, it might just be a layer of gold foil applied with magic.” Sixth Master shook his head.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at that time, we were all truly shocked. Even I felt that Master Mao Yang’s abilities were quite impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning the Daoist arts from him.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed the techniques Master Mao Yang taught. They weren’t particularly advanced, but they weren’t wrong either. However, it seemed that Master Mao Yang placed more emphasis on external elixirs, and most of the teachings revolved around consuming substances like lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” upon hearing this. Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the practice of consuming elixirs is also a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, over time, it became mixed with harmful practices, leading to its denouncement by the world. The elixir teachings passed down by Master Mao Yang, though not extremely advanced, were far superior to ordinary external elixir methods.”
Mei Qing’s understanding of elixir consumption was quite limited. Generally, elixir consumption techniques were divided into two categories: herbal and mineral, with the mineral category being the orthodox one. Among minerals, there were further divisions into external elixir refining and single mineral consumption. Common herbs referred to spiritual medicines from heaven and earth, such as the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Rejuvenations. Minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
The difficulty with herbal elixirs lay in the rarity of top-grade herbs. For example, a thousand-year-old ginseng or fleeceflower root was undoubtedly valuable, but such items were hard to come by, and even the wealthiest families couldn’t easily acquire them. As for mineral elixirs, apart from the difficulty in obtaining top-grade minerals, the refining methods were also closely guarded secrets, passed down only within certain sects.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang dynasty, the path of external elixirs has gradually been lost. Nowadays, those who specialize in external elixirs are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan sect, there are no practitioners of external elixir consumption. However, the Lingbao Gezao sect, due to inheriting the legacy of Ge Xianweng, still has some knowledge of external elixir refining. But at that time, seeing Master Mao Yang speak so eloquently and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did Master Mao Yang really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the refining process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far superior to the so-called elixirs of the mundane world. Those who tested the elixirs confirmed that they were indeed marvelous for foundation building and energy replenishment.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. The path of elixir consumption, compared to the dry and arduous practice of cultivation, certainly had its advantages. However, upon further reflection, Sixth Master’s mention of his own father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the Emperor, didn’t seem to indicate any exceptional cultivation achievements. Thus, the results of elixir consumption might still be uncertain.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I noticed something was amiss. The young master’s consumption of these elixirs for foundation building and energy replenishment didn’t seem to have much effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after consuming the elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone who had taken auxiliary pills for bedroom arts.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Bedroom arts also involve elixir consumption. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard of cases similar to the young master’s. Later, I secretly asked the young master about it, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Master Mao Yang is based on elixir consumption. At a deeper level, one can perform talismans, refine tools, subdue demons, and capture ghosts. The dual cultivation of bedroom arts is particularly important.'”
“I found this somewhat suspicious. How could one practice encompass all these abilities? But by then, the young master was deeply immersed, rarely leaving his room, and had become somewhat distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became more vigilant and secretly sought out Lu Zhong, arranging for people to investigate the young master’s nightly activities. What I discovered was even more surprising.”
“Normally, for a prince’s son, matters of intimacy would be guided by specialized instructors. Generally, after the age of thirteen, specific maids would be assigned to accompany and guide the young master in these matters. However, due to the old prince’s mourning period, this had been delayed. Concerned that the three-year mourning period might affect the young master’s future, the princess had arranged for two knowledgeable maids to be assigned to the young master’s room the previous year.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have been just beginning to understand matters of intimacy. The concern should have been about excessive desires harming his health. However, the information I gathered indicated that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, behaving like a monk who had renounced all desires.”
“Our Daoist practice differs from Buddhist practice; we don’t advocate renouncing desires or emotions. Eventually, I couldn’t hold back and directly asked the young master about it. He replied, ‘This is the great path taught by Master Mao Yang. It’s not about renouncing desires but about preserving one’s essence and not losing it lightly. One must wait until the time is ripe and the conditions are met before practicing bedroom arts.'”
“Although I found this somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing that the young master was becoming impatient, I didn’t press further. By then, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The rear storerooms were repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the top-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s elixir refining, and only one item each day, without fail. Initially, no one paid much attention, but when the young master’s elixir ingredients were suddenly stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate. That’s when I became aware of the situation.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guards’ vault, was still a heavily secured area with multiple layers of guards. It wasn’t a place an ordinary thief could easily enter. But frustratingly, despite Lu Zhong increasing the number of guards and keeping a close watch, the thefts continued. The thief seemed to have some mysterious method, as items continued to disappear daily, always one at a time. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the storeroom, standing at the entrance of the small vault where the elixirs were kept. But even though the door remained locked and the boxes untouched, the items inside would vanish without a sound.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and felt there must be something unusual going on. However, when I observed the mansion at night, everything seemed calm, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could there be some master cultivator targeting the mansion? But if that were the case, why wouldn’t they take all the medicinal ingredients at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’Bi’s mother, and she said it might not be a master cultivator. If someone’s cultivation were truly that advanced, they wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft. It was more likely to be some unorthodox practitioner with a peculiar magical tool that allowed them to avoid detection.”
“At that time, A’Bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often and would sneak out to see each other. The next day, A’Bi’s mother gave me a strange small mirror, saying it could be used to detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if there was anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the storeroom, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light suddenly flashed, and I saw five small ghosts slipping through the cracks in the storeroom door.”
Mei Qing was startled. “The Five Ghosts Moving Technique!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was indeed the Five Ghosts Moving Technique. How do you know about this technique, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden truth behind the Five Ghosts Moving Technique. He had once witnessed A’Bi using this technique, which led to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, due to A’Bi’s strained relationship with Lu Bing, they had kept it a secret between themselves.
Now, hearing Sixth Master mention that someone had used the Five Ghosts Moving Technique in the past involving his parents, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Moving Technique widely known?”
“Many have heard of it, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice it are extremely rare,” Sixth Master said, looking at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
At this point, Old Sixth explained to Mei Qing. “There are indeed cases where bedroom techniques are assisted by substance consumption. Although I had never seen it myself, I had heard of such cases, exactly like what happened to the young master. Later, I secretly asked the young master about it, but he said that the golden elixir path taught by the Maoshan immortal was based on substance consumption, and when cultivated deeply, it enabled various abilities such as talismans, forging artifacts, exorcising demons, and capturing ghosts. The bedroom techniques of dual cultivation were especially emphasized.”
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing clearly found it hard to accept. “Isn’t that some kind of trickery or sleight of hand?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t see the actual scene back then. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, and the luster was unmistakable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was definitely not something an ordinary magician could pull off.”
Mei Qing still felt skeptical. “Even if there is such a method of alchemy, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, as far as I know, even if one could turn ordinary iron or stone into gold or silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold or silver itself.”
Sixth Master nodded. “That’s true. But at the time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy or external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything suspicious. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t investigate further.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and that would have clarified things, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously that if they had asked the guy to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he wouldn’t have been able to bear the cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but the Taoist Master Mao Yang said that it consumed a great deal of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. Back then, we didn’t think much of it. If it were now, we could have simply cut open that piece of gold to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic.” Sixth Master shook his head.
Mei Qing also nodded. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at the time, we were all truly stunned. Even I felt that Taoist Master Mao Yang’s abilities were quite impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning Taoist practices from him.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed the techniques taught by Taoist Master Mao Yang. They weren’t particularly profound, but they weren’t wrong either. However, it seemed that this person focused more on external elixirs, and most of the teachings revolved around consuming substances like lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” upon hearing this. Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the practice of consuming elixirs is also a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, over time, it became mixed with harmful practices, leading to its disrepute. The elixir teachings passed down by Taoist Master Mao Yang, though not extremely profound, were far superior to ordinary external elixir methods.”
Mei Qing’s knowledge of elixir consumption was quite limited. Generally, elixir consumption techniques were divided into two categories: herbal and mineral, with the latter being the orthodox method. Among minerals, there were two types: external elixir refinement and single mineral consumption. Common herbs referred to spiritual medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restorations, while minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
Herbal elixir consumption was challenging due to the rarity of top-grade herbs. For example, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root were undoubtedly valuable, but such items were hard to come by, even for the wealthiest families. As for mineral elixir consumption, apart from the difficulty in obtaining high-quality minerals, the refinement methods were also closely guarded secrets, passed down only within certain sects.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang Dynasty, the art of external elixirs has gradually been lost. Nowadays, those who specialize in external elixirs are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan Sect, there are no practitioners of external elixir consumption. However, the Lingbao Gezao Sect, due to its inheritance from the teachings of Ge Xianweng, still preserves the tradition of external elixir refinement. But back then, seeing Taoist Master Mao Yang speak so convincingly and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did Taoist Master Mao Yang really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the refinement process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far beyond what ordinary alchemy could produce. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for building foundations and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. Compared to the dry and arduous path of cultivation, elixir consumption did have its advantages. However, upon further reflection, Mei Qing thought of his own father, the former Prince of Xingxian and now the emperor, who didn’t seem to have any remarkable cultivation achievements. This suggested that the results of elixir consumption might still be uncertain.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I noticed something was amiss. The young master’s consumption of these elixirs didn’t seem to have much effect on building his foundation or replenishing his vital energy. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after consuming the elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone using aphrodisiacs in dual cultivation techniques.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Dual cultivation techniques also involve elixir consumption. Although I had never seen it before, I had heard of it, and it matched the young master’s situation. Later, I secretly asked the young master about it, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Taoist Master Mao Yang is based on elixir consumption. At its deeper levels, one can perform talismans, refine tools, subdue demons, and capture ghosts. Dual cultivation is also an important part of it.'”
“I felt something was off at the time. How could one cultivation method encompass everything? But by then, the young master was deeply immersed in it, rarely leaving his room and becoming distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became suspicious and secretly sought out Lu Zhong, arranging for people to investigate the young master’s nightly activities. What I found was even more surprising.”
“Normally, as a prince, the young master would have had specialized instructors for matters of intimacy. Generally, after the age of thirteen, specific maids would be assigned to guide him. However, due to the mourning period for the old prince, this was delayed. Later, the princess, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the young master’s life, arranged for two maids to be assigned to his room.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have been curious about intimacy, and the concern would have been overindulgence harming his health. Surprisingly, the reports indicated that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, behaving like a celibate monk.”
“Our Taoist practices differ from Buddhism; we don’t advocate complete abstinence. Later, I couldn’t hold back and directly asked the young master about it. He replied, ‘This is the great path taught by Taoist Master Mao Yang. It’s not about abstinence but about preserving one’s essence. Only when the time is ripe and the conditions are met can one engage in dual cultivation.'”
“Although I found this explanation somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible argument. Seeing that the young master was impatient, I didn’t press further. By then, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The treasury was repeatedly robbed. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s elixir refinement, and taking only one item each day without fail. At first, no one paid much attention, but when the young master’s elixir ingredients were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate. That’s when I found out.”
“The treasury of the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guards’ armory, was still a heavily secured area, not something an ordinary thief could easily penetrate. But frustratingly, despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and keeping a close watch, the thefts continued. The thief somehow managed to steal one item every day without fail. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the treasury, standing at the entrance of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. But even though the door remained locked and the chests untouched, the items inside would vanish without a trace.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and suspected that there was something unusual going on. But when I observed the mansion at night, everything was calm, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could it be that some powerful figure had targeted the mansion? But if that were the case, why wouldn’t they take everything at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’bi’s mother, and she said it might not be a powerful figure. If someone were truly that skilled, they wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft. It was more likely to be some unorthodox practitioner with a peculiar magical tool that allowed them to avoid detection.”
“At that time, A’bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often and would sneak out to see each other. The next day, A’bi’s mother gave me a strange little mirror, saying it could detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if I could spot anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the treasury, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light flashed, and I saw five small ghosts slipping through the cracks in the treasury door.”
Mei Qing was startled. “The Five Ghosts Theft Technique!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was indeed the Five Ghosts Theft Technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden truth behind the Five Ghosts Theft Technique. He had once witnessed A’bi using this technique, which led to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, since A’bi had a strained relationship with Lu Bing, she had never told anyone else, making it a secret between them.
Now, hearing Sixth Master recount the story of his parents’ past, where the Five Ghosts Theft Technique was also used, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is this Five Ghosts Theft Technique well-known?”
“The Five Ghosts Theft Technique is known by many, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice it are extremely rare,” Sixth Master said, looking at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
“Generally speaking, for the heir prince of a princely mansion, there were specific people responsible for guiding him in matters of intimacy. Usually, since the thirteen dragons’ rise to prominence, special maids were assigned to accompany and guide the young master into adulthood. However, since the young master was in mourning for the old prince, this matter was temporarily delayed. Later, the princess dowager, worried that three years of mourning might affect the young master’s future, specially assigned two experienced maids to his room at the end of the previous year. The young master was around fourteen or fifteen years old, an age when one usually begins to understand matters of intimacy, and the concern should have been about excessive indulgence harming his health. Unexpectedly, the information we obtained indicated that the young master didn’t even spare a glance at these maids, behaving like a high monk who had completely renounced desire.”
“Our Daoist cultivation differs from Buddhist practice; we do not advocate complete abstinence from desire and emotions. Later, I couldn’t help but directly ask the young master about it, and he explained that this was the great Dao transmitted by Master Maoyang. It wasn’t about complete abstinence but about preserving one’s essence and not losing it lightly. Only when the right opportunity arrived and the proper time came could one practice bedroom techniques.”
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing was clearly finding it hard to accept. “Isn’t that just some sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t see the actual scene. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, its luster undeniable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was no ordinary magic trick.”
Mei Qing still felt skeptical. “Even if such a transmutation method exists, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, as far as I know, even if one could turn ordinary iron and stone into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. But at that time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy and external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce several more pieces, and it would have been clear, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously that if they had asked the guy to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he couldn’t have borne the cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but the Maoyang Master said it consumed a lot of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. To be honest, we didn’t think much of it then. If it were now, we could have simply cut open the gold piece to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic,” Sixth Master said, shaking his head.
Mei Qing nodded, agreeing that Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at that time, we were all truly shocked. Even I felt that the Maoyang Master’s abilities were indeed impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning the Dao and magic from him.”
“After the young master had practiced for a while, I secretly observed as well. The techniques taught by the Maoyang Master were not particularly advanced, but they weren’t wrong either. However, he seemed to focus more on external elixirs, teaching mostly about ingesting substances like lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” upon hearing this. Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the practice of ingesting substances is also a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, it later became mixed with harmful practices, leading to its disrepute. The alchemy taught by the Maoyang Master, though not extremely advanced, was far superior to ordinary external alchemy methods.”
Mei Qing had limited knowledge about the practice of ingesting substances. Generally, it was divided into two categories: herbs and minerals, with minerals being the orthodox method. Among minerals, there were two types: refining external elixirs and single mineral substances. Common herbs referred to spiritual medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restoratives, while minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
The difficulty with herbal ingestion lay in the rarity of top-grade herbs. Items like thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root were undoubtedly valuable, but they were hard to come by, even for the wealthy. As for mineral ingestion, besides the rarity of top-grade minerals, the refining methods were also closely guarded secrets, passed down only within certain sects.
Sixth Master shook his head and continued, “Since the Tang dynasty, the practice of external alchemy has gradually been lost. Nowadays, those who specialize in external alchemy are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan sect, there are no practitioners of external alchemy. However, the Lingbao Gezao sect, inheriting the legacy of Ge Xianweng, still practices external alchemy. At that time, seeing the Maoyang Master speak so convincingly and produce elixirs brimming with spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did the Maoyang Master really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the refining process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far superior to ordinary alchemy. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for building foundations and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. The practice of ingesting substances, compared to dry and arduous cultivation, indeed had its advantages. However, upon further reflection, Mei Qing thought that Sixth Master’s own father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the emperor, didn’t seem to have any remarkable cultivation achievements, suggesting that the results of ingestion might still be uncertain.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I noticed something was amiss. The young master’s use of these elixirs for building foundations and replenishing vital energy seemed to have little effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after taking the elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone using aphrodisiacs.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Dual cultivation also involves the use of ingested substances. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard of cases similar to the young master’s. Later, I secretly asked the young master, and he said, ‘The Maoyang Master’s golden elixir path is based on ingestion. At its deeper levels, one can perform talismans, refine tools, subdue demons, and capture ghosts. Dual cultivation is especially important in this path.'”
“I felt something was off at the time. How could one cultivation method encompass all these abilities? But the young master was deeply immersed, rarely leaving his room and becoming distant even from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became suspicious and secretly contacted Lu Zhong, arranging for someone to investigate the young master’s nightly activities, and I was even more surprised.”
“Normally, a prince’s son would have a dedicated instructor for matters of intimacy. Generally, after the age of thirteen, a maid would be assigned to guide the young master. However, the young master was in mourning for the old prince at the time, so it was delayed. Later, the princess, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the young master’s life, specially assigned two maids to his room.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have been just beginning to understand matters of intimacy. The concern should have been about excessive lust harming his health. However, the information I received was that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, truly like a celibate monk.”
“Our Daoist cultivation is different from Buddhist practice; we don’t advocate complete abstinence from desires. Later, I couldn’t help but directly ask the young master, and he said, ‘This is the great path taught by the Maoyang Master. It’s not about abstaining from desires but about preserving one’s essence. Only when the time is ripe and the conditions are met can one practice dual cultivation.'”
“Although I felt this was somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing the young master’s impatience, I didn’t press further. By then, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The storerooms were repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s elixir refining, and only one item each day, without fail. At first, no one noticed, but when the ingredients the young master needed for his elixir were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate. That’s when I found out.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince Xingxian’s mansion, although not as heavily guarded as our Imperial Guard’s vault, was still a heavily secured area, not something an ordinary thief could easily enter. But annoyingly, despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and keeping a close watch, the thefts continued. The thief somehow managed to steal one item each day without fail. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the door of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. The door wasn’t opened, the lock wasn’t tampered with, and the chest wasn’t broken, yet the items inside would vanish without a trace.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and felt there must be something unusual going on. But when I checked at night, the mansion was as peaceful as usual, with no strange spiritual fluctuations. Could it be that some master had set their sights on the mansion? But if the person was after the medicinal ingredients in the vault, why not take them all at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’Bi’s mother, and she said it might not be a master. If someone’s cultivation was truly that advanced, they wouldn’t stoop to such petty theft. It was more likely a practitioner of some unorthodox path or someone with a peculiar magical tool that allowed them to avoid detection.”
“At that time, A’Bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often and would sneak out to see each other. The next day, A’Bi’s mother gave me a strange small mirror, saying it could detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if there was anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light flickered, and I saw five小鬼 (little ghosts) squeezing through the crack in the vault door.”
Mei Qing was startled. “Five Ghosts Moving Objects!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was the Five Ghosts Moving Objects technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden truth behind the Five Ghosts Moving Objects technique. He had once seen A’Bi use this technique, and when she broke the five ghosts, it led to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, because A’Bi had a strained relationship with Lu Bing, she never told anyone else, making it a secret between them.
Now, hearing Sixth Master mention that someone had used the Five Ghosts Moving Objects technique in the past involving his parents, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Moving Objects technique known to many?”
“Many have heard of it, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice this technique are extremely rare,” Sixth Master said, looking at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing seemed somewhat incredulous. “Isn’t that just some sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t witness the actual scene. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, its luster undeniable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was no ordinary magic trick.”
Mei Qing still found it hard to believe. “Even if such an alchemical method exists, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, as far as I know, even if one could transmute ordinary iron into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. But at that time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy and external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and you’d have understood, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously. If they had asked him to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, the cost would have been unbearable.
“Actually, we did ask, but the Taoist priest Mao Yang said it consumed a great deal of his vital energy. He needed a year to recover after each transformation. At the time, we didn’t think much of it. If it were now, we could have simply cut open the gold piece to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic,” Sixth Master said, shaking his head.
Mei Qing nodded. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at the time, we were all stunned. Even I felt that Taoist Mao Yang’s abilities were impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor to learn Taoist practices and magic.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed the techniques taught by Taoist Mao Yang. They weren’t particularly advanced, but they weren’t wrong either. However, he seemed to focus more on external elixirs, teaching mostly about ingesting lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing let out a soft “Oh” at this. Sixth Master smiled. “Actually, the practice of ingesting elixirs is a legitimate path of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, it later became mixed with harmful practices, leading to its disrepute. The elixir teachings of Taoist Mao Yang, though not exceptionally advanced, were far superior to ordinary external elixir methods.”
Mei Qing’s knowledge of elixir ingestion was limited. Generally, elixir ingestion is divided into herbal and mineral categories, with minerals being the orthodox path. Among minerals, there are external elixir alchemy and single mineral ingestion. Common herbs refer to spiritual medicines like the Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restorations. Minerals include cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
Herbal elixirs are difficult due to the rarity of top-grade herbs. For example, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root are undoubtedly valuable, but such treasures are hard to come by, even for the wealthy. Mineral elixirs, apart from the rarity of top-grade minerals, also require alchemical methods that are not widely transmitted.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang Dynasty, the path of external elixirs has gradually been lost. Today, those who specialize in external elixirs are few and far between. Even within the true Maoshan Sect, there are no practitioners of external elixir ingestion. However, the Lingbao Gezao Sect, inheriting the legacy of Ge Xianweng, still practices external elixir alchemy. At the time, seeing Taoist Mao Yang’s confident teachings and the spiritual potency of the elixirs he produced, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did Taoist Mao Yang really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we weren’t allowed to watch during the alchemical process, I saw the elixirs afterward. They were far superior to ordinary elixirs. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for foundational cultivation and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing felt a sense of longing. Compared to dry, arduous cultivation, elixir ingestion indeed has its advantages. However, he then thought of his own father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the emperor, whose cultivation didn’t seem particularly advanced. This suggested that the results of elixir ingestion might be variable.
Sixth Master smiled wryly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I noticed something amiss. The young master’s use of these elixirs for foundational cultivation seemed to have little effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practice dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I felt that after taking the elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone using aphrodisiacs.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Dual cultivation also involves elixir ingestion. Although I haven’t seen it, I’ve heard of it, and it matches the young master’s situation. Later, I secretly asked the young master, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Taoist Mao Yang is based on elixir ingestion. At its depths, one can perform talismans, alchemy, demon subjugation, and ghost capture. Dual cultivation is particularly important in this path.'”
“I felt something was off at the time. How could one cultivation method encompass everything? But the young master was deeply immersed, rarely leaving his room, and even grew distant from us. He spent his days refining elixirs and wouldn’t listen to my advice. Later, I became suspicious and secretly contacted Lu Zhong to investigate the young master’s nightly activities, and I was even more surprised.”
“Normally, a prince’s son would have specific tutors for matters of intimacy. Generally, after the age of thirteen, maids would be assigned to guide him. However, due to the old prince’s mourning period, this was delayed. Later, the princess, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the young master’s future, assigned two maids to his room.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen, an age when one first becomes aware of intimacy. The concern should have been excessive indulgence harming his health. However, the information I gathered revealed that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, behaving like a celibate monk.”
“Our Taoist cultivation differs from Buddhist practices; we don’t advocate celibacy or emotional detachment. Eventually, I couldn’t help but ask the young master directly. He said, ‘This is the great path taught by Taoist Mao Yang. It’s not about celibacy but about preserving one’s essence. Intimacy can only be practiced when the time is ripe.'”
“Although I found this somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing the young master’s impatience, I didn’t press further. By then, it was the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The storeroom was repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-grade medicinal ingredients needed for the young master’s elixir refining, one item each day without fail. Initially, no one noticed, but when the young master’s elixir ingredients were stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate. That’s when I became aware of the situation.”
“The treasure vault of Prince Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guard’s vault, was still a secure place with multiple layers of protection. It wasn’t something an ordinary thief could penetrate. Yet, despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and monitoring closely, the thefts continued. The thief somehow managed to steal one item each day without fail. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the door of the elixir storage room. The door remained locked, the boxes untouched, yet the contents would vanish without a trace.”
“This puzzled me, and I felt there must be something unusual going on. However, when I observed the mansion at night, everything seemed normal, with no strange spiritual fluctuations. Could it be that some master had targeted the mansion? But if the thief was after the medicinal ingredients, why not take everything at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’Bi’s mother. She said it might not be a master. If someone were truly that skilled, they wouldn’t waste time on such trivial thefts. It could be some unorthodox practitioner with a peculiar magical tool, allowing them to move without disturbing the spiritual energy.”
“At that time, A’Bi’s grandmother didn’t favor me, so we rarely met, usually sneaking out to see each other. The next day, A’Bi’s mother gave me a strange small mirror, saying it could detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if anything unusual was happening.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to scan the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light flickered, and I saw five small ghosts slipping through the door crack.”
Mei Qing was startled. “The Five Ghosts Carrying Technique!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was the Five Ghosts Carrying Technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, sensing that there might be some hidden story behind the Five Ghosts Carrying Technique. He had once seen this technique with Bi Zhen, who had broken the spell, leading to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, since Bi Zhen didn’t get along with Lu Bing, they kept it a secret between themselves.
Now, hearing Sixth Master mention the Five Ghosts Carrying Technique in the context of his parents’ past, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Carrying Technique known to many?”
“Many have heard of it, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice it are extremely rare,” Sixth Master said, looking at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly suspicious of his reaction.
“At this point, I also felt something was strange and suspected there must be some trickery involved. I personally observed the mansion at night and found everything calm and normal, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could it be that some high-level cultivator had targeted the mansion? But if someone had such high cultivation, why would they stoop to such petty theft instead of taking everything at once?”
“Later, I discussed this with A Bimao, and she said it might not necessarily be a high-level cultivator. If someone truly had such a high level of cultivation, they wouldn’t waste their time on such trivialities. It was more likely to be some obscure sect practitioner or someone with a special magical artifact that could mask their spiritual presence, making it undetectable.”
“At that time, A Bimao’s grandmother didn’t like me much, so we didn’t meet often and had to sneak out to see each other. The next day, A Bimao gave me a strange little mirror, saying it could be used to detect spiritual energy and capture monsters. She told me to use it at night to check for anything unusual.”
“Turning stone into gold?” Mei Qing clearly found it hard to accept. “Isn’t that some kind of sleight of hand trick?”
Sixth Master shook his head. “You didn’t see the actual scene back then. The young master pointed to a peculiar stone in a landscape bonsai and asked him to transform it. The stone turned into gold, and the luster was unmistakable, yet it retained the original shape of the strange stone. It was definitely not something ordinary magic could achieve.”
Mei Qing still felt skeptical. “Even if there is such a method of alchemy, it couldn’t be done in an instant, could it? Moreover, as far as I know, even if one could turn ordinary iron and stone into gold and silver, the cost would far exceed the value of the gold and silver.”
Sixth Master nodded. “That’s true. But at that time, I wasn’t very knowledgeable about alchemy and external elixirs, so I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Besides, we soon forgot about the incident and didn’t delve deeper into it.”
“If it were true, you could have asked him to produce a few more pieces, and you would have understood, right?” Mei Qing thought maliciously that if they had asked the guy to produce thousands of pounds of gold, even if he were a magician, he probably couldn’t bear the cost.
“Actually, we did ask at the time, but the Maoyang Zhenren said that it consumed a lot of his vital energy, and he needed a year to recover before he could perform it again. \Xiaoshuo520.com\ Back then, we didn’t think much of it. If it were now, we could have just cut open the gold piece to see if it was just a layer of gold foil applied with magic.” Sixth Master shook his head.
Mei Qing also nodded. Indeed, Sixth Master’s speculation was the most plausible.
“But at that time, we were all truly shocked. Even I felt that this Maoyang Zhenren’s abilities were quite impressive. The young master, needless to say, immediately invited him into the mansion as a tutor and began learning the Dao and practicing magic under him.”
“After the young master had been practicing for a while, I secretly observed the techniques taught by Maoyang Zhenren. They were not particularly profound, but they weren’t wrong either. However, it seemed that this person focused more on external elixirs, and most of the alchemy he taught revolved around consuming lead and mercury.”
Mei Qing couldn’t help but softly exclaim, “Oh.” Sixth Master smiled and said, “Actually, the path of consuming elixirs is also a legitimate method of cultivation, one of the three ancient immortal paths. However, it later became mixed with harmful practices, leading to the true path of elixir consumption being discredited by the world. The alchemy taught by Maoyang Zhenren, though not extremely profound, was far superior to ordinary external alchemy methods.”
Mei Qing’s understanding of elixir consumption was quite limited. Generally, elixir consumption techniques were divided into two categories: herbal and mineral, with minerals being the orthodox method. Among minerals, there were external alchemy and single mineral consumption. Common herbs referred to spiritual medicines from heaven and earth, such as Five Mushrooms, Five Companions, and Eight Restorations. Minerals included cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, stone fat, and stalactites.
Herbal elixir consumption was difficult because high-quality herbs were hard to come by. For example, thousand-year-old ginseng and fleeceflower root were undoubtedly good, but such things were rare and hard to obtain, even for the wealthy. Mineral elixir consumption, besides the difficulty in obtaining high-quality minerals, also required alchemical methods that were not easily passed down unless one belonged to a legitimate sect.
At this point, Sixth Master shook his head. “Since the Tang Dynasty, the path of external alchemy has gradually been lost. Nowadays, those who specialize in external alchemy are few and far between. Even in the true Maoshan Sect, there are no practitioners of external alchemy and elixir consumption. However, the Lingbao Gezao Sect, due to inheriting the legacy of Ge Xianweng, still has some practices of external alchemy. But at that time, seeing Maoyang Zhenren speak so eloquently and produce elixirs full of spiritual energy, we were somewhat convinced.”
“Oh?” Mei Qing became interested. “Did that Maoyang Zhenren really produce elixirs?”
Sixth Master nodded. “Indeed. Although we were not allowed to watch during the alchemical process, I saw the elixirs afterward, and they were far superior to ordinary alchemy in the world. Those who tested the elixirs found them to be excellent for foundation building and replenishing vital energy.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing couldn’t help but feel a sense of longing. The path of elixir consumption, compared to dry and arduous cultivation, indeed had its advantages. But then he thought that Sixth Master’s own father, the former Prince Xingxian and now the Emperor, didn’t seem to have any remarkable cultivation achievements, so the results of elixir consumption might still be uncertain.
Sixth Master smiled bitterly. “It wasn’t until a year later that I discovered something was amiss. The young master’s consumption of these elixirs for foundation building and replenishing vital energy seemed to have little effect. Instead, his yang energy gradually became excessive, and his personality began to change. Since I practiced dual cultivation, I was more sensitive to these changes. I always felt that after consuming these elixirs, the young master’s behavior resembled that of someone who had taken auxiliary pills for bedroom arts.”
At this point, Sixth Master explained to Mei Qing, “Bedroom arts also involve elixir consumption. Although I haven’t seen it, I’ve heard of it, and it was just like the young master’s situation. Later, I secretly asked the young master, and he said, ‘The golden elixir path taught by Maoyang Zhenren is based on elixir consumption. When cultivated deeply, one can perform talismans, alchemy, demon subduing, and ghost capturing. And the path of dual cultivation in bedroom arts is particularly important.'”
“I felt something was off at the time. How could one cultivation method encompass everything? But by then, the young master was deeply immersed and rarely went out. He even became distant from us, spending his days refining elixirs in his room and not listening to my advice. Later, I became more vigilant and secretly sought out Lu Zhong to arrange for people to investigate the young master’s nightly activities, and I was even more surprised.”
“Normally, for a prince’s son, matters of the bedroom are guided by specialized tutors. Generally, after the age of thirteen, specific maids are arranged to accompany and guide the young master in these matters. However, the young master was in mourning for the old prince at the time, so it was delayed. Later, the princess consort, worried that the three-year mourning period would affect the young master’s life, arranged for two knowledgeable maids to be placed in the young master’s room before the year ended.”
“The young master was around fourteen or fifteen at the time, an age when he should have just begun to understand matters of the bedroom. The concern should have been about excessive lust harming his health. \Xiaoshuo520.com\ But the information I gathered was that the young master didn’t even glance at the maids, truly like a celibate monk.”
“Our Daoist cultivation is different from Buddhist cultivation; we don’t advocate celibacy or severing emotions. Later, I couldn’t help but directly ask the young master, and he said, ‘This is the great path taught by Maoyang Zhenren. It’s not about severing desires but about guarding one’s essence and not losing it lightly. Only when the time is ripe and the conditions are met can one practice bedroom arts.'”
“Although I felt this was somewhat extreme, it was still a plausible explanation. Seeing the young master’s impatience, I didn’t pursue it further. By then, it was already the end of the fifteenth year of the Zhengde era. After the New Year, in the sixteenth year, strange incidents began occurring in the mansion. The rear storerooms were repeatedly burglarized. The thief was peculiar, stealing only the high-quality medicinal ingredients needed by the young master for alchemy, and only one item each day without fail. At first, no one noticed, but when the young master’s alchemical ingredients were suddenly stolen, he became furious and ordered Lu Zhong to investigate. That’s when I found out.”
“The treasure vault of the Prince Xingxian’s mansion, though not as heavily guarded as the Imperial Guards’ vault, was still a heavily secured area of the mansion, not something an ordinary thief could easily enter. But it was infuriating; despite Lu Zhong increasing the guards and keeping a close watch, the thefts continued. The thief somehow managed to steal one item every day without fail. Later, Lu Zhong personally guarded the vault, standing at the door of the small storeroom where the elixirs were kept. But the door wasn’t opened, the lock wasn’t tampered with, and the chest wasn’t broken, yet the items inside would vanish without a sound.”
“At this point, I also found it strange and felt there must be something fishy going on. But when I observed at night, the mansion was as peaceful as usual, with no unusual spiritual fluctuations. Could there be some powerful figure targeting the mansion? But if that person wanted the medicinal ingredients in the vault, why not take them all at once instead of stealing one item each day?”
“Later, I discussed this with A’bi’s mother, and she said it might not be a powerful figure. If someone were truly that powerful, they wouldn’t be bored enough to engage in such antics. It was more likely some unorthodox practitioner with a peculiar magical tool that didn’t disturb the spiritual energy, making it undetectable.”
“At that time, A’bi’s grandmother didn’t think much of me, so we didn’t meet often and would sneak out to see each other. The next day, A’bi’s mother gave me a strange small mirror, saying it could detect spiritual energy and capture demons. She told me to use it at night to see if there was anything unusual.”
“That night, I stayed alone in the vault, chanting the incantation and using the mirror to lock down the surroundings, waiting to see what was causing the trouble. At midnight, the mirror’s light suddenly flashed, and I saw five小鬼 (little ghosts) squeezing through the cracks in the vault door.”
Mei Qing was startled. “Five Ghosts Transporting!”
“Exactly,” Sixth Master nodded. “It was the Five Ghosts Transporting technique. How do you know about this spell, Mei Qing?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, vaguely sensing that there was something behind the Five Ghosts Transporting technique. He had once seen this technique with Bi Zhen, who had broken the five ghosts, leading to a series of events that changed their relationship. However, because Bi Zhen had a strained relationship with Lu Bing, she had never told anyone else, making it a secret between them.
Now, as Sixth Master recounted the past events involving his parents, someone had also used the Five Ghosts Transporting technique, which made Mei Qing somewhat suspicious.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing said evasively. “Is the Five Ghosts Transporting technique known by many?”
“The Five Ghosts Transporting technique is known by many, but few have actually seen it. And those who practice this technique are extremely rare.” Sixth Master looked at Mei Qing with some surprise, clearly harboring doubts about Mei Qing’s reaction.
“Exactly,” Old Sixth nodded. “It was indeed the Five Ghosts Transportation Technique. So, Mei Qing, you also know about this Daoist technique?”
Mei Qing’s mind was in turmoil, vaguely sensing that there might be some hidden story behind the Five Ghosts Transportation Technique. He had once seen this technique with Bi Zhen, who had defeated the five ghosts, triggering a series of events that changed his relationship with Bi Zhen. However, since Bi Zhen had a poor relationship with Lu Bing, he had never told anyone about this incident, keeping it as a secret between himself and Bi Zhen.
Now, as Old Sixth was recounting the past events involving his parents, he mentioned that someone had also used this Five Ghosts Transportation Technique, which couldn’t help but raise Mei Qing’s suspicions.
“I’ve heard of it,” Mei Qing replied evasively. “Is knowledge of the Five Ghosts Transportation Technique really that rare?”
“There are many people who have heard of the Five Ghosts Transportation Technique, but very few have actually seen it. As for those who cultivate this particular Daoist technique, they are truly rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.” Old Sixth looked at Mei Qing with some surprise, obviously harboring some doubts about Mei Qing’s reaction just now.
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