These past few days, Mei Qing had never felt so content. The sky seemed clearer, the clouds lazier, the water flowing gently, and flowers drifting down beautifully—everything felt soothing to the soul. Even Huang Paozi’s chubby face appeared somewhat handsome in his eyes.
The reason was simple: the nightmare that had long plagued Mei Qing no longer troubled him. It wasn’t that the nightmare had vanished entirely; rather, since Mei Qing successfully established his foundation—naturally believing it was due to the fat Taoist’s empowerment—it had ceased to fill him with the previous terror. The swirling energy in his lower dantian seemed capable of containing all things in the world. Even the purple flames from his dreams could now be refined and absorbed.
These past nights, although Mei Qing still saw purple flames surrounding him in his dreams, the situation had changed. When the flames reached him, no matter how fiercely they raged, they were gradually drawn into and neutralized by the swirling energy within his body. Although he was asleep, his mind remained clear and calm; simply focusing on the swirling energy brought him peace. Strangely, as the days passed and more purple flames were absorbed, not only did his inner energy grow stronger, but its color also began to take on a faint purple hue. Every night, as the purple flames arose in his dreams, the swirling energy would appear to dissolve them. Once the flames were fully absorbed, Mei Qing would fall asleep naturally and wake up refreshed the next morning, feeling incredibly relaxed and joyful.
He had also flipped through the book *The Supreme Golden True Jade Liquid Dragon and Tiger Immortal Alchemy Method of the Primordial Cave*, though its content was highly esoteric. Since he hadn’t listened carefully to the fat Taoist’s explanation that day, he didn’t fully grasp its meaning. However, with his biggest problem resolved, Mei Qing had no intention of delving deeper into its secrets. Instead, he simply enjoyed his daily life, living leisurely and happily.
Especially after Zhang Qizheng began cultivating alongside Mei Qing at the Taiqing Palace, he had grown even closer to Mei Qing, regarding him as a fellow Taoist practitioner. Each day, besides discussing antiques, he would share the essentials of Taoist techniques. After a few days, even Huang Paozi joined in—not because he wanted to learn any cultivation methods, but because he had heard about Taoist sexual practices and techniques for enhancing male vitality. He became very interested and kept asking Zhang Qizheng if such miraculous skills truly existed. Although he was already capable of satisfying multiple women in one night, he believed that improving his skills further would only be beneficial.
“Absurd! Absurd! Brother Huang, you mustn’t speak so recklessly,” Zhang Qizheng said solemnly. “How could Taoist cultivation methods support such immoral behavior? If the immortal master hears of your words, he might even stop favoring me.”
In recent days, Mei Qing had never felt so at ease. The sky was clear, the clouds were leisurely, the water flowed, and the flowers fell—everything seemed to bring him comfort. Even the chubby face of Fatty Huang appeared somewhat handsome to him.
The reason was simple: the nightmare that had long haunted Mei Qing had finally ceased to trouble him. It wasn’t that the nightmare had disappeared, but ever since Mei Qing had successfully laid his foundation—naturally, he believed it was due to the fat Taoist’s initiation—the fear that once gripped him in his dreams had vanished. The swirling energy in his lower dantian seemed capable of containing all things in the world, even the purple flames in his dreams, which could now be refined and absorbed.
Over the past few nights, although Mei Qing still saw the purple flames raging around him in his dreams, it was different from before. No matter how fiercely the flames burned, they were gradually drawn into and dissolved by the energy vortex within him. Even in his dreams, Mei Qing’s mind remained calm and clear. As long as he focused on the vortex, he felt naturally at peace. The vortex itself was peculiar; as it absorbed more of the purple flames, not only did his true essence grow stronger, but the vortex also began to take on a faint purple hue. Each night, as the purple flames appeared in his dreams, the vortex would come to refine them. Once the flames were fully absorbed, Mei Qing would unknowingly fall into a peaceful sleep, waking up refreshed and content.
He also flipped through the book *”The Supreme Golden Jade Liquid Dragon-Tiger Immortal Pill Method of the Primordial Profound Mystery,”* which was filled with profound and esoteric teachings. Since the fat Taoist hadn’t explained it in detail, Mei Qing didn’t fully understand its meaning. But now that his greatest torment was gone, he had no intention of delving deeper into its mysteries. Instead, he spent his days leisurely and carefree, living a rather comfortable life.
Zhang Qizheng, who had entered the Taiqing Palace with Mei Qing for cultivation, now regarded Mei Qing as a fellow practitioner. Every day, apart from discussing antiques, Zhang would expound on the essentials of Taoist practices. A few days later, even Fatty Huang joined in. However, Huang wasn’t interested in cultivation techniques; he had heard that Taoism included methods of dual cultivation and the art of controlling women, which greatly intrigued him. He repeatedly asked Zhang if such skills existed, boasting that he could handle multiple women in a night but was eager to improve further, believing that having such skills would always be useful.
“Ridiculous, ridiculous! Brother Huang, don’t speak such nonsense. The path of cultivation is not meant to justify such licentious behavior. If the immortal master hears you, even I might fall out of favor,” Zhang Qizheng said with a stern expression.
Mei Qing, though nodding in agreement, couldn’t help but think to himself that if this lecherous and vulgar fatty were to visit, the similarly-built immortal master might actually welcome him warmly. The array of pills and powders scattered on the ground was proof enough.
Perhaps because of his improved mood, Mei Qing’s efficiency in handling tasks had become astonishing. A thick stack of documents, which he would glance through, would imprint all the information clearly in his mind. Yesterday, he finally cleared out all the backlog of files accumulated over the years, greatly surprising Qiu Ming, who had just heard the news.
One day, Mei Qing returned home a bit earlier. It was summer, and the days were long. After dinner, he enjoyed strolling in his garden. Every day, he would watch the evening glow fill the sky, reflecting on the rosy cheeks of Duo Yun and Wu’er. The bamboo shadows swayed behind them, and the banana leaves provided a cool breeze, making it a delightful routine.
As the three of them walked slowly through the back garden, two butterflies suddenly flew over, fluttering their dazzling wings under the setting sun, shimmering and exceptionally charming. Delighted, Duo Yun tiptoed forward, reaching out to catch one. However, she was so focused on the butterfly that she didn’t notice her foot slipping. With a cry of “Aiyo,” she stumbled forward.
Startled, Mei Qing instinctively reached out to catch her. But Duo Yun had moved too far ahead, and he was several steps away. In his urgency, he couldn’t reach her in time.
As Mei Qing watched Duo Yun about to fall, feeling helpless and anxious, he stretched his arm forward with all his might, hoping to catch her.
Wu’er, seeing Duo Yun about to fall, was about to scream when suddenly, in a blur, she saw the young master, who had been far away, suddenly appear in front of Duo Yun, catching her just in time. Wu’er couldn’t believe her eyes and rubbed them, but it was true—the young master had indeed caught Duo Yun.
“Young master, how did you… how did you catch Duo Yun so quickly?” Wu’er asked, her face filled with disbelief as she looked up at Mei Qing.
Mei Qing didn’t think much of it and casually replied, “I guess I jumped further in my panic. I’ve always told you to move more, but you never listen. See how impressive your young master is now?”
Wu’er snorted, “Yesterday, you said the best jumper was the long-tailed rat. What’s so great about jumping?”
“Ah, you little thing, daring to call your young master a rat! I’ll teach you a lesson!” Mei Qing, in high spirits after catching Duo Yun, teased Wu’er and playfully messed up her hair. Wu’er pouted, complaining that Mei Qing was bullying her, and the three of them continued their walk, laughing and joking.
Unbeknownst to them, Uncle Zhong, who had been watching from afar, was utterly shocked. His eyes widened as he muttered, “How… how is this possible? Young master… who did this?”
“Who the hell knows who did it!” Sixth Master roared, his eyes bulging like copper bells. “You old fool, you’re the one who’s supposed to be watching the young master all day. Why are you asking me?”
“Sixth, don’t play games with me!” the other man said coldly. “You know perfectly well that the old master and mistress forbade the young master from entering the Taoist path. Now that this has happened, who else could be behind it but you?”
The man’s face was as dark as water, his eyes filled with rage, ready to devour someone. It was none other than Uncle Zhong, the loyal and honest servant of the Mei household.
“Entering the Taoist path? Do you think cultivation is like putting on a play, where you can just walk in? Even I struggled for years before I barely managed to step over the threshold. And Mei Qing? The last time I saw him, he was just an ordinary mortal. How could he have entered the path in just a few days? Ha! You must be getting old and senile!” Sixth Master sneered, his mouth twisted in disdain.
“Sixth, do I look like someone who talks nonsense?” Uncle Zhong retorted coldly. “I may not be part of your Taoist circle, but my eyes aren’t blind. I may not be able to distinguish spirits and ghosts, but I can recognize the divine bones of someone who has laid their foundation. A few days ago, I noticed something different about the young master, but I didn’t think much of it. Today, I saw it clearly—his body moved with his mind, light and focused. That’s the sign of a foundation! Last time, you came up with that stupid idea of sending him to the Imperial Guards, saying it would be safer. Well, now it’s safe! From what I see, the young master’s spirit is almost at the Zhou Tian stage. How are you going to explain this?”
Sixth Master, hearing this, calmed down and asked tentatively, “Old man, are you serious? Is Mei Qing really close to the Zhou Tian stage?”
Uncle Zhong sighed deeply, slumping into a chair. “I didn’t pay attention at first, but today, when Duo Yun almost fell, the young master instinctively rushed to catch her. You know he’s never trained his body, so his movements are naturally different from a martial artist’s. It was clear that his mind had just begun to solidify, and his body moved with his will. I was shocked. Upon closer inspection, I saw a faint purple aura between his eyebrows, concentrated and unbroken. It’s obvious he’s practicing the Golden Elixir technique, and he’s already past the initial foundation stage. He’s at the stage of extracting the Kan and filling the Li, gathering the medicinal essence and returning it to the cauldron. It won’t be long before he achieves the Great Zhou Tian and refines his innate nature!”
Sixth Master was stunned. “How is this possible? Even if he had some miraculous encounter and immediately laid his foundation, it would still take time to nurture and see the golden energy emerge. For him to reach the stage of Kan and Li convergence and medicinal essence return in just a few months? Even the Plum Blossom Taoist took ten years to achieve the return to the origin, and he was a rare talent in the world. How old is your young master? How could he have reached the innate stage already?” At first, his voice was a murmur, but by the end, he was almost shouting.
Uncle Zhong stared at Sixth Master. “Whether it’s true or not, you’re not blind. Go and see for yourself. I’ve told you what I know. You’ll have to give me an explanation. Shouting won’t help. If you’re so confident, go and explain it to the old master!”
Sixth Master was momentarily speechless, then slammed the table. “Fine, I’ll investigate. If it’s not as you say, I’ll make sure to spit in your face!”
“Good, I’ll wait and see what you find out,” Uncle Zhong said calmly. “We’ll see who ends up embarrassed!”
Recently, perhaps due to his improved mood, Mei Qing had become remarkably efficient in handling his tasks. Thick stacks of documents were swiftly scanned with his eyes, and the information was imprinted clearly in his mind. Yesterday, he finally completed the long-piling backlog of files, leaving the initially skeptical Master Qiu Ming utterly astonished.
One day, Mei Qing returned home a bit earlier than usual. It was already summer, and the days were long. After dinner, he enjoyed strolling in his own garden. Every evening, watching the sunset paint the sky, with the clouds and the blushing faces of Duoyun and Wu’er glowing red beside him, and the bamboo shadows swaying gently behind, accompanied by the coolness of banana leaves, brought him endless delight.
The three of them slowly walked through the back garden when suddenly two butterflies fluttered over, dancing gracefully. Their colorful wings sparkled under the setting sun, making them especially captivating. Seeing them, Duoyun was delighted and stealthily crept forward, reaching out to catch one. Unfortunately, she focused only on the butterflies and failed to notice her foot slipping. With a cry of “Oh no!” she tumbled forward.
Startled, Mei Qing instinctively reached out to help without thinking. However, since Duoyun had been walking quite a distance ahead, several steps separated them, making it impossible for him to reach her in time.
Seeing Duoyun about to fall and realizing he couldn’t help, Mei Qing felt anxious and stretched his hand out desperately, hoping to at least touch her.
As Wu’er watched Duoyun about to fall, she was about to cry out when suddenly everything blurred before her eyes. To her astonishment, the young master—who had been far behind—suddenly appeared right in front of Duoyun and caught her as she stumbled. Wu’er couldn’t believe her eyes and rubbed them repeatedly, but it wasn’t a hallucination. There stood the young master, supporting Duoyun.
“Master, how did you suddenly catch Duoyun just now?” Wu’er asked in disbelief, looking up at Mei Qing.
Mei Qing, not thinking deeply, casually replied, “I was just anxious and probably jumped a bit farther than usual. I’ve always told you to exercise more, but you never listen. Now look at my agility—aren’t you envious?”
“Hmph,” Wu’er replied, “Master said yesterday that the longest jumpers are rats in long sacks. What’s so special about jumping?”
“Oh, so you’re calling me a rat now, huh? Just wait until I give you a good spanking!” Mei Qing, still in high spirits after catching Duoyun, laughed as he teased Wu’er. As he helped Duoyun up, he playfully messed up Wu’er’s hair. Pouting, Wu’er accused Mei Qing of bullying her, and the three of them continued walking away, laughing and joking.
However, none of them noticed that far by the garden gate, Zhong Shu had witnessed the entire scene, his eyes wide with shock. Muttering to himself, he said, “This… this can’t be possible! Master has… who did this?”
“How should I know who did it!” Sixth Master, his eyes bulging like copper bells, roared at the person facing him. “You old fool must be going senile! You’ve been watching over the young master all day long—why are you asking me?”
“Sixth Brother, don’t play games with me!” the other person coldly replied. “You know full well that the old master and mistress forbade the young master from practicing Taoism. Now that this has happened, tell me—what else could it be but your doing?”
The speaker’s face was dark with fury, his eyes filled with rage. Surprisingly, it was none other than Zhong Shu, the usually honest and loyal servant in Mei Qing’s household.
“Taoism? Do you think cultivating is like putting on a play, where you can just step into it whenever you want?” Sixth Master sneered, his mouth twisting sideways. “Even I went through hell and spent ages before barely managing to cross the threshold of cultivation. As for Mei Qing? I saw him last time, and he was nothing but an ordinary mortal. How could he have entered the path of cultivation in just a few days? You must be seeing things because of old age.”
“Sixth Brother, do you think I’m the kind of person who makes things up?” Zhong Shu coldly snorted. “Although I’m not one of your Taoists, I still have two functioning eyes. While I may not be able to distinguish spirits and ghosts, I can at least recognize the signs of foundation-building. A couple of days ago, I noticed something different about the young master, but I didn’t think much of it. Today, I saw clearly—his body moved with his will, his movements light and composed. Isn’t that the mark of having built a foundation? You remember the foolish idea you had last time, claiming that putting him in the Embroidered Uniform Guard would keep him safe from others’ schemes? Well, now he’s really safe! From his spiritual aura, I’d say he’s nearly reached the stage of completing a full cycle of inner fire. I’d like to see how you explain that to the old master!”
Upon hearing this, Sixth Master’s expression turned more cautious. He asked cautiously, “Old man, are you serious? Mei Qing is nearly at the stage of completing a full cycle of inner fire?”
Zhong Shu sighed deeply, slumping into a chair, his voice weary. “Initially, I didn’t pay much attention. But today, when Duoyun nearly fell, the young master instinctively rushed forward to catch her. You know that he hasn’t trained his body, so his movements are naturally different from trained martial artists. It was clearly a case of his mind focusing, his body responding accordingly. I was shocked and took a closer look. I saw purple energy swirling between his eyebrows, dense and unbroken—clearly indicating he’s practicing the Golden Elixir technique. Moreover, he’s already beyond the initial stage of foundation-building. He’s at the point of balancing yin and yang and gathering medicinal herbs into the cauldron. It won’t be long before his inner fire reaches full maturity, and he attains the primordial state!”
Sixth Master was stunned. “How is that possible? Even when I saw him last time, he was clearly still an ordinary person. Even if he had some extraordinary encounter and immediately built his foundation, he would still need a long period of cultivation before even a hint of golden energy appeared. As for balancing yin and yang and gathering medicinal herbs—how could such a process be completed in just a few months? Even the legendary Taoist Meihua took ten years of diligent practice to achieve the primordial state, and he was already considered a rare genius. How could your young master, who is still so young, already have reached the primordial state?” His voice started as a soft murmur but grew louder and louder, eventually turning into a shout.
Zhong Shu fixed his gaze on Sixth Master and said, “Whether it’s true or not, you’re not blind. Go and check for yourself. I’ve said my piece. Whatever the reason, you owe me an explanation. What good is shouting? If you dare, go tell the old master yourself!”
Sixth Master was momentarily stunned before slamming his hand on the table. “Fine! I’ll investigate. And if it turns out not to be true, I’ll make sure to give you a piece of my mind!”
“Fine, I’ll wait and see what you find,” Zhong Shu replied calmly. “We’ll see who ends up with egg on their face!”
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