Chapter 29: Breathtaking

Taking body and mind as the crucible, essence and energy as the medicine, heart and kidneys as water and fire, the five internal organs as the five elements, liver and lungs as dragon and tiger, and essence as the true seed, with years, months, days, and hours as the timing of the fire, swallowing saliva and irrigating as raining and bathing, mouth, nose, and tongue as the three essentials, the area in front of the kidneys and behind the navel as the mysterious pass, and the unification of the five elements as the formation of the elixir…

The above is the explanation of the nineteen southern sect alchemical formulas written by Bi Zhen for Mei Qing. Note that it is an explanation. Even with the explanation, it’s still obscure enough; the original text must be even more confusing. Phrases like deeply understanding yin and yang and profoundly grasping the transformations of nature; chasing the two vital energies along the Yellow Path and uniting the three natures in the primal palace; gathering the five elements, harmonizing the four images, the dragon roaring and the tiger howling, husband leading and wife following, the jade cauldron boiling and the golden furnace blazing—only then could the black pearl take form and return to the primal unity… Mei Qing took a few glances at it and immediately felt his head swelling several sizes.

No wonder Bi Zhen said it’s impossible to practice from books alone; without a master, one can’t even begin to understand. If it hadn’t been for Bi Zhen’s detailed explanation a few days ago under the pine grove pavilion, Mei Qing would have regarded this method as complete gibberish. Although Mei Qing considered himself a well-read person, this pile of abstruse and esoteric text really left him clueless.

Indeed, only with a gardener can one grow strong! Mei Qing sighed to himself with a vague sense of meaninglessness, and leisurely made his way toward the scripture pavilion.

Nowadays, the emperor favors Daoism, so Daoist sects flourish throughout the land. Because the Ren Sheng Palace is a royal Daoist temple, it houses an extensive collection of Daoist scriptures. However, the temple has its own rules: only those who are officially registered as practitioners of the temple may enter the pavilion to study the scriptures. As an outsider like Mei Qing, wandering around the rear palace was acceptable, but approaching the front halls would meet resistance. To enter the scripture pavilion was particularly difficult.

Of course, Mei Qing had previously asked Bi Zhen about this, but Bi Zhen’s reply had been simple: “If Master Mei would just tie up his hair and formally become a Daoist practitioner, I would gladly open the pavilion doors for you. However, the official documents required for Daoist practice aren’t issued casually; the court has its own regulations. Otherwise, should I help you find a way in?”

Mei Qing had not yet reached the level of dedication required for a life devoted to the solitary study of ancient scrolls, nor was he willing to make such a sacrifice just to read a few Daoist texts. Besides, Bi Zhen had mentioned that the scriptures in the pavilion were mostly basic theoretical works, and any cultivation methods contained therein were probably nothing more than common health practices. If genuine methods for Daoist cultivation and alchemy were actually stored there, it would be nothing short of a joke.

At this point, Mei Qing had opened his heart and the contest between him and Bi Zhen was gradually intensifying. After Bi Zhen explained the concepts of nature (xing) and destiny (ming), Mei Qing had begun to try imitating Bi Zhen’s approach. The so-called “Zhi Guan” (contemplation) method was essentially a technique for observing the nature of the mind, with its key lying in sudden enlightenment. The flow of energy and the recitation of spells and formulas were secondary. Besides, he hadn’t seen Bi Zhen drawing talismans or chanting spells; she simply let her eyes flash with light and her face break into a smile, and he would feel as though engulfed in heavenly fire. Clearly, this technique must originate from the mind and spirit.

“You look at me, so I look at you; you smile at me, so I smile at you.” Mei Qing thus used Bi Zhen’s own method against her. At first, he was often mocked by Bi Zhen. Fortunately, hard work paid off, and Mei Qing had started to sense some progress. Bi Zhen, with her incomparable beauty and charm, was easy to admire. As time passed and their hearts gradually opened to each other, Mei Qing found himself developing a certain fondness for this clever Daoist nun. Whenever he focused his thoughts on Bi Zhen’s image, projecting his feelings outward while gazing directly at her, Bi Zhen would show signs of discomfort.

This was promising! Mei Qing couldn’t help feeling smug. If even Bi Zhen could be affected by his technique, then in the future, using this method to charm women would surely be unstoppable…

The scripture pavilion was located at the rear of the temple’s front courtyard. Mei Qing took advantage of a moment when the side gate was unguarded, turned around, and hurried toward the pavilion. Before coming, he had already done his research and learned that a young female Daoist named Yu Zhen had been guarding the pavilion for years. She was said to be strict and hard to please. For this reason, Mei Qing had even tried sending a few subtle signals to Bi Zhen, hoping to confuse her into revealing some details about Yu Zhen.

As he hurried along, he recalled the information he had gathered.

“Yu… Zhen…” Mei Qing mused as he asked Bi Zhen, “Do you know if she has any hobbies?”

“Besides reading books, I don’t think she has any,” Bi Zhen replied. “Don’t even think I’ll help you come up with ideas. If you want to read books, figure it out yourself.”

“What about her appearance? Is she also as beautiful as the classic beauties who make the moon hide and flowers blush, or make fish sink and geese fall?”

“I don’t know about the moon-hiding and flower-blushing, but the fish-sinking and goose-falling part might be about right.”

A beautiful girl who loves books… A girl with a literary temperament should be easier to handle. She probably enjoys fantasies, appreciates compliments, and values face. A few kind words might be enough to win her over. If he was lucky, who knows what unexpected surprises might come his way!

Filled with beautiful expectations for the future, Mei Qing stepped onto the staircase leading to the scripture pavilion.

The scripture pavilion was a three-story building, with a winding staircase leading upward to the second and third floors where the books were stored. As Mei Qing stepped onto the somewhat dim wooden floorboards, he felt as though the air itself carried the fragrance of ink and paper. His mind began to wander, imagining what kind of elegant female Daoist might live here, surrounded by books day after day.

“Hey, you there! Stop right there, boy! This is a sacred place for scriptures—no loitering! Take another step forward and you’ll feel the edge of my axe!” Suddenly, a thunderous shout rang out like a clap of thunder, shaking the entire wooden building. Mei Qing’s legs nearly gave way beneath him, and he almost collapsed to his knees. Looking up, he saw a female Daoist over seven feet tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, suddenly spring out. This Daoist nun had a head like a boulder and eyes like copper bells. With her left hand forming a sword seal and her right hand holding a scroll of books, she opened her blood-red mouth in a terrifying roar!

Her voice was like a mighty bell, her eyes like eaves-corner lanterns;

She roared at injustice, proving even heroines have might.

She once climbed the southern mountains to capture tigers,

And dared dive into the northern seas to subdue dragons.

Now she guards yellow scrolls beneath a green lamp—

Who in the world could move her?

Mei Qing’s legs were already weak, but seeing this figure before him, he was so frightened his soul nearly left his body, as if he were seeing a ghost. If not for the recent strengthening of his Daoist foundation, he might have been so terrified he fell down the stairs and fled in panic.

Great Master Shi Nai’an, where are you? Shouldn’t Li Kui be practicing dog-paddle in Liao’er Swamp? When did he sneak into this Daoist temple to guard the scripture pavilion?

“Who… who are you?” Mei Qing stammered, summoning his courage to ask.

“Hehe, this Daoist nun’s name is Yu Zhen. I have always guarded this scripture pavilion. Petty thieves, don’t even think of escaping my sharp eyes! Hey you, boy, I see you sneaking around with a shifty gaze—you’re no good. Turn back now, and you might still escape unscathed. If you say ‘no,’ I might be willing to spare you, but my axe won’t show any mercy! One swing, and you’ll be split in two!” The Pirate Li Kui lookalike raised the scroll of books high in her hand and sneered menacingly.

“Yu… Zhen!” Mei Qing rubbed his eyes again and again, trying to confirm it wasn’t a hallucination. Then he saw the scroll in Yu Zhen’s hand, with the words “Water Margin” visible on the cover. Only then did he dare believe that this terrifying figure was indeed the book-loving, fish-sinking, goose-falling Yu Zhen Daoist Master.

Mei Qing secretly cursed Bi Zhen for deceiving him. Indeed, the more beautiful a woman, the more likely she was to lie. Seeing the terrifying Yu Zhen advancing, he had nowhere to run and no plan to escape. Just when he was at his wit’s end, he suddenly remembered a method. He quickly focused his mind, imagining Yu Zhen’s image, and gazed deeply into her wide, glaring eyes, then gave a faint smile—though it looked more like a grimace.

Well, if Bi Zhen could be moved by this technique, then even though Yu Zhen’s appearance was less than ideal, for the sake of his grand reading mission, Mei Qing would just have to make do this once. Let’s see if I can charm her into handing over those Daoist scriptures!

“Ahh!—Oh my God!—I’m so scared!” Yu Zhen suddenly screamed when she saw Mei Qing’s smile. The scroll in her hand dropped to the floor with a loud “plop,” and she jumped back nearly three feet, like a startled rabbit, crouching into a corner and trembling violently, burying her head between her legs and wailing loudly.

Mei Qing stood there, helpless and confused, not knowing what kind of performance this was. Even if his technique wasn’t very effective, it shouldn’t have caused such a reaction. Just then, he heard footsteps echoing up the stairs—several female Daoists had come running in response to the commotion.

Except for the first few muddled years of his life, Mei Qing had been truly conscious for only a few years. His family had kept him under strict surveillance, fearing a recurrence of his previous illness. In Ming Dynasty society, where strict gender segregation was the norm, the women he had interacted with were limited to a few elderly maids from his household, plus Doyun, Wu’er, and Bi Zhen. Even including Mingjing, the young girl whose beauty had not yet fully blossomed, he had encountered only four women in total. Now, suddenly surrounded by a group of senior nuns, junior nuns, and middle-ranking nuns, he felt himself growing dizzy. All around him, red lips parted, white teeth flashed, delicate fingers gestured, and fragrant breezes swirled. In no time, he was utterly overwhelmed. Amid the clamor of female voices accusing him of ill intentions and attempting indecent acts within the sacred Daoist temple, several bold young nuns even reached out to seize and pull at him. Some affected older nuns stood aside, whispering amongst themselves in bewilderment over how a seemingly respectable scholar like him could have developed an interest in the masculine Yu Zhen…

Just as the situation became chaotic and tangled, a clear cough echoed from the foot of the stairs. Everyone turned, and there stood Bi Zhen, having arrived in response to the commotion, her face like ice.

“As renunciates devoted to purity, how can you behave in such a disorderly and noisy manner? Master Mei is a high-ranking official of the imperial guards, here on official business to search for scriptures. There may have been a misunderstanding. If there’s nothing further, everyone should disperse,” Bi Zhen said coldly.

Hearing Bi Zhen’s words, the female Daoists stopped their clamor, helped the still trembling Yu Zhen downstairs, and departed. A few young and bold nuns, upon hearing that Mei Qing was a high-ranking official and also a young and talented scholar, couldn’t help but shoot him flirtatious glances. If it hadn’t been for Mei Qing’s long experience enduring Bi Zhen’s techniques, he might not have been able to withstand their advances.

“Qing Shao, what happened here?” After the crowd dispersed, Bi Zhen asked, her expression somewhat displeased. “Yu Zhen is just an ordinary person who hasn’t begun cultivation. Why did you use Daoist techniques on her?”

Seeing Bi Zhen’s anger, Mei Qing quickly explained what had happened, still somewhat confused. “I was forced into it; I just wanted to leave a good impression. When I used it on you before, it seemed to work a little. Why did it scare her this time…?”

Bi Zhen listened to Mei Qing’s explanation, initially showing anger, then a strange expression, and finally she couldn’t help herself anymore—she burst out laughing.

Leaning against a pillar and catching her breath, Bi Zhen finally stopped laughing, though she still giggled occasionally. Seeing Mei Qing’s puzzled expression, she finally managed to suppress her laughter and explained the reason.

Originally, this “Zhi Guan” technique came from Buddhist practices involving various appearances. These appearances included expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. During cultivation, one must generate these emotions from the heart. Bi Zhen practiced a Daoist adaptation of this method, which was more flexible and lively, though its essence remained unchanged.

Bi Zhen used a magical mirror as a guide, projecting various images and experiencing different emotional states to cultivate. However, Mei Qing, being only a half-baked practitioner, naturally didn’t understand this. Although he was gifted and had accidentally discovered some techniques, he didn’t understand their underlying principles. He thought the Zhi Guan method could only make others feel affection toward him, so he recklessly used it, resulting in a farcical outcome.

“You’ve only ever used this method on me, and since my appearance is not bad, and your thoughts were filled with affection, of course it worked. But Yu Zhen’s appearance is terrifying. When you used the same method on her, it was like doubling the horror, naturally scaring her out of her wits,” Bi Zhen explained with a smile.

Mei Qing finally realized his blunder. The Zhi Guan technique projected one’s inner image onto others—love begets love, hate begets hate. When he saw Yu Zhen and felt fear, projecting that fear back onto her was like amplifying it tenfold. Yu Zhen, being an untrained person, couldn’t possibly withstand such a terrifying projection. If Mei Qing’s technique had been more refined, he might have even scared her to death.

“But… how was I supposed to know all that? Besides, you told me Yu Zhen was a beauty who could make fish sink and geese fall. Why does she look like that?”

“When you first saw Yu Zhen, what was your impression?”

“What impression? I almost fell off the stairs!”

“Exactly! Even a near-advanced practitioner like Master Mei, who’s nearly reached the stage of elixir formation, was frightened off the stairs by her. What else could ordinary birds and geese do when seeing her, if not flip over and plummet from the sky? So tell me, what exactly was wrong with what I said?”

“…”