Chapter 10: My Heart Is No Longer Here "Lin Jue, you're out mowing the grass so early?" When Lin Jue went down the mountain, he cut a basket of grass and returned to the village, where he happened to meet an elder who loved to tell stories. So he stopped and answered: "Yes." "Didn't you go to the academy in the morning to study and listen to lectures, and then go to cut grass in the afternoon?" The village elder, who was taking a morning walk and watching the crops for fun, also stopped to look at him with a serious expression, "Yesterday I heard from the teacher that you haven't been to the academy much in the past few days. You should know that the village asked you to cut grass and feed cows because they wanted to find something for you to do and didn't want to delay your studies. You can't neglect your studies." "Grandpa Shu is right." Lin Jue said truthfully, "It's just that I inhaled the smoke from the monster in the Hengcun ancestral hall that night, and I still feel a little dizzy and dazed these past few days. Even now, I feel weak when I think of studying, so I took a break." "Then you must have a good rest." "I see." Lin Jue paused. "There's a Luoxian Temple Fair in the city these three days. Why doesn't Grandpa Shu go and have a look?" "How can I walk that far? Besides, it's just a temple fair. It's not like you didn't see enough of it when you were young. When you reach my age, you won't find anything to see." The village elder paused, "Did you go?" "I went to buy medicine for my uncle." "What's there to see?"
"I saw a magician who could reattach his hand after it was cut off. It was magical." “Some of them are indeed quite wonderful.” "Does Grandpa Shu know about Mount Qiyun?" "How could I not know Qiyunshan? It's not like I've never been out of the village before." "Excuse me, Grandpa Shu, where is Qiyun Mountain? What place is it? I heard from people at the temple fair that there is a Taoist meeting at Qiyun Mountain?" "Qiyun Mountain is a famous Taoist mountain. It is said that the temples there are very effective, and the Taoists who live there are all heavenly masters." The village elder said thoughtfully, "As for where it is. I remember walking in the opposite direction of the county town. I estimate it is about four or five hundred miles away. Well, it's not too far. If you can walk out of this village, it will take seven or eight days if you walk at a leisurely pace. If you can't walk out of this village, you will never get there in your life, and you may never even hear of it in your life." "What about the Daohui?" "What kind of meeting?" "The Taoist meeting at Mount Qiyun." "I haven't heard of this. Where did you hear it?" "Listen to what those tricksters said." "My boy, you must know that among the three religions, Confucianism is the most respected. The most important thing in the world is to study. Studying is the most important thing. Don't put your mind on those things. Study hard, and when you ascend to the emperor's palace, no matter which famous mountain palace, fairyland or cave you go to, you will be a guest of honor." "Teachable, teachable." The village elder went back with his walking stick. Lin Jue also walked away carrying the grass. "Qiyun Mountain..." It seems to be a famous place. I don't know if the reputation is true or not, and I don't know if it lives up to the reputation. Judging from the fact that all the magicians who traveled far and wide also went to Qiyun Mountain to join in the fun, I'm sure they must have some skills. It's just that places like these are so famous that no matter whether one has the talent or not, there will definitely be a lot of people coming to them. If one were to go there to study honestly, it would probably not be easy.
The grand ceremony known as the Taoist meeting is able to attract magicians who would travel thousands of miles to join in the fun, and there must be no shortage of strange people at the meeting. Unfortunately, firstly, my uncle is still lying in bed. According to the etiquette of this world, I, as a nephew, should not travel far away easily. My aunt will definitely not let me go. Secondly, I don’t know the exact time, let alone how much money it will take to go back and forth for at least half a month. I'm afraid I'll miss this opportunity. However, such conferences must occur more than once, and there must be a cycle and pattern. Lin Jue walked back home and started to decoct medicine for his uncle. Move the small stove outside, put in firewood and kindling, and light it slowly and patiently. Lin Jue was very focused, watching the thick smoke rising from the furnace. He blew gently, and the thick smoke was blown away, revealing the huge flame inside, and a few star points were blown out. Soon the thick smoke returned and covered the flame again, but a little flame was still faintly visible from the smoke, as if there was energy pregnant in it, waiting to be released. "call……" The accumulated flames burst out and burned fiercely. Lin Jue watched carefully and even stretched out his hand and put it on the fire to feel the temperature. On this mid-spring morning, Lin Jue was wearing so little clothing that he always felt a little cold. So lighting a fire at this time was a kind of enjoyment. In addition to enjoying the warmth, by staring at the fire so closely, he was also following what was said in the book and carefully experiencing the fire in the furnace, watching it flicker, sway, rise and fall, and feeling the charm of the fire. Suddenly he leaned over, opened his mouth, and took a deep breath. "Suck……" Just like the old man yesterday. Naturally, nothing happened. Just took a breath of hot air. "Ha ha……" Lin Jue smiled and turned to get the pot. White smoke gradually rises and the fragrance of medicine fills the house. It's like this every day - He would get up early in the morning at daybreak, carry a backpack and go to the stream in the mountain, sit cross-legged and breathe in and out as day turned into night, and then come back from cutting grass. He would always meet one or two fellow villagers and have a conversation with them. After coming back to have breakfast, he boiled medicine for his uncle and felt the spiritual charm of fire. When the medicine was ready, his cousin would be back soon and feed it to his uncle. Lin Jue was helping his aunt to light the fire and cook lunch, which was a more convenient time to feel the spiritual charm of fire. He did some chores in the afternoon and sat cross-legged to breathe in and out in the evening. Lin Jue was not used to this kind of life at first, where he woke up before dawn, went to bed after dark, and had something to do from morning to night. But after getting used to it, he actually felt quite fulfilled and contented. But gradually, there are differences. After about a few days, when Lin Jue breathed in and out, he could clearly feel the process of inhaling the five elements of heaven and earth. At this time of year, there shouldn't be fog in the morning, but there was a hint of white between his inhalation and exhalation. When I came back to boil the medicine, I would inhale a breath and sometimes I would inhale the flames and almost burn myself. Another half month passed.
Lin Jue entered into a state of meditation in a mountain valley and could clearly feel the spiritual charm of all things around him. At this time, I would decoct the medicine by myself every day. After lighting the fire, I would take a deep breath and the flame would be inhaled into my mouth and nose, turning it into fire energy which would be stored in my stomach and last for several moments. When the air is exhaled, a bright flame will appear. Even though he had expected it, Lin Jue was still deeply shocked when he succeeded for the first time. A canopy of flames spewed out from his mouth. This feeling of mastering magic and being extraordinary still created an extreme sense of wonder in his heart, ethereal and dreamlike. The feeling is undoubtedly irresistible. …… Unconsciously, two months passed, and this world went from mid-spring to early summer. Although the medicine prescribed by the miracle doctor was expensive, it was really effective. My uncle's condition was getting better and he was able to get out of bed. In recent days, he even insisted on going out to do some farm work. However, for the Lin family, this only solved the immediate problem. Lin Jue is a scholar, and studying consumes a lot of energy. Before his uncle fell ill, the family was barely making ends meet. Now, even if his uncle recovers, they will just be back to their original situation. It just so happens that the filial piety and etiquette that prevails here not only constrains the younger generation, but also the elders. As long as Lin Jue stays in the village for one day, his uncle and aunt have to support him. They can't even let him give up studying or do more farm work, otherwise there will be criticism and gossip in this Shu Village. Of course, in addition to filial piety, brotherhood, and etiquette, family affection also has a significant restraining effect. This is also a question that Lin Jue has often thought about recently. Life goes on as usual. "Wow..." The stream was flowing continuously. The young man let the blue ox graze nearby while he caught a few small fish, skewered them with bamboo sticks, and picked up a pile of firewood. Faced with the firewood, Lin Jue did not take out the fire, but just raised his head, looked around, and then lowered his head and spit. "Whoo~~~" A breath of flame was exhaled, continuously. It didn't take long before the firewood was lit. Lin Jue roasted the fish on the fire, staring at the flames, gradually becoming absent-minded. Qingniu next to him was a little surprised and looked at him a few more times. After practicing according to what was said in that ancient book, although the progress was not extremely fast, it was still quite fast. Even though Lin Jue had not yet reached the point where he could generate his own anger, he could still absorb a large amount of anger with one breath, which could be stored in his body for a day and a night. In terms of the distance and frequency of spitting fire, it was even farther and more than that old man that day. Lin Jue roughly understood that perhaps the old man was one of those people in the martial arts world mentioned in the book who had no talent for practicing spiritual techniques, and therefore could only practice breathing techniques hard. After practicing for most of his life, his attainments were limited. I should be able to practice spiritual techniques, and I think I have a pretty good talent for it. Being young is also an advantage.
I just don’t know what spiritual magic is. At the same time, he also discovered the limitations of ancient books—— Although up to now, the ancient books have explained the exhalation, fire-repelling techniques, and qi-nourishing methods in a very complete and clear manner, they are, after all, dead things. If Lin Jue can fully understand what it says, then there is nothing to worry about. However, if Lin Jue does not understand something or has other related questions that need answers, it will not be able to answer. Therefore, sometimes Lin Jue needed to ask someone where a certain acupuncture point was, what a certain term meant, and sometimes he even had to grope his way around, always worried that he might go astray or something like that, so he was extremely cautious. Otherwise, progress would have been even faster. "Ah……" Lin Jue suddenly thought that if he went out now, even if he performed magic tricks on the street, he would not starve to death. If you are proficient in the tricks, know where there are temple fairs, and how to arouse the emotions of the audience, you might make a lot of money. Thinking of this, my heart sank again. The desire to leave this small mountain village and go out to see this vast world became stronger and stronger. Gradually I could smell the fragrance. By the time he finished eating the string of small fish, the green ox next to him was almost full. Lin Jue let it go down to the river to play in the water for a while before leading it back. It happened that at the dinner table, I heard my cousin ask, "Have you seen Shu Datou recently?" "I saw him a few days ago." "He left today. I guess I won't see him for a long time." "Where did you go?" "I went to study in the neighboring county." “Why go to the neighboring county to study?” "They say there is not enough talent in our village. Not many people have passed the imperial examinations over the years. A few days ago, an old man from a neighboring county retired and returned to his hometown. He was looking for students, so he went there to become his apprentice." "Going out to study..." Shu Datou was a young man with the surname Shu in the village. His family was relatively wealthy. He was about the same age as Lin Jue and his cousin. In addition, they lived in the same village, so they often played together when they were young. As they grew up, they had less contact. When his cousin told him about this, his tone was a little strange, which should be the sigh of a young man. Lin Jue suddenly felt that this gave him a reason that would be more easily accepted by his uncle and aunt. “I also want to go out to study.” "You want to, too? Why? Where?" Lin Jue put down his chopsticks and explained seriously: “Firstly, my family was poor, my cousin had not yet married, and my uncle had just recovered from a long illness, so it was difficult for them to support me in my studies. "Secondly, there may really be a lack of talent in the village. In recent years, few people have passed the exam, and even fewer have passed the examination. We are not like the Shu family, a big family with connections in the county. If we continue for a long time, I am afraid it will be difficult for us to study. In this case, it is better to leave. "Finally, I have thought about it for a long time. What the person said at the Wang Family Ancestral Hall in Heng Village that night should not be a lie. It is reasonable that my soul is unstable after I fell into the water and escaped. If I don't get out, I won't be able to find a way to comfort my soul."
There is studying abroad, and naturally there is also studying abroad. Throughout history, many celebrities have traveled to study. Some of them already had profound knowledge and sought out famous teachers to enrich themselves, some traveled under the guise of studying to travel and make friends, and some simply traveled to seek out famous teachers, hoping that they would teach them or help them with their connections so that they could pass the examination and enter the government. Lin Jue no longer had the heart to study at this moment. His mind was filled with thoughts of immortality and seeing the wonderful and unique side of this world. Staying in this village was not only a torment for himself, but also a burden to his uncle and aunt. What's more, there is what that person said that night: His soul is unstable, so he needs to find a way to calm it. That's a good reason. It just so happened that there were people from the same village leading the way. However, the clan etiquette and laws at this time and especially in this place are too strict, so it is not so easy to do this. At least he had to explain clearly to the Shu clan elders and familiar neighbors in the village that he was going out to study voluntarily, otherwise his uncle and aunt might be gossiped about as soon as he left. In addition, a voucher must be issued. Lin Jue made up his mind and acted decisively. After a few days, he first explained the pros and cons, using the example of Shu Datou from the same village and the precedent of ancient people studying abroad to convince his uncle, aunt and cousin. Then he went door to door, thanked and said goodbye to the neighbors, and told them in detail his ideas and reasons for doing so, but he avoided issues such as the burden on his family. Anyone who has borrowed a book must return it. (End of this chapter)