Chapter 103: Chapter 82 Seeking the Dao in Qjngyun
Translator: 549690339
After deciding to slow down his own pace, Lu Yuan’s daily schedule finally took shape and turned into this.
He would get up at six in the morning to practice palm skills for an hour, then have breakfast, and then read for an hour.
After lunch, he would take a short break at noon and spend two more hours practicing mental techniques in the afternoon.
After dinner, he would practice mental techniques for another hour, read for an hour, and then go to bed.
His schedule was still packed, practically filling up all of his time.
The only difference from before was that the hour he used to practice mental techniques in the morning was now replaced by reading.
Well, even though he decided to slow down his pace, the already busy Lu Yuan just couldn’t stop.
However, this daily schedule which was packed with constant effort and progress had its appeal.
Hard work and self-discipline were the essence of a person’s strength.
It was because of this that Lu Yuan was able to break through the second-rate realm in just four years, accomplishing what others would take twenty years to achieve.
What, did he rely on external assistance? Or the Blood Jade Centipede?
Yes, both of these were indeed of great help to him, Lu Yuan admitted.
But the talent of immortality allowed him to have several times more cultivation time than ordinary people.
The problem was, without willpower, even if you had several times more time, could you really spend it on the right things?
One would be afraid that most people, even with their unique talents, would not cherish and utilize them well, instead squandering their precious time on pleasure-seeking activities.
Willpower alone has stumped countless people throughout history.
As for the Blood Jade Centipede.
If it weren’t for Lu Yuan’s hard work in the first four years, he would have been killed by the centipede the moment he saw it.
There would have been no chance for later counterattacks, the acquisition of fortuitous encounters, and the rapid progress in his martial arts skills.
“So, I, Lu Yuan, have made it to where I am today, all due to my own efforts, and all other external support and fortuitous encounters are just icing on the cake,” Lu Yuan often couldn’t help but think in his late-night training sessions.
Subsequently, he would become more motivated in his practice.
Of course, Lu Yuan did not spend every day practicing and recharging, occasionally he would relax as well.
After more than a month of cramming at the tutoring class, Sun Siwen finally announced the end of the tutoring sessions as the Imperial Examination approached.
All the students who participated in the tutoring classes held a graduation banquet at the County government office, and after that, the local capture officers personally escorted them to the examination.
The county magistrate treated this Imperial Examination as his guarantee for maintaining his position.
Not only did the County government office provide three hundred silver tales, but it also mobilized the local gentry to donate another three hundred silver tales, for a total of six hundred silver tales, which served as the travel expenses for the twenty-one test-takers from the county.
During this time, Sun Siwen, the xueyu (education official), held the tutoring sessions, and this time, the patrol and capture officers escorted the test-takers with ten men from the county government office, showing extreme consideration.
All of this was to hope for good results in the exam, so that the county magistrate could continue to hold his position, and at the very least, not be demoted.
Now that all the efforts and preparations have been completed and the test-takers are on their way, their fate is in their own hands.
Meanwhile, Sun Siwen was finally able to take some time off after a month of continuous teaching.
During his break, Lu Yuan also took a break from his daily schedule to spend time with his good friend, chatting, drinking, and having fun, to relax.
The days seemed to go back to the time they spent in Yangmei Town.
Good friends gathering together, talking about everything under the sky while boiling wine with green plums, it was very enjoyable.
One day, during their time in the flower garden watching the fish, Lu Yuan mentioned his recent distress.
“Brother Lu wants to find someone to study Taoist Classics?” Sun Siwen was surprised when he heard of this request.
He knew that his friend had a fondness for the matters of immortals and gods, but that was only limited to enjoying some mythical stories.
What was going on now?
Could it be he had listened to too many tales of the elusive immortals and had become obsessed with pursuing the Tao, wanting to become a monk?
Thinking of this, Sun Siwen couldn’t help but worry and wanted to persuade his good friend otherwise.
This was not because he didn’t believe in the existence of immortals and gods.
In fact, after experiencing two mysterious examinations, Sun Siwen’s belief in the existence of immortals and gods was almost certain.
However, even though he believed, it was not easy to find immortals.
He was worried that after all the trouble his friend would go through, he would end up with nothing to show for it after losing a fortune and half a lifetime, leaving him in a pitiful situation.
Such an outcome would be too heartbreaking.
Fortunately, Lu Yuan’s next words eased his concern: “Yes. As my martial arts progress. I have gradually encountered bottlenecks and feel Dowerless.
The contents of the mental techniques I practice have become increasingly difficult to understand, and it is difficult for me to continue practicing on my own.
So, I thought about finding an experienced teacher in Taoist Classics and learning from them. If I can learn more about the Daoist knowledge, it would help me in my martial arts practice.
Brother Sun, you have been in Changning for a long time, do you happen to know anyone like that?”
“I see.” Sun Siwen understood after hearing the explanation and began to ponder.
As a scholar, his studies were mainly in Confucian classics, and the people he usually dealt with were also scholars. He knew very little about Buddhism and
Taoism.
So, when he was asked, he was somewhat at a loss for an answer.
However, after thinking about it for a long time, Sun Siwen did remember someone and said thoughtfully, “There is someone like that. The county magistrate who works in the county government office has some free time and likes to study Taoist classics. He often visits the temples to ask for guidance.
I remember once in a casual conversation with him, he mentioned his favorite place to go was a Qingyun View in the county. He said that there was a Daoist named Qi Yun there who was very skilled in Dao Law, well-versed in the internal alchemy method, and was a true cultivator.
These two would often get together to study the Way of Alchemy.
If you want to study Taoist classics, you should definitely go find this Qi Yun Daoist.”
“Are there such figures in Changning County?” When Lu Yuan heard Sun
Siwen’s description of the Daoist Qi Yun, he couldn’t help but be amazed.
He knew that there were immortals and gods in this world.
However, he had always been unable to find one because of the lack of connections.
But this Daoist Qi Yun, skilled in Dao Law, the internal alchemy method, and cultivation, seemed very powerful.
Could it be that he was one of the fabled cultivators?
For a while, Lu Yuan became very interested in Qingyun View and Daoist Qi
Yun.
Are you interested in him, Brother Lu?
As a good friend, seeing Lu Yuan’s expression, Sun Siwen knew what he was thinking and laughed, “By coincidence, the County Magistrate and I have both taken these few days off, and he should be going to the Qingyun View as well.
We can make an appointment to go to the Qingyun View together.
As a friend of Qi Yun Daoist, his recommendation would be good to meet the
Daoist and see if he’s really asg powerful as he seems.”
Lu Yuan was overjoyed and immediately said, “Then I’ll rely on you, Brother
Sun.”
Upon seeing his friend’s excited expression, Sun Siwen couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh, ‘You….”