People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 70, Xu Qing, who was tricked and became crippled
Xu Qing hurriedly walked down the street and arrived at the place where he had met He Guanzi before. He looked around, trying to find He Guanzi.

Finally, they saw He Guanzi drinking tea in the lobby of a nearby teahouse.

Xu Qing straightened his clothes and walked into the teahouse.

"The guest is the Imperial Physician!"

The waiter stepped forward to greet her, and upon seeing Xu Qing's face, he immediately exclaimed in surprise.

In an instant, most of the people sitting in the lobby stood up and looked excitedly at Xu Qing at the door.

"Greetings, Imperial Physician!"

These people bowed respectfully to Xu Qing; they were all people who had sought treatment from Xu Qing or other physicians.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am taking a day off today, so please don't be so formal and disturb your enjoyment of tea."

Xu Qing returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

He Guanzi sat at the table, silently watching this scene, and nodded slightly.

The fact that these people were so enthusiastic towards Xu Qing is enough to show that Xu Qing's treatment of the people of Xinzheng was not just for show, but a genuine effort to benefit them.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, everyone returned to their seats. They were grateful for Xu Qing's help, but they also knew their limits and did not continue to bother Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked around the hall and found He Guanzi. Just as he was about to take a step, He Guanzi's voice rang in his ears.

"Young man, this is not the place to talk. Come with me."

Xu Qing looked around at the guests and was surprised to find that they hadn't heard He Guanzi's voice.

The sound is transmitted to the ear.

This is a technique that only those with profound internal strength can use; even among top-tier masters, not many can actually perform it.

Xu Qing took a deep look at He Guanzi, who was walking upstairs. Although he did not know the other party's identity, the fact that he could hear the other party's voice transmission was enough to prove that the other party's strength was definitely above his.

Thinking of the excruciating pain he had just experienced, Xu Qing still followed He Guanzi's steps.

After arriving on the second floor, Xu Qing followed the other person into a room.

Two cups of hot tea were placed on the table in the center of the room, and He Guanzi sat to the side, smiling as he looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing stepped forward and respectfully bowed to He Guanzi.
"Old senior."

"Sit down. It seems you've already pressed your Shenque acupoint. How does it feel?" He Guanzi said.

"I don't feel very good. I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness before. Please don't mind." Xu Qing bowed solemnly to He Guanzi.

"I don't care about these formalities. Sit down and let's talk slowly."

"it is good."

Xu Qing sat down opposite He Guanzi and looked at him, asking...

"May I ask your honorable name, esteemed senior?"

"I am but an unknown nobody, my name is not worth mentioning. You may call me He Guanzi." He Guanzi took a small sip of his hot tea.

Xu Qing looked thoughtful, searching his mind for the three characters "鹖冠子" (He Guanzi), but finally shook his head, indicating that he did not know them.

"Senior He Guanzi," Xu Qing called out softly.

"Getting back to the point, are you curious why massaging the Shenque acupoint causes such intense pain?" He Guanzi asked with a smile.

"That's right, I've come to seek your guidance, senior. Please enlighten me," Xu Qing said respectfully.

"Because of the cultivation method you are practicing, the method left behind by the sage Liezi of my Taoist Heavenly Sect is not so easy to cultivate. You have already gone astray in your cultivation." He Guanzi said calmly.

Xu Qing looked at He Guanzi with a mixture of shock and confusion.

He was surprised that the other party was from the Taoist Tianzong sect. At the same time, he didn't understand how the other party could tell that the cultivation method he was practicing was left by Liezi. He also didn't understand how he had gone astray in his cultivation.

Seeing Xu Qing's surprised and doubtful expression, He Guanzi slowly spoke.

"The sage Liezi, whose learning was based on the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, advocated tranquility and non-action, and was in line with Laozi and Zhuangzi, and founded the School of Valuing Emptiness. He was a Daoist sage who connected Laozi and Zhuangzi, and his status should be above that of Zhuangzi."

"But do you know why the Guixu School he founded has almost disappeared without a trace? And why there are no Taoists practicing his techniques and martial arts?"

"I would appreciate guidance from Master He Guanzi," Xu Qing said.

He Guanzi did not answer Xu Qing, but instead said
"Tell me your understanding of Liezi's teachings."

Since obtaining the Evergreen Skill, Xu Qing has begun to read books and study the deeds of Liezi, and has gained some understanding of it.

"The Way of Liezi lies in transformation and emptiness, in transformation itself."

"The void is where all existence is forgotten, and all differences are ultimately unified; hence it is called the void."

As He Guanzi listened to Xu Qing's explanation of Liezi's doctrines, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He initially thought that Xu Qing was just lucky to have inherited the legacy of Liezi, but he didn't expect that the other party was also quite knowledgeable about the book "Liezi", which made it a bit difficult for him to fool Xu Qing.

"The Way of Liezi lies in transformation and emptiness. Its origins lie in the literary tradition of the Heavenly Sect, and he was not proficient in martial arts. He lived in seclusion in the State of Zheng for decades, where he grasped the principles of Heaven and Earth and comprehended the doctrine of valuing emptiness."

"Once one attains enlightenment, one transforms the illusory into the real and enters the realm of the celestial beings. One then establishes cultivation methods based on the doctrine of valuing emptiness."

"You mean I only acquired the skills, but not the underlying principles, which led to the backlash?" Xu Qing said thoughtfully.

Xu Qing's comprehension was within He Guanzi's expectations. After all, Xu Qing had mastered the art of riding the wind quite well in just a few days without any instruction, which, based on his comprehension alone, made him worthy of being called an anomaly. "That's right."

Xu Qing glanced at He Guanzi, who had a calm expression, and he roughly knew his current situation.

His current situation is similar to that of Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. He only cared about stealing Shaolin martial arts to practice and forgot to study Buddhist scriptures to resolve the malevolent energy within, which led to him being harmed by the backlash of the martial arts.

Although Changqing Gong was compiled by Liezi and Bian Que based on their understanding of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, its core content is a Taoist mental cultivation method, essentially belonging to the Taoist school that values ​​emptiness.

Liezi's cultivation method was created after he had achieved a state of enlightenment through reading and had cultivated his skills.

Whether it's Changqing Gong, Yufeng Erxing, or Guixu Bajian, they are all extensions of Liezi's Guixu doctrine; they are branches, not the foundation.

Instead of studying the teachings of Liezi, he cultivated martial arts techniques, making his strength equivalent to a tree without roots.

The higher his cultivation level, the more Liezi techniques he learns, the more branches and trunks the tree has. The more easily this rootless tree falls, and the more severe the backlash he suffers.

Having figured this out, Xu Qing said to He Guanzi

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I now understand the crux of the problem."

"Oh?"

Seeing Xu Qing, who had been tricked into becoming crippled, He Guanzi felt much more relaxed.

"I am like a castle in the air. The taller and more magnificent the castle is, the greater the risk of it collapsing and the more severe the backlash it will suffer," Xu Qing said helplessly.

Although he now knows that the Evergreen Skill and the Wind-Riding Technique have such drawbacks, Xu Qing still does not regret learning them, after all, he has relied on them to escape death many times.

"So what are you going to do next?" He Guanzi asked.

“Now that we know the drawbacks, we should naturally try to fix them,” Xu Qing said.

Looking at Xu Qing, who had been successfully fooled, He Guanzi maintained his calm expression.

"Do you know that the teachings of Guixu are obscure and difficult to understand, numerous and complex, and have few successors? Without someone to teach you, you can't even get started, let alone comprehend them."

“I understand, but I will also try to comprehend the doctrine of Noble Emptiness. Even if I cannot fully comprehend it, it would be good if I could alleviate the backlash,” Xu Qing said.

He Guanzi simply looked at Xu Qing without saying anything more, stroking his beard with one hand, his expression calm, displaying the demeanor of a Taoist master.

It's as if it's saying, "You need a Taoist master to teach you; he's right in front of you. Hurry up and become his disciple."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will certainly not refuse if you ever need my help in the future," Xu Qing said, rising and bowing.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

He Guanzi's obvious behavior made him realize the other party's intentions, but he dared not rashly become his disciple.

He didn't know He Guanzi's background. After all, charlatans from the Fangji family wouldn't claim to be from the Fangji family, but rather from the Daoist Tianzong or Renzong families.

Even if we take a step back and assume that He Guanzi is indeed a highly accomplished master of the Heavenly Sect, it is because his fight with the Yin-Yang School last night led to the leakage of Liezi's teachings.

To prevent the leakage of his lineage, Tianzong sent someone to bring him into their fold.

Before he was certain of He Guanzi's identity, he still dared not become his disciple. The reason he has come this far is because of his caution.

If the other party really wants to take him as a disciple, they won't give up so easily; there will be other opportunities in the future.

"Young man, if you have any troubles, you can come back to me tomorrow."

"Junior, please take your leave."

Xu Qing turned and left without any hesitation.

He Guanzi did not try to stop him. His purpose in coming to Xinzheng was indeed to see Xu Qing, but he was not in a hurry.

Two months ago, he was living in seclusion in the State of Chu. On a whim, he observed the celestial phenomena at night and discovered an anomaly in Xinzheng.

Through calculation, he realized that this anomaly was inextricably linked to Taoism, and more importantly, this anomaly was constantly influencing the general trend of the world.

Although its impact is still small at present, given its rapid development, it will one day disrupt the established global order.

Although he had stepped down as the head of the Heavenly Sect for many years and spent decades in seclusion seeking transcendence, he ultimately failed to find the way. Moreover, his days were numbered, and the only thing on his mind was the Heavenly Sect.

He was worried that the anomaly might be detrimental to the Heavenly Sect, so he came to Xinzheng a month ago to look for it.

After making inquiries, He Guanzi confirmed that the anomaly was Xu Qing, and so he secretly observed Xu Qing for the past month.

This observation proved significant; he discovered that Xu Qing always managed to turn misfortune into good fortune, as if he were blessed with divine intervention. Moreover, Xu Qing possessed exceptional comprehension, making him an outstanding candidate for cultivation.

Considering that he had no hope of transcending worldly desires and that he didn't have much time left, he came up with the idea of ​​taking Xu Qing as his successor.

Firstly, he wanted to pass on his mantle and let Xu Qing finish the path he hadn't completed. Secondly, he wanted to verify his conjectures through Xu Qing and see if the secrets within Xu Qing were as he suspected.

Xu Qing's secrets were only mentioned in fragments in an ancient Taoist classic. If he could figure them out, he might have a chance to achieve transcendence.

As for Xu Qing's injuries, He Guanzi shook his head slightly.

"If I take him as my disciple in the future, I wonder if he will turn into a traitor once he finds out that the problem with his Shenque acupoint was caused by the skull blood handprint of the Yin Yang School."

"Forget it, even if he finds out later, he won't be able to find me to settle accounts with."

You withstood the Yin-Yang School's skull blood handprint head-on? If your Shenque acupoint doesn't hurt, who will? Did you really think the Yin-Yang School's secret techniques were so easy to withstand?

(End of this chapter)