Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 18 The Strange Child, Watching the Water by the Stream

Yuye River
A river located at the foot of Mount Taiyi, whose source is unknown, flows from west to east, vast and endless for thousands of miles.

On this day, a child came to the riverbank. Looking up, he saw the river winding from the horizon, like a giant silver dragon crashing through the morning glow. The misty waves for miles around splashed with snow-like foam. Such a magnificent scene was breathtaking.

After watching for a while, the child gently shook his head.

"The vast expanse of water is truly stunning, but unfortunately, this isn't the water I wanted to see."

Then he turned and came to a branch of the Jade Liquid River. He followed the branch down and finally came to a stream.

In the stream, mountain spring water flows, the water tinkling. The water doesn't flow fast, but rather very slowly. The water isn't deep, and the surface is very still, so much so that it can even reflect a person's face.

Standing by the stream, the child murmured, "Amidst the myriad rivers of autumn, there is also a heart as still as water."

The Heavenly Sect has two very different martial arts techniques: one is Autumn Waters of Ten Thousand Rivers, and the other is Still Water of the Heart.

After failing to comprehend the myriad rivers and autumn waters, Chen Xiuyuan picked up another technique—the stillness of the mind.

The two mental cultivation methods, one focusing and the other releasing, are complementary. He once asked Bei Mingzi about them, but Bei Mingzi only said that the time was not yet right.

Taoists are known for their skill in cultivating internal energy. As an old-timer of the Heavenly Sect, Bei Mingzi has seen many geniuses, but there is no one like Qingxu who has perfected the Evergreen Skill in just over a month.

Even for someone with exceptional talent, it would take five years to master the Evergreen Technique to perfection, and even achieving minor success would take three years.

Chen Xiuyuan shortened this process by dozens of times, a difference so great that even Bei Mingzi was speechless.

There's a saying about cultivating oneself and one's mind.

"Hurry is not enough."

Everything has its own operating rules. Blindly pursuing speed is not always good, and the final result may very well be failure.

Through a grand dream, Chen Xiuyuan comprehended the Evergreen Realm, and his cultivation technique was brought to perfection in a very short time. However, that state of mind was someone else's, not his own. To truly make it his own, he still needed time to refine it.

Of course, Bei Mingzi was not aware of these things, but having cultivated the Dao for many years, he knew the principle that haste makes waste, so he gave the four words "the time is not yet ripe".

As for Chen Xiuyuan himself, his heart gradually calmed down over the next few days.

Some things can only be done quickly by slowing down.

After his mind returned to calm, he went to the foot of the mountain and to the stream to observe the water.

Taoism has many core ideas that are inextricably linked to water, just like the cultivation methods he has not yet fully comprehended, such as the "Ten Thousand Rivers Autumn Water" and "A Mind as Still as Water".

Of course, there are many more besides these.

Just like "Water is good, it benefits all things without striving, it dwells in places that others disdain, therefore it is close to the Way."

This is Lao Tzu's evaluation of water, a very high evaluation.

For example, "Nothing in the world is more yielding and weak than water, yet nothing can surpass it in attacking the hard and strong."

In the blink of an eye, spring has gone and autumn has come; time flies by, and another year has passed.

That year, a somewhat eccentric child appeared in Tianzong. Every morning, he would come to the stream and stare blankly at the water, while in the afternoon, he would always appear in the library without fail.

In the small courtyard where Bei Mingzi of Taiyi Mountain lived, Chi Songzi, the leader of the Tianzong Sect, once again pushed open the courtyard gate.

"I've met my uncle."

Bei Mingzi opened his eyes. He had a good impression of Chi Songzi. As the leader of the Heavenly Sect, Chi Songzi not only managed the affairs of the sect, but also did not neglect his own cultivation. He had now reached the Grandmaster realm.

Although there is no explicit division of cultivation realms in the martial arts world, cultivation is generally divided into several general realms based on the progress of internal energy cultivation: Acquired, Innate, Grandmaster, and Great Grandmaster.

It is already quite remarkable that Chisongzi was able to reach the Grandmaster level.

"Please sit down."

Bei Mingzi nodded.

“I recently heard from my disciples that my junior brother always runs to the stream at the foot of the mountain. Although the Heavenly Sect emphasizes following nature, it is still not good for him to do this.”

Upon hearing this, Bei Mingzi understood. He guessed why Chi Songzi had come today—it was because of his disciple, Qingxu. "Everyone has their own destiny. Many things cannot be rushed. Sometimes, slowing down is not necessarily a bad thing."

Chisongzi was taken aback upon hearing this.

He then looked at his senior uncle, who seemed to know about Qingxu's situation.

"Some things can only be done quickly if you go slowly enough!"

Chisongzi sat to the side, remaining silent for a long time before finally asking a question.

"What does Uncle Master mean?"

"A year is indeed not short compared to another year, but compared to thirty or fifty years, it is just a fleeting moment."

Chisongzi narrowed his eyes, and ripples unconsciously spread across the surface of his heart.

As the leader of the Heavenly Sect, he possessed a high level of mental cultivation and clear thinking, and he was able to understand what Bei Mingzi was saying.

But it was precisely because he could understand that ripples appeared on the lake of his heart.

"Qingxu has only been in the sect for a short time and his foundation is too shallow. Blindly promoting him is not a good thing for him."

Chisongzi nodded.

"What Uncle-Master says is right. It seems that Uncle-Master already has plans for Junior Brother."

Bei Mingzi gazed at him slowly and remained silent.

arrangement?

Perhaps! But only heaven knows the truth.

By the stream, Chen Xiuyuan, as usual, found a large blue stone and sat down.

During that year, he ran between the library and the stream, never missing a day. While self-discipline played a part, the main reason was that the birthmark on the back of his left hand, which had been dormant, had reappeared.

During this period, he gradually figured out a pattern: when he was constantly accumulating knowledge and studying Taoist classics, the mark would react, but this would only last for half a day.

As for meditating by watching the water by the stream, a reaction will also occur, and the time will also be half a day.

As for why this is the case, he has not yet found the reason, but he has gradually figured out the pattern, which is why he has been working diligently all year.

Of course, during this process, he read a lot of books and books, including Taoist internal energy cultivation methods, annotations, classics, travelogues, the history of various states during the Warring States period, and some extremely powerful moves of the Heavenly Sect. In the end, he even discovered the existence of the Book of Changes.

As time went by, he gradually became fascinated by the feeling of being enriched by knowledge, and his temperament underwent a dramatic change. If before he was more like a little book boy, now he was more like a little Taoist priest.

"Fate plays tricks on people; fortune and misfortune are intertwined."

Chen Xiuyuan shook his head, sighed softly, then sat cross-legged, slowly closed his eyes, and entered meditation again as usual.

This time, however, before he could even circulate his Evergreen Inner Force, he was momentarily disoriented, and when he came to his senses, his consciousness was dragged into an illusion.

"here it is?"

Because his consciousness had not yet entered a meditative state, he felt the dizziness very clearly this time.

Looking ahead, there is a wide river, and a figure stands on the riverbank.

"What is Tao?"

Suddenly, a voice came from above. With a thought, Chen Xiuyuan felt the world turn upside down, and at that moment, he seemed to become that person again.

Then the river ceased to flow, and instead a vast, boundless starry sky appeared, with countless stars twinkling and scattered like stars across the sky.

The stars intertwine, creating the most beautiful melody in the world. Humanity's rise and fall are influenced by the times, and a starry sky illuminates the past and present.

All sorts of insights, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, began to churn in my mind. Looking at the myriad phenomena of the world, with its joys and sorrows, love and hate, separation and grief, my heart calmed down.

Outside, a snore could be heard; Qingxu had fallen asleep again, as if by some unknown time.

(End of this chapter)