Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 38 Sitting in Meditation and Tranquility (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
Jiang Yi listened intently, and after a long while, he finally nodded slightly.

But the image of the stack of old books that Jiang Ming had brought back from the private school a few days ago kept popping into his mind.

Judging from that posture, it perfectly matches the most difficult, yet most superior, path of self-cultivation that Master Liu mentioned...

Just as he was pondering this, the curtain inside the pharmacy was lifted, and Doctor Li came out carrying several packets of medicinal herbs, which he handed to Master Liu.

Master Liu nodded and left. Only then did Jiang Yi turn around and say to Physician Li:

"Same as always, the same herbal bath, a few packets, please."

He paused, then added with a smile:
"Give me the best you can do, even without paying extra."

The medicinal properties of this prescription have weakened over time, but it is inexpensive.

Our family still has a stack of accounts with Dr. Li, written down in more detail than the prescriptions.

Every little bit counts; we can't be concerned with empty fame or prestige.

I took the medicine bag home, washed off the mud and dust, and tidied up.

With nothing to do under the lamp at night, I took out that book on sitting in oblivion again.

For a family of our stature and circumstances to be able to obtain a sliver of knowledge through unorthodox means and begin to glimpse the path of "cultivating one's character" is already a gift from heaven.

I dare not even entertain the idea of ​​instant success.

Regardless of whether it's the right path or not, let's practice and see how it goes, taking it one step at a time, and then we can figure out another method later.

Jiang Yi found paper and pen, and patiently copied the Treatise on Sitting in Oblivion carefully, stroke by stroke, pausing after every half page.

After the ink dried, he handed it to Jiang Liang, the boy who was practicing with sticks in the courtyard.

"If you have the leisure, you may wish to flip through it; it might even help calm your mind and soothe your spirit."

I didn't go into too much detail; I just touched on it briefly.

Looking into his son's eyes, which only recognized swords and fists and disliked writing and pens, he paused, then added with a smile:

"If you really can't stand it, that's okay."

"Just consider it a little remedy for sleep. If you sleep soundly, you'll have plenty of energy, and you'll have more strength to practice martial arts."

Jiang Liang took the booklet, weighed it in his hand, and a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes.

Even after the first month of the lunar calendar has passed, the chill of winter still lingers, but spring has already quietly climbed onto the branches, and a hint of green permeates the air.

In the small courtyard of the Jiang family, Jiang Liang was still practicing his usual "showy" stick fighting techniques.

Though his techniques were still somewhat immature, his imposing manner was already quite impressive.

Even if the mistakes are neat, at least they've managed to maintain a semblance of order; though not perfect, they're not far off.

Calculating the timeline, it's time to report to the county.

Before leaving, the kid was full of energy and talked louder than the wind, insisting that he would break into the top tier this time and not give up until he made a name for himself.

Although he has a solid foundation in breathing techniques and his stance training is also very strong, his muscles and bones are flexible, and his movements are graceful.

But they weren't like those rich kids from the county town who ate medicinal meals every day and hired a master chef every month.

While not quite at the bottom, in terms of ranking, they barely made it into the middle.

After the noisy person left, the courtyard became much quieter, and life slowed down.

Those who should work should work, and those who should study should study.

As for the little one, he continued to run around happily, roaming all over the village.

Jiang Yi is now physically strong and can easily cultivate ten acres of land.

At the foot of the mountain, the orchards and medicinal herb fields are mostly watered and weeded according to the seasons, and people can take a lazy nap in the shade of the trees.

When I have free time, my mind falls on the book "The Treatise on Sitting in Oblivion".

While I call it studying, it's hardly an enlightenment or Zen meditation. Most of the time, I'm just forcing myself to stay awake, opening my eyes when they get heavy, and gnawing through each page.

As time went by, I couldn't tell if there was any real insight in the book, or if I was just so exhausted that my mind became a little clearer.

In his drowsy state, Jiang Yi slowly discovered some ways to achieve "peace of mind".

It's not exactly enlightenment, let alone understanding one's true nature.

But those restless thoughts faded away day by day, and my mind became clearer.

Meanwhile, the Liu family's son was quite stubborn, and every few days he would sneak into the back mountain, as if he hadn't been hurt enough after hitting a wall.

Every time I come back, I look like my soul is floating, my feet are on the ground, but my eyes are wandering to some distant sky.

In the eyes of the villagers of Liangjie Village, this young man from the Liu family was just like the eldest son from the Jiang family, possessed by evil spirits. As time went on, rumors began to circulate in the village, some true and some false, but all told with great conviction.

An old woman shook her head, her voice low, and said that there was probably a fox spirit hiding in the back mountain.

It doesn't eat chicken or peck at ducks, but only absorbs the essence of young people, loving them the younger and more stubborn they are.

The eldest son of the Jiang family and the youngest son of the Liu family both seemed to have had their souls stolen by that monster; their eyes were glazed over.

As soon as these words spread, several families in the village with children and grandchildren immediately tensed up.

The children were kept under close watch; they weren't even allowed to approach the pond at the foot of the mountain, supposedly to prevent them from slipping, but in reality, to prevent them from losing their senses.

Jiang Yi was not intimidated. Having accepted the teachings of Master Liu on the doctrine of sitting in oblivion, he had to keep an eye on things after making his initial statement.

Occasionally, when he has some free time, he will walk to the foot of the mountain, lean against the front of his own orchard, and sit quietly gazing at the distant mountains while flipping through that booklet.

At Jiang Xi's age, she's at the stage where she loves to follow trends.

As soon as he saw his father about to leave, he clung to him shamelessly, insisting on going to the orchard with him.

Occasionally, she would bring some freshly steamed rice cakes from her mother, or pick some ripe fruit from her own orchard, and her little hands would clench tightly.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Yi had to immediately adopt the demeanor of a strict father, speaking gently but with a hint of uncompromising authority in his words:

"See Liu's younger brother? Go and give him some."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xi pouted, her little face filled with displeasure.

But in the end, she couldn't go against her father's wishes.

They could only awkwardly pick out a few of the smallest fruits or the most uneven pieces from the edges of the rice cake from their palms.

The Liu family has always been known for its upright family values, and the boys they raise are sensible.

They would come back a few days later, always bringing some return gifts.

They were either elaborately made pastries or homemade dried fruits, each packaged neatly in a small bag.

One child would give a piece of food to the other, and the other would return a piece. Back and forth, the two families' children became close friends.

If we're talking about how much affection there really is, it's not necessarily true. Most of it is just because Jiang Xi can't hide her cravings that she's keeping them hanging on.

Children's thoughts are the most straightforward.

Even the best homemade food loses its flavor after a while.

But other people's food always has a unique aroma, and it always tastes fresh.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye, and the fields at the foot of the mountain, which were once green, are now slowly turning yellow again.

Jiang Yi, on the other hand, was still struggling with that book on sitting in oblivion.

I endured the days one by one, and devoured the book page by page. At first, I was just pushing myself to the limit, but now I've figured out how to do it.

When I opened the booklet again, I could flip through most of it in one go.

My eyelids are still heavy, but I no longer feel sleepy at the slightest touch.

What's even better is that now, even with the book closed, just by searching for those difficult words in my mind, I can slowly calm my mind.

Those jumbled and chaotic thoughts seemed to be pressed down by an invisible hand, squeezed together from all directions, and then gradually returned to silence.

Then I calmed down.

It's not the kind of "quiet" that comes from sitting around a teacup and pretending to be quiet; it's a composure that comes from the very core of one's being.

Once I calmed down and practiced the breathing technique again, I found that my movements were smoother than ever before.

The energy remains intact, the strength is not weak, and every move is solid and steady.

Although we are still several mountains away from the state of "peace of mind and selflessness" that Master Liu spoke of.

But the tangible benefits we've made right now are already a considerable achievement.

The cultivation of both body and mind is indeed not an empty phrase.

Since it worked, Jiang Yi invited his family to try it out after meals.

Liu Xiulian always believed her husband's words. After finishing her work, she would pick up a book and flip through a few pages to rest and relax.

As for the two younger ones, they were rather clumsy and didn't seem to care much during their training.

Thank you for the donation, even though I'm almost bitten to death by mosquitoes.

May all my dear readers live forever and enjoy endless revelry!
P.S. Requesting monthly votes on Monday, thank you!
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(End of this chapter)