Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

"Master...I think he mentioned it." Cheng Mo tried hard to recall. "Let me think..."

After a moment, he slowly said, "The Qi circulation route of the Eight Pieces of Brocade is based on the Ren and Du meridians. When 'Holding Up the Sky with Both Hands,' the Qi starts from the lower Dantian, travels up the Du meridian to Baihui; when 'Drawing the Bow Left and Right,' the Qi travels through the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the hand, reaching the fingertips..."

After giving a general explanation, his tone became somewhat subtle. "That's roughly it. But I've practiced for fifteen years and have never experienced what it feels like to have Qi following a specific path."

Xia He, oblivious to the odd tone in his voice, said with great interest, "Then I'll give it a try!"

She closed her eyes and tried to circulate the Qi within her body according to the route Cheng Mo had described.

A few minutes later, she opened her eyes, her brows furrowed slightly: "It seems... something's missing. Can you demonstrate the movements for me again?"

Cheng Mo nodded and started performing the actions again.

This time, Xia He circulated her internal Qi while following Cheng Mo's movements.

As she performed each movement, a look of realization gradually appeared on her face.

The Qi that was originally just flowing instinctively within the body begins to circulate along its pathways under the guidance of movement and breathing...

After a full cycle, I felt much better, as if even my pores were breathing.

"Wow!" Xia He stopped her movements and excitedly hugged Cheng Mo's arm. "Little Taoist priest, you're so kind! This really works!"

Cheng Mo's expression was somewhat stiff.

A voice inside him was screaming: I'm not doing well!

How could this person be like this?! One take and it's done?!

I've practiced for fifteen years! Do you know what I've been through for those fifteen years?! I got up earlier than the chickens every day, practiced standing meditation until my legs went numb, chopped wood, carried water up and down mountains, all to improve my health—and then someone else did it in one go… just…

Cheng Mo took a deep breath, trying to keep his facial expression calm.

"Hmm... good that it works." His voice sounded a little dry.

Xia He was completely oblivious to the turmoil in his heart. Still buzzing with excitement, she urged, "Quick, quick, teach me the Vajra Longevity Exercise! It's so much longer than the Eight Pieces of Brocade, it must be even more powerful!"

Cheng Mo glanced at his watch: "It's almost time, we should get in the car."

Actually, there were still more than twenty minutes before departure, but Cheng Mo felt he needed to take a break.

Xia He pouted, her pink eyelashes drooping down: "...Okay."

Seeing her like this, Cheng Mo felt a little sorry for her and added, "You can practice on the train. First, master the Eight Pieces of Brocade, and when we get to Guizhou, I'll teach you the Vajra Longevity Exercise."

He thought to himself: More than twenty hours... I should be able to recover by now, right?

The two packed their things and headed towards the train station.

Xia He skipped and hopped ahead, her pink ponytail swaying back and forth, her mood so good she felt like she could fly.

Cheng Mo focused his gaze on his nose and his mind, trying to comfort himself.

Xia He's talent is truly amazing; if she can be properly guided, her future is limitless.

but…

Why is it that other people can learn it in one go?

Fifteen years of hard work! Is it really impossible to compare to someone with innate talent who can grasp things instantly?

Cheng Mo immediately dismissed the thought.

There are countless paths to enlightenment, and everyone has their own destiny. Master is right; you can't force things.

Besides, it's also because I taught her well~~

……

These days, high-speed rail is not yet widespread, and green-skinned trains are still the main mode of long-distance travel.

The two entered the sleeper car. There weren't too many people there, probably because it wasn't a public holiday. Most of the students on summer vacation were crammed into the cheaper hard-seat car, making a ruckus there. In comparison, the sleeper car was much quieter.

With fewer people, the space was relatively spacious, which was a godsend for Xia He to practice her skills.

The Eight Pieces of Brocade doesn't require much space; the corridor of the sleeper compartment, plus occasionally a little bit of the outside passageway, is more than enough.

"Holding up the sky with both hands regulates the three burners... Drawing the bow left and right is like shooting an eagle..."

Xia He practiced very seriously. Her pink ponytail swayed gently with her movements, and her porcelain-white skin glowed with a healthy rosy hue from the exercise. She seemed to be radiating light, attracting the frequent glances of passing passengers.

Cheng Mo leaned against the door of the sleeper car with his arms crossed, looking at it with a sense of relief, like "the radish I grew has finally run away on its own."

After practicing twice, Xia He's breathing became slightly rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and the tip of her nose. Her skin was so rosy that it looked as if a layer of crystal-clear water film had been applied, making her even more beautiful.

"Alright, let's stop." Cheng Mo said, "Practicing martial arts requires accumulation over time. Practicing for too long at once will not only fail to increase your cultivation, but may also damage your foundation, which is not worth it. Let's stop here for today."

Xia He was still not satisfied, but she obediently stopped and exhaled a long breath.

"Okay... I do feel a bit hot. I'll go wash my face and change my clothes." As she spoke, she pulled out a clean white short-sleeved T-shirt from her small backpack.

Cheng Mo hadn't intended to peek into the girl's backpack, but the angle was just right, and with a quick glance, he saw clearly that there were at least three sets of short-sleeved shirts of different colors neatly folded inside that small backpack!

Xia He noticed his gaze, and generously opened her backpack a little wider, grinning, "Look, look, there are just a few changes of clothes, no underwear, feel free to look around~"

Cheng Mo: "...Go change quickly."

"Hehe~" Xia He picked up her clothes and walked briskly towards the washroom in the connecting area between the carriages.

Cheng Mo shook his head. Taking advantage of the temporary quiet in the carriage after Xia He left, he sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and tried to introspect again.

In the process of teaching Xia He, he also gained a new perspective on the technique. Although he still could not perceive the flow of Qi, his control over the movement of his muscles, bones, and blood seemed to have become more refined.

He focused his energy in his lower abdomen, guarding his mind, trying to capture that elusive "heat" or "coolness".

No.

All I can still hear in my mind is the pounding of my heart, the rushing sound of my blood, and the soft gurgling of my stomach...

Cheng Mo sighed inwardly, his ears suddenly picking up an unusual noise.

Previously, when Xia He was practicing her martial arts, there was a man walking back and forth in the corridor. At that time, Cheng Mo thought that the man was simply attracted by Xia He's beauty and was admiring the scenery.

But now that the "scenery" is gone, that guy is still wandering back and forth in the corridor outside, glancing at their cubicle every now and then.

Not right.

Cheng Mo opened his eyes and turned his head, his gaze meeting the prying eyes from outside the cubicle.

The man was a bald man in his thirties. He was clearly not expected Cheng Mo to open his eyes suddenly. Caught off guard, a look of panic flashed across his face. Then, a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes, and he flung out a dark object with his right hand before turning and running away.

Cheng Mo reacted extremely quickly. The instant the thing flew in, he reached for the pillow, flicked his wrist, and the pillow struck the object.

Snapped!

The thing was jolted and changed direction, crashing into the wall with a "thud" before slowly sliding down.

Cheng Mo looked closely and his heart skipped a beat.

Those were two small, brightly colored snakes with triangular heads; their colors were abnormally vibrant, clearly indicating they were highly venomous.

What's more troublesome is that a sticky, strange liquid, dark in color and emitting an indescribable fishy-sweet smell, was left on the side of the pillow that was being whipped and on the wall.

Fortunately, the two snakes were limp and motionless, but cleaning them up would probably take some effort.

"stop!"

A sharp cry came from Xia He at the end of the corridor, followed by sounds of physical contact and muffled groans.

Cheng Mo knew something was wrong and immediately rushed out of the cubicle.

At the junction of the carriages, the bald man who had just run away had been pinned to the ground by Xia He, who had his arms tied behind his back.

However, the man's condition was extremely strange—his face was bluish-black, and countless tiny things seemed to be wriggling under his skin, with wisps of black energy escaping from his mouth, nose, and even his pores!

"Get away! Don't smell those odors!" Cheng Mo shouted urgently.

Xia He also sensed something was wrong. A faint pink mist emanated from her body in an attempt to block the black energy, but she was unable to completely block it.

Her brows furrowed immediately, and she decisively let go and leaped away, trapping the man in the narrow space at the junction with Cheng Mo, who had arrived one after the other.

"Little Taoist priest, what... what are these things?" Xia He stared at the increasingly thick black mist, her face showing surprise.

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be a Gu poison." Cheng Mo's expression was grave as he stared intently at the man. "This person is a Gu master! He uses himself as a vessel to release Gu poison!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man's body trembled, and he quickly went limp and rotted as if deflated. The dissipated black energy instantly became thicker, turning into rolling black mist that spread throughout the entire carriage!

"Open the car window, don't touch that black smoke!" Cheng Mo shouted, rushing to the nearest car window and pushing it open as wide as possible.

Even without his shout, Xia He wouldn't touch that evil thing. Almost the instant the black mist burst open, she had already unlocked the other side window. Her figure was as nimble as a cat. With one hand on the window sill, she flipped out of the car and climbed onto the roof.

Seeing that she was unharmed, Cheng Mo immediately held his breath and focused his mind. His figure turned into a blur in the narrow corridor. Wherever he passed, the doors of the sleeper compartments were quickly pulled shut, and the windows along the way were all opened with a series of "whoosh" sounds.

With his arms outstretched and his waist and hips as the axis, he spun rapidly like a top!

huh~~

The airflow was stirred up out of thin air, and a small whirlwind was suddenly formed. Amidst the howling wind, the black fog that had just spread rushed out of the open car window and disappeared into the rapidly receding scenery outside the car.