Under One Person: The Taoist Priest Descends the Mountain

The moment the door closed, Xia He burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Cheng Mo walked to the bedside: "Is it fun?"

Xia He smiled and said, "That's not fun. I should say you want to bully me~"

Cheng Mo: "..."

He took out his phone and called Hua Feng, recounting his experience of the day in detail, emphasizing the blonde woman's strength, and finally offering his own speculation: "Uncle Hua, I don't think the attack on us today has much to do with the Medicine Immortal Society."

"Why do you say that?" Hua Feng asked.

"The Medicine Immortal Society is used to using Gu poison. Today, the man used a potent sedative. I'm not sure about the blonde woman's methods, but they seem quite orthodox, unlike those crooked and evil practices," Cheng Mo analyzed.

On the other end of the phone, Hua Feng seemed to be talking to someone else; his voice was not very clear through the receiver.

After a while, Hua Feng's voice sounded a bit strange: "Xiao Cheng, are you sure that blonde hair is... a woman?"

"What do you mean?" Cheng Mo was stunned for a moment, and a name suddenly flashed through his mind—a guy in the comics who loved to join in the fun and was known for his bad temper. He also seemed to be blond and should be active in the southwest region right now.

Could it be such a coincidence?

"We just received news," Hua Feng's voice came through, "that a criminal gang of supernatural beings has been busted in Qianyang. The person who made the move is called Wang Zhenqiu, and he also has blond hair. However, he's a man."

Cheng Mo thought to himself, "Oh, it really is that guy."

"Also," Hua Feng added, "my colleagues over there said that kid has a rather... nasty temper. If you really run into him, don't get entangled with him."

"Okay, Uncle Hua, thanks for the reminder." Cheng Mo hung up the phone.

Xia He leaned closer, her pink head almost resting on his shoulder: "Why do you always report to the company? We're not their people."

"I'm leveraging their resources." Cheng Mo put his phone away. "The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. By relying on the power and information network of the authorities, we can resolve problems more efficiently and safely."

Xia He pouted: "But I feel uncomfortable, like I'm being stared at the whole time."

Cheng Mo seemed to be deep in thought. Xia He had a free-spirited personality and disliked being restrained, which was one of the reasons she joined Quanxing. In fact, this was the thought of most people with supernatural abilities. Who would always negotiate with the company for no reason?

Cheng Mo was simply carrying the mindset from his previous life, treating the company like a police station, and naturally calling the police when something happened.

"In that case, I'll reduce the frequency of communication with the company in the future, and I'll discuss it with you before each contact. If you feel it's unnecessary, we'll hold off for now."

Xia He's eyes lit up, and she immediately smiled, "Little Taoist priest, you're so kind~"

Cheng Mo stood up: "Alright, I'm going back to my room now. Get some rest."

Xia He cupped her face in her hands, blinking her eyes, "Little Taoist priest, aren't you going to stay? What if there are bad guys tonight?"

Cheng Mo's lips twitched, and without saying a word, he turned and left.

The door opened, then closed with a loud "bang".

Xia He tilted her head and chuckled at the closed door.

Initially, she followed Cheng Mo simply because she found the young Taoist priest's clear eyes different from others, which piqued her curiosity. Compared to the strange and unusual things Tu Junfang kept talking about, following this young Taoist priest was clearly more interesting.

Later, he taught her the Eight Pieces of Brocade and the Vajra Longevity Exercise, teaching her with such seriousness and meticulousness. Those were his sect's techniques, yet he taught them to her without reservation.

That kindness stirred something within her.

Tonight, when the dizziness struck, she truly panicked.

Then he came, like a lightning bolt cleaving through the chaos, and steadily protected her.

He held him close, feeling his warmth, and leaned against him, hearing his heartbeat. Only one thought remained in his mind: I'm safe.

Xia He buried her face in the pillow.

It’s over.

It seems like it's not just something I find interesting anymore.

My heart is pounding.

She raised her burning face, clenched her fist at the air, and couldn't help but smile.

"Little Taoist priest, watch me handle you~"

……

The next day, it was still not fully light.

Boom boom boom!

"Who is it?! So early in the morning!!" Xia He, with her messy pink hair, suddenly flung open the door.

Cheng Mo appeared at the door with a spirited expression: "Let's go, time to practice."

Xia He: "???"

"The early bird catches the worm."

Xia He, still half asleep, was reluctantly dragged by him to a small square near the hotel.

"Let's practice the Eight Pieces of Brocade first." Cheng Mo stopped and began to adjust his breathing.

Xia He yawned and reluctantly followed suit, getting into a fighting stance.

The two began practicing methodically, their movements slow and their breaths long and steady.

There were only a few passersby in the square in the early morning, but soon their unusual combination attracted the attention of the early-rising elderly.

First, two elderly women who were taking a stroll stopped and looked around curiously.

Then, an elderly man who practices Tai Chi also stopped his movements, walked over with his hands behind his back to take a look.

More and more people gathered, seven or eight elderly men and women forming a semi-circle, watching the young couple slowly raise their hands, draw their bows, raise one arm, and look back...

As they watched, an elderly woman wearing a red silk dress couldn't resist joining in the gestures.

With one person taking the lead, other elderly people happily followed suit and imitated. In no time, the square was filled with many "students" whose movements were not very standard but whose attitudes were serious.

After completing two rounds of the Eight Pieces of Brocade, Cheng Mo and Xia He slowly finished their practice.

"Young men, what kind of exercise are you practicing?" The old man practicing Tai Chi spoke first, with great interest. "I noticed that your movements are slow and leisurely, and you feel warm and comfortable all over after you finish. It's quite nice."

"That's right, that's right," the old lady in the red silk dress said, stretching her shoulders. "My old hands and feet feel much more flexible after doing these movements! It's much more effective than the random shaking we usually do at home."

"This is called Baduanjin," Cheng Mo explained with a smile. "It's a fitness method passed down from our ancestors, used to exercise muscles and bones and regulate qi and blood."

"Eight Pieces of Brocade? That name sounds so auspicious!" Another old man nodded. "I think it's much easier to remember than our Tai Chi! And the effects don't seem bad either. I just tried it out, and my old back feels much better!"

"Okay, that's easy. I'll come tomorrow too!"

"Hey kid, are you coming to practice tomorrow? Teach us a lesson!"

"We won't be coming tomorrow," Cheng Mo said to the enthusiastic elderly people. "We have to leave Qianyang today."

Upon hearing this, the elderly man practicing Tai Chi immediately agreed: "Young man, how about this, you demonstrate it for us again, and I'll find a camera to record it! That way, we can practice along with you later!"

The middle-aged woman next to her immediately responded, "I'll have my grandson bring it down right away!"

Another older woman exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, your grandson is up so early?"

The older woman waved her hand, saying, "He's still awake!"

A short while later, a young man with a pale face and panda eyes ran over carrying a video camera. He put the camera in the older woman's arms, didn't say a word, and hurriedly ran back.

The older woman called out to his retreating figure, "Eat breakfast before you sleep!"

The young man waved his hand with his back turned, his voice drifting over: "Got it!"

Cheng Mo then said to Xia He, "Then let's practice one more time."

Xia He's eyes widened: "Huh? I'll come along?"

Cheng Mo nodded: "Yes."

Xia He was reluctant, but she still stood in line with Cheng Mo and got into position again.

Several elderly people nearby, also in high spirits, joined the group.

Following Cheng Mo's commands, a group of people raised their hands, drew their bows, raised their arms, and looked back... all of which were captured on camera.

After finishing the round, Xia He's forehead was slightly damp with sweat.

The older woman played the video from earlier, and as they listened to Cheng Mo's clear breathing instructions in the video, the older men and women clapped their hands.

"Great! That's it!"

"Even after you guys leave, we can still train with you!"

Cheng Mo said goodbye to the elderly people and led Xia He to the edge of the square so as not to disturb them from continuing their morning exercise.

At the other end of the square, a group of people started dancing, and music began to play.

The two walked to a more secluded corner and came to an open space under the shade of a tree.

"Alright," Cheng Mo stopped and faced Xia He, "Today I will teach you the Vajra Longevity Exercise."

"This set of exercises is based on the Yin-Yang theory of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, combined with the principle of the unity of heaven and man and the theory of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. It is a combination of the Vajra Exercise and the Longevity Exercise."

"The Vajra Kung Fu focuses on physical training and is masculine; the Longevity Kung Fu focuses on mental cultivation and is feminine. When the two are combined, external movement induces internal movement, and internal movement drives external movement."

"Innate Qi relies on acquired Qi for nurturing and oxygenation, while acquired Qi gains vitality from innate Qi. Therefore, the Vajra Longevity Exercise emphasizes the mutual support of strength and gentleness, the integration of internal and external forces, and the harmony of Yin and Yang. One practices the Vajra in the morning and the Longevity at night."

Xia He listened attentively and nodded.

"I'll demonstrate the movements of the Vajra Kung Fu first, and you can watch carefully," Cheng Mo said, assuming the starting stance. "First move: Hands on the crown of the head to benefit the three burners."

He moved slowly, reminding everyone: "Inhale as you stand up, guiding the Qi from the lower Dantian upwards along the Du meridian, passing through the Mingmen, Jiaji, and Dazhui to the Baihui. Exhale as you lower down, pressing your hands down to your abdomen, allowing the Qi to descend along the Ren meridian and return to the Dantian."

Xia He watched intently, her internal Qi subtly responding to Cheng Mo's explanation.

"The second movement, strengthening the kidneys and waist with hands and feet forward and backward." Cheng Mo continued to demonstrate, his movements graceful and powerful. "Exhale when pushing forward, letting the Qi flow through the three Yin meridians of the hand and reach the fingertips. Inhale when pulling back, letting the Qi flow back along the three Yang meridians of the hand, while focusing your mind on the Shenshu acupoint in the lower back to warm and nourish the kidney Qi."

Next are moves such as "Regulating the spleen and skin requires lifting one arm", "Left liver and right lung like shooting an eagle", "Looking back at the feet to cure heart disease", "Looking back to relieve five strains and seven injuries", "Phoenix spreading its wings to strengthen the whole body", and "Stomping the feet to drink and eliminate cravings".

As Cheng Mo performed each movement, he briefly explained the key points of the action, breathing coordination, and the main flow of Qi, involving acupoints such as Zusanli, Tanzhong, and Laogong, as well as the flow of the three Yin and three Yang meridians of the hands and feet.

After demonstrating a set of "Diamond Kung Fu", Cheng Mo's breathing was steady, but there was no sweat on his forehead.

He then explained the core principles of the Longevity Exercise to Xia He, emphasizing the importance of relaxing the mind during nighttime practice and mastering the key to a state of being neither fully focused nor fully focused.

Xia He practiced as instructed. She was extremely talented, and although it was a new learning experience, her movements were already six or seven tenths similar to the original, and her breathing gradually caught up with the movements.

After practicing a set of "Diamond Skill", she slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. It was the hottest time of summer, and that breath of turbid air condensed into a clear white ribbon.

Xia He's eyes shone brightly as she looked at Cheng Mo: "Little Taoist priest, this exercise feels even more exciting than the Eight Pieces of Brocade!"

Cheng Mo smiled and said, "They are both foundation-building methods of internal alchemy, but they have different focuses. There is no absolute difference in their superiority or inferiority. Just practice whichever suits you best."

Actually, these two techniques are somewhat different...

The Eight Pieces of Brocade is widely practiced and is considered a popular Taoist exercise that anyone can learn, although there are slight differences in the details between different schools and sects.

Cheng Mo had only seen the complete set of training methods for "Diamond Skill" and "Longevity Skill" at Liangyi Temple, so it was considered a tradition passed down within the temple.

However, the master never explicitly forbade the transmission of this technique. In the past, when villagers at the foot of the mountain had a cold or fever, the old Taoist priest would prescribe medicine and teach them to practice this technique to strengthen their bodies.

Therefore, Cheng Mo felt no burden in teaching Xia He.

However… it seems my master never taught anyone how to circulate qi…

Who cares? In the end, they'll all have to pass it on to me anyway, so I can teach whoever I want~