With virtue

The first taste of the Spiritual Dew was cool and refreshing, but once it entered the stomach, it transformed into a warm current that slowly rose within the inner realm.

Zhao Yunshu dared not delay, and immediately sat cross-legged, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind, immersing himself in the inner world.

The spiritual energy transformed into a white rainbow.

Within his heart and kidneys, fire and water, which originally operated independently, were now being drawn together slowly by this spiritual yang energy.

He had been practicing the arts of water and fire for some time, gathering the morning sun and dew every day. The two elements of water and fire gradually became abundant, but they always went their separate ways and did not interfere with each other.

Heart fire belongs to heart fire, and kidney water belongs to kidney water. Although they may briefly meet at the Tanzhong acupoint, they never truly merge.

However, at this moment, the pure yang energy contained in the spiritual yang dew is just like the eye of a fish in the tai chi diagram. It is yin within yang, fire within water, and perfectly embedded between the two energies of water and fire.

In the instant that water and fire clashed, a faint connection suddenly arose between them.

Logically speaking, water and fire should be incompatible. When they are forcibly combined, it will severely test the cultivator's level. If the level is not high enough, the conflict between water and fire will only harm the cultivator. At best, the cultivator will be seriously injured and weakened, and at worst, the cultivator will die.

But at this moment, the sliver of spiritual energy in the middle eased this contradiction, making the originally intense reaction of water and fire energy become gentle.

He was startled, remembering the old Taoist priest's teachings.

Of course, his master couldn't just teach him unorthodox methods like drawing talismans and exorcising ghosts from beginning to end; proper cultivation was also an essential part of his studies. In the past, when he was lecturing Zhao Yunshu, he said, "Those who wish to achieve longevity refine the elixir of immortality. To refine the elixir of immortality, one must first gather the yellow sprout. To obtain the yellow sprout, one must obtain the dragon and the tiger."

"The so-called true dragon originates from the Li Palace, and the true tiger is born in the Kan position. Within Li and Kan, there is water and fire."

The Li Palace represents the heart fire, and the Kan position represents the kidney water.

True water arises from the fire of the heart, and true fire arises from the water of the kidneys. Only when these two substances unite can they transform into yellow sprouts.

"The kidneys are water, and from water comes life, called true fire. The heart is fire, and from fire comes fluid, called true water." The old Taoist explained at the time, "The generation of water and fire is not enough. The dragon and tiger must unite. Water is generated from fire, and fire is generated from water. You are in me, and I am in you. Only then can you be said to have entered the gate."

He had only vaguely understood what he was hearing at the time, but now he clearly sensed that the water and fire elements within his inner vision were no longer just briefly intersecting, but were truly beginning to permeate each other.

A cool sensation arises from the heart's fire, and a warm feeling ignites within the kidney's water; these are the signs of the dragon and tiger's initial birth.

The true dragon emerged from the Li Palace, and the true tiger was born in the Kan position, and the catalyst for all of this was that cup of spiritual yang dew.

The kidney is associated with water. From water, life is generated, which is called true fire. What is contained within this fire?

The heart is fire, and from fire comes liquid called true water. This is what is meant by the true dragon emerging from the Li palace and the true tiger being born in the Kan position.

Within the trigrams Li and Kan, there are water and fire. The ancient sages who attained the Dao did not depart from these two things. When they intertwine, they transform into yellow sprouts. When the cycle is complete and the embryo is fully formed, they become the great medicine, which is the true dragon and the true tiger.

Thus, Zhao Yunshu's body actually developed a hint of dragon and tiger energy! However, the Spirit Yang Dew was ultimately just an external force, and this dragon and tiger energy was only in its initial stages, as weak as a candle flickering in the wind. It would take a long time for the dragon and tiger to truly grow stronger and transform into a yellow sprout through intercourse.

This is just the beginning; the real sacred mountain is still a long way off.

But in any case, the seed has been planted, a threshold that many practitioners may not be able to reach even after years of arduous cultivation!

Leaving aside the benefits to his future cultivation, just considering this moment, his water and fire techniques have gained the ability to combine, which will likely last much longer, and the fatigue and headaches he experienced after prolonged use will be greatly alleviated.

Moreover, it is estimated that the intensity of water and fire that he can control will also increase, and even his physical body will be nourished as a result.

Water and fire are the foundation of health preservation. The interaction of water and fire is naturally beneficial to the body. The young Taoist priest cultivates his life force, but his physical body is not neglected either.

As the effects of the Spiritual Dew were fully absorbed, the dragon and tiger gathered in his inner vision, water and fire mingled, and the surging aura around Zhao Yunshu slowly subsided. He exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes.

When he opened his eyes, he saw two underworld officials standing on his left and right, holding soul-catching ropes across their chests, facing outwards with their backs to him, protecting him!

He was startled and quickly stood up, bowing to the two underworld officials, saying, "How could I, a humble Taoist, have the honor and ability to trouble you two underworld officials to protect me? I am truly ashamed of myself."

Although this underworld official is not of high rank, he is still considered one of the underworld officials and belongs to the ranks of ghosts and gods. For him to protect his Dharma is indeed giving himself too much face.

The minor underworld official waved his hand and said, "Taoist Master, please don't be so polite. We brothers have been working in this City God Temple for many years and have seen quite a few cultivators. At your age, you have already been able to draw water and fire into your body and have begun to show the signs of a dragon and a tiger. If you achieve further success in your cultivation, it is not impossible for you to be ranked among the Heavenly Court. We have only stood here for a short while and it is nothing."

Another underworld official nodded in agreement, his tone friendly and his demeanor without a trace of arrogance. Zhao Yunshu was about to exchange a few more polite words when the official spoke first: "However, may I ask, Daoist Master, what brings you back? Is there another soul that needs guiding you?"

Zhao Yunshu then remembered his business. He had been so engrossed in the benefits of the Spirit Yang Dew that he had forgotten about it. So he straightened his expression and lowered his voice, saying, "To be honest, gentlemen, I have indeed returned with a very important matter to report."

Upon hearing this, the two underworld messengers also became serious and stood still to listen.

Zhao Yunshu continued, "These wandering ghosts are suppressed and unable to reincarnate. This is not a coincidence. Someone has laid down a large number of curses outside Dingzhou City. Many refugees from other places came to Dingzhou, but they were killed here and their bodies and souls were suppressed in order to disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang."

"It appears that the mastermind behind this matter is two powerful demons. They have something to plot in Dingzhou, so they used a vengeful ghost as a prelude to manipulate this matter in order to prepare for the subsequent war."

"Although I have already cracked the code in several places, I am afraid that there may still be omissions. This matter concerns the safety of the people of Dingzhou and the order of Yin and Yang, so I dare not hide it and have come to report it."

The two underworld officials grew increasingly solemn as they listened. After Zhao Yunshu finished speaking, they exchanged a glance, and the leading official asked in a deep voice, "Is what the Taoist priest said true?"

"Absolutely true." Zhao Yunshu said without hesitation.

"If that's the case, then we will certainly report it. However... the underworld can't control the affairs of the living world. We can prepare in advance to prevent ghosts from causing trouble, but we are powerless against war. We can only ask the Taoist priest to take refuge as soon as possible," another underworld official immediately said.

Zhao Yunshu nodded: "If we can gather all the wandering ghosts and spirits into the temple and prevent them from being used by demons and causing further trouble, that would already be a great merit. Then I will take my leave!"

After saying this, Zhao Yunshu left the place, preparing to flee.

"Are you kidding me? War! He's not going to get involved! He's just a wandering Taoist priest, barely good enough at catching ghosts and exorcising demons. If a massive army were to attack, he wouldn't even make a splash."

Now that he has reported to the underworld, he has done his part.

The next step, naturally, is to flee as soon as possible – that's the best course of action!

It's a yo-yo!

------------

The young Taoist priest did not hesitate and ran away on the spot. He left the City God Temple and did not look back, heading straight south.

Let's go!

However, there are some tricks to escaping.

If you were to run into those desolate mountains and wilderness, not to mention jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards, the snakes, insects, rats, and ants alone would be enough to kill you.

The mountain air was thick with miasma, damp and chilling to the bone, and the mountain paths were rugged, steep, and treacherous.

If bitten by those poisonous mosquitoes and insects, one may suffer from redness, swelling, and ulceration at best, and at worst, contract malaria, suffer from persistent high fever, and die on the way due to poor health.

After a hike up the mountain path, five out of ten people might fall ill, and of the remaining five, two might break their legs. [The last line appears to be a website footer or advertisement and is left untranslated.]

These are just the natural conditions. If you encounter bandits, wild beasts, demons, or monsters, whether you live or die depends on how strong your ancestors' connections are underground.

Therefore, unless they are desperate or have a profession like hunters or woodcutters who have no choice but to go into the mountains, most people in this world are actually unwilling to walk mountain paths.

Even traveling peddlers who travel all over the country are generally unwilling to go into the mountains, let alone most people who have never left the area within twenty miles of their own village in their entire lives, and are even more afraid of mountain roads.

However, if one were to take the official road, one would encounter a constant stream of officials, soldiers, and clerks, which could be deadly.

Since the late Tang Dynasty, regional warlords held sway, taxes were plentiful, and checkpoints were everywhere. One day it was the military governor's soldiers blocking the road to collect taxes, the next day it was the prefect's clerks setting up checkpoints to plunder, and the day after that it was some powerful family's private army blocking the road to extort money. Moreover, many times, what was called collecting taxes was actually outright robbery.

Even if you have a travel permit and official documents, they will still search every nook and cranny and steal anything of value.

If you travel through several cities like this, even if you have mountains of gold and silver, they will be plundered clean. They might even be worried about your retaliation and kill you directly. So, they might as well end your life with a single blow, kick your body into the ditch by the roadside, and let wild dogs drag it away. Who would be able to find out?

In this chaotic world, it's not unusual to die anywhere. If there's another unidentified corpse, passersby won't bother to report it to the authorities. After all, if they do report it, they might end up getting themselves into trouble with the government!

Therefore, the choice of route from Dingzhou City to the next safe destination, where to take the main road, where to take a shortcut, and where to take a long detour, all need to be carefully considered.

This is a skill; if you just blindly set off like a naive person, you'll get lost so easily you'll be completely disoriented.

Throughout history, countless famous figures and scholars have died far from home on their journeys. Before embarking on a long trip, they would make a will, and they would even bring entourages. Before setting off, they would consult divination and fortune tellers to determine their return date. Ordinary people, on the other hand, did not have such conditions. Many of them never left their villages in their entire lives. For them, crossing the mountain outside the village was already the end of the world.

Running away isn't easy either.

Fortunately, Zhao Yunshu is quite experienced in this field.

Without him, only familiar with Seoul.

He had followed the old Taoist priest around since he was a child, and he had his own set of wonderful methods to eliminate the dangers on the road.

For those who cultivate themselves, especially wandering Taoist priests, the first skill they need is not drawing talismans or chanting incantations, but rather surviving in the wilderness!

The first thing to do is to find a village that is neither too close nor too far from the main road. This way, one can either advance quickly onto the main road or retreat into the deep mountains and forests to avoid disaster.

He had long been prepared for such a village!

It's the village where he caught the swindler and helped people recover their oxen!

He knew the way to this village, and its location was just right—neither too close nor too far. He even had connections in this village before, making it the perfect place to escape to!

Once they reached the village, they packed up, prepared supplies, bought some dry food and cloth, prepared salt and firewood, and then carefully sewed two pairs of shoes.

When running away, shoes are the most important thing. When you're about to trek for months, a few good pairs of shoes are better than countless others. Having made up his mind, Zhao Yunshu didn't delay any longer. After determining the direction, he immediately jogged towards the village.

As he ran, he thought to himself that he must learn to ride a horse or at least a donkey when he had the chance!

That way, you won't have to run around on two legs for everything!

But donkeys and horses also need to eat. If he could learn the legendary skills of cutting paper into horses and scattering beans to create soldiers, that would be even better!

Unfortunately, such magic is probably not easy to obtain, so we can only think about it for now.

The journey was smooth. He avoided the main road and took side roads. Occasionally, he would encounter a few travelers, all of whom were thin and emaciated refugees. They would glance at each other and then quickly pass by, none of them paying any attention to each other.

As the sun began to set, the familiar village entrance came into view in the distance, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, creating a peaceful scene.

Upon entering the village, Zhao Yunshu was immediately recognized.

Several villagers working in the fields at the village entrance waved to him as soon as they saw him, shouting, "The Taoist priest is here again!?"

"The Taoist priest is back again?"

"What happened, Taoist priest?"

The story of how he exposed the monk's scam was already widely known in the village, so everyone was incredibly familiar with him now. "It's nothing, nothing, I was just passing by! By the way, where's the village head? I'd like to rest a bit in the village and buy some food and drink!"

Zhao Yunshu waved as she spoke to them.

He didn't tell them about the war, since it wouldn't make a difference anyway.

What good would it do to tell them? Are we to make them leave their homes, abandon their ancestral graves, and fields to become refugees?

Let alone their reluctance to part with those few acres of land, even if they were willing, they would bring their families along, the old and the young, and half of them would collapse after walking only a few dozen miles.

It would be better to stay where we are. This village is a bit far from Dingzhou City. It's not located on the main road, nor is it a strategic location that's easy for military strategists to fight over. If war breaks out, we might not be affected much.

Besides, the message has already been sent up, so the Jiedushi's residence must not be completely unprepared. After all, Dingzhou City belongs to the Wang family, and the Jiedushi is certainly not a mediocre person who can be slaughtered at will. They will naturally find a way to deal with it.

Thinking about all this, Zhao Yunshu went straight to find the village head and told him about his request for lodging.

Faced with a young Taoist priest who was willing to pay money and had helped the village, the village head readily agreed and immediately cleared out an empty room and prepared some simple food.

The young Taoist priest quickly ate two bites, and then prepared the supplies for his escape.

First, prepare some dry food: dry, unleavened flatbread and some raw rice. Do not add oil. This kind of flatbread can be stored for a month without spoiling.

Prepare several fire folding cloths and store them separately to avoid them getting ruined by the rain. Also, buy some cloth. Nowadays, the village is all about farming and weaving, with men farming and women weaving, so there's no shortage of coarse cloth. It can be used for making clothes, wrapping wounds, and even as money; it's an essential item.

Then there are the shoes. For these, you need to find a skilled farm woman, pay her wages, and have her make two pairs of shoe soles properly.

In short...

We'll stay in the village for a few days, and then leave once we're ready.