Chapter 29: Quanzhen Cultivation Method, Golden Goose Skill
Moonlight fell, the night breeze rustled the leaves, and Zhou Yan scaled the wall to enter.
His footing was unstable as he landed, stumbling, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
In the battle on the long street, although he had successfully tricked Ouyang Ke, they had exchanged a palm strike, and he had sustained an internal injury. The punch Ouyang Ke landed on his shoulder, however, was not a major problem.
The resilience of a pair of Iron Arms was beyond that of ordinary martial artists.
As Zhou Yan flipped into the courtyard, behind him in the alleyways, Yuyangzi, like a great goose, his figure soaring between the overhanging eaves of the city, occasionally appearing, then vanishing into the gloom in an instant, he floated and landed on the courtyard wall.
He was even more astonished at this moment, with many doubts swirling in his mind. The young man clearly knew “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” but had no lightness skill, yet he had scaled the wall into the courtyard. This was illogical.
Zhou Yan didn’t even have time to enter his room.
His qi and blood churned within his body, his viscera burning and aching, and the Jade Guanyin hanging around his neck emitted a gentle warmth, constantly clearing his channels and healing his internal injuries.
He directly sat cross-legged under the ancient tree, using the efficacy of the Jade Guanyin to aid him in circulating his inner qi to heal.
Yuyangzi saw this clearly and thought to himself that this kid’s internal organs were injured. His cultivation technique was primarily external, so circulating energy to heal would start by moving qi and blood through the extraordinary meridians, then connecting to the twelve standard meridians to treat the internal organs. The method was correct, but the effect was minimal. How could he recover in just a few days? Moreover, he could easily develop an internal illness.
Yuyangzi was unaware that Zhou Yan possessed the Jade Guanyin, which relaxed muscles and activated collaterals and removed internal illnesses. He was a kind and righteous person, and seeing that Zhou Yan had a connection with Hong Qigong, he couldn’t help but say, “Why don’t you try Five Hearts Towards Heaven?”
Zhou Yan was startled and looked towards the sound, seeing a Taoist priest with long eyebrows, bright eyes, and three tufts of black beard below his chin descend gracefully. He had a righteous aura and looked at him with a kind expression.
He didn’t need to guess; it had to be someone from the Quanzhen Sect. He had long known that the current timeline was in the early stages of the Legend of the Condor Heroes Jianghu, with Ouyang Ke and others gathered at the Zhao Wang Manor. During this period, Wang Chuyi was in Zhongdu.
What a coincidence. Zhou Yan stood up and asked, “May I ask who this Taoist priest is?”
Yuyangzi was a person of integrity. He came to Zhongdu because the martial arts competition between Guo Jing and Yang Kang was imminent. He disapproved of Yang Kang’s actions and intended to secretly assist Guo Jing, which was why he arrived in Zhongdu early.
Before he could meet Guo Jing, he witnessed the scene of the escort Zhou Yan fighting with Ouyang Ke.
Unwilling to first ask Zhou Yan if he was a disciple of Hong Qigong before introducing himself, he directly said, “Poor Taoist is Yuyangzi from Zhongnan Mountain.”
Zhou Yan thought to himself, it really is him.
“So it’s Taoist Wang, greetings.”
“You recognize this poor Taoist?”
“Naturally, I have heard of you.”
Wang Chuyi nodded and asked, “Are you Hong Bangzhu’s disciple?”
It turned out that Wang Chuyi saw me fighting with Ouyang Ke and recognized the techniques “Kanglong Regret” and “Shenlong Tail Whip,” assuming I was a disciple of Hong Qigong, and thus pursued me.
Zhou Yan thought this and explained, “I have met Hong Bangzhu twice in Datong Prefecture and Zhongdu, and he has guided my martial arts. However, I am not a disciple of the Beggars’ Sect.”
“So that’s how it is.” Wang Chuyi was not disappointed. Hong Qigong’s chivalrous reputation was widespread. Being guided by him in martial arts indicated that the young man before him had upright character and was teachable.
“Who was the person you fought with?”
“Ouyang Ke, nephew of the Western Venom.”
“So that’s the case. How did you provoke them?” Wang Chuyi was naturally curious.
Zhou Yan concisely recounted how he was escorting a horse to the suburbs, and Ouyang Ke wanted to seize the “Night-Shining Jade Lion” and silence him.
Wang Chuyi’s anger flared upon hearing this. However, Zhou Yan’s internal injury was the immediate priority. He said, “I observed you fighting Ouyang Ke and know your martial arts are primarily external. Now that you have an internal injury, you might as well circulate energy through the twelve standard meridians to heal your internal organs.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Taoist priest. What is Five Hearts Towards Heaven?”
Wang Chuyi was surprised, and after reacting, he said, “The palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and the crown of the head are the five hearts. You don’t understand?”
“Indeed, I do not.”
“Gathering the Five Elements, Combining the Four Symbols?”
Zhou Yan felt a bit awkward. He didn’t understand Taoist cultivation techniques.
Wang Chuyi saw this and couldn’t help but ask, “What sect are you from?”
“I am merely an escort and cultivate martial arts on my own, occasionally receiving guidance from other escorts.”
Wang Chuyi chuckled. No wonder he was completely clueless. He had assumed the other party was a disciple of Hong Bangzhu, raising his expectations, but in reality, he was just an ordinary escort who didn’t understand Taoist cultivation, which was normal.
Thinking this, he admired Zhou Yan even more. At such a young age, to achieve such accomplishments in external martial arts through self-study was truly not easy; it required exceptional talent.
“Very well, since that is the case, I will tell you.”
“I am not a Quanzhen disciple.”
Wang Chuyi smiled, “Since I am willing to speak, there are no issues, and it is to save a life, so there are not so many rules. You are not a disciple of the Beggars’ Sect, yet Hong Bangzhu also taught you Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.”
Iron Leg Immortal Yuyangzi did not know that Zhou Yan only knew two moves.
With Wang Chuyi saying this, how could he decline?
“Thank you, Taoist priest.”
“Mm, remember it carefully.”
“Okay!”
Wang Chuyi sat on the stone stool and spoke slowly, “Combining the Four Symbols means concealing the divine essence, concentrating the auditory rhythm, regulating the nasal breath, and sealing the tongue’s qi. The eyes do not see, and the spirit resides in the liver; the ears do not hear, and the essence resides in the kidneys; the tongue does not chant, and the heart resides in the mind; the nose does not smell, and the soul resides in the lungs; the limbs do not move, and the intention resides in the spleen. This is the Five Elements Returning to the Origin. ‘Combining the Four Symbols’ and ‘Five Qi Returning to the Origin’ are crucial practices for Taoist cultivation.”
Zhou Yan gratefully said, “Thank you, Taoist priest, for your enlightenment.”
“You are welcome. I will now explain the basic breathing exercises. The initial cultivation in Datong opens the nine orifices. The nine orifices are originally at the Weilü acupoint, first rushing from Yongquan at the sole of the foot, and then gradually rising from Yongquan to the knee…”
What Wang Chuyi told Zhou Yan was merely the introductory internal cultivation technique of the Quanzhen Sect, intended to help him guide energy to heal. However, he also meticulously explained the key cultivation methods of Taoist practice to Zhou Yan.
Yuyangzi’s actions were equivalent to Hong Qigong and Zhang Wangyue’s “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” style of teaching, broadening Zhou Yan’s horizons and laying a solid foundation. This would undoubtedly enhance Zhou Yan’s understanding and enlightenment of various cultivation techniques, allowing him to strive for perfection.
Otherwise, even if Zhou Yan obtained techniques like the Nine Yin Manual or the Nine Yang Manual, understanding many of the terms and phrases would be extremely difficult.
After Wang Chuyi finished explaining, he said to him, “Circulate your energy to heal according to what I have told you.”
“Okay!”
Zhou Yan followed suit, Five Hearts Towards Heaven, sensing energy with his intent. After dozens of breaths, his mind completely settled, and he became completely engrossed, forgetting himself. The scattered inner qi within his body was gathered into his Dantian bit by bit. Suddenly, this inner qi warmed him from the Dantian, astonishing Zhou Yan that by circulating energy according to the method, he had even merged the gentle warmth emitted by the Jade Guanyin with his internal qi, generating a pure, refined, and pure Yang inner qi.
This inner qi rapidly circulated through the twelve standard meridians, clearing stagnant blood caused by the internal injury and nourishing his internal organs.
In less than half an hour, Wang Chuyi observed that his complexion had become rosy.
Iron Leg Immortal Yuyangzi secretly marveled at Zhou Yan’s outstanding talent, having grasped the essence so quickly in such a short time. It was no wonder Hong Qigong had passed on his skills.
Starlight flowed, and the moon shadows shifted.
Zhou Yan circulated his energy for about three hours, and his internal injury had already healed.
Wang Chuyi said with satisfaction, “I will now explain breathing and energy circulation techniques, and the art of sitting still and calming the mind. This cultivation method helps to increase internal force, is simple to practice, and can even be done while sleeping. I will also teach you a lightness skill.”
Without waiting for Zhou Yan’s reply, he began to speak.
“When thoughts are settled, emotions fade; when the body is weak, energy circulates; when the heart is dead, the spirit lives; when Yang is abundant, Yin diminishes…”
Zhou Yan was surprised. Practicing while sleeping and a lightness skill – wasn’t this the Quanzhen cultivation technique and the Golden Goose Skill that Danyangzi Ma Yu, one of the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen, had once taught Guo Jing?
