Book 9 Chapter 2 – Fortuitous Meeting at an Abandoned Village
The two boys groaned inwardly at the same time.
What happened was that when Xu Ziling was sending his true qi into Wanwan’s body, immediately he felt as if he lost control over his meridians and eight extraordinary channels.
In his great shock, Xu Ziling hastily sent out his internal energy trying to recover the true qi that was scattering like a runaway horse on an open plain, but he was still a step too late.
His true qi had turned into hundreds and thousands of streams of swirling force surging through and circling along Wanwan’s eight extraordinary channels [see footnote, Book 1 Chapter 7], just like when a martial art master of internal school suffer fire deviation during true qi cultivation.
This kind of fire deviation could be catastrophic to the practitioner; minor incident would result in the loss of one’s entire internal strength, major incident would result in paralysis or even sudden death.
The two boys were completely unprepared for this kind of situation, they did not know how to deal with it, and hence momentarily they panicked.
Kou Zhong cried out in low voice, “Female demon is formidable; Laozi cannot deal with her anymore!”
Xu Ziling hastily signaled him not to be reckless.
Thunder crashed, heavy rain pummeled the roof of the house, the eaves, canopies, screen windows, the courtyards and the streets, creating a variety of noises, as well as varying intensities of the sound. Cool and crisp air burst into the room and assaulted their bodies.
Mixed with this loud ensemble of the pitter patter of the rain was a cacophony of horses’ hoof. A dozen or so riders were entering the village.
Xu Ziling did not have time to be bothered by anything other than Wanwan; receiving Kou Zhong’s true qi, which was yin and soft in nature, he continuously blended it with his own yang and hard true qi, and said softly, “The biggest problem in true qi is that singular yang would not last. Same nature qi will repel each other, because it will surge against each other, scattering the qi of the arteries and veins all over the body. Therefore, as long as we can lead the true qi back into one, we can solve the problem.”
And then, putting his mouth behind Wanwan’s jade-like sparkling and translucent small ear, he said, “Isn’t this precisely what you planned all along? Right now I have a 90% confidence that you are that Dajie [big sister] from Yin Gui Pai, Xiaodi really admit defeat.”
Another flash of lightning streaked through the sky west of the village, painting the heaven and the earth deathly white, followed by deafening clap of thunder.
Those dozen or so riders stopped their horses, but nobody dismounted. It appeared that they were waiting for someone else.
Kou Zhong acted as if he was unaware of this bunch of people’s arrival; leaning forward, he said, “Do you want to make a his-mother’s bet? I bet you she is ‘Yin Hou’ [Empress Yin (soft/negative/feminine)] Zhu Yuyan’s disciple, or perhaps she is her.”
Smiling wryly, Xu Ziling asked, “What’s your confidence level?”
Kou Zhong sighed and said, “Only 80%, ten per-cents less than yours. Based on the heretical nature of Yin Gui Pai people, how could they be willing to put themselves in such a dangerous situation? But if she had some other kind of heretical skill, which would make her impervious of fire deviation, this would be a different matter altogether. Ay! Just let me make my move; someone has to do it anyway.”
Xu Ziling shook his head resolutely, “We have no right to gamble with somebody else’s life,” he said, “In fact, this is a fair decisive battle, she is using her real skill to deal with us.”
Frowning, Kou Zhong said, “But if she really is a female demon from Yin Gui Pai, and we are helping her treating her injury, wouldn’t she be able to see through [orig. mountain has a connecting pulse throughout like a dragon (idiom from fengshui)] our unique qigong? What other secret can we talk about then? Supposing because of this her internal strength enjoyed tremendous progress and she defeated Shi Feixuan, we would have committed a grave offense.”
More hoof beats were heard from the other end of the village. Surprisingly it was a single rider, riding his horse slowly under the heavy rain toward the dozen or so riders that have arrived earlier.
There was a series of ringing noise as sabers and swords left their sheaths.
It was obvious that the newcomer was not a friend of the dozen or so riders.
Xu Ziling did not pay any attention of what was happening outside, he constantly gathered the true qi sent by Kou Zhong into the qi reservoir in his dantian [pubic region, about 2 inches below the navel where one’s qi resides], consciously and without exercising any restrain letting the qi automatically became a vortex of true qi, so that the qi would not be wasted.
With a faint smile full of confidence he said, “Even if she really is a female demon, despicably exploiting our chivalrous intention, we still have to deal with her righteously to the end.”
And then he called out in low voice, “Are you ready?”
Kou Zhong thought Xu Ziling was talking about regulating the meandering qi that created havoc inside Wanwan’s meridians. Looking at the continuously shuddering Wanwan, without much choice he replied, “As ready as I can be!”
By the time Xu Ziling, beyond Kou Zhong’s expectation, raised the vortex of qi from his dantian and flowed it upstream along his channels and burst into the hollow of Kou Zhong’s right palm, somebody was shouting outside, “Passionate Prince, you are indeed gutsy and wise; knowing perfectly well that you are delivering your life yet still dare to come to keep our appointment. We, Qing Jiang Pai [Clear River (in Hubei) Sect] are full of admiration.”
It was only then did Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong realize that the newcomer was the ‘Passionate Prince’ Hou Xibai, whose fame was rising recently, but this moment was a critical juncture where they were transmitting their internal strength and applying their power; the slightest carelessness would result in catastrophic fire deviation. Therefore, they did not dare to split their concentration to care what was going on outside.
Kou Zhong let the vortex of qi to enter the Yin Shu Channel at the center of his right palm, and then circled up toward the Yang Shu Channel on his middle finger, along the right elbow toward the Jiang Gong, over the Zhong Lou, passing through these channels and burst into his dantian. And then it flowed toward the Yang Jiao Channel on the outside of his right leg, over his toes and finally stopped at the Yong Quan acupoint in the center of his foot.
He felt his whole body was warm and cozy, and unspeakably comfortable.
This time he understood Xu Ziling’s intention and strategy.
Actually, although there were thousands of schools and tens of thousands of systems in the world, each with its own unique physical characteristic, inevitably there would be the universal law of ‘many superficial changes but no departure from the original stand’.
Qigong method was no exception. There will always be natural phenomenon of the strong overcomes the weak, opposite polarities attract.
In playing this game, Xu Ziling’s strategy was to let the two person’s yin and yang, two different true qi characteristics to combine naturally first, resulting in an automatically swirling entity. Due to the common and unusual origin of the two boys’ true qi, after the integration, practically the result was self-sufficient, capable of repelling any true qi from the outside which characteristic was different from theirs, while also able to absorb any true qi similar to their own.
Therefore, as long as they were able to inject their vortex of qi into Wanwan’s qi channels, they could immediately absorb back the scattering, wandering, disarrayed true qi like sea sponges absorbing water, while also link up Wanwan’s meridians by relying on the same favorable method.
Supposing Wanwan was really a female demon, or perhaps Zhu Yuyan herself, due to the different internal energy cultivation method, not only it would be hard for her to restrain or gather this swirling qi, she would not have the ability to decipher the source of the qi either.
The reason Xu Ziling was sending the vortex of qi back into Kou Zhong’s body first was that, on one hand, he wanted to increase the swirling power, on the other hand, more important reason was he suddenly thought that this technique would bring great benefits to both of them, to cause their qi channels to flow all around, to link up the energy channels in their entire body, to harmonize their qi.
Furthermore, yin and yang complemented each other, it could reach the Taoist school’s top theory ‘fire flares out of the water, flower blooms in the snow’, the so-called ‘Leisurely coming and going the Temple of Heaven’s Moon Cave, it’s spring time in all thirty six palaces’ realms.
Although any ordinary martial art master of internal school would be able to steer the qi through the channels, a brilliant master would be able to process yin and yang in parallel, but never in the form of vortex of qi.
Only by learning it from the ‘Secret to Long Life’, and by training it separately, would the two boys be able to produce such phenomenon. However, were it not for the special case because they wanted to help this woman treating her injury, where the true qi was rapidly draining away, the two boys would not have this kind of opportunity.
According to physical law, vortices carry stronger and more condense forces compared to straight flow.
After understanding Xu Ziling’s intention, Kou Zhong immediately grasped this one in a thousand golden opportunity. Letting the vortex of qi circled around his body, he absorbed the true qi filling up his channels while continuously strengthening it.
Outside, the hoofbeats grew quiet; apparently Hou Xibai reined his horse to stop.
Thunderstorm continued, the flashing of lightning and the rumbling of thunder intermingled with the sound of horses neighing.
Every time the lightning lit up the murky dark house, Wanwan’s cloud-like beautiful hair seemed to shine; it was mysterious and surreal.
When the vortex of qi was flowing from the Yin Qiao channel inside the right leg back to Jiang Gong, and then down the Yong Quan acupoint in the middle of the left foot, a clear and melodious male voice outside spoke indifferently, “Cut the crap! Where is Chen Buyun?”
A man’s voice replied, “Your Shaoye is here. Hou Xibai, you killed two of my sworn brothers, today a debt of blood must be paid in blood.”
Hou Xibai threw his head back and roared in laughter, which even the thunder and the rain calling each other were not able to drown it.
The laughter suddenly ceased.
Calmly, Hou Xibai said, “You want others to pay your blood debt, but others’ innocent and honorable daughter, who will return it to them? Killing your two depraved thief brothers was just fulfilling the way of the heaven. And now it is your turn. Whoever dares to stop me, that person will die.”
The hoof beats rumbled, indicating both sides were charging toward each other.
Chapter 2, Part 2
By this time the vortex of qi has just passed the Tian Ling acupoint at the top of the head, and down the twelve layers of Tian Chi acupoint above the jaw, down the Ren Channel, up the Du Channel, again to the left Yang Shu Channel toward the hollow of the left palm, and circled back into Xu Ziling’s body.
Xu Ziling felt Kou Zhong’s meridians were empty and fluttering, a condition resembling when he sent his true qi into Wanwan’s system. His heart was moved; he had a faint feeling that Wanwan was really a female demon who was using this secret method, but this moment he did not have time to ponder this matter over, he could only proceed following the rule, sending the enhanced – don’t know how many times - vortex of qi toward the Tian Ling acupoint first, and then sent it down tp Yong Quan acupoint; precisely the opposite of the sequence Kou Zhong used in transporting the qi.
It was indeed an opportunity that was difficult to encounter throughout all ages.
First of all, finding two persons with internal qi of common origin yet dissimilar was harder than ascending the heaven. Moreover, even if two such persons could be found, for a variety of complex factors, such as the preconceived idea of cultivation method, or the problem of trust, they would never lay down everything in such a creative joint-research to develop such a strange but marvelous way of energy cultivation method.
Although previously the two boys have exploited the characteristic of these two different internal qi of common origin to enhance their own or even heal each other injuries, they had never tested this technique thoroughly, and had never converted their entire true qi into a natural vortex of qi, without leaving the least bit of true qi in their individual system, i.e. without harboring any unfathomable motive toward the other. Plus there was no way to speculate the origin of their cultivation method back to the ‘Secret of Long Life’ from the way their qi flow through the arteries and veins.
From the outside, the sound of the clashing weapons fell incessantly on their ears, the sound of miserable scream and cry of pain also unceasing.
Obviously the injured party could not be Hou Xibai, otherwise, he would have beaten the gong to recall the troops early on.
The scattering uncontrollably true qi inside Wanwan’s body was growing wilder, at any time her meridians could break and her life would be gone.
Barely inaudible sound of feet touching the roof overhead was suddenly heard. The two boys jumped in fright that they nearly suffered fire deviation.
Xu Ziling struggled hard to put his shaken mind under control, because if anyone sneaked into the house at this time, taking their little lives would be as easy as turning his hand over.
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The vortex of qi penetrated the hollow of the palm, it went against Wanwan’s Du channel.
The two boys simultaneously broke off their breathing from the mouth and nose, and controlled their inner qi to breathe instead. With only the Ling Tai, one spot remained clear and bright, they silently controlled the flow of the vortex of qi inside Wanwan’s body.
As expected, the vortex of qi flowed unimpeded, completely absorbing the wildly scattered true qi creating havoc, so that everything was back to the right track.
Outside, the sound of violent battle suddenly fell silent.
Hou Xibai’s voice was heard, “Which side’s expert is gracing us with your presence? Why not show up?”
A tender laughter came from the roof tile right above the three people’s head, followed by silver-bell-like alluring female voice, “Hou Xibai is indeed not an ordinary man. The crooked Qingjiang Pai, who consider themselves to be big Sect in Jiangnan, unexpectedly not a single one of them is able to withstand the power of Hou Xiong’s one folding fan. It is really ridiculous.”
Hou Xibai laughed and said, “Just by listening Miss’ voice, I know that you are a woman with natural beauty. I was just wondering, Miss did not spare the effort to follow Zaixia’s trail for a thousand li, what is your purpose?”
Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong had just circulated the vortex of qi through the channels in Wanwan’s entire body. This peerless beauty was also calming down. If they withdrew the vortex of qi immediately, Wanwan’s condition might return to its previous state.
Fortunately the two boys were extremely daring, they were unwilling to let go just like this, thereupon they continued to transmit the vortex of qi into the most important, the life and death orifice in Wanwan’s body, which was still closed firmly.
When Fu Junchuo was explaining the ‘Great Method of Nine Mysteries’ to them the other day, she told them about the most important secret in training it. Therefore, when they practiced the ‘Secret to Long Life’, involuntarily they combined the training method of the ‘Great Method of Nine Mysteries’ with the ‘Secret to Long Life’, so that the originally pure secret spiritual cultivation method has been merged together with martial art.
According to Fu Junchuo’s explanation, although the channels and the acupoints are one integral entity, the usage was different. Channels are like the road between acupoint to acupoint, while the acupoint positions are like the place to lodge for the night. Every point where the channels confluence is called the gateway, which was the important building blocks that link up the channels. If the gateway is blocked, it will be like the road closure, the person will then fall sick.
Ordinary folks have regular qi channels where blood and qi flow. But true qi requires painstaking cultivation for it to develop. If the practitioner cannot get the qi to start, then his cultivation effort will be in vain.
The qi development point becomes the orifice. Therefore, as long as a martial art master of internal school is able to examine the opposite side’s channels and acupoints, he would know the depth of the opponent’s maturity. Whether it was ordinary acupoint or qi orifice, it could not be concealed from the knowledgeable.
Previously, Wanwan’s internal system was empty and fluttering. Forget about any qi development or closed orifice, even ordinary people’s qi channels were deficient. Hence the reason they had no idea where to start, and the case became inscrutable.
From the numerous orifices, there was one which was the most important, the life and death orifice. Supposing Wanwan wanted to find a place to collect the true qi, it would have to be in this mysterious, abstruse place.
Within the human body, there are two crucial progenitor orifices, connecting the internal brain and womb, which shaped the human’s real nature. If this place were injured, serious case would result in death, less severe case would result in mental capacity suffering some damage. But they are still not the place where once could store or collect true qi. Rash action would lead to headaches. Progenitor orifices are the Ren and Du channels’ most important junctures; if concentrated qi manage to enter the progenitor orifices, two channels Ren and Du would circle endlessly.
But the place where one could really condense the true qi is dantian at the lower abdomen; it is like the supply station of the true qi for the entire body.
Ordinary people’s qi meridian is like food that they consume, the stomach wall will ingest and turn it into nutrients.
But internal energy cultivation would turn power-reproducing qi essence into refined, as well as true, qi, which, at the end, would turn into power. This was called ‘perfecting essence transforming qi, perfecting qi transforming spirit’.
As for the biggest difference between ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’, the innate [nature] can absorb the heaven and earth’s energy, but the nurtured will have to stop at the qi essence in itself; therefore, there is distinct difference between the two, which is beyond logical calculation.
As the sea of qi, dantian is subdivided into four layers of heavens.
The topmost layer is Huang Ting [lit. yellow main hall], followed by Jin Lu [lit. golden stove/furnace], Jin Xue [lit. advance/increase acupoint], and the bottommost layer leads directly to Guan Yuan [primary pass] of testicles or uterus.
The one life and death orifice pointing to was precisely the Jin Xue. Among those that the qi moves, one becomes life and death orifice, or just plain Jin Xue.
If the progenitor orifice is the Heaven, then life and death orifice is the Earth. The top concerns character, the bottom concerns life. Character and Life must both be cultivated. Just like rudder and oar, one cannot work without the other.
The so-called ‘under the heaven above the ground progenitor orifice is safe and secure, the sun on the west the moon on the east amassing Jin Xue’ is talking about their relation, which is as close as lips and teeth.
The most formidable aspect of what Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong were doing was assembling the vortex of qi from two boys’ entire strength, and injecting it into Wanwan’s Jin Xue.
Supposing Wanwan practiced fraud, the true qi she received by unfathomably secret means would gather in the depths of her Jin Xue; in which case the invading vortex of qi would definitely stimulate her own true qi to react. If that happened, she would then expose the fox’s tail [idiom, meaning ‘revealing one’s evil nature’].
If she were really innocent, the vortex of qi would trigger her meridian qi, and thus stimulate her to regain her consciousness.
By lucky coincidence, the two boys were finally able to find the best method to test whether she was real or fraud.
Just like Xu Ziling had said, in this battle they were breaking a new path.
While they were at the most intense juncture, Hou Xibai on the outside was leisurely calm; completely unaffected by the thunderstorm, he continued, “Miss’ qinggong is superior, something that Zaixia barely see in all my life. Therefore, each time Zaixia want to see Miss, I always ended up unfortunate and never see your face. However, tonight in this abandoned village, under particular circumstances, if Zaixia want to see Miss’ beautiful face, I am afraid I won’t have the opportunity.”
By this time, the vortex of qi had entered Wanwan’s dantian, and arrived at the first layer Huang Ting; they have not found anything unusual.
Although Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling could not split their attention, they still could not help to be baffled.
If this woman’s qinggong was as superior as Hou Xibai said, why were they able to detect the tiny bit of noise she made as her feet were touching the roof tiles?
The woman responded, “Magnificent real man ought not force others, right? Just now I deliberately made some noise, precisely to let you know that I have arrived. I was seriously considering whether I should show myself to you, but turns out you are this overbearing.”
Kou Zhong, two people shivered in fear; they could not help having a whole new level of respect for Hou Xibai. Just now they could barely hear the sound of footsteps from inside the house, but Hou Xibai was fighting a life and death bloody battle with the enemy, not to mention thunderstorm occurred at the same time, the distance was several folds farther than where they were, yet it did not escape his ears. Just from this fact, it could be inferred that Hou Xibai was superior to them.
The vortex of qi was flowing down slowly, entering the second layer, Jin Lu.
Hou Xibai spoke indifferently, “If Miss really have the intention to see Zaixia, Zaixia will be extremely delighted. Is it possible for you to grant me to know your fragrant name first? That way I will be able to address you a little bit more intimately.”
This man spoke elegantly, his intonation gentle and soft, his manner cool and easygoing; no wonder he was able to make beautiful women all over the world admiring him whole-heartedly.
Apparently the woman was delighted to be coaxed by him; she said cheerfully, “I will only say it once; you ought not be negligent and forget it.”
With an incomparably sincere and touching tone Hou Xibai said, “Hou Xibai is listening with respectful attention. In the future I will not dare to forget, Miss please set your heart at ease.”
Hearing this, Kou Zhong sighed ruefully in his heart.
Upon self-introspection, he knew that he lacked Hou Xibai’s suave and convincing manner of speech. No wonder even Shi Feixuan regarded him highly, and let him accompanying her touring the Three Gorges.
On the other hand, Xu Ziling was thinking: if this person’s natural disposition was really like that, then nobody could say anything; otherwise, he was just a despicable, evil person.
The woman’s fragrant heart seemed to be impressed; she said, “My name is Dugu Feng [phoenix]. Huh? How come your countenance look so strange? You must be familiar with my background.”
Hou Xibai sighed and said, “Miss Dugu indeed has well-deserved reputation; just by looking at the change in my eyes you are able to deduce what I feel inside. You are worthy to be called the direct descendant of two families of the pinnacle of knowledge.”
Dugu Feng’s tone suddenly became very calm, as if she suddenly changed into a different person. “This is rather strange,” she said slowly, “I wonder where did Hou Xiong obtain the inside information about me?”
Hou Xibai replied apologetically, “Please forgive Zaixia for not able to disclose it. Ol’ Hou also knew that not only Miss Dugu had surpassed ‘Dugu Twin Heroes’, Dugu Sheng and Dugu Ba, two Seniors, early on, even your honorable uncle Dugu Shang has also stepped down gracefully. Your competence is approaching You Chuhong; no wonder Zaixia wanted to escape Miss’ tracking but it was so difficult to accomplish.”
And then his tone turned cold as he went on, “Previously the Ol’ Hou was thinking that Miss was a crafty and unruly woman who came because you admire Zaixia’s passionate reputation, but now of course I know this way of thinking is gravely mistaken. May I ask Miss Dugu, what noble errand brings you here that unexpectedly you determined to pay such attention to me, Hou Xibai?”
“Please forgive me for not able to disclose it,” Dugu Feng responded, “All right! I have to go!”
This moment the vortex of qi finally flowed from Jin Lu into the crucial point life and death Jin Xue.; suddenly an unexpected development occurred.
The vortex of qi did not stop, it continued slipping down and flooded the sea of qi, dantian’s lowest layer Guan Yuan, with a potential of leaking and scattering outside the body.
The two boys were immediately spooked out of their minds.
If this really happened, it would be like their many years of painstaking work in cultivating the inner power automatically melt away completely; to return to their original level would require untold time and effort.
No longer listening to the two people’s dialog outside, they focused their mind and spirit in determination to pull the vortex of qi back.
Responding to their determination, the vortex of qi rushed back in the form of rapidly swirling column of qi, in reverse of Wanwan’s Du channel direction; like a sharp arrow it pierced the Yin Shu channel on the hollow of Xu Ziling’s palm.
Split second later, the pillar of qi grew until it spread onto the meridians in two boys’ entire body.
Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong’s brains were severely shaken with a loud bang; they were both thrown backward and crashed onto the wall, and then slowly slipped down along the wall and crumpled on the ground, with blood seeping out of their eyes, ears, mouth and nose, and their breathing cut off.
Losing Xu Ziling’s support, Wanwan, who was still fast asleep, did not fall down.
Like a specter she slowly floated in the air and stood up gracefully in the middle of the room.
Her eyelids opened slowly, revealing a pair of absolutely worthy of her beautiful face, jet-black and shiny, capable of evoking the most beautiful dream ever, eyeballs.
Wanwan slowly turned her tender body around, her gaze was fixed on Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong, who were crumpled on the floor and unable to rise, and sighed softly.
When it appeared that she was about to move toward the two boys, the main door opened, someone burst in, carrying with him the wind and the rain.