Chapter 22: Ambition Cannot Travel a Thousand Miles, Yet Unwilling to be Lonely

Chu Tianshu slept until late afternoon before yawning and sitting in the restaurant's main hall to eat.

Because he had been at the Mayor's house yesterday noon, the chicken and duck originally prepared for him at the restaurant had been left over. Cold-cut, they had a unique flavor, and a pot of hot water was enough to whet one's appetite.

But he had only practiced martial arts in the morning yesterday, so he wasn't particularly hungry. He ate slowly, observing the street scene, his mouth, brain, and eyes not focused on the same thing.

His mouth was chewing slowly, his eyes were staring blankly, and his brain was thinking about the dream.

"It feels like I'm more adept at exercising with them in my dreams, but when will I be able to really clear the level once?"

There were fewer people on the street than usual; presumably, many were still resting at home. Even those who were forcing themselves to come out to set up stalls were tired because they hadn't slept much.

But when they talked about last night's play, a kind of excited glow appeared on their tired faces again.

Chu Tianshu came back to his senses, his gaze crossing diagonally out of the front door. Seeing them gesturing and discussing, he remembered last night and couldn't help but feel the same.

It was like watching a fist manual with background music; it was easier for people to find it fascinating.

Even those who didn't know much about appreciating music couldn't help but remember a line or two of the singing when they suddenly found it matched the rhythm of the "fist manual," and they wanted to hum along.

"Still thinking about yesterday's play?"

Shopkeeper Ma sat opposite him, pouring himself half a bowl of hot water, his face still sleepy from just waking up.

He blew on the water, letting the steam rise from the bowl and hit his face, seemingly finding it comfortable, and said slowly.

"The Song Dynasty's 'Dongjing Meng Hua Lu' records that since the Qixi Festival, the Mulian Saving His Mother variety play would be performed until the 15th, and the number of viewers would double. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, I heard that the royal family also loved watching such grand plays, which were performed for seven consecutive days, with large troupes working in shifts."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that kind of luck and can't listen to seven consecutive days of exquisite singing. Being able to listen for a whole night yesterday and hearing a second round on the seventh day is not bad."

Chu Tianshu smiled and said: "If it were performed every night for seven days, I wouldn't be happy with such a day-night reversal routine."

Shopkeeper Ma teased: "Old men need maintenance, but you, a young man with such exquisite martial arts, are also so cautious?"

"Exquisite, you say..."

Chu Tianshu remembered yesterday's events and asked, "Did that Adjutant Zhou really walk through a path and truly reach the realm of the 'Dragon Entwining the Body'?"

Shopkeeper Ma hesitated: "Looking at the momentum of the two of you, he was still able to handle it with ease. Nine times out of ten, he has already achieved the 'Dragon Entwining the Body'. However, this person likely has ulterior motives; you should still be on guard."

"I also feel something is wrong with him."

Chu Tianshu's eyes brightened, "But looking at his attitude, since he has secret intentions, if I purely look for him to spar, he should still be able to tolerate it."

Shopkeeper Ma was surprised: "You want to look for him to spar?"

Chu Tianshu smiled and said: "Yes, I feel that I am only a small step away from the 'Dragon Entwining the Body'."

"With him ready-made there, sparring with him a few more times will surely be of great benefit."

Shopkeeper Ma's expression was subtle, and he took a sip of hot water: "With such a person, since you don't want to be easily recruited by him, it's better to provoke him less. If you want to spar, you can look for Old Zhong."

Chu Tianshu laughed: "Looking at Master Zhong's build, he doesn't primarily walk the path of the 'Dragon Entwining the Body', right? The paths are different, so sparring at this stage is definitely not as suitable."

Zhong Jinqiu happened to arrive at this moment, stepping over the threshold.

"If you want to spar, you can."

Zhong Jinqiu was holding a jar, "Soon, you will also have a path similar to mine."

Shopkeeper Ma stood up, his expression somewhat excited: "It's here."

Zhong Jinqiu patted the jar: "It's inside here."

"Good, good."

There was no one else in the main hall, but Shopkeeper Ma still stood up to close the restaurant door and said in a low voice, "Little Chu, come with us."

He picked up the pot of hot water and turned to walk into the courtyard.

Chu Tianshu was suspicious of their unusual behavior, but after thinking about it, he followed.

Shopkeeper Ma entered the side warehouse, which was filled with many boxes, steamers, iron pots, and sundries.

He fumbled in the corner for a moment, then lifted a large, thick wooden board, revealing the cellar below.

The two old men went down the stairs. Chu Tianshu peeked twice and found that it should be a place for storing wine.

There were tables and barrels, and many wine jars sealed with red cloth and mud were piled against the four walls.

Only after going down did he find that the air in the cellar was quite fresh. After removing a few wooden pieces from the wall, there was a light source from somewhere unknown.

"This place connects to the wall of the warehouse above, leading straight to the roof. There is both ventilation and a hollow channel for placing lenses. The light refracted repeatedly by several lenses is enough to brighten the wine cellar."

Shopkeeper Ma explained, reached out and pulled a ring on the wall, and the wooden board above his head was closed.

Zhong Jinqiu placed the jar on the table, uncovered it, and took a pair of bamboo chopsticks to stir it.

Chu Tianshu could see it now; it was jarred meat.

Large chunks of pork were deep-fried in oil, and after the fat was rendered out, they were placed in a jar and filled with hot oil.

Once the oil solidified, it was as white as jade, and the meat could be stored inside for a long time. When you wanted to eat it, you would dig out a piece. There were many ways to cook it, and the aroma was enticing.

But Zhong Jinqiu dug out an oil-paper package from inside, threw it into the pot of hot water, waited for the lard on the surface to melt, then picked it out with chopsticks and placed it on the table.

The bamboo chopsticks were like sharp blades in his hands. With one stroke, all four or five layers of oil paper were broken, revealing what was inside.

It was a piece of yellow jade the size of a baby's fist.

Chu Tianshu asked curiously: "What is this?"

Zhong Jinqiu was concise: "Spirit Yang Gall."

Chu Tianshu remembered a treasure recorded in medical books.

A hundred-year-old wild bear, shedding its skin and regenerating, with fur as white as snow, facing the wind and sun; its gall is the gathering place of all the yang energy in its body, known as the "Spirit Yang."

This piece of yellow jade in front of him matched the medical records from name to appearance, and perhaps the effect was the same.

Chu Tianshu was moved and asked: "Is this the kind of Spirit Yang Gall that can keep an old practitioner alive and allow them to pass away peacefully?"

As long as one has not transcended the mundane, whether practicing spirit communication or martial arts, there is a major hidden danger when approaching the end of one's life.

In the old days, some called this "dissipating power." The process could last from seven days to a month, with either chaotic mental energy or the body expanding and contracting, which was very painful.

It is said that this is because practitioners are more likely to touch the essence of life, and when they are young and in an enlightened state, they interfere with life essence too frequently. When they get old and are about to die, they cannot maintain that level of control, and problems arise.

For this reason, some practice schools even specifically developed methods to sense their own lifespan.

Two or three months in advance, sensing they were about to die, they would automatically reduce their cultivation, cutting themselves down to a level where it wouldn't trigger, thus avoiding the pain of power dissipation.

Chu Tianshu's grandfather used this method back then, giving himself a set of acupuncture treatments in advance.

But to personally cut away most of one's life's cultivation, even if physical pain was avoided, it was hard to avoid a heavy sorrow in one's state of mind, carrying an indelible sickly look.

But if one had the Spirit Yang Gall and swallowed it, it is said one could live for several more months, and even when dying, one wouldn't have to dissipate power.

"That is the Spirit Yang Gall."

Shopkeeper Ma sighed with emotion, "Back then, there was a village where children were often carried away by bears. We were passing through and staying there, and filled with righteous indignation, we tracked it into the deep mountains and killed a bear. Who knew it was the descendant of a hundred-year-old bear."

"After killing the small one, the old one came. It was a bitter battle, but we finally killed the opponent and obtained this exotic treasure."

Zhong Jinqiu said: "For so many years, only the two of us knew this secret. Even my wife and children... my wife didn't practice, and my son was useless and couldn't use this, so I didn't mention it to him."

When he said this, there was a melancholy on his face, and a flash of old anger mixed with the sorrow.

Shopkeeper Ma hurriedly changed the subject and said: "Little Chu, although you are a divine physician, you seem not to know another use for this Spirit Yang Gall?"

"Besides being taken by those frail old people, for a fist master pursuing 'Food as Immortal', this is an even greater tonic."

Shopkeeper Ma stroked his short beard, somewhat proudly, "You said you were walking the path of the 'Dragon Entwining the Body', but you couldn't hide it from me."

"Looking at your appetite, you must have practiced two kinds of fist techniques, and the other set is the path of 'Food as Immortal'!"

"Young people are greedy and can't chew well. Now your attainments in 'Food as Immortal' are far behind the 'Dragon Entwining the Body', right?"

Although the process wasn't quite right, the conclusion was correct.

The "Gluttonous Through-the-Back" only practiced the intestines and stomach, but in terms of muscles, it practiced all four limbs. After the second deduction and optimization, and after the fist manual added a stance training specifically for tendons, the tempering and development of the internal organs were even further behind.

Chu Tianshu had already seen something, but wasn't quite sure: "Do the two of you... want to give the Spirit Yang Gall to me?"

"Is it very strange?"

Shopkeeper Ma said, "In this world, who can guarantee they will live until the end of their life? If this thing continues to be kept, who knows when it will be buried and wasted in vain."

"At the very least, it was something we fought tooth and nail to get; how can it just return to the dust like that?"

"And you are young, have spirit, courage, and potential, and have fought side-by-side with me, so you are worthy of this treasure."

Zhong Jinqiu crossed his arms and said: "I don't care. There aren't many things in this world that I care about. If Old Ma is willing to give this to you, I am willing to help him."

Shopkeeper Ma laughed again: "Let me tell you the truth. Watching you, kid, cultivate both arts and martial arts, advancing by leaps and bounds, and having a not-so-bad heart."

"It feels like the way we wanted to be when we were young, sent by Heaven to the eyes of the old me."

"So, if you can become stronger, then become even stronger, even stronger!"

Chu Tianshu suddenly felt what was in Shopkeeper Ma's eyes.

It didn't look like an unselfish gift, nor even like the care of an elder for a junior.

It was just... unwilling to be lonely!

The traces of many people's lives are just dust of the era. Coming from an increasingly chaotic era, the more they feel as if they haven't left anything behind in their lives.

An old steed in the stable, its spirit already waning, ambition cannot travel a thousand miles, but still, unwilling.

In the last few days of his grandfather's life, he also had such a look, but he couldn't say words like Shopkeeper Ma's.

What could he say to a child trapped in nightmares since childhood?

If he saw Chu Tianshu now, he probably wouldn't need so much care, so much gentleness, but would only give a heavy push.

Go, take more things, walk with big strides, even if you crash into the muddy waves, you can still splash a bigger spray!

Chu Tianshu was silent for a while.

"Unwilling to be lonely is not the patent of the elderly."

He laughed, "Thank you, I will not let down this gall you gave me!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 23 =====