Chapter 165

One Hundred Seventy-Two: Ouyang Lianghan, Leaking Righteousness

"This should be the only possible explanation."

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes to straighten his sleeves as he spoke.

A flash of the wine Liu Ziwen had toasted him with before he left at the ribbon-cutting luncheon crossed his mind.

Some things can only be discovered in their subtle mysteries when one looks back and reviews the details.

Xie Lingjiang stared blankly at Ouyang Rong for a while.

She took a deep breath.

She stood up, her red-clad figure pacing back and forth in the main hall.

"The 'Bi Yi Niao' is a rare overseas bird divided into male and female, appearing on some islands in the East Sea. This poison is made from the bright feathers of their tails. The male bird's tail feathers are red, and the female's are green, corresponding to two bottles of poison, one yin and one yang..."

Xie Lingjiang, who had been sending letters everywhere these days, asking Confucian seniors and peers from the Five Surnames and Seven Clans about the Bi Yi Niao, frowned slightly and pondered:

"I heard the antidote is made from the bird's inner core, which fits the pharmacological principle that antidotes and poisons are often found together."

"And whether it's a mortal body or a strange monster, the inner core that grows within the body is the hub for storing spiritual energy, and it inherently has the characteristic of being extremely difficult to metabolize..."

Ouyang Rong interrupted:

"Inner core? Strange monsters? Is there really such a thing as cultivating demons in this world?"

Xie Lingjiang said casually:

"The 'Book of Rites' says that within the universe there are five types of insects: the naked, the scaled, the hairy, the feathered, and the shelled. Mortals are merely the leaders of the naked insects; other strange beings naturally exist."

"Moreover, the Qi-refining techniques of the mythological Daoist lineage are not exclusive to human Qi-refiners. There are also mythological creatures in the world. Although such beings have been extremely rare since the Pre-Qin era and have almost no traces left in the world—making them hard for ordinary mortals to see—there should be more remaining overseas compared to the land of the Divine Continent."

"Additionally, strange monsters are not the terrifying great demons from marketplace storybooks that can slaughter cities and block out the sun; it's not that bizarre or evil... so we shouldn't be afraid of them; in fact, they should be afraid of us."

Ouyang Rong asked curiously:

"Just like what Xiao Shimei said before, in the ancient Pre-Qin era, the southern lands of Wu Yue had many dragons, but they were all killed by the sword of that first 'Yue Maiden,' right?"

Xie Lingjiang nodded: "The Yue Maiden slaying dragons is a very deep and ancient myth passed down in this land of Wu Yue beneath our feet, echoing this Pre-Qin historical fact in the Qi-refiner classics."

Ouyang Rong listened with great interest. Xie Lingjiang paused and suddenly turned back:

"Since the antidote is made from the Bi Yi Niao's inner core, it is very likely still remaining in Ru Shixiong's body and hasn't been exhausted, but..."

She looked at Ouyang Rong, hesitating to speak.

"But what?" Ouyang Rong asked, then fell into deep thought and nodded: "If the antidote is still in my body, it means I am still immune to this poison. Wouldn't trying it out prove it?"

As he spoke, he calmly reached out to grab the two small porcelain bottles by the teacup on the table.

"Ru Shixiong, don't!"

Xie Lingjiang's little face turned anxious, her almond eyes widened, and she flashed to Ouyang Rong's side, her two jade hands tightly gripping his extended right wrist.

"It's too dangerous, you... you are not allowed to do anything stupid!"

"Uh, I was just joking." Ouyang Rong's expression was sheepish; he hadn't expected such a strong reaction from his junior sister, and thought to himself that it was a sin.

"Jokes are not allowed either."

Xie Lingjiang silently released Ouyang Rong's hand and took a step back. The expression on her pretty face seemed to show a small sigh of relief. Then, staring into her senior brother's eyes, she said word for word:

"This kind of joke is not allowed, ever again."

Ouyang Rong felt helpless. Under the supervision of his junior sister's death stare, he nodded honestly and gave his assurance.

Xie Lingjiang wrinkled her delicate nose slightly and warned him tirelessly:

"You are not a Qi-refiner. If the antidote is ineffective and you are poisoned on the spot, it might be even more serious than the Jade Chalice Immortal."

"Cough, I know."

Wait, isn't he the senior brother? Is his junior sister overstepping her bounds... Ouyang Rong muttered to himself.

"Actually, come to think of it, it's just that Ru Shixiong doesn't practice Qi-refining. If Ru Shixiong were a Qi-refiner, there would be a hundred ways to verify if the Bi Yi Niao's inner core antidote is still in your body..."

Xie Lingjiang showed a thoughtful expression, pondered for a while, and sighed.

Ouyang Rong heard this, rubbed his chin, and said:

"Is it necessary to start practicing Qi-refining early? Is it too late after a certain age? Am I like that?"

Actually, he should have asked this question long ago, but he had been busy with disaster relief and water control to accumulate merit, so he hadn't paid much attention to spiritual energy cultivation.

Before, he had only thought of it as the kind of martial arts path seen in wuxia stories, requiring hard work and grueling training, not something that could be achieved overnight. Not only did he lack the time, but he also felt he couldn't endure that kind of hardship.

Now, however, he had developed some interest.

Xie Lingjiang shook her head:

"Not entirely. Among Qi-refiners throughout history, there have been those who started late but accumulated strength and achieved success later in life."

"It mainly depends on innate constitution. This point, like talent, does not look at status, wealth, or bloodline; it relies purely on heaven's grace. Although Ru Shixiong is intelligent, wise, and loves to read, in terms of constitution..."

As Xie Lingjiang met Ouyang Rong's gaze, her words paused, and she turned to say tactfully:

"Actually, Ru Shixiong's constitution belongs to the normal range, just like most people in this world. It is perfectly normal."

Yeah, it's just like most people in the world—not suited for Qi-refining.

Xie Lingjiang muttered to herself.

Ouyang Rong's mouth twitched. He rolled up his sleeves and waved his slender, fair right hand:

"Xiao Shimei doesn't need to comfort me. Don't I know myself? Aunt Zhen said that since I was a child, I was a sickly medicine jar, bedridden... I only got better when I grew up. When I was at the White Deer Cave Academy, I did often practice morning exercises to strengthen my body at your father's suggestion."

He shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Xie Lingjiang's eyes showed a hint of unbearable pity. Her plain hand reached out subconsciously, as if wanting to grab the sleeve of the person in front of her, but she silently withdrew it halfway.

She whispered comfortingly: "Ru Shixiong, don't belittle yourself. You still have me..." She paused, "... us."

Ouyang Rong took it as comfort. In the quiet hall, undisturbed by anyone in the morning, she muttered and sighed for a while, then turned and asked curiously:

"But didn't I hear Xiao Shimei say before that I have some kind of 'Qi' on me, which you can see... What is the difference between this 'Qi' and the 'Qi' you Qi-refiners cultivate? Is there any technique to convert it into spiritual energy cultivation?"

Ouyang Rong paused, feeling that this kind of assumption was a bit whimsical, and shook his head:

"Is this question a bit too amateurish and naive?"

"No, it is perfectly normal for Ru Shixiong to have this doubt."

Xie Lingjiang also shook her head gently:

"Ru Shixiong is indeed full of 'Qi,' even the most 'Qi'-overbearing person among the young generation of the academy I have ever seen. It's just a pity that having formless Qi is not enough; one must have a suitable vessel to contain it, to refine it into tangible cultivation within the small universe of the human body. This is also the orthodox path of the Inner Core."

"The small universe of the human body is this vessel. It's just a pity that the vessels of most people in this world are leaking from all sides. Even if they have the most abundant innate Qi, they cannot contain it, let alone practice Qi-refining..."

Xie Lingjiang's voice grew lower and lower.

Ouyang Rong understood her meaning in a second. She was talking about him, or rather, most people in this world were like this:

There is no leak-proof vessel in the body; it leaks everywhere. No matter how much enters, it flows out. With expenditures exceeding income, how can one contain "spiritual energy cultivation"?

"Looking at it this way, 'leaking righteousness' really wasn't wrong. You muttered about it all day, and now it's happened. You crow's mouth, it's really leaking, wasting all this righteousness in vain..."

Ouyang Rong seemed to have thought of something and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Ru Shixiong, what 'leaking' are you talking about?" Xie Lingjiang asked curiously.

"No, nothing."

Ouyang Rong came back to his senses, shook his head, and then couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Xiao Shimei, does this 'leaking' have any connection to being a virgin?" Xie Lingjiang was stunned and shook her head, "No, it doesn't affect it."

After she finished speaking, Xie Lingjiang pursed her lips, stood up, and began to pace around the room again.

Seeing her pace for a while, Ouyang Rong faintly heard a self-muttering, low voice coming from the woman pacing with her head down:

"Actually, it's not that the path is completely blocked. A 'leaking' constitution can be repaired later into a 'Glazed Leak-proof Body.' It's just that such legendary divine medicines that defy the Dao only exist in myths."

"And even spiritual medicines or strange elixirs that can only partially repair a 'leaking' constitution are things that even gods would find hard to seek, held only in the secret vaults of those well-known hidden upper sects or Daoist families..."

Xie Lingjiang muttered, her voice very low, occasionally looking north out the door.

Ouyang Rong heard some of these words and warned her earnestly:

"I was just asking out of curiosity. Xiao Shimei, don't waste your energy. Let's get back to business. Do you have any ideas about this Bi Yi Niao poison?"

Xie Lingjiang withdrew her gaze from the flowing clouds on the eaves, looked at Ouyang Rong, who was worriedly warning her, and remained silent.

Ouyang Rong was about to ask again when Xie Lingjiang suddenly said:

"Ru Shixiong, I am preparing to go out for a trip to Mount Gezao to seek the antidote."

"Mount Gezao? The Jade Purity Sect?"

Ouyang Rong frowned. He knew a thing or two about the Daoist sects of the world. After all, Daoism could be considered the state religion, having a huge influence on the Great Zhou and the previous Great Qian, and he had heard his junior sister mention it a few times before.

The Daoist sects of the world are divided into North and South: North Louguan, South Three Purities.

The Louguan Daoist sect has the greatest power, with its ancestral temple, the Zongsheng Palace, located on Mount Zhongnan, which stretches across Guanzhong.

When the Great Qian was founded, the Louguan Daoist sect's priests had merit in supporting the dragon and maintained very close ties with the Li-Qian imperial family, which also led to Daoism being established as the state religion of the Great Qian.

Although the current Great Zhou ruler, the Empress Wei, promotes Buddhism and uses it to suppress Daoism, the Louguan Daoist sect is still considered the leader of the Daoist sects in the world, suppressing the southern Daoist sects.

The Three Purities Daoist sects in the south are relatively low-key and weaker, but this is only in comparison to the northern Louguan Daoist sect.

The Three Purities Daoist sects are the Taiqing Sect on Mount Longhu, the Shangqing Sect on Mount Mao, and the Yuqing Sect on Mount Gezao.

Although divided into three, they are collectively known as the Sanshan Talisman Lineage, or the Three Talisman Sects.

Because, unlike the northern Louguan's emphasis on Dao over technique, the southern Three Purities emphasize technique over Dao, and all are skilled in using talismans.

Xie Lingjiang said softly:

"That's right. I have to go to Mount Gezao. My father has some friendship with an old Jade Purity priest. I'll go see if I can beg for a spiritual elixir to detoxify the poison."

Ouyang Rong immediately asked: "Why not go to the closer Taiqing Sect on Mount Longhu? This Mount Gezao seems further away. Is there anything special about it?"

Xie Lingjiang nodded and explained:

"Taiqing, Shangqing, and Yuqing—these three talisman sects all belong to the Sanshan Blood-Dripping Lineage, but each has its own specialties."

"Sanshan Blood-Dripping Lineage?"

"Sanshan Blood-Dripping... Ru Shixiong can understand it as a blood-oath alliance between these three Daoist mountain heads. It means that when disciples of the Three Purities receive their registers and take Daoist names, they all use a common generation name, which can be considered as being one and the same in terms of Daoist lineage, originating from the same source."

"The Three Purities are led by the Taiqing Sect on Mount Longhu."

"The Taiqing Sect has the deepest foundation, the most Qi-refiners, is more skilled in Inner Core cultivation, and is more reclusive. It is one of the hidden upper sects, just like the Yunmeng Sword Marsh."

"The Shangqing Sect has the fewest priests, mostly single-lineage transmissions, does not accept strange disciples, is half-in-the-world and half-out-of-the-world. The disciples who walk in the world are chivalrous and skilled in spirit-invoking."

"The Yuqing Sect is the opposite; it is the lineage with the most priests among the Three Purities, accepts disciples widely, and naturally has fewer Qi-refiners, but is most deeply involved in the world and is the wealthiest."

"Because they are skilled in medical arts and Outer Core alchemy, Mount Gezao has flourishing incense, numerous palaces, and grand rituals. It is highly sought after by the families of officials, merchants, and the wealthy in the Jiang Nan Circuit, far beyond what the Pure Land Sect's Donglin Temple on Mount Dagu in Longcheng can compare to. Even the great clans of Guanzhong and the powerful in the two capitals often send people south to burn incense and seek elixirs."

"Seeking elixirs on Mount Gezao, then when will Xiao Shimei return?"

"Is Ru Shixiong... not used to Xiao Shimei leaving?"

Xie Lingjiang lowered her eyelids, not looking at him, staring intently at the half-cup of tea with a long-lasting sweet aftertaste on the small tea table beside her, and asked as if casually.

Ouyang Rong choked, but after thinking about it, he nodded earnestly and said:

"The road is long, I'm worried."

"Oh."

Xie Lingjiang's tone was flat, but she quickly picked up the teacup to cover the corners of her mouth that she couldn't stop from turning upward. She took several sips of tea before spitting out a calm remark with lips full of sweetness:

"Mount Gezao belongs to Yuanzhou in the Jiang Nan Circuit, so it's not too far. If I travel day and night... at the fastest, half a ten-day period; at the slowest, one ten-day period. Once I find the antidote, I will return immediately."

"Half a ten-day period, one ten-day period..."

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes slightly, muttered for a while, then raised his eyes, revealing an elegant smile on his face:

"That's fine, Xiao Shimei, have a safe trip."

"Ru Shixiong, please rest assured." Xie Lingjiang nodded.

"When are you leaving?" he asked again.

"Now. The sooner I go, the sooner I return."

Ouyang Rong sighed and nodded.

Xie Lingjiang stood up and reached out to him, saying unceremoniously: "To seek medicine, I still need to borrow something from Ru Shixiong?"

"What?" Ouyang Rong was stunned.

"Borrow Ru Shixiong's fresh blood..."

Half an hour later, outside the county hall, the figures of Liu Ashan and Yan Liulang, who had delivered the items, retreated and disappeared one after another.

At the table in the hall, Xie Lingjiang was putting a small porcelain bottle filled with some kind of thick red liquid into a wooden box. The wooden box was filled with ice packs, wrapping the small porcelain bottle.

Xie Lingjiang put away the blood-storage wooden box and looked at her senior brother, who was standing quietly with his finger wrapped in white cloth.

"Does Ru Shixiong have any other instructions?" she asked, turning her head away.

Ouyang Rong shook his head.

"Then I'm leaving." Xie Lingjiang nodded, turned, and walked toward the door.

Ouyang Rong suddenly said: "Wait."

Xie Lingjiang stopped almost instantly.

"Just like Father, really nagging."

She said with her back to Ouyang Rong, her tone seeming a bit dissatisfied.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head, untied a long sword from his waist, walked up, and tied it to Xie Lingjiang.

"This is..." Xie Lingjiang lowered her head.

It was that moonlight long sword.

"Actually, I'm not a sword cultivator, I might not be able to use it."

"You take it."

Xie Lingjiang looked at her senior brother with slight curiosity. Seeing his stubborn expression, she had no choice but to accept it.

"I'm really leaving."

The young lady, wearing the sword, walked away with her back turned, waving her hand as if impatient.

"Mm."

Ouyang Rong nodded gently, watching his junior sister's departing back, not knowing what he was thinking.

The woman's figure had long since disappeared into the distance. He didn't know how long he had stood in front of the door, facing the void. The senior brother sighed slightly and uttered the words he hadn't said just now:

"Returning late is fine too. By the time you return, I will have gone on a long journey..." The recent re-encoding is severe, giving us more motivation to update faster. Please take a moment to exit reading mode. Thank you.