Chapter 190

In the early morning, although the eastern sun had not yet risen, gorgeous morning clouds had already appeared; wisps of cooking smoke floated on the rooftops, and a light gauze-like mist permeated the air.

This is the countryside morning; although there is no city clamor, the fresh air seeps straight into people's hearts.

In the distance, dewdrops rolled on the young seedlings, sparkling crystal‑clear and radiating brilliant light in the sunshine. In the cornfield, each ear of golden‑yellow corn grinned politely. Vast stretches of golden rapeseed bloomed luxuriantly; as the morning breeze blew, the rapeseed swayed continuously, rolling and undulating like a golden sea.

Born in the countryside, I always love such scenery; at this moment my heart can unusually calm down, letting go of all obsessions. As a Daoist practitioner, I also always long for nature, and in such a tranquil setting I can always pacify my mind.

Running with Pangzi on the beautiful country lane, I suddenly wanted to sing Zheng Zhihua's 'Sailor'.

"Arrogant and ignorant modern people, they don't know how to cherish; that ocean and heaven‑earth polluted by civilization… Only by leaving the crowds can I find myself again, breathing freely in the salty‑scented air…"

When, thick smoke and carbon dioxide occupied our cities; when, haze and dust filled the skies above us. That once beautiful heaven‑earth has been corroded and is now full of scars.

Actually I know that everyone loves their hometown, loves the place where they live.

But ordinary people, under high‑pressure life, are already panting and exhausted; they fear the city and have no choice but to flee. Businessmen whose eyes see only profit will stop at nothing to destroy our living environment—nature that should be beautiful is instantly seized by heavy industry.

I don't know whether, as time goes on, people can still truly recognize themselves, or whether they will still remember that textbook line from childhood, 'Human nature at birth is good.' I also don't know whether, when city and countryside become one, there will still be such a tranquil and beautiful rural scene.

Perhaps one day, the rural land beneath my feet will be replaced by heavy‑industry smog; as people grow ever more weary, they will begin to seek the tranquility of the countryside, and this unremarkable farmland village will become the utopia they long for.

People… always act this way, constantly climbing cliffs, overlooking what is nearby. They constantly chase after illusory, intangible dreams, never cherishing what is at hand. After many years, when they are tired and exhausted, they suddenly realize. It turns out that warm familial affection and the comforting natural scenery that brings peace have always been beside them. It's just that their former selves were too foolish, they casually discarded their own kinship and destroyed that tranquil beauty. Now, without hesitation, they turn around to seek the kinship and scenery that have by now become legendary.

Thus, in the process of constantly seeking and pursuing, people simply close their eyes; perhaps, after waking, many strive tirelessly until the moment of death, yet never fulfill their wishes, dying with regret and unrest.

If, while you persistently chase your dreams and scale cliffs, you could pause for a moment and truly look behind you. After a hundred years, how could you still carry a handful of regret into the yellow earth? If young you could understand the two words 'cherish', then the kinship, love, and tranquil land beneath your feet that surround you would not become the legendary luxury scenery.

"You should know, not everyone is as pretentious as you, not everyone is naturally fond of quiet like you. Compared to your longing for the countryside, people would rather enjoy an elegant Western steak in the lush, splendid Western restaurants of a bustling city." Pangzi glanced at me, pursed his lips and said disdainfully, "You know, in their eyes, people like you are just lacking ambition, right?"

"Lacking ambition?" After being startled, I blurted: "But in my eyes, aren't they just a bunch of fools? Chasing after illusory, ethereal things, they abandon kinship and friendship. Years later, they turn around and, in the name of not leaving regrets, seek again. Yet those things they originally already had…"

"The Besieged City…" Upon saying that, I and Pangzi laughed in unison.

This world truly resembles Qian Zhongshu's Besieged City: those inside the city envy the tranquil life outside the walls; those outside don't know what's inside and strive desperately to climb in. Or perhaps those inside laugh at the outsiders as country bumpkins, while the outsiders laugh at the insiders as fools. In the constant coming and going, people gain and lose. Maybe life is just like that—having gains and losses.

"All right, sit cross‑legged! Left hand makes the Seal Finger. I will teach you to feel the primordial unity qi between heaven and earth!" Pangzi slowly closed his eyes and began to sit cross‑legged.

I also imitated Pangzi's posture, sitting cross‑legged on a rock at the mountaintop, and slowly formed the Seal Finger.

The reason Pangzi and I came out so early in the morning was not to stroll aimlessly, but to run to the mountaintop to borrow the morning's eastern purple qi for meditation and concentration. It must be said that since last night, events have once fallen into a predicament. After a night of hard thinking, Pangzi and I still couldn't find the main cause of the mishap on the stage. Over time, our minds also fell into agitation.

If a person's mind becomes disordered, they will become impatient. Such a state only leads to desperate, haphazard medical seeking. Therefore, Pangzi and I now greatly need to calm our minds; only when the mind is tranquil and stable can we find hope amidst confusion.

Of course, I can also take this opportunity to learn about the Daoist Sect's internal cultivation method—the Heavenly Gang Thunder Method.

"Thunder method is the Daoist Sect's internal cultivation secret art; many think thunder method works from outside to inside, which is completely wrong. True thunder method proceeds from inside to outside, then from outside to inside." Pangzi sat cross‑legged and spoke slowly.

"Thunder is born from the yin‑yang qi; the Luo River Chart contains the numbers of the Five Phases: 'East three, south two, north one, west four—this great number's origin, with the central five.' Since thunder moves through the middle qi of heaven and earth, it is called the Five Thunders."

"The Five Thunders are the heaven‑earth primordial unity qi; they govern the five phases of heaven and earth and correspond to the five viscera. The liver is the eastern soul wood, the lungs the western soul metal, the heart the southern spirit fire, the kidneys the northern essence water, and the spleen the central palace earth. Thus the sage, though not seeing with the eyes, has the soul return to the liver; though not hearing with the ears, the essence resides in the kidneys; though not tasting with the tongue, the spirit dwells in the heart; though not smelling with the nose, the soul substance is in the lungs; though the limbs do not move, the intention resides in the spleen—hence the saying 'gathering the Five Thunders'."

"Cultivating the Thunder Method means using the heart to sense the movement of heaven‑earth qi, borrowing the eastern primordial qi to cleanse the five viscera, then accumulating the qi of the Five Thunders so that they can converge and unite, thereby reaching the Great Dao."

"Before that, one must open the human body's Heavenly Gang aperture so that the eastern primordial qi can enter the body. In the heavenly body there are Heavenly Gang stars; in the human body there is a Heavenly Gang aperture. Only by opening the Heavenly Gang aperture point can one be said to have touched the threshold of internal thunder cultivation."

As Pangzi spoke slowly, I vaguely grasped the outline of the Thunder Method. All along, I and many others have thought the Thunder Method is actually an external cultivation art; to summon thunder one needs to lay out formations and write talismans. The procedure visible to the eyes is correct, but our understanding is completely wrong.

To operate the orthodox Five Thunder Method, one indeed needs talismans and formations. But to draw on the power of heaven and earth, the demands on a person are extremely strict. As Pangzi said, only by opening the Heavenly Gang aperture can the heaven‑earth primordial unity qi enter the body. Upon reaching this threshold, one becomes qualified to borrow the power of heaven and earth.

In simple terms, it is to open the qi apertures, letting the heaven‑earth breath enter your body, merging with nature without distinction. Only by merging with nature can you borrow the power of heaven and earth.

"Come, try with me—hands flat, one up, one down, breathe slowly… pffft!" Pangzi said while letting out a loud, stinking fart.

"Damn, you fat pig, are you here to meditate or just to fart?" I covered my nose and shouted.

Pangzi kept his eyes straight, his body still, merely closing his eyes and putting on an act: "You don't know a fart; this is expelling turbid qi. Be serious, don't interrupt,"

I pursed my lips and continued to adjust my posture.

Talking about expelling turbid qi is actually just because I ate too many sweet potatoes last night and have been farting all day.

When the first ray of morning sunlight shone, Pangzi and I dared not lose focus; we quietly sensed heaven and earth, feeling that first wisp of eastern purple qi.

As time passed, our faces showed no trace of calm serenity; instead they were covered in sweat droplets, like the spellcasters in movies who have gone berserk.

"No, I'm not practicing anymore; I'm too agitated and really can't enter meditation." Pangzi wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood up carelessly.

"Me too…" I sighed, likewise listless as I stood up.

After all, it's that our two willpowers are insufficient; we simply cannot endure this natural cleansing. During the meditation, various inner demons arise—anger, fury, joy, pleasure… these seven emotions and six desires… the body also becomes alternately agitated or, eroded by emotion, reduced to dead ash.

"Ah… I knew we really shouldn't have smoked so much, drunk so much alcohol, and eaten so many chili peppers last night." I said wearily.

The five pungent and five spicy items have always been taboo for Daoists; eating too much only stirs liver fire. Smoke is evil fire, wine disrupts nature. Once exposed to too much of these, the blood throughout the body becomes extremely agitated, making it impossible to calm the mind and enter meditation.

Pangzi glanced at me, annoyed: "How would I know you'd suddenly get a cramp in your brain this morning and inexplicably want to come to the mountaintop to meditate? If I had known, I wouldn't have let you eat so many sweet potatoes last night."

… "It seems, no one is forcing you to eat this sweet potato chili. It's just that seeing those fragrant, spicy dried chilies makes you unable to stop craving them. Moreover, with its unique flavour, you insist on eating the sweet potato dipped in it." I gave Pangzi a cold, contemptuous look.

"Ai…… Forget it, anyway, now our liver fire is too agitated, and the qi mechanism inside is blocked. It's absolutely necessary to enter meditation; with this time, we might as well go down the mountain to wander around, think of a plan." Pangzi gave a forced smile, saying while masking it.

I thought for a moment, then could only nod: "That's fine too; since we can't calm our minds, we'll just have to go with the flow, step by step. I hope this time a new opportunity will arise, able to help Uncle Liu and the others."

The first attempt at internal cultivation of thunder law ended in failure.