Chapter 124

The brushes on the stall were nearly gone.

Wang Cong had only kept a hundred of them.

The young Daoist returned and said to Pan Yun: “Fellow Daoist, keep these remaining dozen or so and sell them slowly.”

Pan Yun led the thanks, then asked: “I dislike owing people favors. What do you want?”

The young Daoist blushed and said: “Master, my name is Li Jisi. You mentioned the Art of Observing Qi—I’d like to learn how.”

Pan Yun thought for a moment, then activated her technique and used her talent to observe him.

What her talent revealed was clearer and more detailed.

She saw faint gold-purple hues embedded within his white aura, almost invisible. Under her talent’s gaze, she could plainly perceive his clear, upright features, radiating righteous energy.

She smiled slightly and asked: “You want to learn?”

The young man blushed and nodded. “Can I? I’ll give you all my money.”

He pulled out a money pouch and handed it to Pan Yun.

Pan Yun glanced at the pouch, paused silently, then reached out and took it.

“Meow—” Pan Xiaohei, dozing beside the stall, lifted its head and asked in confusion: “Aren’t you trying to form a good karmic bond with him? Why are you taking his money?”

【This is the true good karmic bond,】 Pan Yun thought: 【My connection with him ends here. The transaction is complete; we will have no further ties. But he carries righteous energy—once he learns this skill, he can form even more good karmic bonds. So even if we never meet again, the bond we’ve formed remains good.】

Pan Yun murmured: “So this is what Fourth Senior Sister meant by the mystery of transmitting the Dao.”

The young Daoist waited anxiously for her reply. When she took the money, he exhaled half his tension. When she raised her eyes and said, “Fine, I’ll teach you,” the rest of his tension vanished.

Li Jisi broke into a wide smile.

Wang Cong now understood what the Daoist sought, and he comfortably accepted his help.

As for Pan Yun teaching him the Art of Observing Qi, Wang Cong didn’t care.

When he first began learning Daoist arts, his father had told him: as long as he acquired skill, no matter where he learned it, it became his own ability.

Once knowledge became his own ability, it was his to control—he could pass it on or withhold it. In other words, he could freely take disciples.

But he knew: whether he taught or not, it was his own karmic consequence, and he alone would bear it.

So for Little Uncle to teach him the Art of Observing Qi was purely Little Uncle’s own affair.

Mount Sanqing had no rule forbidding the transmission of secret techniques. They followed the thought of Immortal Ge and welcomed all who sought longevity and had interest in health cultivation.

So Wang Cong quietly asked Pan Yun: “Little Uncle, are you going to take him as your disciple?”

Pan Yun stared at him in shock. “I’m still a child myself. I’m just teaching him one Art of Observing Qi—how could I possibly take a disciple?”

Wang Cong nodded. “I also feel he has no master-disciple affinity with you.”

Though Pan Yun said she wouldn’t take disciples, the young Daoist still knelt and kowtowed to her before formally beginning his studies, calling out: “Master.”

Pan Yun said: “Call me Master today only. Once you’ve learned, leave. Don’t come back to Mount Sanqing.”

The young Daoist looked troubled. “What if I don’t learn today?”

Pan Yun: “Then call me Master again tomorrow.”

“And if I still don’t learn tomorrow?”

Pan Yun stared at him, exasperated. “You have three days total. If you still can’t learn after three days, change your profession. And after you change it, don’t tell anyone you were ever my disciple.”

Pan Yun stared at him in silence, irritable: “You only have three days. If you can’t learn it in three days, switch careers—and don’t tell anyone you were ever my disciple.”

Miao Zhen eagerly stepped forward. “Little Uncle, let me help you teach him.”

She wanted to see if she could teach a disciple too.

Pan Yun believed she had memorized every subtle detail of the technique.

But judging from how effectively she could apply the Art of Observing Qi, she knew there was a vast gulf between memorizing knowledge and putting it into practice.

Though she appeared confident, she was inwardly uneasy, so she immediately agreed to Miao Zhen’s offer.

Miao Zhen had also mastered the Art of Observing Qi well. With her helping to fill gaps, Pan Yun was certain they could teach Li Jisi.

Pan Yun turned and invited Tao Yanbai: “Yanbai, come join us.”

Tao Yanbai had greater talent in the Art of Observing Qi and had been praised by Xuanmiao.

Tao Yanbai had greater talent in the Art of Gazing, yet it was Master Xuanmiao who had specifically praised him.

Miao He stared at Pan Yun with starry eyes.

Pan Yun hesitated, then called her too: “Miao He, come along.”

Miao He immediately agreed: “Yes, yes!”

Li Jisi hadn’t expected that after just one kowtow, he’d gained four Masters.

He turned to Wang Cong, his eyes hopeful. This Daoist was the oldest and looked the most formidable—surely he was the strongest?

Wang Cong, who had been watching the scene, immediately turned his head away, avoiding Li Jisi’s gaze.

He was already busy enough—he had no time to join Little Uncle’s game.

Pan Yun pulled him aside and secretly taught him the Art of Observing Qi: “Concentrate spiritual power into your eyes…” Li Jisi: “What is spiritual power?”

Pan Yun pulled him aside and secretly taught him the Art of Gazing: “Concentrate your spiritual power into your eyes…” Li Jisi: “What spiritual power?”

Li Jisi flushed red and whispered: “What is yuanli?”

Pan Yun: “...Then try neili?”

Li Jisi: “Master, I only know basic martial footwork—I don’t know neili or wu gong.”

The newly formed master and disciple stared at each other. Finally, Pan Yun said: “Fine. I’ll teach you a breathing method—a qigong heart method. Practice it.”

Pan Yun gritted her teeth: “Even without yuanli or neili, it’s not a problem. The Art of Observing Qi can still be done with the naked eye.”

“Look at that person’s face. What color do you see?”

Li Jisi turned and saw a middle-aged woman standing among the crowd, one hand holding a basket, the other gripping a child, haggling fiercely with a vendor over cloth.

After watching a moment, Li Jisi said: “Red… and a bit… purplish?”

“Hm?” Pan Yun immediately knew he was wrong. She shifted her gaze and saw the same woman.

“Hm?” Pan Yun immediately knew he was mistaken; she shifted her gaze and saw the middle-aged woman Li Jisi had pointed out.

She leapt to her feet and dashed toward her.

Tao Yanbai and the others also turned—and when they saw the woman’s face, they too leapt up and ran after her.

Pan Yun pushed through the crowd to the woman’s side, grabbing her hand holding the cloth: “Good person, calm your heart and rest a moment.”

The woman yanked her hand away, pulling the child close and glaring at Pan Yun: “Who are you? I have no money to give. Go beg elsewhere.”

Pan Yun: “...I’m not begging. I see your complexion is poor—I just want you to rest.”

“You’re the one with a bad complexion…”

But the vendor, who had just been haggling with her, suddenly spoke: “Your face really does look bad. Listen to this young Daoist—go rest a while.”

The woman: “This cloth was the first I saw. Don’t try to take it from me. Boss, can you lower it by two cash? I’ll buy it.”

The vendor muttered under his breath—he truly didn’t want to sell to her; she’d haggled mercilessly. But after Pan Yun’s warning, he now saw her face clearly—it was indeed troubling.

He feared trouble and didn’t want to argue further. “Fine, take it. Take it.”

The woman, surprised by his easy agreement, felt regret—she thought she could have haggled lower.

She bent her head and kept flipping through the cloth, silent.

The vendor was furious—she haggled, he gave in, then she didn’t buy and tried to haggle lower again.

The final price had shifted three times already.

If she haggled lower, he’d lose money.

The vendor looked at Pan Yun, pleading.

Pan Yun: ...

She realized this woman couldn’t be reasoned with.

She instantly turned to Tao Yanbai, who had just arrived: “Go get Third Brother.”

Tao Yanbai glanced at the woman’s face and ran off.

Pan Yun leaned against the stall, watching as the woman and vendor resumed haggling. Sweat poured from her brow; her face grew redder.

So this is what it feels like to watch someone destroy themselves?

Li Jisi stood beside Pan Yun, watching for a while, then confirmed it. He looked at the child in her arms and exclaimed: “What noble aura this child has! This child’s future is boundless!”

Pan Yun’s eyes lit up. She lowered her arms and stood straight, glancing at Li Jisi with approval—he was sharper than she was.

Just as she was about to smile, the woman turned and glared at Li Jisi, pulling the child close and shouting: “Go away! We don’t believe in this nonsense. We have no money for you.”

Li Jisi didn’t flinch. He smiled: “Sister, this child carries noble aura. I’ll read his fortune for free.”

“No money, no reading. You’re all frauds—I know it well. You say ‘free’ now, then next you’ll say my family is cursed or ill and demand money.”

“No money? I won’t look. You’re all frauds—do you think I don’t know? You say it’s free now, but soon you’ll claim my family is in danger or ill and demand payment.”

The woman: “See? See? I told you—I know best. All Daoists and monks in this world are frauds. Don’t trust them!”

The Daoists present—first, second, third, fourth—and the monk Huiyuan who had just arrived: ...

Huiyuan glanced at the woman’s face and murmured: “Amitabha. Devotee, you are plagued by grave illness. Calm your heart, sit down, rest…”

Only then did the woman realize she was surrounded by Daoists and monks. She clutched the child tightly, alarmed: “W-what do you want? I’m not afraid of you! Many people from my village are here!”

Huiyuan saw her condition worsening and dared not provoke her. He stopped and softly chanted sutras.

His voice was deep and resonant. Under her talent’s gaze, Pan Yun saw each character of the sutra float from his mouth toward the woman—but they bounced off before reaching her.

The sacred sutras, infused with Buddhist power, were completely blocked. Not a single word could enter. Naturally, they could not save her.

The sutra imbued with Buddhist truth was completely blocked by her, not a single thread could penetrate—and thus, it could not save her.

Pan Yun stared intently at the woman. Such a determined person—though obstinate—would surely succeed in whatever she did.

Pan Yun stared intently at the middle-aged woman; such a determined person, though stubborn, would surely succeed in whatever she did.

Seeing Huiyuan bowing her head and chanting sutras, the middle-aged woman relaxed slightly, though her nerves still prickled; she turned and shouted at the vendor, “Are you selling or not?”

Tail number 0

(End of Chapter)