Chapter 505: Hearts Unveiled

Between cultivators and the mortal world, there is a wall.

Although Pan Yun had never received systematic study, she still knew that cultivation manuals circulating in the mortal world were extremely few.

To cultivate, one either had to enter a Wu Lin sect to enter the Dao through martial arts, or join various Daoist or Buddhist gates; among them, most Daoist temples and monasteries had no cultivation manuals at all, and what they did was nothing but swindling tricks.

Zhu Yuanzhang probably knew this too, so he governed monks and Daoists with extreme strictness.

The imperial family certainly had cultivation manuals in hand, but perhaps due to the influence of Heaven's Dao, innate talent, and nurture, hardly anyone managed to refine anything out of them.

She did not know whether the Mu family had any, but judging from the cases of Mu Xi and Mu Lin, neither of them had ever cultivated; even if they had, it was in a state of not knowing how to use them.

Once spoken, the words became a promise; Pan Yun could not go back on it, and besides, she truly did have a cultivation method on hand that was very suitable for Mu Xi to practice.

It was not from this world; it was a method from her previous life.

A very common one — the "Spiritual Power Cultivation Method" that everyone had to learn after middle school; to put it plainly, it was cultivating consciousness.

She had known this method by heart backward and forward from middle school, practicing it from middle school through university, all the way to graduate school; one could say it was a method she would never forget even in death.

So she could write it out from memory with her eyes closed.

Pan Yun pulled out a sheet of paper, first drew diagrams — seven or eight breakdown sketches — and only then began to write out the method.

Writing and drawing all night, she showed up the next morning with dark circles under her eyes to find Whether Mu Ang.

Whether Mu Ang looked at the method she delivered, both astonished and doubtful: "Refining Spirit Method? This… could it be a method that leads straight to godhood?"

Pan Yun: "…"

Pan Yun gave an awkward smile: "General Mu, you really dare to think — even more than I do. This 'spirit' is not that 'spirit'; this spirit refers to divine sense."

Sigh, wasn't it because the method had to be simplified, had to be concise and to the point, that she had summarized the title as well?

"So-called Refining Spirit is to train divine sense, consciousness, the spiritual body," Pan Yun said. "What Mu Xi needs to control the bugs relies precisely on consciousness, so this method suits him best."

Whether Mu Ang: "…Daoist Priest Pan also said this method suits Lin-er."

"That's right," Pan Yun said. "Mu Lin is very smart; after he practices this method, he'll only get smarter."

She tapped her head and said: "General Mu, here is the Mud Pill Palace, that is, the Upper Dantian. Martial practitioners cultivate the Lower Dantian; those who comprehend the Dao can open the three orifices; and those who refine spirit cultivate the Mud Pill Palace."

"So-called opening the orifices is refining spirit — extending the orifice outward, unfolding more orifices; this too is one of the methods to reach the spirit."

Whether Mu Ang understood: "Neither my son nor my grandson has the aptitude to cultivate the Lower Dantian, so you have them cultivate the Upper Dantian."

Pan Yun beamed at him and praised: "Smart."

Whether Mu Ang smiled, accepted the method, and said: "The palace also has some methods. In earlier years it wasn't that no one among the imperial clan was curious about your sort of world; it's just that cultivation is very bitter. The imperial family's resources were poured in, the people didn't cultivate anything out of it, and instead greed grew. Later the Founding Emperor had people burn the manuals outright and issued a secret decree: the imperial clan, meritorious nobles, and high officials were all forbidden to cultivate — otherwise, the imperial clan would be struck from the rolls, meritorious nobles stripped of their titles, and high officials dismissed from their posts."

Pan Yun was surprised: "How could it come to that?"

Whether Mu Ang's face was expressionless: "You never lived through that era, so you don't know — when the previous dynasty fell, the world was in utter chaos, demons and monsters ran rampant.

After the Founding High Emperor pacified the realm, the world was still not at peace; demons and monsters tempted the Founding Emperor's relatives, among them no few of his own sons."

Whether Mu Ang was Mu Ying's son; he had still been small at the time and didn't know much, but from the scraps of talk from his father and elder brothers one could know how chaotic it had been, and how vicious and depraved the deeds of those noble persons were.

"For power and longevity, they gave rein to desire; feeding on the flesh and blood of women and children was considered commonplace — cruel in the extreme." Whether Mu Ang ran his hand over the method Pan Yun had written stroke by stroke from memory, then looked up at her: "Daoist Priest Pan, does your method only refine spirit? Does it require any aids?"

Pan Yun said in a low voice: "This method can only rely on diligent practice; there is no shortcut, so there is also nothing to aid it."

Whether Mu Ang's mouth corners rose; he nodded and said: "Very good — I like this sort of method."

He pressed down on the method and said solemnly: "From here on, I must trouble Daoist Priest Pan to instruct Mu Xi and Mu Lin." Pan Yun nodded and agreed: "I'll begin teaching them today."

She paused, then still said: "General Mu, once they enter the door and Mu Xi gets the corpse-worms under control, may I return to the capital?"

Whether Mu Ang raised an eyebrow: "Daoist Priest Pan wishes to return to the capital?"

Pan Yun nodded.

Whether Mu Ang said thoughtfully: "You were sent here by Your Majesty; His Majesty's decree did not say to let you return to the capital. What it did say was — once matters here are settled, if you are unwilling to stay in Yunnan, go to the Long Hushan Academy to study. Aren't you studying at the Academy?"

Pan Yun: "The Academy hasn't opened yet."

Whether Mu Ang smiled: "Daoist Priest Pan is quite confident, aren't you? It's not far off now — even if tomorrow you taught my dull son and grandson, and the day after you left, by the time you got out of Yunnan into Jiangnan, wouldn't it be the end of March?"

The Academy opens in early April.

Pan Yun pressed her lips together and said: "My father and brother are still in Jingcheng; I want to go back for a visit."

Whether Mu Ang counseled her: "Daoist Priest Pan, though you are clever, those involved are blind while the onlooker sees clearly — in my view, your returning to Jingcheng would do your father and brother more harm than good."

Pan Yun frowned.

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Whether Mu Ang said: "I just said it as well — the imperial family and the imperial court greatly忌讳 cultivators. In this dynasty, only the Zhang family of Long Hushan holds a noble title and is a second-rank grand official, but apart from matters of the Mystic Dao, the Zhang family never speaks of court politics.

Even the posts of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, half the time it is the Zhang family holding them — and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau is only fifth rank."

Pan Yun fell to thinking.

"I heard that before leaving the capital, a bird-demon caused havoc in Jingcheng and attacked the诏狱 — Daoist Priest Pan, you fought it?"

Pan Yun nodded.

Whether Mu Ang then asked her: "May this matter be spread abroad?"

Pan Yun blinked and said: "It wasn't covered up at the time; the commotion was so big, quite a few people must have seen it."

"News travels extremely fast — on your way south, did you hear commoners along the road discussing this matter?"

Pan Yun thought for a moment, then shook her head: "Not a whisper."

Whether Mu Ang then said: "Not only is there not a whisper among the common folk, there is none in official circles either."

Pan Yun's mouth opened slightly.

Whether Mu Ang: "If it weren't that you are closely tied to my Mu family and I needed to inquire into your abilities, at this moment I probably still wouldn't know — it would take years before perhaps I might hear a hint of it from my nephew."

Pan Yun's face was full of suspicion: "You officials have such tight lips now? Aren't you lot always a bunch of gossips?"

Whether Mu Ang choked for a moment, then said: "Yes — the officialdom that is always full of gossips is keeping mum on this matter; what do you think the reason is?"

Pan Yun's eyes rolled: "Of course it can't be because of me — I'm not that important. Then it must be because this matter involves cultivators and demons?"

Whether Mu Ang nodded.

"Although officials in the bureaucracy now know of you, there aren't many, but officials of Third rank and above probably all have a sense of it in their hearts. Your cultivation is high, and you are young. If you go to the capital, they will surely be cautious and unwilling to let you have too much contact with court affairs.

Your father was originally wronged. Whether those who framed him or the onlookers, they all know of his injustice, and he stirs people's hearts to ache for him. But if you go to the capital, the situation will be quite different."

Mu Ang said earnestly: "Jingcheng is already chaotic enough, and your father is already in enough difficulty. You, ah, just don't go adding to the trouble."

(End of chapter)