Chapter 6: Going to the County Town

In the evening, Yang Yunteng climbed a tree and began to cultivate the Moonlight True Scripture

Now, when Yang Yun opens a book, the entire content of the pages is simultaneously "read into" his mind. Unfortunately, his thinking cannot keep up with the speed of his eyes. Reading too much content at once makes him feel dizzy, so he can only control himself to read a few lines at a time. However, this has already greatly accelerated Yang Yun's reading speed.

Originally, Yang Yun practiced the first level of the Moonlight True Scripture to obtain the Moonlight Spiritual Eye, which would allow him to harvest Moonlight Grass. After achieving this goal, he planned to abandon his cultivation.

In recent days, Yang Yun has been pondering and discovered that the ability of the Moonlight Spirit Eye is far beyond merely sensing the concentration of moonlight. He attempted to adjust his experiments and ultimately acquired the legendary ability to read ten lines at a glance

Yang's father and mother fully agreed, and thus the matter was settled

Afterward, Yang Yun sat quietly until the morning rooster crowed, the sun rose in the east, and wisps of smoke from distant farmhouses began to rise. Only then did she leap down from the tree, gather her spirits, and continue on her journey

Firstly, this money was originally earned by Yang Yun, and secondly, Yang Yun's education is the hope of the entire family, which has always been fully supported by them.

Yang Yun smiled again, but there was a hint of moisture at the corners of her eyes

Yang Yun spent one tael of silver to purchase several gifts, and only then did she take them to the family introduced by Wang the butcher

At noon, the same young servant brought the meal, which consisted of a large bowl of white rice, a plate of stir-fried vegetables with shredded meat, a small dish of pickles, and soup. Yang Yun waved his chopsticks, and this amount of food was quickly cleared away.

Upon returning home, both parents were overjoyed. Yang Yun earned eight and a half taels of silver from selling medicine. After spending a little over one tael on meals and purchases in town, and deducting some small change, seven full taels of silver remained in Yang's mother's hands

Yang Yun was quite grateful to Wang the butcher, as the Fan family would certainly not care about the thirty wen in daily rent. In fact, it was merely a pretext to support him out of respect for Wang the butcher.

Sigh, does such a person as Jingjing truly exist? Will I ever encounter her again in the future? Forget it, let everything take its course. In my dreams, our bond is as deep as the sea, yet we ultimately did not end up together. Even if the dream were real, there is no need for me to force anything.

After having lunch, Yang Yun immediately set off for the county school

Yang Yun hesitated over whether to give up the Moonlight Sutra, ultimately deciding to first complete the second level before making a decision. After all, the ability to achieve photographic memory after successfully refining the brain's acupoints is too enticing, and any scholar would not miss such an opportunity.

Fan Jun opened a seafood store in the county town, specializing in various specialties brought in by fishing boats, and has gained a certain level of fame in the area. His shop is located on the street, with a residential courtyard behind it

Wang the butcher, with a broad face, patted his chest and promised to help those seeking accommodation in the county town. Last time, he received guidance from Yang Yun, which indeed won him his mother-in-law's favor. As their interactions continued, he increasingly felt that Yang Yun was extraordinary, thus developing a desire to befriend him

During their travels, two individuals encountered a so-called "master" who had been cultivating on a deserted island for sixty years and had reached the realm of Qi emission. This master was disrespectful to the two, and Yang Yun effortlessly eliminated him. The so-called master widened his eyes and shouted, "Impossible! I have mastered the Moonlight True Scripture; I am invincible in the world!"

The room arranged for Yang Yun is in the eastern courtyard, where a servant is leading Yang Yun there. Yang Yun discovers that this place was originally used by the Fan family to host guests, with all kinds of amenities available. Moreover, there are no other residents in the courtyard at present, allowing Yang Yun to occupy the entire courtyard alone

Jingjing firmly believes that although this technique is simple, it possesses considerable depth. In order to argue with her, Yang Yun also thoroughly read the technique, debating with her word by word.

Yang Yun noticed that the young servant had many cracks on his hands due to hard work. He happened to have a medicinal herb he had gathered on the way that would be suitable for treating it, so he gave it to him and also provided some guidance on its usage. The young servant was extremely grateful

Father Yang even specifically went to find Butcher Wang. In fact, the two families were not familiar with each other before, but ever since Butcher Wang gifted Yang Yun that piece of pork belly, the Yang family has been thinking about returning the favor, and through this back and forth, they became acquainted.

The name of the person in my dream is Jingjing

How did I obtain the Moonlight Scripture? Yang Yun sat in the tree, deep in thought

Upon meeting the homeowner, I learned that his name is Fan Jun, and he is the cousin of Wang the Butcher's wife.

Yang Yun does not waste the things she buys; they are all necessities for everyone. However, due to a lack of money, she has always been reluctant to make purchases. This time, having observed this, she decided to buy them all together. Additionally, there are gifts for the neighbors. These gifts are not large, but they are essential for maintaining social relations. For those who have previously helped the Yang family, such as the Changsheng family next door and the butcher Wang's family, the gifts are prepared more generously.

It seems that the method of directly condensing the Moonlight True Qi into the brain's acupoints is feasible, thought Yang Yun. Normally, when practicing the second layer of the Moonlight True Scripture, one should begin to condense the acupoints in the limbs. After the technique is perfected, the True Qi can circulate through the meridians in the arms and legs, thereby unleashing the attacking power of the True Qi

Who would have thought that in order to save time, by condensing twelve fewer acupoints during the cultivation of the first layer, Yang Yun would discover another path

The more he practiced, the more Yang Yun felt that this Moonlight Sutra, which he had previously underestimated in his dreams, was infinitely profound.

Yang Yun did not hire a vehicle, nor did he travel with companions. The distance from the village to the county town is eighty li, which includes a stretch of mountain road. Yang Yun was not in a hurry; during the day, he activated his Moonlight True Qi, and immediately felt his legs and feet become nimble. Along the way, he admired the mountains and waters, played with the birds and beasts, picked some wild fruits, and casually gathered some herbs when he encountered them, finding joy in the experience.

Upon thinking of this, Yang Yun couldn't help but chuckle. Then, Jingjing picked up the Moonlight True Scripture that the expert had dropped, and Yang Yun teased her, saying that she didn't look like a cultivator but rather like a scavenger.

Although the brain's acupoints have not yet been fully refined, Yang Yun has already begun to sense some effects. For instance, Yang Yun currently feels refreshed and has no sense of drowsiness whatsoever

The remaining distance is not far; after walking for about one hour, the three large characters "Jinghai County" on the city gate tower are already in sight

Having refined twelve acupoints, the true energy momentarily fails to reach the limbs. It would be better to directly ascend and refine the acupoints in the brain. This is originally a technique from the tenth level of the Moonlight True Scripture. According to the records of the Moonlight True Scripture, successfully refining the brain's acupoints will significantly enhance memory. Coupled with the newly developed ability of my Moonlight Spiritual Eye, I should be able to achieve photographic memory.

The moon gradually moved across the zenith, and the silver mist on the temples began to condense, faintly revealing silver points of light. Yang Yun let out a breath and started to conclude his practice. The lunar essence he cultivated flowed like streams, returning to the acupoints that Yang Yun had successfully refined, bringing waves of coolness.

After chatting with the servant for a while, I clarified the location of the county school library, which is only two blocks away, making it quite convenient

Two days later, Wang the butcher personally came to deliver the news. He had already contacted a relative in the county town, who has a small independent room, providing three meals a day, and hot water for bathing every three days, all for just thirty wen per day

After finishing his practice, Yang Yun sat idly on the tree, watching the bright moon in the sky slowly descend

Father, Mother, with this money, I plan to stay in the county town for two months. There is a library run by the government in the county town, and as long as one is a scholar, one can enter to read. I will find a local family to stay with; this is much more economical than buying books myself.

This time, Yang Yun obtained silver while gathering herbs. Most people merely think that Yang Yun is lucky, but someone like Wang the butcher increasingly believes that Yang Yun possesses real skill. Helping with such small matters is naturally not a problem. If he had a daughter, Wang the butcher would even consider a marriage proposal at this moment.

The night has not yet passed, but the moonlight has already weakened to a degree unsuitable for cultivation

The parents happily discussed throughout the night. Their eldest son, Yang Shan, had reached the age for marriage, but the family had never been able to afford the bride price. This time, with some money available, they had to set aside two taels for preparations. Moreover, if a suitable match were found, expenses for the banquet, gifts to the matchmaker, and so forth would also need to be covered. In the end, however, the elderly couple only managed to save an additional tael, leaving four taels for Yang Yun, so he could use it to buy books and pursue his studies

Upon entering the county town, Yang Yun first wandered around the market. The county town was indeed different; the market was bustling with people coming and going, filled with a lively atmosphere. The various shops offered a wide array of goods, including books. Jinghai County has a port, extending north to Daliang and south to Qingquan, even featuring specialties from the islands of the South China Sea.

The Yang family has limited land, and the annual output available for sale is not substantial. Moreover, with the current low rice prices, even when occasionally selling some self-raised chickens and ducks or wild goods collected from the mountains, the annual income barely amounts to three or four taels of silver. This income must also cover taxes, medical expenses, salt, and other essential costs, making seven taels of silver a considerable sum for the Yang family

Yang Yun sat steadily on the branch of a large tree, his body rising and falling in rhythm with his breathing, swaying gently with the branch. A faint silvery mist-like radiance emanated from his temples, reflecting harmoniously with the moonlight above.

What year is that? It is also a round bright moon like this one. If calculated carefully, that scene in the dream should occur eighty years later, and does the person in the dream even know if they have been born yet?

After receiving four taels of silver, Yang Yun did not decline and shared his plans with his parents

Yang Yun did not delay, packed a bundle, tucked away four taels of silver, and waved goodbye to his family before setting off gracefully

It seems that "The True Scripture of Moonlight" is undoubtedly an extraordinary cultivation method, yet for some unknown reason, only the contents of two realms have been passed down. The first level grants the ability to obtain the Moonlight Spiritual Eye, while the tenth level allows one to have photographic memory. Unfortunately, the scripture does not clarify whether achieving the other levels will confer any supernatural powers. Moreover, having altered it in this way, it is now unclear how to proceed with the cultivation in the future

Since waking from that dream, Yang Yun has been staying at home, and this is the first time he has ventured out. In the wilderness beyond, in the depths of night, when all is silent, the scenes from the dream unconsciously resurface in his mind one after another