Chapter 7: The Young Disciple's Initial Encounter with the Water Essence Scripture (Part 1)

Alright, Yang'er, it's time to eat! In a few days, we will have two days off, right? We can go to the mountain to find your father. Don't you want your father to accompany you in catching a big tit? Also, soon we will check your "Health Preservation Classic," so hurry up and eat!" Upon hearing about going to the mountain, Yun Mu Yang immediately perked up, shaking off the previous lethargy, and began to eat heartily. Seeing this, Lu Zhi felt delighted as she watched Yun Mu Yang and Zhong Jian enjoying their meal. She then thought to herself that in two years, when Yang'er is more sensible, she would tell him!

Yun Mu Yang leaped out of bed, "Should I go ask Mother? Perhaps she knows something?" Looking up, Yun Mu Yang saw the silver plate hanging high in the sky, "Mother must have already fallen asleep; this is certainly not good. I will ask her tomorrow morning instead." With this thought, he turned over and went to sleep.

Yun Mu Yang returned to the house. Although he was quite unhappy today, after being persuaded several times by Lu Zhi, he regained his childlike nature. He took the so-called health manual and, following the instructions in the booklet, sat cross-legged with his legs folded and his five hearts directed towards the sky, resembling a monk in meditation

Everything is fine, you have worked hard at home

Green Branch was also quite confused. After thinking for a long time, she could only say, "Perhaps it is due to that book 'The Art of Health Preservation.' Haven't you been practicing according to it for a few months? If you continue to follow it, won't you know whether it works or not?"

Hmm, it seems so! Then I will go back and sleep for a while! Perhaps having heard the answer they desired, they turned around and ran back into the room

What do you mean by hardship? I should be the one saying you are the one who is struggling! How have you been these past few days? Today, I brought both of them along to keep you company.

This foolish boy

Yun Mu Yang saw that his mother seemed about to cry, and the usually noisy Zhong Jian sitting beside her was also quiet. Only then did Yun Mu Yang speak, "Mother, Li Ju Si said I am a bastard without a father, and that you... you... are a remarried woman. He also said that my father is not my real father, and that my father is a one-armed monster. I was very angry when I heard this, so I fought with him, but I couldn't win against him and couldn't run away from him..." Green Branch gently stroked Yun Mu Yang's face, her eyes brimming with tears. She knew about this Li Ju Si, who lived in Qiao Tou Village, not far from Yun Bo Zhen's residence. The two families had some acquaintance, but she never expected such a situation to arise today. Green Branch felt deep sorrow in her heart. She had never thought of being faithful to Yun Bo Zhen for her entire life, but at that time, the chaos was unbearable, and as a widow with a child, it was uncertain whether they could even survive. After much contemplation, with the encouragement of Sister Liu and several elderly widows in the village, she had the heart to become this unfaithful woman for the sake of her child. Even with Yun Bo Zhen's words before his death, she would still face much criticism after marrying Zhong An. In order for her child to grow up happily and without worries, she, as a woman, had thickened her skin countless times, going to every household in the village to request that they not mention this matter in front of the child. Green Branch felt bitter in her heart; although she had long been prepared and knew that this day would come sooner or later, hearing these words at this moment still caught her off guard. Looking at her child with a vacant gaze and an expression of resentment, she suddenly burst into tears and pulled the child into her embrace.

Um, Yun Mu Yang merely nodded in response

In the early morning, the east revealed only a hint of fish-belly white. Green Branch got up and opened the door, exclaiming, "Ah... Yang'er." With red-rimmed eyes, Green Branch had hardly slept all night. As soon as she opened the door, she was startled half to death to find Yun Mu Yang sitting at the doorstep.

Hmm! Yun Mu Yang only replied lightly, perhaps the words of Lu Zhi did not satisfy him, and he simply returned to his room to review today's lessons

Is your grandfather good to you

Two days later, when Lvzhi waited for Yunmu to return from school under the sun, she saw that he had a look of unhappiness again, and guessed once more, "Yang'er, do not mind what others say, you must stay true to your heart. Your father is your father. Tomorrow, let us go to the mountain and see what prey your father has caught. How about that?"

Do you think your father is a strange person

The couple sat aside chatting, while Yun Mu Yang took his younger brother to the back of the thatched cottage to see some small game they had caught in the past few days, such as a few rabbits and several wild chickens. The two brothers were especially delighted to see the two sparrows in the cage, and Yun Mu Yang immediately cast aside all the grievances he had endured in recent days.

Yang, it is not yet dawn! Why are you up so early? You could sleep a little longer; it is fine to ask about things later!

Zhong Jian had already sat on the small stool, his eyes fixed on the pork belly on the table, drooling. Seeing Yun Mu Yang sitting on the bench without moving his chopsticks, Lu Zhi became quite anxious, "Yang'er, what on earth is the matter? Please tell your mother."

In the early morning, Yun Mu Yang woke up from his dreams, feeling invigorated and full of energy, seemingly having cast aside the unpleasantness of yesterday. Seeing this, the green branches were also delighted, urging Yun Mu Yang to wash his face and rinse his mouth. Yun Mu Yang also helped his mother organize things in preparation for today's trip to the mountain

After dinner, Yun Mu Yang sat on the bed, cross-legged as he had done in previous days, but he could not calm his mind for a long time, let alone experience the wonderful feelings he had felt in the past few days. After fidgeting alone for a long time, he finally grew tired and fell asleep.

"You have worked hard, my dear!" Zhong An said with a smile, using his one arm to touch the heads of the two children as he spoke to Lu Zhi.

Time has swiftly passed, and it is now the spring and autumn of the second year; Yun Mu Yang is already eight years old. On this day, when Yun Mu Yang returned from school, it was already evening. Zhong An had gone hunting in the mountains and would not return for a day or two, leaving only Lu Zhi and her three children at home. Upon hearing her son call out "Mother" as he returned, Lu Zhi came out of the kitchen with a beaming smile, only to find Yun Mu Yang covered in dust, with small scratches on his face, pouting his lips, and his nose tip red. Seeing this, Lu Zhi became quite anxious. At first, she thought he might just be tired from playing, as an eight-year-old should be carefree and happy, and she could not understand why her son appeared so listless today.

After Green Branch and her two children had breakfast, they set off. An hour later, the three finally arrived at Zhong An's residence in the mountains. Knowing that Green Branch and her children would surely come to visit today, Zhong An had gone early in the morning to check the traps he had set and collected the prey, and had been waiting for them. Upon seeing the three, Zhong An was overjoyed, and the two children were also thrilled to see their father. Before Zhong An could approach, the two children ran over and hugged their father.

"Mother, I do not wish to wait nor am I willing to wait." Thus, she recounted to Green Branch the situation that had arisen yesterday when she followed the instructions in the book "On Health Preservation".

If your father is not your father, would he treat you as well as he does now? Certainly not, right? Lvzhi Jianyun Mu Yang lowered his head, pondering something, and without waiting for him to respond, he answered for him.

Yun Mu Yang was doing this, feeling as if several points of starlight were entering his body from the outside. These points of starlight made Yun Mu Yang feel particularly refreshed, as if he were about to merge with the universe. However, these points of starlight soon vanished, and that wonderful feeling disappeared like a fleeting flower, vanishing with the disappearance of the starlight. Yun Mu Yang awoke from the previous beauty, feeling as if it were a beautiful dream, yet this dream felt particularly real, as if it were within reach, yet also felt distant, like clouds drifting in the sky. That wonderful feeling vanished like a fleeting flower, disappearing with the starlight. Yun Mu Yang awoke from the previous beauty, feeling as if it were a beautiful dream, yet this dream felt particularly real, as if it were within reach, yet also felt distant, like clouds drifting in the sky. The scene that was like a dream yet not a dream lingered in Yun Mu Yang's mind, unable to be released for a long time.

Green Branch approached Yun Mu Yang, took his hand and asked, "Yang'er, what is wrong with you today? Did you not complete your homework well and were scolded by the teacher in class?" Seeing that Yun Mu Yang did not respond, Green Branch continued, "It doesn't matter if the homework wasn't completed well; you are still young, and you can try harder next time! Come, let's go inside; Mother has made braised pork." Saying this, she pulled Yun Mu Yang towards the house. Green Branch exerted a great deal of effort to pull Yun Mu Yang inside, helped him wash his face clean, and applied some medicine to his wounds. She then said again, "It doesn't matter if the homework wasn't completed well; you are still young, and you can try harder next time! Come, let's go inside; Mother has made braised pork." Saying this, she pulled Yun Mu Yang towards the house. Green Branch exerted a great deal of effort to pull Yun Mu Yang inside, helped him wash his face clean, and applied some medicine to his wounds.

After dinner, Yun Mu Yang shared a room with Zhong An. The sound of insects filled the air, a gentle breeze swayed, and the moonlight flowed like water into the thatched cottage, casting a frost-white hue over the father and son lying on the bed. Yun Mu Yang took out the book "Nourishing the Body Classic," gazing at the illustrations and text. Sitting cross-legged, he formed hand seals, reading, "Embrace the origin and guard the unity, meditate and visualize, using the body as a furnace to absorb the energy of heaven and earth into the dantian..." Although it was only a few hundred words, Yun Mu Yang was deeply engrossed. He followed the illustrations in the book meticulously, without any mistakes. In this manner, he felt that within this small space, azure starlight emerged from the misty mountains and converged from all directions. Some of the blue starlight seeped into his skin, although most of it scattered back into the heavens and the mountains. After the azure starlight penetrated his skin, it traveled along his meridians, gradually forming strands of light that circulated around his body. Yun Mu Yang felt as if he was about to merge with heaven and earth, as if he wanted to incorporate heaven and earth into himself. He sat quietly, cross-legged, with a mind free of distractions, allowing the starlight to seep into his body, condensing into strands that flowed through his limbs, internal organs, nine orifices, and three hundred sixty-six joints. He felt an indescribable wonder, reluctant to awaken from this state.

After the hour of Wei had passed, Lü Zhi returned to the village with Zhong Jian and several wild rabbits and pheasants. Seeing Yun Mu Yang playing joyfully in the mountains, Lü Zhi decided to leave him there. Zhong An escorted Lü Zhi and her son to the foot of the mountain, and by the time he returned, the hour of You had already passed

"Mother, you have finally awakened. I have something to ask you," Yun Mu Yang said immediately upon seeing Lu Zhi open the door.

Good

Silly child, how could your father not be your father? Do you say that your father cares for you? The tears welled up in Green Branch's eyes, her voice choked with emotion

Mu Yang raised his head, speaking these words with unwavering determination

No. Yun Muyang tilted his head slightly and pouted as he replied