Chapter 8: The Young Disciple's Initial Understanding of the Water Essence Scripture (Part 2)
"Mother, is there hot water?" Yun Mu Yang rushed out of the house and shouted loudly at the green branches.
The sun rises in the east, and the mist dances in the air, while the birds chirp throughout the mountains. When Yun Muyang awakens from his slumber, he finds that Zhong An has already ventured deeper into the mountains. Upon exiting his room, Yun Muyang sees a small pot of congee placed on the old wooden table, still warm. He then rushes to the nearby stream to wash up.
Yun Mu Yang was deeply absorbed in thought, completely unaware of his hunger. He sat cross-legged by the stream, focusing his mind and calming his spirit, gradually entering a state of tranquility. Although it was not as profound as the previous night when he felt a connection between heaven and earth, he still felt a sense of ease throughout his body. The blue star-like points emerged from the water, and Yun Mu Yang completely forgot that he was in the mountains rather than at home in the village. As noon approached, he suddenly realized he was extremely hungry, which finally brought him out of his meditative state. Despite his hunger and thirst, he felt invigorated and refreshed.
You silly boy, we are your parents. By the way, what on earth is going on with you? Just now, your mother thought you had fallen into a pit. I was pondering that you should not have this habit of going to the latrine early in the morning..." Before Zhong An could finish speaking, he was fiercely glared at by Lü Zhi, and only then did he see Yun Mu Yang's face flushed red, even his ears seemed to be on fire, while Zhong Jian was laughing quietly beside him.
"Father, I realize my mistake. Just now, I was by the stream studying the 'Health Preservation Classic'! It seemed as if I had fallen asleep while studying it." He then recounted the events that had just transpired in detail.
Zhong An escorted Yun Mu Yang to the foot of the mountain, watching as Yun Mu Yang walked towards the village until even his shadow disappeared from view, before turning to head towards the small cabin in the mountain.
"What is it?" Upon hearing Yun, Lvzhi noticed that Mu Yang seemed to have something going on, and quickly stepped out of the kitchen, "What is that smell?" Lvzhi hurriedly covered her nose.
Yun Mu Yang also knew that he had made a mistake, but today he was fortunate not to encounter those venomous snakes and fierce beasts, so he obediently replied, "Yes, Yang Er understands." The father and son then walked hand in hand back to the wooden cabin in the mountains
"Yang'er, you are here, you scared me to death. I just came back and saw the porridge on the table had gone cold, yet no one had touched it. I thought you were sleeping in, but when I went into the room, you were not there, so I ran out to call for you. It's good that you are fine." Zhong An finally set down the stone in his heart, holding Yun Mu Yang with one arm.
Yun Mu Yang sat cross-legged on the bed as usual. "I am nine years old, when will I be able to grow up quickly? I really want to see what the outside world is like. Is it more beautiful than the town? Mother says the world beyond the mountains is beautiful, while the teacher says it is perilous. Who is right?" Yun Mu Yang pondered, "But never mind, I will continue to study my 'Health Preservation Classic'! It is just strange, why have I only been able to see so many blue lights when I am on the mountain or by that small stream? Mother says the world beyond the mountains is beautiful, while the teacher says it is perilous. Who is right?" Yun Mu Yang thought again, "But never mind, I will continue to study my 'Health Preservation Classic'! It is just strange, why have I only been able to see so many blue lights when I am on the mountain or by that small stream? When I return home, they are so few? Why does practicing this book make one feel refreshed, even reducing the time needed for sleep?"
"Yang'er, Yang'er..." Yun Mu Yang could only hear his father anxiously calling his name, his voice resonating like a bell, startling the birds in the forest, the sound of their flapping wings echoing everywhere, drowning out the noisy chirping of the cicadas
There is nothing; instead, I feel that my eyes are brighter, my mind is clearer, my body is more agile, and my physical strength has increased somewhat
"What happened to Yang? Why do you smell so strong?" Green Branch held onto Yun Mu Yang's hand, feeling dizzy and nauseous, yet still examined Yun Mu Yang from head to toe. Hearing that something seemed to be wrong, Zhong An rushed out without even putting on his shoes. "His father, go fetch a few buckets of hot water, and then boil some more hot water." Zhong An hurried into the kitchen and brought out the hot water.
"How strange? Only your father does not know why it is like this? Perhaps when you grow up, you will understand. However, you must not do this again like today. The mountains are not as safe as the village; there are poisonous snakes and fierce beasts lurking everywhere in the mountains, especially in the morning when those birds and beasts come to drink from the stream. Fortunately, you are fine today; otherwise... this must not happen again in the future." Zhong An Dasong took a deep breath and, with a serious expression, patted Yun Mu Yang's head.
"Father, I am by the creek," he said, and then ran towards the sound of Zhong An, completely forgetting to pick up the towel.
Yun Mu Yang awoke from his meditation, and the golden rooster had already crowed three times. "What is that smell? Why is it so foul?" Yun Mu Yang felt a bit dizzy, searching around with his nose but finding nothing. When he lowered his head, he felt even more dizzy and nauseous. "Why do I smell so bad?"
Could this possibly be a martial arts manual? If practiced, could it allow one to scale walls and leap across rooftops as the master described? Yun Mu Yang felt extremely excited at this thought, determined to master it without fail, aspiring to become a chivalrous hero as spoken of by the master, wielding a sword and traversing the world. No wonder my mother said that if one were to learn this "Health Preservation Classic," it must not be disclosed to others, or else it would bring calamity upon oneself. Yun Mu Yang thought this way and found it difficult to calm his mind even during meditation, only gradually settling his thoughts after the hour of the rat, before entering meditation once more. No wonder my mother said that if one were to learn this "Health Preservation Classic," it must not be disclosed to others, or else it would bring calamity upon oneself. Yun Mu Yang thought this way and found it difficult to calm his mind even during meditation, only gradually settling his thoughts after the hour of the rat, before entering meditation once more
It is said that this may still have some benefits, but it is better not to practice it any further, lest some trouble arises again. Let us not discuss this any longer; quickly have your breakfast, or else if you are late, the teacher will punish you
Last night's feeling was truly wonderful. Could it be that the "Nourishing Life Classic" is indeed as my mother said, capable of delaying aging and promoting longevity? Is there really such a miraculous effect? If not, how could I feel so invigorated upon waking, without the slightest sense of fatigue? After all, I had not rested since after midnight. Yun Mu Yang thought to himself, as he dipped his hands into the stream with a towel. "It is truly refreshing and cool. The water in the mountains is indeed different from that in the village. The mountains are better. In the future, I want to live in the mountains like my father, enjoying the clouds as they rise and fall, listening to the harmonious calls of the mountain birds, and watching the flowers bloom and wither in the forests throughout the seasons." Yun Mu Yang murmured. If Mr. and Mrs. Zhong were here, they would surely be puzzled, wondering why this child, who has not yet reached the age of nine, would have such thoughts. They would probably fear that Green Branch would scold him again. If the village teacher were present, he would certainly be angry at his lack of ambition, believing that a youth without aspirations would find it difficult to achieve greatness in the future. Fortunately, these people were not present; only the quiet stream, the serene forest, and the wild birds and insects of the mountains were there to listen.
I understand, father may take good care of himself on the mountain Perhaps Yun Muyang is too young to fully comprehend this
Yun Mu Yang could only say that he did not know why, but after practicing the "Health Preservation Classic" last night, he woke up to find that the sky was already bright. Following that, the events that just occurred took place. The family pondered over it but could not come to any conclusion, ultimately attributing the credit to that "Health Preservation Classic," which was merely a little over ten pages of illustrations and text.
Yun Mu Yang returned home, where Lu Zhi and Zhong Jian were waiting at the door. Upon seeing his brother return, Zhong Jian ran over and embraced Yun Mu Yang. The two brothers walked back hand in hand, and Lu Zhi felt particularly gratified by this scene
"How do you feel now?" Green Branch asked with concern in her heart, fearing that the booklet might have some negative impact.
"Father, you should put on your shoes first!" Yun Mu Yang suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt as he shouted at Zhong An, which also startled Zhong Jian awake.
Yun Mu Yang sat cross-legged on the bed, with moonlight streaming in through the window, flowing over his entire body. Yun Mu Yang felt his heart and mind become ethereal; with his eyes closed, he could still see specks of deep blue light rising from every corner of the room, surging in through the window, swirling around him incessantly, and then continuously seeping into his body. These lights condensed into strands of light within his meridians, which then further coalesced, flowing like water along the riverbed formed by the meridians. With each inch that this flow traversed within the meridians, it brought both immense pain and unparalleled pleasure, making one reluctant to awaken from it. This flow seemed to be constantly washing and widening the riverbed of the meridians, with the fine streams persistently eroding the riverbed, wriggling forward until finally converging in the Dantian, from where it then flowed out, coursing through all the meridians of the body. After this cycle repeated seven times, it finally ceased.
However, the matter just now must not be mentioned to the master, as it is a family instruction that must be remembered. Luozhi reminded once more before finally bringing out breakfast
Perhaps life is like this, each day repeating the steps of yesterday, each day reminding oneself of the differences between today’s path and yesterday’s path, a continuous cycle of repetition. Since March, Yun Muyang's life has been like this. In the morning, waking up to help his mother with household chores, then going to school, and after class in the afternoon, studying medical principles with his teacher, identifying the properties of herbs, organizing medicinal materials, and finally returning home to study the "Nourishing Life Classic" after dinner. During this time, Zhong An has returned with wild game several times, each time staying only a few days before returning to the mountains. Now that winter has arrived, although the south is not cold, it is still difficult to catch wild game in winter. Therefore, after Zhong An returned, he also stayed at home, bringing a lively atmosphere to the household.
"Yang'er, your father has never been one to speak eloquently; what is the matter? Tell your mother."
"Yang'er, when you return home, you must listen to your mother and study diligently under your teacher. One day, you will become a doctor, living a life more carefree than your father today, without having to endure the hardships of wind and rain. If you do not become a doctor, you can still aspire to be a scholar or a teacher. Study well; as long as you enjoy it, your father will support you. Your father does not seek for you to become immensely wealthy or to bring glory to our family in the future; he only wishes for your safety and peace of mind." Zhong An said, gently touching Yun Mu Yang's forehead, gazing at him. After the hour had passed, Zhong An was to take Yun Mu Yang back to the village. He recalled the events of that morning, still feeling a lingering fear, which prompted him to give such advice.
After Yun Mu Yang took several baths, he finally felt that his body was free of odor, and only then did he come out of the bathroom. "Father, Mother, it is all my fault; I made you both busy early in the morning."