Chapter 9: Methods of Health Preservation
"Er Han, what do you want to do first? Isn't it forbidden to go to the back mountain?" Although he said this, Yu Ziqing did not stop his footsteps.
The first time I heard Er Han say that there are starving ghosts here, both fierce and somewhat different, he speculated that it was most likely a starving ghost
Yu Ziqing was certain that this was definitely not a form of Qi cultivation, and those black gases were certainly not any gaseous substances he was familiar with
It is just that sometimes it is not so easy
After a bow, the hungry ghost immediately retreated, disappearing into the darkness.
The aunties in the kitchen are becoming increasingly cunning. Every time they come to help carry the Jinlan mushrooms, they always learn a recipe from him, and later they even started learning how to extract oil.
According to normal standards, Er Han is indeed an ordinary person; he has never embarked on genuine cultivation, and he is not a practitioner. Among the many paths of cultivation mentioned by Old Sheep, there is none like this.
Upon stepping onto the black stone and beginning to practice his martial arts, Yu Ziqing felt a sensation similar to that experienced during his regular training. All the muscles in his body were tensed and exerting force, his heartbeat was accelerating, and his breathing was also quickening, but the sensations at this moment were even more pronounced
"Alright, I am free now." Er Han said with a beaming smile, joyfully running towards the kitchen
When Yu Ziqing arrived at the underground mushroom forest, a Jinlan mushroom began to sway and collapse, occurring later than the usual time for harvesting.
Er Han did not ask Yu Ziqing whether he was willing or not; in his view, this was a great opportunity, so he simply decided to start practicing directly
Upon seeing Yu Ziqing, he immediately performed an awkward bow with a hand gesture, seemingly having learned it in secret from somewhere, as he had never used it this way before, his body exuding stiffness.
And that hungry ghost was not far away, right next to the cut-down Jinlan mushroom.
Dragging the Jinlan mushroom out from underground was somewhat laborious, but taking it slowly, one person could manage to pull it out.
The starving ghosts in the village and the hungry spirits probably do not look significantly different, which is why they would be confused with one another
Yu Ziqing couldn't help but laugh; this glutton, who was praised for being quite clever just yesterday, doesn't even know to return the bowl after finishing his meal
Yu Ziqing's gaze suddenly sharpened, as if he had encountered a ferocious beast. The instinct from his bloodline compelled him to instinctively take two steps back under this overwhelming pressure
... ...
On the other side, Er Han rushed to the kitchen door, making faces at Yu Ziqing, who was working inside.
Upon closer inspection, one can clearly see a series of footprints of varying depths.
The second day
After the passage of two incense sticks' time, everything returned to calm, and Er Hanhan walked out with a smile, scratching his head
Indeed, his cooking is quite delicious. I had never thought before that golden mushrooms could be prepared in such a way. It would truly be a pity to have him go mining...
Without a moment's hesitation, he passed through the locust tree grove and vanished into the mist
Upon reaching the back mountain, Yu Ziqing could see numerous graves, and a chilling atmosphere pervaded the air. All the deceased from the village would be buried in the back mountain, and those who had previously come to the back mountain to steal white meat had dug it up here
What is it called? It is called martial arts
Alright, martial arts is martial arts, the name is not important
The eerie locust tree forest, at this moment, seemed completely unaware of his presence, with the energy within flowing without any discernible change
Yu Ziqing should not be pretentious; if he has the opportunity to learn the health-preserving methods that even Old Yang specifically advised, yet does not study them diligently, would he not be a fool
There is a fundamental distinction; Yu Ziqing is undoubtedly clearer than others about this world of hungry ghosts. As the village chief mentioned, they are forever subjected to hunger, yet they can never die of starvation, nor can they ever eat. Unable to seek life and unable to seek death, they are driven mad by torment. It is a normal course of action for them to actively seek death.
Killing the mad starving ghost is considered an act of kindness by many people
shackles
He is merely a newcomer who has not been here for long
This is the method of health preservation mentioned by the old sheep
Er Han led Yu Ziqing through a vast expanse of graves. Most of the graves appeared to be quite old, with only a few showing slightly fresher soil on the mounds.
You set up camp outside, and I will go in to retrieve the goods myself
The resistance that hinders his growth gradually dissipates as the martial arts unfold, and the feeling of being unable to lift weights to the limit also slowly diminishes until it completely vanishes
As for the area outside the village, everything is silent; not to mention ordinary trees, even withered weeds are hard to come by
The hungry ghost is a type of spirit, while the hungry ghosts refer to a category of spirits
After cutting the Jinlan mushrooms every day, there is no need to shamelessly seek out the kitchen aunt to carry them anymore
After finishing a meal, Er Han pulled Yu Ziqing and headed towards the back mountain
On a nearby hillside, the village head looked at Yu Ziqing with amusement, chuckling to himself. As he saw Yu Ziqing enter the kitchen, he finally spoke to Er Han, who was standing beside him.
As he stepped into the woods, a layer of faint light emanated from the scroll, enveloping his entire being.
Er Han, are you so hungry that your nose and eyes are cramping up?
What’s the matter? After finishing this meal, do you not want to eat the next one?
The village head did not speak, but looked at his son with great delight. After finishing his laughter, he pointed towards the kitchen
Yu Ziqing cast a glance, and the wooden bowl that had been placed there yesterday was already gone
"The cooking is delicious." Without thinking, Er Han blurted it out. Seeing that his grandfather's expression changed slightly, he quickly added, "Brother Yu is quite good. Besides being a great cook, he is knowledgeable and a nice person, but his health is a bit poor; he can't even carry a single Jinlan mushroom."
Brother Yu, do not blame me, I forgot that I was supposed to come to teach you as I got caught up in my practice...
... ...
Finally, there is a subject that he can practice and learn. Yu Ziqing believes that one should not set expectations too high; being able to become stronger is sufficient
He is merely engaged in simple health maintenance, but his approach to it is somewhat absurd. With his full strength in a single punch, it is likely that the previous four wicked shepherds would have their heads smashed in.
Yu Ziqing was willing to take out a wooden bowl for this hungry ghost, as he saw a chance for him to walk the right path, and this was one of the few things Yu Ziqing could offer.
However, the hungry ghost is different. Although the hungry ghost is initially quite similar to the starving ghost, there are times when the hungry ghost actually has the opportunity to eat something
Upon reaching a place where no graves are situated, I circled around a small hill once more and immediately saw ahead a large expanse of charred stones, measuring several hundred zhang in size
Line
At the forefront stands a person with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, clad in a black fitted outfit and draped in a crimson cloak, with a straightened back, gazing into the distance, his brows slightly furrowed
If this continues, Yu Ziqing will only be able to try washing out the starch to make cold noodles
Outside the Jinlan Mine, in the icy and snowy landscape, a troop of cavalry is stationed at the entrance
It is indeed not easy to distinguish between the hungry ghost and the starving ghost among the people here
He dismounted from the warhorse, glanced at the desolate hillside on the left, then looked at the locust tree grove on the right, and stepped forward towards the center.
Days went on like this, with little change. However, Yu Ziqing found it quite enjoyable and felt rather comfortable. Within less than a month, having enough to eat every day and with his nutrition in check, the ribs that seemed to want to burst through the skin for some fresh air were no longer as pronounced.
"Grandfather, how can Young Master Yu's frail body handle mining!" Er Han immediately became anxious.
Er Han leaped onto the black stone, and in an instant, his entire demeanor transformed. His muscles tensed, and the usually foolish look in his eyes became sharp. With a low shout, his feet suddenly sank into the black stone by about an inch, and a heavy sense of oppression surged towards him.
It's fine, I'll take a look first. It's a normal procedure. You can teach me slowly afterwards. By the way, what is the name of this set of martial arts?
He has wanted to take a stroll in the back mountain for a long time, but he has always restrained his curiosity. Aside from the places he must go for living and work, he has never taken the initiative to go anywhere else, in order to avoid causing trouble.
All the horses were covered with a layer of scales, and the cavalry on top were fully armed. A group of people remained silent, with steaming breath rising continuously, dispersing the snowflakes that fell from the sky
The person looked at the central path, furrowing their brows, glancing to the left and then to the right. They took a scroll from their bosom, holding it in one hand as they walked towards the locust tree grove on the right.
The foolish hungry ghost did not come for the bowl, and Yu Ziqing did not take it to heart, as the opportunity had already been given, and what followed was merely trivial matters.
The two fools, seemingly unaware, continued to practice on their own, throwing punches and kicks that exuded a fierce aura, and their skin began to take on a hint of bronze.
As time passed, that black gas increased in quantity, resembling a rolling smoke signal, surging forth, while Er Han huffed and puffed, absorbing it all.
The wooden bowls in the village are quite precious nowadays. The main trunk of the Jinlan mushroom wood is too rough; it can be used for firewood, but it is inadequate for other purposes. Moreover, it is also difficult to find other usable trees on the ground
Before he could take a step, the tiger-head hook hanging from his waist trembled slightly, and a flash of brilliance appeared on it, from which a phantom of a tiger head sprang forth, letting out a low roar towards the front
Not knowing the difference between a satisfying meal and a full meal is worse than being a cat
Yu Ziqing also keenly noticed that as Er Han practiced his martial arts, a trace of barely perceptible black gas continuously seeped out from the black stone beneath his feet, which was absorbed by Er Han during his training
Therefore, the back mountain has always been a very sensitive area in the village, and on ordinary days, no one dares to come here alone, as it is easy to create misunderstandings in such a place.
The shackles of physical strength disappeared during the training, allowing him to effortlessly break the limits of mortals; however, in the definitions of various cultivators, he remains a mortal.
"Where are you going? I have something to discuss with you." Er Han stretched his neck and sniffed, the aroma of grease made him decide to hold off on speaking: "Brother Yu, you go ahead and cook first, I will wait for you to finish your work."
It is indeed a waste; mining does not depend on him alone. His physique is too weak. If you have the time, go teach him some martial arts to help him gain strength. Otherwise, if he encounters any danger in the mushroom forest one day, he won't even have the strength to call for help
Brother Yu, your grandfather sees that your constitution is too weak. He is worried that when you are cutting mushrooms, if you happen to encounter a worm, you might shout... uh, you won't be able to catch it. Let me take you to practice some boxing to strengthen your bones. Pay attention now.
The village chief gazed into the distance for a long time, and after a while, he retracted his smile, let out a long sigh, and a trace of uncontainable worry appeared between his brows
A few days later, after completing an entire set of boxing techniques, he finally found the most precise description after he practiced the entire set of techniques, albeit not very smoothly
What do you think of him