Chapter 0006: Cultivating the Intent of the Sword

What I need to do now is to gather great medicine and nurture the intent of the sword. Zhang Bairen was checking the chicken coop as usual, but he found that one of the chicken coops was missing

Zhang Bairen shook his head and said: "Mother, there is no need to blame yourself. The child is gradually growing up and naturally must take on the household expenses. When the child grows up, I will definitely buy a large herd of sheep and raise cattle and sheep in this frontier region, becoming a local wealthy landowner."

Zhang's mother stewed chicken soup, which Zhang Bairen found exceptionally delicious, as if he had not eaten for several days. He consumed the entire pot of chicken soup, leaving not a single drop behind.

Those who usually practice do not understand why Taoist cultivation requires the collection of postnatal essence, filled with doubts. Is it not said that one should refine the prenatal essence?

The practice can be divided into two time periods, the first period being from midnight to morning

Zhang Bairen moved lightly, digging out one herb after another and placing them into the backpack, continuing the task of gathering medicinal herbs

"Your constitution is so weak; if you catch a cold, what will you do if you fall ill?" Mother Zhang shot a glance at Zhang Bairen.

"You child, in these chaotic times, what have you been doing all day?" Upon hearing the voice, Mother Zhang poked her head out from the room and saw Zhang Bairen, who was running back with a cage in hand. Her expression immediately changed: "Why do you look so pale and weak? Did you encounter something unclean in the mountains?"

Is that so? Mother Zhang touched Zhang Bairen's cheek and then whispered: "Indeed, it is quite hot, perhaps you have caught a cold. I thought you had encountered something unclean in the mountains and had your vital energy stolen."

"Mother, I am not ill, why do you not believe me?" Zhang Bairen quickly dressed, not giving his mother a chance to speak, and dashed out of the house, entering the mountains.

In short, you are not allowed to go up the mountain anymore said Zhang's mother irritably

Zhang Mu looked at the wild chicken in Zhang Bairen's hand and reached out to take it: "Why are you so weak? I will stew this wild chicken for you to nourish your body. There are still some yam left from a few days ago; I will stew them for you as well to help strengthen your health."

Zhang Bairen smiled wryly upon hearing this. Zhang's mother got up from the kang and brought over a quilt, wrapping it around Zhang Bairen, saying: "You are so weak; if you catch a cold, it would be serious. It would surely lead to a severe illness, so hurry and keep warm"

In ancient times, people had only two meals a day, not because they did not want to eat, but because there was a lack of food, and they had to ration their consumption. Zhang Bairen cultivated his sword intent overnight, visualizing a long sword. Meditation was merely a formality; sleep was the best way to restore one's vitality and spirit

Zhang's mother said nothing, merely bowing her head to eat the chicken. After the meal, she went to tidy up the house. Zhang Bairen sat on the kang, eyes closed, in a state that seemed like sleep but was not quite so. To outsiders, it appeared as though he was asleep, yet Zhang Bairen was not sleeping; instead, he was closing his eyes to contemplate the Four Swords of Extermination, nurturing the essence of those four sword intents.

The speed at which Zhang Bairen collected the medicinal herbs was unknown times faster than that of ordinary cultivators. Feeling the vital energy nurturing within his dantian, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Zhang Bairen's mouth

"Mother, I am fine, my constitution is quite good, it is just that I caught a chill today." A trace of sword intent flowed within Zhang Bairen, blocking his meridians: "Feel my forehead, isn't it quite hot? It is just a chill I caught."

"You child, do not speak recklessly. If you provoke the wrath of the spirits, what shall we do then?" Mother Zhang chided Zhang Bairen and turned to busy herself in the kitchen.

Having nurtured the essence of the sword and gathered potent herbs, Zhang Bairen, wearing cloth shoes, searched for medicinal plants in the mountains. In this era devoid of mechanization, the growth rate of herbs far exceeds the speed at which humans can harvest them, resulting in an abundance of herbs. Except for a few rare medicinal materials, the rest can be found in the mountains as long as one knows how to identify them

Taoists emphasize filial piety towards parents, respect for teachers, and kindness towards others; these are commendable aspects of Taoism. However, Zhang Bairen believes that there are certain aspects of Taoism that are not worthy of people's recognition

Watching Zhang Bairen's departing figure, Zhang's mother was filled with worry: "Supreme Laojun, deities of the heavens, may you bless Bairen to grow up safely and happily"

Do not go up the mountain tomorrow, Zhang's mother said

Zhang Bairen would certainly not waste the precious morning hours staying at home. Given his current physical weakness, he seeks to gather the essence of the sun and moon to nourish his body, as the sun and moon are the best tonics.

Zhang Bairen smiled wryly upon hearing this, picked up a book beside him, and said, "Mother, the events in that absurd novel are all unbelievable; where in this world are there any ghosts or deities"

"Good, good, good. My son is ambitious. I will save money for you and find you a wife. The girl from Uncle Zhang's family is quite good." Mother Zhang said happily

Observing Zhang Bairen indulging in food and drink, seemingly unconcerned, Zhang's mother reached out to touch Zhang Bairen's forehead: "Hmm, the fever has subsided, take some more medicinal herbs, and you will be fine. Over the years, I have read quite a few books, and I am also half a scholar."

The essence of life is inherently continuous; why then must we gather the essence that is acquired later?

On the second day, as the rooster crowed, Zhang Bairen watched his mother, Zhang, get dressed and hurriedly put on his own clothes, tidying up his attire

Zhang Bairen had a gloomy expression. Since his birth, in both his past and present lives, he had only taken advantage of others, never had there been a time when others took advantage of him.

Zhang Bairen does not deny that he is not a good person, nor is he a follower of Taoism

Zhang Bairen was taken aback and asked, "Why?"

Ignoring those cages, Zhang Bairen ascended to the peak, opened his mouth, and began to inhale and exhale the purple energy coming from the east. After about a quarter of an hour, the purple energy disappeared, and the sun hung high in the sky. Zhang Bairen ceased his breathing exercises, for the essence of the sun is not something that anyone can withstand. Even Daoist masters, without special techniques, would not dare to absorb the energy of the sun.

Until the time of descending the mountain, Zhang Bairen collected the chicken cage, but was taken aback to find that the cage he had lost in the morning was unexpectedly placed there in perfect condition, only the chickens were nowhere to be found

Zhang's mother looked at Zhang Bairen and said, "Have you recovered from your illness? Sleep a little longer!"

After absorbing the purple energy, Zhang Bairen's complexion improved somewhat. He began to visualize the sword intent gestating within him and to gather the great medicine.

The essence of the sword is akin to a precious blade; to maintain its sharpness, it requires constant care and nurturing, allowing it to grow stronger, so that it may cut through myriad laws and subdue gods and demons.

Zhang's mother was about to scold him, but she instantly swallowed her words, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Zhang Bairen, examining him from head to toe: "How could this be? How could this be? Why is your body so weak?"

However, if I do not go up the mountain, who will gather herbs and catch wild chickens? It has not been easy for us to have a stable year, so mother, do not worry about me

Zhang Bairen watched as Zhang's mother went to the outer room, and only then did he let out a sigh of relief, having managed to get through this ordeal. Next, he aimed to restore his vitality as soon as possible and replenish the essence within the secret chamber. At such a young age, he was already suffering from kidney deficiency, a condition unique to him among all realms and worlds.

However, it is not known that the essence of refinement must rely on the acquisition of mundane essence after birth; only then can the true essence find its foundation. Without mundane essence, the vital energy is weak and uncertain, unable to sustain itself from morning to evening. Yet, it remains unknown what the true meaning of refinement is.

Zhang Bairen patted his chest and said: "Mother, you are overthinking it. My health is very good, and the child has always been healthy. How could I fall ill?"

In the second phase, from morning to noon, after noon, there are few practitioners of the Way

I would like to see which little thief dares to steal my chicken coop Zhang Bairen continued walking towards the distance after all, there were some gains in the other cages

Zhang Bairen grinned widely, and then ate the coarse bread, which had been difficult to swallow in the past, but now tasted incredibly delicious, devouring it in a frenzy.

"How strange, who has stolen the chicken coop?" Looking at the muddy footprints in front of the chicken coop, Zhang Bairen squatted down, extended his hand to measure, picked up a piece of the soil beneath the footprint, and gently sniffed it at the tip of his nose: "A soldier!"

"Mother, it's nothing, I just caught a cold, it's not serious." Zhang Bairen adjusted the cage in his hand

Upon seeing Zhang Bairen return, Zhang's mother felt a sense of relief. She took the chicken cage and the herbs, saying: "You should go rest now. Your health has just recovered, and with all this exertion, you must not catch a cold. It is I who have wronged you, making you suffer so much."

"No matter who you are, having stolen my chicken, this is the consequence. It is a pity that I did not have the chance to raise the Five Ghosts upon arriving in this world; otherwise, I would surely make you reveal your true form, and you would not be able to escape unscathed." Zhang Bairen carried the chicken cage and walked down the mountain

Zhang Bairen was astonished: "He can be considered a conscientious thief; otherwise, this chicken coop took me three days of effort to build, and now, with the cold weather and the ground cracking, I can't even find a branch."