Chapter 1

"From the depths of hell, I seek redemption! —— *The Revelation*

This is a land of yellow sand and buried bones, known as 'Jerusalem' in ancient times, said to be the place on earth closest to heaven. —— *The Teachings*

The place closest to heaven is also the place closest to hell. —— *The Dead Sea Scrolls*

The golden scales, the most just place in this world is in hell, where the Grim Reaper will judge all the sins you committed in life. —— *Redemption*

...

One body, two souls, the outsider's devouring and possession, on the Grim Reaper's golden scales, could one soul weigh as much as two?

The story begins in Jerusalem, starting with an evil skinning ritual."

...

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The morning sunlight filtered in, and a faint scent of sandalwood permeated the room. A pair of long, slender, and pale hands gently tapped on the keyboard. After finishing the last line, he finally let out a long breath and said slowly, "Phew! Finally, I've thought of the synopsis for the new book. Now those bastards can't nitpick and say I'm just fooling around with my synopses."

He shut down the computer and picked up a cup of water, drinking it in one gulp.

Drinking a cup of warm water every morning was a habit he had developed over many years. As a child, he was often sick, with a weak constitution, and had experienced a great shock, which made him afraid of the dark and being alone, prone to fevers and illnesses. His condition improved as he grew older, but the fragmented memories from his childhood indirectly sparked his curiosity about mysterious things.

Sandalwood is something familiar to most people but rarely used.

In general, apart from temples, there are few places where sandalwood is burned. Sandalwood has many special effects, but its most obvious benefit is calming the mind and soothing the spirit. It has unique aphrodisiac properties but can also dispel anxiety and calm the mind.

The ancient practice of "burning incense and bathing" primarily refers to sandalwood.

The sandalwood burning in the room was specially made, and it was almost impossible to buy even with money. Zhao Futu had to pull some strings to have it custom-made. A single box of this sandalwood was equivalent to a month's salary for a white-collar worker. Burning such luxurious sandalwood in the room was not just for enjoyment; in fact, Zhao Futu was not a hedonist. He spent a large sum of money on this for a specific purpose.

"Money, companions, methods, and land. I finally understand why money has been placed first since modern times." Zhao Futu glanced at the sandalwood that was not yet completely burned, pinched it out, and prepared to save it for the next time. His savings were not abundant, and the little royalties he earned were not enough to cover his expenses. With the rapid rise in prices, every bit saved was valuable.

His childhood illnesses made Zhao Futu's life path different from others.

From the age of fourteen, he began to study alchemy, also known as "internal alchemy." Qigong is an extension of this, which was popular in the 1980s but eventually calmed down.

The idea of health preservation usually arises when one feels their body is not well.

If a person is in good health, unless they have read too many martial arts or fantasy novels, they are unlikely to think about such things. When Zhao Futu first started studying alchemy, he had not yet read many novels, so his purpose was very simple and direct: to improve his health. His body was weak, and he needed more than just exercise; he needed nurturing.

This led him to the traditional path of alchemy, and he walked this path for eight years.

He did not have a master or secret manuals.

Zhao Futu believed he did not need these things because his goal was not to become an immortal like in Daoist practices. He searched through ancient texts, organized and explored them himself, discarding the dross and retaining the essence, gradually finding his own path. His goal was to improve his health and compensate for his congenital weaknesses, and that was all.

Eight years, a painstaking effort.

Some who initially did not believe it now believe it after experiencing it themselves.

Some who initially believed it now realize it was just a deception, and they understand that the path is one they must walk themselves.

"Sandalwood, vegetarianism, and Lantian jade."

Alchemy is mysterious but not mysterious at all; the key is just one word: "stillness." However, this simple word is something many people cannot grasp in their entire lives. Initially, it is all about simple things, but as one progresses, the requirement for "stillness" becomes higher, and it is not just about adjusting one's breathing.

This requires talent, or what is known as "aptitude"!

People without aptitude find it difficult to truly become still, and thus cannot feel or gather qi, ultimately transforming it into the body's intrinsic energy. People have different levels of talent; some are quick-witted but have active minds and find it hard to become still, while others are simple-minded and can easily enter the practice.

This is talent, a specialized ability, and the key to entering the path of alchemy lies in this one word: "stillness."

However,

The world has its own cause and effect, and things are not absolute; there are often ways to make up for deficiencies.

For example, a person with a complex mind finds it hard to focus and become still, but they can use external aids to achieve a calm mind. The idea of "harnessing the essence of heaven and earth" in some novels is not without basis. A person with a complex mind, if they can maintain a vegetarian diet, find a scenic place, and use calming items like sandalwood, can achieve a state of stillness.

To truly become still.

...

"Let's go to the store and take a look." Zhao Futu stretched a bit, then fried a few sunny-side-up eggs, seven-tenths cooked, and after eating, he planned to go to the store. He did not have a fixed job and enjoyed freedom, so he wrote to earn royalties. However, due to the national situation, few people were willing to spend money on books, and his royalties were barely enough. Writing was more of a hobby, and his main income came from a clothing store.

The clothing store was left to him by his mother, who passed away, and he entrusted it to Aunt Lan to manage.

Aunt Lan was a close friend of his mother, and they had a deep bond. They later partnered to open the clothing store, which now had two branches and was doing well. Aunt Lan was a kind-hearted woman. After Zhao Futu's mother passed away, she could have started her own business and opened a separate store, as she had the customer base, and Zhao Futu was not good at business.

But she insisted on maintaining the partnership, and the store still had half of its shares in Zhao Futu's name, even though he could not help much.

Zhao Futu came from a single-parent family, and Aunt Lan was a divorced woman. Perhaps because of their shared hardships, they became close friends. Aunt Lan had a fourteen-year-old daughter and treated Zhao Futu like her own, taking great care of him. The only downside was that she was stricter than his mother, often leaving Zhao Futu feeling helpless.

For example, she often did not let Zhao Futu handle the store's money, fearing he would misbehave if he had money.

Men become bad when they have money!

Many women believe this to be a truism.

So, Aunt Lan often lectured Zhao Futu, earnestly saying, "Little Futu! I can't give you this money yet. Your mother asked me to save it for your marriage and house. With prices so high, we need to save more. If I give it to you now, I'm afraid you'll misbehave!"

In fact, Aunt Lan was not old; she was only thirty-six and looked like she was just over thirty. She had a naturally youthful face and was well-maintained, fitting the description of a woman in her prime.

So, whenever she lectured him like this, Zhao Futu felt helpless.

Over the years, except for buying the three-bedroom apartment he lived in, all other expenses had to be earned by Zhao Futu himself, and Aunt Lan still controlled his finances.

However, he was not too concerned about this.

Zhao Futu was a laid-back person and did not have high material aspirations.

"Little Zhao? Going out?" A middle-aged auntie smiled and asked as he went downstairs.

Zhao Futu nodded, forcing a somewhat stiff smile, and said, "Yes, going to the store to check things out."

After saying this, he jogged away.

Mencius said, "Living in a place changes one's temperament, and nurturing changes one's body."

Most people who achieve success in cultivation have a peaceful mind and a natural aura that makes people feel close. This is inevitable because without such a mindset, they cannot break through the subsequent barriers or enter the state of "stillness." Strictly speaking, without this mindset, it is impossible to break through the obstacles and enter deeper realms.

So, many people who claim to be cultivators and argue with each other online, in Zhao Futu's view, are not worth commenting on.

Zhao Futu was well-liked in the neighborhood, but the downside was that many middle-aged aunties wanted to introduce their daughters or others' daughters to him. This was why he had a somewhat stiff smile just now. For him, these things were not urgent. Cultivators, unless they are of the Quanzhen sect, do not have the same restrictions as monks. While they need to control their desires, they do not advocate complete abstinence.

It would be a waste to cultivate and end up stifling oneself.

However, Zhao Futu was currently at a critical juncture in his cultivation and was not suitable for a relationship, so he had to avoid it.

Speaking of cultivation, it is not mysterious at all.

There are two main schools of cultivation today. One is the hidden cultivation school, like Zhao Futu, whose starting point is health preservation. Most people in this school began cultivating due to poor health and gradually learned about things beyond the mundane world. They do not openly claim to be cultivators or teach their methods; they are no different from ordinary people.

The other school is the charlatan school, which likes to talk about vague and mysterious things and is characterized by a tendency to act as teachers.

Most of the people arguing online belong to this school.

Cultivation is not magical, and true qi is not magical. Ancient Chinese medicine used true qi in conjunction with acupuncture to treat people. Zhao Futu spent eight years nurturing true qi. He had not practiced martial arts, but with the help of true qi, he could easily break bricks with his bare hands. He did not believe in any supernatural abilities, divine lights, or colorful auras.

Sometimes, when he heard those charlatans talking nonsense, he wanted to grab a brick and hit them!

How long has science been around?

The current environmental degradation is gradually proving that science is not the best path.

As a cultivator, one should neither be superstitious about the legends of immortality nor be superstitious about the materialism of science. All answers are found through personal verification and exploration, through what one sees and understands.

To put it in one word:

— Evolution.

This is actually two different paths of evolution.

...

(Chapter 1, just a casual read, this is just a bit of ranting. The story will delve into the plot later.)

{Piaotian Literature}