Chapter 12

"I still have two older brothers at home, so my father doesn't have to worry about passing on the family name."

Qin Sang tried hard to please, "Daozhang, with your vast knowledge and superb medical skills, you must have had a distinguished background. What did you do before?"

"I have been a Daoist since I was young, but..."

Jixin Daozhang took a sip of tea and gazed at the moon, saying, "Your grandmaster, my own master, was once an imperial physician, full of vigor and ambition. Unfortunately, he once used the wrong herb, nearly facing execution. After being expelled from the palace, he became disheartened and became a Daoist, styling himself as Yunyouzi. My Daoist name was given to me by your grandmaster, and all my skills were learned from him. So you must remember, when you practice medicine alone in the future, you must be extremely cautious when prescribing and using herbs, and never be careless."

Mingyue swallowed the snack in his mouth and said solemnly, "I understand, Master."

"Daozhang is a descendant of a prestigious family!"

Qin Sang's face was full of admiration as he refilled Jixin Daozhang's tea, "Grandmaster was an imperial physician, walking in the imperial palace, he must have known many secrets, right? Did he ever see the Immortal Master?"

The old Daoist shook his head, "No, he never saw him. However, when my master was an imperial physician, he heard many rumors about an Immortal Master who frequented the palace and associated with the royal family. Wealth, beauty, fame, and power can be very alluring. In my view, even the so-called Immortal Master is not immune to the seven emotions and six desires, and cannot be considered transcendent."

Qin Sang was taken aback.

His preconceived notion of Immortal Masters was that they drank morning dew and ate mist, lived in famous mountains and blessed lands, and remained hidden from the world for a thousand years, rarely showing themselves.

But it was wrong!

Should he go to the capital to try his luck?

Jixin Daozhang seemed to see through Qin Sang's thoughts and said, "Don't have such unrealistic hopes. My master served as an imperial physician for over thirty years, entering and leaving the palace and the mansions of nobles every day, but he never saw an Immortal Master, only heard a few legends. Besides, if there were any Immortal connections in the capital, wouldn't the princes and nobles fight for them? How could it be your turn?"

...

Looking up at the moon, listening to the chanting of his master and apprentice, Qin Sang sat on the bed, silent for a long time, and finally laughed bitterly.

If Immortal connections were so easy to find, wouldn't everyone in the world be able to become Immortals? No matter what, he still had the *Yuming Jing*, and there was still a glimmer of hope.

With this realization, Qin Sang temporarily put aside his unrealistic fantasies and focused on understanding the *Yuming Jing*.

Before he knew it, winter had arrived. The old Daoist had taken in several families of disaster victims, and the Daoist temple was bustling with people.

The first snow fell on the mountain.

The mountains turned white overnight. Qin Sang followed his master and apprentice down the mountain to provide free medical care. Seeing the disaster victims who had frozen to death by the roadside, he felt deep compassion. The old Daoist sighed, saying that as a poor old Daoist, he could only shelter a few homeless people in the Qingyang Temple, which only had a few old rooms.

They could only do what they could.

Qin Sang squatted in a stone hollow to make a fire, the pot full of herbs to drive away the cold. He boiled the herbs into a medicinal soup and distributed it to the disaster victims.

While absentmindedly tending the fire, Qin Sang silently recited the *Yuming Jing*.

He had already memorized the *Yuming Jing* perfectly, pondering every line countless times. The translation had not been changed for several days, and he felt he had a deep understanding of the *Yuming Jing*. He planned to start cultivating tonight!

The snow had not melted, the moon was bright, and the night was as clear as day.

The families staying at the Daoist temple were crowded in the front rooms, but Qin Sang still lived alone, not worrying about being discovered.

He sat in meditation, following the guidance in the *Yuming Jing*, trying to cultivate.

Although he had the text memorized, he sat for several hours without making any progress. Not only could he not calm his mind, but he was also plagued by distracting thoughts. He was secretly anxious, trying to eliminate the distracting thoughts, but suddenly realized that this very thought was itself a distraction.

As dawn approached, Qin Sang still could not achieve the state of mind like still water and the spirit hidden within the body described in the text. He had to go down the mountain to provide free medical care the next day, so he had to stop for the time being.

Going down the mountain to provide free medical care during the day, cultivating at night, and practicing boxing in the morning and evening, Qin Sang's life was monotonous but fulfilling.

By now, he realized that whether the *Yuming Jing* was a martial arts technique or a cultivation method, it was not easy to cultivate. He needed to be patient.

After another day of providing free medical care, Qin Sang was pondering the *Yuming Jing* in his room when Mingyue ran up, panting, with two bowls of porridge.

"Brother, Master said the herbs in the temple are running out. He will go up the mountain to collect herbs tomorrow and wants you to pack your things and go with him."

Qin Sang stopped and looked at the distant mountains. It had been seven days since the snow stopped, and today was sunny. By tomorrow, the snow on the mountain should have melted.

Going down the mountain to provide free medical care, they had to boil several pots of medicinal soup every day, so it was no wonder they needed to collect more herbs.

Without snow on the mountain, there might still be ice on the path. Qin Sang was also worried about the old Daoist going up the mountain alone, so he agreed readily, finished his porridge, and went back to pack.

Actually, apart from the blackwood sword and other items, he didn't have much else. The tools and food for collecting herbs were prepared by Mingyue. He tied up his cotton clothes with a cloth strip and brought a pair of thick cotton shoes, which was all his luggage.

The next day, before dawn, Qin Sang set out with the old Daoist.

Cui Ming Mountain was still okay, with a path made by people. After descending Cui Ming Mountain, they entered the wilderness, following animal trails through tall grass. Even in broad daylight, Qin Sang couldn't see where they were going and could only follow the old Daoist step by step.

Climbing up the valley, then along the narrow path on the cliff, down the mountain, and up again, they finally reached the foot of Huang Huang Mountain at noon.

Walking on such a path, Qin Sang had slipped several times, feeling very nervous, while the old Daoist was as steady as a rock. Qin Sang couldn't help but wonder who was the young one.

The schedule was tight, and they had to return to the temple by the next evening, so they started collecting herbs immediately after reaching Huang Huang Mountain.

Hearing the occasional strange roars from the forest, Qin Sang felt tense, thinking to himself that he wouldn't die in a tiger's mouth while seeking Immortality. He asked softly, "Daozhang, aren't you afraid of tigers and wolves eating you when you come to such a deep mountain to collect herbs?"

"I have encountered mountain wolves before. My master gave me a beast-repelling powder that works to some extent."

The old Daoist was calm, using his medicine hoe to clear the grass, "The herbs outside have long been picked clean. We can only go into the mountains. You have martial arts skills, what are you afraid of?"

Qin Sang held a stick and felt a bit embarrassed, "Daozhang, don't make fun of me. My skills are not impressive."

The old Daoist chuckled, "I see that the boxing form you taught Mingyue seems incomplete. Is it not complete?"

"Daozhang has a keen eye."

Qin Sang said, "This *Fuhu Changquan* was taught to me by the brother who saved me. He only had time to teach me three moves. However, this boxing form is quite common. I can complete it by seeking guidance from a security company in the city after some time."