Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: Heart and Liver in Harmony

In the forest, Xu Daoyan stood facing the old beggar.

"Damn... What do you want, kid? This sip of wine is something you can't buy with all the gold in the world. Gold is a vulgar thing, used only by mortals. Immortals can turn a stone into gold with a mere touch. Do you know how many mortals would beg for this sip of wine?" The immortal was also capable of anger. Countless people had wanted to become his disciples but lacked the good fortune. Xu Daoyan, however, kept refusing, which made the old beggar bare his teeth and snarl, scaring Xu Daoyan.

"Unless you give my mother a sip too, I will kneel and become your disciple." Xu Daoyan stared at the old beggar, determined that such a good thing should also be shared with his mother.

"Ah, you are really a tough one to deal with. Fine, I'll agree. I'll do it for your filial piety!" The old beggar's expression improved after hearing Xu Daoyan's words. After a moment of contemplation, he agreed, much to Xu Daoyan's relief.

Xu Daoyan immediately knelt down, bowing three times: "I pay my respects to my Master!"

"Ha ha, good disciple!" The old beggar stood in front of Xu Daoyan and said, "You gave me a sweet potato, and I will give you a magical treasure. Carry it with you always."

In the village of Pomegranate.

At the village chief's house, with high walls and a large courtyard, there were twenty servants managing everything.

Today, Cai Qiang returned home with a bloody face, shocking the village chief. He called for the best doctor in the village to treat Cai Qiang, but it turned out that there were no serious injuries, just a swollen face like a pig's head.

The village chief had many valuable medicines at home. After applying them, the bleeding and swelling stopped, and Cai Qiang's injuries quickly healed.

Under the village chief's questioning, Cai Qiang finally recounted what had happened today, exaggerating the story by saying that Xu Daoyan had cursed the village chief for exploiting the villagers, wishing him to have no descendants and a miserable death.

Originally, Cai Qiang had been beaten by a single person, which was a shameful thing. The village chief had not wanted to get involved, but when he heard that Xu Daoyan had cursed him, he could not bear it. His eyes glinted with a sinister light as he said coldly:

"Rascal, a little bastard dares to curse me. I will make his life worse than death. They are orphans and a widow. If we openly retaliate, people will say we are bullying them. Xu Daoyan likes to run around outside, doesn't he? Cai Wu has been carefully trained by me and is almost at the eighth rank. I will have him break Xu Daoyan's legs. Then I will see how they can survive!"

Even Cai Qiang shivered at this. He had never seen his father so vicious. It seemed that Xu Daoyan was in for a lot of trouble. He felt a bit uneasy about what he had done.

But thinking about how Xu Daoyan had beaten him and threatened him, despite his young age, his heart turned cruel, and he felt that Xu Daoyan deserved it.

In the forest on the back mountain.

Xu Daoyan sat cross-legged, and the old beggar taught him how to cultivate.

"Maintain virtue, harmonize with yin and yang, adjust to the four seasons, leave the world and transcend the mundane, accumulate essence and preserve the spirit, wander between heaven and earth, and perceive beyond the eight directions..."

Xu Daoyan, who had never read books, could understand these words as the old beggar spoke them, which was a very magical thing.

"I am teaching you a method to strengthen your body, not a way to kill. Remember this!"

"Yes." Xu Daoyan nodded; he did not like bullying others.

"It is now the third month of spring, the best time to cultivate the liver. The external appearance of the human body is closely related to the five organs. The liver governs the eyes and tendons, stores blood, and strengthens the eyes when the liver is healthy."

"What are tendons? Tendons are attached to bones, and membranes cover the muscles. If the liver is strong, it greatly enhances the body's strength. At a certain level of cultivation, even magical treasures find it hard to harm you." The old beggar looked at Xu Daoyan and asked, "Have you ever heard of someone having their tendons cut?"

"Yes, even if they can be reconnected, they will become weak and useless, making them cripples!" Xu Daoyan nodded repeatedly.

"Exactly. That's because their liver is not strong enough. If it were strong, the tendons would be very resilient, even unbreakable by swords. There is also a layer of membrane protecting them, making it hard for even a sword to penetrate the muscles. As long as the liver is strong, even if the tendons are cut, they can quickly recover." The old beggar chuckled.

Xu Daoyan was very surprised. To him, this seemed like a fairy tale. The old beggar smiled and said, "Actually, there's nothing strange about it. When you cultivate the liver, it also strengthens your courage. Have you heard of 'heart and liver in harmony'?"

"Yes!" Xu Daoyan found the old beggar's words vivid and easily understood, feeling very excited.

"The liver and gallbladder are closely related. When your liver is strong, it also nourishes the gallbladder, bringing many benefits. You will understand in time. Now, I will teach you how to cultivate the liver. In the third month of spring, everything in heaven and earth is growing. Go to bed late and rise early, walk in the courtyard, let your hair down, and relax your body to nourish your spirit. Promote life, not death; give, not take; reward, not punish. This is the way to respond to the spring energy and the method of nourishing life..."

The old beggar spoke clearly, each word filled with profound meaning, making Xu Daoyan instantly understand the essence.

Xu Daoyan sat cross-legged, following the old beggar's instructions, feeling his liver working and pulsing. He took a deep breath, and the spring energy of the third month, like a gentle stream, flowed through his body into his liver, creating a very mysterious sensation.

As his liver expanded and contracted, greedily absorbing the spring energy, the old beggar, watching from the side, widened his eyes and whispered, "I didn't expect this kid to have such good talent. He can immediately draw the spring energy into his body, nourishing his liver and purifying other impurities!"

The sky gradually brightened.

When Xu Daoyan opened his eyes, he saw the old beggar grinning widely, showing his big yellow teeth: "Not bad, you managed to cultivate for so long!"

Xu Daoyan looked at the rising sun, feeling the spring energy even more intense in the morning. As the saying goes, the best time of the year is spring, and the best time of the day is morning.

If he wanted to cultivate his liver, this was the best moment.

"Bad, it's morning. I need to go back quickly, or Xiao Bai will be scared if I don't return." Xu Daoyan was startled and tried to stand up, but the old beggar pressed him down with a hand, chuckling, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Continue cultivating. The spring energy is most concentrated now, and cultivating at this time is ten times more effective than at other times."

After cultivating all night, Xu Daoyan felt a layer of membrane on his muscles, warm and soft like armor, protecting his muscles. His tendons had become much more resilient, and he could now do splits and touch his feet with his head, which he could not do before.

Moreover, he could see a mosquito flying twenty feet away, clearly seeing every part of its body.

"Really? I don't want my mother to worry." Xu Daoyan was doubtful, but as the old beggar said, he could feel the intense spring energy, and his liver seemed to be preventing him from going home.

"Of course, nothing will happen. Continue cultivating!" The old beggar watched happily, picking up a dozen sweet potatoes and roasting them.

After the hours of Chen and Si, Xu Daoyan clearly felt the spring energy becoming thinner and stopped. Two hours of cultivation had greatly improved him.

At this moment, he could see a mosquito flying forty feet away, and his body's flexibility had become even stronger. His eyes were bright, and two hours of cultivation were even better than the night before.

In less than a day, Xu Daoyan had changed significantly.

He picked up a wooden tablet called the Immortal Wood Mirror, a magical treasure given to him by the old beggar. This Immortal Wood Mirror could be used to secretly investigate an enemy's strength, and to a large extent, a person's lifespan was closely related to their strength.

A spiritual awareness passed into Xu Daoyan's mind.

"Lifespan: 128 years, Upper Eighth Rank."

Lower Ninth Rank: 50 years, Middle Ninth Rank: 60 years, Upper Ninth Rank: 70 years.

Lower Eighth Rank: 70 to 90 years, Middle Eighth Rank: 90 to 120 years, Upper Eighth Rank: 120 to 140 years.

Xu Daoyan was pleasantly surprised and looked at the old beggar, saying, "I have gained many years of life from last night's cultivation."

"You drank a sip of my immortal wine and cultivated a very powerful scripture. Gaining years of life is normal. Now, you can go back. Come back at night when no one is around, and I will guide you in cultivating magical techniques!" The old beggar wrapped the roasted sweet potatoes in large leaves and gave them to Xu Daoyan to take home.

"Magical techniques? What are those?" Xu Daoyan's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Ha ha, we'll talk about it when you come tonight. Go back quickly, don't let your mother go hungry. I put the sip of immortal wine in a small jade bottle. Give it to your mother and tell her not to worry that I didn't keep my word." The old beggar laughed heartily.

"Thank you, Master." Xu Daoyan nodded excitedly and ran out of the forest toward home.

Watching Xu Daoyan's back, the old beggar stroked his messy beard, smiled, and sighed, "He called me Master twice, all for his mother!"

At this moment, the old man with the iron hammer also appeared beside the old beggar, smiling, "This child has good talent, which is rare in this poor place. But why did he choose to stay here?"

"Everything is predestined. This child's talent is only average, but his heart is very determined. Only with determination can one achieve success. I hope he can walk a long, steady, and enduring path in the future!" The old beggar chuckled, paused, and then said, "How about yours?"

"Ha ha, he's a good seed, just a bit timid. But he is my disciple now, and I plan to take him away. Otherwise, staying in this village would be a waste." The old man with the iron hammer laughed, feeling very pleased.

As they talked, Xu Daoyan ran all the way. Just as he was running down from the back mountain, he suddenly saw a man, very muscular, blocking his way. Xu Daoyan recognized him; he was the village chief's enforcer, very strong, named Cai Wu.

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