Clarity and Stillness Scripture

Qin Sang made several trips into the city to investigate, only to discover that Bai Jianglan had not lied to him. The Tiger-Subduing Long Fist was indeed common knowledge; several major escort agencies in the city, including the Wuwei Escort Agency, possessed this martial art. Learning the fist did not strictly require joining an escort agency—spending silver worked just as well. However, learning the Tiger-Subduing Long Fist alone cost forty to fifty taels of silver, which would empty more than half of Qin Sang's coin pouch in one stroke. Even so, the future of the Nether Scripture remained uncertain, and he absolutely had to master this fist technique for self-defense. Seeing that the old Daoist remained silent, Qin Sang felt puzzled and asked, "Daoist Priest, surely you don't object to Mingyue learning martial arts?" "He has practiced with you for two months. Did this humble Daoist ever stop you?" The old Daoist halted, turned, and countered with a question of his own. He sat down on a blue stone by the roadside, took a sip of water, looked up at the vast grey sky, and sighed. "The snow came much earlier this year than in years past. In these troubled times, natural disasters and human calamities follow one after another, and what the future holds is anyone's guess. It is a good thing for Mingyue to have a martial art to defend himself." Qin Sang sat down beside him and chuckled. "What are you afraid of? Qingyang Temple isn't your ancestral estate. Even if Great Sui falls into complete chaos, the worst you'd have to do is pack your bags and flee to another country. Mingyue has all the skills you've taught him—he'll be able to earn a living wherever he goes." Only after making friends with a few traveling merchants did Qin Sang realize just how vast this world truly was. South of Great Sui lay more than a dozen small countries similar to the State of Ning, and further south stretched boundless territories. Bordering Great Sui to the north was a great empire called the State of Heng. He heard that the territory within its borders was exceedingly vast; compared to Heng, Great Sui could only be considered a tiny speck of a nation. And north of the State of Heng, legends spoke of great empires even more powerful than Heng. An ordinary person traveling from south to north or east to west would never reach the edge even if they walked until their dying breath. Qin Sang also helped gather the herbs he recognized. The old and the young worked without pause, filling an entire woven back-basket in just one afternoon. Only as night fell did the two find a mountain cave to rest, building a fire to cook a meal. Although Qin Sang had temporarily put aside his thoughts of seeking immortals, whenever he came across a cave or a natural spring while gathering herbs, he could never resist sticking his head in to take a look. The old Daoist sighed helplessly. "You, you still haven't given up. I told you long ago, I've walked every mountain peak within a hundred li of here and slept in every cave on these mountains. I've never seen any immortals. As for the corpses left behind by immortal-seekers, I've seen plenty, and I even personally encoffined several of them." Qin Sang could only offer a sheepish grin as he turned the steamed cornmeal cakes roasting over the fire. Seeing the old Daoist sitting cross-legged to the side with his eyes closed in quiet meditation, not moving a muscle for a long time, Qin Sang's heart suddenly stirred. Had Daoist Priest Jixin already reached the state where his mind was as tranquil as still water? A living example sat right before his eyes, yet he had been blind to it all along. Filled with regret, Qin Sang hastily spoke up to ask for guidance. "Daoist Priest, how do you manage to banish all distracting thoughts and keep your mind so calm and still?" Daoist Priest Jixin kept his eyes closed and asked, "You have read so many Daoist scriptures. How much have you remembered?" Qin Sang felt ashamed. His heart had been set on the immortal path, so he had looked down upon the scriptures of mortal Daoists. He had only flipped through those Daoist texts to learn the characters so he could ask the old Daoist questions, picking up a sentence here and another there without ever reading any text properly from start to finish. "Eat first." The old Daoist offered no judgment. He picked up a cornmeal cake and chewed it slowly, savoring every bite. Qin Sang watched him with growing impatience. The old Daoist glanced at him. "Calm your mind; steady your breath. Practicing calligraphy and eating a meal are both forms of cultivation." Qin Sang forced down his restlessness and finished his food, only to find that his heart had indeed settled considerably. Only after Daoist Priest Jixin finished washing up did he speak: "Do you still remember the Clarity and Stillness Scripture?" Qin Sang nodded repeatedly. "I remember part of it." "Recite with me... Inner contemplation of the mind reveals no mind; outer contemplation of form reveals no form; distant contemplation of things reveals no things..." The voices of the old Daoist and the youth chanting scripture resonated through the cave. After one full recitation of the Clarity and Stillness Scripture, Qin Sang opened his eyes and was about to speak, but saw the old Daoist immediately begin a second round, so he hurriedly joined in. After chanting the Clarity and Stillness Scripture several times, Qin Sang felt a spark of comprehension. He sat in a daze for a while, then rose and gave the old Daoist a deep bow. "Daoist Priest, may I join you for evening prayers in the future?" Daoist Priest Jixin chuckled. "Whether you chant scriptures or not, what does it have to do with this humble Daoist?" That night, with the old Daoist sleeping nearby, Qin Sang did not cultivate the Nether Scripture. Yet his heart surged with excitement. He had likely found the right path at last. ... From then on, Qin Sang rose early and slept late every day, joining the old Daoist and Mingyue for morning and evening prayers. In the blink of an eye, the end of the year drew near. This was Qin Sang's first New Year festival in this world. A myriad of emotions welled up within him, but he had no one to share them with. The New Year at the Daoist temple was plain and ordinary. The only notable event was when Daoist Priest Jixin brought out a portrait of his master, Yunyouzi, to offer worship, allowing Qin Sang to see an old Daoist priest who looked even more like a transcendent immortal. Although refugees flooded the area like a tidal wave, Sanwu City remained as bustling and lively as usual. Qin Sang followed the master and disciple into the city to visit the holiday market. To this day, Qin Sang had still failed to cultivate that wisp of 'qi.' However, his two months of persistence had not been in vain. His skill in entering meditative stillness had grown significantly; at times, he would unknowingly sit in meditation through the entire night, yet the next day he felt not the slightest fatigue, but was instead refreshed and invigorated. This gave him ever greater confidence. Sanwu City was a major thoroughfare connecting the north and the south, boasting thriving trade routes and numerous escort agencies. The Wuwei Escort Agency could not be considered the largest agency in Sanwu City, but it enjoyed an outstanding reputation. Qin Sang had made inquiries for a long time and knew that the Wuwei Escort Agency had a senior escort master named Yang Zhen who possessed superb martial arts and an upright character, and whose disciples were all skilled fighters. As the New Year approached, most of the escort masters out on runs had returned to the city. Yang Zhen's latest run had taken him all the way to the imperial capital, a round trip that lasted over three months. The moment Qin Sang heard the news of his return, he bought gifts and went to pay a visit. Fifty taels of silver in exchange for the Tiger-Subduing Long Fist was steep compared to other escort agencies in Sanwu City. The Wuwei Escort Agency's accountant accepted the payment and ordered a clerk to lead Qin Sang to Yang Zhen. Following the clerk into a small courtyard, Qin Sang saw several dozen youths already waiting inside. He whispered to the clerk, "Are they all Escort Master Yang's disciples?" The clerk nodded. "Escort Master Yang has formidable martial skills and a renowned reputation, and he never holds anything back when teaching his disciples. If someone has enough talent, Escort Master Yang will even accept them as a formal disciple. Plenty of people in the city want to take Escort Master Yang as their master and learn martial arts from him. Young Master Qin will study alongside them from now on. Escort Master Yang is speaking with the head escort master at the moment, so please wait in the courtyard for a short while. I will present your calling card and gifts first." As the clerk entered the inner hall, Qin Sang stood in the courtyard and observed Yang Zhen's disciples. He could tell that the dozens of youths had divided into several circles. Around a dozen youths wore matching tight-fitting padded cotton coats, with belts cinched tight and leg wraps in place. Their builds were remarkably sturdy, and from the way they played and sparred, their fundamentals were clearly solid; they were likely the formal disciples the clerk had just mentioned. There were also wealthy young masters dressed in lavish silks with unsteady footsteps, clearly there just to fool around. And there were others standing alone in the corners looking very ill at ease, likely people who, like him, had just enrolled as pupils. After a moment's thought, Qin Sang also walked to a corner and waited quietly. Before long, the main doors swung wide open, and a burly man stepped out. The youths in the courtyard immediately stopped their laughing and joking, bowing loudly to greet their master. Upon seeing Yang Zhen in person, Qin Sang felt a heavy, suffocating pressure radiating from him. The man appeared to be in his fifties, with a full beard, and wore the tight-fitting martial attire of the Wuwei Escort Agency. He possessed a towering frame, standing a full head taller than Qin Sang, and was the most imposing, powerfully built man Qin Sang had ever seen in this life. Bai Jianglan's subordinates were all burly brutes, but even their builds were a size smaller than Yang Zhen's.