A Spiritual Imprint Must Not Be Left Lightly

Qishuiyao, Qingrong Silk Shop. Duan Shuqun arrived at the shop, more than half of which had been reduced to ashes, and waited for the accountant to tally the losses. Yue Changyou, the chief overseer of the silk shop, stepped forward to accept the blame. "Master Duan, I was useless. Whether you beat me or penalize me, I submit to your punishment." Yue Changyou was a martial cultivator of the fifth tier. Seeing him covered in wounds, Duan Shuqun knew he had fought with his life on the line. "Changyou, are you certain Ma the Fifth did this?" Yue Changyou gritted his teeth. "Master Duan, I stake my life on it. Ma the Fifth sent his men to do this. I recognized several of them! If there's half a lie in what I say, you can take my life right now!" Duan Shuqun frowned slightly, narrowing his eyes. Yue Changyou said, "Master Duan, give me some men. I'll go settle scores with them right now. If we don't settle this grudge, I won't even have the stomach to earn my keep!" Duan Shuqun shook his head. "Changyou, don't be hasty. Wait for word from the boss." Once the accountant finished calculating the losses, Duan Shuqun reported immediately to He Jiaqing: "The silk and cloth are basically all burned. Only a few odds and ends remain in the storeroom, and even appraised at full value, they won't fetch much. This shop is a total loss." He Jiaqing replied with only a single sentence: "I know about it." Duan Shuqun added, "Jiaqing, two of our factories were wrecked as well. I'm afraid business in Qishuiyao won't be viable anymore." "Tell the brothers to keep their cool and make no rash moves." He Jiaqing cut off the connection. He was currently on Ma the Fifth's newlands, where speaking too much was inconvenient. He wore a coarse padded jacket and a dog-fur hat, with wrinkles painted onto his face, a fake beard pasted on, and his hair dyed white. Disguised as an old hunter, he carried a wild boar on his shoulder and walked among a crowd of land reclaimers. "Freshly hunted boar here! Take a look, folks, and make an offer." He Jiaqing put down the boar and cupped his hands in greeting toward the crowd. The reclaimers gathered around. Some wanted meat, some wanted hide, and some wanted pig ears. He Jiaqing waved his hand. "I'm not selling the meat separately, nor the hide. I sell the whole boar." The hunters and workers chimed in all at once: "Who can afford a whole boar? Besides, it's a hassle to butcher!" "None of us has it easy working out here. We just want a bite of pork to satisfy a craving. We'll take the bones too—just give us a fair price." "This is an iron-bristle boar, isn't it? The hide is good quality. Selling it piece by piece won't cost you a copper. If you don't believe me, let me do the math for you." He Jiaqing haggled back and forth with the people around him. The quality of his boar truly was excellent, drawing more and more onlookers. Among them, He Jiaqing spotted a few familiar faces. Just a few days ago, those very men had been clearing land on his own territory. That settled it. The one poaching men from He Jiaqing's territory was indeed Ma the Fifth! He Jiaqing thought to himself: *Is Ma the Fifth coming after me? Why would he know about those thirteen tracts of newlands? Did Li Qi tell him?* *That's quite possible. Li Qi and the peddler share an extraordinary bond; the peddler likely told Li Qi the truth.* *Ma the Fifth's territory is over ninety percent cleared and will soon become proper land. He also has a massive number of three-headed people under his command. Coming to my territory to poach men is an outright provocation.* *If I don't teach Ma the Fifth a lesson, today he dares steal my men, and tomorrow he'll dare seize my land!* He Jiaqing made up his mind, but he would not strike today. Today was strictly for casing the joint. Storming the Kiln Hall would have to wait for a better opportunity. He planned to carry off a prized possession from Ma the Fifth's side, making him feel the sting in full measure. Yet he did not intend to kill Ma the Fifth. He had no wish to fight to the death against Li Qi. Then again, where in the world was Li Qi? With such a massive commotion underway, why hadn't there been a single peep from him? *** Li Qi was squatting in Room Thirty-two, staring at the seam of a door in the wall. Zhao Xiaowan touched the crevice. "Husband, Glove has already checked. Air passes through this seam, which proves there are rooms behind it, but we can't open it right now." Li Banfeng's eyebrows were practically knotted together. He walked past room after room, then turned back to look at Zhao Xiaowan. "Wife, something is wrong here!" Zhao Xiaowan nodded. "Something is indeed wrong. But the Old Master is asleep right now, so we can't find out the reason, nor do we dare act rashly." Li Banfeng did not follow his wife's meaning. "What does this have to do with the Old Master?" Zhao Xiaowan didn't understand Li Banfeng's meaning either. "Isn't this the Old Master's doing?" "You can't rely on the Old Master for everything. What needs doing is up to us to handle ourselves." "What exactly are you talking about, Husband?" "Twenty rooms, completely bare! Is this any way to run a home?" Zhao Xiaowan stared blankly for a long time, then counted carefully. Room Thirteen had been added not long ago, containing only a single table and no other furnishings. The remaining nineteen rooms had just popped up, lacking even a table. Tallying them up, it truly was twenty rooms. "Darling husband, is that what's urgent right now?" Li Banfeng's eyes widened round. "If running a proper home isn't urgent, what is? Hurry up and write a list; I'm going out to buy furniture!" Zhao Xiaowan looked at Jiu'er. "Husband can't possibly be wrong... Could it be that I'm the one who's mistaken?" Jiu'er looked at Li Banfeng. "A'qi, why don't you marry A'yi too? I don't think she's a good match for Old Train, and she doesn't suit Qiu Daxiang either." Li Banfeng asked, "Why wouldn't she suit them?" Jiu'er said, "Qiu Daxiang definitely won't do—he's not crazy enough. Old Train isn't quite right either; even at his craziest, I still don't think he matches my sister the way you do." Li Banfeng wasn't going crazy. He genuinely intended to go out and buy furniture, convinced that this matter was of paramount importance. Seeing him stumbling toward the door, Zhao Xiaowan hurried to stop him. "Darling husband, you must learn your technique right away. A Dwelling Cultivator at Cloud Five has no technique, leaving your cultivation unstable. Now you've reached Cloud Six. Your foundation was already shaky, yet you've piled another tier on top. If this drags on, something terrible will happen!" This was indeed pressing. Li Banfeng walked over to the Copper Lotus. "I want to learn a technique. A Dwelling technique." The Copper Lotus coughed softly. "I don't know any Dwelling techniques either. I'm just an alchemist." Li Banfeng stared at the Copper Lotus for a long time, until her hairs stood on end. "A'qi, speak your mind plainly. I really can't teach you techniques. I'm not lying to you." Li Banfeng stroked the center of the lotus. "In truth, you're the one who taught me all my techniques, aren't you?" The Copper Lotus chuckled. "Don't go spouting nonsense like that. If your wife hears, won't she skin me alive? All your Dwelling techniques were taught by her." Li Banfeng shook his head. "My wife originally didn't know any Dwelling techniques." The Copper Lotus hooked Li Banfeng's chin with a lotus leaf. "You've reached this level of cultivation, yet you still don't understand the rules of a Dwelling Cultivator? The dwelling first teaches the dwelling spirit; the dwelling spirit comprehends it, and once it is fully understood, teaches it to the Dwelling Cultivator. That's how all your techniques were learned." Li Banfeng still shook his head. "The companion dwelling originally didn't know Dwelling techniques either." "Good heavens! Truly?" The Copper Lotus sounded exceedingly astonished. "Then where did your techniques come from? Could it be that other secrets are hidden in this dwelling?" Li Banfeng picked up the Copper Lotus. "Some secrets can't be seen clearly inside the house. Let's go outside and talk." The Copper Lotus huffed. "Why take me outside? Who are you trying to scare? You think the peddler is still out there? It's been how many days now—you think the peddler has been watching your doorway this whole time? Let me tell you, even if he were at the door, I wouldn't fear him! A'qi, I'm thinking of your own good. If you go outside, you'll be bathed in heavenly light. That's why we shouldn't go out—Seventh Brother! Everything's open to discussion! Let's not go outside!" The Copper Lotus shrieked so loudly that all thirty-two rooms of the house heard her clearly. Li Banfeng set the Copper Lotus down. "I want to learn that." The Copper Lotus, still shaken, asked, "Learn which that?" "Didn't you just mention being bathed in heavenly light? I want to learn the one about heavenly light. That move should be called Profound Light Purges Evil, right?" The Copper Lotus sighed softly. "I do know a bit about that technique, but Dwelling Cultivators have plenty of fine techniques. Advancing a tier doesn't come easy, so we could learn something else instead—like Clearing the Mind to Seal Demons, Thatched Hut Embraces All, or Warm Curtains on a Spring Night. Those are all marvelous techniques." Li Banfeng shook his head. "I only want to learn Profound Light Purges Evil." This was not blind stubbornness on Li Banfeng's part. Profound Light Purges Evil had been mentioned by A'yu before, and Li Banfeng had experienced it himself, giving him some grasp of the concept. As for the techniques the Copper Lotus listed, Li Banfeng had no concept of them at all. Learning blindly with his eyes shut would leave him entirely at the Copper Lotus's mercy. "Fine! I'll teach you Profound Light Purges Evil!" The Copper Lotus conceded. "First, find your most precious possession and bring it before me. I'll teach you how to leave a spiritual imprint. A spiritual imprint acts like a Dwelling Cultivator's marker. Only when the spiritual imprint is triggered can Profound Light Purges Evil be unleashed. The techniques are interlocking, and not a single step can be skipped... Wait, what are you bringing your wife over here for?" Li Banfeng set Zhao Xiaowan down. "Didn't you say the most precious thing?" The Copper Lotus said, "I said an object, not a person." Li Banfeng looked at the Copper Lotus. "Why would I be struck by heavenly light if I carried you outside?" The Copper Lotus said, "Because I am an object." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Nonsense. You're a person." The Copper Lotus did not deny it. "Look at me now—do I look like a person?" Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "If my wife turned into a gramophone, could a spiritual imprint be left on her?" The Copper Lotus fluttered a leaf. "In principle, yes—" Zhao Xiaowan nudged Li Banfeng. "Crazy man, fooling around again. Hurry up and find an object; learning the technique is what matters." As Li Banfeng searched for an object, the Tang dao hopped out. "Master, leave a spiritual imprint on me! What if I get lost someday..." Hong Ying kicked the Tang dao. "Who would bother stealing you? Taking you home would just be an eyesore! Better to leave it on Glove." Glove wagged its index finger. "Thank you for your concern, Second Mistress, but I don't need a spiritual imprint. I won't get lost. Anyone who dares lay a hand on me is just looking for trouble." Hong Ying said, "If you ask me, there's no need to overthink it. It's just an experiment anyway. Pick whatever you want around the house—a cup or a plate will do." The Copper Lotus said, "A'qi, don't say I didn't warn you. Be prudent, absolutely prudent. This technique isn't something to use casually, nor can a spiritual imprint be left lightly." Zhao Xiaowan offered an idea from the side: "Our family watches out for one another, so none of us will get lost. But the key to the front door has no spirituality, so we ought to guard it carefully." "My wife speaks reason!" Li Banfeng stepped outside the house and brought back the key to the companion dwelling. The Copper Lotus instructed, "First, shed a drop of blood. Smear half on the key and half over your heart." Li Banfeng smeared the blood. The Copper Lotus spoke again: "Press the key firmly against your heart and pinch it hard. See if it hurts." After pinching it slightly, Li Banfeng held the key to his ear and listened for a moment. "He says it hurts!" The Copper Lotus waved her leaves. "Who asked him? I'm asking you! Does your heart hurt?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "He's the one being pinched. Why would I hurt?" "That's why this technique isn't easy to learn. Only when you feel the pain has the spiritual imprint truly taken." With that, the Copper Lotus folded her leaves and went to sleep. Li Banfeng held the key, pondering it for an entire afternoon and making several marks along the way. By six in the evening, he handed the key to Hong Ying. Hong Ying felt a tremor in her heart. "Seventh Brother, you trust me this much? You're entrusting this entire household to me from now on?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I'm having you pinch it. This key has been with me for too long, and our bond is too deep. I can't bring myself to do it." Hong Ying scoffed. Just as she was about to squeeze, Li Banfeng added, "Go to Room Two to pinch it. Don't let me watch. Seeing him suffer makes my heart ache." As Hong Ying headed toward Room Two, Li Banfeng called out another reminder: "Don't use too much force! Don't crush it!" Arriving in Room Two, Hong Ying gauged her strength and, without warning, gave the key a hard pinch. Back in the main room, Li Banfeng cried out in pain: "Ow! Gentler!" The Copper Lotus opened her leaves, somewhat astonished. Hong Ying had pinched the key in Room Two. Li Banfeng hadn't activated Golden Eyes Discerning Autumn Down or Discerning Spiritual Sound, nor had he used even basic sensory perception, yet he had genuinely felt the pain. This proved the spiritual imprint was planted. The Copper Lotus sighed with admiration. "It helps that you've mastered Recounting Family Treasures so well." Li Banfeng asked the Copper Lotus, "What should we do next?" The Copper Lotus said, "The spiritual imprint is complete, and your perception is linked. Next is tracking down lost belongings. Do you know where the key is?" Li Banfeng called out, "Yingying, hide in one of the rooms. Don't tell me where you are." Hong Ying vanished in the blink of an eye. After sensing intently for a long while, Li Banfeng asked, "In Room Twelve?" Hong Ying called back, "Room Sixteen!" The Copper Lotus laughed softly. "A bit far off. Try a few more times." Li Banfeng practiced for more than two hours. Without relying on other means, he guessed correctly two or three times out of ten. For the remaining seven or eight attempts, the error was minor, usually within a room or two. The Copper Lotus said, "That's close enough. Now, shine a light from within your body." Li Banfeng didn't understand. "How do I shine?" The projector stepped forward. "Director Seven, I know how to do that!" It lit up its lens. The Copper Lotus waved a leaf. "Not light borrowed from an external object—light emitted from your own cultivation." That single sentence left even Zhao Xiaowan bewildered. "How could cultivation possibly emit light?" The Copper Lotus said, "I can't explain that clearly. Think about what profound light looks like, where it comes from, and where it goes. Consider what resonance exists between profound light and the spiritual imprint. There are many nameless mechanisms within it that you must comprehend on your own." Li Banfeng sat on the floor, deep in thought for a long time. "From what angle should I approach this comprehension?" Not only could Li Banfeng not figure it out, but the entire family couldn't grasp the Copper Lotus's meaning either. Zhao Xiaowan looked at Jiu'er. When it came to the mechanics of techniques, Jiu'er studied them most thoroughly. Yet Jiu'er had never witnessed Profound Light Purges Evil either and could only deduce from experience: "Speaking of emitting light, Fire Cultivators should be the most adept. Perhaps the mechanism is somewhat similar to Fire techniques?" Jiu'er's tone was hesitant. She wanted confirmation from the Copper Lotus, but the Copper Lotus gave no response. Hong Ying carried her sword back into the main room and snapped at the Copper Lotus, "Jiu'er is speaking to you! Can't you hear? I think you just don't want to teach him properly!" The Copper Lotus pushed the sword aside. "I've said everything I can. If his comprehension falls short, that's his own lack of ability. You've taught him techniques before too. Didn't you say back then that techniques should follow the heart without overthinking, and that thinking too much ruins the brain?" "You—" Stung by the retort, Hong Ying was about to strike the lotus. Zhao Xiaowan stepped in to hold Hong Ying back and said to Li Banfeng, "Husband, at this level of technique, the mechanisms are indeed difficult to grasp. When I was studying the Dark Bridge Cannon, I learned some knowledge from the Outer States. Let's study it together; perhaps we can find a trick to it." Why did his wife mention the Outer States? Did this technique have anything to do with that knowledge from the Outer States? It actually did. The so-called "nameless" was an alias for dark matter and dark energy. The Outer States' knowledge system offered a far more intuitive description of emitting light. When Li Banfeng had returned to Yuezhou University, Teacher Song had specifically introduced the corresponding research findings to him. His wife had been modifying the Dark Bridge Cannon recently and knew the subject of dark energy inside and out. She quickly found materials; in the lecture notes and materials provided by Teacher Song, the concept of dark matter emitting light was mentioned repeatedly. This was a theoretical system that seemed contradictory. Dark matter does not absorb, emit, or reflect electromagnetic radiation—meaning in physical terms it "does not emit light," which was the very definition of dark matter. Yet in the mathematical model established by Teacher Song, under certain special circumstances, dark matter could indeed emit light. Li Banfeng had studied diligently with Teacher Song back then, but he had never fully understood this theoretical framework. Reviewing these materials today, he still found it exceedingly difficult. Sipping tea, pinching his thighs, studying for hours... Li Banfeng, who had already slept for days, found his eyes gradually growing heavy. His wife helped Li Banfeng into bed, pulled up the quilt, and sang him a lullaby. In his dream, Li Banfeng found himself back in a university lecture hall. Teacher Song stood at the podium holding a pointer, lecturing: "Dark matter largely does not interact electromagnetically, nor does it participate in strong interactions. This was once an ironclad rule in the field of dark matter research. But currently, this rule is very likely to be broken. Certain disordered changes governed by dark matter lead to unpredictable yet observable forms of energy conversion..." Hearing theoretical knowledge like this, Li Banfeng could fall asleep even in a dream. He glanced up at Teacher Song, intending to steal a nap while she wasn't paying attention. Yet Teacher Song's clothing began to shift, causing Li Banfeng's drowsiness to slowly dissipate. The black skirt suit transformed into a cyan-blue qipao. Her chin-length short hair turned into finger waves. Her exquisite figure, accentuated by the qipao, paced between the podium and the blackboard. Teacher Song had turned into Zhao Xiaowan. Holding the pointer, his wife turned her head. "Husband, can you learn it now?" Li Banfeng nodded vigorously. "I can!" He Jiaqing spoke from the side: "Banfeng, once you've learned it, you should head to Puluo Province." Li Banfeng was startled. "Why go to Puluo Province?" The Copper Lotus spoke beside him: "You promised to send me back to Puluo Province." He Jiaqing nodded. "Yes, you promised." *Yes, I promised.* Li Banfeng looked at He Jiaqing. "Stay away from me!" He immediately turned to the Copper Lotus. "You stay away from me too! Touching you means getting struck by heavenly light!" The Copper Lotus snorted. "Without being bathed in heavenly light, where would you get your cultivation?" *Right... where did my cultivation come from?* Li Banfeng woke with a start, sat bolt upright in bed, and looked at the Copper Lotus. "Where did my cultivation come from?" The Copper Lotus opened her leaves and said softly, "You forgot that too? You were bathed in heavenly light, gained Dao affinity, took the entry-level powder, cultivated with dedication, and only then attained cultivation." Zhao Xiaowan quickly wiped the sweat from Li Banfeng's forehead. "Husband, did you have a nightmare?" Li Banfeng pondered the Copper Lotus's words carefully. Hong Ying thought there was nothing to ponder; what the Copper Lotus had said was the most basic Daoist foundation. Li Banfeng asked, "What's the difference between Dao affinity and cultivation?" Zhao Xiaowan said, "Dao affinity doesn't count as cultivation. Dao affinity is..." Li Banfeng cut in: "Dao affinity is dark energy, right?" Put that way, Zhao Xiaowan understood somewhat. Li Banfeng gathered all the knowledge he had acquired—from his wife, the peddler, Teacher Song, Critic, Old Train, and the Dark Star Bureau—and strung the Daoist theories together. "Accumulating Dao affinity first is equivalent to obtaining dark energy. But dark energy is disordered, and the physical mutations it brings are also disordered. "The Daoist powder serves as a navigational device, pointing the way for the cultivator, transforming disordered dark energy into ordered dark energy, and producing ordered mutations in the body. That's why in the Outer States, Daoist powder is called a guiding agent. Am I right?" Li Banfeng looked at the Copper Lotus. The Copper Lotus corrected a small error: "Someone who has just entered the threshold cannot yet be considered a true cultivator." Li Banfeng nodded. "Right. At that stage, you only know where the path leads, but haven't walked forward yet, so you aren't a cultivator. A cultivator must practice according to the rules of the Daoist path—a process of turning disorder into order. Did I get that wrong?" The Copper Lotus sighed softly. "Goodness, you're speaking far too profoundly; I can't follow." Hong Ying sat beside the Copper Lotus and nodded. "Seventh Brother, what you're saying really is a bit deep. I don't understand either." The Copper Lotus fell silent for a moment, then shifted farther away. "I wasn't actually lost; I was teasing him. You and I aren't the same." Li Banfeng scratched his head, arriving at the crux of the matter: "Turning disorder into order is called cultivation. Turning order into disorder is profound light! Am I right?" The Copper Lotus said in surprise, "I don't understand the learning of the Outer States, but I think A'qi makes sense!" Hong Ying picked up the key. "Seventh Brother, I'll go to any room, and you try it again." Li Banfeng nodded. "Be careful. Don't let the heavenly light harm you." Hong Ying looked relaxed. "Don't worry. Even if the heavenly light comes, I can dodge it." The Copper Lotus said, "A'qi, think it through before trying." Hong Ying went to Room Eleven and called out, "Seventh Brother, I've placed the key. Go ahead!" She wasn't reckless; she set the key on the table. Li Banfeng quickly sensed the location of the key. Just as he was about to mobilize his inner strength to release the profound light... His body had only brightened slightly when he suddenly stopped. Li Banfeng felt something was wrong. Zhao Xiaowan sensed it too. "Husband, stop for now." Li Banfeng looked at the Copper Lotus. "This technique cannot be used lightly because it burns cultivation, doesn't it?" The Copper Lotus nodded. "That's why I told you: a spiritual imprint cannot be left lightly." Turning order into disorder, trading cultivation for lethality—the technique Profound Light Purges Evil appeared exceedingly formidable, yet the price was staggering. "Seventh Brother, why didn't you try?" Hong Ying brought the key back to the main room. Hearing Zhao Xiaowan explain the reason, she felt Li Banfeng had been terribly swindled. "Who ever heard of losing cultivation just by using a technique? The more a technique is used, the faster cultivation should advance! Seventh Brother, let's not learn this." The Copper Lotus sighed. "Too late. From the moment he learned how to create a spiritual imprint, this tier's technique slot was already taken." Hong Ying roared angrily, "Out of so many techniques, you had to teach this one! You were up to no good all along!" "General Hong, be reasonable!" The Copper Lotus pointed a leaf at Li Banfeng. "When learning the technique, I didn't force him, nor did I deceive him. He chose it himself." Li Banfeng had no words to reply. Hong Ying consoled him, "Even if you learned it, it doesn't matter. We just won't use it in the future." The Copper Lotus said, "That won't be up to him. If the technique is truly mastered, once the key is lost, you'll feel the resonance. And once the resonance occurs, the profound light will burst forth right after. That is why I remind you once more: never leave a spiritual imprint lightly." PS: Banfeng did not feel shortchanged; he believed this technique would still be of immense use.