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Chapter 7 Part 2 Hidden Doubts and Unspoken Lessons
"I am Gao Jianli. Greetings, Master Xiaomeng." Even though he'd never heard of her, her extraordinary martial bearing demanded respect.
"So you are Gao Jianli, the one whose qin is quite good."
"My heart is unsettled pardon my poor performance."
"People grieve for love and grow vexed for love. Since it's such suffering, why not put it down?"
"Master has eyes like torches, but I am merely a mortal, unable to escape the seven emotions and eight sufferings; I am unworthy of master's instruction."
"Your playing is good, but you are quite ordinary. Since I heard your melody today, we share some fate I will point out your martial path. Ask me what you will."
Gao Jianli was stunned; to "point out" martial arts means you must know the other's methods no one but kin or close peers dare probe another's arts. For instruction, he'd need to demonstrate, revealing everything. Xiaomeng, unworldly, knew nothing of such taboos.
Gao thought she underestimated him, or that his martial arts were ordinary not worth coveting. He was about to refuse, then remembered the dual cultivation manual Xiaoyaozi had given him. He read it several times without grasping it. Daoism encompasses Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, medicine, fate, physiognomy, and divination; dual cultivation is just one branch. Xiaoyaozi wouldn't have given it if it weren't valuable why not ask Xiaomeng for guidance?
Besides, it wasn't his sect's secret art; there was no risk in his eyes.
Gao Jianli bowed and produced the dual cultivation scroll. "I acquired this recently. I read it carefully but understood nothing. Please instruct me."
Xiaomeng took and opened it. Gao was relieved she did not show annoyance; consulting a young maiden on dual cultivation could easily be misread.
The text was just over 2,000 characters, yet greatly different from her own learning, rigorous and profound, cross-verifying her knowledge and even answering her long-standing doubts. She became absorbed, reading again and again over an hour for a short piece before she returned to herself.
Seeing her expression, Gao sensed she had gained something and was delighted.
Xiaomeng turned to him; for the first time, Gao beheld her fully her eyes were bright as dawn dew, yet deep as an ancient pool. Only when she looked away did Gao wake he'd unconsciously fallen under her influence.
He'd heard that true masters could slay with a glance. If Xiaomeng were malicious, she could have crushed his spirit just now. Some cultivate eye techniques to bewilder others; Chi Lian was adept at this, but such arts are cheap tricks, unworthy of true masters' respect.
Xiaomeng's clear voice sounded at his side. "This records a dual cultivation art straight to the path of longevity; it rivals Daoism's deepest Yin-Yang methods. I read and gained greatly indeed, you have benefited me."
"I said I'd guide your martial arts now that hardly repays you. Let me point your path for three days; I will teach you all I gleaned from this book and answer your other problems; afterward I'll do three things for you. How about it?"
Gao Jianli rejoiced and bowed. "Master Xiaomeng deigns to guide a dullard like me. I am already deeply grateful; I dare not ask more."
Seeing his humility, Xiaomeng smiled slightly. "I keep my word. But there are some difficulties you must understand."
"Please speak, Master."
"This is the finest dual cultivation art, but the path is extremely difficult. Without great fortune and great resolve, do not force it. The text says it leads straight to longevity, but for a hundred generations none achieved true immortality; at most, some lived 200–300 years. Cultivate this without greed; otherwise you invite calamities."
Gao took heed.
"Also, dual cultivation requires a woman to complement Yin-Yang mutual practice and assistance. This is very profound; if I only talk, three days or three years won't suffice. It involves the transformation of Yin–Yang qi, essence and breath alchemy, breathing and qi movement, and much more. I've only begun to grasp it; we must verify in practice. Do you have a partner?"
Though Gao and Xue Nu loved each other, circumstances prevented them being together. Xue Nu now secretly consorted with Daozhi; Gao didn't know whether she'd agree. If raised rashly, resentment could grow.
Seeing his difficulty and knowing he was tangled in love, Xiaomeng said, "I'll cast a hexagram for you follow Heaven's will."
She divined silently, not showing the result, only asking him to bring the woman she would explain to her. Gao bowed and left.
The book was, of course, the one taken from Xinghun. It recorded Donghuang Taiyi's years of research on dual cultivation. Though he inferred the method could reveal the secret of longevity, practicing it required such fortune that even he couldn't do it.
When Xue Nu's art was broken at the Mohist city, Heaven's mechanism revealed itself; though far away, Donghuang sensed it. Calculating carefully, Heaven's mechanism fell upon this book. For Daoist adepts, conforming to Heaven is paramount. Since the treasure had a destined owner, he let it go to fate whom it landed with was none of his concern. Pursuing immortality, if someone could practice it, he could later use it for reference achieving his own great Dao.
That night, Gao Jianli brought Xue Nu to Xiaomeng. Xiaomeng recognized her at once as the woman she'd seen in a lewd act earlier; seeing her qi matched the book's description, Xiaomeng realized the book had come out for her fate's cycle, round and round.
Xiaomeng explained dual cultivation; Xue Nu had been distressed. Though ready to give herself to solve her crisis, she didn't know how to ask Gao; half-willing, she agreed.
Xiaomeng began teaching them. Donghuang wrote from an ancient remnant text and his own learning. The remnant matched Xue Nu's art in origin but one fell to the vile, becoming a harmful evil art; the other to a grand master, who restored a lost wonder, vastly more powerful. Xue Nu benefitted greatly with only slight practice.
In the past, coupling with Daozhi lacked proper guidance; nine times out of ten, the essence was wasted, and a small portion even went to Daozhi hence the strange phenomenon of Daozhi growing more spirited the more he had her. Ordinary dual cultivation either plunders or is plundered; if neither plunders, both decline.
Ordinary people are unaware; even those who cultivate self-preservation are harmed. Powerful fighters can refine essence and qi to compensate, but if output exceeds input, it harms; thus the strong preach restraint.
Donghuang's guidance gathered scattered essence into the meridians and body; like spring water, it nourished her. Only now did Xue Nu truly receive rebirth. She didn't grasp the theory, but her body felt like dead land newly irrigated joy filled her heart.
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