After the battle at the Demon Village, I became more aware of what I lacked.
Just two talismans were not enough for me to continue my journey. Previously, I could rely on Xiuxiu for assistance, but now, the Si Gu Mingjing became the only method.
I knew that with my true strength, I should not have appeared in a place like the Demon Village. For me, the level difference was too great.
But this world is inherently turbulent and bizarre, full of tumultuous waves, under the guise of tranquility and ease. There's no danger tailored specifically for me, to allow me to navigate it with ease.
Calming down is an essential process.
"I suggest we stay here," I replied to Huayin. "It's a good vantage point to monitor the situation outside the village. If those two Daoists return with more people, we'll have the chance to react."
Huayin's face showed a hint of joy, and she nodded repeatedly.
After leaving the hospital, Huayin first went to the town's commercial street with me to buy two sets of clothes that could be changed.
We returned to the hotel and went to our respective rooms to rest.
We all had expended a great deal of energy, and it wasn't until the next morning that a knock was heard at my door.
I went to open the door, and there stood Fan Jie outside. He looked much better.
"Ah... Elder, I'm planning to report to you and then return to Da Xiang," Fan Jie said as he twirled his eyes. Whether it was because of his nature or he had picked up something from Old Gong, he did have quite a bit of that old man's flair.
"Just say what you need to say," I directly said.
"Haha, I'm hoping for a few talismans, those kind that can protect the house and also the ones that can subdue ghosts. Right now, I have nothing on me, so at least I should have something to rely on." Fan Jie whispered in response.
Was Fan Jie really empty-handed?
In fact, that's not the case.
In fact, it was not so. Fan Jie's means were far from simple. If Liu Ziyu was weaker, he might have killed him.
And even until now, he hasn't revealed much about his methods.
However, I did not refuse Fan Jie. Since we need to use him, we must offer some benefits to keep him under our control.
I told Fan Jie to wait at the door, closed the door behind me, and went back to the desk by the window.
I took out everything, first drawing two talismans to protect the house. My spirit was depleted, and I felt like my brain was dry and empty.
I struggled to maintain my focus, but I managed to create one more talisman to subdue ghosts. I was drenched in sweat, and although my spirit was completely depleted, there was also a sense of exhilaration that came from pushing beyond my limits.
Following the breathing technique, I rested for a short while and then drew another talisman to subdue ghosts. My intuition told me that I couldn't draw any more talismans for now. Continuously exploiting my potential would affect my already weak foundation.
After handing over the four talismans to Fan Jie, he showed even more delight, and he also told me that when we return, I must notify him immediately so that he can greet us. Then, Fan Jie respectfully backed away.
As soon as Fan Jie disappeared at the elevator entrance, I was about to close the door when Huayin pushed open the door.
She gently smoothed her hair and looked towards the elevator entrance.
It was clear that Huayin had woken up a while ago; she just hadn't come out while I was talking to Fan Jie.
"The household should be fine. Xiaoqi can communicate, and with Fan Jie returning, there won't be much of a problem," Huayin reassured herself.
I nodded.
Huayin noticed my exhaustion and told me to go back to my room and rest first. She would tidy up and we would move later in the afternoon.
I went back to my room and did not sleep. Instead, I sat in meditation to restore my energy.
By noon, I naturally woke up feeling refreshed.
We left the hotel, went to a small restaurant in town to have a hot meal, and then wandered through the streets and alleys of the town. Finally, we rented a small courtyard.
I didn't have high requirements for the living space, just needing a bed and a table. Huayin, however, had more demands and dragged me out to buy many more things.
The shopping didn't take much time, we were back in less than an hour, and she immediately started unpacking, telling me not to get in her way and do whatever I liked.
I then sat quietly in the courtyard and observed the four principles.
The ancients often said, "There is no time in the mountains."
In fact, as long as your mind is calm, everywhere can be a mountain.
Small seclusion is in the wilderness, while great seclusion is in the city. This small town is not a major city, but for my current state of mind, it fits perfectly.
In a blink, a month had passed.
During this month, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Huayin used the reed mouse to check the entire town every day, and the Liu family Daoist did not appear again.
My research into the Four Principles of Truth had deepened significantly, and I had mastered more than a dozen talismans.
Particularly the fourth principle, the innermost truth, the breathing technique is the most basic. The deeper content is that the Qi moves with the body and follows one's will. This is a gradual and profound understanding.
Also, it recorded some special things that are not related to the methods of talismans.
For example, I had previously known about the blood on the tip of the tongue. In the eyes of the lower nine streams, it is a Yang Harm. As for those with pure Yin-life, it is differentiated into Yang Harm and even more extreme to Yin Harm Blood.
A drop of blood from the tip of the tongue is a powerful weapon against ghosts.
But for the Daoists, after adjusting their breathing and Qi, spitting out a drop of pure Qi from the chest is called a Righteous Harm Arrow.
Fearless ghosts would be dispersed by it, and their weak Qi would be directly dispersed, and the residual ghost Qi would attach to the blood, making it difficult to collect new souls in the short term.
If an evil corpse is injured, its body will be shattered immediately, and it will also take a long time to gather new souls.
Of course, if the strength is vastly different, even a single drop of blood might reduce a corpse ghost to a wandering spirit.
However, the book emphasizes that tongue blood is slightly weaker than the heart, but it is still a person's vital Qi, and it should not be used recklessly.
Yes, the book of the four principles also records some points that are similar to those of Mao San, and there are some mutual verifications.
Mao San told me to stay away from women and not to lose my virginity, but the book says that if you hold a pure Yang body, containing pure Yang Qi, with no impurities in your heart, then the method will make great progress in a day.
The claim of making great progress in a day seems exaggerated to me.
I am not an odd person, but right now, with the heavy burden on my shoulders, I have no heart to think about other things.
The current status between Huayin and me is very good. As soon as everything is sorted out, we will naturally get married and have children.
By then, whether or not to keep this pure Yang Qi will not matter.
That night, I mastered a bit more of the Four Principles of Truth. Huayin wanted to go outside to eat some skewers.
Huayin does this from time to time. She means that if one becomes too obsessed with something, it's easy to lose oneself, and the ability to go in and come out is the best solution.
We always go to the same barbecue stand that we had investigated earlier.
We have been frequent visitors for a while, so we are quite familiar with the owner.
The owner used to often ask me, "Where is the other little girl following you?"
I casually made up an excuse, saying that she was my sister and she had gone home.
The boss's eyes returned to normal for a moment, and he also said that since I was a young man with talent and beauty, and we were quite fond of quietness, it was understandable for us to stay in the town for so long.
We arrived at the barbecue stand, and Huayin skipped off to get some food. I remained seated quietly.
Suddenly, another person sat down in front of me, and he was rather relaxed, even propping his elbow on the table.
"Somebody's here," I said.
The person nodded quickly, saying, "Brother, I saw someone over there. I came to find you."
