novelraw Chapter 28: Pointing the Dao as Peers
Chapter 28: Pointing the Dao as Peers
Songlin Village used to be this way.
Quite a few people in the village were cultivating, but they didn't know what they were cultivating. They only knew to mimic others, and that cultivation could grant longevity.
The cultivation method the old Daoist practiced had the same problem. Without a master's guidance, Li Qiuchen seriously doubted whether he could understand the meanings of the various obscure terms in this book.
Only knowing the what but not the why.
He himself couldn't understand it clearly, yet he wanted to enlighten these villagers.
Apart from using the Soul Pulling Technique to turn these villagers into puppets and deceive them into cultivating with him, he couldn't accomplish anything.
He even thought that worshipping the tree root would make it grow and sprout...
Actually, people like this weren't uncommon in the history books from Li Qiuchen's previous life.
Harboring very naive fantasies about immortal cultivation.
Eat a pill, wow, ascension!Marry a fairy, wow, ascension!
No helping it, limited cognition.
You couldn't expect these villagers who didn't recognize a single character to understand what the great Dao of longevity meant. At most, they'd know they could live two more years.
Hearing Li Qiuchen's teasing that carried three parts sarcasm, three parts coldness, and four parts nonchalance, the old Daoist's face turned completely red with shame, but he still refused to stand up.
He was already so old, face wasn't worth money. If he could receive an immortal's guidance, he'd willingly pay any price.
"Please, Master, accept me as your disciple! If I can cultivate the great Dao of longevity, this disciple swears to repay Master's kindness even in death. If there's half a false word, may Heaven strike me with five thunderbolts!"
Li Qiuchen said impatiently, "Senior, this way you're being boring. I myself am still in the midst of cultivation. How can I casually accept disciples? But if you don't mind... we can sit down and properly discuss and exchange ideas. If you keep pressing me like this, then I'll just leave."
The old Daoist awkwardly climbed up from the ground and smiled apologetically, saying, "This poor Daoist sincerely wants to become your disciple and learn. I've made Junior Brother laugh. As for these trifling skills this poor Daoist has learned, I imagine Junior Brother looks down on them. Please give this poor Daoist much guidance."
"I can't claim to guide you, but forget everything else, first plant that tree root."
Li Qiuchen said calmly, "If you listen to me, I guarantee I'll make that tree root sprout. When the appointed day comes, you can also go meet that Mohe the Perfected Being. If the dharma remains in his hands are truly infinitely marvelous... perhaps my master will also develop some interest. Do you understand my meaning, Senior?"
"I understand!"
The old Daoist nodded vigorously.
What was there not to understand? Even in a bandit gang, to join and enter the mountain gate, one had to present a certificate of allegiance.
He knew in his heart how meager his assets were. To enter an immortal sect, he had to offer sufficient benefits.
As for suspicion, suspect what? That spiritual tea brought by the immortal crane couldn't be fake.
What benefits had Mohe the Perfected Being given him?
Was there even a need to choose? Even a fool would know how to choose!
"Everything will be as Junior Brother says. I just don't know where we should begin?"
Li Qiuchen smiled, saying, "Don't let those villagers continue cultivating with you anymore. The method is wrong, everything is wasted. Send them back to farm, then get me paper and brush. I'll draw you a formation diagram. You'll set up the formation in the village according to what's shown in the diagram, then I'll tell you what to do next."
Of course he didn't know any formations, but he'd seen the old peach tree's arrangement in the village.
Following the Heavenly Stems number, plant thirty-six trees in the village with their root systems connected.
To put it bluntly, it was thirty-six external power banks charging simultaneously.
Then plug the data cable into the phone... connect the root systems to the old peach tree's roots.
Never mind whether it would work or not, at least it was enough to bluff people.
In a rush, the old Daoist definitely couldn't find thirty-six century-old trees to serve as formation nodes but that wasn't important.
Planting anything would be the same.
The old Daoist, with his two free laborers, spent a full three days hauling back thirty-six trees of different species from the mountain. Following the formation diagram Li Qiuchen had drawn, they planted them in different locations throughout the village.
As the saying goes, trees die when moved, people thrive when moved.
Logically, no tree could withstand such torment and couldn't survive being transplanted but Li Qiuchen had a cheat.
Lifting the bamboo staff and lightly tapping the trunk, those broken roots began to grow rapidly, firmly gripping the ground.
Li Qiuchen also directed the old Daoist to dig trenches between the trees, fertilizing and watering daily to accelerate the process of root growth and connection then at the base of the large tree in the village center, he dug out a pit, had the old Daoist stuff the peach tree root inside, and bury it in the soil.
Using more scientific terminology, this was called grafting.
The old Daoist watching from the side was dumbfounded.
Will this work?
How would I know if it'll work or not?
I came to be an undercover agent, not to actually accept you into some mountain gate.
Li Qiuchen lifted the bamboo staff and lightly tapped the trunk, secretly transferring a strand of life energy to connect the peach tree root with this persimmon tree.
If he continued transferring energy, he could surely witness the miracle of the old tree root sprouting but there was no need.
"You must persist in watering and fertilizing every day, pulling weeds and catching insects, not slacking for a single day."
Li Qiuchen instructed expressionlessly, "After I complete this Eastern Yi Wood Grand Formation, it will absorb the vital energy of this place daily and gather it at the formation's center. This vital energy comes not only from those villagers but also from the crops they plant. When the tree roots spread over, they'll all become part of the Eastern Yi Wood Grand Formation. Senior, you must act discreetly and absolutely not let outsiders notice anything unusual about this village."
On the theory of how to build a pigsty.
He couldn't say about the substance, but regarding surface appearances, Li Qiuchen was confident no one was more professional than him.
This formation was something he copied one-to-one from Songlin Village's arrangement.
The Li family's ocular technique could be said to be quite precise when it came to copying and pasting.
The old Daoist held paper and brush, following closely behind step by step, wishing he could record every word Li Qiuchen said and every action he made. Seeing Li Qiuchen turn to walk outside the village, he quickly asked, "Where is Junior Brother going?"
Li Qiuchen didn't look back, waving his hand with a smile, saying, "Senior, wait here at ease. I'm returning to the mountains to get some things. When the time comes, I'll come back and go with you to meet that Mohe the Perfected Being."
Unable to persuade him to stay, the old Daoist could only stand in place feeling dejected.
Such a good person! Even my own master never treated me this well. If I could enter such an immortal sect, surely I could seek the true method of longevity, right?
Li Qiuchen neither went to find Village Chief nor extracted any intelligence from the Song brothers.
He was very patient.
Before figuring out the puppet manipulation technique in the "Locust Tree Chapter," he didn't plan to do anything extra.
The old Daoist seemed very easy to deceive, but who could guarantee that honest people had no schemes?
Every blade of grass and tree in this village might be his informant.
There was nothing wrong with being cautious.