Journey to the West: The Immortal Clan Begins by Feeding Monkeys at Five Elements Mountain

Chapter 34 Life and Death
Upon seeing Jiang Yi from afar, Physician Li quickly approached and led the man, saying:

"This is Master Liu of Liu Family Village in Qianshan."

Jiang Yi's heart sank slightly, but his expression remained extremely calm. He pulled Jiang Xi, who was standing beside him, to bow and clasp his hands in greeting first.

"My daughter is naughty and has offended you, young master. Please forgive her. There is no one to supervise this back mountain. Who goes up and who goes down is not a matter of right or wrong."

As he spoke, he handed over the cloyingly fragrant fruit, intending to settle the deal cleanly.

To everyone's surprise, Master Liu did not accept the fruit, but instead looked down at Jiang Xi.

His gaze remained fixed, but his expression suggested he was looking at a rare object, with a hint of surprise and a touch of admiration in his eyes.

Feeling uneasy under her father's gaze, Jiang Xi quietly hid behind him, only showing half her face, her dark eyes alert.

Only then did Master Liu realize his rudeness. He coughed lightly, cupped his hands, and smiled, saying:

"Brother Jiang is a good teacher of his daughter. Your daughter is very talented, with a well-proportioned physique and a steady breathing. She is a good prospect for martial arts training."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi simply clasped his hands together and smiled, his tone indifferent:

“Country kids are really naughty. They only rely on old methods to stay healthy and don’t really have any manners.”

Upon hearing this, Master Liu smiled without saying a word, but his eyebrows twitched slightly, clearly indicating his disbelief.

He had heard about it from his own child, who said there was a little girl in the village who was just as good a fighter as him, so he came to see for himself.

Now that I see it, it is indeed extraordinary.

In terms of physical strength, he is certainly no match for his own son.

Yet his aura was deep and subtle, conveying a sense of calm and stability.

If not innate, then they must have developed a foundation through superior breathing techniques.

“Your daughter’s foundation in life is extremely solid, and her talent is also extremely rare.”

Master Liu suddenly changed the subject and said:

"If I could obtain another method of cultivating my nature, my future achievements would likely be quite high."

"Cultivation of sex?"

Jiang Yi was taken aback, his brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of confusion flashed in his eyes.

All he knew were old methods of making soup for bathing and stewing herbs.

At most, I'll just hope the child is strong and healthy, doesn't cough in cold weather, and doesn't get boils in hot weather, and that will put my mind at ease.

Seeing this, Master Liu was not surprised.

In such a remote rural area, those who can even recognize the words "life cultivation" are one in ten thousand, let alone the concept of "cultivating one's nature."

He glanced at Jiang Xi again.

The child was not tall, and had straw rope tied around his temples, but his expression was calm and composed, and there was an indescribable profoundness in his bones.

He considered himself knowledgeable and experienced, but at this moment he also felt a sense of regret for such a talented person.

Since there were people here, Master Liu was not in a hurry. He spoke slowly, as if chatting with an old friend.

"The family-inherited methods that Brother Jiang just mentioned, whether it's medicinal baths, fist and foot techniques, stance training, or breathing exercises, all belong to the category of life cultivation."

His voice was gentle, yet it carried a hint of preaching:
"Those who cultivate life force practice the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit. When essence is sufficient, the body is strong; when energy is abundant, one walks steadily; and when spirit is vigorous, one's will is firm."

At this point, his gaze fell on the distant mountains, and his tone became more distant and wistful.

"When one cultivates their life force to its peak, they become a top master in the martial arts world. Their spirit is as firm as a pine tree, their blood and qi as powerful as a tide. It is not surprising that one can stand against ten people and shatter rocks and break gold."

Hearing these words, Jiang Yi couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart.

His body, after fighting jackals and bears on the mountain, had reached its limit.

As for the phrase "splitting rocks and breaking gold," he didn't even dare to think about it, let alone fight ten against one.

Judging from Master Liu's tone, such abilities were only the beginning.

"It's just the most mundane of things."

Master Liu withdrew his gaze from the distant mountains, his tone calm, but his eyes held a deeper depth.

"If one truly wishes to overcome such limits, one must seek powers that are difficult for ordinary people to attain, such as prolonging life, or even soaring through the clouds and riding the wind..."

His tone was casual, yet his words carried a hidden force: "Then one must cultivate one's nature." "Cultivate one's nature?"

Jiang Yi repeated it subconsciously, his voice hesitant, as if he were savoring those two words, wanting to chew them thoroughly before swallowing them.

Master Liu nodded, his tone gentle, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

"Sexual cultivation cultivates the mind, refines the will, and nourishes the spirit."

"What I seek is divine clarity and inner peace, and spiritual connection. When the heart is still and the mind is undisturbed, the spirit will be enlightened."

He paused, then looked at Jiang Xi again.

The child stood beside his father, a leaf still clinging to his shoulder.

His expression was quite ordinary, but his aura was deep and unfathomable.

"Destiny is the foundation, and nature is the mind. When destiny is perfect, one is strong; when nature is well-rounded, one is enlightened."

A glint appeared in Master Liu's eyes, but his tone remained indifferent:
"With these two, one can preserve both life and health, and then refine essence into qi... From then on, one will be undisturbed by worldly affairs and be free from both body and mind."

As he finished speaking, his voice was soft, yet it seemed to carry a faint echo that lingered in the forest at the foot of the mountain and settled in Jiang Yi's heart, lingering for a long time.

Jiang Yi remained silent, his expression half-hidden in the twilight.

Seeing this, Master Liu's tone became even lower and slower as he slowly spoke:
"Our ancestors taught that the methods of cultivating one's sexuality should not be lightly passed on to outsiders."

He paused here, then changed his tone:
"However, in my early years, I ventured out into the world and picked up some unorthodox skills, so I had no particular taboos about them."

As he spoke, he took out a small booklet from his pocket.

The pages are yellowed and the corners are worn, clearly indicating that it is an old item.

"This theory of sitting in oblivion is not some profound skill, but merely a way to calm the mind and soothe the spirit."

He handed over the booklet, his tone as calm as still water:
"If one can sit quietly and contemplate, and calm one's mind, one can be said to have stepped into the threshold of 'cultivating one's nature'."

At this point, his gaze shifted slightly, and he looked again at the winding mountain path leading to the back of the mountain.

"That Zian kid is very stubborn. I'm afraid he'll be spending a lot of time in these mountains in the future."

He turned to look at me, his gaze steady, carrying a hint of entrustment:

"Brother Jiang often walks around at the foot of the mountain. If we happen to bump into each other someday, please be kind to him and take care of him."

He glanced at the booklet in his hand again and smiled:

"Let this theory of sitting in oblivion be considered a return gift for this entrustment."

Jiang Yi did not answer, but lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

He knew in his heart that this was just a way to save face.

He glanced at Jiang Xi behind him out of the corner of his eye.

The little girl was clutching the hem of her clothes, standing carefully, her eyes darting between the two of them, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Looking up again, Master Liu was still waiting for his reply, his expression calm and composed, without any hint of urging.

Jiang Yi felt a sense of relief, finally reaching out to take the thin booklet, and replied in a deep voice:
"Well, I'm already living at the foot of this mountain, so I might as well take a few more glances."

Taking the booklet, Jiang Yi ran his fingertips along the yellowed cover, pondered for a moment, and then casually asked:
"Judging from the tone of the manor lord just now, it seems he has also paid attention to this back mountain? Could it be that there is something strange about this mountain?"

The question wasn't harsh, but it carried a hint of probing.

Upon hearing this, Master Liu glanced indifferently along the mountain path, his expression remaining calm.

Whether it is strange or not, I have not investigated it in detail, nor do I want to.

His tone was flat, carrying a kind of detached indifference.

“My Liu family has its own responsibilities. We haven’t even finished exploring the path we’re on yet, so how can we worry about things beyond our own borders?”

He paused, as if mentioning it casually:

"That kid was just indulging in novelty for a while. After hitting a few walls, he'll give up."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi nodded secretly.

It seems that even this mountain guardian doesn't know everything about what's happening in the mountains.

(End of this chapter)