Chapter 38: Guidance
Speaking of ideals or dreams, or perseverance, these were naturally very suitable as the content for the first lesson. But matters that could be explained in a few brief sentences clearly couldn't fill an entire class period. Chen Changsheng always had to teach something truly useful.
He took from the bookshelf the comprehensive meridian manual approved by the National Education Academy's Hall of Culture, skipped past the preliminary introductions at the beginning, and flipped directly to the last page, which contained a colored diagram. Pointing at the red and green lines within the human figure in the illustration, he began to compare them with Luoluo's specific condition.
Those lines represented the meridians of the human body, extremely complex. A rough count put them at several dozen, and if one looked at the finer details, the number would even double. But according to Luoluo's own account, her body didn't have that many meridians at all.
These were two completely different meridian systems—one intricate and fragile, the other simple and resilient—which had led intelligent lifeforms down two entirely divergent paths. There was no way to judge which path could go further; at least within the known span of time, this competition had no result.
Chen Changsheng didn't marvel at the peculiarity of another lifeform. He was only awed by the wondrous methods of the Creator, and he understood even more clearly how incredibly difficult it would be if two kinds of lifeforms wanted to cross the boundary between them and learn each other's cultivation methods.
If Luoluo's race could easily learn human cultivation methods, then what she would be studying now certainly wouldn't be the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword, but rather the Lishan Sword Manual she had handed to Chen Changsheng the day before yesterday. The Lishan Sword Manual was one of humanity's most powerful techniques, but for her race to learn it would naturally be as difficult as reaching the heavens, so she had to settle for the next best option.
All human cultivation techniques were composed of two parts: technique forms and the circulation of true essence. Taking the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword as an example, merely mastering the sword forms was far from enough; one also had to grasp the method of circulating true essence for this sword style, only then could the true power of the technique be unleashed.
Since Luoluo's body didn't have the meridians that humans possessed, how could she master this method? The sword manual said, "The radial meridian turns horizontally, moving as the mind wills." She could understand that, but the problem was she had no radial meridian. So even if her divine soul were incredibly powerful, where would it "move"?
"Only that night, following the eight words you said, I tried to drive my true essence, and I found that I really could wield the Wind and Rain Sword like a human. Is this simulation... or is this the method by which my true essence cooperates with the sword manual?"
Luoluo was very studious and asked earnestly.
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, didn't answer her question immediately, turned around and walked out of the library. In the grove by the lake, he picked up a branch that had been broken off the night before, drew his short sword, and shaved the bark off cleanly until it became a pale white thin stick. He didn't forget to round the tip of the stick with a lakeside stone.
He walked back into the library and said, "If you don't want to, just say so."
Luoluo looked at the thin wooden stick in his hand, her eyes wide open. She thought, *I've just taken him as my teacher, and now I'm going to get hit with a stick? Does my teacher believe in corporal punishment?* But having finally managed to become his student, how could she bring herself to say she didn't want to? She nodded vigorously.
Chen Changsheng raised the thin wooden stick and, through her clothing, tapped it on a certain point on her abdomen, then said, "Move your true essence to this spot."
Humans had what was called the dantian energy sea, but he didn't know if Luoluo had one. This kind of bodily privacy wasn't convenient for him to ask about, but judging from Luoluo's expression, there shouldn't be any problem. After a moment, he asked, "What do you feel?"
Luoluo earnestly experienced the sensation from where the thin wooden stick touched that spot and said, "It's a little hot."
"When yang fire enters the void, it can still reflect on the surface. Since you have this feeling, I think the difference from the radial meridian shouldn't be too great."
As Chen Changsheng spoke, he began taking notes.
That night, he had only said one sentence, and it had allowed Luoluo to successfully drive her true essence and truly begin wielding the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword technique for the first time. But that was only one move, and it involved an element of luck. Now, what he was trying to do was to break through the limitations of human meridians and create a system of his own, which was naturally extremely difficult.
This was absolutely not something that could be accomplished overnight.
If he hadn't read through the Daoist canon since childhood, become a doctor through prolonged illness, and possessed a meridian system different from ordinary people, he wouldn't even have a possibility.
After finishing his notes, he looked up, thought for a moment, and extended the thin wooden stick to lightly poke a certain spot on Luoluo's neck—of course, still through her clothing.
"Be careful, go slowly."
"What do you feel?"
"A little cold."
"Mm."
"And here?"
...
...
The thin wooden stick landed on Luoluo's body, pointing, then tapping—this was guidance.
Chen Changsheng received feedback, recorded notes, and then continued.
Time passed quickly between guidance and conversation.
When dusk arrived, Chen Changsheng's arm was slightly sore. He put down the wooden stick, looked out the window at the yellow tiles and red walls, and suddenly smiled.
After half a day's work, he had confirmed a certain possibility, found a certain potential pathway—the pathway within Luoluo's body.
"Want to try?"
He withdrew his gaze from the capital under the setting sun, looked at Luoluo, and drew the short sword from his waist, handing it to her.
Luoluo took the short sword, took a deep breath, and her eyes became exceptionally bright. Then she closed her eyes and was silent for a long time.
Just as the setting sun was swallowed by the city wall, she opened her eyes and let out a soft shout.
This shout was very crisp, without any turbidity, as clear and transparent as spring water, or a spring breeze.
With this clear shout, the short sword in her hand rose lightly from her waist, like willow catkins, soaring lightly straight up to the ninth heaven.
Countless sword shadows, like rain; matchless sword intent, like wind.
This was wind and rain.
This was the Wind and Rain Sword.
...
...
Without human meridians, it was impossible to learn the true essence circulation method of the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword. Yet the sword that was ultimately executed was the true Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword. This showed that the true essence circulation method used by the wielder could, to a large extent, completely simulate the human true essence circulation method.
The wind and rain gradually subsided, the slanting sun lingered, night slowly descended, and the old garden was quiet.
The library was completely silent.
The hand holding the short sword trembled slightly.
Luoluo looked at Chen Changsheng, and her voice trembled slightly as well: "Teacher, you are truly remarkable."
She was deeply shocked. She felt that her teacher must be an immortal descended from the heavens; otherwise, how could he have taught her so much in such a short time?
She was in awe, as if seeing a celestial being.
Chen Changsheng placed the thin wooden stick across his knees, looked at her, and smiled happily.
These past few days—no, to be precise, these past years—he had been pondering that problem: how to cultivate when the meridians were severed. Before, he hadn't cultivated, so all his thinking was like groping forward in a void. Now, although he still didn't have a single thread of true essence, he had a female student. That female student was excellent, able to perfectly realize all his ideas, and had used half a day to prove that his conjecture was correct.
Luoluo said, "Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."
Chen Changsheng said, "Mutual benefit, mutual benefit."
The dusk wasn't like blood; it was like the stove fire of a wonton stall, warm to the extreme.