Two days passed in a flash, and it was once again time to leave work.
A half-disk of the setting sun was slowly devoured by the vast, rolling peaks. Jiang Yi walked out of the Quenching Room, standing in the deepening twilight.
He thought back on the past few days. He would rush to the Quenching Room before the rooster crowed and then sprint back to the Big Mixed Courtyard after sunset.
He often didn't even have time to eat before he'd fall into a deep sleep, only to wake up the next day and continue the grind.
It was truly like being a mule or a horse on a farm, with barely a moment's rest.
'If I do this for the full twelve years, my hair will probably be gray at the temples and my vitality will be in decay. How could I even think about Cultivation, let alone long life?'
Jiang Yi now had a profound understanding of the hardship of being a Mortal Servant. Eight hours of grueling labor, and he might even have to work overtime at the end of the month.
After accounting for eating and sleeping, there was almost no free time left, making meditation and Breathing exercises a luxury.
'Every single talisman coin is earned with blood and sweat.'
Every time he thought of this, Jiang Yi couldn't help but want to curse the body's original owner.
That was a full twenty to thirty thousand talisman coins!
'How much torment would you have to endure in the Quenching Room, how much suffering would you have to bear, to save up that much?'
'And he went all-in with it?!'
'He must have been possessed!'
"Brother Yi, want to go find something good to eat together? You look like you're about to burn out from these last two days. You should hurry up and eat some medicinal food to replenish your body."
He the Venerable felt that if Brother Yi kept this up, it would be difficult for him to last the full twelve years. He had seen too many Mortal Servants on Red Flame Peak die from overwork in the workshops.
Jiang Yi cupped his hands and replied,
"No thanks, Brother He. I'm going to go back to my room and get some sleep first. I've already requested a day off from Marshal Yang. I'll see how things are tomorrow and then go get some medicine."
His once-handsome young face, after being scorched by the furnace for the past two days, now looked like the bark of a dying tree.
"Old Yang actually has a bit of a human touch, letting you take a day off."
He the Venerable sighed and said no more.
A Mortal Servant's life was a bitter one, worked like cattle and horses. Encountering someone like Yang Xun, who didn't maliciously exploit them, was already a blessing.
If their luck was worse and they ended up on Nourishing Soul Peak or Sewing Peak, they would live in constant fear, worried they might get into trouble and be punished any day.
"I'm going to go have some fun before heading back to the Big Mixed Courtyard."
He the Venerable returned his Copper Token and went off with his other workmates to find some amusement.
Besides butcher shops, eateries, and restaurants, Red Flame Peak had no shortage of pleasure-seeking establishments like brothels.
Unlike the Immortal Dao, the Demon Dao didn't place much importance on whether one's Primordial Yang was leaked.
Besides, the work of a Mortal Servant was grueling. Squeezing them dry without respite would wear them out too quickly.
So the sect turned a blind eye, happy to let the people at the bottom engage in the flesh trade.
This both gave the numerous "cattle and horses" an outlet for their frustrations and allowed the sect to reclaim the talisman coins it paid out.
Killing two birds with one stone!
After parting with He the Venerable, Jiang Yi returned to the Big Mixed Courtyard alone.
Widow Qin and Old Li's family were in the kitchen cooking. The fragrant smell of meat and vegetables wafted straight to his nose.
Only a guy like He the Venerable, who only had himself to feed, would be happy to eat out.
Even without eating Spirit Rice, the cost of lavish meals with fine wine and rich meat was not small.
Seeing Jiang Yi step over the threshold, Widow Qin called out to him,
"Brother Yi, you're off work. Have you eaten yet? Why not come have a bite or two at my place."
Jiang Yi cracked a smile.
"Thank you for the kind offer, Sister-in-law Qin, but I'm exhausted. I don't have much of an appetite, so I can't eat."
Widow Qin's husband had been transferred to the Skin Making Room on Sewing Peak years ago and later died a sudden, unexplained death.
After the sudden tragedy, she went through a difficult time. Jiang Yi had lent a hand a few times, forging this good connection.
Although Widow Qin wanted to take care of him, she was worried about gossip and didn't dare to appear too enthusiastic.
She only said,
"I made some black chicken soup to replenish blood. There's some left over. If you don't mind, Brother Yi, you can have it later."
Jiang Yi thanked her again before returning to his room and collapsing onto his bed to sleep.
He was indeed exhausted, and he also had something to do in the middle of the night.
So he decided to rest early to build up his energy.
...
...
In the dead of night, the Big Mixed Courtyard was as quiet as still water.
Tonight, the moonlight was exceptionally bright, the full moon reflected in the water vat.
SPLASH! A wooden ladle stirred the reflection, breaking it into several pieces.
'It's freezing!'
Jiang Yi hastily splashed his face, his spirits instantly lifting. He then went to the kitchen and drank the chicken soup that Widow Qin had specially left for him.
The stove was still slightly warm, so the soup hadn't gone cold. A comforting warmth spread through his entire body, making him feel quite comfortable.
At this hour, the vast majority of Mortal Servants were already in bed. A few diligent ones might be seizing the opportunity to meditate and practice their Breathing.
WHOOSH!
Jiang Yi wrapped his thick Daoist Robe tightly around himself, exhaled a puff of white breath, and walked outside.
A short while later, his figure disappeared into the biting cold of the night.
'Should be safe now.'
Jiang Yi circled through the woods of Red Flame Peak a few times to confirm no one was following him before dashing toward a sunless, wooded area on the northern side of the mountain.
A biting wind whistled through the forest. His feet made crunching sounds as they stepped into the snow.
In less than ten minutes, Jiang Yi found the "Opportunity" indicated by the Celestial Book.
He stopped in his tracks, stunned by the sight, and even held his breath.
High in the vast sky, a bright moon as large as a platter sprinkled down its pure light, which flowed like water over the endless mountain peaks.
Perhaps due to the terrain, there was a natural, basin-like depression in this sunless area.
Beams of clear, bright moonlight were actually rustling down, like fluttering snowflakes being shaken loose.
They were then gathered by the terrain. Gradually, the silvery radiance, thick as syrup, accumulated and trickled down, pooling into a shallow pond.
'The Celestial Book truly did not deceive me!'
Jiang Yi took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and carefully made his way down.
When his hands and feet touched the silver radiance, he felt a cool, icy sensation.
His skin, which had been on the verge of cracking after two days of scorching torment in the Quenching Room, no longer felt a needle-like sting after being caressed by the moonlight.
'Is my skin peeling?'
Jiang Yi felt a slight itch on his face. He gently rubbed it a few times, and the cracked, dead skin flaked off like debris, revealing new, tender flesh beneath.
But he paid no mind to his face. He hurriedly sat down cross-legged and began to circulate his energy for Qi Cultivation.
'Of the three years I spent as a Daoist Child Student, this is the only useful skill I learned.'
The true curriculum of Daoism consisted of nothing more than two things: one was Static Cultivation through meditation, the other was Walking Posture Dynamic Skill.
The former nurtured one's qi and spirit; the latter nurtured one's blood and body.
Don't think it's simple. In truth, mastering it completely is not easy.
The human mind is filled with so many distracting thoughts. To restrain them, to sit for several hours while maintaining an even breath and a calm mind, is exceedingly difficult.
Many Daoist Child Students studied for years and years without being able to pass this stage.
The Walking Posture Dynamic Skill, on the other hand, was easier to pick up. It mostly consisted of things like the Five Animals Qigong, Baduanjin Qigong, and the Vajra Skill, which could circulate qi and blood and strengthen the muscles and bones.
'Before beginning Cultivation, achieve the Gathering of Spirit and Qi, and your breath will regulate itself. Then, begin Breathing to induce Yin-Yang Sympathy, and finally circulate it throughout the body.'
'In Meditation, sit Cross-legged with the Heel Tightly Pressed Against the Life Gate...'
Jiang Yi smoothed out the distracting thoughts in his mind. He had been a Mortal Servant in the Qianji Sect for several years, but he had never let his meditation skills fall behind; they were still well-practiced.
Once settled, he pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, parted his teeth, and began to inhale and exhale!
'So refreshing! It's like drinking iced plum wine!'
Before long, two streams of white vapor coiled around the tip of Jiang Yi's nose, varying in length, constantly extending and retracting.
The drawn-down moonlight resembled countless silver threads, shaped like olives, strung together and hanging down in clusters.
He inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. His breaths were even, fine, soft, and long. The hissing and puffing sounds rose and fell as he gathered wisps of moonlight and slowly refined them.
This process was exceptionally pleasant.
Jiang Yi felt as if he were savoring a fine wine, becoming pleasantly intoxicated.
Like a greedy drinker, he took one gulp after another without stopping, tilting his head back to drink his fill.
Wisps of moonlight transformed into a frosty qi, dissolving into his limbs and bones. Then, like a surging river, it coursed through a full Circulation.
Like a trickle that grows into a stream, his dense and continuous True Qi gradually strengthened with each successive cycle, emitting a surging sound.
Jiang Yi was completely focused, fully immersed in the changes of his breath and the rise and fall of his True Qi.
Suddenly, he felt his heartbeat accelerate, as if a great drum were being beaten—THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP—shaking him with panic.
Jiang Yi sat motionless, striving to remain calm. His Daoist Scholar had warned him that one must never panic at any abnormality during Cultivation, or there would be a risk of qi deviation!
'If I can get through this, I'll ascend to the second layer.'
After persisting for about another seven or eight minutes, the silvery syrup of moonlight was completely consumed, and the rhythm of Jiang Yi's Qi Cultivation also slowed down.
But he continued to guide his True Qi, circulating it through a full cycle, bit by bit.
A long time passed. The accumulated snow melted away, and cold dew soaked his clothes. The figure wrapped in the thick Daoist Robe, however, was like a clay statue or wooden carving, seemingly without even a breath.
Not until dawn broke on the horizon, painting the sky the color of a fish's belly, did Jiang Yi open his eyes. A gurgling True Qi surged like a spring, filling his body with vigorous new life.
At that moment, the first ray of daylight crossed the mountain peaks, passed through the forest, and happened to shine on Jiang Yi's fair skin.
His face, which had been bright red, and his skin, which had been dry and cracked, were now tender and smooth again. Bathed in the morning glow, it took on a translucent, jade-like luster.
Just as He the Venerable had said, he was a handsome young man!
'I did it.'
Jiang Yi's eyes shone brightly, filled with confidence. He stood up and stretched his limbs, and every inch of his muscles and bones crackled and rang.
Every part of him felt like a powerful bow being drawn, his strength abundant and full. The force of his movement shook the snow particles, scattering them in a flurry.
"Qi Cultivation Second Layer, I've done it!"