The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 522: Preaching for Longevity in One Month

“The reason why heaven and earth can last forever is that they do not produce themselves, so they can live forever. Therefore, the sage puts others behind him and yet is ahead of others; he puts himself outside of others and yet survives. Is it not because he is selfless? Therefore he can achieve his own goals.” Yang Xuyan’s voice in the courtyard was neither fast nor slow, neither high nor low, but with a unique rhythm that made people unconsciously immersed in it.

Dugu Feng stood behind Yang Xuyan with her eyes closed, holding a sword in her arms. The true energy in her body flowed freely and her aura was subtle. A look of enjoyment appeared on her face. Since she became Yang Xuyan's apprentice, she had been assigned many courses, most of which were Taoist classics. The "Tao Te Ching" and the "Book of Changes" were naturally the top priorities. After all, both "Lingbo Weibu" and "Dugu Jiujian" involved Taoist terminology, and not understanding them would have a great impact.

However, there's a huge difference between learning on your own and having a teacher, especially when a renowned teacher like Yang Xuyan is hard to find. Meanwhile, Shi Long, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, was nodding his head, listening with rapt attention. He was originally a martial arts master. Though only a congenital expert and not a grandmaster, and his inheritance wasn't particularly impressive, his aptitude was quite good, earning him the nickname "Yangzhou's number one pusher."

It is said that Shi Long accidentally got the Taoist secret book "The Secret of Immortality" a few months ago, and has been deeply addicted to it since then. In order to reach a higher level, he even avoided women, changed into Taoist clothes, and studied it hard at home. However, the existence of this "The Secret of Immortality" is so unknown that even the sages of the past dynasties have not been able to figure it out, let alone him, a martial artist who changed his career halfway.

After months of painstaking research, he gained nothing and even nearly went astray by forcing himself to follow the charts. At this time, Yang Xuyan came to visit him under the name of Xiaoyaozi from the Taoist sect, which made him overjoyed. After a discussion on Taoism, he was convinced by this Taoist "senior".

He is also a careful person. In the original book, he was able to hide the "Eternal Life Secret" for three years before it was discovered. This shows that he is not a brainless reckless man, but his intelligence is limited. Otherwise, he would not have guarded the "Eternal Life Secret" so tightly, fearing that it would be learned by Yang Guang. If the "Eternal Life Secret" was really so easy to crack, how could he have waited until today?

The book of Changsheng Jue had a total of 7,400 characters, and more than 3,000 of them had been deciphered. Shi Long then brought these deciphered characters to ask for advice. Yang Xuyan answered fluently, but in many cases, the same character had multiple interpretations, which made it difficult for him to grasp. The more he knew, the more confused he became.

In response to Shi Long's question, Yang Xuyan laughed heartily and shook his head, saying, "There is no right or wrong in the interpretation of a word. The key to its application lies in the mind. To control everything is to reach a certain realm."

Yang Xuyan was about to leave after three days of stay, Shi Long tried to keep him, but Yang Xuyan said that he was traveling around the world with his disciples, and when he passed by Yangzhou, he heard that Shi Long, the best master in Yangzhou, was devoted to Taoism, so he showed up to see him. He was a free-spirited person and was not used to staying in one place for a long time.

Shi Long felt that his realm had improved slightly in the past three days. How could he let him go given his rapid progress in Taoist thought? However, it was impossible for him to really take action. He couldn't even beat the other person's disciples, let alone Senior Xiaoyaozi.

In desperation, Shi Long took out the "Eternal Life Secret" and presented it to Yang Xuyan, offering him this Taoist secret book as a gift, only asking Yang Xuyan to stay for a year or two to teach him. After all, he already had a copy, but he just couldn't get started. Although the "Eternal Life Secret" was originally cast from black gold thread, which could not be wetted by water or burned by fire, no matter how precious the material, how could it compare to the content within.

The moment Dugu Feng saw the "Eternal Life Secret," his eyes widened. He suddenly understood his master's purpose in coming to Yangzhou, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest. This was a magical manual capable of shattering the void. Yang Xuyan casually took it, glanced through it, and suddenly smiled. "It is indeed a Taoist secret manual, but this method originates from ancient times and may not be suitable for modern people to practice. For us, however, these annotations are of common reference value."

Yang Xuyan declined Shi Long's gift and agreed to preach to him for a month. During this month, the "Secret of Immortality" would remain in Yang Xuyan's hands and would be returned to its original owner after the preaching. Shi Long had no choice but to agree and cherish every day he spent with Yang Xuyan, not wanting to waste even a moment.

However, Yang Xuyan was a very particular person with a regular work and rest schedule. He had a plan for when to get up, when to do morning classes, when to eat, and even when to rest. He did not change after getting the "Secret of Immortality". He ate and slept on time every day, and even did not reduce the time he spent strolling around Yangzhou City, which made Shi Long speechless.

At a fixed time each day, he would explain the I Ching and the Tao Te Ching, and at a fixed time, he would explain the deciphered contents of the Secret of Longevity. The annotations by many ancient sages were equally profound, but with so many different voices, the annotations were often even more confusing than the original texts, making them incomprehensible to anyone but a seasoned Taoist scholar. Shi Long had previously been troubled by these translations, and now, having finally met a Taoist master in person, he was determined not to miss such an opportunity.

On the first day, Yang Xuyan recorded a copy and kept it in the storage space. He then studied it every day, deciphering the translation himself while absorbing the thoughts of the sages of all ages. His spiritual realm suddenly improved a little, which shocked him and made him pay more attention.

The Shilong house was not far from the Taoist temple, but it was relatively quiet and few people came. Three people were giving lectures and listening to the class in the courtyard, but outside the wall, two little boys were secretly taking the class. They were still young and dressed like beggars, with a slightly bad look on their faces. They lay on the wall and listened for half a day.

Why is it half a day?

Because Yang Xuyan only teaches for half a day every day.

If the two young beggars' arrival was coincidental, Yang Xuyan and Dugu Feng were wandering around Yangzhou City. Though dressed simply, their generosity quickly drew their attention. Pickpockets and thugs approached them one after another, each of whom Yang Xuyan and Dugu Feng discreetly defeated. During the process, Yang Xuyan even taught Dugu Feng how to practice his finger-snapping sword technique, earning him something with each strike.

The two men were not stingy people, and their blows were not heavy, but it was inevitable that the pain would last for three to five days, especially for those with bad attitudes. It might take ten days or half a month to recover, but there would definitely be no sequelae in the end.

Their behavior angered some people, but as soon as these people approached, they were knocked down by Dugu Feng before they could speak. This really shocked many people, including two thugs who followed them to take advantage of them.

One of them was named Kou Zhong and the other was called Xu Ziling.

As the local thugs of Yangzhou, they had their own connections. After years of being thugs and pickpockets, they naturally knew who not to offend and when to stop taking advantage. They could rob the lesser-known thugs, but when it came to the real big thugs, they could only watch from afar.

After seeing how the female Taoist priest, who was obviously just a junior follower, could easily knock down their boss's boss, the two hooligans' eyes lit up, drooling almost from the corners of their mouths, thinking that it would be great if they had such means.

Many people who came to cause trouble were sent away. The higher the martial arts skills and the higher the status, the heavier the beating they received. On the contrary, hooligans like Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, who watched from afar and dared not approach but stayed with them, were automatically ignored.

The two of them followed Yang Xuyan and Dugu Feng to Shilong Villa. Their cautious and stealthy appearance made people laugh, but neither Yang Xuyan, Dugu Feng nor Shilong took them seriously, and neither said anything nor tried to drive them away.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were quite surprised to see Shi Long being so respectful in front of the old Taoist priest. Then, when they heard him asking for advice, they pricked up their ears for fear of missing a single word. However, when they listened carefully, they found that it was not about martial arts, but rather an old teacher's lecture. They looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although the two were orphans, they were quite smart. Even Master Shilong, the best pusher in Yangzhou, wanted to learn the skills. How could they miss it? They came to listen to the lectures on time every day, and would not miss it even if their stomachs were growling with hunger. This made Dugu Feng and Shilong admire them very much.

However, the two did not think that the two little beggars could really learn much, and seeing that they had no martial arts skills at all, they did not stop them and let them go.

Shi Long absorbed Taoist knowledge eagerly, and a month passed quickly. Yang Xuyan also briefly reviewed the more than 3,000 words in the "Book of Changes", "Tao Te Ching" and "The Secret of Immortality", and then left in Shi Long's reluctant gaze.

"Although you are sincere in your pursuit of the Tao, you entered it too late. Your martial arts foundation is not in Taoism. Meeting is fate, and being together is fate. Fate comes when it comes, and it goes when it ends. It cannot be forced." Yang Xuyan's voice was a little ethereal. "Thank you for allowing me to see the Taoist treasures. I will preach for a month to repay the karma. I also have a copy of the 'Turning the Sky Palm' to help you. If you practice properly, you can become a master. I hope that when we meet next time, you will have reached a higher level. Treasures are not available to those who are destined to obtain them. Some things cannot be forced. I hope you take care of yourself. Be willing to give up. Sometimes, you can only gain by giving up."

Looking at a martial arts manual on the stone table in the courtyard, Shi Long's expression was slightly complicated. He bowed deeply to the backs of Yang Xuyan and Dugu Feng. After a long while, he stood up, picked up the manual and began to read it carefully. "Heaven-Flipping Palm, what a Heaven-Flipping Palm! It's truly not comparable to a mere Mountain-Pushing Hand like me. Senior Xiaoyaozi is truly a master!"