Seeking Truth with a Sword
Chapter 41 - 40 Qi Sensing

Chapter 41: Chapter 40 Qi Sensing

In the following few days, several events occurred within Yizhou City.

First and foremost was the most important provincial examination.

After the exams at the State School, all the scholars in Yizhou City for this year had been determined.

After eliminating those who did not possess Spiritual Vein Talent and those over the age of eighteen, a list of ten individuals qualified to travel to Chang’an and partake in the Academic Palace’s entrance examination was produced.

Among these ten, Zhai Yiming from the State School ranked first, with Song Shaoyuan following closely in second. Those ranking third to sixth were other classmates from the State School, and there were four more students from outside the local area.

Following custom, selected scholars like Zhai Yiming and Song Shaoyuan held tail-end feasts at their homes to celebrate. In the following days, they continuously hosted different banquets, expressing gratitude to their teachers and parents and celebrating with classmates and friends. They also took the opportunity to get acquainted with fellow locals who would be taking the exams with them in Chang’an, thereby laying the groundwork for good relations.

Li Ang did not attend any of the banquets. In fact, he even declined the invitation from the Governor’s House, even though Governor Ji Chi’s daughter had also received a recommendation letter for the Academic Palace Patrol this year, making her a recommended student just like him.

"This time in Chang’an, you should listen more, observe more, and think more."

In the courtyard of Security Hall, Pu Liuxuan spoke with a smile to Li Ang, "When I was there, the developments at the Academic Palace were already changing with each passing day. Fifteen years have gone by; who knows what new ideas or technologies have emerged there. Have your senior brother take you to the Academic Palace Book Tower on the open day; perhaps you will find new insights."

Yu Country’s public libraries used to be called the Secretary Province.

Since Emperor Shihuang burned books, most of the tomes were destroyed. Furthermore, with the old methods of handwritten transcription and bamboo and silk script, it was difficult to preserve and disseminate books. Only officials could collect them on a large scale and store them in secret vaults within the palace, making them out of reach for the common folk. Therefore, the agency specifically managing the national collection of books was named the "Secretary Province," and those responsible for editing and proofreading the books were known as editors.

However, with the emergence of the Academic Palace and improvements in printing and papermaking techniques, the difficulty of compiling books dropped dramatically. A mass collection of books was no longer a privilege exclusive to the state or wealthy nobles. Instead, some comparatively well-off State Mansions also established local libraries, collecting books and periodicals from the market with public funds each year for the public to borrow.

"Understood."

Li Ang nodded respectfully, hesitated for a moment, then asked Pu Liuxuan in a soft voice, "Teacher, what are the signs of reaching the Qi Sensing Realm? I’ve been reading the ’Shangqing Linggan Chapter’ these past few days. Every time I get halfway through, I feel an itchiness under my skin, and my chest and abdomen feel bloated."

"Oh?"

Pu Liuxuan raised his brows slightly in surprise. "Itchy under the skin, chest and abdomen bloating? Do you also feel like your breath is smoother, and each exhalation lasts longer than before?"

Li Ang nodded. "Yes."

A month, huh...

Pu Liuxuan’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he smiled. "That is the precursor to the Qi Sensing Realm. The ’Shangqing Linggan Chapter’ is just a primer. Only when one reads with the six senses pure, the mind undefiled by dust, holding firm to right mindfulness, filling oneself with true qi, and aligning it with the spirit, can the flow of qi through the meridians be unobstructed."

"A pure mind? That’s enough?"

Li Ang expressed his surprise. "I thought it would be more difficult."

"It’s easier said than done," Pu Liuxuan said casually. "You have to stay free of greed, anger, delusion, resentment, and aversion. Seek not, rush not, stray not, and quietly wait for your essence, qi, and spirit to be full. Some who lack insight think a calm mind means having no thoughts, emptying and relinquishing the self, or sitting idle in one place for an entire day, not knowing that to experience qi, one must think and yet not think. One must firmly hold and suppress all distracting thoughts with willpower, actively using it to sense the existence of nature’s spiritual energy. This method must be comprehended on one’s own. If others tell you to suppress your distracting thoughts, it will only make you uncontrollably distracted."

"So that’s how it is."

Li Ang had a sudden realization. No wonder Pu Liuxuan had only tossed over a copy of the ’Shangqing Linggan Chapter’ without any extra annotations or explanations.

"Being able to sense spiritual energy in a month’s time is not a bad achievement."

Pu Liuxuan said with a smile, "But sensing the spiritual energy from the outside is just the first step. What you have to do next is to feel the location of your own Spirit Vein."

Umm...

After thinking for a bit, Li Ang asked, "Teacher, what exactly is a Spirit Vein? Or rather, in what form does it exist?"

"Spirit Veins are not like objects; they’re more like a characteristic one is born with, much like fingerprints on a hand or a birthmark."

Pu Liuxuan explained, "The difference is that Spirit Veins are tied to a person’s body and soul—invisible and intangible, not a specific organ.

"To put it simply, you can think of nature’s spiritual energy as a continual and infinite flow of qi,

"and the human body as a flute or xiao (a Chinese vertical flute).

"Spirit Veins, then, are the hollow interior of the flute or xiao.

"Because of these hollow Spirit Veins, nature’s spiritual energy can enter the body and be manipulated by a Cultivator’s will,

"similar to how the flow of air creates music when passing through a flute, producing various mystical effects.

"Discovering one’s Spirit Veins is akin to cleaning the flute, allowing a body once clogged by impurities and improper thoughts to once again flow clearly.

"The entire process is called Initial Guidance.

"Completing Initial Guidance is Qi Sensing."

Pu Liuxuan’s example was vivid and clear, saving Li Ang much effort in grasping the concept. He asked hesitantly, "So, Qi Sensing is the process of sensing the location of Spirit Veins and making them flow smoothly? Does the location of Spirit Veins matter?"

"Location?"

Pu Liuxuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Spirit Veins are formless and immaterial, unseen and untouchable. However, the experience of the sages from the Academic Palace, along with many recorded cases, suggests that different people’s Spirit Vein locations seem to vary. They are often concentrated in the blood vessels and meridians, or in areas such as the eyes, hands, heart, and ears. Some sects from the era of the Former Sui even advocated for what they called Ancient Cultivation Skill, which involved cultivating different Qi Sensing Techniques based on the location of the Spirit Veins—of course, such an Ancient Cultivation Skill has now been phased out by the Academic Palace."

"Then... is it possible for Spirit Veins to appear in the head?"

Li Ang asked with some nervousness, sitting up straight, "After sensing nature’s spiritual energy, sometimes my head hurts slightly, and my vision suddenly turns black. It feels as if... there’s a Sword thrust into my head."

"In the head?"

Pu Liuxuan widened his eyes in shock. "Are you sure?"

Li Ang nodded firmly. "Disciple is certain."

How can this be? It shouldn’t be...

Pu Liuxuan frowned deeply, muttering to himself, "The most common location for Spirit Veins is within the blood vessels and meridians, followed by the heart, limbs, eyes, and mouth. I’ve never heard of Spirit Veins being located within the head..."