A’Du noticed the subtle change in Li Qi’s expression and imdiately took the opportunity to elaborate: “This is what we commonly call essence, qi, and spirit but qi is not the sa as ordinary air. The term qi is a long-standing mistranslation.”
As he spoke, he dipped his finger in tea and wrote two homophones on the table to differentiate the anings.
“Essence refers to the power of the physical body, its vitality, blood, muscles, bones, and organs. Combined, they form what we call physical stamina. When we do laborious work, what we expend is this energy. A body full of essence burns with inner fire. Average ghosts don’t dare approach. Brother Li, just looking at you, one can tell you’re brimming with vitality, so much so, I daresay even if you walked through a graveyard, no ghost would dare co near.” He laughed as he spoke.
“Spirit refers to the clarity of our thoughts, the liveliness of the mind. When we think and remain ntally sharp, we’re using spiritual power. Sotis, even if our bodies lie idle on a bed all day, rely thinking can exhaust us, because our stamina remains but our spirit is worn down. A sharp mind and quick thinking co from an abundance of spirit,” A’Du explained.
“Then A’Du, you must be soone with strong spirit,” Li Qi said with a smile.
“Heh, can’t say that, can’t say that.” A’Du scratched his head sheepishly, then returned to the topic. “As for the final one, qi, it’s the most important of the three.”
“Spirit is essential for the body to function. Without spirit, the body weakens. When people say soone ‘looks spiritless,’ they’re expressing sothing profound with simple words. These foundational principles were once spread across the land by the ancient sages,” A’Du said to Li Qi with so reverence.
Li Qi found himself in wholehearted agreent.
The most fundantal axioms were always the most widely known and also the most unshakable. For every lofty theory overturned in top scientific journals, few cared. But if even a single principle from a grade school textbook changed, it would shake the entire edifice of understanding.
He supposed the sa logic applied in this world.
“But spirit doesn’t exist independently. It is regulated by qi, which is formless and without substance, yet it underpins the spirit. Yang qi is one manifestation of qi. All life processes depend on qi. It is the root of both life and fate.”
“The three are closely intertwined, nurturing and relying upon one another. Together, they form the human being. And this, Brother Li, brings us to the crux of what I want to share: the Three Innate Treasures can be weakened or activated through certain ans. Once activated, they can suppress ghosts and monsters. If we’re to survive the wilderness, we must learn these thods.” A’Du’s tone turned serious.
“You want to teach ?” Li Qi was stunned.
Not only had this man explained what the Three Innate Treasures were, but he was also offering to share how to activate them?
This wasn’t a cultivation thod per se, but such tricks were hardly sothing you'd teach a stranger on the roadside.
Li Qi’s vigilance rose sharply.
No one shows you kindness for nothing, either they’re scheming or they want sothing from you. This man might be setting him up to step on a trap.
“It’s not teaching, really. Just trying to hedge my bets. Brother Li, I truly have sothing important I must take care of. So important that even if I had to go alone, I’d still be on this road. We both know how dangerous it is to travel alone,” A’Du said with a wry smile, scratching his head. “That’s why I’m afraid of sothing happening. If sothing happens to , fine but if it delays what I carry with , the consequences would be disastrous. I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”
“So anything that can increase our chances, I’ll do. Just like how I ca over to talk to you,” A’Du said with frank sincerity.
“Then why didn’t you join them?” Li Qi discreetly pointed toward a nearby rchant caravan.
There were two such groups at the tea stall, each composed of over ten people. They kept to themselves, quietly eating and drinking, speaking in hushed tones, just like Li Qi and A’Du.
Their own voices were low enough that no one a bit further off should’ve heard them.
Yet, sohow, it seed soone had.
“Hey, what do you an by that?” A tall, burly man from the group Li Qi had pointed at suddenly stood up.
Clad in rough linen, he stood more than a full head taller than Li Qi. Muscular, broad-jointed, and covered in thick body hair, his beard and chest hair lded into one. He wore a bamboo hat and bore a fierce expression as he strode over, clearly displeased.
“Ah, my apologies, just using you as an example,” Li Qi quickly rose and apologized with a smile.
Being overheard talking about soone was always awkward, might as well make ands.
The burly man stopped halfway, heard Li Qi’s apology, snorted, “Good thing you know your place,” then turned and went back.
Not surprising. When roaming the wilds, you could be short-tempered, sure but if you got violent over every little thing, always escalating conflicts, you probably wouldn’t live long. You’d die out here.
Li Qi sat back down, feeling no sha. But from this small encounter, he now understood why A’Du hadn’t joined those groups.
A’Du seized the chance to whisper, “So… Brother Li, now you understand why I ca to you, right? If I went with them, I’d probably not even leave bones behind.”
Li Qi nodded, thoroughly convinced.
A hotheaded man quick to rise at a word, surrounded by a pack, if those rchant bands harbored ill intent, it wasn’t even a question of whether they’d dare to kill. Even if they just stripped A’Du of his goods and tossed him into the wilderness to die, that was more than likely.
And if soone died in the wilds, who’d know how they perished? Even the authorities wouldn’t bother investigating.
In other words, A’Du had chosen Li Qi because he figured Li Qi wasn’t that threatening. A’Du was confident that if Li Qi ever turned on him, he’d at least have a chance to escape.
As Li Qi considered all this, he suddenly paused.
Was he… being overly paranoid?
Wasn’t this just traveling together with soone? Such a normal thing. Why did it feel like so complicated ga of wits? Constant probing, endless suspicion, layers upon layers of speculation…
“Sigh…” Li Qi shook his head and rubbed his temples.
It was right to be cautious but that didn’t an he had to bristle like a porcupine and regard every person with extre suspicion. Besides, A’Du didn’t seem like a bad sort. Everything he’d said checked out. There was no need to keep interpreting everything in the worst light.
Even if he said he felt nothing when killing, perhaps it had still left a shadow in his heart…
“Brother Li, why the sudden sigh?” A’Du asked, puzzled, seeing the change in Li Qi’s expression, from guarded to weary amusent.
“It’s nothing. Let’s finish up, get so rest, then get back on the road,” Li Qi said simply.
Though he didn’t elaborate, he was no longer so resistant to having soone at his side.
(Chapter End)
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