“Spirit particles are the smallest motes of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, vanishingly minute and imperceptible to the naked eye. Though it seems you have condensed sixty-four spirit particles, combined they amount to nothing. Even if one hundred thousand spirit particles aggregate into a single spirit wave, when manifested within the body, it is merely three inches in size.”
Qin Li slowly explained to his nephew the starting point of cultivation:
“Three inches of spirit wave can command the myriad things and move all manner of tools.”
“Then what kind of result is it that I only accumulated sixty-four spirit particles in one night?”
Qin Chuan asked proactively:
“Does it mean my aptitude is very poor?”
“For an ordinary person, it is already considered quite good.”
After answering, Qin Li seemed to perceive Qin Chuan’s second question:
“You must understand that in the matter of cultivation, while innate talent and aptitude are certainly very important, what is actually most important is ‘Wealth, Partners, Methods, and Location.’”
“Wealth, Partners, Methods, and Location?”
Qin Chuan fell into thoughtful contemplation.
“Indeed. Ordinary people like you and me, in this impoverished countryside, working ourselves to the bone, can only absorb several dozen spirit particles in a night. This is not because our aptitude is poor. After all, having been selected as a Daoist from among tens of thousands, one cannot be considered to have poor aptitude by any means.”
Qin Li said slowly:
“It is only because we are in the countryside; the land here contains no spiritual veins, and spirit particles between heaven and earth are sparse. If you enter the city, it is a different matter. As long as it is an urban area, it is built upon spiritual veins. Even the cheapest room in Jiuchuan County contains over ten times the spiritual energy of our countryside.”
“Over ten times? The gap between city and countryside is this large?”
Qin Chuan roughly calculated and said:
“That is to say, if I cultivate in the county town, then at fastest, in half a year, I can steadily enter the first layer of Qi Refinement.”
“Precisely. And this is still with the lowest-grade spirit-zone residence. If it were a high-grade cave dwelling in the county town, having someone reach the first layer of Qi Refinement in three to five days would not be difficult. However, cave dwellings of that caliber are not something ordinary people can afford to rent, let alone purchase.”
Qin Li spoke, then continued:
“This is what I mean by the importance of ‘Wealth’ and ‘Location’ among Wealth, Partners, Methods, and Location.”
“What about Partners and Methods?”
Qin Chuan seized this opportunity to ask deeply.
“As for Methods, generally speaking, the Heavenly Court has basic allocated cultivation methods for ordained Daoists and Hearth Daoists. For example, if you go to Nongling Temple, Nongling Temple will teach you a necessary cultivation method for Nongling Temple Hearth Daoists. But these basic methods, compared to the accumulations of truly great clans and sect temples over hundreds or thousands of years, are like chicken ribs—insignificant. Cultivating such methods, one can never rise to prominence their entire life. This is also some experiential advice from your Third Uncle.”
Speaking to this point, Qin Li thought of the wasted years and sighed:
“Just like your Third Uncle—though I seem to have entered the Jing’an Office and am now truly ordained, I am merely a ‘Second-Class Constable’ of the Jing’an Office. Even if I work hard for the rest of my life, at most I can rise one more rank to ‘Deputy Chief Constable’, and that is the end.”
Qin Chuan did not understand:
“With your abilities, is it so difficult to rise to Deputy Chief Constable?”
“If there are no opportunities to earn merit, then that is simply how it is. And even if one truly encounters an opportunity to earn merit, for our Jing’an Office, the merit required to promote to a first-class register rank must come from an assignment where one stakes one’s life.”
Qin Li said:
“So when you arrive at Nongling Temple, if you want to be able to climb up, you must firmly remember the final item: ‘Partners.’”
“Partners?”
Qin Chuan contemplated:
“You mean friends?”
“Ordinary people call them friends, but we cultivators call each other ‘Dao companions.’ After entering Nongling Temple, you need to make many Dao companions and few enemies, in order to cultivate successfully.”
After pondering, Qin Li said:
“This is only the surface meaning of Partners, because sometimes ordinary Dao companions cannot actually help you much. You need to enter under the tutelage of some seniors, becoming their Dao companion. The status of this type of senior is the opportunity that will allow you to advance further at Nongling Temple in the future.”
Qin Chuan mentally translated his Third Uncle’s meaning of “seniors.”
So-called seniors, roughly speaking… meant backers.
Father Qin listened to the exchange between Qin Li and his son from the side. Although he only half-understood, he could clearly comprehend that every word Qin Li said was golden advice for Qin Chuan’s future cultivation path.
He earnestly instructed:
“Chuan’er, you must firmly remember everything your Third Uncle has said.”
Qin Chuan said with a serious expression: “I know.”
“In a few days, you will report to Nongling Temple. Remember then to speak less and listen more.”
Qin Li said, then suddenly gave a bitter laugh:
“This cultivation wisdom, in certain great clans, is passed down from generation to generation. But for ordinary people like us, one must personally stumble, struggle, fall, and crawl through hardships to comprehend even one ten-thousandth of it. Though what your Third Uncle has said is merely superficial, having obtained these key points is still better than when your Third Uncle knew nothing back then.”
Qin Chuan said gravely: “Third Uncle’s words weigh thousands of jun; I will not forget a single one.”
A thought flashed through his mind.
Wealth, Partners, Methods, Location.
To put it plainly, the path of cultivation in this life is about having money, connections, backing, and resources.
It is not the kind of world where one can enter closed-door cultivation in some cave for several hundred years, break through in cultivation, and emerge invincible under heaven.
In this world, even breakthroughs require a “vacancy” to allow you to ascend to that “register rank.”
“That’s enough for now. Besides giving you these instructions, the purpose of this visit is to take you to the city in advance to rent a temporary cave dwelling, so you can familiarize yourself with city affairs.”
Qin Li said.
“I will listen to Third Uncle in all things.” Qin Chuan already completely regarded this uncle as a guide on his cultivation path, respecting him as such.
“I took two days’ leave to return. Tomorrow I must go back to duty. Time waits for no one, so we uncle and nephew must set out after finishing this breakfast.”
Qin Li said.
So rushed—Qin Chuan naturally felt somewhat uncomfortable, but then anticipation for the future arose.
The family ate breakfast.
At the table, Father Qin and Mother Qin packed all the family’s savings and the specialties sent by clan members and the ancestral hall yesterday into the cart for Qin Chuan, so he could go to the city to sell them for Spirit Yuan and purchase what he would need after.
Once everything was loaded, Qin Chuan discovered that quite a few elderly clan members had gathered at the doorway, including the Old Master who had come personally.
Crackling firecrackers were even set off. Amid the sounds of firecrackers and drums came the childish sobs of his younger sister Qin Kui:
“Goodbye, Brother.”
“On holidays, Brother will bring back delicious food for you.”
Qin Chuan suppressed the reluctance in his heart, turned to Qin Li, and said:
“Third Uncle, let us depart.”
…
The road from Guniu Town to Jiuchuan County was about ten li. The uncle and nephew rode in Qin Li’s carriage, arriving in the county town in less than half an hour.
From afar appeared a city wall six zhang high. When passing through the gate, because of Third Uncle Qin Li’s status, they greeted the guards with smiles; they did not even need inspection and entered directly.
Entering Jiuchuan County town, white-walled and black-tiled buildings spread throughout the county.
Official residences, clan ancestral halls, merchant houses, and commoners’ homes—these structures had front and rear halls in sequence, or dozens of buildings connected in rows. The streets and alleys were all paved with flagstones.
Along the streets hung many red ribbons and tavern banners, giving Qin Chuan a feeling of returning to the ancient-style towns of his previous life.
Qin Li first brought Qin Chuan to the marketplace at the foot of the city wall.
“This is the Sifu Street marketplace. Many commoners inside and outside Jiuchuan are accustomed to bringing what they grow or make here to sell. Take advantage of the market not yet dispersing; sell as much as you can of these household vegetables, fruits, and rice on the cart. Third Uncle will go rent you a temporary room.”
In the alleys beneath the wall, there were many vendors calling out on both sides.
“Steamed buns for sale! Old dough steamed buns.”
“Knife sharpening, scissors sharpening~”
…
“Cucumbers and eggplants, freshly picked from the field.”
…
“Pot scrubbers, small shovels, needles, thread, buttons, washbasins, scissors, hairpins, rattle-drums…”
Driving the carriage past this peddler, listening to the crisp bells on his body and his hearty, drawn-out cries.
Third Uncle found a spot for Qin Chuan, telling him to hawk the things brought from home right here, while he turned to rent a house for Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan watched the busy people around him with curious eyes, observing.
Though in this life he had studied scriptures painstakingly day and night, he was not utterly detached from practical affairs or unable to distinguish the five grains. He was clear on the prices of these local goods and produce from home, nor did he feel it was beneath his dignity. Who let him have no money? So he simply began hawking directly.
In this era, many people still struggled for food and clothing. The cart was full of foodstuffs, so there was no worry about selling them.
Estimated to be near noon, Qin Chuan sold all several bags of grain, several baskets of vegetables and fruits, and a few pieces of cured meat from this cart, obtaining several strings of Spirit Coins.
The Eastern Victory Heavenly Court used Spirit Yuan to circulate throughout the world. One thousand wen of Spirit Coins made one string, which could be exchanged for one Spirit Yuan.
Spirit Yuan were similar to the silver dollars of his previous life, bearing spiritual patterns and depicting the likeness of the Celestial Venerable. Spirit Coins were round on the outside and square on the inside, inscribed with the four characters “Eastern Victory Currency.”
Then, taking advantage of the market not yet dispersing, he led the carriage and spent one wen to buy himself a steamed bun. He wandered around this Sifu Street alley.
A while later, he saw that at the end of this alley were displayed antiques: dishes, vases, and similar items.
Qin Chuan stopped the carriage and curiously squatted in front of one stall to look.
He went through them one by one.
The stall owner was a gaunt middle-aged man with a melon-skin cap, a mustache, and rat-like eyes. Watching the youth before him picking and choosing, he squinted and smiled in greeting:
“Little brother, you know your stuff. Honestly, no one who comes here examines old items the way you do. Look, the thing you’re holding right now, let me tell you, this item is from the Great Zhou era. Take a close look—it’s clearly authentic.”