Chapter 8: Qi Deviation
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When Shen Gurong came out of the side courtyard, his face showed a hint of confusion. What kind of temperament does this protagonist have? He was fine just now, but why does he suddenly look like he’s seen a ghost? Ah, the face of a child, the weather in June, they change just like the wind.
Without dwelling too much on it, he leisurely returned to the main courtyard of Fanjiang Residence.
There wasn’t much fun in Shen Fengxue’s residence, and after searching around for a while in the vast Fanjiang Residence, Shen Gurong didn’t find anything interesting. He glanced at the ink-colored bamboo flute hanging by the window and reached up to take it down.
The teacher who taught Shen Gurong calligraphy was exceptionally skilled at playing the bamboo flute. Whenever Shen Gurong felt restless during his calligraphy practice, the teacher in his green robe would sit beside him, lowering his gaze and playing the bamboo flute.
The sound of the bamboo flute was deep and ethereal, as if weeping and complaining. Sometimes, the young Gurong would interrupt his calligraphy practice, tugging at the teacher’s sleeve, clamoring to be taught how to play the bamboo flute.
The teacher had a good temperament, exuding a serene and scholarly aura. When he looked at Shen Gurong, his gaze was gentle, as if dripping with water. The teacher would kindly say, “After finishing today’s calligraphy practice, I will teach you how to play.”
Shen Gurong obediently practiced his calligraphy, and the teacher kept his promise to teach him the bamboo flute.
After a few days of learning, the usually gentle teacher rubbed his ears, hid the bamboo flute, and forced a smile, saying, “Gurong… you’d better focus on reading books.”
Shen Gurong: “…”
And thus, the journey of learning the bamboo flute came to an end.
Shen Gurong gently stroked the ink-colored bamboo flute, and his fingertips passed over the characters “Fengxue” carved underneath the flute. With a “tsk” sound, he raised the bamboo flute to his lips, recalling the teacher’s instructions. Facing the tranquil night outside the window, he attempted to play a tune.
Having finally managed to settle his disordered emotions, the now-composed Mu Zhe found himself cultivating spiritual energy in the secluded courtyard. The sound of the bamboo flute nearly led him into a trance.
The next morning, with the soft light of dawn, Shen Gurong was awakened by the morning bell of Liren Peak. Getting up was always a challenge for him, those attending to him had to engage in a mental battle each time just to rouse him.
No one dared to enter the Fanjiang Residence without permission, let alone wake him up abruptly. Shen Gurong rolled in bed several times, feeling somewhat uncomfortable without the usual wake-up call.
Shen Gurong asked, “Young Master, it’s already mid-morning. Shouldn’t you get up?”
Shen Gurong replied, “Let the young master sleep for another stick of incense.”
Shen Gurong said, “No.”
Playing both roles in this little charade with himself, after some playful banter, he lazily felt for the ice silk blindfold and draped himself in a robe before getting out of bed.
As he stepped out of the room, the White Crane youth, who knows how long he had been waiting at the courtyard gate, slightly bowed as he saw Shen Gurong emerge. “Sage.”
Shen Gurong nodded, responding, “What is it?”
“Sage, the Sect Master has instructed you to go to Martial Uncle Lou at Bai Shang Mountain.”
Shen Gurong was momentarily confused. Bai Shang Mountain? Martial Uncle Lou?
He once again delved into Shen Fengxue’s memories for clarification.
Lou Bugui is the only medical cultivator on Liren Peak. He resides on Bai Shang Mountain, frequently going out to gather herbs. His outings can last for extended periods, making sightings of him quite rare.
Shen Gurong understood that Xi Guxing was preparing to send punitive forces against him. He nodded, feigning composure. “Lead the way.”
White Crane hesitated for a moment, then nodded and guided the way.
The two of them walked slowly for half an hour, crossing two suspension bridges, until they finally reached Lou Bugui’s residence on Bai Shang Mountain. The place was saturated with the strong scent of medicinal herbs, and various herbs were planted in the courtyard. As Shen Gurong entered, he found Lou Bugui squatting in the yard, picking a herb and putting it in his mouth.
Xi Guxing sat on a nearby stone stool, brewing tea. Catching a glimpse, his expression changed. He raised his fingers and sent out a stream of spiritual power, accurately knocking the medicinal herb out of Lou Bugui’s hand.
Lou Bugui remained motionless for a moment after his herb was knocked away. Then, he suddenly exclaimed, “My medicine.”
Xi Guxing, true to his nature, confronted whoever he disliked. He scolded, lacking any warmth, “You went crazy for half a month last year after being poisoned by this plant. Now you dare to try it again?”
Lou Bugui, with a mild temperament, let his eyes droop slightly as if carrying an everlasting sorrow that could never be untied. He spoke slowly, “I wanted to give it another try, see if I could become immune to all poisons this time.”
Xi Guxing: “It better poison you to death.”
Lou Bugui, possibly affected by long-term experimentation with medicines, always took a considerable amount of time to respond when someone spoke to him. There was a delay of several beats before he could come back to his senses.
Changying Mountain and Bai Shang Mountain were only separated by a rope bridge, yet they experienced different seasons—Changying in summer and Bai Shang in autumn. Shen Gurong was dressed in light clothing, and when the autumn wind blew, he shivered slightly. Lou Bugui finally noticed him and exclaimed, “Ah, Shiyi has arrived.”
Shen Fengxue had been raised by the former Sect Leader of Liren Peak since childhood. He was ranked eleventh in Liren Peak sect, and also the youngest junior disciple.
Note: Shiyi = eleventh
Shen Gurong nodded slightly, “Senior Brother.”
Lou Bugui seemed to be somewhat pleased, but his expression remained melancholic. Even with a smile, the corners of his eyes still drooped. He pulled on Shen Gurong’s sleeve and let him sat down next to Xi Guxing, saying, “Give Shiyi some hot tea.”
Xi Guxing glanced at him and reluctantly poured a cup of tea for Shen Gurong. As Shen Gurong just sat down, Lou Bugui seemed to notice that he was trembling. He fetched a crane cloak from the room and draped it over Shen Gurong’s shoulders, asking, “Senior Brother said you were injured? Why didn’t you come to me earlier?”
Shen Gurong, with the cloak over his shoulders, hesitated for a moment before responding, “I…”
Xi Guxing, on the side, said softly, “Why would he come to you? To test medicines?”
Lou Bugui drank half a cup of water, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind Xi Guxing’s words.
Xi Guxing was already accustomed to Lou Bugui’s slow responses, showing no urgency at all. It was Shen Gurong who was not quite used to it, almost bursting in impatience.
After a while, Lou Bugui finally reacted. Taking another sip of water, Shen Gurong asked Xi Guxing, “Is Li Suo okay?”
Xi Guxing coldly glanced at him. “Thanks to you, he’s at least a Golden Core cultivator. The minor injuries won’t kill him; he just needs a few days of rest to recover.”
Shen Gurong nodded. “That’s good.”
Xi Guxing sneered, “And your precious disciple?”
Shen Gurong, as if showing off his child, proudly and with a hint of secrecy, said, “He has broken through the Qi Refining stage.”
Xi Guxing was taken aback. “Really? I remember last month you almost killed him, and even after that, he couldn’t gather any spiritual energy. What did you do this time?”
Shen Gurong coughed awkwardly, not wanting to take the blame for the sins committed by Shen Fengxue. He vaguely replied, “I, I didn’t do anything this time.”
Due to Li Suo’s serious injuries, Xi Guxing’s impression of Mu Zhe had already reached a low point, and he didn’t ask much. He didn’t care if he lived or died.
Xi Guxing put down the cup in his hand, looked coldly at Shen Gurong, and said, “So now, are you ready to explain to me about Mu Zhe’s matter?”
Shen Gurong was stunned, only now remembering this matter.
He overturned a pile of drafts, and yesterday, he fell asleep while playing the bamboo flute, completely forgetting about it. Now that Xi Guxing brought it up, he felt inexplicably guilty.
Lou Bugui couldn’t keep up with their conversation, but he didn’t want to get involved. He brought out a silk cushion from inside and placed it on the table, tugging at Shen Gurong’s sleeve, indicating for him to place his hand on it.
Shen Gurong readily placed his hand on it.
Lou Bugui closed his eyes and took Shen Gucun’s pulse.
Xi Guxing slammed the table, looking stern, and said, “Speak! Don’t even think about pretending to be dead this time.” Shen Gurong shivered.
Lou Bugui frowned. “Third Senior Brother, don’t scare him. I can’t read the pulse if he’s frightened.”
Xi Guxing had no choice but to shut up, still staring at Shen Gurong with a menacing gaze, giving him a deathly stare.
Shen Gurong pretended to be calm, but his pulse was racing. “It’s a heart condition,” Lou Bugui muttered quietly. Xi Guxing frowned and, reluctantly, left the courtyard.
Shen Gucun breathed a sigh of relief when Xie Guhang left, and his heartbeat gradually stabilized. Lou Bugui continued to examine his pulse.
Two quarters of an hour later, Lou Bugui slowly opened his eyes and said, “Ah.”
Shen Gurong, who was almost asleep, was awakened by his “Ah.”
Lou Bugui looked at Shen Gurong strangely, his eyes slightly widened. Shen Gurong suddenly felt a bit nervous. It was said that medical cultivators could diagnose all kinds of difficult and mysterious ailments. Could he possibly discover the possession of Shen Fengxue by him?
Facing Lou Bugui’s lifeless eyes, Shen Gurong felt a bit anxious. Lou Bugui uttered “Ah” for a long time before slowly saying, “Shiyi, you seem to have fallen into Qi Deviation[11].”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Ah.
Ah?
Hearing Lou Bugui’s “Ah,” Xi Guxing knew that he had finished diagnosing. He swiftly approached, asking, “Have you figured it out?”
Lou Bugui nodded, “It’s Qi Deviation. His sea of consciousness[12] is very chaotic.”
Xi Guxing’s pupils contracted, “Are you sure?”
Lou Bugui nodded again.
Lou Bugui was a peculiar medical cultivator. He could diagnose all sorts of unusual illnesses and poisons, and articulate the pulse conditions with precision, yet he never administered medication for treatment. However, his skill in poison-making was unparalleled across the Three Realms.
The fame of Liren Peak was not only due to Shen Fengxue, who was on the verge of becoming a Saint, but also because of Lou Bugui, the most useless medical cultivator in the Three Realms.
Upon hearing Lou Bugui mention “Qi Deviation,” Shen Gurong was stunned for a moment, and a sudden thought occurred to him. If it was really Qi Deviation, could that explain the drastic change in his temperament overnight?
While Shen Gurong was pondering, Xi Guxing grabbed his hand and skillfully probed into Shen Gurong’s spiritual veins.
After a moment, Xi Guxing withdrew his spiritual energy, furrowing his brows. “I can’t detect Qi Deviation, but if he doesn’t use medicine soon, his time is running out, that much I can tell.”
Shen Gurong: “……..”
Lou Bugui exclaimed, “I have medicine! I have medicine!”
Xi Guxing scolded him, “Get lost! If he uses your medicine, he’ll die even faster.”
With his medicine rejected, Lou Bugui could only lower his head in frustration and continue his research, which mainly involved developing spiritual medicines… or poisons.
Xi Guxing turned his attention to Shen Gurong and frowned. “How did you end up fallen into Qi Deviation when everything was fine?”
Shen Gurong thought: “I also wanted to know.”
Xi Guxing asked: “How’s your current cultivation? Are you still in the Mahayana stage?”
Shen Gurong, not fully comprehending the terminology, remained silent. Xi Guxing pressed further, “Speak.”
Shen Gurong lowered his long eyelashes, an unusual hint of vulnerability in his demeanor. He mumbled, “Probably.”
Xi Guxing: “…”
Shen Gurong unexpectedly refrained from his usual retorts, leaving Xi Guxing somewhat taken aback.
With a newfound reason to completely let go, Shen Gurong’s previously tense posture gradually relaxed. Leaning on his hand with his jaw slightly tilted, his white hair scattered over the crane-embroidered cloak, he appeared ethereal and detached from worldly affairs.
Xi Guxing observed him for a while before finally sitting down, asking in a peculiar manner, “You try to call me again.”
Shen Gurong obediently complied, “Third Senior Brother.”
Xi Guxing, looking astonished, exclaimed, “Indeed, you’ve truly fallen into Qi Deviation!”
Shen Gurong: “…..”
So, being compliant and addressing you as ‘Senior Brother’ is your standard for determining whether your junior had fallen into Qi Deviation?
With a stern expression, Xi Guxing turned to Lou Bugui, “Is there any spiritual medicine to cure Qi Deviation? If there’s none on Liren Peak, I’ll make a trip to Xianyun City again—Bugui? Lou Bugui!”
Lou Bugui was startled by the shout and belatedly exclaimed, “Ah!” regaining his composure. He looked at Shen Gurong with a puzzled expression, saying, “I wouldn’t let Shiyi try medicinal herbs.”
Shen Gurong: “…….”
So, it seems he just realized it now.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Shen Gurong brushed his white hair back, as if recalling something, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Third Senior Brother, didn’t you tell me before that the spiritual medicine was sent by someone from Xianyun City?”
How come it has turned into you personally seeking it?
Xi Guxing was momentarily stunned.
Shen Gurong, noticing his reaction, suddenly understood. He said, “Oh, I see…”
Xi Guxing immediately became infuriated and blurted out in embarrassment, his ears turning red, “Do as you please, live if you want, die if you want! Only ghosts would care about you now! Get lost! Go, go, go!”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Well, that escalated quickly.
Lou Bugui was still immersed in his own little world, muttering quietly on the side, “Not letting Shiyi try the herbs, if he does, Master will surely kill me.”
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Glossary:
[11]: Qi Deviation – also known as Qigong Deviation. Literally translates as “to catch fire and be entered [possessed] by devils”. A state wherein the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, causing internal damage to the body and symptoms of psychosis. People who succumb to their Internal Demons, who practice cultivation/martial arts incorrectly, or who rashly use forbidden arts are all at risk of falling into this state.
[12]: sea of consciousness: The Sea of Consciousness is a metaphysical space within a cultivator’s mind where their spiritual essence, consciousness, and soul are situated. It is a crucial component of the cultivation process, as cultivators strive to refine and strengthen their Sea of Consciousness to achieve higher states of existence.
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So Endearing :c