Chapter 207

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Hearing about such a strange and supernatural incident within the sect, He Tianshu glanced at Zhang Xiaohua with some concern and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, the sect is rather unsettled right now. I think you’d better return to Huanxi Villa for the time being. You heard it just now too—Hall Master Bai instructed us to remain in the Medicine Hall for the time being. You still need to go back and tend to the herb fields, so stop loitering around here.”

As he spoke, He Tianshu shoved the token back into Zhang Xiaohua’s hands.

Zhang Xiaohua accepted it with a grin and said: “Captain He, I’m not a child anymore; why would I run around recklessly? I’ve only ever seen the sect’s forbidden areas from afar and would never enter them. Besides, it wasn’t easy for me to come here. Would you really have the heart to send me away now? I haven’t even had a chance to sit down yet.”

He Tianshu sighed deeply and said: “Zhang Xiaohua, haven’t you noticed how jumpy all the disciples in the sect are right now? And yet you’re still in the mood to joke around? Listen to me: go back quickly.”

Zhang Xiaohua tilted his head and replied: “Captain He, look at the time—it’s already late. If I return now, my room hasn’t even been tidied up yet. Are you really going to make me sleep in a grass hut again? The herbs are already growing fine; staying there to guard them is pointless.”

Hearing Zhang Xiaohua mention the grass hut and the herbs again, He Tianshu could only nod and say: “Fine. Since you’re so set on staying at the Medicine Hall tonight, come with me. I’ll take you to a guest room. But you must remember—don’t go anywhere else. I don’t have time to keep an eye on you, alright?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded enthusiastically and repeatedly promised not to wander.

Whether He Tianshu believed him or not was another matter. After all, Zhang Xiaohua’s legs were his own, and no matter how capable He Tianshu was, he couldn’t control them.

After escorting Zhang Xiaohua to the guest room and reiterating his warnings, He Tianshu hurriedly took his leave. As he walked away, he muttered to himself: “At a time like this, still thinking of sneaking into a guest room for a comfortable bed—he’d better not end up losing his life over it.”

Zhang Xiaohua, of course, knew that those words were meant for him to hear. However, he had already planned to stay in the guest room to cultivate the [Carefree Heart Sutra] and had no intention of wandering around. How could anything go wrong?

After He Tianshu had gone far away, Zhang Xiaohua glanced around the empty courtyard. Seeing no one, he casually shut the door tightly and quickly stepped into the inner room.

The guest room was quiet and tidy. It was surprising that, despite being unoccupied, it was kept so clean.

Zhang Xiaohua walked over to the bed, sat cross-legged on it, and did not immediately begin guiding energy into his body. The events of the previous night were still fresh in his mind. Amid the deafening thunder, he had fainted, yet, with the aid of the twinkling light, his cultivation of the Heart Sutra had not ceased. Early that morning, he had been startled by the revival of the herbs and had rushed to notify He Tianshu and the others. Afterward, he had been busy washing up and changing clothes, leaving no time to examine the state of his inner True Qi. Since Zhang Xiaohua had only just begun practicing the Carefree Heart Sutra, he could not yet freely observe his internal energy at will. It was only in solitude, sitting cross-legged and circulating his qi, that he could carefully sense it.

The moment Zhang Xiaohua began circulating his qi, his heart skipped a beat, and he was overjoyed.

Just one day ago, the True Qi within his body had been as thin as a thread, barely perceptible. Now, it had grown to the thickness of a cotton thread—ten times more abundant! This astonishing progress left Zhang Xiaohua speechless with amazement. A thought soon sparked in his mind: if he could summon thunder daily and cultivate in a place rich with Yuan Qi, wouldn’t he be able to advance to the second level of the [Carefree Heart Sutra] in no time?

However, just as the thought arose in his mind, Zhang Xiaohua immediately snuffed it out. Drawing heavenly thunder was nothing more than a desperate gamble. Perhaps in a moment of utter despair, it might serve as a way to turn the tide. But if he relied on such a shortcut daily, Zhang Xiaohua estimated to himself that it would only take two or three attempts before he was reduced to ashes by the lightning.

After all, the excruciating pain he endured last night, along with the events that occurred after he fainted, were entirely beyond his understanding. While the bracelet might protect him temporarily, how could he count on it for a lifetime? The path of cultivation, he reminded himself, must be traversed step by step, steadily and reliably.

With this realization, Zhang Xiaohua suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart, as though a thin veil had been removed. It was a sensation akin to facing his true self under the moonlight—a moment of clarity and inner peace.

Calming his mind, Zhang Xiaohua prepared to guide his True Qi through its circulation. This time, settling his thoughts felt noticeably easier than before. Before long, he entered a meditative state.

Following the route outlined in the first level of the [Carefree Heart Sutra], Zhang Xiaohua guided the cotton-thread-like stream of True Qi to flow smoothly through his meridians. Each time it passed through a segment of a meridian, he felt an unparalleled sense of comfort in that area and the surrounding body. By the time a complete cycle was finished, his entire body felt as though it had been nourished by a supreme tonic. The sensation was so delightful that Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but silently praise in his heart: “No wonder everyone desires to cultivate inner techniques; I never imagined that practicing inner skills could feel this wonderful.”

After completing one full cycle, the cotton-thread-like True Qi didn’t show any obvious change. However, Zhang Xiaohua gained a faint understanding. The True Qi hadn’t remained entirely unchanged; rather, its growth was so subtle that it escaped his perception. It reminded him of when he had first drawn qi into his body—though there had been True Qi, he had initially thought there was nothing at all.

After examining the results of summoning lightning the previous night, Zhang Xiaohua extended his perception outward. Instantly, he sensed that the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth in the surroundings seemed even denser than during his last visit. However, he quickly understood why. The lightning he had summoned the night before had concentrated the Yuan Qi so much that it revived the herbs in Huanxi Villa. Since the Medicinal Hall was not far from Huanxi Villa and housed even more herbs, it naturally retained more of the Yuan Qi.

Thinking about the abundance of Yuan Qi, Zhang Xiaohua’s thoughts shifted. Could the Piaomiao Sect’s forbidden area be related to Yuan Qi? Could the density of the Yuan Qi trigger changes in the forbidden area? But then, he recalled that he had also summoned lightning about a month ago, and no such changes had occurred in the forbidden area at that time.

Reflecting further, Zhang Xiaohua reasoned that his first summoning of lightning was merely a coincidence. At that time, the Yuan Qi in Huanxi Villa was only slightly denser than usual—nothing compared to the overwhelming density of the previous night. The Medicinal Hall, even with its additional herbs, likely did not retain significantly more Yuan Qi than usual. It was probably insufficient to trigger any changes in the forbidden area.

With that thought, Zhang Xiaohua chuckled to himself. What am I even thinking about? As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Only a fool would recklessly explore a forbidden area.

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xiaohua activated the [Carefree Heart Sutra], relaxed every pore in his body, and extended his full perception outward to guide the Yuan Qi into himself. The Yuan Qi floating outside seemed as if it were being commanded by an invisible hand, surging toward Zhang Xiaohua like a vast river or ocean. The momentum was so intense that it even stirred a faint breeze.

While delighting in the process of guiding the Qi into his body, Zhang Xiaohua mused: ”I wonder how much Yuan Qi this Medicinal Hall holds. Will it be enough for the herbs here? By absorbing so much Qi into my body, could I end up causing the herbs in the Medicinal Hall to wither and die?”

Despite these thoughts, he showed no sign of stopping. After all, he was neither a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect nor of the Medicinal Hall—why should he have such concerns? The Piaomiao Sect was vast and resourceful; a little indulgence on his part wouldn’t matter, right?

Meanwhile, while Zhang Xiaohua was freely absorbing the Yuan Qi of Heaven and Earth within the guest room at the Medicinal Hall, Hall Master Bai of the Medicinal Hall hurriedly led Elder He and a group of others into the Assembly Hall.

The Assembly Hall was already filled with the middle and upper echelons of the Piaomiao Sect, and the atmosphere was grave. After Hall Master Bai and Elder He paid their respects to Sect Master Ou and their colleagues, they either took their designated seats or stood behind their respective superiors in their proper places.

Sect Master Ou surveyed the room, his expression stern, and began solemnly: “Since everyone is present, I will say a few words first. Today, the forbidden area within our sect caused harm, which, although it may be attributed to a natural disaster, in my view, is entirely the result of our members disregarding the sect rules.

The sect rules have always clearly stated that disciples are strictly prohibited from approaching the forbidden area. Yet, over the years, as the forbidden area has shown no signs of abnormality, our members have grown complacent, neglecting both the forbidden area and the rules of the sect.

Ladies and gentlemen, the ancients said it well: ‘Adversity leads to survival; complacency leads to ruin.’ This is a textbook example of ignoring safety practices and relegating our rules to the sidelines, with dire consequences.

What we are witnessing now is but minor disturbances within a few forbidden areas. Should a formidable enemy suddenly storm Piaomiao Manor, how do you think our disciples would respond?”

Ou Peng paused, took a sip of tea, and continued: “Moreover, our Piaomiao Sect, with a history spanning thousands of years, may have seen some decline in recent times, but we have all been working tirelessly, dedicating our youth and blood to revitalize it. However, success hinges on the details, my fellow members.

A thousand years ago, our predecessors in the Piaomiao Sect established detailed emergency response plans. Yet now, in the face of a crisis, where have these plans gone? How many of you here actually know how to respond to an emergency? Step outside and take a look—what have our brothers in the sect become?

They’re like frightened birds startled by the twang of a bow. Baseless remarks, rumors, and wild speculations are rampant. If this were the women of Ming Cui Hall behaving so nervously, I might understand. But who are these people? Some are high-ranking members of the Brocade Hall, others are senior members of the Cloth Hall, and there are even certain management personnel among them!

Look at this chaos—does this behavior befit the disciples of a great sect? If you had studied these emergency plans earlier and conducted drills, would such a situation have unfolded?”

Ou Peng’s impassioned rebuke echoed through the hall. Below, the crowd hung their heads in shame, their faces etched with guilt. In truth, the term “emergency response plan” was entirely new to many of them, and none had any idea what such a plan entailed. Hearing Ou Peng mention that such plans had existed for over a millennium and must be of great importance, they couldn’t help but reflect on their lack of preparation. It became clear to them that more time must be dedicated to learning in the future.

Seeing the collective shame among the group, Ou Peng felt a wave of satisfaction. His morning spent poring over the sect’s ancient records to uncover this piece of wisdom had not been in vain.