The rhythm of the wheels striking the rails gradually slowed. A chill seeped through the gaps between the carriages, signaling that the journey was nearing its end. Unlike the passengers around him who were busy packing their luggage, Qin Youming stared intently at the object in his hand under the dim overhead light.
It was a yellowed piece of brocade of unknown age, covered densely with writing.
At first, he thought he had stumbled upon some secret martial arts manual, but upon closer inspection, while he recognized every individual character, they were obscure and difficult to understand when strung together, like a heavenly script. What baffled him even more was that the brocade also featured twelve extremely detailed anatomical diagrams, marking tendons, bones, meridians, and muscle trajectories. They looked profoundly mysterious, yet he had no idea where to even begin.
"What kind of nonsense is on this?"
Qin Youming frowned, about to flip the brocade over, when he discovered there was actually a handwritten passage on the back.
"The tiger devours mountains and rivers, using food to nourish qi."
This passage was not hard to understand; it described a highly peculiar method of dietary therapy. It listed forty or fifty strange items, including purple river carriage, thousand-year fleeceflower, wild lingzhi, snow ginseng, leopard bone, and musk. Some of them he had never heard of in this life, let alone the last. Moreover, these things had to be combined into recipes according to the medicinal properties of the Five Elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. At the very bottom of the recipes, there was a general summary:
"Life in this world is like a single autumn for grass and trees; withering and flourishing follow the cycle of 'qi'. Compared to the prime of youth, old age is the decline and exhaustion of qi, leading to a lack of successors and the manifestation of senility in the physical body. My method uses food to supplement and regulate the qi of the five viscera. When qi is full, essence and blood flourish. When essence and blood flourish, tendons become strong and bones healthy. Further assisted by the secret art of swallowing qi to build the foundation of the Five Elements, one can eat the tiger to gain majesty, and drink the dragon to transform; swallowing qi to devour mountains and rivers."
"This looks a bit sinister."
Qin Youming clicked his tongue the more he looked, but he eventually grasped the general purpose of the item. Reading all the way to the end, he noticed four inconspicuous characters: "For the Chen descendants."
"Could this be left behind by a senior named Chen?"
Just as he was feeling surging excitement, the conductor's shout suddenly sounded outside the carriage. "We're almost at Harbin, everyone keep an eye out so you don't miss your stop."
It was time to get off. Gathering his thoughts, Qin Youming instantly came back to his senses. After a moment of consideration, he tucked the brocade book close to his body. There was no rush to figure this thing out; the contents recorded on it were simply too bizarre, and thoroughly understanding it would take some effort. Soon, as the train slowly decelerated, Qin Youming packed the Heart Sutra and two roast geese into his satchel, then picked up his luggage, walked out of the carriage, and squeezed into the vast white snow amidst the surging crowd.
Outside the station. Faded red banners fluttered in the cold wind, the slogans on them already blurred. The heavy snow fell profusely, unable to hide the vitality of daily life. The saying that the national economy looked to the Northeast was not just empty words. On the streets, it seemed to be the end of the work shift. Many old masters in blue work overalls were riding "twenty-eighters," carrying long tool bags, ringing their bells, and braving the wind and snow as they traveled back and forth. The cold wind blew, occasionally carrying wafts of food aroma from the entrances of state-run canteens. Qin Youming had only walked a few steps when he exhaled two breaths, and a layer of frost formed on his brows and lashes. The chill from all directions poured straight into his collar along the north wind, giving him a sudden shiver. It was truly cold. Before he could even speak, his snot started running. The educated youths were also frozen into shrinking their heads and necks; anyone who dared to open their mouth got a mouthful of cold wind. Qin Youming was tall and sturdy, so standing there he could withstand it, but a few female educated youths carrying luggage next to him hadn't run more than a few steps before a gust of wind knocked them sideways like drunkards, making them fall and provoking laughter from bystanders. Qin Youming, however, was unhurried. He took a mask from his pocket, wrapped his scarf tight, pulled his hat brim down, and bundled himself up until only a pair of eyes remained exposed. This was all experience from those who had been here before. In fact, this was not Qin Youming's first time in the Northeast. Years ago, when his father visited old comrades in arms, he had tagged along a few times. Those uncles had come here during the initial support for the Great Northern Wilderness, then settled down, started families, and put down roots here. Otherwise, how could his family possibly feel at ease letting him come alone to such a distant place to join the production team. The place was a bit remote, but Qin Youming could at least call them uncle, so he wouldn't have to suffer hardship, right. He glanced at those educated youths; there had been four or five hundred when they started, and quite a few had gotten off along the way, leaving only a few dozen now. As soon as they exited the station, they saw people on two Jiefang trucks waving at them. "Over here, everyone come."
A group of people rushed over again with great energy. Only when they got closer did they realize the trucks were actually hauling a lot of logs, leaving limited space. The group could only sit on the logs one by one, braving the wind and snow, shivering from the cold but gritting their teeth to hold on. Then, the fifty-some educated youths were divided into two groups according to their assigned locations. The students didn't have time to say goodbye to their companions before parting ways, bidding farewell amidst weeping. Qin Youming sat alone on the edge; he didn't feel it was hardship. The true suffering had already been borne by others; the present situation was just a snowstorm, what did that count for? And after the hasty parting came bewilderment and helplessness. Looking at the vast expanse of white, watching the city gradually recede, and seeing the dense forests and hills passing by along the way, everyone seemed to fall into a confusion about the future. In the howling wind and snow, someone suddenly looked up, pulled their throat, and shouted loudly, "Unity is strength! Ready, sing!!!"
"Unity is strength, this strength is iron, this strength is steel..."
The educated youths, who had been silent and downcast, raised their heads one after another, puffed out their chests, gathered their strength, and began to sing. Qin Youming was among them, for he was the one who had started the shouting. No other meaning; according to his father, at a time like this, one should boost the momentum and lift the spirits. "Eh?"
Qin Youming’s gaze suddenly settled. He saw among them a female educated youth wearing a fur hat, her small face blackened, nose running, and a ring of soot on her cheeks, as if she had just crawled out of a stove. In one hand she gripped a half-eaten roasted corn cob, in the other a roasted sweet potato, both still hot—he had no idea where she had gotten them. She had been singing along a moment earlier, but perhaps noticing Qin Youming’s stare, she first froze, then her cheeks flushed, her gaze averted, and she slowly shuffled backward. Only after shrinking behind a sturdier female educated youth did she turn around again and continue eating. Truly a steady personality. Seeing the wind and snow grow heavy, Qin Youming thought for a moment, then took a pack of fruit candies from his luggage. After opening it, he distributed a few to everyone. The crowd immediately expressed their thanks. Just as he was about to finish handing them out, a slender right hand covered in soot suddenly reached out. Qin Youming looked up and saw that it was actually the same female educated youth who had been gnawing on the corn cob, her face still wrapped in a scarf, moving as stealthily as a thief, yet a pair of large, dark eyes fixed intently on the few remaining candies. Qin Youming smiled, took one for himself, and held out the rest. The educated youth took the candies and instantly beamed, mumbling with her mouth full, “Ng goi!”
So she was still wrapped in food. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize something and hurriedly corrected herself, speaking with a southern accent and some unfamiliarity: “Thank you!”
Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz. As time passed, the truck stopped at several farms, and most of the educated youth on board got off. Unexpectedly, however, the driver suddenly realized midway that he had one extra person. After asking around, he discovered the extra passenger was Qin Youming. Qin Youming was also stunned. So he had gotten off at the wrong stop. His destination was Tahe, and he had disembarked too early. Fortunately, the driver said this truck would pass through Tahe, though it would be late; by the time they arrived, it would likely be dark. “What rotten luck.”
Watching the educated youth get off one by one, Qin Youming could not help but sigh deeply. The wind and snow had stopped unnoticed. Aside from Qin Youming, only four educated youth remained on the truck: one man and three women. He heard clearly that these few were actually from the Liangguang region. There had been over a dozen of them originally, but they had separated earlier, leaving only these four heading to the same place. Coincidentally, the female educated youth who had asked for candy was among them. But being southerners, in this ice and snow, they had been lively before, but now one by one they were wilted by the cold, shivering, hands and feet trembling, their vitality seemingly drained away. Fortunately, the driver poured them some hot water, and after drinking it, they recovered a little. Qin Youming sat to one side, bored, and began mulling over the contents recorded on the brocade. The dietary therapy method was not obscure in the slightest; it was plain and easy to understand. The difficulty lay in those so-called heavenly treasures and earthly rarities. As for the breath-swallowing technique mentioned above…
Thinking for a moment, Qin Youming took out the brocade again, keeping his back to the others, and quickly scanned it. Nothing. It actually did not record the breath-swallowing technique. “Or maybe I just don’t understand the technique?”
Qin Youming’s eyes showed thoughtfulness, and he put away the brocade. Then, turning around, he took out the Heart Sutra. The old book’s cover consisted of two layers, front and back. The front concealed the brocade; could the back also hide something? With that in mind, he did not hesitate. His fingertip pried along the seam of the book cover, and to his surprise, it actually popped open. Inside, another brocade was hidden. He looked closely and, sure enough, there it was. “Three Yin Earth Fiend Force.”
“Internal martial arts boil down to two words: ‘attack’ and ‘defend.’ The path of attack lies in ‘Qi.’ The heart and lungs flourish because of Qi; blood surges because of Qi; hands and feet come alive because of Qi. Thus, Qi is the foundation for commanding the fleshly body. Without Qi, no force is generated; without Qi, there is no life.”
“However, what this force refines is not the strength of sinew and bone, but the pursuit of an internal force. Ordinary people eat and drink—whether heavenly treasures, earthly rarities, or delicacies from land and sea—yet they can never fully extract the essence within, because the Qi of the five viscera is difficult to command, either deficient or damaged, often inadequate. This breath-swallowing method, however, can command the five Qi to generate force. Once achieved, not only will the dietary therapy method yield twice the result with half the effort, but as the five Qi circulate, the swallowed food can be completely transformed into essence and Qi to replenish oneself in an extremely short time.”
Qin Youming frowned slightly, pondering silently. According to this record, it meant that ordinary people, no matter what they ate, could never fully absorb the nutrition within; there was always loss. But if one practiced this art, one could greatly enhance one’s digestive power and speed, thereby absorbing the nutrients in food to the greatest extent to replenish oneself. “But what are these five Qi? And swallowing Qi to generate force…”
He subconsciously let out a light breath, and suddenly recalled the strange scene earlier in the carriage when that person had been breathing in and out. “Could that person have been swallowing Qi?”
Qin Youming returned his gaze to the brocade, looked down, and immediately saw the formula enter his eyes: “Tongue pressed to the upper palate, cheeks undulating, holding saliva and taking in fluids, Qi entering the throat and tongue, spirit roaming the Three Yin…”
He was just subconsciously thinking of trying it once, but as soon as he inhaled, he felt cold air enter his throat like a knife cutting, and a mouthful of saliva got stuck, nearly choking him. “Cough, cough…”
In an instant, Qin Youming, amid violent coughing, extinguished all such thoughts. “Classmate, are you alright?”
A concerned voice came from behind. Hearing this, Qin Youming hurriedly stowed away the brocade and replied, “I’m fine.”
He swallowed another mouthful of saliva, only to find a fishy-sweet taste. He had actually coughed up blood. The rest of the journey passed in silence; Qin Youming behaved himself completely, daring not to let his mind wander again. It was not until the truck drove into a county town that the four educated youth got off. Watching the four depart, Qin Youming took the opportunity to buy some food at a state-run restaurant, planning to fill his stomach and also bring a portion for the driver. The difference was that earlier he had been in the back braving the cold wind, but now he was sitting in the passenger seat. After the two finished their meal and rested briefly, they set off again. Qin Youming exhaled a breath and was just about to doze off for a while, but the instant the truck turned a corner, the corner of his eye suddenly caught a somewhat familiar figure on the street. “Hmm?”
In a flash, the drowsiness in Qin Youming’s eyes vanished without a trace. At the end of his line of sight stood a sallow-faced youth wearing a Mao suit. It was actually him. That traitor of the Xingyi Sect. Qin Youming was filled with shock and doubt. “How is this possible?”
He remembered the other party had vanished midway; regardless of whether he had jumped from the vehicle, he himself had changed transports and even hitched a ride on a truck for several hundred kilometers, yet he had still run into him. It was truly uncanny. Afraid he might be mistaken, Qin Youming looked carefully again; it was indeed that sallow-faced young man. Even his manner of eating was exactly the same as before, the veins on his face taut, as if he were a hungry ghost reincarnated, causing the people around to keep casting sidelong glances. Qin Youming frowned slightly; he thought he would never encounter the other party again in this life, but unexpectedly, here it was only a day later and they had collided once more. Moreover, he felt an inexplicable sense of crisis. For such an extraordinary person to appear here was absolutely not a good thing. But the next second, Qin Youming shuddered, averted his gaze, and simultaneously ducked down quickly. For that person had actually turned his head to look over. Good heavens, that was a distance of three or four hundred meters. Was this still a human? Fortunately, the truck started up very quickly, and in the rearview mirror, that person grew increasingly distant. On the street, watching the receding truck, the young man frowned slightly, still chewing something in his mouth—steamed buns, one bite per bun, chewing with force, swallowing with force. But an ill-timed figure suddenly blocked his line of sight. The newcomer looked like a carter, a thick-browed man with a beard, wearing a felt hat, with a whip tucked into the back of his collar, a pipe tucked at his waist, and his sheepskin jacket so dirty it was flaking, his gaze as gloomy as water. He was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. "Kid, for the sake of your surname being Xue, I'll give you a chance today. Turn around obediently and go back, or I'll cripple you."
The young man's expression appeared wooden, yet a gleam flashed in his eyes, and even that sallow, rough face seemed to glow faintly at this moment. "A descendant of the Twelve True Forms of the Xingyi Sect—which one are you?"
The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows. "Tiger!"
The young man slowly swallowed the food in his mouth, then paced closer. "Now that heaven and earth have changed and true teachings are few, for the sake of the fact that you did not come by your skills easily, I will leave you with an intact corpse."
As he spoke, the man raised his hands in a salute and laughed wildly. "I am Xue Hen; let me experience your supreme skills!"