ALL NOVEL Chapter 18: Fragmented Path of the Veins
Despite having only half a level of innate soul power and a spirit as common and worthless as 'Blue Silver Grass,' Ling Yi still became the envy of thousands across the twenty-five villages under the jurisdiction of Beikou River Town.
Initially, Ling Yi thought that with the rising prosperity of the Ling family, more people from neighboring villages would propose marriage alliances with his family. However, contrary to his expectations, although many came to enhance their relationships with him, talk of childhood betrothals abruptly fell silent.
Even with just half a level of innate soul power, with effort, Ling Yi had a reasonable chance to cultivate his soul power to level ten. With a bit of money or some connections, he could obtain a soul ring and become a revered Soul Master.
The descendants of a Soul Master were also likely to have the aptitude to become a Soul Master, as exemplified by a few small families in Beikou River Town.
This was a potential leap in social class, a hope cherished among the villagers far and wide.
Yet, pondering a little further, Ling Yi gradually understood their thoughts.
Previously, everyone was of the same ilk, with differences marked only by wealth, ensuring their status remained largely within the same social rank. But with Ling Yi's awakening of innate soul power, an unspoken rift was felt deep within them.
It was akin to the old adage of liking the idea of dragons but fearing the real thing, reminiscent of the dynamic between ordinary people and superheroes depicted in his past life's films—admired yet feared.
The bond between humans and tigers is never so close that they might sleep under the same roof, especially when the chains of fate may not yet be clear on which of them they clasp.
...
“Take care, Third Grandpa, take care, Bai!”
At the northern edge of Shanhai Village, in front of Ling Changqing’s house, Ling Yi stood with Ling Changqing and Ling Xiaoshan, waving goodbye to the two figures in front.
Though called old, he was actually just forty-two, Ling Changqing’s third brother, and Ling Yi's third grandpa, Ling Changshui.
As for the young man, he was Ling Bai, a grandchild from the lineage of Ling Changshan, who passed away two decades ago. Now twenty, he was just two or three years younger than Ling Yi’s father, Ling Xiaoshan. Presently, he was an apprentice at the blacksmith’s shop in West Town, Beikou River.
A few days earlier, Ling Yi and Ling Xiaoshan had visited Beikou River's town. After meeting Deacon Yan Bin in the Spirit Hall, they went to the blacksmith’s shop to purchase a hoe’s blade, and had a brief encounter with Ling Bai.
Back then, Ling Bai was unaware that Ling Yi had awakened his spirit and possessed innate soul power, enabling him to pursue cultivation.
Just a couple of days ago, Uncle Ling Xiangbei from the neighboring village received news. He brought Aunt and two cousins to Shanhai Village to visit their second uncle, Ling Changqing. During an idle chat, the authenticity of the news was confirmed. Upon returning home, he sent word for the town's Ling Bai, asking him to come back and rekindle the gradually waning family ties with Ling Yi's family over the years.
After all, since Ling Changshan ventured deep into the old forest north of Shanhai Village and never returned, it was not long before Ling Xiangbei reached the age of marriage. He then married a girl from the neighboring village and moved over with his mother, who was Ling Yi’s great-grandmother.
In the past years, the branch of Ling Changshan has not been in close contact with the families of Ling Changqing and Ling Changshan who stayed in Shanhai Village, nor with Fourth Aunt Ling Changxiu who married into another village. Everyone lives off the land, making it rare to have the leisure to nurture relationships. When in need, they lend a hand if within their capacity. Otherwise, they weave grass shoes or baskets to supplement the household expenses.
Watching the figures of Ling Changshui and Ling Bai disappear around the corner of the dirt road, Ling Yi followed Ling Changqing and Ling Xiaoshan back into the courtyard.
In the main room, Grandma Yan Hong and Mom Zhang Xiaoyu were each busy mending worn-out clothes and shoes.
It was the off season in farming, the crops in the fields still growing, requiring only occasional weeding and pest control, eliminating the need for a daily presence in the fields. However, the Ling family raised wild chickens and rabbits, necessitating a daily trip to the surrounding forest and wilderness to cut grass and mix it with wheat bran and husks for feed.
Ling Changqing and Ling Xiaoshan informed their respective wives before picking up sickles and baskets to head east of the village.
However, with too few subjects for reference, the Ling father and son duo found that useful data gathering and comparison could not reach the extent Ling Yi desired. It might be more worthwhile to wait another two or three months until the fall harvest. Then, they could summon labor from Shanhai Village and nearby villages, young and old alike. That would be the optimal occasion for the final shaping of the scythe-wielding technique.
Ling Yi understood well the importance of honing his skills, especially after obtaining the "Basic Meditation Method" not long ago.
This widely-used and foundational soul power cultivation technique had been in his possession for some time, but rather than diving into its practice immediately, Ling Yi chose to thoroughly understand the principles and philosophies behind it.
...
In the designated room within Ling Changqing's residence, set aside for Ling Yi, he sat cross-legged on the bed.
In front of him, a book and a scroll were spread open, one on his left and the other on his right.
'Visualize... channel the soul force... from the side of the right pinky nail, to the tip of the clenched pinky, to the wrist... to the elbow... up to the armpit of the right arm... through the heart... gathering three fingers below the navel...'
This was what Ling Yi had distilled from the slim three pages of the "Basic Meditation Method" booklet.
His gaze shifted from the booklet to the unfolded scroll on his right, and his expression grew solemn.
In the painting, there was a depiction of a nude man with his arms hanging naturally. Lines and small red dots appeared on the man's body, giving the scroll an eerie and unsettling feeling.
Human Veins Diagram · Fragmentary!
"What a pity," Ling Yi sighed, his gaze dropping as he examined the incomplete diagram, which was far more rudimentary than the fleeting "Human Veins Vine" that appeared in films from his past life. A deep sense of regret filled his heart.
There was nothing he could do. Who would have thought he would traverse worlds and then need to memorize materials useful in this new life?
Even this partial diagram, which included the routes of the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary vessels and covered roughly seventy to eighty percent of the acupoints, was something Ling Yi had painstakingly recreated after his psychic powers awakened and his past life memories became clearer.
Without the enhancement of his soul's origin, allowing him to partially recall past life memories, even the seventy to eighty percent of acupoints would have been impossible to recreate. He might have at best recalled the general paths of a few meridians.
What Ling Yi regretted most was his brief one-month relationship with a nursing school girl in his past life. They only had a few chances to practice acupuncture and cupping, and the "Human Veins Diagram" that hung on her dormitory wall had only been glanced at when he was modeling for her. His memory was too blurry, and even with enhanced recall, the scene was like viewing flowers in the fog.
Perhaps, only by elevating his mental state several levels further could he disperse this fog and clearly manifest the scenes from that time.
"Back then, when she let me perform acupuncture and cupping on her, if I'd gone about it in an honest and proper manner, instead of... perhaps I could have traced more of the acupoints and meridian pathways?"
Ling Yi shook his head silently at this thought. Unable to hold back, he murmured softly, "Tsk~ what a pity—"
(End of chapter)
(End of Chapter)
