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But I can sense that the Qi within you is unfathomable, as deep as an abyss or the sea.
I'm afraid... he's already surpassed his master back then.
Zhang Yunyuan neither admitted nor denied it.
Back then, the old Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing possessed unparalleled strength.
He is now at the very peak of his career.
It's hard to imagine who would come out on top if they actually fought.
However, this is no longer important.
He stood up, walked up to Zhang Huaiyi, and looked extremely solemn.
"Second Senior Brother, since you have made up your mind, I will not try to persuade you any further."
"But you must promise me one thing."
He pointed to his wrist.
"If you encounter any danger, be sure to contact me through Xiqing. No matter where you are, I will come to you immediately."
Looking into his clear and determined eyes, Zhang Huaiyi felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
He nodded vigorously.
There weren't many words exchanged when we said goodbye.
The two simply stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking at each other in silence.
Zhang Yude hid behind his father and timidly waved to Zhang Yunyuan.
Feng Baobao remained in a daze, seemingly unable to comprehend the atmosphere of parting.
Zhang Yunyuan turned around, and with Feng Baobao in tow, their figures quickly disappeared down the path leading to the outside world at the village entrance.
The night wind blew, stirring up the dust on the ground and ruffling Zhang Huaiyi's gray hair.
He stared at the two disappearing figures for a long time without moving.
As Zhang Yunyuan walked along the road, a shadow remained over his heart.
He had a strong premonition that beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were surging.
The second senior brother's reclusive life probably won't last much longer.
Leaving Sichuan, we headed east.
The two arrived at an official road, only to find it blocked by a crowd of people, with cries and groans filling the air.
It turned out to be a large group of disaster victims who had been displaced by years of natural disasters and were on the verge of despair.
They were emaciated, dressed in rags, and their eyes were filled with numbness and despair.
Zhang Yunyuan sighed as he watched this scene unfold.
He activated his myriad appearances, transforming himself into a middle-aged Taoist priest, and then walked towards the crowd.
He told Feng Baobao to stop, took out most of the dry food and loose silver from his bag, and distributed it to the elderly, weak, women and children who were already starving.
"Thank you, my benefactor! Thank you, my benefactor!"
"What a kind person! He has the heart of a bodhisattva!"
The disaster victims were extremely grateful, and some even knelt down and kowtowed to him on the spot.
Amidst the chaotic crowd, a figure caught Zhang Yunyuan's attention.
He was a young man in his early twenties, also dressed in rags and with a pale face, but his eyes were unusually bright, revealing an indomitable wit and tenacity amidst the numb crowd.
Unlike the others who frantically grabbed the food, he quietly handed his share to an elderly couple who were also frail.
Zhang Yunyuan's heart stirred, and he slowly walked over.
"Little brother."
The young man turned around at the sound and saw Zhang Yunyuan dressed in a Taoist robe with an otherworldly air. He immediately stood up respectfully.
Zhang Yunyuan did not reveal his identity, but spoke with a smile, adopting the tone of a wandering Taoist priest.
"I see you have extraordinary bone structure and a full forehead; you are a blessed person."
Upon hearing this, the young man gave a wry smile.
"You flatter us, Taoist priest. For us refugees, just being able to survive is the greatest blessing."
Zhang Yunyuan shook his head slightly, took out a few pieces of silver, and stuffed them into the young man's hand.
"Take this, take your parents, and find a safe place to live."
The young man's cheek twitched slightly, and he was about to kneel down when Zhang Yunyuan helped him up.
The moment he helped the other person up, Zhang Yunyuan's eyes lit up!
He was just doing a good deed on a whim and didn't pay much attention to it.
However, just as he helped the young man up, his gaze inadvertently swept over the man's face, and he was suddenly jolted!
The young man's appearance... was vaguely similar to Xu Xiang, the loyal protector of Feng Baobao in the original novel "Under One Person" who eventually joined the "Na Du Tong" company, in my memory!
Zhang Yunyuan's pupils contracted slightly, but his expression remained unchanged as he asked gently, "What's your name?"
"Junior, Xu Xiang."
The young man answered respectfully, his voice weak from hunger, yet revealing a rare composure and resilience.
Xu Xiang! It really was him!
Zhang Yunyuan's heart was in turmoil, but his face remained calm. He took a deep look at Xu Xiang and found that although the boy had not cultivated, he was naturally sensitive to Qi and his soul power was stronger than that of ordinary people. He was a rough gem that had not been carved.
"Xu Xiang...a good name."
Zhang Yunyuan nodded, his mind racing.
He suddenly raised his hand and pretended to be deep in calculations, and after a moment, a look of "aha" moment appeared in his eyes.
"I see... It is fate that we met today."
His tone became serious, "You have extraordinary talent and a resolute character; you are no ordinary person."
Today I will impart to you a rudimentary method for gathering Qi and concentrating the mind. I hope you will diligently practice it, and in the future it may strengthen your body, protect you in chaotic times, and perhaps even... present you with another opportunity.
After saying that, without waiting for Xu Xiang's reaction, he pointed his finger like a sword and gently touched Xu Xiang's brow.
A wisp of pure and peaceful primordial Qi was transferred in, not to impart profound techniques, but to imprint a basic method of Qi induction, a few words of mantra for calming the mind and soul, and the idea of "guiding people toward goodness and upholding their original intentions" into their minds.
Xu Xiang was jolted, feeling a warm current flow into his limbs and bones, and his mind was filled with many profound insights. He stood there stunned for a moment.
Zhang Yunyuan withdrew his finger, looked at his bewildered and shocked eyes, and added meaningfully:
"This humble Taoist priest has some knowledge of divination, and today I have obtained a hexagram."
You have the "Traveling Horse" star in your destiny, which means you may have to leave your hometown and travel far and wide in the future.
Although your life is full of hardships, you are not without support in the end.
Remember, if one day you have the opportunity to serve your country and govern a region, do not refuse; that may be your destiny.
Xu Xiang and his parents listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, taking it as guidance and encouragement from a wise and enlightened person. Although they did not understand the deeper meaning, they still kept these words firmly in their hearts and thanked him deeply once again.
Zhang Yunyuan helped them up, said no more, and turned to leave gracefully with Feng Baobao.
He walked quite a distance, then turned back to glance at the young man still standing in the same spot, and sighed inwardly:
"Xu Xiang... I never imagined that what we casually made today would become the origin of 'Na Du Tong' in the future. I hope that you will have fewer hardships and more peace in your life."
This unexpected interlude eased his melancholy at parting with his senior brother, and also made him feel, in a way, that he had become a part of the gears of fate.
Xu Xiang and his parents stood there, stunned, watching the departing figure, feeling as if they had encountered a legendary living deity.
They took it as encouragement from a nobleman and did not fully believe it.
But this life-saving grace, and the comment that he was "not meant to be ordinary," were like a seed, deeply planted in the heart of the young Xu Xiang.
Chapter 117 Xu Xiang's Fortuitous Encounter
After leaving the official road, Xu Xiang's life trajectory completely deviated from its established course, plunging into an unknown ocean.
With the silver given to him by Zhang Yunyuan, he found a place to stay in a remote town in a neighboring county and settled his parents in.
When the night was deep and quiet, he would quietly come to the courtyard and sit cross-legged in meditation according to the mysterious "method of gathering qi and concentrating spirit" in his mind.
For the first few days, there was no movement.
He was neither discouraged nor disheartened, but simply repeated the same thing day after day.
Finally, on the seventh night, when his mind sank into a state of emptiness, a faint warm current actually rose in his dantian.
The feeling was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, yet it was so real that it sent a shiver down his spine.
Xu Xiang felt an indescribable surge of joy. There really were such miraculous abilities in the world!
From then on, he served his parents during the day and devoted himself to rigorous spiritual practice at night.
The wisp of Primordial Dao Qi that Zhang Yunyuan had initially transferred into his body had long since dissipated, but it was like a top-quality seed that quietly improved his constitution, making his sensitivity to Qi far more acute than that of ordinary people.
In just six months, he was able to skillfully guide the faint Qi within his body, allowing it to flow slowly through his meridians.
Although he lacked the ability to kill, he was still physically strong and full of energy.
Unfortunately, the peaceful days did not last long.
Years later, the situation became increasingly turbulent, and the flames of war eventually reached this remote town.
One day, a group of defeated soldiers stormed into the town, burning, killing, and looting. Xu Xiang's parents were killed on the spot by the soldiers while trying to protect the only half-bag of grain left in their home.
When Xu Xiang returned from chopping wood in the mountains, all he saw were two still-warm, cold corpses and a house in complete disarray.
He neither cried nor shouted.
He silently collected his parents' bodies, found a sunny hillside behind the mountain, dug a grave himself, and erected a tombstone.
He knelt before the grave for three days and three nights, from day to night, without eating, drinking, or moving an inch.
On the morning of the fourth day, as the first rays of sunlight shone on his bloodless face, he slowly stood up.