El Qi es fácil de transmitir

Capítulo 48

In the fields, glistening dewdrops hang on the newly green grass after the rain, while yellow dandelions have already bloomed in clusters, giving one a sense of the arrival of spring.

The steam locomotive driver looked back in surprise and saw people running below the roadbed. Upon closer inspection, he saw an old monk and an old man wearing a white sheepskin headscarf.

At this moment, the steam engine was spewing out thick smoke and was traveling at full speed of eighty kilometers per hour. Strangely, the two men were slowly catching up with it.

The old monk, still holding a shoe, used the final move of the Five Forms of Bodhidharma, "Returning West with a Single Shoe"...

After Bodhidharma passed on his robe and bowl to Huike, he left Shaolin Temple for Yumen (present-day Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang), where he lived in meditation at Qiansheng Temple. He passed away peacefully in the third year of the Tianping era of Emperor Xiaojing of the Eastern Wei Dynasty and was buried at Xiong'er Mountain. Song Yun, an envoy of the Eastern Wei, had been on a long mission to the Western Regions and was unaware of Bodhidharma's death. Two years after Bodhidharma's passing, Song Yun returned to Luoyang from the Western Regions. While passing through the Pamir Mountains, he encountered Bodhidharma, who was carrying a staff in one hand and a shoe in the other, dressed in monk's robes and barefoot, coming from east to west. Upon meeting, Song Yun stopped and asked, "Master, where are you going?" Bodhidharma replied, "I am going to the Western Paradise," and then instructed, "After you return to the capital, do not mention that you saw me, or disaster will befall you." After saying this, they went their separate ways.

Song Yun thought Bodhidharma was just joking and didn't take it to heart. When he returned to the capital to report to the emperor, he casually mentioned that he had met Bodhidharma on his way back to the Western Paradise while passing through the Pamir Mountains. Emperor Xiaojing became furious and rebuked Song Yun, saying, "Everyone knows that Bodhidharma died at Yumen and was buried at Xiong'er Mountain. How can you say that you met Bodhidharma in the Pamir Mountains? How can a dead man be brought back to life? This is clearly deceiving the emperor!" He then imprisoned Song Yun in the Southern Prison.

Soon after, Emperor Xiaojing held court and personally tried Song Yun for deceiving the emperor. Song Yun argued, "When I met Bodhidharma at the Pamir Mountains, the Patriarch was barefoot, carrying a staff and a shoe, and warned me not to tell anyone, or disaster would surely follow." Emperor Xiaojing was skeptical but ultimately decided to open the coffin to verify. Upon opening the coffin, they found no body inside, only a shoe… Thus, Song Yun's injustice was proven. In the Shaolin Temple's stele gallery, there is now a "Round Stele of Bodhidharma's Return West with Only One Shoe," inscribed with four lines:

In the year of Bodhidharma's death in Tianhe, all the pagodas and temples in Xiong'er Mountain were destroyed.

If it weren't for Song Yun's visit to the Pamir Mountains, who would have known that he would go to the Western Paradise with only a single shoe?

"Returning West with Only One Shoe" is the last of the Five Styles of Bodhidharma. It involves drawing the earth's magnetic field into the body through the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot, using the geomagnetic force to slightly levitate on the ground, reducing the coefficient of friction between the foot and the soil, thus achieving rapid walking. However, only one foot can be bare, not both, because if both Yongquan acupoints are grounded, the geomagnetic field will create a loop, rendering the inflow and outflow completely useless. Of course, the five styles of martial arts created by Bodhidharma are not limited to running across rivers, but can vary according to a person's understanding. For example, Master Yidu also used this move, "Returning West with Only One Shoe," at Fengling Temple, throwing out his monk's shoe and shattering Master Fei's arm bone. If he hadn't been shot first and his vital energy hadn't dissipated, that monk's shoe could have sliced off his entire arm like a flying knife.

Although the old monk Weidu was Yidu's junior brother and was somewhat pedantic, he was a martial arts prodigy. His understanding of the essence of the "Five Forms of Bodhidharma" far surpassed that of his senior brother. Unfortunately, he was always confined to the Foya Temple and had no experience in the martial arts world. He was simple-minded when dealing with matters, which was in line with his Dharma name "Weidu".

At that moment, the old monk Weidu was in high spirits when he turned around and saw the dumbfounded driver and stoker inside the motorcycle. He smiled apologetically and said, "This old monk has overstepped his bounds. Amitabha."

Master Jia had already pushed his innate qi cultivation to its limit, the wind whistling past his ears, yet the distance between them only grew further and further. He was utterly astonished. What kind of evil magic was this old monk using? How could he run so much faster than him with only one bare foot? It was truly a case of "carelessness leading to defeat." This time, the old monk was definitely going to win. If he started pestering him, demanding to know the whereabouts of his two children, wouldn't he have "lost both his wife and his army"? No, he'd better run away... Thinking this, Master Jia deliberately slowed down, falling far behind. The old monk, however, didn't even notice what was behind him, continuing to run happily with his head held high.

Master Jia bent down and quickly disappeared into a thicket of mixed trees, then headed straight north, detouring around Tongguan.

Tongguan County was right in front of them. The old monk Weidu was overjoyed. He was sure to win this time. This Taoist priest Jia had to reveal Nizi's whereabouts.

At the South Water Gate of the new Tongguan County town, the old monk who had not yet crossed the river finally stopped and turned around excitedly...

On the way here, a gentle spring breeze blew, willows swayed, and the steam locomotive rumbled into the distance.

"Huh, where is Master Jia?" The old monk, still puzzled, asked.

Night fell, and a light drizzle began to fall again, shrouding Tongguan City in a hazy mist. The spring breeze was still chilly, and the weather was unpredictable.

Master Jia followed the Nantongpu Railway in the dark and found the farmhouse, which was the meeting point he had arranged with Captain Zhang. He stood silently in the rain for a while, looking at the dim light of the farmhouse. Only after confirming that everything was normal did he push open the gate and walk into the yard.

"Meow..." A huge black cat squatted on the windowsill next to the door, its two eerie green eyes staring fiercely at Master Jia.

This family uses cats to guard their house and yard... Master Jia pondered to himself.

"Who is it?" The door opened, and Captain Zhang came out from inside. Seeing that it was Master Jia, he hurriedly invited him into the house.

These are three ordinary red brick bungalows, located alone beside the Nantongpu Railway line, surrounded by mixed trees, in a very secluded location.

"We caught the two children and locked them in the warehouse in the backyard," Captain Zhang said in a low voice.

"Hmm, who lives in this farmhouse?" Master Jia asked.

“An old woman and a cat; all our people are staying at a hotel in the county town,” Captain Zhang replied.

"Take me to see the child," Master Jia instructed.

"Yes, follow me." Captain Zhang led the way, passing through the main room to the backyard, around the woodpile, where there was a storeroom for storing miscellaneous items.

Captain Zhang took a key out of his pocket, unlocked the padlock, pushed the door open, and turned on the light on the wall.

In the corner of the room against the wall, Nizi and the young monk Youliang were tied up and sitting on the ground, their mouths gagged with strips of cloth, staring at them with terrified eyes...

Master Jia stepped forward, pulled the cloth strip from Nizi's mouth, and gently untied the ropes for her. "Nizi, you've been wronged," Master Jia said with heartache, while carefully examining the little girl's face.

This child doesn't look like the ancestor at all. The ancestor is big and burly, like a man, and his face is covered with purple pimples. This child, on the other hand, has very delicate features, fair skin, and a pair of bright, almond-shaped eyes. He is a beauty in the making.

Nizi kept her lips tightly closed and didn't say a word, but her eyes shot out an undisguised angry look.

“Nizi, I am Jia Shiming, a friend of your mother…” Master Jia said kindly.

"My mother?" Nizi was taken aback. This was the first time in her life that she had heard anyone mention her mother.

"Yes, your mother's name is Zuying. Would you like to know about her?" Master Jia asked softly.

Nizi hesitated for a long time before finally nodding.

"Nizi, haven't you eaten yet?" Master Jia asked with concern, then turned to Captain Zhang and said, "Go and get some food."

Captain Zhang agreed and left.

"Where is my mother?" Nizi asked timidly.

"Shh...child, listen to me, I will rescue you tonight, but you must eat your fill first, understand?" Master Jia put his finger to his lips, feigning mystery, and lowered his voice as he spoke.

Nizi blinked, then nodded, still asking, "Where is my mother?"

"In a very faraway place..." Master Jia replied wistfully.

Chapter Seventy of the main text

"What does my mother look like?" Nizi asked softly. Her mother's figure often appeared in her dreams. She was a graceful middle-aged woman who looked at her with tears in her eyes. Every time, she would hug Nizi tightly, making her feel warm and safe.

"Well, your mother, she's very muscular and strong, and she likes to drink, she can hold her liquor very well..." Master Jia stammered in response.

"Is she pretty?" Nizi asked with longing, recalling her mother's appearance in her dream.

"Well, she has a lot of pimples on her face..." Master Jia felt a little nauseous when he thought of the purplish-red pimples oozing white fluid on his ancestor's face.

"Pimples?" Nizi couldn't imagine what pimples on her mother's face would look like. She asked softly, "Can you take me to her?"

"Yes, but you have to learn a unique martial art first, otherwise you won't be able to get there with your current physical condition," Master Jia coaxed her.

"What unique martial arts technique?" Nizi asked eagerly.

"The Quanzhen School's Innate Qi Gong," Master Jia said solemnly.

"Quanzhen Sect...Innate Qi Cultivation?" Nizi had never heard of it before and muttered to herself in confusion, "Where can I learn it?"

"I will teach you, but you need to become my disciple. I can start teaching you right away," Master Jia said confidently.

"Ugh..." Yu Liang, who was tied up on the ground, shook his head and blinked, making muffled groans through his mouth stuffed with cloth strips.

Nizi stepped forward, tore the gag out of his mouth, and then untied the rope.

"Nizi, don't believe him, they're in cahoots!" Youliang shouted, panting heavily.

Nizi turned her head in confusion, looking at Master Jia with bewildered eyes.

Master Jia smiled slightly and said, "Remember, I will rescue you tonight." With that, he walked towards the door.

Captain Zhang walked in carrying a large plate of mutton sandwiches, placed them on the ground, and then left with Master Jia, locking the storeroom door behind them.

"Nizi, don't listen to him! He's a liar. Everything he's saying is a lie to you," Youliang said anxiously.

Nizi grabbed a steamed bun, took a bite, and slowly chewed it, whispering, "He recognizes my mother..."

Youliang became even more anxious upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Don't be silly, he has never even seen your mother. Girl, think about it, you are so beautiful, how could your mother have such a face full of pimples? And she drinks alcohol, a woman drinking alcohol?"

Nizi blinked and murmured, "Yeah, why does my mom have pimples on her face?"

"Meow..." A huge, short-haired black cat crawled into a hole at the foot of the wall. It was very fat, with green eyes and a twitching nose. It smelled the aroma of mutton sandwiches and walked closer step by step.

Nizi smiled, picked up a steamed bun and handed it to it in a friendly manner, saying, "Good boy, eat up."

The big black cat gently opened its mouth, bit into the steamed bun, and shook it hard, releasing the piece of mutton sandwiched inside. It then caught the mutton in mid-air and spat the bun back to Nizi...

Nizi giggled. What a clever cat!

She broke open each of the face masks on the plate, picked out the mutton inside, and fed it all to the big black cat. Inside the west room, a bottle of Xifeng liquor was opened on the table, and two glasses were filled with its aroma. The old lady who owned the house brought over some cold mutton and mutton sandwiches, and Captain Zhang and Master Jia began to drink together.

"That black cat outside is a bit eerie," Master Jia remarked casually, taking a sip of his wine.

“That’s a ‘coffin-carrying cat’,” the old woman suddenly blurted out.

"What kind of cat is the 'coffin-carrying cat'?" Master Jia asked, puzzled.

The old woman chuckled, revealing her uneven, yellow teeth, and said in a low voice, "'Little Cui' is a female cat. Other cats usually have three to five kittens, and it's rare to see four. But 'Little Cui' always has exactly four kittens, and they are all 'white tigers' (white tigers). So when the old man was alive, he said that she was a 'coffin-carrying cat', giving birth only to carry the coffin, with each cat carrying one corner of the coffin."

Master Jia had never heard of such a thing before, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Then what about the 'White Tiger'?"

"It's all bare skin, not a single hair grows, it's bad luck," the old woman explained.

Master Jia became even more puzzled: "This is a short-haired black cat, how come its kittens don't grow any hair?"

"That's right, every time they give birth to kittens, they never grow hair. It's terrifying..." the old woman said.

"What about the kittens?" Master Jia asked, genuinely curious to see the so-called "white tigers."

"They've all been killed," the old woman replied.

"They're all dead?" Master Jia asked in surprise.

“‘Coffin-carrying cat,’ everyone will beat him up.” The old woman smiled slightly.

"So, is there anything special about this 'Little Cui'er'?" Master Jia asked curiously.

“What’s special about it…” the old woman thought for a moment and said, “It likes to eat people’s hair and nails, doesn’t like rice or noodles, and it also drinks water used for washing feet.”

"So, 'Little Cui'er' likes to eat everything on a person's body?" Master Jia chuckled coldly.

The old woman glanced at Master Jia with some anger, then turned and went back to her east wing room.

"Some animals have pica, like some people who like to eat broken glass, pebbles, nails, or needles," Captain Zhang said while drinking.

“This cat is different,” Master Jia said thoughtfully. “There seems to be something evil in its eyes.”

"It's just a cat..." Captain Zhang said dismissively.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Master Jia said to Captain Zhang, "Let's go see the children."

The two arrived at the door of the warehouse in the backyard, and Captain Zhang unlocked the door.

Inside the house, under the dim electric light, Nizi was holding the big black cat in her arms and playing with it.

"Put 'Little Cui'er' down," Captain Zhang said sternly.

“'Little Cui’er'? Is that its name? It’s so pretty.” Nizi hugged the big black cat tightly and said happily.

"Nizi, are you full?" Master Jia asked softly, looking at the pile of broken steamed buns.

“Mm,” Nizi replied.

"Alright, this humble Taoist will take you out." In the blink of an eye, Master Jia flicked his finger, striking the Zhangmen acupoint at the tip of Captain Zhang's eleventh rib on his right abdomen. This is one of the nine major acupoints causing dizziness. Captain Zhang stared with bewildered eyes, his body slowly slumping to the ground…

Nizi and Youliang stared in astonishment.

Master Jia smiled slightly, extended his hand, and said softly, "Nizi, let's go."