榆神泪 第三章

A burst of intense pain came from his chest, like it was burning.

Li Xian suddenly opened his eyes; the sky was just beginning to brighten. He forcefully pulled open his soaked clothes and discovered a fingernail-sized elm tree mark on his chest, emitting a faint green light.

This was not a dream. The Great Elm Tree had really disappeared, and his mother was gone too.

The boy's eyes turned red, but he clenched his teeth tightly and did not make a sound. He threw himself like a madman onto the muddy ground soaked in rain and blood, digging desperately with his hands like hooks.

His fingernails broke, and fresh blood flowed down mixed with the mud. After digging a foot deep, his fingers finally touched something that felt both warm and cold.

A jade slip lay quietly in the soil, inscribed with the title 'Elm Heart Qi Refining Art'.

Trembling, Li Xian held the jade slip in his arms, as if embracing the last warmth in the world. He knelt before the huge, bare tree stump and knocked his head heavily on the ground three times, blood seeping from his forehead.

'Mother, I swear. Those soldiers who cut down the tree, and that old Daoist priest who dug up the roots, I will not let a single one of them go.'

The thirteen-year-old boy seemed to have become a different person overnight, with only the determination for revenge left in his heart.

Li Xian's home was a thatched cottage that let in the wind from all sides. Apart from two benches and a table with a broken corner, there was only a hard wooden bed left in the room.

During the years his mother was seriously ill, everything in the house that could be sold was sold. If it weren't for the help of the villagers—one family giving an egg, another helping to repair the roof—Li Xian would probably have died when he was ten.

The villagers were simple and honest and dared not stop the soldiers. Li Xian knew clearly in his heart that this hatred could only be directed at those high-and-mighty cultivators and officials.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Li Xian took a deep breath and used his mental strength to sense the jade slip.

The first thing that appeared in his mind was a jade pendant tied with a green thread, with the words 'Yu Sheng' written on it—this was the life-saving item left by his mother. Immediately following was a shining scripture.

'There is spiritual energy in the world, and all things can be guided. Moisten the meridians, clear the five internal organs, remove filth, and shape immortal bones.'

Li Xian closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing according to the guidance of the 'Hidden Qi Chapter'.

Cultivation was not as difficult as imagined. Perhaps it was because he grew up enduring hardships, making his character tough and mature. In just a moment, scattered white lights appeared in his dark vision.

That was the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. They jumped in the air, as if sensing some kind of summons. First, they tentatively touched Li Xian's eyebrows, then poured madly into his body following his breathing!

It felt cool, warm, and numbing. After just a short while, Li Xian felt a swelling pain in his meridians.

'Stop!' Li Xian suddenly opened his eyes and cut off the connection.

His mother's note in the jade slip was clearly written: When drawing spiritual energy into the body, one must absolutely not be greedy. When meridians first open, they are as fragile as thin paper; if one is too impatient, it will certainly destroy one's foundation.

Children from poor families mature early and understand the principle that 'wealth is sought in danger, but can also be lost in danger'. Li Xian looked at the layer of foul-smelling black mud oozing from his skin, and finally revealed a smile.

This was 'cleansing the muscles and marrow'. He jumped off the bed and lifted the water bucket in the corner. The full bucket of water, which used to require both hands to lift with effort, now felt weightless when he lifted it lightly with one hand.

Looking at the rising sun outside the window, Li Xian clenched his fist. The old Daoist had taken away the life of the Great Elm Tree, but left Li Xian with a seed of revenge.