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墨書 Inktalez
After enjoying some fruit tea, the two sisters began to linger around various food stalls. They sampled a little bit from each stall, but with only one or two bites of each item, as they simply didn't have the capacity to eat more. By the time they returned home, it was already quite late. Mom Han and Dad Han had long since come home and gone to bed. Hanno casually tossed a bag of snacks into the Porcelain Jar and also threw in a stack of Brush Calligraphy papers that had been neatly written. The papers contained the Complete Truth Heart Method, Great Dao Song, and cultivation techniques, leaving one to wonder which lucky person would come across them.
In the late years of the Yuan Dynasty, political turmoil and warfare plagued the land, leaving the impoverished masses under the oppressive rule of the Yuan Dynasty struggling to survive. By the banks of the Han River, a boy around five or six years old lived with his father. Due to the constant raids by Yuan Soldiers on their village, many people were too afraid to farm and sought other means of livelihood. To support his son, the boy's father built a small boat to ferry passengers across the Han River, earning just enough money for their daily needs.
The boy rubbed his stomach, feeling hungry. With no one crossing the river for two days, his father couldn't earn any money to buy food, so he could only eat a piece of dry biscuit that his father had saved for him.
"Han River Goddess, please bless my father with some business," the boy prayed aloud. The Han River Goddess was said to be a beautiful deity who could protect the people living along both banks of the river.
"And also, I'm hungry. Could you please give my father something to eat?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a pile of items suddenly fell before him. The child blinked in surprise and jumped up, shouting, "Father! Come quickly! The Han River Goddess has manifested!"
For several nights afterward, both the boy and his father were able to eat their fill, even if it was just two meals each night. The father warned his son not to tell anyone about the Han River Goddess's manifestation; although confused, the boy obeyed his father's wishes. Among the food items, the father found a stack of papers filled with writing and handed them to his son. Although he was just an ordinary Ferry Operator on the Han River, he had married a girl from a fallen scholarly family who was literate and had taught their son many characters and knowledge from books before she passed away. The Ferry Operator wanted his son to familiarize himself with the characters on those papers so he wouldn't forget them after not seeing them for so long.
The boy was obedient; whenever he had free time, he would take out the papers and recall what his mother had taught him. On the first page was written a poem:
"The great way begins with nine orifices,
The nine orifices reside at the base.
Start from Yongquan at your feet,
Flowing up gradually to your knees.
From knees to base slowly rise,
At Niwan's peak whirl rapidly.
Secret words passed down reveal origins,
Coming without residue and going without trace.
Years of dust are wiped clean,
The whole body shines brightly in vast emptiness.
What proof is there for cultivating truth?
With a dead heart, emotions do not arise.
Vital energy fills up; skills are complete,
Divine light illuminates all of Shenjing.
Golden Lock passes under Magpie Bridge,
Twelve towers descend into palatial chambers."
The child's eyes were filled with question marks. What does this mean? This doesn't seem like poetry! With curiosity piqued, he flipped to the second page where it read: Quanzhen Daode Song, Quanzhen Sect's introductory Inner Power cultivation method: To learn this sect's Inner Power initially requires connecting true energy through nine orifices; these orifices are located at the base and between certain points on your body. They belong to the Governing Vessel; do not stray into other meridians. If struck improperly, it obstructs vital energy flow and prevents energy from rising in Dantian...
The child didn't understand what Inner Power meant but found it amusing and began practicing according to the steps outlined. Soon he felt warmth spreading through his body; all fatigue and discomfort vanished. He closed his eyes and fell into a very comfortable sleep.
Loving this feeling of comfort, every day he practiced according to what was written on the paper. Gradually, he felt stronger and could help his father much more. He thought this was all due to practicing what was called Inner Power on paper; thus he became even more diligent in practicing Quanzhen Inner Power. The child was pure-hearted and fearless; he focused intently on his training, achieving results even better than Guo Jing's within just a year. He began feeling sensations inside him like mice scurrying about but didn't realize that he had already become quite skilled; his Inner Power could rank among third-rate masters in martial arts.
Three years passed in an instant; now nine years old, due to practicing Inner Power, his breathing became long and steady, allowing him to hold his breath underwater for extended periods. He often caught large fish in the river to improve their diet and occasionally retrieved gold and silver jewels dropped by travelers at the riverbed to buy food. Not only did this ensure that he and his father ate well, but it also helped support his uncle's family and relatives. Over these three years, life had been easier and happier than ever for him since birth; both he and his father were grateful for the gift of Inner Power from the Han River Goddess.
On that day, the Child was waiting by the river with his father for their guests. A Rugged Man was running towards them from a distance, carrying a girl with delicate features dressed in tattered clothes. He leaped from three paces away from the water, and in the next moment, he landed on the boat.
"Boatman, hurry and set sail."
The father and son were not at all surprised by the man's final leap; after all, the Child had cultivated his Inner Power and could jump higher and farther than the Rugged Man.
The Child's father, the Ferry Operator, quickly started the boat because he had already spotted a large ship approaching in the distance. At the bow stood four Barbarian Monks, accompanied by seven or eight Mongolian Military Officers. The Ferry Operator knew just how bloodthirsty and unreasonable these Mongolian Military Officers were; they would never believe that he and his son had no connection to the Rugged Man. After killing him, they would certainly come after both of them. Therefore, without waiting for any further urging from the Rugged Man, he grabbed the oars and began to row. Over the past three years, although his cultivation had not been very effective, he had developed some Inner Power alongside his son. His strength was now double what it used to be, and with the Rugged Man's help, he rowed desperately. The boat shot forward like an arrow, moving faster than the Mongolian ship. However, there were many men on the Mongolian ship, and under the urging of their officers, they pulled together to keep pace with them.
One of the Barbarian Monks shouted, "Hurry up and stop the boat! Hand over the child obediently, and Buddha will spare your life; otherwise, do not blame us for being merciless."
The voice carried clearly over the waves; everyone on board heard it distinctly. The girl placed on the deck by the Rugged Man turned pale as a sheet. The Rugged Man quickly reassured her, "Sister, I will never hand you over even if it costs me my life."
Holding back her tears, she thanked him, "Thank you, Chang Brother. I believe in you."
Seeing that she was about his age and looking so pitifully pale made the Child feel sympathetic. He stepped forward and took her hand. "Don't worry! My father has been rowing on the Han River for years; he knows these waters well and will definitely help us escape."
Comforted by her peer's words, a sense of warmth blossomed in her heart towards the Child.
The Mongolians saw that their boat was not stopping; one of them ordered, "Fire!"
As their boat continued forward, the military officers and Barbarian Monks drew their bows and aimed at them. The sound of arrows slicing through the air filled their ears. All those arrows were aimed at the Rugged Man and the Ferry Operator. Seeing arrows flying towards his father, the Child grabbed a wooden stool from the boat and rushed in front of him in two quick steps. He focused intently on the arrows and noticed that they seemed to slow down in his eyes; they moved almost sluggishly. With a gentle motion using the stool to block them, he deflected an arrow away.
The Rugged Man had been worried sick when he saw arrows aimed at the Ferry Operator but was astonished to see that the Ferry Operator's son managed to block one of them with such skill. He realized he had underestimated this father-son duo; they must be hidden masters!
The burly man had just let out a sigh of relief when another volley of arrows shot toward him. He struggled to fend them off, but the internal injuries he sustained caused him to falter for a moment. Arrows struck his shoulder and back in quick succession, and the wooden paddle in his hand slipped from his grasp, falling into the river, slowing the boat down. The large ship behind quickly caught up, and seven or eight Mongolian Military Officers and Barbarian Monks jumped aboard. The Rugged Man remained defiant, throwing punches and kicks in a desperate attempt to resist. One of the Mongolian Military Officers raised his blade to kill the Ferry Operator. Although the Child was terrified, he suppressed his fear to protect his father, using his agility to distract the officer and prevent him from carrying out the attack.
In the midst of the struggle, a loud shout rang out: “Barbarian, stop! Do not harm others!”
A boat swiftly approached from the river. As it drew near, a figure leaped from it, sleeves billowing as he soared through the air toward the ship. Two Mongolian Military Officers shot arrows at him, but he waved his sleeves, sending the arrows flying off course. Landing deftly on the deck, he struck out with his left palm, sending two Barbarian Monks tumbling overboard with loud splashes. The soldiers were astonished to see him descend like a flying general and effortlessly knock away two formidable Barbarian Monks.
The Child recognized that the newcomer was an Old Taoist with white eyebrows and beard. Despite his tattered appearance, his kind eyes made the Child feel an immediate sense of familiarity.
The leading officer shouted, “You old Taoist! What are you doing here?”
The Taoist retorted angrily, “You filthy Barbarians! Here you are again committing acts of violence against innocent people! Get out of here at once!”
The officer replied, “Do you know who this person is? She is a remnant of the Yuanzhou Demon Cult rebels that we must capture!”
Hearing this, the Taoist hesitated at first but then noticed that among those on board were two children and an ordinary Ferry Operator. Since the only remnant of the Yuanzhou Demon Cult was a girl, compassion welled up in him as he decided to intervene in this matter.
Listening to the exchange between the Mongolian soldiers and the Old Taoist, the Child learned that the girl had an extraordinary background; she was the daughter of Zhou Wang. Although he had never left Han River, he had heard of Zhou Wang’s name—known as a leader of righteous forces opposing Mongolian tyranny for the sake of common people. The Child thought that since Zhou Wang fought for the people's good, he must be a good person too, and so must be his daughter.
Meanwhile, having made up his mind, the Taoist waved his sleeves and declared: “In my lifetime, I specialize in slaying Barbarians!” The soldiers felt as if a fierce wind had struck them; they gasped for breath and could hardly inhale for a moment. When the Taoist halted his sleeves' movement, everyone turned pale and cried out in alarm as they hurriedly jumped back onto their large ship to rescue their fallen Barbarian Monk and hastily rowed away.
The Child stood there in shock as he watched the Old Taoist assist the Rugged Man by administering medicine and comforting the girl. He also brought over a pale-faced older brother from another boat. The boy was huddled beside their father; it was easy to understand why—their father wanted to keep them safe from these people who belonged to a different world while they were just ordinary folk.
However, after comforting his disciples, the Old Taoist approached the two father and son with warmth and asked gently, “Child, what is your name?”
The child had a fond and affectionate feeling towards the Old Taoist. Hearing his question, he obediently replied, "My name is Zhou Jingran. 'The white gulls fly lightly, the green spring deepens, good for dyeing clothes. People come and go, growing old; the setting sun sends the fishing boat home.' I was born by the Han River, and my mother gave me this name."
"That's a good name," the Old Taoist praised, surprised that a fisherman's child from the Han River could have such a literary name. However, recalling the child's skill in blocking arrows earlier, he thought perhaps this child was not ordinary.
"Child, who did you learn your martial arts from?" the Old Taoist asked.
The child blinked his big eyes in confusion. Although he practiced according to the Inner Power technique written on paper, he did not know that Inner Power was a form of martial arts, and indeed one of the most important forms.
The Old Taoist was curious. "You don't even know about martial arts? But I observe your agility and the rhythm in your breathing; it shows you have cultivated authentic Taoist techniques."
Zhou Jingran tilted his head. "Inner Power technique? Is this it?"
He recited from the Great Dao Song: "When the Great Way is first cultivated, it opens nine orifices; these orifices are located at the Huiyin point. First, surge from the Yongquan at the feet, flowing up to the knees. Gradually rise from the knees to the Huiyin, swirling rapidly above the Niwan..."
The Old Taoist listened with increasing interest. "This is indeed the authentic Inner Power technique of Taoism. Child, where did you learn this?"
Zhou Jingran looked towards his father: Should he mention the matter of the goddess of Han River?
Zhou Father nodded, so Zhou Jingran recounted how food and the Inner Power technique had suddenly descended upon him from above. The Old Taoist was not like ordinary folk who lacked experience; he suspected that some skilled master had secretly gifted this child with a technique due to his good character and potential, allowing him to pass it on. As for why they did not take him as an apprentice, perhaps there were other considerations.
After finishing his account, Zhou Jingran worried that the Old Taoist might not believe him. He rummaged through the boat and brought out a well-preserved manuscript to present to him. When the Old Taoist saw the words "Complete Reality Internal Skill Method" written on it, even after many years of maintaining a calm demeanor, he couldn't help but feel excited. In this day and age, many people no longer knew about the Quanzhen Sect, but how could someone who had lived over a hundred years like the Old Taoist be unaware of it? The names Zhong Shentong and Zhong Wantong among the Five Absolutes and the Seven Disciples of Quanzhen were certainly well-known to him.
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