Chapter 135: Short Power? Energy Training?

"Please, Daoist Sun, Daoist Changmei, take a seat!" Liu Yitiao politely ushered them into the room and instructed Xiao Su to prepare tea.

"Young Master Liu, there is no need for such formality," Sun Simiao said, sitting down and waving a hand at Liu. "Please, sit as well. To tell you the truth, I have come today to seek your guidance on a matter. I hope you will be able to answer me honestly."

"Please speak, Daoist Sun. If it is within my knowledge, I shall tell you everything," Liu replied, bowing slightly as he sat down beside the elderly man, who was rumored to be over one hundred and sixty years old.

"I wish to know," Sun said, his eyes searching Liu's face with a mix of anticipation and apprehension, "is your mentor a monk by the name of Yuan Mie? This matter is of great importance to me, so I implore you to be truthful."

"Eh? Why do you ask such a thing, Daoist?" Liu did not answer immediately, looking at Sun with a strange expression. How could this old Daoist think his master was a monk? He recalled that none of the teachers he had studied under were even bald, let alone monks.

"It is because the prescription you used to treat Empress Zhangsun is remarkably similar to the methods of my junior brother, Yuan Mie," Sun said, looking up as if lost in memory. "From the day he entered our master's school, he was determined to master the 'medicine-less' path."

"Medicine is three parts poison. When ordinary physicians treat illnesses with herbs, the toxicity often harms the patient’s body. Yuan Mie always believed this was a disguised form of harm. After he completed his studies, despite being well-versed in pharmacology, he refused to use medicine. When treating patients, he used only silver needles and common food—much like the medicinal diet you prepared for the Empress, or the hygiene methods you taught the palace maids and eunuchs."

"That is why I must know: is your master my junior brother, Yuan Mie?" Sun asked once more.

This Yuan Mie certainly had a strong personality. To discard medicine entirely because of its toxicity and rely solely on needles and food—wasn't that a bit like refusing to eat for fear of choking?

"He is not," Liu answered firmly. "Daoist Sun, you must be mistaken. My mentor's surname was Tang, his given name was Bohu, and he was known as the Master of Peach Blossom Hermitage. He was a famous scholar from Jiangnan, peerless in both poetry and painting. He was never a monk, nor did he ever consider becoming one. You have mistaken the person."

"Oh, I see. My apologies for the trouble, Young Master Liu." Sun nodded, letting out a long sigh of relief. As long as he wasn't dead, that was fine.

"Master, is it really possible for Uncle-Master Yuan Mie to treat illnesses without the use of medicine or stones?" Daoist Changmei asked, appearing to have never heard of Yuan Mie's deeds.

Sun looked at Changmei and said, "It is true. Your Uncle-Master was highly skilled with silver needles; his acupuncture technique was unparalleled in this age. With his needles and specific diets, he could indeed achieve the goal of healing without medicine."

"However, he was a bit too pedantic," Sun added, shaking his head in disapproval. "While medicinal herbs may have toxicity, it is minimal. As long as a physician is careful, it does not cause major harm to the patient. Moreover, if a serious illness can be cured, patients will choose to take the medicine even knowing it contains trace toxins."

That was true. Liu nodded. Wasn't Empress Zhangsun a prime example? She had known the medicine contained arsenic, yet she had no choice but to drink it.

"Not only that," Sun continued, sighing softly, "some illnesses can be easily cured with just a few herbs. But if one follows Yuan Mie's method—acupuncture supplemented by diet—the process is too slow, easily delaying treatment and causing the patient's condition to worsen. It is a pity; his medical skills were at least equal to mine, yet he was never willing to fully apply them."

Liu spoke softly to comfort him: "Perhaps Master Yuan Mie acts out of a compassionate heart to save the world, Daoist Sun. Do not sigh so much. Besides, everything has two sides. While his methods may be ill-suited for acute conditions, they are excellent for chronic or severe cases. Take the Empress's illness, for example: while conventional medicine is effective, its toxicity is high, and long-term use would have led to a fatal poisoning."

"Hmm," Sun nodded. "You have a point, Young Master Liu. While a dietary approach cannot fully eradicate the Empress's illness, it could preserve her life and prevent further deterioration. However, saying that medicine is inherently fatal is slightly inaccurate. The reason the Empress was poisoned was not the fault of the medicine itself, but because the physicians at the Imperial Medical Bureau used excessive dosages."

Excessive? Liu's eyes brightened. He understood now. Prince Wang Kui must have been trying to brazenly murder Empress Zhangsun after having already crippled the Crown Prince's foot. He certainly had a lot of nerve! No wonder Wang Kui had tried so hard to obstruct him when he wanted to treat the Empress. No wonder Wang Kui had stared at him in such shock when he revealed he could neutralize the arsenic.

"The Daoist is right," Liu said, taking a sip of tea before cupping his hands in a gesture of respect. "I noticed today that your method of using 'Qi' to treat the Empress was highly effective. I was quite amazed and would like to ask for your guidance, if you would be willing to teach me."

"Oh? You are interested in the cultivation of Qi?" Sun looked him up and down. "I observe that you have a ruddy complexion, your breath is strong and steady, and your gait was very firm just now. I assume you are a practitioner of martial arts?"

"You have sharp eyes, Daoist Sun," Liu replied. "I have indeed practiced some family martial arts, but they are all external styles. I have had no contact with the study of internal Qi, and I hope you might offer some pointers."

"That is not entirely true," Sun said, shaking his head slightly. "You have Qi within your body, and it is not weak—not something that could be cultivated in a short time. It seems you do not fully understand your own martial arts."

"How so, Daoist? I am a bit confused." Liu was baffled. When had he ever practiced Qigong?

"Extend your hand; let me check your pulse." Sun placed two fingers on Liu's right wrist. "Hmm," Sun frowned slightly. "Your internal Qi is very strange. It seems to scatter throughout your body, yet it gathers in your right arm. It is sometimes violent, sometimes calm, and does not seem to be under your conscious control. Tell me, when you practice martial arts, do you often focus your strength in your right arm and wrist?"

Liu's heart skipped a beat. Was this old man referring to the 'One-Inch Punch'? Could it be that the One-Inch Punch was a form of internal Qi?

"That is indeed the case," Liu nodded, a flicker of hope rising in his chest.

"That explains it," Sun said. "Your martial arts are not a simple external style. When you practice, you inadvertently generate internal Qi, but you have not learned the proper techniques for circulating it. It is a pity. It seems that when your ancestors passed down these arts, something was lost."

"I see. Might I ask if you have a way to complete it?" Liu asked, sensing an opportunity.

"Do not worry, Young Master Liu," Sun laughed. "I have a method for gathering Qi that might solve your problem."

Sun nodded to Daoist Changmei, who understood and retrieved a scroll of thin silk from his robes, handing it to Liu. Liu took it with both hands and saw four large, regular-script characters written at the top: *The Evergreen Song*. He looked up at Sun. "Daoist Sun, this is?"

"This is the *Evergreen Song*, used by our Daoist sect for foundational training. It contains some basic methods for nurturing and circulating Qi," Sun said calmly as he took a sip of tea. "The technique is simple, but it should solve the issue of your internal Qi being uncontrolled. You may take it and practice for a few days."

A Qigong manual? Liu immediately thought of legendary texts like the *Yijin Jing* or the *Northern Mystic Arts*. This *Evergreen Song* clearly couldn't compare to those myths, but for him, right now, it was more than enough.

"Thank you, Daoist!" Liu placed the scroll into his robe and bowed deeply. Since the old man was so generous, he certainly owed him a sincere expression of gratitude.

"Young Master, the guard named Li who came looking for you this morning is here," Xiao Su reported. He kept glancing at Sun Simiao. When he had served the tea, he had felt there was something special about this old man—the white hair, the white beard, the calm demeanor, and the extraordinary presence. Could such a spirited old man actually be an immortal?

"Li Jihe?" Could he be here because of the Crown Prince? Liu thought of Li Chengqian's foot; the boy must be growing impatient. He gestured to Xiao Su, "Please, show him in."

"Divine Doctor Liu, Daoist Sun, greetings to you both," Li Jihe said as he entered, bowing to them.

"Greetings, Jihe. Please, sit," Liu said, standing up.

"No, thank you, Divine Doctor," Li said. "His Highness the Crown Prince has sent me to invite you and Daoist Sun to the Eastern Palace for a talk. I cannot stay long. Please, follow me to meet His Highness."

The Crown Prince was the heir to the throne, the future Emperor. If he issued a summons, who would dare refuse?

Liu and Sun exchanged a look, stood up, and followed Li Jihe out of the Left Guard's barracks toward the Eastern Palace.