Chapter 6: Initiation into Divine Arts
After a busy day, just as the sun was about to set, the three of them—grandfather and grandchildren—happily packed up their stall.
Old Zhao, while putting things away and rubbing his slightly sore waist, said, “With Yuan girl helping out today, this old man had it much easier.”
Yuan Zhao smiled and said, “Then I’ll come help out every day. Grandpa, feel free to order me around.”
“Haha, good, good!” Old Zhao laughed heartily, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out with joy. “Didn’t expect this old man to enjoy such blessings at my age!”
Yuan Zhao and Ah Qing laughed along with him.
Yuan Zhao truly felt lucky. Suddenly transported to this unfamiliar world, though she had suffered a bit in the desert, she met the kind and honest Grandpa Zhao, and the lively, adorable Ah Qing. Now, she had a place to call home.
Once they finished tidying up, the three of them cheerfully went inside.
As soon as Yuan Zhao entered the house, the old wolf, who had been napping, suddenly stood up with a “whoosh,” tongue hanging out, eyes eagerly fixed on her.
Seeing this, Yuan Zhao thought for a moment and asked Old Zhao, “Grandpa, can I untie the rope on the old wolf?”
Old Zhao hesitated. “It’s a wolf… If we let it loose, will it bite someone?”
“Don’t worry, Grandpa,” Yuan Zhao replied. “It definitely won’t. This old wolf is super smart! And look, it’s so old its teeth are almost falling out. It doesn’t have the strength to bite anyone!”
Old Zhao laughed. “True! Alright then, let it loose.”
“Yay~ Thanks, Grandpa!” Yuan Zhao ran happily over to the old wolf and deftly untied the rope from its neck.
Now free, the old wolf dashed around the courtyard in excitement.
Seeing this, Ah Qing got scared and hid behind Grandpa Zhao.
But the old wolf only managed a few steps before it ran out of energy and started panting heavily.
With a dejected look, it walked over to Yuan Zhao, gently nudging her thigh with its head, then looked up at her, eyes full of grievance.
Old Zhao chuckled. “It really is an old wolf—and seems quite humanlike.”
“Yeah!” Yuan Zhao nodded in agreement, gently patting the old wolf on the head.
From then on, the old wolf stuck to Yuan Zhao like a shadow, going wherever she went.
Ah Qing giggled and said, “Sister, the old wolf’s so clingy~”
By now, she wasn’t afraid of it at all.
Once all the chores were done, Old Zhao went to the kitchen to make dinner.
Yuan Zhao wanted to help, but Old Zhao shooed her out, saying it’s just dinner and he could handle it himself.
The sun had just set, and with nothing else to do, Yuan Zhao leapt lightly onto the courtyard wall, sitting quietly and enjoying the distant sunset.
She had to admit—the sunset in the desert was truly magnificent.
‘A lone smoke rises straight in the vast desert, the long river embraces a round sun.’
It lived up to its reputation.
Gradually, the twilight painted the sky red, and even the entire Tianmen town was tinted a deep orange.
It was the first time Yuan Zhao had seen such a grand spectacle, and she stood there, momentarily dazed.
Below the wall, the old wolf raised its head to look at her back. It stared for a while, then leapt up, trying to join her on the wall.
But it was too old. It couldn’t jump. After kicking its legs a few times, it fell back to the ground.
It tried several more times, but still failed. The old wolf looked disappointed, while Yuan Zhao, completely immersed in the awe of the desert sunset, hadn’t even noticed what was happening behind her.
Just as the old wolf was about to give up, a small stool was placed beneath the wall next to it.
Turning its head, it saw Ah Qing smiling sweetly at it, even winking.
The old wolf blinked in surprise, then stepped on the stool and climbed up to sit beside Yuan Zhao, gazing at the same breathtaking scene.
Yuan Zhao still didn’t notice the old wolf. She was fully immersed in nature’s grandeur.
Unknowingly, the Tongxin within her began to operate.
By accident, Yuan Zhao had entered the “Heaven and Earth Resonance” state recorded in the scripture.
At this moment, a mysterious, invisible aura radiated from her, merging her completely with her surroundings.
As the Tongxin technique circulated inside her, the forces of heaven and earth were drawn in, transforming into streams of energy that flowed into her body.
As the technique refined this energy, a special power—different from inner strength—formed within her.
This power brimmed with vitality. As it flowed through her body, it revitalized everything it touched.
After one complete cycle, the energy settled into her dantian (energy center).
The moment it did, the inner strength that originally existed within her was absorbed.
Compared to this new power, her inner strength was insignificant. In the end, only a single drop remained.
Surprisingly, the old wolf also seemed to merge unintentionally with Yuan Zhao’s aura.
As the special energy flowed into her, a few scattered threads drifted into the wolf as well.
The old wolf squinted its eyes, a look of enjoyment on its face.
Down below, Ah Qing looked at Yuan Zhao with a puzzled expression.
She felt that her sister seemed strange—clearly right there, yet somehow not. Her whole being gave off a unique aura, as if she might be carried away by the wind at any moment.
Time passed slowly. After Old Zhao finished making dinner, he came to call Yuan Zhao and Ah Qing, but Ah Qing quickly gestured for him to stay quiet.
Old Zhao looked confused, but Ah Qing shook her head vigorously.
She had a very strong feeling—whatever was happening to her sister right now was crucial and must not be interrupted.
Though Old Zhao didn’t fully understand, he trusted his granddaughter’s instincts and covered his mouth, saying no more.
Before they knew it, night had fully fallen.
With the food getting cold, Ah Qing and Grandpa had to eat first. But Ah Qing stayed by her sister’s side, holding her bowl and finishing dinner crouched at the base of the wall.
Yuan Zhao had now closed her eyes, sitting motionless atop the wall like a statue.
The Tongxin in her body was spinning faster and faster.
The old wolf also sat completely still beside her, soaking up the energy radiating from her.
In the blink of an eye, midnight arrived.
Ah Qing, who had been guarding her sister from below, unknowingly dozed off. The cold night air made her shiver.
Seeing this, Old Zhao carried her back into the house. Then he brought out a stool and sat by the wall himself, quietly standing guard over Yuan Zhao.
The whole night passed.
When the first light of dawn broke across the sky, Yuan Zhao slowly opened her eyes.
She looked inward and was pleasantly surprised to find a faint layer of colorless energy accumulated in her dantian.
This energy emitted a fluctuation far stronger than regular internal energy.
“Did I actually succeed?”
She tried to mobilize the energy. In an instant, Yuan Zhao felt as though she had formed a resonance with heaven and earth.
She extended her right hand and opened her palm. A swirling current of air appeared in her palm, spinning rapidly like a miniature tornado.
‘Amazing!’
Yuan Zhao’s face lit up with joy.
‘Is this the power of the Tongxin Jade technique?’
Just then, a wolf howl broke her train of thought.
She turned her head and saw the old wolf gazing at her with a joyful expression.
Was it her imagination, or did the old wolf’s eyes look noticeably clearer?
She reached out to rub the old wolf’s head and asked, “When did you get up here?”
The old wolf couldn’t speak, of course. It just squinted its eyes in comfort and nudged Yuan Zhao’s palm to show affection.
Yuan Zhao brought the old wolf down from the wall. Below, she saw Grandpa Zhao dozing off. She gently called, “Grandpa?”
Hearing her voice, Grandpa Zhao opened his eyes drowsily and, upon seeing her awake, exclaimed joyfully, “Yuan girl, you’re awake!”
Yuan Zhao asked, “Grandpa, did you stay up all night to watch over me?”
Grandpa Zhao quickly waved his hand, “Not at all. Ah Qing kept watch during the first half of the night. I just took the second half.”
Hearing this, Yuan Zhao felt a warm current flood her heart. “Thank you, Grandpa! And I am grateful to Ah Qing too.”
Grandpa Zhao chuckled, “Why are you thanking us? We’re family, after all. How could we leave you out here alone in the middle of the night?”
Yuan Zhao nodded seriously, “You’re right—we are a family.”
Hearing that, Grandpa Zhao smiled brightly. “By the way, are you hungry? I’ll make breakfast. You didn’t eat at all last night.”
“I’ll help!” Yuan Zhao said quickly.
“Alright.” Grandpa Zhao nodded cheerfully.
“I guess Ah Qing’s still sleeping, huh?”
“It’s okay, let her sleep a little longer—it’s no big deal.”
The two chatted and laughed as they walked into the kitchen.
After breakfast, Yuan Zhao was getting ready to help Grandpa Zhao set up the stall in front of the house, but he came over holding a small pouch.
He rummaged inside for a bit and pulled out a string of copper coins, handing it to her.
“Girl, go buy some fabric in town. Later, Ah Qing can make you some clothes. You can’t just keep wearing the same outfit all the time.”
Yuan Zhao was surprised, “Ah Qing can make clothes?”
Ah Qing immediately pouted, “Don’t underestimate me, Sis! It’s just sewing clothes!”
Grandpa Zhao laughed too, “Yes indeed. All the clothes in this house were made by Ah Qing. I used to do it myself, but my eyes aren’t what they used to be. So now, all the sewing is Ah Qing’s responsibility.”
“Kids from poor families grow up early,” he added. “Even at her young age, Ah Qing had already become a little homemaking expert.”
Hearing this, Ah Qing proudly puffed out her chest.
Yuan Zhao quickly apologized, “It was my fault for doubting you. How could I underestimate our capable Ah Qing?”
Ah Qing grinned widely, “Since you’ve admitted your mistake, I’ll graciously forgive you!”
Then, under Ah Qing’s lead, Yuan Zhao headed to the fabric shop.
On the way, Yuan Zhao happened to see a man in foreign attire herding a flock of sheep past them. She asked curiously, “Ah Qing, where is that man from?”
Ah Qing glanced at him and replied, “Isn’t he from Xiao’s country?”
After more questions, Yuan Zhao learned that “Xiao” was a regime established by nomadic tribes.
West of Tianmen Town lay the vast grasslands, home to dozens of nomadic tribes.
To resist the Liang country, five of the largest tribes had united the rest and formed the Xiao country, which could rival Liang’s power.
Now it all made sense to Yuan Zhao. No wonder even a commoner like Grandpa Zhao could afford to buy beef—because Tianmen Town was right next to the livestock-rich Xiao, where cattle and sheep could be traded freely and affordably.
Such a thing would be unimaginable within Liang.
Before long, they arrived at the fabric shop.
The shop assistant glanced at them and, seeing their plain clothes, immediately lowered his head and asked indifferently, “What do you want?”
Before Yuan Zhao could speak, Ah Qing stepped forward confidently, “We want this much linen.”
She gestured with her hands to show the length. She planned to make two outfits for Yuan Zhao, and though she couldn’t read or write, she knew exactly how much fabric she needed.
Without much fuss, the assistant cut the appropriate amount from a bolt of cloth and handed it over.
Ah Qing bundled up the fabric and asked crisply, “How much?”
“130 coins,” the assistant replied.
Yuan Zhao was shocked—it was that expensive? It was just low-grade linen!
After all, Grandpa Zhao only sold a bowl of noodles for 9 coins. This bit of cloth cost as much as over a dozen bowls!
What Yuan Zhao didn’t know was that Tianmen Town didn’t produce fabric, so everything had to be transported from Great Liang by merchant caravans.
[TL: Sometimes, the author refers to Xiao and Liang as ‘Great’, I think that’s because they are much bigger than the small Tianmen or some self proclaimed thing by these countries.]
These caravans had to cross harsh deserts and guard against desert bandits. A whole bolt of linen typically cost around 500 coins.
They’d only bought about 12 feet, roughly a quarter of a bolt, so 130 coins was a fair price.
But Ah Qing didn’t pay right away. Instead, she said, “Little brother, how about 120 coins?”
The assistant immediately tried to shoo them away, “If you’re not buying, get out. You won’t find a better deal anywhere.” He reached to take the cloth back.
Ah Qing quickly stepped aside and said with a sweet smile, “Don’t be hasty! Let’s negotiate. Final offer—125 coins!”
The assistant still wanted to argue, but Ah Qing pressed on, “If you keep pushing, we really won’t buy it!”
The assistant finally snapped, “Fine, fine! 125 it is! People like you are so annoying—bargaining over a bit of cloth like misers!”
Ah Qing didn’t get angry. She smiled and winked at Yuan Zhao, signaling her to pay. Grandpa Zhao had given Yuan Zhao 150 coins, so after paying, she had 25 left.
Outside the fabric shop, Ah Qing proudly said, “Good thing I came with you! Otherwise, you’d definitely have been ripped off. That shop’s assistant is always like that!”
“If there were any other fabric shops in town, I wouldn’t even bother coming here!”
She made a funny face at the shop entrance, but the assistant had his head down and didn’t see it.
Yuan Zhao laughed and rubbed Ah Qing’s head, “Our Ah Qing is amazing!”
If it were up to her, she definitely wouldn’t have bargained.
Back at home, Yuan Zhao tried to return the leftover money to Grandpa Zhao, but he pushed her hand away and said, “Girl, keep it for yourself, for pocket money.”
