Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 180: Against the Trend

Chu Tai left his hometown and his way was blocked by a cloud when he passed a mountain gorge. After staying for a while, he boarded a ship that went upstream from the East to the Central Plains.

This boat is specially provided for monks. It is nearly 48 meters long and more than 12 meters wide. There are many magical instruments as decoration inside. The wooden boards are subject to magical restrictions, so you can't feel the slightest shaking when walking on them.

Chu Tai dressed up as a casual cultivator, paid the boat fare, and entered a cabin on the second floor. The room was not small, and there were three or four casual cultivators who practiced some minor techniques sitting in the corner, transferring their magic power.

After taking a few glances, Chu Tai withdrew his gaze and looked outside through the small window on the boat.

On both banks, there were many trackers pulling the boats, but there were endless water monsters in the river, and the movement of small boats was usually mainly dependent on manpower, for fear that if they used some tricks, they would be eaten as snacks by the water monsters in the river.

In addition, Chu Tai also saw many mechanical ships that used mechanical movement to drive the ships upstream.

However, most of these small boats are made of simple materials, and there are countless undercurrents and reefs on the shore, with rapids surging in the center. If they really go against the flow, it is inevitable that parts will be damaged. In comparison, it is more cost-effective for the trackers on the shore.

Looking at the people shouting slogans and pulling the tow ropes, Chu Tai narrowed his eyes slightly.

In fact, at the beginning, he could go upstream by himself, but when he was passing by the two banks and saw the trackers, he suddenly had some insights in his heart.

In his eyes, there was some blood and energy churning in these people's bodies, and they were connected to each other, forming a thin mist.

Especially in this fog, there is still some luck rolling.

This caught Chu Tai's attention. According to his observation, the destiny seemed to be like a carp, swimming upstream with the help of the river water, washing itself and nourishing the boatmen on both sides of the river.

Chu Tai understood instantly that this was a secret method passed down by someone in the past to help these trackers sort out their luck, allowing these people to settle their luck through inheritance from generation to generation, and eventually raise one or two golden carp to jump out of this quagmire.

"I just don't know whether the carp really jumped out with its entire family, or was caught and stewed by someone..."

Chu Tai's eyes narrowed slightly. Curious about the efficacy of this secret method and the final result, he stopped for a moment, observed carefully, and discovered something very interesting.

The secret method began to fail.

'Is it because of the passage of time that this secret technique has naturally become ineffective, or is it due to other reasons that it is unable to fully exert its effect?'

After Chu Tai's subsequent observation, he found that one of the reasons why the secret method failed was that there was a change in the method the trackers practiced.

The cultivation methods of these boat trackers are basically martial arts, but the movements are somewhat like military formations, and the ups and downs of luck have some traces of magic skills. Compared with ordinary skills, they have no combat power, but their endurance and tolerance are far superior. It is obviously a method created specifically for boat trackers.

With the ability of [Alchemist] to manifest, the foundation of this set of skills naturally emerged in Chu Tai's mind. After a little calculation, Chu Tai summed up a better system that was more in line with the secret method hidden between the two sides.

But as soon as the system was established, Chu Tai gave up immediately.

"The consumption is too great. I'm afraid a day's work may not be enough for them to eat."

With a thought, another set of exercises was formed, which was more beneficial to health than the original one, but it was also quickly abandoned. 'Although it retains its potential and is better for the body, I'm afraid it won't last all the way to pull the boat...'

After trying four or five times in a row, Chu Tai had to admit that the method he had deduced was not suitable for these boat trackers. The kung fu that they had modified at the cost of their lives for generations was already the most suitable method for them with the existing resources.

After thinking for a while, Chu Tai began to repeat their chant in a low voice.

When Fu Guang was teaching Chu Tai many miscellaneous knowledges, he once said that Chu Tai's paintings were similar in form but lacked spirit. If he were in the human world, he might become a great master, but he would be useless for spiritual practice and could only be considered second-rate.

In comparison, his talent in forging is far superior to that in painting and can be said to be first-rate.

Compared with music and arithmetic, talent in forging has to take a back seat.

This shows Chu Tai's talent and attainments in music.

He quickly found out the breathing changes in the boat trackers' songs, and started from there, clapping in time with the beats.

However, Chu Tai's clapping did not make any sound, but instead created some ripples, causing the surrounding vital energy to surge. It silently guided the boatmen's calls and taught them a breathing method.

"Daoyou? Have you rested?"

Someone knocked lightly on the cabin door. Several cultivators in the same room looked over. Chu Tai also stopped what he was doing. He immediately felt that the horn sounds from outside became a little chaotic, but soon changed back to the direction he had previously guided.

Among them, Chu Tai felt a leader, a leader who accurately grasped his rhythm. He couldn't help but sigh. These low-level workers may not have much knowledge, but they are quite talented in seeking good fortune and avoiding harm, and can accurately grasp some opportunities.

'Perhaps, some of them just lack an opportunity.'

Suppressing the distracting thoughts in my mind, I saw that the cabin door had been opened by a casual cultivator. I saw a maid holding a jade plate in her hand, walked into the cabin, saluted everyone, and showed a very standard smile.

"My fellow Taoists, you must have been tired on the journey! You need some food. We have a lot of spiritual rice produced in the official fields here. Add the medicinal porridge made from Polygonatum sibiricum and Ganoderma lucidum from the mountains to enhance your vitality and purify your mana. We still have a long way to go. The vitality in the cabin is turbid, which is not suitable for practicing Qi training and improving your cultivation! Why not swallow a bowl of medicinal porridge to refine the water and grain and strengthen your foundation?"

This operation looked quite familiar, and Chu Tai didn't know how to respond. However, he got on the boat just to better observe the trackers, the surrounding mountains and rivers, and to explore for traces of the secret technique, so he shook his head.

"The things on the ship are too expensive, I'll just use some dry food myself!"

As soon as Chu Tai started, similar answers came from other people. The maid smiled as she heard it. She replaced the jade plate, picked up a porcelain cup and said, "Since you have gathered the magic power, you should use less water and rice with mixed vitality. This is refined rice and spiritual spring porridge, which is made by mixing refined rice with spiritual spring. Although it does not have much vitality, it is better in that the essence of water and rice is pure. Do you want it?"

Although this woman was dressed as a servant, Chu Tai could see that her breathing was orderly, and she had obviously learned some methods of collecting and absorbing qi. Except for Chu Tai, the fake casual cultivator, the other casual cultivators who relied on magic to enter the Tao were not as powerful as her. Naturally, she was not restrained and gave her opinions openly. Still without getting a reply, she held the jade plate and went to ask the next person!

Not sure if they found common ground, but a few casual cultivators started chatting with Chu Tai.

One of the middle-aged casual cultivators wearing sackcloth clothes looked at a rock outside the window and said, "You fellow Taoists who have just arrived here may not know that this rock is not simple..."

(End of this chapter)