From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 309 Body Tempering
It's snowing heavily.

Jie Kaiping held the bowl of porridge in one hand and protected it with the other, as if afraid that snow would fall into it.

Upon hearing that Meng Yuan intended to plot against Ding Chonglou, Jie Kaiping was not surprised, but simply asked, "Does this colleague have to be killed?"

"Alas, there's nothing I can do," Meng Yuan lamented. "If I don't kill him, he'll kill me."

Seeing Meng Yuan's undisguised hypocrisy, Jie Kaiping said, "If we're not careful, you should call your ruthless little lover along!"

“Alright, I’ll go and beg her!” Meng Yuan said.

“Ding Chonglou has been looking for me recently. If he only has some lowly soldiers and generals with him, then he is not a threat. The real concern is that he may have also invited masters from the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.” Jie Kaiping was very cautious.

"I'm afraid it will be difficult to invite them." Meng Yuan had already anticipated this. "Under normal circumstances, we could naturally invite people. However, everyone is currently at Lanruo Temple waiting for the outcome of the three eminent monks' duel, and I'm afraid they won't want to leave for the next few days. Even if other people are sent, there won't be any experts accompanying them."

Jie Kaiping understood this principle, so he didn't mince words, "Wait for my message, at most three days!"

The two chatted for a while longer before Meng Yuan returned to the city.

When they arrived at Dugu Ying's residence, her injuries seemed to have healed somewhat, and she was wearing a red cloak again, which covered her thin clothes, making it impossible to see her petite figure.

It was already dark, with only a pale yellow candle lit.

After recounting the agreement with Jie Kaiping, Dugu Ying closed her eyes, as if to drive him away.

"It's too late, the snow hasn't stopped outside, and I haven't had a hot meal all day." Meng Yuan forced himself to stay.

Dugu Ying was a kind-hearted person after all. She summoned the maid from the outer room and brought out the food.

The room was simple, and so was the food. There were only two bowls of rice porridge and two pieces of flatbread, both of which were cold.

"Miss Ying is being too hard on herself," Meng Yuan said after he had finished taking advantage of her.

"The desire for food and drink is the most boring thing." Dugu Ying said in a light voice, "Birth, old age, sickness, death, resentment, separation from loved ones, and unfulfilled desires—all these emotions and desires are nothing but emptiness."

Seeing that Dugu Ying looked like she wanted to become a nun, Meng Yuan didn't say anything more.

"The side room is still empty," Dugu Ying said, urging people to leave again.

"No rush." ​​Meng Yuan didn't leave, but said, "Let's talk about Ding Chonglou again. Tell me about the wonders of his Ephemeral World."

The last time, Dugu Ying spearheaded the plot against Master Zhihe, but this time, Meng Yuan took over the plot against Ding Chonglou.

A fifth-rank official is already considered a highly accomplished person, so Meng Yuan felt no fear and remained quite calm.

Despite his calm demeanor, Meng Yuan still pondered repeatedly how to launch an attack and considered various unforeseen circumstances.

This was not a life-or-death struggle like with Xi Yisheng, but a planned assassination.

Dugu Ying was completely hidden under a red cloak. Seeing that Meng Yuan's eyes were indeed full of humility and eagerness to learn, she immediately began to speak.

Meng Yuan listened quietly, and compared and verified his observations with those of the man in black outside Songhe Prefecture, gaining much insight.

As night fell, the wind continued to howl outside, and the snow continued to fall gently.

"Grain prices in the city are soaring, and the people are in uproar." Dugu Ying looked out the window. "Now, the world's sages are fighting, stirring up snowflakes, but who knows how many people will be crushed to death. As the ancients said, as long as sages live, great thieves will not cease. If sages are dead, great thieves will not rise."

“The sage acts without acting and teaches without speaking. The perfect man is selfless, the divine man is without merit, and the sage is nameless.” Meng Yuan, having spent a long time with monks, also picked up the habit of debating scriptures. “From this perspective, those who engage in magical battles outside cannot be considered sages.”

"It's getting late," Dugu Ying said, urging them to leave again.

Meng Yuan had no improper thoughts, so he went to rest in a side room.

Lighting the lamp, one could see that the room was simply furnished: a thin quilt, a futon, a low table, a candle, and nothing else.

Sitting cross-legged on a futon, Meng Yuan closed his eyes and settled down.

The sounds of wind and snow outside the window linger, unsettling the heart.

After sitting cross-legged for a while, Meng Yuan calmed down and then examined himself.

The essence of fire has grown stronger and risen, reaching its full potential.

"Should we temper our bodies with fire? We're about to face Ding Chonglou, and with his abilities, he's probably no match for Shangzhi and Jianchuan. If we keep our essence fire within us, even if we're injured, we can immediately replenish it. Then, if we can outlast Ding Chonglou's Mayfly Heaven and Earth energy, victory will surely be ours."

"It will be safe enough to collect Ding Chonglou's fire then!"

As Meng Yuan thought this, his mind seemed to wander, and he recalled Yang Yuping at the foot of Calabash Mountain, and Xi Yisheng's dying moments.

Yang Yuping was ruthless and a formidable foe, especially since she used the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique to prolong her life several times, making her truly difficult to deal with.

Xi Yisheng was the first person Meng Yuan encountered who could be described as exceptionally talented. He had defeated several eminent monks and Taoist masters and still had plenty of energy left.

Meng Yuan fought against him, but was defeated and fled several times.

But in Qishui Town, Meng Yuan faced death head-on, disregarding everything and giving his all, finally forcing Xi Yisheng to use his trump card.

"After I reached the sixth rank of perfection, I was clearly only a thin veil away from the fifth rank, yet I could never break through it. Prince Xin said it was due to my state of mind, the true essence of martial arts. At that time, I did not understand what a change in state of mind meant, but I did know what the essence of martial arts was. A martial artist is one who cuts through thorns and brambles to create a path where there is none. Those who only know how to fight and kill, who are fond of bravery and violence, falsely call themselves martial artists, but in fact they do not know the principle of entering the Dao through martial arts at all."

"Later I realized the change in my mindset. It was because I had the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique, and I was always thinking about a way to survive, but it was a way that would harm my friends and neighbors. The Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique is a life-saving method, and it can even break through the realm in the face of battle, but the further I went in the martial arts path, the more I realized that this was like drinking poison to quench my thirst, and there was no way forward. This is my path, but the path has been closed and locked."

Xi Yisheng's words are still fresh in my mind: a martial artist is not necessarily without a backup plan, but he should not rely on it too much.

Meng Yuan had narrowly escaped death several times, each time thanks to the nourishment of the essence fire, and had already developed a sense of dependence on it.

In the blink of an eye, with a moment of focused thought, the essence of fire bursts forth.

For a moment, Meng Yuan felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his back, which was even more difficult to bear than forcibly activating the Floating Light Cave. It was as if he was about to be pressed into the soil and crushed into dust.

After enduring this for a few breaths, Meng Yuan felt himself surrounded by layers of flames.

This time, the flames that engulfed me were not as scorching as the previous four times; instead, they were gentler, like a small flame during a harsh winter.

The fireworks were endless and relentless, swirling within Meng Yuan's body. They seemed to travel through the body once a week, as if taking something away and leaving something behind.

Meng Yuan's mind was in complete chaos. He didn't know how to resist or guide the flames, and could only let them assault him.

After an unknown amount of time, the countless tiny flames that had been swirling within his body gradually grew stronger, eventually becoming a raging inferno, as if it would burn mountains and seas and consume everything in its path.

For a moment, Meng Yuan seemed to return to those days when he was meditating on the raging inferno, and all he could see were flames, in his flesh and blood, in his bones and muscles, in his internal organs, and even in the spirit of his thoughts.

Only then did Meng Yuan finally realize the pain. This pain was more mysterious and inexplicable than the previous four times. It started from his head, as if his head was being burned to ashes and his brain was being boiled.

Meng Yuan endured the pain, but could no longer bear it, feeling as if fire was gushing out from his seven orifices.

Then the fire engulfed him, his flesh rotted and his bones turned charred black as soon as they were revealed.

The liquid in his dantian suddenly vanished, all of it turned into mist by the essence fire and disappeared without a trace.

Meanwhile, endless flames surged through the three heavens, as if to destroy the very foundation of a martial artist.

Living towards death, Meng Yuan felt that this was it.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but the pain persisted, and Meng Yuan finally managed to open his eyes.

After a while, the pain was still there, but my mind became clearer, and I was finally able to distinguish what I saw and heard.

The small room remained the same, only it looked as if it had been scorched.

Looking up, the skin and flesh were not intact; they were covered in charred wounds, with not a single spot unscathed.

His once black hair had turned snow-white, as if this body tempering had taken many years. Meng Yuan still felt a burning heat rising within his body, which was difficult to dispel, but he also felt that he had inexhaustible strength within him, as if it could never be exhausted.

The futon beneath him had turned to ash, and his clothes were gone. Only the candlelight remained in the quiet room, while the sound of wind and snow continued outside.

After a long time, Meng Yuan finally felt that his body and mind were in harmony, and he was finally able to control himself. The pain also receded slowly like the tide.

His eyes were clear and bright, gazing out the window into the distance, meticulously observing the patterns of the snowflakes. His ears were sharp and alert, able to detect even the slightest changes inside and outside.

There was someone outside the quiet room, and snowflakes fell on that person as if they were thundering.

The person remained motionless, as if in deep meditation, their breathing extremely subtle and long.

It was Dugu Ying guarding outside the door.

Meng Yuan ignored it and focused on examining the changes within himself.

His hair gradually turned a bluish-black color. The charred scars on his skin remained, but they were slowly falling off, revealing new skin.

The skin did not show any changes after being reborn from the fire; on the contrary, it seemed to be the same as before, and even lacked luster.

But Meng Yuan knew that his muscles were now much stronger than before he had been tempered, more than three or four times stronger.

Upon further examination of the changes in flesh and blood, it is even more vigorous and powerful than before, with the essence of fire seemingly not yet completely dissipated, still circulating within the body.

With his internal organs and bones becoming stronger, Meng Yuan felt as if he could lift mountains and swallow the sea with this ability.

Jade liquid began to grow in the two dried-up dantian, becoming even more powerful and sharp.

After carefully examining the changes in his body, Meng Yuan felt that this body tempering was even stronger than the previous four combined.

However, the improvement to the body is not that obvious.

The biggest difference lies in the many changes that occur during the tempering of the body by the fire, which seem to resonate with the "Dao" that one seeks.

The biggest change this time was not in the physical body, but in the spirit.

The three heavens, upper, middle, and lower, are one, and a tiny flame seems to burn eternally in my mind, like a spark.

And this spark will last forever, keeping Meng Yuan's mind clear at all times, as if all methods that disturb the mind, the spirit, and even all kinds of Taoist secrets and techniques must be kept away from the spark.

"No more Burning Heart? This is an even more powerful Burning Heart?" Meng Yuan couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he planned to find someone to try it out another day.

After a long while, there was a noise outside the door.

Meng Yuan heard Dugu Ying's small feet move slightly, and he seemed to turn his head slightly as if listening to the sounds coming from inside the room.

"How is it?" Dugu Ying asked from outside the door.

The room was quiet, and the two of them seemed oblivious to the wind and snow.

"It's nothing serious," Meng Yuan replied, then asked, "Was there anything unusual just now?"

"I heard you forcing yourself to endure the pain, your skin cracking, as if a fire was rising in your heart." Dugu Ying's voice was soft and indifferent, without much concern or urgency, as if she were talking to a passerby. "There's no need to rush this. I'll find someone to help you in the future. I'll find a way that suits you."

"Thank you, Miss Ying." Meng Yuan saw that his clothes had been burned to ashes, and that he hadn't brought any clothes with him on this trip, so he said, "Miss Ying, could you help me find a robe to wear?"

There was silence outside the door; no one answered.

After a long silence, Dugu Ying finally said, "The snow in the city is so heavy that trade has ceased. This courtyard is only occupied by Mingyue and me, along with a few maids. Why would we have men's clothing? Do you not want women's clothing?"

Unlike her usual cold and dull demeanor, Dugu Ying seemed to have a hint of a smile, and didn't forget to mock, "What kind of method is it to burn your clothes? You're disgusting!"

After speaking, Dugu Ying took a step and went outside.

Only then did Meng Yuan remember that Tie Niu had always been there to guard him during each body tempering session.

This time, however, the person in charge is different, and he's not as easy to talk to as Tie Niu.

A short while later, Dugu Ying returned, then pushed open the door, and a set of clothes flew in.

"Mingyue's." Dugu Ying said, and without waiting for Meng Yuan to say anything, she left.

Meng Yuan removed the clothes from his head and face, and saw that they were wide Taoist robes, which were indeed men's clothing, not the female Taoist attire of the Third Miss.

There was no one here to serve him water and food like Tie Niu did, so Meng Yuan went outside to find some snow to wipe himself down before changing into his Taoist robe.

The Taoist community flourished in Qingguo, and Taoist robes were naturally popular; even ordinary people wore them.

Meng Yuan put on the Taoist robe and found it quite comfortable. The robe was loose and a little small, but that didn't bother him.

After sitting quietly all night, Meng Yuan finally went out at dawn.

There was still snow outside, and the sky was a hazy gray, creating a desolate and vast atmosphere.

Dugu Ying stood in the courtyard, surrounded by no snow. She seemed to have not slept all night, still hiding in her red cloak, like a plum blossom blooming in the snow.

"Thank you for protecting me, young lady." Meng Yuan bowed respectfully.

Dugu Ying's red cloak was covered with a few snowflakes. She tilted her head slightly, looked Meng Yuan up and down, and then said, "Neither Taoist nor martial, he looks more like a demonic Taoist, neither fish nor fowl!"

They are mocking Meng Yuan's Taoist robe.

"Then why won't you lend me your red cloak?" Meng Yuan also had a point.

Dugu Ying simply turned away and ignored Meng Yuan.

Seeing that the family didn't intend to offer him a meal, Meng Yuan had no choice but to take his leave.

After leaving the house, I wanted to find Mingyue to thank her for the clothes, but she had already left.

After leaving Ping'an Prefecture and returning to the Chan Meditation Hall of Lanruo Temple, I found that Mingyue was actually there.

Mingyue was talking to Lin Yan while holding a sword, while Zhou Ying and Fan Ye were driven away.

Meng Yuan saw Lin Yan patting his chest, as if he had made some kind of guarantee.

“Miss Mingyue, Senior Brother.” Meng Yuan stepped forward.

Mingyue glanced at Meng Yuan, looked him up and down in his Taoist robe, and walked away without saying a word.

"Hey junior brother, why did you change your robes when you stayed out overnight?" Lin Yan chuckled. "Someone just came to me, saying I'm the senior brother and told me to keep a close eye on you! What did you do?"

Lin Yan rubbed his hands together, winking and making faces, looking eager to learn more.

Zhou Ying and Fan Ye quickly joined in, both of them perking up their ears.

"I ruined my clothes while practicing last night, so I borrowed someone else's Taoist robe," Meng Yuan told the truth.

Lin Yan didn't believe it and kept asking. Zhou Ying also became interested and tried to move closer.

After trying to explain for a long time without success, Meng Yuan simply declined the guests and went to meditate in seclusion.

Another day later, Jingshan came looking for him, saying that the food at Yunshan Temple had been distributed, and he wanted to recruit Meng Yuan to join them in robbing others.

This was the pre-arranged code between Meng Yuan and Jie Kaiping. As long as Jingshan came to Lanruo Temple to look for someone, it would be time to make a move.

(End of this chapter)