Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul.

If he can truly circulate his Qi twice in a quarter of an hour, then he must have used some kind of technique.

However, this technique is definitely not the Three-Cart Force, because the Three-Cart Force is designed for people who have difficulty circulating Qi, and its Qi circulation speed is not fast.

Li Chang'an said, "It used a little technique, but it wasn't a technique similar to the Three-Cart Force technique."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin frowned. Yesterday, he had clearly instructed Li Chang'an not to use any techniques when his innate constitution was full and his mind was firm. He should rely on his own will to circulate Qi, which would also temper his mind. Why didn't he listen?

However, Lu Jin wasn't too angry. Li Chang'an was young and had some childlike qualities. It was normal for him to want to speed up his cultivation. He shouldn't be judged by adult standards.

Lu Jin was about to start lecturing.

Li Chang'an said, "Grandpa, yesterday I had an epiphany because of something, which made me see myself clearly and gain some insights, so my Qi circulation also became faster."

A sudden realization? A gain?

Upon hearing these words, Lu Jin was taken aback and swallowed the reprimand that was about to come out.

"You said you had an epiphany yesterday, but what did you have an epiphany about?"

For an old man like him to talk about sudden enlightenment when a child who has just embarked on spiritual practice talks about it is like a child complaining of back pain. What back does a child have? What kind of sudden enlightenment could a child possibly have?

"Grandpa, I've come to understand some things."

What lesson did you learn?

“I don’t know myself, so I am who I am. If I knew myself, I wouldn’t be who I am,” Li Chang’an said.

Lu Jin narrowed his eyes: "Which cultivation book did you see this sentence in, find it interesting, and share it with your grandfather, or did you truly understand it clearly in your heart?"

"It didn't come from books!"

After pondering for a long time, Li Chang'an organized his thoughts and feelings and recounted to Lu Jin what he had seen, heard, thought, and felt yesterday.

However, he did not say that he had entered a state similar to the intermediate state (bardo), but only that he had understood himself and seen his own self.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin remained silent for a long time. He never expected that Li Chang'an would think of these things.

This was really too incongruous, because such an understanding is usually only attained by those who have experienced life to the fullest and seen through the world. Li Chang'an was too young, so young that it seemed unbelievable to him.

But he did not doubt its authenticity. This world is full of all sorts of impossibilities, and also full of all sorts of incomprehensible geniuses.

For example, Gauss in the mathematical world discovered the formula for the sum of an arithmetic sequence at the age of ten, and at the age of eighteen, he solved a mathematical problem that had remained unsolved for more than two thousand years in just one night.

For example, there's that big shot who said that someone can't learn calculus at fourteen.

Therefore, Li Chang'an suddenly realized that this was not unacceptable.

But being able to accept it doesn't mean I'm not surprised.

Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an as if he were a monster: "Little Chang'an, I really didn't expect you to be able to comprehend these things. Understanding one's true nature is a very important step in cultivating both mind and body."

"Many people are stuck at this step for years, decades, or even a lifetime, unable to take it. But you have just stepped onto the path of cultivation and have already seen yourself. This is talent, and also opportunity."

Lu Jin sighed and continued, "You were moved by observing the baby, but your grandfather is so old, has four generations under one roof, and has raised many children, so he can understand what you are saying even more."

"It's like a three-year-old girl crying. This is a normal physiological signal, but when you comfort her and coax her with gifts, you give her feedback, which shapes her sense of self."

“And if a three-year-old boy cries and you scold him, saying that he is crying like a girl and that he should be a man, this feedback is also shaping his self-image.”

"Whether it's a boy or a girl, their true feelings when they cry are overshadowed by this symbolic feedback."

“This coverage doesn’t stop at the surface; it penetrates into the marrow and becomes part of the ‘self’.”

"So you're right, the 'self' doesn't grow from within, but is built up from the outside."

"Moreover, this 'self' cannot be updated or iterated. It's not that you can become a new 'self' just because you come into contact with a lot of new things."

"It's like building blocks, stacked one layer at a time."

"Therefore, there has always been a saying that lucky people use their childhood to heal their entire lives, while unlucky people use their entire lives to heal their childhood."

"And to spend a lifetime trying to cure it is, in fact, incurable. Based on my grandfather's experience, there is indeed some truth to this statement."

"Because it's like a building block set; no matter how high or how luxurious it's stacked, it can't change the mess at the bottom."

"Therefore, many people who grow up in various setbacks often construct an extremely contradictory and torn 'self,' and such people may do things that are hard to understand."

At this point, Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an: "Little Chang'an, you should know about the Lu family, where Grandfather is from, right?"

Li Chang'an nodded: "I know, Grandpa told me about it."

"What did your grandfather say?"

Li Chang'an said, "Grandpa once said that the Lu family is an extraordinary anomaly in the world of supernatural beings. Most supernatural families have methods that have been passed down. Even our Li family has the family heirloom 'Yuyang Sword Manual,' but the Lu family does not."

"The Lu family only has a bunch of strict family rules and a stubborn streak passed down through generations. Grandpa said he didn't know exactly what these family rules were."

"He only knew one thing: whenever it comes to strange and unusual arts, the Lu family only teaches their descendants how to be good people, not how to use them, and does not continue to enrich their descendants."

"Therefore, all the descendants of the Lu family must become disciples of others to learn their skills."

Chapter 13 On the Way

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin nodded:

“You’re right, that’s exactly right. When I was young, I didn’t understand this rule either. I just knew that it had to be done this way. But after listening to your insights just now, I suddenly have a new understanding.”

"What do you mean by 'understanding'?" Li Chang'an asked.

Lu Jin said, "Aren't the rules and regulations of my Lu family just like the building blocks I just mentioned? Other people's building blocks are stacked randomly, full of uncertainty."

"The building blocks of my Lu family are stacked layer by layer according to established rules. Therefore, most members of the Lu family are of the same lineage, upright, and have a strong backbone. This is all man-made."

While Lu Jin was speaking, Li Chang'an listened quietly without saying a word.

He was thinking that building a strong and solid self was indeed a good thing.

But this is not the true self. The 'self' of the Lu family is actually the self woven by their ancestors using family rules.

Does this constructed, powerful "self" truly have any meaning?

After Lu Jin finished speaking, seeing that Li Chang'an remained silent, he smiled. "To be old and not die is to be a thief," he said, and he could tell at a glance what Li Chang'an was thinking.

He patted Li Chang'an on the head and said, "Are you thinking of giving up that false 'self' formed from the outside in order to preserve the most authentic self within? To achieve complete self-preservation?"

“Grandpa, I didn’t intend to join Quanxing!” Li Chang’an said.

"Grandpa knows that among those filthy bastards of Quanxing, there is none who can truly preserve the integrity of Quanxing; they are just indulging in lust."

"What Grandpa meant was to tell you that if you want to preserve your true self, you don't necessarily have to give up the self that comes from the outside."

"True growth is not about constantly chasing after the external self, nor is it about always guarding your most authentic self, but about learning to accept."

"You know what you are like, you know what the world is like, but you can still continue to experience everything in the world, then you are free. Take your great-grandfather as an example."

"I've lived to this age, and apart from a very few obsessions, I've come to terms with most things."

"When my grandfather was young, he was polite, gentle, eloquent, and his manners were impeccable."

"Now, my great-grandfather often swears and is often short-tempered. When he praises someone, it may be out of politeness, but when he curses someone, it is absolutely sincere."

“…………” Li Chang’an stared blankly at Lu Jin.

Seeing Li Chang'an's expression, Lu Jin smiled and said, "Although you haven't seen it yet, you will definitely see it in the future. This is a kind of release after seeing through yourself."

"When Grandpa wants to be his true self, he can be his true self."

"When the old man wants to be a false version of himself, he can be a false version of himself. This is enlightenment."

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an pondered for a long time before saying:

“Grandpa, you said before that the self is like a stack of building blocks. No matter how luxurious the upper layer is, it can’t change the messiness of the lower layer. That’s why people have contradictions and what is called childhood trauma.”

"They can't see through it, so they can't change it. Even if they were enlightened and could see through it, this self, shaped by various external factors, is still irreversible, right?"

"Why do you think that?" Lu Jin asked.

Li Chang'an said, "I studied an article called 'The Kite' in school, written by Lu Xun. In the article, Lu Xun trampled his younger brother's kite based on his own likes and dislikes at the time."

“He didn’t think anything was wrong at the time, but many years later, this incident became a thorn in his side, making him restless and often giving rise to the feeling that he should have been damned back then.”

"This emotion arose not only because he treated his younger brother maliciously, but also because he was shaping his younger brother's self-image, so he regretted doing so."

"He wanted to apologize and make amends, but his brother had already forgotten about it."

"The reason why Lu Xun made this change should be because he realized his true nature."

"Lu Xun had already seen his true self and realized his true nature, but he still found it difficult to let go of this emotion."

"In other words, even if you see it, you can't change it, right?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin nodded and said, "Your example is correct. That's right. Enlightenment is simply seeing one's own nature."

"This original nature is like a pure person, while the self shaped by the outside world is like layers of armor stuck to the body."

"Because of the different reasons for their creation, these armors are also different in style. There are cloth armor, lamellar armor, and plate armor, which are layered on your body."

"But the stacking order is wrong. Maybe you put the helmet on your butt, the plate armor inside, and the cloth armor on the outside..."

"Before, you didn't know you were wearing the wrong clothes; you only knew you were in pain."

"Later, you realized your true nature and understood that there was something wrong with your attire, as well as the root of your suffering, but you just couldn't take off these armors."

"In Buddhist terms, this means you have seen the ignorance, but you cannot sever it!"

At this point, Lu Jin let out a long sigh and said, "Seeing it but being unable to solve it—that's the most painful thing for a cultivator!"

"Is there a way to solve this?" Li Chang'an asked.

“Of course, you have to take it off the same way you put it on,” Lu Jin said.

In fact, this is also the dilemma that Lu Jin is currently facing.

He's almost a hundred years old, what is there that he can't understand?

He can't solve it.

His inner conflict has been unresolved for decades, and there is no way to resolve it.

"Isn't this about finding a solution externally? Is there a way to find a solution internally?" Li Chang'an asked again.

Lu Jin's suggestion to seek solutions externally reminded him of Zhuge Qing in the story.

Having witnessed the power of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, yet being unable to obtain them, this became a shackle on his body, transforming into his inner demons.

This shackle was broken after he obtained the Eight Extraordinary Skills.

If he didn't obtain that manual of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, he might never have been able to see through it in his entire life. It's like being told to put something down, but your hands are empty; you've never picked anything up before, so how can you put it down?

"Look for solutions internally..."

Lu Jin paused for a moment, then continued, "That is to break through one's own limitations and reach the legendary realm of Yang Zhu, the founder of Quanxing Sect, who did not take a single hair or pluck a single feather, and let go of the entire world."

"If you let go of the world, you will naturally let go of your own armor, shackles, and so on."

This statement surprised Li Chang'an. He remembered that Zhang Zhiwei had said something similar in the story.

It was while saying this that Zhang Zhiwei referred to himself as an ordinary mortal.

The Old Celestial Master was by no means a person who was falsely modest; the realm that he himself admired was naturally unfathomably high.

Li Chang'an immediately banished the idea from his mind.

"Little Chang'an!"

Lu Jin looked at Li Chang'an and said earnestly:

"There are some things that my grandfather understood too late. His obsession had already taken root, and even if he knew, he couldn't change it."

"And some things are easier said than done. There is a huge difference between knowing and doing. My grandfather knew, but he couldn't do it."

"But you are still young, and your future holds infinite possibilities. Since you have already achieved enlightenment at such a young age, you should make good use of this to create a better version of yourself."

"Grandpa, I'll remember that." As soon as Li Chang'an finished speaking, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he blurted it out:

"Grandpa, I suddenly have an idea. What if we discard all the negative feedback from the outside world and mold our external self according to our true self? Would there be any difference? And what would the effect be?"

Lu Jin pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The walls of the Master are several fathoms high; without finding the gate, one cannot enter and see the beauty of the ancestral temple and the richness of the officials."

Even when faced with questions from his great-grandson, Lu Jin showed no interest in seeking fame or saving face. He knew what he knew, and he wouldn't easily offer subjective opinions on things he didn't know.

"Although I can't give you the answer, but..."

Grandpa knows how to call people.