“Taoist scripture?”


  “Yes, and it’s only been a few days. What are you anxious about?” Zhong Liuchuan laughed.

  Like his situation in this village, there was nothing specific for him to do except to read and practice. He did neither slow or fast. The less he desired, the faster the practice went. He was a little surprised by the progress he had made.

  “I have been idle for so many days,” Jia Zizai said. “I finally have something to do, so I am very attentive.”


  “It is counterproductive.”


  “Well, you are right.”


  “Drink some tea.” Zhong Liuchuan poured a cup of tea for him.

  The tea was very fragrant.

  “Brother, how well has Mr. Wang performed?”


  “Well, I can’t say.” Zhong Liuchuan was silent for a while.

  “I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. He can move forward dozens of feet in a step.”


  “Dozens of feet in one step? Is he shrinking feet into inches?”


  “Not really, but it is amazing. Also, his control of voids makes him capable of confining space. You have experienced the power of it.”


  “Ah, I still remember how incredible it is,” Jia Zizai said, “I couldn’t resist it at all.”


  “People as aggressive as Zhang Wei could not match Mr. Wang.”


  “Sometimes I can’t help but remember that Mr. Wang is only 30 years old. Even if he started practicing in his mother’s womb, it has only been 30 years. How could he get such a fascinating ability? Who did he learn all of it from?” These questions had been stuck in Jia Zizai’s mind for some time. He just now finally spoke them aloud.

  “Mr. Wang’s ability was taught by God. At least, that is what he said.”


  “God granted him the capacity? What do you mean by that?”


  “The literal meaning,” Zhong Liuchuan said with a smile.

  “God taught him?”


  “Yes,” Zhong Liuchuan said.

  “I used to have the same questions as yours, but I stopped thinking about it. How did Mr. Wang get it? If he wanted to say, he would tell us. It is not important. What is important is that when we follow him to practice, we learn something that we could never on our own. These are the things we hope to get. It is enough to know these things.” Zhong Liuchuan’s state of mind had become extraordinary.

  “Brother, you and Mr. Wang are somewhat similar in temperament,” Jia Zizai said.

  “That is from Mr. Wang’s guidance.”


  “OK, after talking to you, I feel that my mood is no longer so impatient. You are right. This is not a battlefield. I don’t have to be so nervous or impatient. It is a problem with my state of mind.”


  “Here are some Taoist scriptures for you. Read them carefully.”


  “Thank you, Brother.” Jia Zizai took them with a serious expression.

  “My pleasure,” Zhong Liuchuan replied.

  The two of them smiled at each other. Jia Zizai returned home.

  “Do you understand it?” Hu Mei asked when he came inside.

  “I see now that the problem lies with me,” Jia Zizai said. “I’m too impatient. As the saying goes, haste makes waste.”


  “That’s good.”


  “I’ll read the books.”


  “Go ahead.”


  Jia Zizai took a Taoist scripture, leaned on a chair, and basked in the sunlight casting in from the outside, reading it carefully.

  In the afternoon, a special guest came to the clinic.

  Liu Zhengfeng rushed over from Beijing for his wife and unborn baby.

  “Dr. Wang, excuse me.” He had changed the way he addressed Wang Yao.

  “Is your wife OK?”


  “She is good,” Liu Zhengfeng said. “She took the medicines you prescribed las tine. Both she and the baby are much better than before.”


  He had driven to the clinic and brought some precious gifts, including a tea set from Jingde Town and a few packs of good tea, such as Lu’an Guapian, Xinyang Maojian, and Taiping Houkui. They were all prestigious teas straight from their origins. Many people could not get them even if they could afford to buy them. It had taken him many days to collect them from multiple places.

  “This is a little bit to show my appreciation. I hope you like them.”


  “It is much more than a little bit,” Wang Yao said.

  “Sir, I’ve come all the way.”


  “OK, I accept it,” Wang Yao said.

  “Ah, OK, OK,” Liu Zhengfeng hurriedly said. He was worried that the young man may have a bad temper and refuse to accept the gifts he brought, which would be troublesome.

  “Are you in a hurry?”


  “Ah?” Liu Zhengfeng thought for a moment and said, “No, not really.”


  “Would you please wait for another two days? I’m preparing a dose of medicine for you.”


  “Oh, yes, I’ll wait.”


  Liu Zhengfeng gave him his cellphone number and left the clinic.

  When Wang Yao returned home from the clinic carrying several boxes of tea, his mother was surprised. She asked, “Why do you bring back so many things?”


  “They are gifts from a patient who came from far away.”


  “Oh, this is……”


  Wang Yao smiled and took the items into the room. He liked tea, but it was not a hobby. Since he accepted the gifts, he would lower the prices of the medicines. He would not take any advantages that he should not. After all, Liu Zhengfeng was only a patient of his. They were neither relatives nor friends. There was no friendship between them.

  That night on Nanshan Hill, Wang Yao stood on the top of the mountain, looking at the sky. He didn’t go inside until the middle of the night.

  “It is so strange. Why is the horoscope so strange tonight?”


  The sky seemed no different than usual, but Wang Yao saw some yellowish Qi. It shrouded the heaven and earth. This had never happened before.

  Something was bound to happen from this strange horoscope.

  What would happen?

  The mountain village was quiet as usual all night.

  The next day, the sun rose as usual.

  “San Xian, did you feel anything unusual last night?”


  Woof! The dog barked.

  OK!

  Wang Yao nodded and turned around in the herbal field. He stopped and looked at the purple-backed dragon tooth.

  I will use a leaf later.

  Liu Zhengfeng came from Jing to seek medical advice and a prescription for his wife. Wang Yao had it prepared. He was just waiting for herbs to ripen. The middle-level licorice root was not yet mature, but it could be used for medical purposes. According to Feng Jiahe’s situation, one leaf was enough.

  He went to Dongshan Mountain from Nanshan Hill.

  Zhong Liuchuan and Jia Zizai were waiting for him.

  That morning, Jia Zizai saw the amazing capacity Mr. Wang had reached with shrinking feet into inches. In an instant, Wang Yao crossed dozens of feet and was in front of him.

  “Great!”


  It was the most suitable word he could think of.

  When can I do that? he thought.

  “Let’s start.”


  “That is good.”


  As usual, they practiced meditation and boxing, which was simple for them.

  It took them about an hour.

  When Jia Zizai came down from the mountain, he felt quite refreshed.

  “That mountain is a bit unusual!”


  When he returned home, Hu Mei had breakfast ready. He washed his face and enjoyed the meal with her.

  “Wife, would you like to go to Dongshan Mountain with me tonight?”


  “For what? Practicing with you?” Hu Mei asked with a laugh.

  “Don’t you want to?”


  “It is good that Mr. Wang wants to teach you. For me, it is pretty good to stay at home,” Hu Mei said.

  “The air on Dongshan is exceptionally fresh. It is good for the body if you go there often,” Jia Zizai said. He felt that if Hu Mei wanted to learn from him, Wang Yao would accept her as an apprentice since they were a couple, which was the closest relationship in the world. He could teach her what he learned from Wang Yao, but he did not. Hu Mei did not ask him to either.

  “OK, I’ll go with you.”


  In Lianshan County People’s Hospital, the emergency department had been crowded for a few days. Many of the current patients had sustained trauma.

  “What happened?”


  Looking at these patients, Pan Jun felt it was very odd.

  “An earthquake happened in our village, and a dozen houses collapsed,” a villager said. “Since everyone was asleep, we did not prepare at all to deal with the accident.”


  Earthquake? Why didn’t we feel it a little in Lianshan County?

  “Uncle, which village are you from?”


  “Yuanjia Village.”


  “When did it occur?”


  “It was at 4 or 5 a.m., close to dawn.”


  That morning, there were more than 20 patients. Most of them had sustained trauma. Some were severely injured, suffering from fractures or internal injuries. They were all transferred to the relevant departments to receive appropriate treatments.

  “Why wasn’t there any forecast for the earthquake?”


  “There was. I heard the dogs in the village barked a lot.”