Chapter 16: Partnering up

A Du noticed the change in Li Qi’s expression, so he immediately continued in depth: “This is what we usually call Essence, Spirit, and Qi. However, Qi is not Qi; calling it Qi is purely a misunderstanding.”

As he spoke, he dipped his finger in tea and wrote two homophones on the table to show the distinction.

“Essence refers to the strength of the Physical Body, the Qi and blood of the Physical Body, muscles, bones, and internal organs. Combined, they form vitality. When we do physical labor, we consume vitality. When vitality is abundant, one has Yang Qi. Ordinary minor ghosts cannot get close. Brother Li, you are full of vitality; one look and I know you have abundant Yang Qi. Even if you walk through a graveyard, no ghosts will bother you,” he said with a smile.

“Spirit refers to the vigor of our thoughts. When we think and are awake, we use Divine Power. Sometimes, even if we lie on the bed and do no heavy physical work, thinking all day will still make us feel exhausted. This means that while Essence is still present, Divine Power has been completely worn away. When Divine Power is abundant, one’s mind will be agile and exceptionally intelligent,” A Du explained.

“Then Brother A Du, you must be the kind of person with abundant Divine Power, right?” Li Qi said with a smile.

“Heh heh, not really, not really,” A Du scratched his head, chuckled for a moment, then steered the conversation back to the main topic: “As for the last Qi, it is the most important kind.”

“Essence and Spirit are indispensable for the human body’s operation. Without Essence and Spirit, a person will become weak. When we usually say someone ‘lacks spirit,’ it’s actually a profound statement. These most basic things have long been spread throughout the world by the Sages,” A Du said to Li Qi with a sense of感慨.

Li Qi deeply agreed with this.

The most basic axioms have always been the most widely circulated, but the more fundamental they are, the more unshakeable they become, because all higher existences are built upon them.

It is well known that cutting-edge technology in top journals is constantly being overturned and rebuilt every year, and ordinary people simply don’t bother to understand it.

But if a law in a primary school textbook were to change, it would be a huge shake-up to the entire edifice of science.

This world, presumably, is also like this.

“But Essence and Spirit do not exist independently; instead, they are harmonized by Qi in the middle. Qi is formless and intangible, yet it is the foundation of Essence and Spirit. Yang Qi is a type of Qi transformed from it. All life activities depend on Qi; it is the Origin of life.”

“The three are closely related, mutually generative, and interdependent, collectively forming a human being. And this is the key point I’m going to talk about next, Brother Li. The Innate Three Treasures can be weakened or activated through certain methods. Once activated, they have a restraining effect on demonic and ghostly beings. If we want to pass through the wilderness, we must learn these methods,” A Du said.

“You’re going to teach me?” Li Qi was surprised.

Not only did this person tell him what the Innate Three Treasures were for free, but he was also willing to tell him how to activate them?

This couldn’t be called a cultivation method, but such a small trick couldn’t just be casually told to a random passerby, could it?

Li Qi became vigilant.

No good deed goes unpunished; this person must be trying to get him to step on a landmine.

“It’s not teaching; I just want a bit more insurance, Brother Li. I really have something very important to do, so important that I have to go out even if I’m alone. Both of us know how dangerous it is to travel alone for a long distance,” A Du scratched his head with a wry smile: “So, I’m really afraid of something happening. It doesn’t matter if something happens to me, but if it delays the matter I’m carrying, that would truly be a big problem. I would regret it for the rest of my life.”

“So, anything that can increase my chances of success, I will definitely do, just like how I suddenly came to bother you,” A Du said with an honest expression.

“Then why don’t you join them?” Li Qi quietly pointed with his finger at a group of Merchants nearby.

There were two such Merchant groups at this tea stall. He pointed to the one closest to him.

Both groups consisted of more than ten people, gathered together, quietly eating and drinking, even communicating in hushed tones, just like Li Qi and A Du.

Li Qi and A Du also kept their voices low when communicating; those a little further away couldn’t hear them at all.

However, for some reason, it seemed as if they had been overheard.

“Hey, what do you mean?” Among the Merchants Li Qi pointed at, a tall man suddenly stood up.

He wore linen clothes, was about eight feet tall, a full foot taller than Li Qi, with a strong physique, thick joints, abundant body hair, a beard and chest hair connected, a fierce appearance, wearing a straw hat, and walked over unhappily.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I was just giving an example,” Li Qi immediately stood up and apologized with a smile.

It was quite awkward to be overheard speaking ill of someone behind their back, so he apologized.

The brawny man walked halfway, heard Li Qi stand up and apologize, snorted coldly: “Consider yourself lucky.” After saying that, he went back.

This was not unexpected. When traveling, it’s okay to have a bad temper, but if one resorts to violence at every turn and deepens conflicts, they certainly won’t last long and will likely die outside.

Li Qi sat down, not feeling embarrassed at all, but after this incident, he understood why A Du didn’t travel with those people.

A Du also took the opportunity to explain in a low voice: “So… Brother Li, you know why I came to find you, right? If I were with them… I’m afraid there wouldn’t even be bones left.”

Li Qi nodded, deeply agreeing.

A quick temper that could make someone stand up at a single word, plus a group of people sticking together, if these Merchant groups harbored ill intentions, whether they dared to kill someone with their own hands or not is beside the point. Even if they stripped A Du of his goods and simply threw him into the wilderness to die without a trace, it would be a very normal occurrence.

If he died in the wilderness, who would know how he died? The authorities probably wouldn’t even bother to investigate.

In other words, A Du choosing Li Qi actually meant he believed Li Qi posed less of a threat, and A Du was confident that he could escape if Li Qi suddenly attacked him alone.

As he thought about these things, Li Qi suddenly froze.

Was he being a bit… paranoid?

It was just traveling with someone, such a normal thing, why did it require such scheming? And constantly probing, making various conjectures, presumptuously speculating about others’ motives.

“Sigh…” Li Qi shook his head and rubbed his temples.

It’s important to be wary of others, but that doesn’t mean one needs to be like a hedgehog, maintaining extreme vigilance against everyone. Besides, A Du seemed fine, and all his explanations checked out. There was really no need to maliciously speculate about others anymore.

Although he said killing felt like nothing, it seemed to have left him with some psychological trauma after all…

“Brother Li, why the sudden sigh?” A Du, however, noticed Li Qi’s expression suddenly change, from his previous wariness to a wry smile and head shake, and was a little confused.

“Nothing. Let’s finish eating quickly and get some rest, then we’ll hit the road,” Li Qi didn’t say much more, but he also wasn’t as resistant to having someone by his side anymore.