Chapter Sixty-Three: Analysis

After stepping outside, Qin Yi found all the constables waiting for his instructions. Li Dongxu and Lin Jiaqian had just returned after collecting their supplies.

“Now that everyone is here, I’ll assign today’s tasks,” Qin Yi said calmly, surveying the group. “Captain Li, Captain Lin, since you’re both new, why don’t you stay here at the constabulary to familiarize yourselves with the various departments?”

“Alright,” they both replied with a nod.

“Good. Ten people will remain here; the rest, follow me on patrol.”

...

Three days later, it happened to be Qin Yi’s day off. He rose early, had breakfast, and went to the latrine at home. Inside, he pried up several tiles from the floor and retrieved the palm-sized iron box he’d acquired that day.

Wrapping it in a cloth and tucking it inside his coat, he headed out of the city.

An hour and a half later, atop a small mountain twenty miles outside the city, Qin Yi found a stone to sit on and finally took out the pitch-black, square iron box from his coat.

He vaguely remembered that Senior Zhang Daoxuan had instructed him to open it in a place where no one would be within ten miles. Though he didn’t understand the reason, he followed the instructions carefully. In truth, Zhang Daoxuan had warned him because he feared Qin Yi might open the box inside the city, knowing the Forbidden Martial Hall possessed a kind of compass capable of searching for the location of the Dao diagram within a certain range.

“I wonder what kind of metal this is—not iron, nor steel!” Qin Yi examined the palm-sized metal box. The exterior was unremarkable, with a pull ring in the center.

He gently pulled the ring.

With a soft click, the box opened.

Inside, Qin Yi discovered not a Dao diagram, but a white jade box.

“There’s another layer!”

Qin Yi opened the jade box and finally saw its contents—an intricately folded Dao diagram.

“So thin! What could this Dao diagram be made from?” Qin Yi glanced at the folded diagram and saw its material was as delicate as a cicada’s wing.

It was neither paper nor cloth, nor any kind of hide. Reaching out to pick it up, his fingers touched the diagram and felt a chill—like touching a block of ice.

“What material could feel so cold?”

Even modern fabrics meant to be cool only bring a slight sensation in summer, but this diagram felt like solid ice. Yet, the chill was pleasant, reminiscent of the refreshing clarity he experienced when breaking through with Qingxu Technique.

Qin Yi set aside his curiosity about the material and unfolded the Dao diagram. It was about eighty centimeters tall and sixty centimeters wide, depicting a Daoist priest in green robes lecturing within a Daoist temple, nine disciples seated below, listening intently.

“Hm? This Dao diagram is incomplete!” Qin Yi noticed the upper right corner, which accounted for a fifth of the diagram’s surface, was missing.

“This green-robed priest looks identical to the ones from the Qingxu Technique and Heart Purification Technique diagrams!”

Although the missing portion began behind the priest’s head, erasing part of the halo in the upper right corner, his face remained intact. Qin Yi instantly recognized him as the founder of the Supreme Pure Daoist Palace, just as Yang Yuanzi had described.

He soon noticed another peculiar detail: the halo behind the founder’s head was a pale golden color—not painted, but inlaid with some unknown material.

Touching it, Qin Yi found it hard and distinctly not pigment. The chill intensified, sending a shiver through his body.

“What a strange Dao diagram—what is it made from, and what is its purpose?” Qin Yi mused, stroking his chin.

The fact that the Forbidden Martial Hall hunted down Senior Zhang Daoxuan showed this diagram was far from worthless and possessed tremendous value.

Otherwise, the Forbidden Martial Hall would not have launched a citywide search.

And there were the enigmatic words Zhang Daoxuan had spoken that day.

“I have more hope than him?”

“In what way?”

“He must know I’m a disciple of the Qingwei Daoist Palace, as he is also a Daoist. If I have more hope than him, it must be related to Daoism.”

“If it’s Daoism-related, aside from everyone studying Daoist martial arts, practicing similar scholarly arts, reciting scriptures, or learning Daoist texts, there’s not much else.”

“In other words, I might have more hope in those three aspects?”

“Wait, there’s another possibility: both of us are exceptional, having mastered several martial arts. That’s another similarity!” Qin Yi thought to himself.

“And what is the connection between this Dao diagram and those aspects?”

Suddenly, Qin Yi realized—the scholarly arts!

Both the Qingxu Technique and Heart Purification Technique required a Dao diagram as a meditation object to advance in scholarly practice...

“Could it be that this Dao diagram is connected to the scholarly arts?”

“Of course! Senior Zhang Daoxuan practiced many martial arts and surely suffered from hidden ailments, likely even more severe than mine. But practicing the scholarly arts could suppress or alleviate such conditions... Could this Dao diagram aid in the cultivation of scholarly arts?” Qin Yi speculated boldly.

“Should I try it?”

Once the idea took hold, Qin Yi couldn’t resist trying. Both his Qingxu Technique and Heart Purification Technique had stagnated at the third level, unable to progress. Not only did the system refuse to advance, but even his own nightly practice yielded no results.

“The Dao diagrams for Qingxu and Heart Purification both depict the founder. This one does too, though the background differs, so it should be suitable for meditation.”

Qin Yi decided to use this Dao diagram as a meditation object and attempt a session of Qingxu Technique to see if any miracle would occur.

He placed the diagram before him and sat cross-legged on the stone, beginning his breathing exercises and closing his eyes for meditation...

Calm, focused, unified...