Chapter 442: Lifelike

Chapter 442: Chapter 442: Lifelike

"Brother Yao, could you teach me about Taoist scriptures and Taoist Body Refinement techniques, like the Five Animals Qigong and the Eight Pieces of Brocade?" Han Xiaoqing asked.

Yao Ziqian was taken aback. "You’re very healthy."

Han Xiaoqing smiled. "I know I’m healthy. My field almost entirely copies its content from abroad, but I can’t help but feel that our traditional culture must have relevant records and effective methods for correcting the movements associated with autism and social anxiety."

"For example, if a child’s concentration is poor, there must be many ways to improve it—methods that are better suited for us Hua Country people. In any case, it’s always beneficial to learn more. It’s never a waste of time."

Yao Ziqian nodded. "Alright, if you want to learn, I’ll teach you. We’ll start with the simplest things, like standing meditation and the Five Animals Qigong..."

With that, Yao Ziqian went out into the courtyard to teach Han Xiaoqing.

It was a rare opportunity, so Han Xiaorui joined in to learn as well.

Pingping and An’an, who were at home, also started to imitate them, giggling and laughing.

Han Xiaoqing had an excellent memory and was in great physical condition, so she quickly learned the key points of the entire routine.

However, learning the movements wasn’t the same as mastering them.

It would take a lot of time and practice.

"Xiao Jing, practice diligently. In time, you’ll understand its benefits," Yao Ziqian said encouragingly, spreading the Taoist culture.

Wu Lingling twirled in front of Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing. "Look at my figure now. I used to be a glutton and gained quite a bit of weight. Ziqian told me to stop eating after noon, go to bed by nine at the latest, and wake up at five in the morning to exercise. Don’t you think my complexion is much better? And my figure is more toned, too?"

While Wu Lingling wasn’t fat before, her figure wasn’t very defined. But now, it was completely different.

Not only was her figure graceful and well-proportioned, but her muscles were firm, and she radiated an aura of health.

Han Xiaoqing’s eyes lit up. "No wonder I always thought Sister Lingling looked better than before. I used to think it was because of her nice clothes, but now I see it’s really about a person’s complexion and figure."

"I just can’t do the ’no eating after noon’ thing, though. I’m a glutton, and I love good food. That’s why I run on the school’s track for an hour and a half every evening."

Han Xiaorui came from the apocalypse, where food was the scarcest resource.

Han Xiaorui was an even bigger glutton than Han Xiaoqing, but thankfully, she had a good digestive system and was very active, so she never gained weight.

Now that she was nursing the twins, the milk she produced each day was converted from the food Han Xiaorui ate, which also consumed a lot of energy.

Thus, even though Han Xiaorui ate a lot, she didn’t get fat. In fact, the fuller figure she had developed during her pregnancy was gradually slimming down.

Mr. Zhao laughed. "You two aren’t cultivating the Dao, so you don’t need to be so strict with yourselves. As long as you’re healthy, that’s all that matters. There aren’t so many rules. In life, there aren’t that many restrictions; being at ease is the most important thing."

His words made Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing even more curious about Taoism, and they began to read related Taoist scriptures.

As for Ye Feng, he was curious—but only curious. He observed everything seriously, but as a Party member, he didn’t believe in such things.

However, Ye Feng didn’t stop Han Xiaorui and Han Xiaoqing from believing.

The next day, when the family’s fishing boat set out to sea, Han Xiaorui came out to see them off as usual.

There were eight new Daoists on the pier. They were real Daoists, wearing Daoist robes, with their hair in buns, and swords—Peach Wood Swords—at their waists.

When Yao Ziqian saw Han Xiaorui, he asked, "Xiao Rui, could your boat take my martial uncle and martial brothers to the island?"

Han Xiaorui nodded. "Sure. I’ve been wanting to go take a look myself. Let’s go, get on board."

There weren’t many people, so taking a small boat was perfect.

When everyone heard Yao Ziqian’s introduction and learned that she was the righteous Han Xiaorui, they immediately clasped their hands and bowed in respect.

Everyone boarded the boat, and about twenty minutes later, they arrived at the island.

Her boat hadn’t even come to a complete stop, still four or five meters from the shore, when the Daoists leaped onto the bank one by one, like rabbits.

Her superpower was very useful in the water, but on land, she couldn’t do anything like that. A two-meter jump would be impressive for her.

’No wonder it’s been passed down for so many years. They have real skills!’

Mr. Zhao was already waiting, along with cultural relic experts and even some people from the military.

They originally didn’t want to let Han Xiaorui enter, but she was too curious. "I’m leasing this island. The contract hasn’t been canceled, so I can go anywhere here."

Hearing this, the group chuckled awkwardly. In the end, it was Mr. Zhao who said, "Comrade Xiao Han is a good comrade; she won’t speak carelessly. Since you’re curious, come along with us. But stay in the back and be careful."

Seeing Mr. Zhao speak up for her, Han Xiaorui quickly said, "Okay, I’ll stay at the very back. I promise I won’t cause any trouble."

The old Daoist in the Daoist robe nodded. "Alright. The auspicious time has arrived. We can enter now."

It was Han Xiaorui’s first time entering the secret passage. It was two meters high and one and a half meters wide, spacious enough for a person to walk upright.

There were murals not only on the stone walls on both sides but even on the stone slabs overhead.

Although there were no murals underfoot, the stone slabs were perfectly flat, and each one was uniform in size.

The amount of work involved would be considerable even in modern times, let alone in antiquity.

The preliminary investigation was complete, and electrical wires had been run through the passage for lighting, making it possible to see everything inside clearly.

Not only was Han Xiaorui staring at the surrounding murals and structures in shock, but even the Daoists were quite astonished.

After walking for quite some time, they finally reached the entrance to a stone chamber.

The reason it hadn’t been opened yet was that they were waiting for people from the Taoist Sect to arrive.

Now, not only the Maoshan Sect but also the Daoist Association had sent people over.

With the cooperation of Mr. Zhao and the old Daoist, they used Qimen Dunjia to finally open the door to the secret chamber.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the secret chamber. Illuminated by the lights from outside, a lifelike figure was sitting on a prayer mat.

Han Xiaorui’s eyesight was excellent. She was the first to see it and cried out in alarm, "There’s someone inside!"

All eyes turned to the Daoist meditating with his eyes closed on the stone platform.

The clothes he wore had lost their vibrant color, but the man’s hair was still black.

He looked to be in his forties, but he was completely motionless.

Mr. Zhao was overcome with emotion and, along with the others, knelt to pay respects to the senior.

Yuan Cheng was a disciple of Sima Chengzhen, so he was indeed a predecessor of their Maoshan Sect.

The soldiers held their guns, remaining on high alert.

Professor Xu was not a follower of Taoism, but at this moment, he was also deeply shaken.

During his past archeological work, he had often entered ancient tombs, seen many ancient coffins, and even encountered incorruptible bodies of ancient people preserved in medicinal solutions or prepared like mummies.

But he had never seen a physical body that looked like a sleeping person, especially not one that was potentially over a thousand years old.

Han Xiaorui quickly calmed down. She couldn’t sense any signs of life. "Is this senior dead or alive?"

Mr. Zhao and the old Daoist stood up and respectfully approached the figure. After gently placing a finger under his nose for a moment, the old Daoist said, "Senior Yuan Cheng has already passed on."

The old Daoist gently opened a box in front of the body. Inside were several books, with a letter on top. The characters on it were elegant and free-spirited.