Xia Lan: From Meeting a Martial Arts Girl

Chapter 5 Detention

Lu Siye stayed at Jiugongling for five days.

The term "waiting" actually means being locked up.

The cabin was quite comfortable. Someone delivered meals to him every day, and Baozi would come to chat with him every few days. The view from the window was also nice, with distant mountains and clouds in sight.

But no matter what, he still wanted to go out.

On the morning of the sixth day, Yi Songjin came again.

Su Nian didn't come with him this time; he was alone.

When he entered, Lu Siye was sitting by the window in a daze. Hearing the noise, he turned around and the two looked at each other.

"Come with me," Yi Songjin said.

Lu Siye followed him out of the cabin.

Outside was an open space paved with bluestone bricks, surrounded by some trees whose names I didn't know.

In the distance, you can see several gray buildings, similar to the group of antique-style buildings you saw on the mountain earlier.

Further away, there are continuous mountain ranges, shrouded in clouds and mist.

"This is the back mountain of Jiugongling," Yi Songjin said. "Tourists can't get in."

Lu Siye nodded and followed him forward.

We crossed the open space and entered a larger wooden hut. It was empty inside, with only a few prayer cushions on the floor.

A calligraphy scroll hangs on the wall, bearing four large characters: "Qi Circulates Through Heaven and Earth".

Yi Songjin sat down on the prayer mat and gestured for Lu Siye to sit down as well.

Lu Siye sat down, waiting for him to speak.

"I've been looking into some things these past few days," Yi Songjin said. "I haven't been able to find that fortune teller."

Expected.

"There's no record of the mark on your hand either," Yi Songjin said, looking at him. "The Xia Lan Seal has always been on the left hand; it has never appeared on the right hand in history."

Lu Siye looked down at his right hand; his palm was clean and there was nothing there.

"So?" he asked.

"So we can't be sure whether you qualify as a Xia Lan right now," Yi Songjin said. "But you already know too much, so we can't just let you go like this."

Lu Siye frowned: "Then what do you want? To lock me up for life?"

Yi Songjin glanced at him and suddenly smiled.

This was the first time Lu Siye had seen him smile. It was a faint smile, quickly suppressed, but it was definitely a smile.

"You don't have to be locked up for life," Yi Songjin said. "Stay here for now and see if you can cultivate."

"Cultivation?"

"The cultivation of the Xia Lan," Yi Songjin said, "If you can use Yuan Qi, then you are a Xia Lan; if you can't..."

He paused.

"If not, you can leave after this matter has been investigated thoroughly."

Lu Siye thought for a moment: "How long will it take to find out?"

"I don't know." Yi Songjin said frankly, "It might be soon, it might be slow, it might never be found out."

Lu Siye was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Did you tell your superiors?"

Yi Songjin looked at him.

"You... what about the government? Did you tell them about me?" Lu Siye asked.

Yi Songjin remained silent.

Looking at his expression, Lu Siye had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

"No," Yi Songjin finally spoke, "not at the moment."

Why?

Yi Songjin was silent for a moment, then said, "Because if I had told you, you wouldn't be here."

Lu Siye understood.

They will be taken away for research, used as guinea pigs.

He recalled the stories the village elders had told him.

In the past, whenever someone discovered something strange or unusual, it would be taken away by those above and never returned.

"Then why don't you say so?" he asked.

Yi Songjin looked at him with a complicated expression.

"Because if it's true," he said, "we need you."

Lu Siye was stunned for a moment.

"There are too few Xia Lan," Yi Songjin said. "Five. Even with you, there are only six. If we could have one more, even one who hasn't even started, it would be better than none."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Lu Siye.

"The government has been looking for people who have the Xia Lan seal, are qualified, and have potential. After searching for 20 years, they have only found a few."

His voice was devoid of emotion.

"Someone like you has never appeared before. If those people find out, they will take you away and study your body, study that mark, study everything they can study."

He turned around and looked at Lu Siye.

"I don't want that."

Lu Siye looked at him, unsure of what to say.

"So you'll stay here for now," Yi Songjin said. "Try to see if you can cultivate. If you can, you'll be a Xia Lan, and I'll personally teach you. If you can't, once we've found out, I'll send you away, and we'll pretend nothing happened."

He paused, then said, "During this time, the martial arts school will continue to pay your salary. You can start working whenever you come down the mountain."

Lu Siye was stunned.

"Salaries...will be paid as usual?"

"Send it as is," Yi Songjin said. "Consider it compensation."

Lu Siye opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.

Can you get paid without working?

He never dared to dream of such a good thing.

"Alright." Yi Songjin walked towards the door. "Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you cultivation. Whether you can learn it or not is up to you."

The door closed.

Lu Siye sat on the futon, stunned for a long while.

The training officially began on the second day.

It was called cultivation, but in reality, it was just a few young people meditating in an empty wooden hut.

That's right, a few young people.

Besides Lu Siye, there was Baozi, Su Nian, and two other people he had never met before.

A tall, thin man in his early twenties, wearing glasses, and not very talkative; and a girl who looked younger than him, with pigtails, always smiling.

"This is Zhou Che," Baozi said, pointing to the tall, thin man. "This is Xiaoman," he said, pointing to the little girl.

Zhou Che nodded to him, and Xiaoman waved with a grin, "Hello!"

Su Nian sat in the corner, expressionless.

Yi Songjin sat at the front and waited until everyone was seated before saying, "Today we will continue with the discussion of primordial qi perception."

Lu Siye thought he would teach some powerful moves, like that night, where a palm strike unleashed a white light that blasted the monster to smithereens.

As it turned out, everything Yi Songjin said was something he couldn't understand.

"Primordial Qi is the origin of heaven and earth and all things. Humans have primordial Qi, things have primordial Qi, everything has it."

Yi Songjin's voice was very flat.

"The first step in the cultivation of the Xia Lan is to sense the primordial energy within one's own body. If you can't sense it, everything else is in vain."

Lu Siye tried to do as he was told: close his eyes, clear his mind, and feel if there was anything flowing in his body.

After trying for a while, I didn't feel anything.

He secretly opened his eyes and glanced at the others.

Baozi also closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, as if trying to sense something.

Zhou Che sat very upright, his face expressionless.

Xiaoman's eyelids twitched; it was unclear whether she was about to fall asleep.

Su Nian sat at the front, her eyes closed, her breathing steady.

After a while, she suddenly opened her eyes, raised her left hand, stared at her palm for a while, and then put it down.

"Did you sense it?" Yi Songjin asked.

Su Nian nodded.

Lu Siye was stunned.

So that's how you sensed it?

He looked down at his right hand, trying to feel it again.

There's still nothing there.

There was only a normal pulse, a normal body temperature, and nothing else...

The morning passed just like that.

At lunchtime, Baozi sat down next to Lu Siye with her lunchbox and whispered, "Don't be discouraged. I sensed it for several months back then too."

Lu Siye glanced at him: "A few months?"

"Yeah, that's right." Baozi shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth. "I first sensed Yuan Qi in my fourth month here. Sister Su Nian is quick, she sensed it in just one month."

Lu Siye was silent for a moment, then asked, "So what level is Su Nian at now?"

Baozi thought for a moment: "She can sense, detect, and defend, but she can't attack yet. Uncle Yi said she has the highest comprehension, but she still needs to take it slowly."

"And you?"

Baozi scratched his head: "I'm far inferior to Sister Su Nian. I can sense and detect, but my defense is still not very stable. Attack? Dream on."

Lu Siye then asked, "What about Uncle Yi?"

Baozi put down his chopsticks and lowered his voice, saying, "Uncle Yi is the strongest here. He was injured before, and now he's probably somewhere between the Four Symbols and the Two Elements."

Lu Siye didn't understand: "What are the Four Symbols and Two Elements?"

"The levels of Xia Lan," Baozi said. "A thousand years ago, Xia Lan were divided into several levels: Four Symbols, Two Forms, Tai Chi, and Wuji. The higher the level, the more powerful they were. Now, reaching the Four Symbols level is considered a master."

Lu Siye thought for a moment: "What about those Xia Lan from a thousand years ago?"

Baozi shrugged: "I don't know, anyway, they're gone now."

After lunch, I continued meditating in the afternoon.

Lu Siye sat there for another afternoon, but still didn't feel anything.

Back in the cabin that night, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when he suddenly thought of Tang Yuan.

I wonder what she's doing now.

He took out his phone and glanced at it; there was a signal, but no messages.

He sent Tang Yuan a WeChat message saying that he had something to do and would be away for a few days.

Tang Yuan replied with an "Oh," followed by a questioning emoji, and then nothing more.

He hesitated for a moment, then sent another message: "What are you doing?"

I waited for a while, but there was no reply.

He tossed his phone aside and closed his eyes.

The days that followed passed by one by one.

Every morning, Lu Siye would go to that wooden house to meditate.

I ate lunch and continued meditating in the afternoon.

Back in the cabin at night, I spaced out, then went to sleep.

A week passed, and he still couldn't sense any primordial energy.

Yi Songjin wasn't in a hurry; he continued to lecture on theoretical knowledge as usual every day.

What is the path of primordial energy, what is the principle of detection techniques, and what are the key points of defensive techniques?

It was all just theoretical talk, because apart from Su Nian, no one could actually put it into practice.

Baozi would sometimes doze off while listening, but a glare from Yi Songjin would immediately wake him up.

Xiaoman is indeed serious, but serious as she is, if she can't perceive it, she simply can't perceive it.

Zhou Che always had a blank expression, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

Only Su Nian makes some progress every day.

One day, Lu Siye saw her with her eyes closed, suddenly raise her hand, and point it at a futon a few meters away.

The futon moved slightly, and then nothing more.

"Amazing!" Baozi exclaimed. "Sister Su Nian can move objects with her telekinesis!"

Su Nian opened her eyes, glanced at the futon, and withdrew her hand expressionlessly.

"It's just an extension of detection techniques," Yi Songjin said. "It's still far from practical application."

But Lu Siye could see a hint of relief in Yi Songjin's eyes.

A few days later, Baozi said she would take Lu Siye out for a walk.

"If you stay cooped up indoors all day, you'll get moldy," Baozi said. "Come on, I'll show you the real Jiugongling."

The two walked down the mountain path.

After walking for a while, the view suddenly opened up before us.

It was a large square paved with bluestone bricks, with several stone pillars standing around it.

There were many people walking around in the square, dressed in all sorts of clothes, taking pictures with their phones.

"The visitor area," Baozi said. "This is the main hall of Jiugongling, open to the public."

Looking at the tourists, Lu Siye felt a sense of disorientation.

Just a few days ago, he was one of these people.

I came to the provincial capital to find a job, go to university, and live an ordinary life.

Now, however, he stands in a place where tourists are prohibited from entering, watching people come and go outside.

"Those buildings," he pointed to some pavilions in the distance, "were they all built later?"

"Most of them are," Baozi said, "but some are true. Look over there."

He pointed to a grand hall at the end of the square, with gray walls, black tiles, and upturned eaves.

"That's the Juntian Palace," Baozi said. "It's been there for a thousand years. The government protected it, and they renovated the exterior. These are the only few of the truly original buildings left."

Looking at the grand hall, Lu Siye suddenly had an indescribable feeling.

Did any Xia Lan really cultivate there a thousand years ago?

"Let's go," Baozi patted him. "I'll take you to a nice place."

The two bypassed the tourist area and walked up a small path.

After walking for about twenty minutes, we arrived at the edge of a cliff.

On the other side of the cliff are rolling mountains.

The sea of ​​clouds surged beneath my feet, and the sunlight shone on them, giving them a golden glow.

"How is it?" Baozi asked proudly. "Pretty, right?"

Lu Siye nodded.

Baozi sat down on a rock and patted the spot next to her. Lu Siye also sat down.

The two looked at the sea of ​​clouds and remained silent for a while.

"Steamed buns," Lu Siye suddenly asked, "Do you regret it?"

Baozi paused for a moment, then asked, "Regret what?"

"Becoming a Xia Lan," Lu Siye said, "is dangerous because you have to fight those things, and you don't even earn any money."

Baozi was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.

"I really can't make any money," he said. "The martial arts school's income is subsidized by the government. Uncle Yi only makes a few thousand yuan a month, and Sister Su Nian makes even less. I basically just get food and lodging."

He paused.

"I do regret it... Sometimes I think, if I hadn't come three years ago, I might be in college now, working an ordinary job, living an ordinary life."

"Unlike now, where we stay on this mountain every day, never knowing when we'll run into a powerful Zero and then be done for."

He looked at the sea of ​​clouds, and the smile on his face faded slightly.

"But," he said, "when Uncle Yi came to see me, he said something."

"What did you say?"

"He said, some things have to be done by someone." Baozi turned to look at him. "Zero won't just disappear because no one cares. If we all hide, and the powerful Zero comes out one day, it'll be the ordinary people who die."

Lu Siye remained silent.

Baozi patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, don't think so much. You haven't even started yet, so it's too late to back out."

The two sat on the edge of the cliff for a while longer before heading back.

Halfway there, Lu Siye's phone rang.

He took it out and saw it was a message from Tang Yuan.

"Where are you? I've come to Jiugongling to play! This mountain is so high!!!"

This was followed by an exhausted emoji.

Lu Siye paused for a moment, then typed back, "You climbed up the mountain?"

"Yeah! I came with Senior He and the others! He said Jiugongling was so much fun, and he insisted on dragging me here! I'm halfway up the mountain now, I'm exhausted, I'm never coming back!"

Lu Siye looked at the message and remained silent for a few seconds.

Baozi leaned closer for a look, then chuckled, "Your girlfriend?"

"no."

"What is that?"

Lu Siye ignored him and continued typing: "Take your time climbing, and be careful."

"I can't climb anymore! I want to take the cable car down!!!"

Then there's a waving emoji.

Lu Siye looked at his phone screen and suddenly smiled.

Baozi watched from the side, his smile carrying a meaningful meaning.

He returned to the back mountain and continued his cultivation.

A few more days passed, and Lu Siye still couldn't sense the primordial energy.

Yi Songjin wasn't in a hurry; he just talked about what he was supposed to talk about each day.

Baozi and the others listened along, since they had nothing better to do anyway.

That afternoon, after Yi Songjin finished explaining the theory of the detection technique, he suddenly said, "Su Nian, why don't you give it a try?"

Su Nian nodded and closed her eyes.

After a while, she raised her left hand and pointed it toward the door.

Everyone stared at her hands, not daring to breathe.

then……

A small shadow suddenly appeared on the ground outside the door.

It was very faint and disappeared quickly.

But it did happen.

"It's done," Yi Songjin said. "It's the basic application of the detection technique."

Baozi slapped his thigh excitedly, exclaiming, "Sister Su Nian is awesome!"

Xiaoman clapped, "Amazing! Amazing!"

Zhou Che nodded, which was taken as an affirmation.

Su Nian opened her eyes, her expression still indifferent, but Lu Siye noticed that the corners of her mouth seemed to curl up slightly.

Yi Songjin looked at Lu Siye: "You keep practicing."

Lu Siye nodded.

Back in the cabin that evening, he sat by the window, gazing at the night view outside.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my right palm.

He looked down, but there was nothing there.

But the stinging sensation was still there, and it was a bit more pronounced than before.

It felt like something was gently throbbing under my skin, once, twice, three times...

He stared at his palm for a long time.

The stinging sensation gradually disappeared.

He turned his gaze away and looked out the window.

The moon was bright, shining on the distant mountains and outlining a silvery silhouette.

He suddenly remembered what Yi Songjin had said.

"We need you."

What do we need him to do?

If he continues to be unable to sense the primordial energy and fails to enter the gate, will they still need him?

he does not know.

All he knew was that the stinging sensation in his palm seemed stronger than before.