Chapter 58: An Xin's Path to Enlightenment

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“The Su family treated me like a foreigner to mock, and now look at their downfall—truly, heaven has eyes; retribution is swift and sure!” Wu Damao sat down and asked again, “Is Jun’er at home?”

Since Wu Lijun began researching the ‘Azure Sky Loom,’ she had been spending all her time at the farmhouse outside the city, sometimes staying overnight without returning.

However, thinking of Wu Lijun now, much of his anger dissipated.

At least this time when Jun’er was captured by bandits, misfortune turned to blessing as she encountered the county magistrate.

This opportunity also earned Jun’er considerable favor from the magistrate.

“My Wu family is surely destined to rise; I, Wu Damao, have truly borne a daughter with exceptional insight!” he thought proudly.

He cared little whether the so-called ‘Azure Sky Loom’ would succeed. In his eyes, the county magistrate, having passed the imperial examination and stirred the political winds, had already established a firm foothold in Wuren County within just over three months, commanding the obedience of local gentry and nobility—a prodigious talent indeed!

As for transforming the loom, that should be left to specialists who deal with weaving machinery daily.

Still, having his daughter use this as a pretext to maintain contact and frequently meet with the magistrate, cultivating their relationship, was absolutely beneficial!

“The young lady returned today, saying she produced a cloth sample and wishes to show it to the county magistrate,” Sanxi reported.

“Going to see the magistrate?” Wu Damao’s lips curled into an uncontrollable smile. “Go, deliver this letter to Jun’er. If the magistrate investigates the Su family, our Wu family might have already suffered at the hands of that heartless Su Daoran. To us, he could become a lifesaver.”

A lifesaving debt must be repaid with loyalty.

Moreover, Jun’er had been saved twice.

The next day,

December 14th.

Rain turned to snow amid gusts of wind; the world was draped in a silver-white coat.

Snowflakes fluttered and scattered, marking the true arrival of winter.

Heavy clouds pressed down from above; by four in the afternoon, the sky had already turned pitch black.

In the county office’s three shifts and six rooms, those without work sat outside their doors chatting while watching the snow. Those busy with duties had lit candles and leaned over their desks, writing official documents by the flickering firelight.

An Xin had finished his shift early and returned to the back office.

The heated room was already warm, the heat flowing through the chimney vents to the other rooms.

Longevity flowers on the windowsill had begun to bud.

“Sizzle~”

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An Xin’s mood surged as he twirled two iron balls in his hands, silver-white arcs of electricity crackling erratically.

After studying and experimenting, An Xin confirmed that the “Supreme Response Scripture” given by Qin Shiyue was genuine, though the first half of its content could be omitted.

Because the spiritual energy inside him was transformed directly from the dynasty’s fortune by the Dragon Seal, it flowed into his body as spiritual energy without needing to sense or draw in external energy, thus skipping that step.

Being an official governing the people was itself a form of cultivation.

He only needed to convert spiritual energy into spiritual power.

Yet, lacking guidance, An Xin had to learn by reading, cross-referencing classics to fully comprehend the meaning.

After more than ten days of careful study, today, watching snowflakes silently fall in the second hall, seeing the fusion of heaven and earth, his restless heart suddenly calmed.

From the scripture’s teaching “the three treasures of ear, eye, and mouth—when the nose is blocked, do not force them open,” he recalled a line from the Great Learning: “Only when one knows where to stop can one be steady,” Laozi’s Dao De Jing on “action through inaction,” and the Diamond Sutra’s “one should produce a mind that dwells nowhere,” inspiring a sense of transcendence.

His mind cleared, distractions vanished, and enlightenment arose.

Contemplating the changing seasons, the transformations of water amidst cold and warmth, he extended this insight to all things in constant motion.

His heart was illuminated; he understood the scriptures and what he must do.

Though in the mundane world, his heart remained untainted.

Thus, the Supreme Response Scripture was embraced.

“Zhang Liang, I have important matters; no one is to enter.”

An Xin spoke toward the outside.

“Yes, sir!” Zhang Liang responded from outside.

An Xin sat in his official hat chair and slowly closed his eyes.

Over these past three months, part of the spiritual energy inside him had permeated his fascia, skin, muscles, bones, and internal organs, continuously transforming his body.

Another part sank deep into his dantian, like clouds and mist—heavy and inert, unresponsive to his commands.

His cultivation method was like a conductor’s baton.

With its movement, the once silent spiritual energy leaped to life, transported through his meridians along fixed paths, passing through acupuncture points, each stamped with An Xin’s unique “heart” imprint.

Inner changes began, slowly transforming into faintly golden spiritual power.

This process was like taming a wild horse, bridling it to respond to his will.

With each cycle, the spiritual power returned to the dantian, while remaining spiritual energy trickled out continuously, cycled and marked again into spiritual power.

After countless cycles, all spiritual energy in the dantian transformed into spiritual power, light and ethereal like a wisp of pale golden mist.

“Ha!” An Xin exhaled sharply and opened his eyes.

The sky was completely dark!

“What time is it?”

He asked outside.

“Lord, it is already the second quarter of the Hai hour,” Zhang Liang replied, his voice slightly weary.

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“It has been nearly five hours since just after four in the afternoon!”

An Xin, having just entered meditation, had gathered all his thoughts inward, vaguely observing the flow of spiritual energy with his “mind and spirit,” neglecting the passage of time.

Feeling his body, he noticed no difference from usual, but standing up brought aches in his back, waist, and numbness in his legs—obviously from sitting cross-legged too long, impeding circulation.

Only upon activating the Five Thunder Technique did the spiritual power in his dantian surge into his palms.

With a sharp crack, thin strands of lightning burst from his fingers, lighting up the dark room with flickering brilliance.

Startled, An Xin flung his hand, and the arcs shot away, striking the table in front, burning several holes in the rice paper laid there, then igniting it.

The commotion alerted Zhang Liang outside.

Protectively bursting in, he hurried to the table, sweeping away the flames with his sleeve and stamping out the sparks on the floor.

He lit a candle carefully with a tinderbox.

“No harm done, I simply knocked over the candle while lighting it,” An Xin smiled, telling a small lie.

“All right, it’s late; you should rest now.”

“Lord, the kitchen sent food is still warm in the pantry. Shall Chef Wang prepare fresh dishes...?” Zhang Liang offered.

An Xin shook his head. “No need. Bring it in, then you may rest.”

After Zhang Liang brought the meal, An Xin opened the window to disperse the smoke and ash inside.

Outside, snow continued to fall heavily, covering the ground thickly.

Cold wind blew through the eaves, swirling inside, causing the candlelight to flicker and his large shadow to dance wildly across the room.

“It’s cold; I wonder how Lijun’s Jenny Loom research is progressing.”

An Xin gazed into the ink-black night sky, a faint blue gleam in his eyes.

Thanks to the recent bandit suppression removing a major threat from the county, and bolstered by popular support, An Xin’s influence surged, poised like the east wind overwhelming the west.

Amid the misty darkness, the fractured three-legged beast-eared ding, once riddled with twelve large cracks, now saw four of them beginning to mend, while the missing beast ears were materializing from gathering mist.

Within his sea of consciousness, the treasure seal hovered, glowing brightly with azure light; soon it might respond once again.

“It seems this three-legged beast-eared ding manifests the fortune of Wuren County.

Its broken legs and ears, along with the twelve large cracks, correspond to the county’s institutional decay and the erosion of government credibility.

How can I more swiftly restore this three-legged ding?”