Chapter Eleven: The Mundane World’s Smoke and Fire, The Budding of the Daoist Heart

The days of taking Yiyi to school have become the most sacred ritual in my life. Each morning, I hold her little hand as she chatters endlessly about her hopes for the new day; each evening, I lift her high in my arms and listen to her animated tales from kindergarten. This feeling, filled with the happiness of daily minutiae, is something I never experienced during decades of arduous cultivation on the Immortal Isle of Yingzhou.

Yet beneath my joy, a sword always hangs over my heart.

That evening, after Yiyi finished her messy drawing homework, I called her to my side, my expression more serious than ever before.

“Yiyi,” I looked into her eyes, speaking slowly and clearly, “what I’m about to say, you must remember well. Not a single word can be forgotten.”

Sensing my solemn mood, she put aside her playful thoughts and nodded earnestly, “Daddy, I’ll remember.”

“Our origin, and how we differ from those of this era, is our greatest secret. This secret must never be told to anyone—not even your best friend Shitou, nor your favorite teacher Miss Zhang. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Her little face was taut with determination.

I continued, “Also, the ‘Changchun Formula’ I taught you, and the warm energy you feel inside—that is our power. No matter what, you must never use it. Don’t let things fly by themselves, don’t run much faster than the other children, and never use it to push away classmates who bully you. You must do things like all ordinary kids—use your hands, your feet, your own strength. If you encounter trouble you can’t solve, tell Daddy right away. Can you do that?”

I needed her to understand: in this era bereft of spiritual energy, our existence, if exposed, would not inspire awe but endless trouble. We would be dissected and studied as anomalies. I could not take such a risk, nor let her face such danger.

Yiyi was silent for a moment, her big eyes shining with thought. She might not fully grasp what “endless trouble” meant, but she remembered the strange glances we received when we first arrived in Haishi, dressed in old clothes. She nodded, her gaze clear and resolute: “Daddy, I understand. Our secret is like a treasured gem hidden in my heart. I won’t show it to anyone. I won’t misuse that energy.”

Seeing her comprehension brought me some peace.

As was my custom, I placed my palm on her back, using a thread of magic to examine her internal condition. It was both a check and a comfort.

However, the instant my magic entered her body, I was stunned.

Something was wrong!

Previously, the true energy of the Changchun Formula inside her was like a spring locked behind a dam—gently nurturing her organs and sustaining her vitality, but utterly stagnant, lifeless.

But today, I distinctly felt that the spring... had started to flow!

Though the movement was minuscule, almost imperceptible, it was indeed circulating along the path of the Changchun Formula, and with each cycle it grew a little stronger. Her cultivation, after decades of stagnation in a peculiar state, had begun to show faint signs of progress!

How could this be? Wasn’t the power of the Longevity Pill supposed to completely halt her growth?

I was baffled, probing her body again and again with my senses. Eventually, I discovered something astounding. The force driving her energy was not spiritual energy from outside, but something from within—something from her own “heart”!

Suddenly, I recalled a rare jade scroll in the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Volumes, titled “Miscellaneous Talks on Cultivating the Dao Heart and Sowing Demons.” It posited an incredible idea: in ancient times, some great beings cultivated not heaven and earth, but their own hearts. Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hate, desire—all seven emotions and six desires could serve as fuel, igniting the fire of the Dao and forging the true self.

Could it be...

My gaze fell on Yiyi, and a bold conjecture formed in my mind.

The Longevity Pill had locked her physical growth, but not her intellect or emotions. In this year at kindergarten, she had experienced a true childhood for the first time. The “joy” of making friends, the “grievance” of having her toys taken, the “sense of accomplishment” from learning a new song, the “affection” for her teacher... All these vibrant, genuine feelings were like keys, slowly unlocking the invisible shackles within her body!

Each of her laughs, each new experience, infused fresh vitality into what had been stagnant energy!

It turned out that what enabled her to resume cultivation was not rare treasures nor profound techniques, but the ordinary, happy childhood granted to her by this era and this life. Perhaps... perhaps there was hope for Yiyi to return to being a normal person!

With this realization, all my anxiety vanished, leaving only endless relief and anticipation.

From that day on, my life became fuller and more peaceful.

During the day, while Yiyi attended school, I saw patients at “Anhe Hall.” My reputation among the neighbors grew ever greater; not only did I practice massage, but I began trying acupuncture. Using the “Taiyi Divine Needle” technique learned from the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Volumes, combined with the precise control of golden core magic, my results were extraordinary.

An aunt tormented by years of migraines felt clear-headed and refreshed after just a few needles. An elderly man who had suffered hemiplegia from a stroke, after months of acupuncture and massage, was able to walk with a cane.

“Anhe Hall” was no longer just a small shop treating sprains and bruises—it had become the famed home of a “miracle doctor.” Many patients with rare and difficult conditions, for whom major hospitals had no answers, came in search of help. I never turned anyone away, doing all I could to heal and help. This was not just for our livelihood, but also to accumulate good karma for Yiyi and myself in this era.

The days slipped quietly past, unnoticed, and a year had gone by.

My medical skills grew ever more refined, and Yiyi became fully integrated into kindergarten life.