Chapter 2360 - 2170: Two Bosses_6
Chapter 2360: Chapter 2170: Two Bosses_6
Chapter 2174: Water with Vitality
Dragon Three was stumped by the question.
"So that means dead water is water that doesn’t flow," Dragon Three continued.
"Yes, that’s it. But why is non-flowing water called dead water?" Song Xiaodong asked Dragon Three.
"I don’t know. Maybe it’s described like people; a person who doesn’t move is dead, so non-flowing water is dead water!" Dragon Three replied.
"Hahahaha."
Song Xiaodong couldn’t help but laugh.
"Dead water and living water don’t refer to the water itself but its effects. Dead water is called so because it’s still and the water molecules spontaneously clump together into larger masses, which aren’t easily absorbed by people. Flowing water breaks up these large molecular clumps, making absorption easier. You can think of dead water as a bowl of noodles left for too long and lumped together," Song Xiaodong explained to Dragon Three.
"Oh... "
"The same crops, irrigating with dead water versus living water, will grow differently," Song Xiaodong continued.
"But Sect Leader, if you need living water for alchemy, there are many rivers around Minghe. Why come so far?" Dragon Three asked Song Xiaodong.
"Because this area has the best water quality around Minghe. There’s an active volcano here, and the water is rich in volcanic ash minerals, which might aid my alchemy. The water here is even better than what I call living water; it can be called vital water," Song Xiaodong said.
"Sect Leader, the vital water you mentioned isn’t the same as what we usually refer to as vital water, right?" Dragon Three asked Song Xiaodong.
"Of course not. The vital water I speak of is one with vitality. Think about it: What do plants need to grow? Water, yes, but if you irrigate plants with pure water, it won’t do because they also need various trace minerals, which our regular water lacks. Yet this Longpan Mountain, with its unique geographical conditions, provides such an excellent water source. Choosing it as the source for Minghe is indeed wise," Song Xiaodong told Dragon Three.
"Oh... "
Dragon Three and Song Xiaodong each had a tent and camped there for the night. The next day, Song Xiaodong eagerly began refining elixirs, with Dragon Three assisting.
But after a whole day of effort, there was no result because Song Xiaodong’s furnace was outdoors, and the wind by the stream made controlling the heat difficult; a gust would ruin it.
"The water problem is solved; now we have to tackle the wind issue," Song Xiaodong said, scratching his head in exasperation.
"Is there really no one living nearby? Even an abandoned house would do, as long as it can block the wind," Song Xiaodong said to Dragon Three.
Dragon Three wasn’t familiar with the area either and just shook his head blankly at Song Xiaodong’s words.
"Well, let’s leave it for today. Tomorrow, instead of refining, I’ll look around the mountain. I refuse to believe there’s not a single house up there."
The next day, Dragon Three stayed back to guard the camp and the tents, while Song Xiaodong headed up the mountain alone, aiming for the summit.
Just as he was about to reach the top, Song Xiaodong finally saw signs of human activity again.
It was a long section of courtyard wall, ancient and elegant, its red plaster adorned with various religious motifs.
Song Xiaodong walked along the wall for a while but still hadn’t reached the main entrance. Impatient, he leapt over the wall with a nimbleness like a swallow.
It turned out to be a Taoist temple inside.
Song Xiaodong nodded with satisfaction.
He figured a place with such good Feng Shui couldn’t be completely uninhabited.
Song Xiaodong walked around the Taoist temple; it was mostly empty, with only rooms and trees planted front and back, though most were leafless.
The temple’s walls were long, but the interior was small, with only a few rows of rooms front and back. Song Xiaodong had jumped in from the back wall and soon reached the main gate.
"Good day, sir. The temple is not open for incense today, please leave," Song Xiaodong was admiring the temple’s scenery when a Taoist priest in a black robe and Ink Cloud Crown approached him and spoke.
The Taoist was a middle-aged man, around forty, slender, short, polite, with bright eyes.
"Master, good day. I’m somewhat of a cultivator myself and find this place’s Feng Shui excellent for refining elixirs. However, there’s no one around for miles, and my pill furnace is outdoors where it’s hard to control the fire, so I wonder if I could borrow a place here?" Song Xiaodong respectfully asked the Taoist priest.
"Young man, don’t joke around. This is a Taoist temple, not a place for your antics. Leave at once!" the Taoist issued an order for Song Xiaodong to leave.
"Master, I’m actually not joking. Your temple also practices alchemy, and so do I, so we’re kind of in the same field. Surely, with your ample space, you could spare a room? I can pay for it!" Song Xiaodong said to the Taoist.
"Insolent! This temple is a place for cultivators’ serene practice, not for your worldly nonsense!"
"Master, who are you arguing with so early in the morning?" The Taoist temple’s main gate suddenly opened, and a group of people walked in.
Song Xiaodong looked over; five people entered: two middle-aged couples, a young couple, and a single girl.
Upon closer inspection, Song Xiaodong realized he recognized one of them; the same young man who had kindly given them a full tank of fuel when Song Xiaodong and Dragon Three were stranded the other day.
"Oh? What a coincidence!" the young man exclaimed upon recognizing Song Xiaodong.
"Are you here specifically for this Taoist temple?" the young man asked Song Xiaodong.
"No, I’m just here for fun and wandered in by accident," Song Xiaodong replied to the young man.
"I see," the young man smiled, nodding at Song Xiaodong.
"Are you specifically visiting this temple?" Song Xiaodong asked the young man again.
The young man’s expression darkened momentarily before brightening again. He told Song Xiaodong, "Yes, we’re here to see Taoist Master Li Wenxin."
"Taoist Master Li is...?" Song Xiaodong inquired.
"Oh, Li Wenxin, Taoist Master Li is the owner of this temple," the young man explained to Song Xiaodong.
At this point, the middle-aged man standing behind the young man approached the Taoist priest and said, "Please inform him, my name is Zhang Guojian, and I am here specifically to see Taoist Master Li Wenxin."