Chapter Twelve: The Profound Azure Water Technique

When Chiyang, disguised as a bearded man, arrived before Yang Nan’s carriage, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. Chiyang generously distributed the promised gold, giving an extra five taels to the diligent steward named Chang Fu, who was so delighted he nearly fainted.

Chiyang entered the carriage and returned the jade lotus flower to Yang Nan. Yang Nan whispered, “Did Yang Cheng trouble you when you left the pass?”

Chiyang laughed heartily. “How would he notice a burly fellow like me? But I watched you leave the pass, and that was truly perilous—the rough soldier was practically drooling! It seems Yang Cheng has a particular fondness for you!”

Fearing Yang Nan might be troubled by being hunted by his own uncle, Chiyang teased him. Sure enough, Yang Nan blushed, his annoyance replaced by embarrassment. The two women, Lian and Die, emerged from the jade lotus flower, transforming once again into beautiful young maidens. The one in white gently brushed Yang Nan’s falling black locks, laughing sweetly, “Master, you are so beautiful in this guise; no wonder the officer couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

Yang Nan forced a bitter smile. “Enough, help me change my clothes quickly. Wearing women’s attire makes me uncomfortable.”

The woman in white shook her head, laughing. “Master, I fear you’ll have to keep up this disguise for a while yet.”

Yang Nan turned to Chiyang, startled. “But we’ve already left Wenquan Pass. Why?”

Chiyang answered solemnly, “Before, the Grand Duke had not passed away, so your whereabouts were unknown. Now, with his death and your mysterious disappearance, even though you’ve crossed the pass, Yang Cheng will surely send experts to hunt you down. Even within Tianzhou, it’s not safe. Only by disguising yourself as a woman can you be sure of safety. Ah Nan, I know you’re impatient, but the hardships of the path to cultivation are more than this. Take it as a tempering of your resolve.”

Yang Nan was at a loss, wondering what cultivation had to do with cross-dressing. Yet seeing Chiyang’s earnest concern for his safety, he did not refuse. If something were to go wrong, regret would come too late.

As for those uncles… their reckoning would come another day.

With a sigh, Yang Nan asked, “All right, then. Shall we travel by land or water? The people outside the carriage must be dealt with, mustn’t they?”

Chiyang shook his head. “How could an official lady travel without a retinue of attendants? Lian and Die need not return to the lotus; they can serve as your maids inside the carriage, and I’ll play the role of a household guard outside. That way, everything appears proper.”

Seeing Chiyang’s arrangements, Yang Nan had no objections, though the women’s attire felt suffocating and nearly unbearable. The woman in white was about to tease him, but Die stopped her with a glance. Seeing Yang Nan’s silence, Die spoke softly, “Master, shall I loosen your sash a bit? There’s no one else in the carriage; you’ll feel more comfortable.”

Yang Nan nodded, pleased with Die’s gentle care. The woman in white, once fearful of him, had become bolder after days together, even daring to tease her master. Yang Nan didn’t mind the lack of hierarchy; in fact, he felt more affinity for Die’s gentle nature than for the white-clad maiden’s mischievousness.

Die skillfully loosened Yang Nan’s tight sash and tidied his gown and skirt, appearing every bit the gentle and adorable little maid. Freed from the constricting waistband, Yang Nan breathed a deep sigh of relief. The woman in white handed him tea obediently, and with two maids massaging his legs and serving tea, Yang Nan finally felt the pressure in his chest ease.

Outside, Chiyang conferred with the servants. The allure of gold made them readily agree to accompany the official lady on her journey—no risk, and plenty of gold; only a fool would refuse.

Chiyang cared little for gold. Once the arrangements were made, he urged the carriage onward toward Deyang Prefecture in Tianzhou.

Tianzhou, the easternmost continent of the Great Yuan Dynasty, covered thousands of miles. The emperor established twelve prefectures here to govern the land. Tianzhou was rich in water, with countless lakes—Qinglong Lake, Hunjiang River, Tian Lake—scattered and interconnected, eventually flowing into the Eastern Sea beneath the Kunlun Mountains.

Seeing the many checkpoints along the roads, Chiyang planned to reach Deyang Prefecture and switch to boat travel to Kunlun. In these times, traveling by water was no safer than by land; the rivers and lakes teemed with spirits and monsters, and though the Water Lords managed them, trouble still arose. Bandits on the water, swift and deadly, murdered and robbed with impunity. Common folk would never risk the waters without a flotilla of official boats for escort.

Inside the carriage, Yang Nan finally had time to examine the Xuan Yi Azure Water Technique gifted by the yaksha. The white-clad lotus demon’s true form, the jade lotus, was a rare treasure, nourished for two centuries in spiritual springs and now endowed with some magical abilities. The Xuan Yi Azure Water Technique and several pieces of spirit iron were hidden within the lotus pod; with time to spare, the white-clad maiden produced the scroll for Yang Nan to study.

This Daoist technique belonged to the water element, though its creator was unknown. The water-based spells recorded were miraculous: after forming the soul pill, one could wield divine powers. The scroll described water-walking, tidal slashes, azure dragons drawing water—each spell wondrous and fascinating to Yang Nan.

Seeing her master’s delight, Die suggested, “Why not try cultivating this azure water technique? We’ll soon be traveling among rivers and lakes, where water energy abounds. If you master it, it would be a great boon.”

Yang Nan smiled, setting the scroll aside. “Cultivation isn’t so simple—without a water affinity, even the greatest technique is useless.”

The white-clad maiden interjected, “Master, don’t you have a water affinity? Why not give it a try?”

She, being a lotus spirit, was naturally attuned to water; Die, a butterfly, was attuned to wind. Most mountain spirits lacked cultivation methods but were sensitive to spiritual energy. The white-clad maiden could sense Yang Nan’s aura, which was hardly surprising. Yang Nan smiled, thinking, ‘This Xuan Yi Azure Water Technique is a Daoist method, but I’m bound for Kunlun, the home of the Martial Sect. If I learn Daoist arts, will it prevent me from mastering martial divine powers? Wouldn’t that be a loss?’

Though tempted, he hesitated. The two maidens guessed his thoughts. The white-clad one clapped her hands and laughed, “Master, if you learn both Daoist and martial arts, you’ll advance faster than anyone else. With so many bandits on the road, a few spells will help you defend yourself. Chiyang alone can’t handle everything.”

Yang Nan scolded, “You little imp, you just want to learn Daoist arts yourself and try to coax your master!” It was common for spirits to seek human teachers; relying solely on instinct to absorb spiritual energy was slow, but with human cultivation methods, progress was swift. Their long lifespans meant many would become immortals or saints. By pledging themselves to a human master, they found a shortcut, and most sects would recruit gifted spirits as guardians.

Humans, however, advanced much faster in cultivation than spirits; with the same method and time, human practitioners progressed several times more quickly.

Exposed, the white-clad maiden blushed and laughed. “White-clad was bold; I beg your forgiveness, Master.”

Yang Nan shook his head. “Since you follow me, your cultivation falls to me as your master. It’s my duty. But you two can’t read, so learning from the scroll is difficult. Since we have much idle time in the carriage, I’ll teach you to read.”

Having spirits for followers, one ought to reward them. The scroll had long rested by the white-clad maiden, but she couldn’t study it for lack of literacy. Now, hearing Yang Nan’s promise to teach, the two maidens joyfully knelt in thanks.

For the next ten days, Yang Nan practiced the Xuan Yi Azure Water Technique in the carriage. Having decided to learn Daoist arts, he cast aside his worries; without the ability to protect himself, he’d never reach Kunlun. If he fell into Yang Cheng’s hands, he’d likely lose his life.

On this point, Yang Nan was clear—survival came first.

Their journey was punctuated by encounters with suspicious experts scouting the main road. Yang Nan realized just how wise Chiyang’s arrangements were; with Chiyang handling matters, their passage was smooth.

The Xuan Yi Azure Water Technique had been found in a cave on Qingbi Mountain, a place rich in spiritual energy. Large sects deemed it too small for their purposes, but for individual cultivators, it was more than sufficient. The unknown master who cultivated there left only this scroll behind, found by the mountain god. The mountain god practiced earth techniques, while the ghost officers focused on yin arts—none matched the Azure Water Technique.

The superior Daoist scroll gathered dust in the mountain temple for ages, until it came to Yang Nan, who put it to proper use.

Its reputation as a superior method stemmed from its easy entry. Each day, Yang Nan sat cross-legged, practicing the technique to absorb water energy from the world. At the first attempt, he sensed the water energy surging into his body like a rushing river. Mist enveloped the carriage, cool and refreshing, shielding even the midday heat.

The servants outside marveled. Tianzhou was rich in water and snow, but the midday sun was fierce. Since Yang Nan began practicing the Azure Water Technique, a rain cloud had hovered above the carriage, bringing them relief while others suffered under the blazing sun.

Except for meals, necessities, and sleep, Yang Nan remained seated in the carriage—both to avoid attracting attention and to aid his cultivation. In his spare time, he taught the two maidens to read. The lotus and butterfly spirits were naturally clever; most spirits needed five centuries to assume human form and speech, but these two, complementing each other, had done so in just two hundred years—a true rarity.

Yang Nan held nothing back, teaching the white-clad lotus maiden the entire Azure Water Technique without omission. Though the technique meant little to Yang Nan, it was priceless to the lotus spirit, who pledged her unwavering loyalty from then on.

After more than ten days of cultivation, Yang Nan had made some progress. Practicing water arts in the water-rich Tianzhou yielded twice the results. The azure dragon mark on his right wrist, nourished by water energy, grew clearer, and in his dantian a tiny water bead formed, within which slept a miniature azure dragon identical to the mark on his wrist.

Upon consulting Chiyang, Yang Nan learned that this water bead housed the azure dragon, the soul pill of Daoist cultivators. With each breath of water essence, another scale appeared on the dragon. When its claws, scales, head, and tail were fully formed, the dragon would break free from the bead, marking the completion of the soul pill.

Yang Nan sat in the carriage, practicing the technique to draw in water energy. As the carriage sped along, the snow beside the road melted and mist enveloped the area. Water energy flowed into Yang Nan like a silken ribbon, circulating in his body before settling in his dantian. The water bead inside grew ever more lustrous, and the dragon within sprouted scales one after another. Yang Nan, peering inward, felt a surge of joy—soon the dragon would break free, and he could practice the various spells described in the scroll.

Water arts thrived in watery environments; the Azure Water Technique grew more powerful with each level. The true form of the azure dragon captivated Yang Nan—creating things from water, moving from nothing to existence, and from existence to truth. One day, he would summon a real dragon to protect him, making him nearly invulnerable to ordinary foes.

While Yang Nan devoted himself to cultivation, the carriage pressed onward, finally arriving at the Hunjiang wharf in Deyang Prefecture. The martial spirit of the Great Yuan was strong; travelers at the wharf wore swords and knives, and the Deyang navy lined the docks with weapons, exuding a fierce atmosphere.

Yang Nan peeked from the carriage, relieved to see no checkpoints at the wharf. Along the way, every barrier had displayed his portrait, and Yang Cheng’s assassins had been relentless. Fortunately, they only sought male youths; his identity as an “official lady” spared him trouble. Yang Nan silently praised Chiyang’s extensive experience and the old master’s meticulous planning.

Chiyang halted the carriage at the wharf and went to hire a boat among the merchant ships. The Deyang wharf stood on the vital Hunjiang River, which originated in the snow mountains and flowed through three continents and six prefectures. Qinglong Lake, Tian Lake, Xingxing Lake, and countless others relied on the Hunjiang for fresh water—it was the lifeblood of the region’s lakes.