Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The Words of a Sage: Judge by Deeds, Not by Intentions

Song Ciwan returned home, laden with her gains.

’This feeling of doing good while also gaining benefits is really quite nice. A person’s heart ultimately leans toward the light. Though my abilities are meager and I can’t change the world or contribute much—in fact, my original intention wasn’t even to contribute anything at all.’

’But as the ancient sages said, judge actions, not intentions.’

’Some of the ancient sages’ words are definitely worth listening to.’

Song Ciwan was not one to make harsh demands of others, nor of herself. In any case, today had been a fair exchange, and she was in a pleasant mood.

After shutting the doors and windows, she returned the clothes, mask, and other items she had used today to the space within the Heaven and Earth Scale. Then, Song Ciwan began to process her trades.

First, she sold the few Lianfei Demon Beasts she had killed along the way.

You have sold seven pristine corpses of the low-level Lianfei Demon Beast and obtained seven portions of Gold-Dissolving Powder.

Gold-Dissolving Powder: A Level One Spiritual Medicine Powder. Can be applied externally or taken internally. Functions: stops bleeding, neutralizes toxins, relieves pain, disperses blood stasis, and strengthens the physique. Effective for general internal and external injuries. Its efficacy diminishes as a Cultivator’s Power increases.

Song Ciwan was a bit surprised as she put away the seven portions of Gold-Dissolving Powder. She never expected that selling the Lianfei Demon Beast corpses, which in her eyes were nothing but filthy and useless, could be exchanged for healing Spirit Medicine on the Heaven and Earth Scale.

Although the effects of Gold-Dissolving Powder were clearly inferior to the Blood Essence Pill, and its level was lower, its advantage was its large quantity and that it was easier to obtain!

She made another trade.

You have sold seven wisps of Death Qi from the low-level Lianfei Demon Beast and obtained half of a broken Level One Whetstone.

A Whetstone again, and only half a piece!

Last time, Song Ciwan had also sold seven wisps of Lianfei Demon Beast Death Qi and received a whole broken Level One Whetstone. She didn’t expect it to be halved this time.

She took a closer look at the description: "Half of a broken Level One Whetstone. As it is only half a piece, it is no longer usable. Perhaps it can be used as a brick to prop up a table leg."

’Heh, the Heaven and Earth Scale sure is interesting!’

’Who says a brick can only be used to prop up a table leg? You can also smash someone with it!’

Song Ciwan accepted the half-piece of broken Whetstone, and regardless of the late hour, she got up to fetch water and wash her hands.

Not only did she wash her hands, she also bathed and changed her clothes.

She took out the Profound Iron Pot, used the Blazing Flame Technique to heat plenty of water, and used up the entire vat she had filled earlier. After she finished bathing and dressed in fresh clothes, she finally returned to her room, closed the door, and summoned the Heaven and Earth Scale.

’Time to open the blind boxes!’

First, the jade-green mass of qi from Aunt Zhou: You have sold human desires—love, sorrow, and fear—weighing six catties and nine taels, and obtained the Second Layer of the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting.

The Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting!

Song Ciwan almost stood up in joy. Her Cultivation had already reached the Late-stage Qi Transformation, but she had no idea how to break through from the Qi Transformation Stage to the Qi Refining Stage.

It was for no other reason than the lack of a specific Main Cultivation Method!

Without the Second Layer, even if Song Ciwan cultivated the First Layer of the Heart Method to its peak, she was destined to be unable to break through. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The four pillars of cultivation are Method, Wealth, Location, and Companions. Without a method, all cultivation comes to a halt.

She had provided timely aid for Aunt Zhou, and in return, hadn’t Aunt Zhou done the same for her?

The vast and mighty scripture washed over her like the waters of the celestial river, pouring down from the void.

Song Ciwan closed her eyes to receive it, and a faint feeling arose within her. The Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting was no ordinary technique. By obtaining this second layer of scripture, she had forged a karmic bond with Aunt Zhou!

Song Ciwan immediately opened her eyes and focused her senses on the Paper Soul Puppet she had attached to Aunt Zhou. The Puppet had not been triggered, meaning Aunt Zhou was still safe for now.

Song Ciwan let out a soft sigh of relief and began to speed up her trades on the Heaven and Earth Scale.

She hoped there would be more surprises to come that could help both herself and Aunt Zhou.

The second mass of qi was also from Aunt Zhou: You have sold human desires—joy, sorrow, fear, and the pain of parting—weighing three catties and eight taels, and obtained three years and eight months of Cultivation.

In a daze, time flew by. A little over three-quarters of an hour passed in reality, but in the Void Space, Song Ciwan had already cultivated for more than three years. This time, she chose to focus wholeheartedly on cultivating the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting!

Three years of Cultivation. Although there were no Elixirs to aid her, a faint Spiritual Qi surged forth in the Void Space.

Yes, it was a faint Spiritual Qi, identical in concentration to the Spiritual Qi in Song Ciwan’s current location. But no matter how faint, this was still three years and eight months!

Time flowed on, like a jar of fragrant wine aging to perfection.

Song Ciwan’s Cultivation increase wasn’t significant, but her progress in cultivating the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting was skyrocketing.

The Divine Power Observation Technique observed every change in her body, and the resulting data panel was constantly updating.

Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting (First Layer, Beginner 729/1000)

...

(736/1000)

(798/1000)

(828/1000)

...

The numbers jumped with incredible speed. For a Cultivation Technique like the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting, Enlightenment was paramount, and diligent practice secondary. Now that Song Ciwan had both, her progress was as swift as the flow of time. It was just as the poem described: "The apes’ cries on either bank have not yet faded, but my light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains."

By the time she finished her cultivation session, her experience in the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting had become (First Layer, Beginner 976/1000).

She was just a little bit away from breaking through the First Layer!

Her Cultivation growth lagged slightly behind. The Insight Technique displayed her Cultivation Realm: Refining Essence and Transforming Qi (Late-stage Qi Transformation 7395/10000).

Song Ciwan opened her eyes and regulated her breathing for a while. She felt her entire body brimming with Essence Qi, as if it had been cleansed in a unique way.

The few lingering internal injuries she had were finally completely healed.

Without delay, she immediately summoned the Heaven and Earth Scale and continued with her trades.

You have sold human desires—joy, sorrow, and fear—weighing one catty and one tael, and obtained the unranked, Mortal Level Lightweight Step Method, Grasshopper.

Grasshopper: Circulate True Qi to make the body as light as a swallow. At its highest level, one can walk on grass without bending a single blade.

The description sounded nice, but it couldn’t change the fact that Grasshopper was an unranked, dime-a-dozen technique.

Song Ciwan frowned slightly, not because she disdained Grasshopper. She was mainly wondering, ’Grasshopper is an Entry-Level Lightweight Skill for Martial Artists. As someone who is Cultivating Immortality, can I even learn it?’

She carefully mulled over the incantation for the Lightweight Skill, trying to circulate the True Qi in her body. She stood up and took a step. As the True Qi flowed, it was as if she had grown wings. WHOOSH—she shot from the side of her bed directly to the door of the room.

She could use Grasshopper, and the effect was unexpectedly good!

’That’s it. This is the magic of the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting, and also the magic of the Heaven and Earth Scale.’

’As long as a technique comes from the Heaven and Earth Scale, I can definitely learn the basics.’

’And when channeled through the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting, it becomes formless, traceless, and completely unrestrained.’

She looked at the Insight Technique panel.

Lightweight Skill: Grasshopper (Beginner 36/100)

’Low-level Cultivation Techniques are easy to practice. I’ve already gained 36 experience points in just a moment.’

Song Ciwan set aside the matter of Grasshopper and continued her trades.

You have sold human desires—joy, sorrow, and fear—weighing two catties and seven taels, and obtained the Low-Level Daoist Technique, Paper Crane Tracking Technique.

Paper Crane Tracking Technique: Fold a paper crane and cast this Dharma Gate, supplementing it with a key aura or bloodline, to find a target creature within a certain range.

Streams of information about the Paper Crane Tracking Technique flooded into Song Ciwan’s mind. She quickly memorized it, her heart filled with a mix of shock and delight.