What does it feel like to set foot upon the earth?
Such a simple action, yet so few people pay attention to it.
But whether it is for the Taoists or Buddhists, to walk barefoot is seen as a form of cultivation, shedding worldly desires and cutting off fetters.
And there are those who believe that yin is the foundation of yang, without yin, yang cannot transform. The land is a treasure trove of yin energy, thus regularly walking barefoot on it allows the Earth’s yin energy to ascend into the body through the Yongquan Acupoint, nourishing the yin within.
When Shen Siyuan was just an ordinary person, walking barefoot would only make him feel the discomfort of cold and heat, and the roughness beneath his feet, nothing more.
But now that Shen Siyuan has stepped into the path of cultivation, the feeling of setting his bare feet upon the ground is different, especially when the Earth Element Qi unique to the "Five Elements Primordial Magnetic Sword" flows within him, connecting with the energy of the land, entering through the Yongquan Acupoint, merging him with the earth.
Therefore, Shen Siyuan did not use his power to sprint, but took methodical steps, one footprint after another.
Yet his speed was not slow, and every step was of uniform size, as if measured with a ruler.
Shen Siyuan did not take the normal route home, along Qionghai’s central highway, but instead circumnavigated Qionghai, taking the ring road, and then headed straight towards his home from there.
The reason for such a detour was that the ring road was rich in the Qi of earth, water, and wood elements, and occasionally, he would absorb some faint Gold Qi.
Only the Fire Qi was hidden deep within the land, unexpressed, covered by the Earth Element Qi, and since Qionghai’s geothermal activity was inactive, like a stagnant pond, it was impossible for Shen Siyuan to draw it out from the layers of thick Earth Element Qi.
He would have to seek out a volcanic crater, even an extinct one, which would be more likely than the current situation.
As Shen Siyuan’s mind connected with the land, not only did he not feel the slightest bit of fatigue, but the journey became easier with every step, though his footsteps grew heavier. A careful listener could hear a dull thud with each step he took.
This was the heaviness characteristic of Earth Element Qi, yet it was filled with vigorous vitality.
To avoid distraction, Shen Siyuan put his cellphone into a spatial storage, but he did not expect that there would still be a little creature to disturb his mind.
"Potato, Potato... I see you... I see you..."
Dou Dou’s cheerful voice echoed in his mind.
Shen Siyuan looked towards the void and saw, across thousands of meters, Dou Dou leaning against the glass of a tall Ferris wheel, looking in his direction.
"There’s no Mr. Shen, don’t shout nonsense."
Tao Guangsha approached Dou Dou, glanced out, but only saw the vast sea and cars tiny like ants, how could he see Shen Siyuan.
"I’m not, Potato is there, he’s waving at me."
Dou Dou spoke and waved back with her little hand, as if genuinely responding to the other side.
Tao Guangsha glanced at Jiang Wenxin sitting opposite, silent and fearful, and brought her over.
"Mr. Shen must be busy. Even if he saw you, he wouldn’t be able to come over and play with you," Tao Guangsha said.
"Then I can go find him to play," Dou Dou said.
"You don’t want to accompany your mom and dad? Look at your mom, she’s so scared but still came with you to ride the Ferris wheel, do you have the heart to leave her behind?" Tao Guangsha pointed at Jiang Wenxin sitting opposite.
Jiang Wenxin immediately put on a delicate appearance, but she was genuinely frightened, with weak knees, daring not to look outside.
Seeing this, Dou Dou pulled away from Tao Guangsha’s embrace, went over, and took her mother’s hand to comfort her, "Mom, don’t be afraid. I won’t go looking for Potato to play, I’ll stay here to play with you."
"Thank you," Jiang Wenxin touched her little face and seemed to feel much more at ease.
"Ah, there’s just no dealing with you."
Dou Dou squinted her eyes, shook her head, appearing troubled yet conveying a "but who could blame me for loving you" attitude, amusing both Tao Guangsha and Jiang Wenxin.
And Shen Siyuan also withdrew his gaze, continuing to stride forward.
He thought that this would allow him to calm his mind and be undisturbed again.
But just a short walk away, the incessant honk of a car horn came from behind.
Shen Siyuan couldn’t help but look back, feeling rather annoyed. He was walking along the road without blocking any vehicle, so what was the continuous honking for? Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
Seeing Shen Siyuan turn around, a man in the passenger seat leaned out and asked, "Where are you heading? Do you want a lift?"
Hearing this, Shen Siyuan realised that they were just trying to be kind, so his irritability diminished quite a bit.
"Thanks, but no need."
"No worry, get in. We see you’re alone, and it’s a long way from here to the next attraction."
Then, the other car stopped right beside Shen Siyuan.
The middle-aged man in the passenger seat also got out of the car, incredibly enthusiastic.
However, his excessive enthusiasm made Shen Siyuan suspicious.
For someone who’d already declined, who keeps on insisting on giving a ride?
Thus, he asked, "How much to take me up ahead?"
The middle-aged man opened the car door while speaking, revealing that the inside was entirely empty.
Shen Siyuan finally understood the situation: they must be looking to pick up passengers on their way back after dropping tourists at attractions, not just to cover their fuel costs but to make an extra profit.
"That’s too expensive, no need."
Shen Siyuan said and tried to walk past the middle-aged man.
At that moment, the driver also got out, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and upon hearing Shen Siyuan, he said, "I’ll give you a discount, two hundred fifty."
"Do I look like a fool to you?"
"Who are you calling a fool?"
The middle-aged man in front of Shen Siyuan immediately got angry, reaching out to grab Shen Siyuan by the neck.
Shen Siyuan almost laughed in his rage; of all people, why mess with him? They were just out of luck.
So he didn’t indulge the man, but instead caught the extended hand and twisted it hard.
The middle-aged man cried out in pain, and his other hand smashed towards Shen Siyuan’s cheek. How could Shen Siyuan let him hit? He pushed the assailant’s arm forward, sending the middle-aged man staggering backward. He then tumbled to the ground, rolling twice, lying there clutching his arm and moaning in pain, unable to get up for a while.
The incident was over in a flash, merely five or six seconds, leaving the driver dumbfounded.
By the time he snapped out of it, he cursed, dropped his cigarette, rounded the front of the car, and charged at Shen Siyuan, kicking at him.
This driver was much sturdier than the previous middle-aged man, not just bigger but also meatier and looked quite ferocious.
But Shen Siyuan stood still, and just as the driver’s foot almost reached him, he stretched out his right foot and kicked the man’s knee with his big toe.
The driver immediately fell to the ground, holding his knee and wailing.
Shen Siyuan’s kick seemed light and effortless, but it had in fact shattered the man’s knee.
"Why mess with anyone when you’re messing with me?"
Given their practiced manner, this was probably not their first scam. If a tourist from out of town encountered this, they would likely avoid further trouble by just paying up. After all, it’s not a significant amount of money; when traveling, one doesn’t want any hassle, lest it spoils the trip. This only emboldened these scammers.
But today, they met their match.
Shen Siyuan shook his head, walked around the two men, and continued on his way without taking this minor incident to heart.
Little did he know, these two had actually called the police, playing the victim first, causing Shen Siyuan quite a bit of trouble after returning from his hometown.