Amid the hustle and bustle of the prosperous city, Xiao Zhou shuttled around every day like a walking corpse. The high-intensity workload pressure was like a heavy boulder, weighing him down. Long hours of working at his desk had overburdened his cervical spine, which often felt sore and stiff, as if being tightly gripped by an invisible hand. Moreover, staying up late for overtime work had become a common occurrence, and the disordered work and rest schedule had led to a sharp decline in his physical immunity, with various minor ailments coming one after another. The sense of exhaustion was like a shadow that never truly dissipated, whether it was in the early morning after waking up or after taking an afternoon nap. His mood had also hit rock bottom, his enthusiasm for life had been worn away, and now he only felt numb and indifferent when facing the things he used to love.

During an accidental gathering, Xiao Zhou poured out his dual physical and mental dilemmas to his friend. The friend leaned over mysteriously and whispered, "I've heard that there's a website called 'taoismtop'. There are many objects with mysterious powers on it. Maybe it can help you." Hearing this, Xiao Zhou was half-believing and half-doubting in his heart. But being desperate for a cure, he still decided to explore this website.

When he opened the webpage, a warm and emerald-green jade pendant instantly caught his eye. The jade was like a clear and deep secluded pool, full of lush greenery, so deep and charming that it seemed to conceal endless secrets. Delicate and intricate patterns were carved on the pendant. Looking closely, these patterns seemed to have a subtle correspondence with the Taoist Yin-Yang 八卦 diagram, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura as they flowed. The introduction of this jade pendant on the website was even more mysterious. It claimed that it was carefully carved following ancient Taoist traditions. In Taoist philosophy, jade is a spiritual object born from the nourishment of heaven and earth, containing vigorous vitality. It can purify the stagnant turbid qi inside the human body, dispel the pathogenic qi surrounding the body, just like injecting a clear spring into the body, dredging the meridians, regulating qi and blood, and thus promoting physical and mental health and awakening the dormant vitality deep within the body.

Xiao Zhou's heart was stirred by this fantastical description. After hesitating several times, he finally gritted his teeth and placed an order. During the days of waiting, he was full of anxiety. He both anticipated that this mysterious jade pendant could bring a turning point to his life and worried that it might just be a false hope. The moment the courier arrived, he couldn't wait to open the package and gently held the jade pendant in his palm. At the moment of contact, a coolness spread along his fingertips, like the thin mist in the early morning of the mountains, gently brushing over his heart, instantly calming his originally restless and anxious heart a few degrees. He carefully put the pendant around his neck. At that instant, it seemed as if a pair of gentle hands were gently stroking his tired body, and an indescribable sense of comfort surged in his heart.

In the first few days after wearing the jade pendant, Xiao Zhou didn't notice any too obvious changes. But he still wore it piously every day, silently hoping for a miracle in his heart. About a week later, when he woke up one morning, he unexpectedly found that he was no longer as heavily burdened by drowsiness as before, and his mind had a moment of clarity. He rubbed his eyes, somewhat incredulous, and a glimmer of hope quietly welled up in his heart.

As the days passed, even more wonderful things happened one after another. At work, Xiao Zhou 明显感觉自己的精力变得充沛起来. In the past, he would feel dizzy and have blurred vision after staring at the computer screen for less than an hour. Now, he could work continuously for several hours, his mind still sharp, his concentration highly focused, and he could handle work problems with ease. For those project plans that used to give him a headache and make him frantic, now he could easily sort out clear frameworks and come up with novel and unique creative ideas. The looks his colleagues gave him were full of surprise and admiration.

Moreover, his physical condition was also quietly improving. The soreness in his cervical spine gradually lessened, and the frequent headaches no longer visited him often. Even the colds that he used to easily catch during the season change miraculously bypassed him this time. Xiao Zhou was overjoyed. He deeply knew that most of these changes probably stemmed from this magical jade pendant around his neck.

With a deep curiosity about the power behind the jade pendant, Xiao Zhou plunged headlong into the vast ocean of Taoist culture to explore its mysteries. He learned that in the Taoist worldview, all things are generated by the interaction of Yin and Yang qi. As a delicate object born from heaven and earth, jade inherently embodies the principle of Yin-Yang harmony. Its warm and smooth texture belongs to Yin, just like the quiet and gentle water, which can moisten and soothe the restlessness and agitation of the human body; while its vigorous green vitality belongs to Yang, like the warm spring sun, continuously injecting vitality and vigor into the body. The two complement each other, just like a silent physical rhythm, promoting the smooth flow of qi and blood, dispelling the haze, and allowing the body and mind to return to a natural and harmonious state.

Furthermore, Taoist practitioners often use various spiritual objects to assist in their cultivation, and jade is one of the highly respected ones. They believe that wearing jade for a long time can, imperceptibly, enable people to communicate with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, feel the rhythm of nature, purify the impurities in the mind, and thus achieve a transcendent state of unity of body and mind.

However, the good times didn't last long. Xiao Zhou's mentality gradually changed. With his increasingly healthy body and smooth progress at work, he started to become a little complacent, and greed quietly grew in his heart. He was no longer satisfied with merely relying on the jade pendant to nourish his body and mind naturally. Instead, he tried to use it to gain more "advantages" beyond ordinary people.

At that time, the company was preparing for a crucial business competition. The winner would not only receive a generous bonus but also have the opportunity to be sent abroad for further studies. This was undoubtedly an excellent chance to skyrocket one's career. Looking at the jade pendant around his neck, Xiao Zhou's mind became active. He thought to himself: Since this jade has such miraculous power, why not make more use of it to ensure victory in the competition?

So, he started to inquire about some unorthodox methods everywhere, trying to further "unleash the potential" of the jade pendant through some so-called "rituals". From a self-proclaimed connoisseur of Taoist secret arts, he heard an extremely strange method: On a full moon night, he needed to go to an abandoned ancient house with extremely heavy Yin qi, place the jade pendant in the center of the house, and offer a blood sacrifice to awaken its hidden great power, enabling the wearer to have a flood of ideas and outstanding abilities in a short period.

Blinded by this absurd statement, Xiao Zhou completely ignored the danger and the violation of common sense. Truly, on a full moon night, with a nervous and excited mood, he went alone to that abandoned ancient house. The moonlight was like water, shining on the mottled walls of the ancient house and casting eerie and gloomy shadows. It was terrifyingly quiet all around, with only his rapid breathing and panicked footsteps. When he tremblingly cut his finger and dripped blood on the jade pendant according to the instructions, suddenly, a bone-chilling cold wind howled past, blowing him almost off his feet. The originally warm and smooth jade pendant now glowed with a strange and eerie light, as if some evil power had been awakened.

Xiao Zhou was terrified and wanted to flee, but found that his legs seemed to be nailed in place and couldn't move. Just when he was in despair, suddenly, a clear crane's cry pierced the night sky. 紧接着，一道柔和的金光从天而降，驱散了周围的阴霾与寒意. Xiao Zhou fixed his eyes and saw that it was an old Taoist priest in a Taoist robe, with white hair and bright eyes, who appeared here.

The old Taoist priest waved his whisk, and Xiao Zhou immediately felt his body relax and regained his mobility. He "thumped" and knelt on the ground, crying and telling the old Taoist priest about his absurd behavior. The old Taoist priest frowned slightly and looked displeased. He reprimanded, "Young man, do you know that you have committed a great taboo! What Taoism venerates is conforming to nature and respecting the way of heaven and earth. This jade pendant is a heavenly spiritual object used to protect the body and mind and harmonize Yin and Yang. Only by wearing it with a positive mind can one benefit infinitely. You, however, tried to control it with evil methods to satisfy your own selfish desires. This not only desecrated the spiritual object but also violated the heavenly principles and human ethics."

Xiao Zhou was full of remorse and hung his head in shame. Seeing this, the old Taoist priest's expression softened a little, and he continued, "The true Taoist wisdom is not about seeking shortcuts or taking crooked paths. Instead, it teaches us how to uphold a positive mind in life, conform to the laws of nature, cultivate our moral character and nourish our nature, so as to achieve physical and mental well-being and the continuation of blessings. This jade pendant is an opportunity for you to form a bond with the spiritual qi of heaven and earth. You should cherish it well and never go astray again."

Xiao Zhou woke up as if from a dream and nodded repeatedly. Returning home, he washed the blood off the jade pendant and put it on again with a pious heart. After that, he abandoned those vain desires and lived and worked down to earth. Gradually, his life returned to normal. With his own efforts, he also achieved good results in the business competition. Although he didn't win first place, he won the respect and recognition of his colleagues. And that jade pendant still hung quietly around his neck. In the passage of time, it became even more warm, smooth, and translucent, as if silently witnessing his growth and transformation, constantly reminding him to follow the right path and safeguard the balance and peace of his body and mind.