The roar of the waterfall drowned out everything else.
I sat atop a jagged rock, unmoving, as freezing water crashed down on me again and again. Each impact felt like blunt force—cold seeping into my bones, numbing my skin, yet refusing to let my mind rest.
Five minutes passed.
I didn't move.
I didn't speak.
Tang Mu stood a short distance away, arms crossed, watching me with a playful smirk. "Well, well," he said. "I have to admit—I underestimated you."
The water slammed into my shoulders, forcing the air from my lungs with every breath.
"It's been five minutes," Tang Mu continued. "Most people would've screamed, cursed, or collapsed by now. Yet you haven't uttered a single word."
I slowly turned my head toward him, water streaming down my face. "Then what is this training really for?"
Tang Mu raised an eyebrow.
"I've heard enough," I said calmly. "You said I have spiritual roots. I've already hardened my body. That should be enough to start cultivation."
He chuckled softly. "You're right."
Then his expression sharpened.
"But also… not entirely."
"Why?" I asked.
Tang Mu stepped closer, his voice lowering beneath the roar of the waterfall. "Spiritual roots allow you to absorb qi. A hardened body allows you to contain it."
He tapped his temple.
"But before actual cultivation begins, there is another key—one that most people ignore."
I felt my breathing grow uneven, the cold biting deeper.
"Control," Tang Mu said. "Absolute calm of the mind."
I closed my eyes instinctively.
"Before you can draw qi into your body," he continued, "you must silence your thoughts. Master your breathing. Feel nature—not as something outside you, but as something you exist within."
The water struck me again.
Harder this time.
"When your body is steady, and your mind no longer resists," Tang Mu said, "you will sense it."
My chest rose slowly.
Then fell.
"And only then," he finished, "can we begin..More than an hour passed.
The cold no longer felt sharp.
The roar of the waterfall faded into something distant.
My breathing slowed.
Steady.
Deep.
When I finally closed my eyes, the chaos vanished.
And then—I felt it.
Tiny points of golden light appeared in the darkness behind my eyelids. Countless specks, drifting gently, surrounding me like a silent constellation.
"Is this…" I murmured, eyes still shut. "Are these golden dots… qi?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"Wait."
I heard Tang Mu's voice change.
"You can already sense qi?" he asked, disbelief clear in his tone.
I nodded slowly.
"Open your eyes," he said. "And step out."
I opened my eyes and carefully moved away from the waterfall, my soaked clothes clinging to my body. Tang Mu stared at me for a long moment, as if reassessing everything he thought he knew.
"Do you know how long it took me to sense qi for the first time?" he finally said.
I remained silent.
"One and a half hours," Tang Mu continued. "You did it in one."
He let out a short laugh. "You beat me by half an hour."
He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Good job, Hao."
I nodded. "So… should we move on to the next step?"
Tang Mu smiled—playful, but thoughtful this time. "Not today."
He patted my shoulder lightly. "Tomorrow."
"Training is good," he added, "but pushing your body too far only invites problems. Let it rest."
I hesitated. "Then… what do we do until then?"
Tang Mu rubbed his chin, eyes drifting toward the river.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"I've got an idea," he said. "Let's catch some fish." I stared at him, dumbfounded.
"…Seriously? Catching fish?"
Tang Mu nodded without hesitation.
I let out a long sigh. "Fine."
That entire day passed quietly.
We fished by the river, laughed, and even pranked each other—splashing water, stealing bait, pretending to lose catches. For a moment, it almost felt… normal.
When night fell, we sat beside a crackling campfire, the scent of roasted fish filling the air. Sparks drifted upward, vanishing into the darkness.
I hesitated before speaking.
"Tang… you've mentioned your father before."
He looked up.
"But what about your mother?"
The smile on his face faded.
Silence settled between us.
Seeing his reaction, my chest tightened. "I—I'm sorry. If that bothered you, you don't have to—"
"It's fine," he interrupted softly.
He stared into the flames, eyes distant. "My mother… she left."
My heart sank.
"I was eight years old," he continued. "She was one of the most beautiful women in the capital. A genius from the Wu Clan—a prestigious clan."
His hands clenched slightly.
"I don't know the reason. But I can't forgive her." His voice lowered. "And that… is why my father became the way he is now. Cold. Detached."
I looked down. "I'm sorry."
Tang Mu turned toward me and smiled.
"Sorry?" he said lightly. "What sorry? There's no need for that between friends."
Then his expression softened.
"No—more than that." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "You're like a brother to me, Hao."
I froze.
Before I could respond, he stood up. "Alright. Get some rest."
He disappeared into his tent.
I remained by the fire, gazing up at the star-filled sky, a gentle smile on my face.
He's just like Ming…
Next Morning
I sat in a meditative posture, legs crossed, breath steady.
Tang Mu stood beside me. "Alright. Calm your breathing. Draw the qi into your body."
"Think of yourself as a magnet," he said. "Let it come to you."
I focused.
The first attempt failed.
So did the second.
By the sixth try—
I felt it.
Qi surged into my body like a flowing river, warm and powerful. The sensation sent a shiver through my spine.
Incredible.
After five minutes, I slowly opened my eyes.
Tang Mu was watching me with a proud, satisfied expression.
"Well done," he said with a playful grin. "Good job, junior