I got up, washed my face with cold water, and walked toward the Pavilion of Silent Bamboo feeling an anticipation I had not experienced since my first presentation before a particularly hostile board of directors.
Today I begin my own cultivation. Or at least I will try.
When I arrived at the pavilion, I found something completely unexpected.
Xiao Yue was in the training garden; however, there was something surprising about her today. She wore loose training clothes in tones of gray and white instead of her usual elegant formal robes. Her red hair was pulled back into a high and practical ponytail. And the most disconcerting thing of all: she was smiling.
It was a genuine smile that completely transformed her beautiful face.
"Good morning, Kenji," she said in a tone that could only be described as... cheerful? "Are you ready for your first day of training?"
I stopped mid step.
"Good morning, Young Lady. I... yes, I am ready."
Who is this person and what did she do with the ice statue?
Liling appeared from inside the pavilion, also dressed for training. She carried a tray with tea and what looked like steamed buns.
"Good morning, Kenji! Excited for your first official beating?" Her smile was dangerously bright.
"That is a disturbing way to phrase the question."
"It is an accurate description," Xiao Yue said, and there was a flash of amusement in her golden eyes. "The first day of physical training is always... revealing."
We ate a quick breakfast. Xiao Yue talked throughout the meal, explaining the fundamentals of body cultivation with an enthusiasm I had never seen in her. Her hands moved as she described concepts; her eyes shone when she explained complex theories.
This is what happens when you give a competent person the chance to teach something they master. They transform.
"Body cultivation has nine levels," Xiao Yue explained, her fingers tracing patterns in the air. "Each level strengthens the body incrementally. But before even attempting to circulate Qi, you need a body that can handle it. It is like..." she paused, searching for an analogy.
"Like trying to pour pressurized water into a pipe that has cracks?" I offered.
"Exactly!" Her smile widened. "The pipe needs to be strong enough to withstand the pressure, or it will simply break."
Liling watched our interaction with an expression of maternal satisfaction that was vaguely disconcerting.
"So," I said, "the plan is to first strengthen the vessel and then worry about the content."
"Correct. And to do that," Xiao Yue stood up with a fluid movement, "we will start with basic combat."
Of course we will.
The training courtyard was a rectangular space of polished stone, surrounded by bamboo trees that whispered in the morning breeze. Xiao Yue positioned herself to the side as an observer, a notebook in her hands.
Is she taking notes? About me? Am I not the one who always takes notes?
Liling stood in the center of the yard, adopting a relaxed but alert posture. She gestured for me to come closer.
"All right, Kenji. The rules are simple: try to hit me using only basic physical strength."
"Wait... Before we start, you will not use Qi, right?"
"Of course not." Liling smiled in that way that promised imminent pain. "It would be unfair otherwise."
I approached with caution. In my former life, I had never been in a physical fight. My world had been one of corporate wars, battles of numbers, and market strategies. This was completely new.
I tried a direct punch. Liling moved barely a few inches and my fist found only air.
I tried a low kick. She blocked it with her shin without apparent effort.
I tried to grab her. Somehow I ended up on the ground, looking at the blue sky and wondering exactly what had gone wrong.
"Very good!" Liling's voice sounded excessively cheerful. "Get up! Again!"
I tried again. And again. And again.
The results were consistently the same: I ended up on the floor, occasionally out of breath, always confused about how exactly I had gotten there.
"Your center of gravity is too high," Xiao Yue commented from her position, writing in her notebook. "And you are too obvious; you practically give yourself away with every movement of your shoulders."
"You also bite your lower lip when you are about to attack," Liling added, dodging another one of my attempts with insulting ease. "It is adorable, but tactically disastrous."
Adorable. She is calling me adorable while systematically humiliating me.
After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only thirty minutes, Liling finally took pity on me. She had knocked me down for the fifteenth time when, instead of letting me get up alone, she walked over and helped me sit.
"You did well for your first day," she said with genuine warmth.
Before I could respond, she pulled my head forward. My face sank into something soft and warm. It took me a full second to process that my head was pressed against her chest.
"Liling!" My voice came out muffled by the fabric.
"What? I am being maternal." Her fingers began to ruffle my hair with affection. "Look how hard you tried! So brave!"
Xiao Yue let out a laugh. I managed to free myself while panting slightly due to the suffocation of being in such a... padded place.
"That was... unnecessary."
"It was totally necessary," Liling smiled broadly. "You look so tense all the time. A little affection will not kill you."
No, but you do not go around pressing people's faces against your chest.
Xiao Yue approached, her expression now more serious and slightly evaluative.
"Kenji, try to circulate your Qi. Just the basics. Feel the energy in your dantian and make it flow through your main meridian."
I closed my eyes and tried to do what I had read in all those books. I searched for the sensation of internal energy that the texts described.
Nothing.
I tried again, concentrating harder.
Still nothing.
I opened my eyes. Xiao Yue was watching me intently.
"Did you feel anything?"
"No. Nothing at all."
Xiao Yue exchanged a look with Liling. There was concern there, but also determination.
"It is okay," she finally said. "This happens sometimes. Some people have natural blockages that need more time to clear. Others simply need a stronger body before they can even feel the Qi."
She stepped closer and put her hand on my shoulder. The gesture was surprisingly intimate coming from her.
"We are going to do this another way. First, we will focus entirely on physical strengthening: exercises, basic combat, and building endurance. Once your body is in better condition, we will try the Qi again."
"How long will that take?"
"Weeks. Perhaps months." Her tone was honest, without false hope. "But it will work. I promise you."
Months of being beaten by Liling. Wonderful.
"I understand. Then we follow the revised plan."
Xiao Yue nodded with pride and satisfaction at finally being able to teach something meaningful.
"You are very adaptable, Kenji. Most people would be frustrated with a setback like this."
"Frustration does not change reality. Adaptation does."
"Exactly." She smiled again, and the effect was disconcerting. "That is why I believe you will eventually succeed."
The training continued for another two hours. Exercises that my body, accustomed to sitting in offices, protested violently. Pushups that I could barely complete. Squats that made my legs burn.
Xiao Yue corrected me constantly with patience. There was no frustration in her voice, only that underlying joy of someone who finally has a clear purpose. Liling acted as a sort of hyper enthusiastic cheerleader, shouting words of encouragement that could probably be heard throughout the entire complex.
"Come on, Kenji! Three more!"
"I can barely breathe."
"That is not an excuse! Breathe while you do the pushups!"
When we finally finished, I was completely exhausted. My arms were trembling. My legs felt like they were made of jelly. My pride as a former CEO was somewhere on the ground along with my dignity. I collapsed into a sitting position, breathing heavily.
"Very well," Xiao Yue closed her notebook with satisfaction. "This is a good starting point. Tomorrow we will continue."
"Tomorrow," I repeated weakly. "Of course."
Liling practically bounced toward me.
"You did so well! For your first day, this was impressive!"
"I do not feel impressive. I feel destroyed."
"That means it worked." She offered me her hand. "Come on, I will take you to your room. You need to rest."
I took her hand and tried to stand up. My legs protested immediately. Liling, seeing my pathetic condition, simply draped my arm over her shoulders and held me firmly.
"Liling, I can walk."
"Technically yes, but very, very slowly." Her tone was cheerful. "And I have other duties to attend to, so let us speed this up."
She practically dragged me through the garden. Xiao Yue walked beside us, still with that strangely satisfied expression.
"Rest well, Kenji," she said when we reached the vicinity of my room. "Your body needs to recover for tomorrow's training."
"I will, Young Lady."
Liling helped me get to my room, which was embarrassing at levels my corporate mind had never imagined. When we reached my door, she practically pushed me inside.
"Sleep," she ordered. "No effort. Just sleep."
"Understood."
"I mean it, Kenji. I know you. You are going to try to study something as soon as I leave."
"I will do no such thing."
She looked at me with deep skepticism.
"Kenji..."
"All right, maybe I would. But I will not... Probably."
Liling sighed.
"You are stubborn. But we like you anyway."
And with that she left, closing the door softly behind her. I stood in my room for a moment, processing those last words.
We like you.
A warm and uncomfortable feeling expanded in my chest. When was the last time someone said something like that? I could not remember. In my previous life, relationships had been transactional: business partners, employees, competitors. No one had ever used a word like like in reference to me.
I sat on the bed, feeling every muscle protest.
I should sleep. Liling is right. My body needs recovery.
But my mind was already working, processing everything I had learned during training. The inability to feel Qi was data that could be analyzed.
During the combat with Liling, I had observed how she moved and how Xiao Yue did when she demonstrated techniques. I had noticed patterns in their movements, underlying principles that were not in any of the books I had read. The cultivation texts were written by cultivators for cultivators; they assumed a base level of intuitive understanding that I did not have. But that same lack of intuition allowed me to see things from a different angle.
A total beginner has the advantage of not being limited by established assumptions.
And then the realization hit me. I had seen how Xiao Yue moved. I had observed how her Qi flowed when she manifested it during the personalized demonstrations. I had read dozens of manuals on fire techniques.
And suddenly, everything began to connect. Xiao Yue needed a personalized manual. Something designed specifically for her, for her constitution and her nature.
I can write that.
It would not be perfect. It would probably have errors. But it would be better than forcing her to follow techniques that clearly were not working entirely. I got out of bed with difficulty, every muscle screaming in protest.
Just one hour. I will write this before I forget.
I went to my small desk and took out paper and ink. I sat down carefully, adjusting my position to minimize the pain. Pen in hand, I began to write.
Personalized Cultivation Manual for Xiao Yue
Foundations: The Young Lady is a fire element cultivator with an affinity for control over destruction. Traditional manuals assume that all fire cultivators seek to maximize explosive power. This assumption is incorrect in her case.
My hand moved almost on its own, years of drafting corporate reports now translated into something completely different.
Principle One: Constant Flow over Single Detonation.
The fire Qi of the Young Lady manifests most naturally as a constant and controlled flow. Forcing dramatic explosions creates internal friction and wastes resources. Instead, techniques should focus on maintaining stable flames that can be directed with precision.
I continued writing, page after page. I described the patterns I had observed in her movements. I analyzed the techniques we had found in the library and how they could be modified specifically for her.
Principle Two: Thermal Efficiency.
The temperature of a flame does not need to be at its maximum to be effective. A flame of moderate temperature and perfectly controlled can achieve more than a brief explosion of extreme heat. This aligns with the personality of the Young Lady and her appreciation for precision.
My vision began to blur from fatigue, but I kept writing.
Principle Three: Emotional Synchronization.
Traditional manuals ignore the connection between the emotional state of the cultivator and the flow of their Qi. The Young Lady cultivates best when she is in a state of focused calm. Explosive techniques require anger or intense passion; constant control techniques require serenity and clear purpose.
The pages accumulated by my side. My hand ached, but I did not stop.
Principle Four: Adaptation.
The Young Lady has been trying to force her nature to conform to rigid techniques. The correct approach is the opposite: adapting the techniques to her nature. This requires constant experimentation and a willingness to modify established methods.
Finally, after what must have been two hours, I put the pen down. I had a basic manual. Incomplete, probably with several errors, but it was a start. It was something no instructor of the clan had ever given her: a path designed specifically for her.
I looked at the pages scattered on my desk, my handwriting becoming less legible as fatigue took over.
This could work. Or it could be completely useless. But at least it is something.
My body finally rebelled. The muscle pain, ignored for the last few hours in favor of intellectual concentration, returned with a vengeance. I crawled back to bed and collapsed onto it without even taking off my clothes.
My last thought before falling into a deep sleep was simple:
Tomorrow I will give the manual to Xiao Yue. And then Liling will go back to kicking my butt.
Somehow, despite the physical pain and uncertainty, that prospect did not bother me as much as it should. For the first time in two lives, I was allowing myself to be a beginner.
And strangely, that felt like a different kind of success.