I was looking at the object, trying to calm my mind,
Breathing slowly…
I tried to fuse my Qi with it, but nothing worked.
(Man… even my head started hurting,) I screamed inside my mind.
I tried again, this time I even whispered,
"Go, Qi, go to the object…" but still, nothing.
I even bumped my head with my palm, quietly saying,
"Work… please work."
I thought to myself, Even if my Qi is formed, if I don't keep practicing my breathing, I'm going to stay stuck at this level.
"How does this even work?"How can I infuse my Qi into a weapon and control it without touching it?
In anime, it always looks so easy. The protagonist just concentrates on their Qi, gathers it, then moves it through their body, sometimes into their hands and then into an object, simple.
But reality… it's not working.
I know I'm already stronger than an ordinary person, and my Qi is formed. But the question is, how do I transfer it outside my body when I don't feel the object as part of me? How?
"Nothing is impossible. It's just a mindset and hard work," I told myself.
But then I heard my master's voice whispering,
"Thinking about it won't make you strong. If there were no mirror, how would you know the shape of your eyes? You could call them round or flat, but it wouldn't matter as long as you could see. In the same way, thinking about infusing Qi into a weapon won't actually infuse it."
Master words struck me deeply.
(when qi is formed, it's not about thinking of an object and transferring qi into it. It's not about concentration either. It's more about just looking at the object without any thoughts. Maybe the qi gets infused without you even knowing it, that's how it works,) I thought.
My master whispered in my mind, "Kid, focus on the object without really focusing."
So, I stared at a small stone, just looking at it calmly, without getting attached and without even moving my eyes.
At first, nothing happened.
But after a while, a faint yellow glow appeared around the stone,
"What...?" I thought.
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the glow vanished.
I brought my focus back, quietly, just observing the stone again without chasing the glow. This time, I didn't try to focus on the glow at all. I just focus on breathing without focusing.
Then the yellow light returned brighter, growing wider.
Still staring at the stone, I slowly lifted my hand.
To my surprise, the stone floated up into the air,
I moved my hand to the left and the stone floated left.
To the right it followed, It moved wherever I wanted it to.
Suddenly, I heard birds chirping.
"Chirp…chep…chirp...chep…"
I looked up and it was already morning. I hadn't even noticed the night pass.
I didn't feel like moving, but then I heard a door close, about 100 meters away yet somehow, I could hear it clearly.
Excited, I looked at myself, amazed by what I was experiencing.
I got up and went to the old man's house.
He and his grandson were already outside, getting ready to leave,
I asked, "Where are you going?"
The old man hesitated, looking a bit embarrassed,
"I feel a little ashamed to say this," the old man said softly, "but... I'm going to the market to sell that gold you gave me last time."
I smiled gently. "That's a good idea."
He sighed. "I didn't want to... but I thought, maybe with that money, I can open a small shop and give my grandson three meals a day."
I said, "That's good news, and I'm happy too."
I asked, "Will you be back today?"
He nodded. "Yes, we'll be back by noon. It's just a two hour walk. Please feel at home. I also made you some tea."
His grandson said happily, "Big brother! Wait for us. We'll bring meat from the town, and we'll have a feast!"
I smiled, gently touched his face, and said, "Alright, I'll be here."
They both waved as they left, smiling brightly. I waved back, feeling warm inside.
I went inside and had the tea the old man made.
It was just hot water with a little salt and a little bit of butter floating on top but I drank it anyway.
Then, I tried to move the teapot without touching it.
At first, it floated smoothly.
But as I tried to move it, it wobbled,
thak... thak…
Luckily, I managed to place it back without dropping it.
I sat back down and continued my training.
Time flew.
Before I knew it, it was already noon.
My stomach growled,
gor... gor... huk… I was hungry.
I looked around for food but found nothing. So, I drank the leftover tea again.
Why aren't they back yet? I wondered.
I stepped outside, hoping to see them but there was no sign.
Are they okay...? I muttered.
I was worried, maybe something happened to them so I decided to head toward the town myself.
I walked toward the town and when I arrived, I couldn't help but whisper,
"Wow…"
(Black Pine isn't small at all,) I thought to myself.
It was vast and the streets were wide, the houses well kept, and tall black pine trees lined the roads. The morning sun made everything shine gently, and the gentle breeze carried the smell of fresh bread and spices. It was beautiful.
I looked around, trying to find the old man and his grandson but they were nowhere in sight.
Then I noticed a well dressed man nearby. His clothes were spotless, made from fine silk, and he carried himself with quiet confidence. Even his boots looked expensive, polished and clean. He seemed like someone from a wealthy family.
I started walking toward him, but before I could say anything, two men stepped in front of me. I hadn't even noticed they were his bodyguards.
Before things got tense, the man held up his hand and said kindly, "It's alright. Let him speak."
He looked at me with a calm smile.
"My name is Wen Yu," he said. "And yours?"
I replied politely, "My name is Xie Zhong."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Xie Zhong," he said warmly.
I asked, "Do you know where I can find a jewelry shop around here?"
He nodded. "Yes. Go straight from here until you see a bakery on the corner. Turn right there, then take the first left. You'll see a large house in that place."
"Thank you very much," I thank him sincerely.
With that, I headed in the direction he told me.
When I reached the area, it was crowded. A lot of people were gathered around, whispering and murmuring to each other.
"They deserve it… stealing and then saying it's theirs," someone muttered.
Another voice said, "Do you think that old man could afford such gold? Of course they stole it."
Hearing those words, I thought something's wrong, I thought
instantly.
I pushed through the crowd, squeezing between people until I reached the front.
And then I saw them,
"No…!" I screamed, with anger and sorrow