A few minutes of arduous walking later, the group of students emerged into a large clearing in the forest. The floor was entirely grass, unlike the training field, and there were mats laid all over the ground. Though the trees were at the edge of the clearing, their canopies extended into the space, casting cool shadow over their faces, providing relief after the exhausting exercise.

  At the other end of the clearing, on a large, felled tree trunk was sitting a woman. Jade green robes flowed over her body, with wisps of white silk trailing her arms and shoulders, floating ethereally in the air behind her like a halo. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun, with what looked like a miniature of a violin bow keeping it in place. A veil covered her eyes, yet she stared at the group with unerring accuracy as a a small smile adorned her face.

  "Good morning students. I hope your day goes well," her soft voice rang throughout the clearing.

  Unlike with Instructor Wu, the group was a lot quieter in replying this time. "Good morning, Instructor Yin."

  She waved a hand at them, gesturing to get settled on the mats. "I'm sure you all know what to do. Please get started immediately."

  All the recruits moved around, sitting down on mats randomly, Yu Feng hurrying to do the same. He spied everyone sitting in the lotus position and closing their eyes, and copied them, feeling very foolish the entire time. He had no clue what they were supposed to be doing, and was debating whether to interrupt the instructor or not when a calm voice called out to him.

  "You must be Yu Feng, correct?"

  Opening his eyes, he found the Instructor Yin standing right in front of him, looking very much like the image of a wood nymph. Trying to hurry out of his sitting position, he replied, "Yes Instructor Yin. I am Yu Feng."

  Before he could fully rise however, a small hand rested on his shoulder and pushed him down into position with ease. Yu Feng had a feeling that even if he had tried to resist, there would have been no way he could've done so.

  "All the instructors had been informed that there was a new student, and that he would require our attention," Instructor Yin explained. Yu Feng thanked whoever it was that had spread the word, because he for sure did not have the courage to ask for the help himself.

  "You do not understand the purpose of this exercise." It was not a question. Yu Feng nodded anyway. He could just see the outline of her eyes through the thin, lavender veil, but there was something about her gaze that just made Yu Feng want to go along with what she said. There was an oddly hypnotic rhythm to the way she spoke too, like the melody of a song. Yu Feng chalked it up to strong cultivator things, like the vision he saw in Instructor Wu's eyes.

  Instructor Yin moved behind Yu Feng, and he felt her settle onto the ground behind him. A warm hand pressed onto his back, and he involuntarily straightened his spine.

  "Close your eyes," Instructor Yin commanded. He did so, shutting out the world around him, save the feeling of the hand on his back, and the soft mat under his legs.

  "Right now, we are meditating to find the nature of our meridians in our body," Instructor Yin started. "You must have been told about how our bodies are comprised of ten meridians, and the various places they occupy in the body. We have one in each limb, one in our spine, one for each of the senses save touch, and the last in our heart."

  As she spoke, her musical voice drifted from in and out of Yu Feng's senses, his breathing getting slower and longer. "Before one can reinforce their meridians, they must understand its attribute and placement. Your previous class was about preparing your body for the next step. This one is about understanding how to take that step."

  "You must clear your mind, and focus inwards. Open up your body to all its senses, and let them fight naturally amongst each other."

  Though Yu Feng was completely relaxed, he was having a little trouble with clearing his mind. In this soft state, memories of his family and village slipped in and out of his thoughts. He started to twitch a little, the sunlight seeming too bright to his closed eyes. He was about to open them, when deep within his heart, it was as if a chord was rung. It was a clear, pure note not accompanied by anything else, yet it filled Yu Feng's mind with calm. It was as if no thoughts existed in his brain anymore.

  As he reached this state, he first heard more. He could hear the soft twittering of the bird in the tree to his right, and the call of a monkey way off in the distance. Next were the smells, of spring grass and the pleasant perfume that Instructor Yin was wearing. He took this all in, letting it fill his mind. He was calm, yet he was unable to believe he had been missing so much of the world before.

  Sitting on his mat in utter peace, it seemed like his body had started connecting to the earth. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was confusion, but he let the melding continue. The earth called to him, connecting him to the ground through his spine. His body could feel the slight tremors the breathing of his fellow disciples caused in the ground, and the unnaturalness of Instructor Yin's presence, like she was not even on the ground. He felt the grass growing, the small organisms building colonies under their feet and living and surviving. He had become the earth.

  He was reveling in this sensation of oneness, when the connection was abruptly severed when Instructor Yin removed her hand. The cacophony of nature switched to silence, as a stiffness mixed with warmth seemed to originate from his back, rooting him to the earth.

  Opening his eyes, he found Instructor Yin standing above him again, smiling softly.

  "Looks like you found your spine meridian, and its attribute."

  "Earth," Yu Feng stated.

  Instructor Yin nodded. "Indeed. Stability, natural growth and steadfastness."

  Yu Feng took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "It felt like... I was just an extension of the ground under. Like I was everything, everywhere, all at once. And that I did not want to move. At all."

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  "That does happen," Instructor Yin agreed. "Meditating brings to fore sensations that are repressed, and connects us to the spiritual plane, to Qi. Thus it is natural to get immersed in it. What one must not forget is that they are sentient, and not nature."

  Yu Feng bowed awkwardly while sitting. "This one will carve your advice deep into his heart."

  Instructor Yin gave him a tiny nod and started walking away, presumably to check on another disciple. A soft whisper entered Yu Feng's ears as he closed his eyes, ready to get back into meditation. "Do not be disheartened that you arrived late. Cultivation is a journey that must be taken one step at a time. Many get stuck on a floor, but as long as you persevere, you will succeed. You have a talent. Utilise it well."

  Smiling softly at the words, Yu Feng settled his heart and mind, once again ready to connect with the earth, and see what other joy nature brought.

  It was the loud grumbling of his stomach that disrupted Yu Feng's meditation. He was jolted out of a very nice conversation that two birds seemed to be having, and was rather annoyed. He had always had good patience. Working on a farm helped with that, but the effects of meditation were magical.

  He saw the others too start emerging from their concentration one by one, and concluded that it must be time for the class to finish. Instructor Yin was nowhere to be seen, yet the class seemed unperturbed, so he guessed it must be normal. Spotting Shen Yao, he waved to his new...friend? before standing up with some difficulty. His legs had fallen asleep, so he gave them a few good smacks with his fist to bring some feeling into them.

  "How was your first go at meditation?" Shen Yao asked as Yu Feng approached. Stretching slightly, Yu Feng replied in a slightly breathy voice, "It was... surreal. I could hear and feel so much."

  Shen Yao laughed lightly, slapping his arm a little. "Yes, the first time was the same for a lot of us. Tell me, did you figure anything out about your meridians?" There was an unexpected gleam of curiosity in his eyes as he waited for Yu Feng's answer.

  For a second, Yu Feng was unsure whether he should reveal the details, but seeing no harm in it, he acquiesced. "Earth attribute, spine meridian."

  A thoughtful look entered Shen Yao's face as he heard that answer. He looked Yu Feng up and down like a butcher evaluating a prize cut of meat. It made Yu Feng slightly uncomfortable.

  "Yes, I can see that," he nodded. His eyes flicked onto a point behind Yu Feng. He waved someone over, and they were joined by Gong Wei, who had a sour look on his face.

  "What's got you twisted?" Shen Yao inquired.

  "That Toad-" Gong Wei spat, "-discovered another meridian. Fire this time, right hand. I heard him bragging about it to Cai Lingxin as I was walking past. That's already three different elements he has."

  Shen Yao's face darkened. "Truly a toad lusting after swan's meat. First slandering a True Disciple's reputation, now harassing Cai Lingxin. He's just the last surviving member of a dead clan. Does he really think a Cai, someone of an Elder Clan, would give him the time of day?"

  Gong Wei nodded vehemently. "It's almost as bad as commoners trying to rise above their stations. Satisfaction is a virtue that is lost on the plebians."

  The discussion was making Yu Feng increasingly uncomfortable. Aiming to shift the topic, he said, "Should we go eat something? I don't know about you both, but that all that exercising has me starving."

  Both of them jumped slightly, likely having forgotten that Yu Feng was even there. Shen Yao coughed a little, while Gong Wei smoothened his robes. "Yes, yes, let's go," Shen Yao agreed. "I too am quite hungry."

  Together, the three of them set on the path back towards their residence, Yu Feng following the two. The silence was comforting, but an urge kept nibbling at the back of Yu Feng's mind. Not being able to resist after a minute, he sped up to walk beside Gong Wei.

  "Gong Wei, what did you mean about commoners not knowing their place? I fear I may have misunderstood your intentions."

  Gong Wei looked at him with slight confusion, as if not understanding his question. Rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile, Yu Feng clarified, "You see, I am a commoner. My family has been farming for generations, so I was a little confused about your comment."

  Understanding dawned on Gong Wei and Shen Yao's faces. Waving his hands placatingly, Gong Wei replied, "I'm sorry if you took any offence, Yu Feng. You are a cultivator of course. You are different. And I am sure your family is perfectly lovely."

  Yu Feng stared at him, as if waiting for him to continue, while Gong Wei grew more and more flustered. Shen Yao sighed, putting a hand on Gong Wei's shoulder. "I think what he means to ask is your view on commoners, Gong Wei, and your reasoning behind that comment. Am I right, Yu Feng?"

  Yu Feng nodded. Ohh-ing in understanding, Gong Wei put a hand under his chin, staring ahead as they walked.

  "Hmm, where to begin?" he said to himself. Turning to Yu Feng, he started, "I come from the Gong Clan, one of the Elder Clans. The Elder Clans is a set of clans that were established by the first Elders of the Thundering Crane Sect, and they govern regions of land under the purview of the sect."

  Seeing that Yu Feng was listening intently, he continued, "For the past few years, our clan has been managing our region happily. But recently, there have been many uprisings by the mortals, trying to overthrow the local governing bodies. They claimed that there was corruption, and that they were being oppressed. But when investigations were done, nothing of the sort was found. It was just a matter of them being unsatisfied and angry, so they tried to rebel. So you may be able to understand why I was a little strong with my words."

  Yu Feng tried to wrap his head around the reasoning. He could see Gong Wei's point, though he did not like to admit it to himself. But as someone who had lived like the commoners previously, he knew that was not the entire story. He had heard many a case from the villagers about how officials in the Inner Reed City were backstabbing hooligans who just wanted more money and power.

  Why, he remembered the case of the old lumberjack. He owned a patch of the nearby forest, and used it to provide for himself. But due to some herbs there, it caught the eye of a noble in the city, and he was coerced into selling it for a pitiful sum, not being able to voice his complaints.

  But seeing Gong Wei so strong in his convictions, he did not feel it was worth it to start an argument right there. Bowing slightly, he apologised. "Sorry for questioning you, Gong Wei. As a commoner myself, the point hit a little close to home."

  Gong Wei coughed in embarrassment. "I too, am sorry. I should be more mindful of my words."

  Yu Feng nodded, accepting the apology. Shen Yao just sighed in exasperation, and then bodily tried to drag them to the dining hall so that they could fill their stomachs.

  After a hearty meal that left him full of energy, Yu Feng retired to his room. It was slowly growing dark by now, so he lit the lamp on his desk and settled in to read Cultivation Basics again.

  He was halfway through the topic about attributes, when the sounds of people shouting reached his ears. Closing the book, he cocked his head and listened. It sounded like it was coming from right up the path.

  Deciding to investigate, he exited his abode, and jogged up the pathway. He rounded a corner, and was greeted to a very strange sight.

  Shen Yao, Gong Wei and others of his friend group stood near him, all of them looking angrily ahead. Right in front of them stood Xian Chen, whose face was twisted in anger, with Cai Lingxin right beside him.

  Shen Yao shouted loudly, "Do you never learn, Toad? We had warned you before to not step out of line, yet here you are harassing Cai Lingxin. We demand you leave her side this instant!"

  Xian Chen goaded, "Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?"

  Shen Yao fumed silently, pondering what to do, when he caught sight of Yu Feng. His face twisted into a victorious smile as he called out, "Yu Feng. Come here and help me teach this bastard a lesson."