A whole day had passed since Ni Tian stepped into the library of the Northern Dragon Hall.
He hadn't tasted sleep, nor had he even gone to check the room assigned to him.
His eyes were heavy with fatigue, his hands trembling from flipping through scrolls and endless writing—
But his heart… it blazed like embers beneath ash.
He had entered a world deeper than anything he'd ever known—a world of words pulsing with wisdom, of symbols hiding paths to power.
He sat in a corner of the library, surrounded by dozens of open scrolls. Some lay scattered on the floor, others stacked chaotically on a small wooden table. He was so lost in their pages that time itself became meaningless.
One scroll, in particular, had caught his eye.
Its title was simple, yet striking:
"The Seven Body-Strengthening Techniques."
He read the introduction with a spark in his gaze:
"To endure the ways of energy, the body must first be tempered. The skin, muscles, bones, blood, nerves, organs... and lastly, the spirit. One who neglects these seven shall never unlock the first gate of Qi."
The first chapter bore a blunt and unexpected name:
"Iron Tiger Skin."
Ni Tian carefully read through the instructions, attempting to mimic the described positions. He sat in a precise meditation posture, breathed slowly, and pressed his fingers on specific points—Qi activation nodes.
At first, a faint pain, then a warmth creeping beneath his skin... then—an internal hum.
A hum not unlike his heartbeat… but in places he had never felt before.
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
Uncle Han stepped in quietly.
He stood for a moment in silence, observing. Then, in a calm voice laced with a touch of gentle affection, he said:
"Enough for today, child… You've pushed your body too far. Strain it further, and it'll learn nothing tomorrow."
Ni Tian looked up at him, face weary but eyes ablaze with determination.
"I'll continue tomorrow, Master. I promise!"
Uncle Han smiled faintly, then walked toward the shelves.
"Tomorrow… you'll step into the second scroll chamber. There, you'll begin studying spirit techniques and higher energy paths. But it's conditional..."
He paused, sharp eyes locking onto Ni Tian's.
"If you finish memorizing the first scrolls, I won't stop you."
Ni Tian nodded with fierce resolve.
Uncle Han moved toward the door as if to leave, then stopped and glanced over his shoulder with a crooked smile:
"Ah… almost forgot. This room is ours -- yours and mine."
Ni Tian froze. He stared for a moment, then rushed to the door and slammed it shut:
"Sorry, Uncle, but it's my room now!"
But the door didn't close all the way.
Uncle Han had caught it with strong fingers and slowly pushed it open again, wearing a stern yet amused expression:
"I said our room. Don't be foolish."
He walked in calmly, sat down on a straw mat beside the bookshelf, pulled a small cloth pouch from his robes, used it as a pillow, and lay down.
"This is a way to temper the bond between us. If we live together, you'll learn in silence. Over time… you'll grow used to me."
Ni Tian sat at the opposite end of the room, eyeing him warily, muttering:
"I think I already miss the quiet..."
Uncle Han chuckled softly, eyes closing:
"Quiet? Boy, the moment you entered this place, peace died."
That night, Nie Tian did not fall asleep quickly.
He remained seated beside the scrolls, reading a line here, studying a diagram there, running his fingers across the ancient ink as if the words were being carved into his soul.
As Uncle Han slept deeply,
Ni Tian gazed into the dim firelight flickering from the oil lamp…
And whispered to himself:
"I won't be weak anymore… I won't lose anything else."
And within him—
The characters he had read still burned in his heart.