Chapter 36: The Mysterious Old Man

After stepping out of Bai Xuan’s wooden cottage, Tong Jin had walked only a few paces when a melodious laugh drifted toward him from afar. "Little brother, were you looking for me, your big sister?"

Watching Tian Feng glide toward him with a playful giggle, Tong Jin smiled sheepishly. "We meet again, Sister Tian Feng."

Seeing that the boy was quite well-mannered, Tian Feng decided not to tease him further. "Well, aren't you going to take out the token?"

Tong Jin obediently handed the token to her. Tian Feng took a look and clicked her tongue in surprise. "Tsk, tsk. I never would have guessed that Master would treat you so generously. This is the highest-grade token in the entire Imperial Palace. As far as I know, the only other one is held by Senior Shen Nongzi of the Divine Rest Palace."

Hearing this, Tong Jin scratched his head in embarrassment, a surge of gratitude toward Bai Xuan rising in his heart.

Tian Feng covered her mouth to hide a smile. "Alright, take this. See that red-roofed room over there? You can stay there. As for everything else, someone will take care of it for you." After patting Tong Jin’s hair, she added, "Sister has things to attend to, so I won't be able to accompany you. I’ll come visit you when I have the time."

With that, she waved her hand and darted off into the distance. Clutching the heavy key she had given him, Tong Jin thought to himself that while Tian Feng might be impulsive, she was truly kind and cheerful. However, remembering her attitude toward Bai Xuan, he couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed Bai Xuan wasn't as rigid and dull as he had appeared; perhaps his future studies wouldn't be as tedious as he had feared. With that thought, he headed toward the red-roofed wooden cottage.

Upon opening the door, he found the room spotless, with the wooden windows and furniture neatly arranged. Having nothing to do, he wandered out for a stroll and soon found himself near a nearby riverbank.

An autumn breeze rippled across the water, where a few small wooden boats sat idly moored. A group of water birds glided gracefully toward the vessels, landing on the gunwales and chirping rhythmically. Finding the sight amusing, Tong Jin felt a burst of childish playfulness and picked up a round pebble from the shore, tossing it toward the birds. *Plop!* When the stone was less than half a yard from the boat, it seemed to strike an invisible wall; it bounced off and splashed into the water.

"Huh?" He let out a soft exclamation and looked around, but aside from an elderly, withered man with white hair fishing on the bank in the distance, there was no one else in sight. After a moment of hesitation, he walked toward the old man.

As he drew closer, he realized the man was far more ancient than he had imagined. His sparse, messy white hair swayed in the breeze, and the skin on his face sagged with age, his eyes nearly hidden by heavy, wrinkled eyelids. The old man sat cross-legged on the bank, clutching a slender bamboo fishing rod, his focus entirely on the water before him.

Not wanting to disturb him, Tong Jin sat down quietly beside him. He wasn't sure why he did it, but he was bored, and watching the old man fish was better than aimlessly wandering alone.

As time passed, the old man never once lifted his rod, yet Tong Jin found himself sitting there, eventually falling into a state of meditation. At that moment, everything around him seemed to grow still. His mind became clear and empty; he could sense the birds soaring in the sky, the fish leaping in the water, and the scent of ripening grain carried on the autumn wind. Suddenly, a low, murmuring voice resonated in his mind, as if it were his own internal consciousness: "All things possess life—every blade of grass, every flower, every bird, every fish, every insect. Only by transcending the cycle of slaughter can one step into the supreme realm. Your unique physique is a blessing from heaven. Since we have met by fate, I shall bestow one technique upon you."

As the voice faded, Tong Jin snapped out of his meditation. To his astonishment, the old man who had been fishing was nowhere to be seen.

He looked at the sky and realized it was already sunset. Recalling the voice in his mind, he felt a sense of bewilderment and prepared to return to his room. "Wait?" A thin, tattered paper booklet on the ground caught his attention.

He bent down to pick it up. It consisted of only a few pages, the paper turned dark yellow with age, and the characters were so worn they were barely legible. Yet, he could make out the bold, vigorous words: *Angry Sun Palm*. His heart raced with excitement. Could this be a gift from Senior Bai Xuan? He recalled the words from his meditation: "All things possess life... Since we have met by fate, I shall bestow one technique upon you." Tong Jin pinched his own cheek—it hurt. He wasn't dreaming.

"Could it have been that old fisherman?" The thought struck him suddenly. He considered the possibilities, but before he could feel truly happy, the phrase "Your unique physique is a blessing from heaven" echoed in his mind. A sense of unease washed over him, and he returned to his cottage with a heavy heart.

When he arrived, he found the table laden with steaming dishes. Tong Jin didn't hold back and ate his fill, though he didn't touch a drop of the wine.

After he finished, two middle-aged women in simple, traditional clothing entered the room. They didn't say a word, acting as if he weren't even there, as they cleared away the leftovers and quietly retreated.

Tong Jin thought to himself that the service in the Imperial Palace was truly thorough. He closed the door and took out the *Angry Sun Palm* manual to study it. Though he worried about his Yin-Yang physique being discovered, he couldn't be certain that the mysterious voice had actually seen through his condition. Even if it had, the intent seemed benevolent. He decided that if he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't dwell on it—it was better to seize the opportunity presented to him.

Opening the manual, he found a diagram of human meridians with colorful curves weaving through them. Tong Jin carefully identified the acupuncture points on his own body according to the diagrams, tracing the flow of *qi* as it was meant to circulate.

Time slipped away, and he went over the diagrams again and again. Without realizing it, he fell asleep, slumped over the table.

The next morning, Tong Jin was awakened by a rhythmic knocking at the door. He wiped a bit of drool from his face, tucked the manual into his tunic, and went to open the door. It was the two women from the previous night, one carrying a basin of water and the other holding a clean towel.

"Yawn—" He let out a long yawn and said, "Come in, just leave it there."

The two women remained silent; they set down the basin of clear water and stood motionless to the side. Tong Jin shook his head, thinking there would be no chance to go back to sleep. He rolled up his sleeves, splashed his face with water, and took the towel from the woman. The cold water made him feel much more refreshed.

"Young Master, our master has instructed that after you finish breakfast, you are to go directly to his room to see him," one of the women said respectfully as they were about to leave.

Tong Jin was stunned, having assumed they were deaf-mutes hired by the palace. He quickly nodded. "I understand. Thank you both."

Before long, he had finished his breakfast and arrived at Bai Xuan’s door.