"Some blades don't shine. They wait beneath the surface."
Part 1: The Silent Threshold
The change came without sound.
Li Wei had been breathing calmly, palms resting on his knees, when it happened. No flash. No surge. Only a subtle shift deep within his body—like a locked gate gently sliding open.
Heat stirred in his core. Then cooled.
For a moment, every breath became easier. His skin tingled with faint warmth. His pulse moved slower, yet deeper.
And then, silence returned.
He exhaled softly, opened his eyes, and nodded once to himself.
Longevity Technique – Proficiency: (1/200) – Minor Success
No fireworks. Just quiet progress.
He stood, rolled his shoulders, and tested the flow. When he struck through a practice log with a basic slash, the recoil felt... softer.
The same strength. But more controlled.
And when he made a shallow cut across his palm to test healing—the wound sealed within two hours.
Not miraculous. But noticeable.
Part 2: Whispers in Town
Stone Lantern Town had grown noisier since the regional gathering announcement.
Taverns buzzed with travelers. Martial aspirants exchanged rumors and token techniques in back alleys.
But Li Wei noticed something else.
A man pretending to sell spices kept watching too long. A guard from the town's outer post asked too many questions about recent rooftop movement. An old beggar suddenly sat near his stall every afternoon.
He said nothing.
He sharpened his cleaver. Practiced his strikes. Breathed deeper. Moved quieter.
Butchering – Proficiency: (90/200) – Minor Success
Part 3: The Second Cut
That night, after a particularly long meditation, Li Wei shifted from forms to improvisation.
He took a step forward—then pivoted into a low slash.
It felt wrong.
He tried again, this time with a slight hip turn. Better.
He drew upon the memory of an old fencing drill from Earth. Not the sword itself, but the motion of redirecting energy.
And then, muscle memory from butchering added something new:
A hook-step, to press inside the enemy's guard.
He practiced the sequence fifty times. One breath. One slash. One recovery step.
He didn't name it. He didn't log it.
But when he struck again, it flowed.
Bone-Cleaving Form – Proficiency: (71/100) – BeginnerSwordsmanship – Proficiency: (63/200) – Minor Success
Part 4: Old Wen's Warning
The next morning, Old Wen surprised him.
"Your shoulders don't slouch like a butcher anymore," he grunted while folding pigskin.
Li Wei didn't answer.
Wen tossed a bone hook into a bucket and sighed. "That breathing you use. It's not common."
Li Wei looked at him.
The old man didn't meet his gaze. "I saw someone use it once. Long ago. In a border camp during a war. Man survived three arrow wounds and kept moving. Said it was a gift from an outlaw monk."
A pause.
"Few knew that technique came from a heretical sect. Most of them were wiped out. Those who lived... were marked."
Another pause.
"Sometimes longevity carries a price."
Li Wei nodded, as always. And said nothing.
Part 5: A Letter Without Flame
That evening, he found a sealed envelope beneath his pillow.
No wax. No crest. But the paper was fine. Too fine for this town.
He opened it.
Inside, elegant brushwork:
"We are watching. Not all flowers bloom in sunlight. Some bloom under blood."
A folded emblem accompanied it: a silver etching of the Jade Palm Pavilion.
And beneath it, a faintly glowing glyph. A symbol for Qi condensation.
Li Wei stared at it.
Held it.
And for the first time, didn't burn it.
He folded the paper slowly. Set it inside the wooden box beneath the floor.
Then closed it.
[Experience Panel]
Name: Li Wei
Age: 22
Cultivation: Martial Dao – Acquired Realm (Middle Stage)
Skills:
• Longevity Technique – Proficiency: (1/200) – Minor Success
• Butchering – Proficiency: (90/200) – Minor Success
• Swordsmanship – Proficiency: (63/200) – Minor Success
• Bone-Cleaving Form – Proficiency: (71/100) – Beginner