John continued the practice according to the sheet. After ten more days, he developed a strange intuition — he could sense that he would only be able to continue this for a few more months. By then, all his outer skin would be fully infused with Qi, and he wouldn't be able to progress further without another similar paper.
He also discovered something else. Whenever he tried to take a photo of the page, it appeared blank in every image. No text, no markings, nothing.
When he attempted to copy it by hand, he could only write half a character before his vision blurred and his hands stopped moving. It felt as if his mind refused to go further. He realized this limit depended on his understanding of the first part of the Qi training manual. As he advanced, he might eventually be able to copy it.
But finding more pages alone would be impossible. He needed help.
He thought about who could assist him — friends, authorities, family, or maybe strangers. After some thought, he decided family would be safest.
That night, after returning from work, he called his elder sister, Tilly, who ran her own bakery.
"Hey Tilly, I need your help with something. Can we meet tomorrow at my place?"
"John, what's this about? I have my weekend rush, and the bakery runs all day."
"It's important."
"Are you okay? You sound serious."
"Just come tomorrow. I'll explain everything then."
"Fine. This better be worth my time."
---
The next morning around eleven, Tilly arrived at John's apartment. She was 5'6", athletic, with red hair and soft features. Dressed casually in jeans and an oversized T-shirt, she looked more irritated than curious.
"Because of you, I'm losing half a day's business," she complained.
John ignored her tone and began explaining everything — the page, the Qi, his hands, all of it.
Tilly raised an eyebrow. "Did you hit your head somewhere?"
John handed her a kitchen knife. "Try to cut my arm."
"What? John, have you lost it?"
"Just do it. You'll see."
Hesitant, she pressed the blade gently against his skin. A metallic sound rang out, but there was no cut, only a faint white line that vanished in seconds.
She stared in shock, then tried again with more force. After several attempts, she finally managed to make a small cut, but it healed visibly within minutes.
For a long moment, she just stood there, staring at him.
John smiled slightly. "Do you believe me now?"
Tilly exhaled slowly. "Yes… I guess I do."
"Where's that page?" she asked.
"In my locker. I'll get it."
John went to fetch the paper while Tilly sat on the couch, lost in thought.
When he returned, she took the page and began examining it closely. As she focused, the text shimmered faintly gold in her eyes.
After a few moments, she went still. Her eyes lost focus, and she fell into a trance.
When she woke, she had the same knowledge John once received — the first part of the Qi training manual.
John urged her to meditate using the technique. She agreed and stayed at his apartment for ten days, spending her time meditating, eating, and sleeping while John went to work as usual.
By the tenth day, she began noticing changes in herself. Her skin had become tougher, smoother, and strangely radiant. Her imperfections were gone.
She tested her newfound strength in her own way — grabbing a baking tray straight from a 200-degree oven without gloves. It didn't hurt at all.
Excited, she laughed. "I can bake faster now!"
---
After that, the siblings sat down to decide their next step. They needed more of these mysterious pages.
They decided to write a simple program that would scan news sites, blogs, and online forums for any mention of pages that appeared blank in photographs.
They also discussed whether to bring in someone else.
"Should we tell Mom?" Tilly asked. "With her position as the CEO of an auction company, she might be able to help us."
John frowned. "We'll get scolded again if we pull her into this."
Tilly smirked. "You know her being strict helped us in the long run."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered.
That evening, they called their mother, who was in Paris for an auction. They explained everything carefully, switching mobile numbers several times mid-call to stay untraceable.
Their mother listened in silence, then said in her usual calm tone, "If what you two are telling me turns out to be false, I'll remind you why your father still fears me."
John grinned. "Yeah, yeah, just come home, Mom."
She hung up the phone.