“L-Lucian? How is it that you are able to appear in front of me?” Jin was stunned when Lucian appeared.

“Ah don’t worry too much about the details. Just know that I am like an illusion of sort. Umm… Ah! A projected image from one of your past lives made by the brain! That’s it!” Lucian exclaims loudly.

‘… I’ve seen and heard some crazy things. I thought that I was used to the crazy but now I know that I am wrong.’ Jin thought. The moment the old man pulled out the two boxes and said that he left them in his care, Jin was subconsciously unsurprised. But when Lucian appeared and said that he was one of his past lives, Jin was scared for a good minute.

“Let’s not waste time and start okay?” Lucian said nonchalantly. “We’ll start with the basics.”

Lucian came over to Jin and sat right next to him. “The very first step is to breathe naturally. But I think you already got that down a long time ago. So I’ll show you the second step”

Jin watched Lucian closely. The way Lucian breathed was a little different. It was more controlled than how he naturally breathe. He only inhaled about three seconds to four seconds for one hundred percent full breath, held it for five to seven seconds and then released it slowly for eight to ten seconds all through the nostrils. “This is one of the many various breathing techniques. It is a little ancient… but the point of it is to re-energize your body by just breathing in the air. This one is just to open and stimulate your body. Only do it once a day if not three times. Breathing in incorrectly or too much can lead to many other problems. Just listen and don’t do something ridiculous and do this like the entire day. It might be harmful than it can be good: 3 heh heh...” Lucian gave a wicked smile.

“Uh… Lucian… You sure you are the right guy to teach me?” I was extremely worried when Lucian said that it may leads to many other problems.

“Oh come on. It was just a half serious joke. The next part is just to continuously breathe through the nose and never stop breathing naturally. I mean, you can’t always breathe out of your mouth so this is the simplest form since this is based off a child breathing. There are many other breathing techniques but this is the simplest one of all of them. The better ones are the ones that inhales through your nose and exhales through the mouth. All I’ve taught you so far was stimulating breath. As it sounds, it is just used to stimulate your body. Too much stimulation can lead to exhaustion and then your breathing gets screwed. So I really do mean not to do it too often.” Lucian chuckled at my worries. I was lost deep in thought when Lucian showed me. “I’ll show you how to gather qi afterwards ha ha!” Lucian laughed.

Thinking of what he said, I also had the feeling of nostalgia and closed my eyes. Instead of doing that stimulating breathing and normal breathing; I breathed differently and my body moves by itself. In a strange and uncontrollably good way, I was breathing similarly to what Lucian showed but it felt more refreshing but a lot more natural and felt like I was sucking in a whole lot of energy. Well… the better term would be that I let the energy flow into me.

‘Huh? Jin already knew how to absorb qi? … Then what have I been doing all this for?’ Lucian thought. He was disappointed that all he taught was just the basics while Jin already knew how to absorb qi and was depressed so he sat near a tree and wallowed in sadness.

But in Jin’s mind, he could feel the flow of the world’s energy flowing into like a small stream of water. Jin was thinking of nothing. He just pulled the energy so naturally. During the time he was pulling energy, he saw strange dot colors floating in his mind. Each colors had a different size and a different amount of saturation with a variety of hues. But he ignores the thought and just kept pulling energy in. The dots fades eventually. When Jin reopens his eyes, he could feel an entirely new world opening up to him. A burst of energy flowed inside of him and circulated through his bloodstreams. He could feel an indescribable energy running in his muscles and blood.

‘Qi is really a strange thing… It feels good when it is taken inside the body. But it is slowly expended and replenished just by doing every day actions. Actions releases a little bit of qi. Breathing replenishes the qi just like how it replenishes oxygen in the blood. But the body naturally circulates qi. But I can force the qi to circulate a little faster as well. When qi is used in certain areas, it can nourish, recover, and almost miraculously fortify and repair the area’s muscles and ability. When I used it in my eye area, I could see things much farther. Twenty feet farther!’ I was completely fascinated with Qi. But I could feel that oxygen is a part of qi but not necessary the same as qi. It is more or less a resource consumed, converted, and redistributed throughout the body similar to blood.

“*HMPH* Nice to see my apprentice already know how to absorb qi… Guess he don’t need me after all….” Lucian cried. I turn to see that he was near a tree crying to himself. “Oh well… I already knew that you were talented in this area anyway and so I’ll just have to make you train even harder!”

Eh?

Lucian stood up from where he stood. His body flickers like an after image and I could feel something beating the wind out of me.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!” I couldn’t help but to scream. Lucian was throwing torrents of punches and kicks. He was weaker than the average human but the speed and precision made his punches and kicks hurt more than anything I’d ever felt in his life! More than the bloody car crash. I thought I was dead for sure. He repeatedly hit the same spots at least eighty times and then moves to the next spot to hit. A total of twenty dark spots swelled up. I really thought that he meant to kill me until he stopped.

“Huh?” I looked up to see the image of Lucian standing in front of me holding back his fist.

But the man named Lucian stopped after beating me to an inch of my life. He reveals an evil smile that probably could scare the shadow off somebody. “Qi once more and circulate it” Lucian said in a flat tone.

“B-but I don’t know how!!!!” I wailed. This was a feeling beyond pain. How could such a pain exist?

“Just do the same thing you did before. You know? Just get in touch with that feeling again and do it!” Lucian voice is stern and deep.

Not asking any questions, I began to do what I did before. I entered the state I was in once before and did whatever it took to do whatever I did before.

“*Tch* See. You are able to gather and circulate qi. Here, I’ll even pass on a part of my knowledge so that the training will go faster.” He said. He taps my forehead and a rush of information went into my brain. It was like forcing a person to read a book and remember each word that just passed by. And it worked!

I learned all the various qi breathing techniques and all the circulation of qi techniques. I learned what a qi center is and to circulate energy from it. I learned what real qi absorption is as well as what real circulation is. I also learn how it can help to recover me faster.

When I was done absorbing and circulating qi, I was fully recovered and those dark spots disappeared. I looked up at the scary commando. “Uh… So what’s next?” I said. I could feel the dread hanging over my body. “Next? We’ll continue to make you absorb qi until you can’t absorb qi anymore and until you hit your limit!” An evil glint in Lucian eyes was revealed while he said these very words. “GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH” I roared out in pain. A sudden rush of beat down came raining upon me and I was once again beaten until an inch of my life. I was forced to gather and circulate qi once more. This process kept on repeating until an hour before morning.

By the end of the qi training, I felt like a new world opened up to me. I rested for a good half hour or so and by then, qi naturally filled my body. I felt like I was in a world where I can feel more than just describe by beauty. Although it hurts more than the horrible car crash I felt that it was worth it. I soon learn that those colors and hues were the color of people’s qi and the lifeforce of many other things. Even when I close my eyes the world is filled with colors. In a strange way, I felt happy. My world was a little colorless before because I had nothing else to do except study, work and survive. The repetition of things wore me down and I almost felt like my life was no different than living a life of a machine.

But now that I can feel and see qi all around me, I can also feel more than what is presented to me. The emotions of everyday life, the happiness of living life, and contentment.

“Feel better?” the silhouette of Lucian appeared right in front of me.

“Yeah… A lot better… More than I’ve ever felt.” I smiled. I was no longer temporary blind after taking great stress to the body nor when I was anxious. It was gone! The qi repaired, strengthened, and fortify my eyes so well that I am able to see really far. Up to one hundred meters! I love this hawk like vision. But I love the feeling of qi more. Also, my body was also repaired completely as in no damage at all!!

“Yeah. That is the feeling of qi when you first start out. As if you were born again but a lot happier. That is how all qi training starts out” Lucian smiled as well. To him, it was a nostalgic feeling seeing a person newly introduced into qi. “I’ve learned qi the hard way. I started out as a scholar who wanted nothing more than a normal life. But when I realized how weak I was and how I never had a real desire, I felt inferior. When I saw how happy everyone was, I wanted that same happiness even if it was a little.”

‘Eh? Lucian was originally a scholar?’ I originally thought that Lucian was born and raised in the ways of the saints.

“So I explored the world until I stumbled upon qi/ki in one of my travels. I’ve never had a master to teach me before so I was lost in many random things. I had to learn qi the hard way. So when I finally was able to step in the world of qi, an uplifting feeling embraced me. It was like a forgotten happiness. So count yourself lucky Jin.” Lucian said as he stood leaning against the tree. His eyes opens softly and looks towards the dark horizon.

The morning light slowly came into view, signaling the world that it is dawn of a new day. “I welcome thee mother light. Your radiant face brings me warmth. Your shining rays of lights shatters the darkness and illuminating my path with love. I recite this verse because I felt gratified. Although I walked the path of strife, you’ve accepted all beings that walks on this land with your gracefulness, kindness and life.” Lucian poetically spoke. He was not lying about being a scholar originally.

“Ah sorry. I was reciting one of my many poems I wrote while I was still alive. Sadly, it was never popular since there was many scholars better than me. Heh...” Lucian said as he scratches his nose.

“Wait Lucian. How did you become a saint? How was it that you were able to become a practitioner of qi? Tell me! I want to know! Even when you were a scholar!” I was deeply interested.

Lucian only kept a calm smile while watching the rising sun. “Someday. I’ll retell my adventures to you Jin. But know that the way I trained is similar to how you were trained just now. Just that our reasons to become a saint is different. The path we walk is also different. I am someone that you could call the other side of a saint. As for my days as a scholar… I was simply into books, concocted many poisonous pills, developed many different new medicines, and…”

“And?” I was curious to know.

“And I’ll advise you to not know more about my life than needed. I’m more afraid of how it will influence your growth as a person more than anything. Since I am one of your past lives, I am certain that it will influence you in a bad way. So just live the life you love” Lucian said lightly as ever. “Besides, don’t you have a woman to go back to? I’m pretty sure that you like that woman a lot.” Lucian grins evilly once more.

“Heh… I can only like a person. I can’t love a person. So she is not mine in any case. I’m also pretty sure that she doesn’t think of me as much like all my past crushes even when I confessed to them anyhow…” I depressingly said.

*WHACK*

“OW!” I cried. Lucian gave me a great punch to the face. His silhouette disappears once the sun fully rose like a ghost.

Lucian’s voice echoes in my mind. “You were willing to suffer for her and her abnormal details! Something most men would not do for women! So stop undervaluing yourself! Those past crushes you had? *SNORT* they were probably nothing more than just passing street walkers or walking gorillas with a sh*t load of make-up on. They just can’t see the value in you until you proved that you are better than them. I am the same as you Jin. I am your past self. So I know what I am talking about. If there is something I am certain about, it is that woman. She will one day respond to those feelings and values you held for her”

Lucian proudly said, “You should be more proud of what you’ve done. Those other three women aren’t that bad either. Especially the girl named Mirana or something. Rosa as well seems to like you to go as far to notice your cool act. Seems like they already hold you high in their hearts. So go home and wear that smile like you always do and act like how you always do. Take a few days off from helping people. Stay home and rest. Spend some time with that girl. We’ll start training again after you’ve rested up enough and return to a good mental state.”

“Alright then Lucian. But let me ask one last question before I go.” I smirked.

“Oh? Go right ahead.” Lucian was strangely happy.

“How in the world can you hit me if you are dead!? I thought you were an illusion projected by my brain!” I asks him. It really didn’t make any sense in the slightest.

“Ha ha… Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Secrets of a saint! Ah ha ha ha ha” Lucian only roared out laughing. He stopped responding after that.

I just walked right home afterwards. ‘Mirana and Rosa? Those two? That is an interesting thought’ I laughed inside. I was just unsure on why Meracle meant a lot to me besides the fact that she gave me a place to stay.