Two Days Later

The Luo Clan Mountain Meditation Palace

A young boy was squatting in the horse stance beneath a beautifully blossoming peach tree in the center of a vibrant, square garden- the rising sun slowly poured into the garden's interior like honey-yellow liquid. The peach tree's blossoms were a stunning, deep shade of magenta- picturesquely contrasting against the gray stonework, polished wooden decorations, training racks, and surrounding walls.

The young boy only wore only a pair of loose, ankle-length, earth-tone cotton pants. And his shoulder-length, straight black hair was tied back into a ponytail with a simple black silk ribbon. Sweat trailed down the sides of his face and upper body- he had been holding the stance for over three hours.

The slightest tremor shook his knees.

He suddenly released a heavy breath with closed eyes as he carefully rose out of the stance. His aching knee joints popped while his thigh muscles and tendons heavily burned. He stretched to his full height, squaring his shoulders while placing the backs of his heels together and resting the sides of his hands on either side of his waistline, palms facing the sky.

Inhale. He focused on the pain. Hold. Felt the pain. Exhale. Examined it as though it weren't his own. He silently spoke to it- made it understand that its presence was tolerated- allowed. It would never control him. It would never cloud his judgment. It was an unfortunate consequence, nothing more. Nothing less.

His breathing turned slower, rhythmic. He was close. He could feel it.

In for five... hold for three... feel your heartbeat, sense your pulse, embrace the sense of expansion within you- connect with your alternate senses... out for two...hold for two... out for three. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat...

Passive Standing Martial Meditation was only a single breath away... one more cycle...

In for five... hold for three... expand the senses-

"Your water, Young Master." A soft, masculine voice announced.

The young boy's right eye twitched.

…Expand the senses...

He pointedly refused to acknowledge the servant- he was very clearly attempting to meditate. And this was the closest he had ever come to comprehending Passive Standing Martial Meditation. He simply needed to focus and a brief moment of profound enlightenment would be-

"Young Master, is everything to your satisfaction?"

The enlightenment slipped through his fingers.

That barely perceptible sensation of nearly connecting hundreds of thoughts and ideas. That feeling of understanding just how close you were to comprehending something that had been plaguing your mind for an entire day. That nefarious knowledge that he could not even consider himself having been robbed since what he desired had not even been in his possession. The understanding that despite Passive Standing Martial Meditation's expansion of his other senses he had still somehow completely missed a servant entering the gardens. He was still too weak-willed. Too incompetent. Useless. He needed to be better. He needed to be more.

It was no one's fault but his own.

The young boy slowly exhaled as he opened his eyes. Golden-ringed, hazel irises took in their surroundings. Did everything seem more... colorful? Vibrant? There?

Interesting... He could not properly describe what he was seeing- perhaps the technique he was practicing had additional effects not covered in the manual?

Unlikely that the technique's writer would have missed something, but he noted this odd change in his vision and would take the time to discuss it with his father this morning if possible.

Only, he knew it was an instinctive reaction- to seek out those he perceived as wise and strong. He had learned early on that despite his efforts to impress his father, it was only the results that mattered. And so, his father only spoke with his eldest brother and twin sisters.

So the young boy knew he would have to seek advice from an older brother. And hopefully, the older brother was in a good mood and did not feel the need to practice their techniques.

But should Fate and Karma have truly conspired against him this fine day, then her would cross paths with his younger twin sisters. The thought alone almost caused the roots of his healthy, silken hair to turn white.

"Many thanks, Nucai Enlai." The young boy neutrally said, attempting to keep the heated undertones of self-recrimination and frustration out of his voice.

"Of course, Young Master. I have also brought a fresh towel."

"Leave it beside the water. You are excused- return to your duties."

"As you wish, Young Master." Nucai Enlai bowed deeply- parallel to the garden's stonework pathways, then smoothly exited the garden beneath a stone archway bordered with emerald hedges and wreathed with Golden Stemmed Blood Creeper. Although technically an alchemical component, the plant's hundreds of golden-bronze colored stems, and long, narrow, waxy leaves colored pink with pale red lines and irregular edges, were more valuable to look upon and present as an ostentatious decoration to impress guests rather than for its use as a common pill making component.

The young boy carefully listened for the servant's receding footsteps. Once satisfied that he was alone, he walked over to the items brought over by the Nucai: a water container sitting atop a folded, black towel. He started doing some minor stretches, imperceptibly glancing around the gardens, dormitory windows overlooking the gardens, and checking the other three archways for any silently lingering servants.

He was alone... probably.

He crouched down and grabbed the corner of the towel, carefully dragging it out from under the polished bamboo water container until it was free. He then opened the square towel and draped it over his right hand, carefully picking up the water container. The servant who'd brought the container never touched it- it had sat perfectly secure in the center of the folded towel.

He gingerly weighed it in his hand and sloshed its contents.

'Even weight. Good.' His fingers did not tingle or burn through the thin towel- no contact poison coating its surface this time.

He then used the knuckle of his left index finger to knock on the container.

'Correct sound. Good.' The walls of the container were not hollow. A slight furrow creased his brow as a thought crossed his mind.

'Could it be porous? A slow-release compound?' He sighed on the inside. If that were the case, he needed to dump the contents and dissect the container in his room tonight to see what new method they'd come up with this time. He would do that no matter what. It was better to be safe than sorry and he didn't want to miss anything because he was growing complacent or allowing himself to fall into a pattern. He needed to be better- more proactive. Smarter.

He removed the top of the water container and held it away from his face with his right hand, and wafted the air over the container to his nose with his left hand.

'Too normal... almost nothing...' His eyes narrowed. Not even the smell of the beautiful flowers and foliage scattered around the garden reached his nose.

'So... they coated the container with Extract of Numbing Lily to mask the smell of the liquid.'

That was why his fingers did not burn or tingle when holding the container- the nerve toxin had instantly taken its toll.

The young boy took a moment to appreciate the effort his siblings and extended family went through to see him fail. This attempt was expensive! A nearly perfect tincture of Numbing Lily was something only the Mountain Meditation Palace's Head Alchemist could produce or store. The young boy was not surprised the head alchemist was also a part of this- he had always assumed this, to begin with, all those years ago.

The young boy capped the container with its bamboo lid and held it away from him. He took deep breaths. Nothing. His sense of smell was completely gone, at least for now. He seriously hoped it was temporary. And if it wasn't... well, he had heard stories of cultivators' bodies being perfectly reborn upon surviving Heavenly Tribulation. He would make due until then if his 'admirers' had truly stooped to semi-lethal concoctions.

He walked over to the nearest archway and tore free a single leaf of Golden Stemmed Blood Creeper. It was truly a beautiful leaf- he took a moment to appreciate it. Who knows, perhaps tomorrow's evening meal would rob him of his sight? Then he allowed the leaf to slowly fall to the stone pathway. Removing the water container's lid once more, he crouched over the leaf and gently tipped it, allowing some sparkling, crystal-clear liquid to splash over the leaf and walkway. The leaf innocently sat there, glistening.

The young boy capped the water container without taking his eyes off the leaf.

His hard eyes carried a matureness belying the youthfulness of his expressionless face.

Inside, however, he felt the normally simmering embers of cold hatred briefly flare. His siblings had spent the time, resources, and money to acquire Weak Spiritual Water, pollute it with a high-quality poison- almost completely negating its ability to purify internal energy, and then shove it into his hands to see if he was desperate enough to drink it for the minor benefits remaining. It was the equivalent of pissing on a chunk of bread and giving it to a starving man- was dignity enough to fill a belly?

Crackle...

The young boy watched as the leaf started wilting and withering, curling in on itself. Its previously long, narrow structure and pale pink color reduced to a colorless shadow of itself. His teeth clenched together, his jaw visibly flexing. Without another word, he uncapped the water container and dumped it across the stone walkway- he didn't want this juvenile attempt on his life to damage the garden. It was one of the few places he could always retreat to practice and clear his mind.

Re-capping the container and wrapping it in the towel, the young boy took one more look around before leaving through the archway. Mentally preparing himself for the inevitable disaster that was breakfast with the family.

The small puddle of crystalline liquid sparkled beneath the sunrise as the young boy's figure turned the corner and disappeared.

A pair of beautiful green eyes watched from the corner of a window overlooking the garden.