It was a quiet night, the moon providing a soft beam that bathed the town, when the peaceful quiet was interrupted by the faraway wails of a baby. Within the tiny, dilapidated orphanage, an old lady woke up from her sleep. Her sharp ears picked up the odd sound, and she got up from her chair, creaking joints, and shambled to the front door.
Slowly opening it, she looked out into the chilly night. There, on her porch, was a little package swathed in white. Blinking in shock, she spoke under her breath, "Which idiot in this town is mean enough to leave a baby out here?" Her annoyed yet worried voice resounded in the stillness.
Bending, she carefully scooped up the baby, whose wailing stopped the second he nestled into her arms. Looking into his small face, she was stunned for an instant by his divine beauty. His tender features and radiant skin imbued him with an otherworldly kind of beauty, as if a fragment of divinity had been left on her doorstep. The elderly woman stared, captivated by the innocence in her arms.
Coming out of her trance, she glanced about half-expecting someone to emerge out of the darkness. "No one?" she whispered, bewildered. Glancing again at the peaceful child now sleeping against her, she breathed softly, "Who would abandon such a precious spirit?"
She cradled the child closer, backing into the orphanage, her forehead creased in thought. She carefully laid him into one of the few cribs that had sleeping infants. It was a humble facility, one she had devoted her life to operating.
She lay down the boy, whispering gently, "In this town, no one would abandon so lovely a child. Perhaps. it was a stranger."
Still perplexed, she settled back into her chair by the fire, her mind swirling with questions. The baby lay peacefully in his crib, his divine aura lingering in the air, as if fate itself had quietly entered the orphanage that night.
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Six years passed,
And the once-abandoned infant grew into a handsome young boy. His short black hair surrounded a face that exuded an odd charm, and his dark, deep eyes entranced every person who caught his eye. Alexander had an almost magnetic air about him, a presence that attracted people, as if he was made to be coveted.
As he strolled down crowded streets, townspeople welcomed him with friendly smiles. Mothers, distracted by their everyday activities, stopped to give him gentle looks of love, their hearts melted by his innocence. Little girls, no more than his age, became flushed, their faces glowing with excitement as they whispered to each other, captivated by his cute behavior. Even elderly women smiled warmly, their eyes full of a soft warmth whenever he walked by.
"Good morning, Alexander!" a woman greeted happily, smiling wide and inviting.
"Here, have this!" another said, handing him a bit of chocolate from her basket. Her eyes grew softer still as she saw his thankful face.
Alexander received the presents with a gentle smile, his head nodding in gratitude. Young as he was, he moved with an air of serenity that seemed beyond his years, and he appeared far older than his contemporaries. The people in the town could not quite describe why they should, but they felt an automatic desire to overwhelm him with tiny gifts—baked bread, sweets, or small trinkets—every time they met him.
To them, Alexander was just the pretty boy from the town orphanage, but he had integrated himself into the society of the town, his infectious presence bringing laughter wherever he went. He was adored by the mothers, revered by the young girls, and everyone he encountered seemed to be affected by the warm aura that seemed to follow him.
As he made his way down the street, the townspeople couldn't help but speculate why the boy was so special. They did not know much about his past, but everyone concurred: he was a blessing to their community, whom they loved as their own.
Later, Alexander walked to the edge of town, where homes were scarce and the woods loomed in the background. The familiar trail ended at a small home located close to the woods. Across from the home, an elderly man sat in a wooden rocking chair, absorbing the serenity of late afternoon. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be immersing himself in the peace surrounding him.
With Alexander's arrival, he altered his typical serene attitude, using an innocent face that toned down his already captivating features. A mock seriousness in his tone, he shouted, "Gramps, look! I'm six years old today, if you ask Grandma!"
The eyes of the old man fluttered open, and a gentle smile crept up his face as he looked at the boy who stood before him. "Alexander, my boy! HAHAHA, six already, are you? Time really does fly!" His laughter was warm and full of love.
With a nostalgic sigh, he reclined in his chair, his eyes growing soft as he recalled. "I still recall when you could not even walk… a little thing, always stumbling everywhere."
Alexander's face furrowed into a pout, cheeks puffing out in feigned exasperation. "Stop it, Gramps! I don't care to hear about that humiliating stuff!" He quickly changed gears, his voice lightening with determination. "I'm here to learn about martial arts!"
The elderly man arched an eyebrow in laughter. "Martial arts, you say?" With a furrow of thought between his brows, he looked up and down at Alexander. His smile widened after a moment. "I can show you what little I do know. Let's start with the basics.
Alexander's composed exterior briefly broke as his eyes glistened with excitement. Despite his youth, he had a burning determination that was beyond his years. When the elderly man saw this spirit, he laughed once more and slowly got to his feet.
"All right then, come along."
He took Alexander to the rear of his house, where an open space lay out beside a peaceful lake. The water glimmered in the gentle light, and some rabbits grazed by the water's edge. The tranquility of the scene was calming, but Alexander's attention was only on the old man, who stood ready to share important wisdom.
Following a pause of some duration, the old man started, "What you refer to as martial arts is called cultivation by the majority of people."
Alexander's eyes opened in interest, his complete attention enthralled.
"The first step along this path is tempering your body," the old man went on, his voice unshaken. "Individuals call this realm 'Body Tempering.' It's the basis for everything subsequent. Without a strong body, you have no hope of absorbing Astral Energy—the force that permeates the air around us."
Alexander's eyes darted up toward the sky, as if he might be able to see the invisible force the old man described.
The old man smiled in approval when he saw how intently the boy was paying attention.
"This realm is very important because you can't move on to the more advanced realms of cultivation without a solid base. Your body has to be strong enough to handle the stress of taking in and controlling Astral Energy; if not, you'll break before you can.
The old man's face darkened and he looked down at the ground with a quiet sigh. "I've never been able to move on from this realm, no matter how long I've lived."
His tone made it clear that he was sad, and for a moment, the strength and intelligence that usually came from him seemed to fade away, leaving only quiet acceptance. "No matter how hard I tried, I could never get to the next boundary..." My body just wasn't strong enough.
Alexander looked at the old man and felt the weight of what he said. He knew that this was more than just a lesson; it was a look at a life of hard work and struggle.
"But don't let that get you down," the old man quickly said, his voice coming back to life. "You're young, so you have a lot of time ahead of you. You might be able to do what I couldn't if you work hard and push yourself.
As Alexander listened closely to every word, determination shone in his eyes. He knew how important the old man's teachings were, and he made a silent promise to not only master the Body Tempering field but also go beyond it.
Following the somber tone of his previous words, the old man then abruptly rummaged through his shirt, his eyebrows twitching with Alexander's confusion. From under his shirt, the old man pulled out a thin, worn book, the cover of which had been bleached from years of being handled.
"This is called the 'Basic Body Tempering Technique,'" the elderly man began, extending the book to Alexander.
Alexander looked at the lowly book with a hint of surprise and blinked. More elaborate was what he had hoped for. The corners of his mouth twisted into a frown. "Basic?" he complained quietly to himself, barely raising his voice above a whisper, but the elderly man instantly noticed the change in his expression.
A piercing look, and the tone of the old man grew stern and somber. "Boy, don't downplay this technique."
Alexander looked up, startled by the sharp abruptness of the old man's voice.
With intense eyes, the elderly man continued, "This is perhaps the simplest approach available, but not everyone even has access to this much." "Better techniques are only available to wealthy individuals or those who come from powerful families. However, in the realm of Body Tempering, the technique itself isn't as important as you might think. Tempering your physical body is the main goal of this world, and if you put in the effort, any method—primitive or otherwise—will work for you.
As the old man's words took hold, Alexander's disillusionment began to lessen. His eyes were burning with genuine understanding rather than reprimands. He knew where Alexander's thoughts had wandered, having seen many students come and go.
The elderly man continued, nodding, "Your body will serve as the foundation for everything that comes after. All the talent in the world won't help you if you don't have a solid foundation. All great masters began somewhere, so trust me when I say that.
Every master had faced the same difficulties and setbacks that Alexander would soon encounter, and this realization strengthened his resolve. It felt heavier than its weight in his hands as he held the little book.
He was brought back to reality when the elderly man put a hand on his shoulder. "Now pay attention to this. Put in a lot of practice and remember that perseverance is the only way to surpass your limitations. Remember that all great things require perseverance and patience if you ever feel like giving up or getting tired.
Taking a deep breath, Alexander nodded, determination igniting within him. "I'll do my best, Gramps! I swear!"
Alexander then made his way back to the open area, keeping his eyes on the horizon as the sun gradually sank beneath the trees. He felt a sense of excitement for what was to come—the path of cultivation extended in front of him, full of obstacles, growth, and possibilities for more.
As he walked home with the book pressed to his chest, he could almost feel the Astral Energy swirling around him, imparting to him the secrets of strength and fortitude. He imagined the world full of exploration and adventure that lay ahead of him at every turn.
And so, his heart filled with ambition and his mind determined to learn the fundamentals, Alexander set off on the next phase of his life. He did not have any idea that the path he was to take would not just determine his fate but the very texture of the world around him.
TO BE CONTINUED...