Since the brief encounter in the library, the name Li Yuan had gradually settled in the memory of someone not easily impressed: Wen Zhi, the master of Qinglong Academy.
He was not merely the head of the academy—he was the pinnacle of martial arts, a figure regarded as the living embodiment of the long path toward mastery of body, breath, and understanding.
Few truly knew who Wen Zhi was. His age remained uncertain, and his face always appeared calm, like a stone untouched by the crashing waves. Yet behind that stillness lay a power nearly too great to contain. Each of his steps seemed to follow the laws of nature, and every word he spoke pierced directly into the heart's deepest layer.
That day, he stood on a high balcony above the academy's main hall. From there, he could see the students training. Their movements were still rigid, their breathing not yet in harmony with their bodies. But one among them stood out.
Li Yuan.
His movements were not fast, but precise. He did not try to draw attention, and precisely because of that, he became noticeable. His breath was steady, even in motion. He wasn't merely mimicking the forms—he understood them.
Wen Zhi gently stroked his beard, his eyes half-closed.
"He does not yet realize it… but his grasp of breath is far from ordinary," he murmured.
An elder in gray robes appeared behind Wen Zhi and bowed respectfully.
"Master, the boy… Li Yuan. Should he be observed more closely?"
Wen Zhi gave a slight shake of his head.
"Let him grow. A root that finds its own way into the earth becomes stronger than one that is guided."
Then he added, his voice barely more than a whisper:
"Sometimes, the calmest wind… carries a storm no one can foresee."
In his chamber, Wen Zhi sat cross-legged. Around him hung scrolls of ancient writings. At the center, an old book lay open, its ink beginning to fade.
His hand moved slowly across the page, as if painting with the spirit.
"When the world speaks through breath, only those who are silent can hear it."
He paused his writing. Then, for the first time in years, a faint smile formed on his lips.
"That boy… may lead us in a different direction."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy, Li Yuan was wiping the sweat from his brow beneath a tree.
He had no idea that his quiet steps had drawn the attention of the master of martial arts.
But somehow, deep in his heart… he felt he was being watched.
"Is the world… watching me back?"