The forest beyond the fields was soft in the morning.
Dew clung to each blade of grass like glass pearls, untouched by the midday warmth. Wei Ran sat with his back against a tree, eyes half-lidded, legs crossed in still meditation.
He had no teacher. No scrolls. No incense burning beside him.
But something within him had begun to stir.
Not a noise. Not a light.
Just… pressure. Faint. Consistent.
Like water pressing against the inside of his skin.
He didn't try to control it. Not yet. He just listened.
The wind rustled above. Birds chirped far away. A drop of moisture slid down his temple and landed on his shoulder without sound.
Then he felt it again.
Qi.
It was like the air was thicker now. Like the world had more weight. And inside that weight—something waited.
Is this what a Dantian feels like?
Wei Ran opened his eyes slowly. He still didn't understand it. He hadn't even told anyone—not even Yilin.
They believed his Dantian was broken. That it always had been.
But now, in these still moments, something pulsed deep in his core. Not strong. Not loud. But undeniably real.
He stood and brushed off the dust from his trousers.
"Found you!"
Wei Ran turned just in time to catch a flying Yilin mid-lunge. She nearly knocked him off balance, arms hooking around his waist with all the force of a thunderclap in a small package.
"You're getting sneakier," he said.
"You're getting slower," she grinned, looking up at him with mock accusation. "What are you doing out here alone again? Meditating under trees? You always run off to the same spots."
He shrugged. "Peace and quiet."
Yilin squinted at him. "Or maybe you're just hiding from the village girls."
"…What?"
"Don't pretend you haven't noticed." She folded her arms, smirking. "Half of them walk past our house just to peek in. I caught two giggling this morning when you were brushing your hair."
Wei Ran blinked. "That's ridiculous."
"Tell that to Lan'er and Suji. They whispered something about your 'cold mystique.'" She waggled her fingers dramatically. "'Ooh, he's so brooding! So mysterious!'"
He sighed. "You're imagining things."
"Nope. I'm just more observant than you." She leaned sideways to poke his ribs. "Seriously though… are you okay?"
Wei Ran hesitated.
For a second, he considered telling her about the pressure he'd felt. The quiet hum that now lingered behind his heartbeat.
But instead, he just smiled. "I think I just like the wind."
She looked at him for a moment longer, then nodded. "Well… you do smell like trees lately."
"Again with the smells?"
She grabbed his sleeve and tugged him toward the house. "Come on. Before Mother thinks you've been possessed by a rock spirit or something."
They walked side by side through the wild grass, the village rooflines rising in the distance. Chickens clucked from behind wooden fences, and the smell of early stew drifted from someone's window.
Life on Floor 5 was simple.
Too simple, Wei Ran thought.
No one talked about cultivation here. No one had scrolls or swords. They farmed. Cooked. Repaired shoes.
And yet, he couldn't unfeel the pull of something larger.
That night, after dinner, they sat on the porch steps. Fireflies blinked lazily in the dusk.
Yilin braided her hair slowly, and Wei Ran just listened to the insects and wind.
"Gege?" she asked softly, not looking up.
"Mm?"
"When you're quiet like that… what are you thinking about?"
Wei Ran hesitated for a moment.
Should I tell her?
The pulse he'd felt earlier still lingered in his chest—gentle, but undeniable.
But he didn't understand it yet. Not fully.
Maybe I should wait… figure it out first.
He tilted his head slightly, then grinned.
"I was thinking maybe you're right. Maybe the girls are coming by to see me."
Yilin gave him a sharp sideways glance. "Ugh. I regret asking."
He stretched his arms behind him, letting out a satisfied sigh. "With a face like this, who could blame them?"
She snorted. "You sound like that traveling merchant who tried to sell me beauty powder made of ground lotus roots."
"I'm just stating facts."
"You're impossible."
"I'm very wise for my age."
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "Old and wise. Like a talking goose."
"I'll take it. But I thought you were ancient already?
"Don't twist my words, Gege!"
She stuck her tongue out. He flicked her forehead, and they both laughed.
A pause settled between them, soft and comfortable. Then Wei Ran glanced at her sideways.
"Hey. You really didn't feel anything strange during your test yesterday?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Just the usual breathing and standing still. The man with the jade token asked me a few questions, checked my pulse, then smiled and said I was free to go."
"That's it?"
"Mhm. But Mother said that's a good sign. If I was too useful, they'd have taken me right away."
"Sounds like a win."
"Right?" she grinned.
They nudged shoulders, the night humming quietly around them.
"Did you like your birthday?" Wei Ran asked, voice low.
Yilin nodded. "Mhm. It was nice. Everyone from the village came. Even Old Man Zhen brought those weird plum cakes."
"I was going to sing, you know," he said, mock serious. "Right after the soup."
She turned to him, eyebrows raised. "You? Singing?"
"It was going to be dramatic. I had lyrics."
"Let me guess. Rhymed 'Gege' with 'greatest treasure'?"
He huffed. "No faith. I was planning a full performance. Maybe even fireworks."
"And yet… you stayed in the corner and didn't even get near me."
"There were too many people! I couldn't push through the aunties. Someone tried to feed me dumplings five times."
Yilin laughed, leaning lightly against his side. "I liked my present, though. The wooden hairpin. It's beautiful."
"It suits you," he said, then coughed into his hand. "I mean—"
"Too late," she grinned, holding up a finger. "I'm telling Mother you said that."
He groaned. "She'll never let me live it down."