The night air was alive with music.
As Feiyin walked alongside his parents through the vibrant streets of Red Moon City, the festival's energy remained as spirited as ever. The scent of roasted meats and candied fruits lingered in the cool air, mixing with the soft glow of countless lanterns swaying overhead. It was an atmosphere unlike anything he had ever known, bustling yet harmonious, chaotic yet perfectly ordered.
Just as they were about to return to their inn for the night, Feiyin's ears caught something different amidst the hum of voices and flickering lights.
A band of musicians had gathered on a small wooden stage at the edge of the festival square. The audience, scattered in groups, swayed gently to the melody as flutes, lutes, drums, and zithers intertwined in a mesmerizing performance.
Feiyin stopped in his tracks.
The moment the first note vibrated through the air, his oscillation sense stirred to life.
He could see the frequencies, as clear as ripples on a still pond. Each instrument had its own unique resonance, a flute's crisp and airy notes, a zither's deep and layered strums, a drum's powerful and grounding rhythm. They were vastly different from one another, yet in the hands of the musicians, they flowed seamlessly, each playing its part to create a masterpiece of sound.
Feiyin felt something click in his mind.
'This… this is it.'
For weeks, he had struggled with the Five Elements, trying to replicate their natural oscillations, to balance their flow within his own inner strength. But every time, something had gone wrong. The resonance of one would overpower another, creating instability, causing him to lose control.
But now, as he watched the band of musicians, he understood.
The Five Elements were like instruments. Each played its own tune, each carried its own voice. If a musician ignored the rhythm of the others and played recklessly, the result would be discordant noise, jarring, unpleasant, unstable. But in the hands of a master, each instrument would enhance the others, creating something far greater than its parts alone.
The Five Elements were not meant to be forced into submission.
They were meant to be conducted.
A thrill ran through Feiyin's chest, his heart pounding like a drumbeat.
'If I want to wield all Five Elements together, I must be the maestro of my own inner strength. I need to cultivate my foundation so that my body can endure and deploy all five harmoniously. I need the right rhythm, the right control…'
He glanced down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fingers, as his mind raced with new understanding.
Up until now, he had been trying to use his inner strength to replicate one element at a time, focusing only on individual mastery. But that was like playing a single instrument in isolation, useful, but limited. To reach the pinnacle of Body Tempering, he needed to create a symphony of power.
That meant perfecting all five aspects of his outer body,
Skin, Muscles and Tendons, Bones, Marrow, Blood.
Only by completing them fully, by tempering his body to withstand the forces each element brought, would he be able to handle their simultaneous resonance.
The realization sent a surge of excitement through him, his thoughts turning sharper.
'If my body is incomplete, then my inner strength will always remain unstable when trying to wield all Five Elements at once. I need to cultivate my foundation completely before I can truly use them as a single force!'
The last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.
His hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the sheer exhilaration of clarity.
He knew what he needed to do.
For so long, his training had been a path of exploration, feeling out the limits of his abilities, but now, now, he saw the road ahead clearly.
A huge grin stretched across his face. He felt light, unburdened, yet overflowing with anticipation.
"Feiyin?"
His mother's voice brought him back. He turned to find both parents watching him curiously, Cai Feng's arms crossed, and Mei Liao's head tilted slightly, studying his expression.
"Did you see something interesting?" his father asked.
Feiyin nodded excitedly, glancing back at the musicians as the melody reached its climax.
"Yes! The Five Elements… they're like instruments, aren't they? They each play their own sound, but if you don't use them together properly, it creates discord instead of harmony."
Mei Liao's lips parted slightly, surprise flickering in her amethyst eyes. "Oh? What brought this on?"
Feiyin took a deep breath, trying to organize his racing thoughts into words. "I was struggling because I was treating them as separate forces. I thought I just needed to master them individually. But that's wrong! I have to treat them as a whole, to balance them like a musician leading an orchestra."
Cai Feng let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in amusement. "You're always thinking about training, even in the middle of a festival."
Feiyin grinned sheepishly. "I… I can't help it."
His mother laughed softly before kneeling in front of him, placing a hand on his cheek. Her expression was warm, but her voice carried gentle wisdom.
"You're right to feel excited," she said, "but Feiyin, do you know why you even had this realization?"
Feiyin blinked. "Because I was thinking about my training?"
Mei Liao shook her head, still smiling. "No. It's because you allowed yourself to experience something new. If you had stayed in the village, training without rest, you wouldn't have had the chance to see these musicians, to feel the inspiration from their performance."
Feiyin hesitated, her words settling deep into his heart.
"Training is important," she continued, "but so is living. If you rush too fast, you might miss the things that will help you grow the most."
His father nodded in agreement, placing a firm hand on Feiyin's head, rubbing his hair. "In the army we had a saying: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Mastery takes time. Take your lessons as they come, and don't let impatience cloud your judgment."
Feiyin exhaled, feeling his previous eagerness temper slightly with understanding.
"…I get it," he said finally. He looked back at the musicians, watching them lose themselves in their craft, playing with joy, not obligation.
A bright determination settled in his chest.
He would train harder than ever, but he would also take his time, ensuring every step forward was firm and steady.
With this realization, his path no longer felt frantic, it felt purposeful.
Mei Liao smiled and stood up, taking his hand. "Come on. Let's go back to the inn."
Feiyin took one last glance at the musicians before following his parents down the lantern-lit street, the melody still ringing in his ears.