Amamuren looked at the scratched-up and dirty Ivory-colored book. The small gust of wind still persisted, fluttering his hair like the waves of the sea. His eyes firm on the book, Amamuren put his hand out and grasped it.
INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY
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Note: Before I begin, I would like to explain that although we all have seen energy since we were children, this book will go in depth into what it might be and how we can work with it. I can explain what I've seen and experienced.
Chapter 1: Sensing Energy
This chapter will go in depth of how to actually sense energy. As we all know, energy can be sensed with all five of our senses, it is everywhere, we see, taste, feel, hear, and smell it. Something in our hear filters all of this and helps us distinguish this energy from other materials. It is a mysterious thing that can be cultivated, restrained, reshaped, created, etc. It's an extremely vague existence. Some call it Qi, others – Mana, Chi, Chakra… The list of its varying names is endless. There are many things people can use Energy for: fighting, healing, longevity, and so on. Hiding one's power is also a possibility, though a very hard thing to do-----
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Amamuren looked at the strange object. He knew this book; it was the exact same one that was being sold everywhere. He had been in a town gathering before and heard people read it out loud; they said that it kept repeating elementary facts over and over again.
Though it helped his current situation, he could only close it and hoped to continue reading it at a later date. The man in ragged clothing with a dragon pattern went to his shack. He went past the broken door and looked around. A bed only birds would call home, a few cut rocks used as furniture, and his other spare clothes that lay on them; that is what was in the house.
He put down his items on the table and began to pack: A bit of money, his identification, a mug, a small hand-held mirror, the book, the spare clothing, and a hair tie.
He looked at his stuff, and only "Way to go, Amamuren, you're packing quite a lot…" could be heard as a tear slowly flowed down his cheek.
Amamuren wrapped everything up in a cloth, hung it at the end of a stick, and walked out. As he was leaving the vicinity, he looked back and bowed. "Thank you for everything," he said.
The mountain Amamuren inhabited was quite beautiful. It was peaceful, lively, and refreshing. It was an amazing place. He could walk around all night without encountering anything dangerous; the snakes weren't poisonous, the wolves were timid, and the people living nearby were kind.
His slow, yet unsteady breathing made him feel at ease. This was freedom; this is what he wanted to experience for the rest of eternity.
Not only the mountain, but also the north, which Amamuren was walking towards, lay a grass plain beautifully decorated with cherries planted by the villagers. The village was a peaceful place.
Even further was another mountain, a great mountain that stood taller than the one he was on. It was covered in snow, and it was a place Amamuren could not walk towards due to the lack of clothing.
Continuing towards the North, yet another village decorated the scenery near a river. Even further was a small mountain range. If you walk further, you'd see a desert. After that…
… And finally, a great city fortified with walls from the south stood. The other north, east, and west sides did not require it since the city was built into the mountain. The stone wall stretched high up in the sky.
Amamuren had arrived there at the crack of dawn. He looked at the entrance, which was heavily guarded. There were so many people that it was hard even to maintain a line. Everyone was clumped up together like bees in a hive.
It was finally Amamuren's turn. It was nighttime. It was very dark. The current season is winter. Amamuren was extremely cold. He handed his identification to the guards as he was shaking and passed through without any hiccups.
Along the main entrance was a wide path that led to the center of the city. It was decorated with towering lamps that were extremely bright. Bright enough to light up the whole mountain… though, it didn't.
The center was decorated with small tiles in a circular motion that surrounded a huge statue of a herd of animals and a huge dog leading them. It was a spectacular sight. Not only that, but there were many statues throughout the city of different creatures.
Everywhere Amamuren went, there were beautiful scenes. He felt like a country bumpkin walking around with a hobo stick. There was not a single part of the city that would be considered slums or poor. Heck, every part was considered middle-class. After a while, he found something a bit farther from the center, towards the east; it was a neat part of the city.
That part is also considered middle-class, though somehow it was the poorest part. Towards the end was a small pub 3 stories tall with a sign that read "Million animals pub". Barely anyone or anything was near it, only surrounded by trees and boulders. Different colored lights illuminated the forest. Though grey was dominant, it gave a feeling of comfort and ease for the eyes. He decided to enter the pub.
Around the door were a few seats, and another, raised area in the latter half of the pub. The service point was at the top right corner, surrounded by chairs and the walls. There were a few people inside who drank, ate, and laughed.
Amamuren took a step towards the service point. He looked at the musicians who sat in the middle of the pub in a duet showdown between a harp and a guzheng, playing energetic songs. The people cheered, yelled, and competed.
The pub was extremely lively. As Amamuren took more and more steps, his heart beat faster and faster. His face became calmer, less frantic. Once he arrived at the spot, he sat down with a refreshed smile, getting the menu.
A man was sitting next to Amamuren and saw the young fellow.
???:
"Hey, kid. Haven't seen you around." He snorted.
Amamuren:
"Mm, I'm new here. Fresh meat in the city, from the outskirts!" Amamuren responded, pointing his thumb at his chest with his fist clenched.
???:
"… Hahahaa!! Wow, you're really something…!" The middle-aged fellow chuckled.
Amamuren looked at the menu, and his dark eyes widened.
???:
"Cheap, huh?" The man showed a smug smile.
Amamuren:
"Very! It's practically free!" Amazement could be seen on his face.
???:
"The owner is quite something, but be careful!" He pointed at Amamuren.
Amammuren:
"…" He looked at the finger pointed right at his nose in confusion.
???:
"He is a sly man. He will rope you in with the cheapness and pamper you so much you won't be able to control yourself!" He said as he raised his arms.
Amamuren:
"… I'll keep that in mind." He looked at the pub server and pointed at a random drink. The pub owner was indifferent.
Amamuren:
"I forgot to mention, my name is Amamuren." He bowed his head slightly.
Mo Weiyun:
"The name's Mo Weiyun, but call me old man Mo." He put his hand out for a handshake.
Amamuren:
"By the way… I-"
Mo Weiyun:
"You need a place to stay? Don't worry, ask the pub owner, he can help you." He shrugged.
Amamuren:
"Who…?"
Mo Yingui:
"It's me. My name's Mo Yingui, this idiot's older brother." He put down a glass of milk in front of Amamuren while glaring at Mo Weiyun.
Amamuren looked at them. The older brother had short hair with a clean white beard and a great mustache; he looked like a lean version of Santa Claus with red eyes. His younger brother had long black hair, with some white hair blending in, and red eyes, much like his older brother, though he had minimal facial hair.
Amamuren:
"I'm trying to find a permanent residency, I can't seem to find anything for cheap though…" Amamuren looked down with a hopeless smile.
Mo Weiyun looked at the boy. He had been staring at Amamuren for a bit. His eyes slowly widened.
Mo Weiyun:
"You don't have a shred of energy in you!" He exclaimed.
Mo Yingui:
"… Wow… It's as if energy is going in and out of his body like air." He looked at Amamuren in deep thought.
They looked at Amamuren's confused face. Then they looked at each other and were even more shocked.
Mo Weiyun:
"Seems like he can't sense the energy around him either." He was even more shocked.
Amamuren looked around like a stray cat as more and more gazes fell on him. A handsome man with long black silky hair, pearly white skin, black domineering eyes and majestic clothing sat at his seat. More and more people wanted to see this person. Voices could be heard from the people.
???(1):
"I heard a hidden master was here!"
???(2):
"Let me take a look!"
???(3):
"No way, I was here first!"
???(1):
"No, it was me!"
Mo Yingui slammed his fist on the table, dispersing the crowd. They took their seats and silently listened to the trio's conversation patiently.
The music slowed down, and the people began to disperse. A few hours have passed after the whole ordeal. Everyone quickly lost interest after figuring out that Amamuren was just a weak fellow. The conversation flow slowly stopped.
The scene was calm. Amamuren drank his milk that might have gone bad slowly, blissfully, and ignorantly while two pairs of red eyes glanced over him. The tall man at the counter, Mo Yingui, held a cup made out of glass in his right hand and a towel held on the left. His sibling sat in front of him, eating dumplings. They both had serious faces as they kept sneaking glances at Amamuren.
Mo Yingui was in deep thought. After a while, as Amamuren slowly reached the bottom of the glass, he spoke.
Mo Yingui:
"I have a place for you to stay."
Amamuren:
"Really...?"
Mo Yingui:
"It's a small place, surrounded by many trees. The house needs renovation."
Amamuren:
"Hah, I've slept on rocks in the past. That means nothing to me, as long as it's surrounded by walls and a roof, I'll be fine." Amamuren smirked at Mo Yingui.
Mo Yingui:
"Then, it's settled. We can depart once I'm done with the customers." He closed his eyes and smiled.