It has been three years since I arrived at Qinglong Academy.
Time flows like a breeze—unseen, yet deeply felt.
Unnoticed, I am no longer the fourteen-year-old filled with questions and confusion.Now, I am seventeen.
But it's not just my body that has changed—It is the inner realm within me.
These three years…Have been years of contemplation, of training, of silence—A silence that speaks more than words.
I avoided conflict.I kept to the background.Yet the world… and those who truly watch… know:
Something is growing within me.
The Inner Realm
Within my soul, there is a realm.Not one that can be seen with eyes,but one felt in stillness—understood in deep silence.
This realm is shaped by my understanding.And each understanding, like a small stone cast into a still lake,creates ripples that echo in the soul—and influence the world beyond.
Understanding of Water
Water was my first teacher.
From it, I learned to flow,to take any shape,to endure without resistance.
In water, I discovered that true strengthdoes not lie in force—but in yielding without breaking.
Now, the river within my soul flows gently,sustaining the realm with freshness and balance.
It is the root of all other understandings.
Understanding of Stillness
Stillness is the foundation of clear sight.Only when the mind is silentcan things be seen as they truly are—without the fog of emotion, desire, or fear.
From stillness, I learnednot everything must be met with power.Some things can only be knownwhen we stop moving,and allow the world to speak for itself.
Understanding of Absence
I once asked:How can one walk without leaving a trace?Move without being noticed?
The answer was absence.
Not the absence of the body—but the absence of ego.
When there is no need to be seen,no hunger to stand out,the world stops reacting.
Existence becomes light.And in that lightness…I become part of the world, not separate from it.
Understanding of Fear
Fear is not an enemy.It is a harsh, yet honest teacher.
When I saw fear within me,I did not run.I approached it,felt its pulse,and asked:"Where do you come from?"
I discovered—fear is the shadow of what I have yet to understand.
And as understanding grows,fear dissolves like mist under sunlight.
Understanding of the Sky
The sky within me is space to grow—boundless, open, free.
It taught me to rise above,to see the whole, not just the part.To never confine my being.
Because the world grants no spaceto those who cage their own soul.
Understanding of the Earth
Earth is the foundation—the place from which all things rise,and to which all things return.
Through it, I learned that every step matters.That with each breath that touches the ground,I come closer to becoming one with the world.
The earth is not just surface—it is witness,keeper,soother.
Resonance: Inner and Outer
Now, every understanding within medoes not stay inside.
It resonates outward—like the soft vibration of a zither string,gently stirring the space around it.
Those who walk near me say:
"Li Yuan is different."
But they do not know why.
They only know:Near me, time seems to slow.My words, though few, stir the heart.My steps, though light, leave meaning.
All of it comes from the realm within me.
Now, that inner realm has taken form.
It is no longer empty space.There is sky.There is earth.There is a river.A path.And mist that slowly thins.
I am seventeen.
But the realm within mehas surpassed the bounds of age.
It is a world—small, quiet, ever-growing—shaped by understanding.
I do not know what I will become.Nor do I know if this world will accept someone like me.
But I do know this:
I will keep walking.
Not to be the strongest.Not to be the greatest.
But to understand.
Because every understanding…is a small step toward freedom.
And without realizing it—
Time has passed.And behind my silence…the world has begun to look back.
It has been three years since I left Ziran Village with Mu Yi and Fan Tu.
Mu Yi is still the same—cheerful and full of energy, as if he never lost his way in life. Fan Tu remains calm, a bit quiet, but always observant. The three of us came from the same place, but now we walk different paths. We were brought to Qinglong Academy, a place we once believed would mark the beginning of something great.
Back then, when we first arrived, I was certain we were being prepared for something significant. The instructors taught us how to kill, how to defeat enemies, and how to survive in battle. I used to think we would become shadow warriors, moving in silence for some unknown purpose. Every training session felt like part of a grand plan. But at some point, that plan began to fade.
There was no longer any pressure to become killers. No more whispers of battles to come. No more secret missions or training in war tactics. All that remained was... training. Day by day, we practiced. I don't know if they gave up on the original idea, or if it was never real to begin with—just a test.
But I'm still here. Still training.
Sometimes I wonder if this path is truly mine. But every time I try to step away from the practice, my body rebels. My breath changes. My hands move on their own, following the rhythm of the world. Every moment, my body responds to both the outer world and my inner one.
The inner realm within me continues to grow.
The Understanding of Water—I can feel it when I walk in the rain or see the morning dew. Every drop holds meaning. Every flow has direction. Water never resists, yet always prevails.
The Understanding of Stillness—when others panic, my breath remains calm. When the world is in chaos, my mind is silent.
The Understanding of Absence—the ability to go unseen, unrecognized, even unnoticed. I am present, and yet, I am not.
The Understanding of Fear—I do not reject fear. I observe it. I explore its deepest roots. From there, I understand people. What they hide, what they avoid. And from that, I learn to control them... and myself.
Now, the Understandings of Sky and Earth are beginning to emerge. The sky offers calmness, vastness, and direction. The earth offers stability, foundation, and a place to stand. These two understandings create balance within me.
I don't know if all of this will ever be useful in war. But I feel as if the world is leading me toward a different destination. Not to become a weapon—but to become... something I do not yet understand.