The days passed quietly.
Lin Feng kept to himself in the small clearing near his hut, avoiding the gazes and whispers of other disciples. Where once he had hidden in shame, now he hid for a different reason—he could not afford to expose his weakness. The Storm Veins had awakened, but his control was as fragile as a flickering lamp in the wind.
On this morning, the sky was clear and the sea calm. The waves rolled softly against the cliffs, their rhythm unhurried. Lin Feng sat cross-legged, his back straight, eyes closed.
I cannot grasp all three at once. Wind, water, lightning… too much. I must start with one. Water flows. Water nourishes. Water endures.
He breathed slowly. Around him, he felt the cool, steady presence of water qi rising with the sea mist. Unlike lightning's restless bite or wind's fleeting touch, water was patient. It lingered, gathering gently, waiting to be guided.
He extended his hand. A thin strand of water qi seeped into his palm, wrapping around his skin like a faint mist. It was soft, yielding. When he tightened his grip too hard, it slipped away. When he relaxed, it returned, flowing naturally back into his palm.
Lin Feng's lips curved faintly. So that's it. Not force, but guidance.
Hours passed. The sun climbed high, then dipped slowly toward the west. Sweat soaked his back, but his breathing grew steadier, his pulse calmer. At last, when he opened his eyes, a tiny droplet of water hovered above his hand, shimmering in the sunlight.
It was no larger than a bead of dew, fragile and insignificant. Yet when it fell onto the earth, the soil drank it eagerly, a faint ripple spreading across the ground.
Lin Feng exhaled, relief and pride mingling in his chest.
"…A beginning."
...
That evening, he returned to his hut. As he lit his oil lamp, voices carried faintly through the thin wooden walls.
"Did you hear? Elder Zhao has arranged for Lin Feng's evaluation."
"Hah, finally. Let's see how long he lasts. The inner sect won't tolerate trash, heavenly body or not."
"They say he'll be tested against another disciple… maybe even in combat."
Lin Feng's hand tightened around the lamp. The small flame flickered as his shadow stretched against the wall.
He sat down slowly, gazing at his palm where he had held that fragile droplet of water qi. It was so small, so weak… yet to him, it meant everything.
The whispers of the sect grew louder each day, but he pushed them aside.
If the storm asks if I am worthy… then I'll answer drop by drop, wave by wave.
Outside, the tide swelled under the moonlight, its rhythm unbroken, eternal.