Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

When Cang Tianci appeared at the door of his home in Xiqiao Village amidst the lingering morning mist, Cang Zhenye was hunched over, vigorously swinging his axe to chop wood.

"Father!" Tianci's voice was as clear and bright as if it had been washed by a mountain spring.

Cang Zhenye suddenly stood up straight, and the axe fell to the ground with a "clang". He rushed forward, his eyes wide open, staring intently at his son's leg - that leg no longer needed the help of crutches, it was firmly planted on the ground, steadily supporting the weight of the entire body.

"Good...good! Really better?" The old man's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Alright, Father!" Tianci nodded heavily, his voice trembling as well.

Hearing the sound, Su Yumei, wearing an apron, rushed out of the kitchen, her hands covered in flour, and grabbed Tianci's arm, looking him up and down, tears welling in her eyes: "My son! He's all better! Come inside quickly, let your mother take a good look at him!"

Entering the house, Tianci saw the empty main room and asked, "Where are my older brother and sister?"

"Oh, your older brother took Xiangyang and Xiaohua back to Nancheng a few days ago." Cang Zhenye paused, then continued, "He left in a hurry, like a death knell from the construction site. He just got a new job there and can't afford to delay. He said he'd send a message back once things were settled over there..."

Tianci looked towards the west room where his elder brother had once lived; the door was tightly shut. A faint longing for reunion, like the thin mist of early spring, quietly crept into his heart. But then, a more solid warmth rose from his dantian—the warmth brought by the circulation of the Hidden Dragon Technique, the feeling of his right leg firmly planted on the ground, and the clear certainty of the road ahead.

He recalled the burning light in his elder brother's eyes under the flickering oil lamp on New Year's Eve. His elder brother's path lay in the southern city, on the shoulders of his brothers who needed his help, and in the burden of paying off debts and planning for the future. But his own path, bestowed by heaven, now stretched clearly beneath his feet—Jixian Sports School, Coach Zhou, and that small desk.

He touched his chest, where Wanqing's amulet remained. Those eyes, calm yet filled with fear, and the cold, lifeless look in her eyes before their parting, were like a thin but strong thread, firmly tied to his heart. He took a deep breath, carefully pressing that sense of loss deep within his heart. From that moment on, protection took on its most concrete form.

"Okay, Dad." Tianci nodded, his voice steady.

For the next two days, Su Yumei spun like a tireless top. She found a piece of soft new cloth at the bottom of her trunk and patched the cuffs and knees of Tianci's blue cotton-padded jacket with fine stitches; she sliced ​​the last few strips of cured meat in the earthenware pot into thin slices and carefully wrapped them in oiled paper; she boiled the dozen or so salted duck eggs she had saved up over half a month; and she kneaded dough overnight and baked a thick stack of golden-brown multigrain pancakes. Cang Zhenye silently wrapped his son's worn-out textbooks in coarse cloth, and fumbled for a small roll of loose change, wrapped again and again in oiled paper, and stuffed it into the deepest corner of his backpack.

After the Lantern Festival, as dawn broke and the chill of winter still lingered, Cang Tianci rose. He declined his father's offer to see him off, and steadily slung the canvas backpack, bulging with stuffing from his mother, over his shoulder. The canvas straps dug into the muscles of his now much thicker shoulders, bringing a solid, comforting weight imbued with the warmth of family. His fingers inadvertently brushed against the cloth, touching a lingering, weary warmth deep within the fabric. This sensation sent a shiver down his spine.

"Dad, Mom, I'm leaving." He stood at the gate of the courtyard, the faint morning light outlining his tall and straight figure.

"Be careful on the road! Report to Teacher Zhou as soon as you get to the county! Put the money in your inner pocket next to the meat! Eat the dry rations when you're hungry..." Su Yumei kept nagging. Tianci listened attentively, without a trace of impatience in his eyes.

Cang Zhenye stood behind his wife, silent as a rock, his eyes following his son's back.

Tianci waved his hand forcefully, turned, and strode forward. As he walked, he silently circulated the Hidden Dragon Technique. His inner energy flowed like a spring stream, and wherever it passed, the meridians in his once stagnant right knee felt a pleasant, itchy sensation, like new buds breaking through their hard shells. His joints made subtle yet clear sounds, like bamboo shoots sprouting, with each steady step. He felt lighter and stronger than ever before, his steps firm and powerful. Despite carrying a heavy load, he felt no fatigue, and he arrived at the destination, more than ten miles away, much earlier than expected.

The bus station in Futian Township was teeming with people. Cang Tianci tied his luggage to the roof of the bus and squeezed onto the bus bound for Jixian County with great difficulty. The dilapidated bus rattled and swayed. The carriage was packed with people, and the stench of poultry, cheap tobacco, sweat, and various luggage wafted through the air, making it almost suffocating.

Cang Tianci squeezed himself into an uncomfortable spot by the window. He closed his eyes and focused his mind, the Hidden Dragon Technique flowing naturally, transforming into a deep, long "fetal breath." The noise and pollution of the outside world seemed to be isolated by an invisible membrane. Even more miraculously, in the stillness of his breath, he vaguely "perceived" for the first time the reflection of the surrounding energy:

The old man to the left front carried the sluggish air of years of wear and tear; the infant in the woman's arms to the right rear, though weak in breath, was full of vitality; further away, several loud young people exuded a restless and fiery energy...

He slowly gathered his breath and opened his eyes. The carriage was still noisy, but the primal, undisguised flow of "qi" gave him an unprecedentedly clear perception of the "texture" of his surroundings. He thought that perhaps the familiar training ground at the sports school, and those familiar people, would now present a different picture in his gradually changing "eyes."

When Cang Tianci's figure appeared steadily in front of Zhou Zhenhua like a javelin, Zhou Zhenhua's eyes, as big as copper bells, widened so much they almost popped open.

"Heaven...Heavenly gift?" Zhou Zhenhua's voice suddenly rose, filled with astonishment, as if he'd seen a ghost. He darted to Tianci, circling him twice, his gaze scrutinizing him like a searchlight, scanning from head to toe, finally settling on the right leg that the doctor had declared was about to be "ruined." "Your leg...this...it's only been a few days? Less than a month at most, how come you can walk so freely again? That old bespectacled guy at the county hospital, after taking the X-rays, told me it would take at least three months of rest! What's going on? Am I seeing things?"

"Coach Zhou," Tianci bowed slightly and said with a smile, "I...I was lucky, there was an old...traditional Chinese medicine doctor who helped...healed me with acupuncture, medicine, and bone setting."

"An old Chinese medicine doctor?" Zhou Zhenhua's thick eyebrows furrowed. He suddenly squatted down and, through Tianci's pants, pressed and kneaded forcefully around the once swollen and shiny kneecap, then pinched the taut muscles in his thigh and calf, asking, "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt." Tianci shook his head.

Zhou Zhenhua was still not giving up and ordered again, "Lift your leg! Kick twice! Squat down! Stand up! Hurry up!" Tianci did as he was told and did a few standard squats and stand-ups. His movements were smooth and his strength was even. He didn't turn red or pant.

"Hiss..." Zhou Zhenhua gasped, straightened up, withdrew his hand, his face showing shock, joy, confusion, and a hint of awe. He walked up to Tianci, reached out, and instead of patting his shoulder, pinched the taut, rock-hard gastrocnemius muscle on the back of Tianci's right calf with his thumb and forefinger, then gently pressed on both sides of his knee. The touch was warm, the muscles incredibly elastic, and the joints stable, completely lacking the weakness or stiffness commonly seen in those recovering from serious injuries.

"Kid," Zhou Zhenhua raised his eyes, his gaze piercing, his voice low, "Tell the coach the truth. This strength, this flexibility, can't be built up by lying in bed. Just how much suffering has your leg endured?"

His tone was devoid of doubt, replaced by an almost piercing scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible tenderness befitting a strict teacher. Tianci's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, a surge of burning, aching sensation rushing to his nose, his eyes reddening, and his body trembling uncontrollably. The excruciating pain of burning his bones and marrow at the foot of Eagle Cliff, the torment of forcibly circulating the Hidden Dragon Technique, his master's withered yet steady fingers… countless images flashed through his mind.

Zhou Zhenhua took in all these subtle reactions and had no more doubts—this child wasn't enjoying a life of luxury at home; he was clearly gritting his teeth and working himself to the bone in secret! That almost self-destructive ruthlessness and the pushing himself to his limits were beyond the reach of ordinary people!

He was silent for a moment, then his large hand finally landed heavily on Tianci's shoulder, as if to suppress the boy's churning memories.

"Alright, it's all over now." He clicked his tongue, his voice much lower than before, carrying a complex sense of admiration. "Traditional Chinese medicine... it's something passed down from our ancestors, it's a bit mysterious. That you encountered it is your good fortune, and also something you earned through your relentless effort. It's good that you're better now!"

He concluded sternly, "You missed almost a month of provincial competition training. Now that your bones have healed, it's time to get back on track. You need to catch up on what you've missed, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Coach Zhou," Cang Tianci replied loudly. He turned and walked towards the locker room, his steps steady. The early spring sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting a slanted glow that outlined a tall and straight profile on his broad shoulders and back. The familiar atmosphere of the training hall wafted over him, and the warm, mellow power dormant deep within his dantian seemed to ripple slightly with this atmosphere, like the silent pulse deep within the earth before the spring thunder awakens the insects.

He didn't know that some of the people in that aura had already changed.