Old Man in the Park

Back home, Ling Yun quickly changed his Honor of Kings ID to 'Douyin•Honor of Kings S'.

The rules on Douyin suited him perfectly: maintaining the top spot on the leaderboard just required staying there, and he could earn twenty thousand a day without streaming.

After a three-hour sprint in the Peak Tournament, his score settled at 2500, far ahead of everyone else still struggling in the 2200 bracket.

The matchmaking pool was empty. He figured that without him disrupting things, the season's top rank would barely break 2300.

Currently, the second-place player was Hua Hai, whom he had left behind by nearly 300 points, solidifying his second position.

He packaged several recordings of his extreme maneuvers and sent them to Jiang Yingxue for editing.

After finishing, he checked the time – only nine in the evening.

Yesterday, he had been too engrossed in gaming and completely forgot to test the system reward, Storm Blade Domain.

There was no better time than the present.

The community plaza was brightly lit and bustling with people. Ling Yun avoided the square dancing crowd and the noisy children, slipping into a secluded, densely wooded corner near the wall.

Confirming he was alone, he took a deep breath and channeled the spiritual energy flowing within him.

Hummm--

An invisible pressure suddenly descended, the air seeming to freeze for a moment before beginning to rotate violently!

A silent hurricane materialized out of thin air, centered on Ling Yun, its range rapidly expanding—five meters, eight meters... finally stopping at a ten-meter radius.

With a slight shift of his will, the wind's force turned abruptly wild and sharp!

Chh-chh-chh--!

Like countless invisible blades slicing at high speed, the low bushes, weeds, and even small trees as thick as a bowl within the ten-meter radius were instantly shredded, torn apart, and uprooted with an ear-grating, dense sound!

Wood chips, leaves, and soil were swept high into the air by the gale, forming a murky miniature tornado.

A few seconds later, the wind abruptly ceased.

Dust settled.

Before Ling Yun's eyes appeared an extremely neat, circular "clearing," as if drawn by a giant compass.

Within the circle, not a blade of grass remained. The ground had been scraped away by a layer, exposing damp soil. The edges of the cuts were exceptionally smooth and flat, as if precisely laser-cut. Outside the circle, fallen leaves and debris lay scattered everywhere.

"Hiss..." Even with his expectations, Ling Yun gasped. The power far exceeded his anticipation!

The destructive range was precise, but the commotion... He looked up sharply. Had the music from the distant square dance paused for a moment? He vaguely sensed curious gazes directed towards the dark corner.

"I overdid it!" Ling Yun's scalp tingled. Without hesitation, his figure flickered, and like a phantom, he silently merged into the shadows of the crowd on the other side of the plaza.

Damaging public property was a minor issue; causing trouble by being filmed doing something inexplicable would be a much bigger problem.

The plaza remained noisy. Ling Yun, his heart still pounding, decided to stroll around a couple more times to ensure he wasn't being followed and to calm his nerves.

The deafening square dance music held little interest for him, and his gaze swept aimlessly.

Suddenly, under a slightly dim streetlamp at the edge of the plaza, an old man in a faded gray Tang suit caught his attention.

The old man was lean and was meticulously practicing Tai Chi. His movements were slow and deliberate, carrying a charm of a bygone era.

He held a half-full bottle of mineral water in his palm, attempting to strike the "Crane Spreads Wings" pose.

The water in the bottle sloshed left and right with his "cloud hands," refracting tiny light spots under the lamp, but it always deviated from the center at crucial moments, like a slippery, disobedient jellyfish.

Sweat beaded on the old man's forehead, yet his expression was exceptionally focused.

This clumsy yet earnest scene amused Ling Yun, so he sat down on a nearby long bench, watching with interest.

The old man seemed to gain more energy when he noticed an audience, especially a young one.

He lowered his shoulders and sank his elbows, striving to make his movements more standard and fluid. The bottle traced a slightly skewed arc in his palm.

"Young man," he panted, with a hint of undisguised pride, "have you ever seen real Tai Chi? Watch closely, this move, 'White Crane Spreads Wings'..."

Before he could finish, a soft "pop" was heard—perhaps the bottle cap was already loose, or perhaps the old man had exerted a bit too much force—the cap suddenly flew off!

Under the centrifugal force, half the bottle of water splashed precisely onto the old man's... crotch area. A dark water stain quickly spread.

The air froze instantly.

The old man stood rigid, the hand holding the empty bottle trembling slightly. His aged face turned red at a visible rate.

Ling Yun couldn't help but let out a muffled laugh, then quickly suppressed it. He pointed at the old man's pants, his voice unable to hide his amusement: "Cough... Grandpa, your pants... are wet."

"Uh... Cough cough! It's nothing, nothing! An accident, purely an accident!"

The old man was so embarrassed he didn't know what to do, wishing he could disappear into the ground. He fumbled to throw the empty bottle into the nearby trash can and tried to wipe his wet pants with his sleeve, only making it worse.

To alleviate the excruciating embarrassment, he took a few deep breaths and forced a stern expression: "Young man, don't laugh! That didn't count. Watch me do a complete set again! Let me show you what real Tai Chi is!"

As if to prove he wasn't all talk, the old man reset his stance and earnestly performed the entire twenty-four-form Tai Chi routine from beginning to end.

This time, he was completely focused, his movements much steadier. He didn't even bother wiping the sweat streaming down his face.

After finishing the routine, his breathing was noticeably heavier. He looked at Ling Yun with anticipation and a hint of subtle apprehension: "Young man, tell me... how was that?"

During the few minutes the old man was practicing, Ling Yun's monstrous Top-tier Comprehension had been quietly at work. Every movement, every breath's rhythm, the shift in his center of gravity, even the subtle moments of stiffness, were rapidly decomposed, deduced, and reconstructed in Ling Yun's mind.

Fragments of biomechanics, power generation techniques, and even descriptions of "jing" (force) circulation from ancient texts rapidly assembled... A more refined, direct, and practical Tai Chi form had taken shape in his consciousness.

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"Hmm, the stance is there."

Ling Yun nodded, his tone calm, with an insight that transcended his age. "However, with your move 'Wild Horse Parts Mane' just now, if the tip of your elbow could be turned out about fifteen degrees more, the force of sinking the shoulder and dropping the elbow would be more complete, and the efficiency of borrowing and transforming force... it could at least increase by thirty percent. Shall we try?"

The old man's eyes widened abruptly at this: "What? Elbow tip... fifteen degrees? Borrowing force efficiency... thirty percent?"

His face was a mask of "Are you kidding me?" as he sized up the excessively young man before him. Could such a subtle adjustment in Tai Chi bring such a quantifiable improvement? It sounded too mystical.

Ling Yun simply smiled slightly: "Just try it and you'll know."

The old man was skeptical, but he still followed Ling Yun's instructions, assuming the "Wild Horse Parts Mane" stance again, carefully adjusting the angle of his elbow tip.

The moment he found that subtle angle, he felt as if an invisible restraint had been lifted from his shoulders and arms, and an unprecedented sense of smoothness surged within him!

He subconsciously "peng"ed forward along the trajectory of the movement, and the path his arm traced through the air seemed to carry a more rounded and full sense of power.

"Hey?! This... this feeling..." The old man withdrew his hand in surprise, looking at his elbow in disbelief, then suddenly looked back at Ling Yun, his gaze completely changed.

The sliver of doubt vanished like smoke, replaced by shock and a burning light.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

The old man's voice trembled with excitement as he looked at Ling Yun with a completely transformed gaze, filled with fervor and reverence. "Young man... no, sir! You don't just know a little; you're a master in disguise!"

As if afraid Ling Yun would leave, he grabbed Ling Yun's wrist, his calloused palm trembling slightly. "I've been practicing for almost thirty years, and only today have I touched upon the true essence! Can you... can you show me, let this old man witness it? Just one move!"

His eyes were filled with an almost devout plea.

Seeing the old man's eager eyes, Ling Yun's small vanity was satisfied.

Opportunities to show off were indeed rare.

"Fine, watch carefully." Ling Yun no longer refused, gently pulled his hand away, and took two steps back.

He didn't adopt any flashy starting posture, simply stood with his hands naturally at his sides, his entire being instantly calming, as if separating himself from the surrounding clamor. Then, he slowly raised his arms, his movements seemingly extremely slow, yet containing a peculiar rhythm.

Each transition of movement was as fluid as a mountain stream, without the slightest hesitation, yet conveying immense power within its slowness—soft like a willow swaying in the spring breeze, and strong like a sudden clap of thunder! In its opening and closing, it seemed to draw upon the invisible forces of heaven and earth.

Even more miraculously, as he moved, within a radius of several meters, the fallen leaves scattered on the ground seemed to be awakened by an invisible force, beginning to rustle and tremble.

One leaf, two leaves... more and more leaves detached from the ground, like iron filings drawn to a magnet, silently suspended, and began to slowly rotate around Ling Yun.

His movements became increasingly smooth and fluid.

The surrounding fallen leaves also gathered more and more, their rotation speed increasing, gradually forming a clear, flowing ring.

Under the dim streetlights, the leaves of varying shades of brown strangely separated on their own—the dark brown leaves converged into a flowing "yin fish," while the light yellow leaves outlined a bright "yang fish."

Entwined, head to tail, they astonishingly rotated beneath Ling Yun's feet into a vivid Tai Chi yin-yang diagram, about three meters in diameter!

Ling Yun slowly retracted his movements, bringing his arms back to his chest, and finally pressed them down gently.

The suspended, rotating leaf Tai Chi diagram then quietly dissolved, and the leaves, as if losing their support, fluttered down, scattering back to the ground, forming an irregular circle.

The old man's mouth hung open, his eyes wide, standing there as if petrified, forgetting even to breathe.

He wasn't watching a performance; he felt as if he had witnessed a miracle with his own eyes! This had completely surpassed all his understanding of "Tai Chi"!

"I... I... this..." The old man made a gurgling sound in his throat, and after a long while, he found his voice, speaking with a dreamlike daze, "Am I... am I dreaming? This... is this something a person can do?"

As the shock subsided slightly, immense excitement and longing instantly overwhelmed him.

He lunged forward, tightly gripping Ling Yun's wrist with astonishing strength, his voice trembling as if on the verge of tears: "Master! You're a living immortal! I, Wang Defu, have been practicing for almost thirty years, and only today have I seen a true god!"

He fumbled in the pockets of his Tang suit, pulling out a crumpled business card with worn edges, and thrust it into Ling Yun's hand. Printed on the faded card was "Mingzhu Community Tai Chi Team Captain Wang Defu," with a phone number scribbled messily in ballpoint pen on the back.

"I beg you! Master! Take this old man as a registered disciple! I just want... I just want to touch the edge of your realm..."

Grandpa Wang looked up, his eyes filled with hopeful tears, his posture extremely humble, almost begging.

Seeing the old man, who was so excited he could barely speak and was close to kneeling on the spot, Ling Yun couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

The contrast between the old man's persistent dedication and his current "cute" plea was simply too great.

"Grandpa Wang," Ling Yun gently pulled his hand free, his tone gentle but with an undeniable distance, "it's not that I'm unwilling to teach. At your age, your bones and blood have long since solidified. The methods of my lineage..."

He pointed to the circle of fallen leaves that had not yet been blown away by the wind. "They require a special foundation, honed from childhood, supplemented by... well, unique talent. It cannot be forced without a once-in-a-century aptitude. Think about it, besides me, have you ever seen a second person in real life who could do this?"

The light in Grandpa Wang's eyes visibly dimmed, and the hand holding the business card fell powerlessly.

Ling Yun's words were like a basin of cold water, waking him from his fervent state. Yes, such divine skill, how could a mortal attain it? He had practiced for half his life, and the gap was more than just a little. Disappointment and immense regret instantly seized him, making his hunched back appear even more aged.

Just then, a clear, slightly complaining female voice broke the heavy silence:

"Grandpa! Why are you still here? What time is it! You're not answering your phone!"

A figure ran through the halo of the streetlights and came before the two of them.

Ling Yun looked up. The newcomer was a young woman about his age, with a neat ponytail, a few stray strands of hair stuck to her smooth forehead with sweat.

She wore a form-fitting black sports tank top, revealing smooth, healthy, and powerfully toned tanned arms and shoulders, her skin still carrying a slight post-exercise flush.

Her eyebrows were beautifully shaped, sharp and soaring, but naturally softened into a gentle arc at the tail, tempering her heroic spirit and adding a touch of girlish brightness.

At the moment, her bright eyes were looking at Grandpa Wang with concern and a hint of scolding, then her gaze quickly swept over Ling Yun, who stood beside him.

When her gaze landed on Ling Yun's face, her eyes noticeably paused for a barely perceptible moment, a flash of stunning brilliance passing through the depths of her pupils, but it was quickly masked by good upbringing and a hint of curiosity.

She slightly raised her chin, her gaze flicking back and forth between her grandfather's dejected expression and Ling Yun.

"And who is this...?" Her voice was clear and questioning.

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