The next day, when the horizon had just begun to pale and the night had not yet fully receded, Ning Chuan silently rose from bed.
Without disturbing his parents, he stood quietly in the courtyard for a while, savoring the fresh pre-dawn air and loosening his limbs.
Only then did Ning Chuan gently knock on his sister's door.
"Xiao He, time to get up."
Ning Xiaohe was sleeping soundly. Awakened by her brother, she rubbed her eyes groggily and mumbled, "Brother... it's not even light out yet..."
"The morning is the best part of the day." Ning Chuan smiled as he helped his sister pick up her clothes. "You need to practice your fistwork early, when the air is freshest, for the best results. Once we're done, I have something to take care of today. I'll buy you some meat."
At the mention of "meat," most of Ning Xiaohe's drowsiness vanished at once. She quickly got dressed and followed her brother into the courtyard.
The morning light was faint, and the air carried a refreshing chill.
Ning Chuan did not immediately begin the fistwork. Instead, he first guided his sister through a warm-up.
Drawing from the Inheritance Bracelet's guidance on laying foundations for young children and combining it with the Spirit Rhino Bull Fist, he had created several gentle movements that could stimulate the vitality of the blood and qi.
For example, Spirit Cat Stretching imitated the lazy stretch of a waking cat to loosen the spine;
Young Deer Leaping involved light hops in place to activate the leg muscles and improve coordination;
Turtle Breath Inhalation used deep, steady breathing to calm the mind.
Ning Xiaohe found these new movements more interesting than yesterday's and practiced them with great enthusiasm, her little face full of concentration.
After the warm-up, Ning