After returning to the rear courtyard of the Heaven Patrol Office, Yi Yang walked to his quarters and paused at the entrance.
Xu Pei followed behind him. Before he could ask whether anything needed arranging, Yi Yang had already turned around.
"Patrols will continue as usual tonight, but without my orders, no one is to come within thirty zhang of this room."
Xu Pei froze for a moment and was about to ask why.
Yi Yang added, "I'm going to cultivate. It might get loud, so don't let anyone mistake it for a break-in."
"Oh," Xu Pei replied. Though his belly was full of questions, the sight of Yi Yang smashing Zheng Haitao's head with a single palm strike tonight was still vivid in his mind. He had not the slightest thought of questioning this newly appointed director.
"Understood, sir. I'll make the arrangements right away."
After Xu Pei withdrew, the courtyard fell quiet.
Yi Yang shut and barred the door, then checked the window lattice once more. Only after confirming there were no gaps did he sit down at the desk.
He took a yellowed silk scroll from a hidden pocket close to his body.
The golden-haired ape depicted sitting cross-legged on its cover looked especially serene in the lamplight.
"Heart Ape Mind Guarding Art."
A cultivation art no one had managed to begin mastering in thirteen years.
Yi Yang opened the silk scroll and skipped straight to the cultivation method in the Still Image section.
He had already read the general principles twice and understood the broad approach. But tonight would be his first real attempt at practicing it.
The silk scroll stated clearly-
The practitioner must sit cross-legged and focus the mind, keeping awareness upon the spiritual dais between the brows. This is the dwelling place of