White Cloud Scripture

"Strange."

Wang Yu's curiosity surged, and he immediately walked toward the stone hut.

But when he came within two steps of it, a powerful chill washed over him, bringing him to a halt.

"Nice and cool, isn't it? And the closer you get, the colder it gets. I once touched the wall, but it was so cold I couldn't keep my hand there for long." Seeing his reaction, Dongyue clapped his hands and laughed.

At those words, Wang Yu couldn't help taking another two steps forward and placing a palm against the wall. A bone-piercing chill instantly shot through him. He grimaced, hastily withdrew his hand, and backed several steps away.

The young Daoist laughed so hard he doubled over.

This stone hut really is strange. What on earth is inside?

Wang Yu only grew more curious about the hut.

Afterward, Wang Yu followed Dongyue around, trying out the various weapons on the rack. After fooling around with them for a while, he returned to the abbey's front courtyard and settled temporarily into his side room.

Toward evening, Dongyue brought him several coarse-grain steamed buns mixed with white flour and a small plate of pickled vegetables. Wang Yu wolfed them down, then went to the main hall to see Daoist Chongyun.

"Now that you've joined this abbey, you must study and memorize the White Cloud Scripture, and recite it three times each day. I copied this White Cloud Scripture myself. You seem to know some characters, so take a look first. I'll explain the scripture to you." Upon seeing Wang Yu, Daoist Chongyun drew a yellow-covered scripture from his sleeve and tossed it over.

Wang Yu scrambled to catch the book. After acknowledging the instruction, he began turning through it page by page. Each page was covered in soybean-sized characters, all resembling clerical script. Some looked slightly unfamiliar, but he could still guess their general meaning, which put him at ease.

Daoist Chongyun began explaining. At first, every sentence sounded profound and unfathomable, but after thinking them over carefully, Wang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Wasn't everything the Daoist kept explaining just the classic Daoist teaching from Blue Star about governing through nonaction?

Soon, he turned to the final page. As his gaze swept across the originally blank paper, a strange image slowly emerged.

This is...

Startled, Wang Yu hurriedly looked closer. The image was a cloud-shaped pattern formed from twisting black lines.

Seeing Wang Yu's reaction, Daoist Chongyun looked faintly surprised, and his explanation abruptly stopped.

Wang Yu paid no attention to the Daoist's reaction. At first glance, the pattern seemed ordinary, but when he tried to make out the black lines, the image began to blur, and waves of dizziness washed over him.

What's going on?

Wang Yu blinked his strained eyes and forced himself to keep looking.

Something eerie happened.

The black lines in the pattern began to twist. Though they moved very slowly, they truly were shifting like living things. Like a black hole, they exerted an irresistible pull on his gaze, leaving him unable to look away.

Wang Yu held the scripture as though possessed, failing to notice the disappointment that returned to the Daoist's face as time passed.

Only after a full tea's worth of time had passed, when Wang Yu was so dizzy he wanted to vomit, did the Daoist finally speak:

"Stop. Looking at this for too long on your first attempt does you no good. I never expected you to possess Spiritual Perception. Without it, you couldn't have seen this 'Cloud Pattern.'"

The Daoist's voice was quiet, yet it rang like thunder in Wang Yu's ears. He jolted and finally managed to wrench his gaze away from the scripture. Now he felt utterly exhausted mentally, as though he had just stayed awake all night.

"Huff... huff... Abbey Master, what is Spiritual Perception? I have it? And what is this 'Cloud Pattern'?" Only after taking several deep breaths could Wang Yu fire off his questions in alarm.

"Spiritual Perception is an innate gift. The 'Cloud Pattern' is no mundane thing; only those with Spiritual Perception can see it. Often, only one person in a thousand possesses Spiritual Perception. You're still young. If this were in the past... never mind. You may leave." The Daoist regarded Wang Yu with a complicated look. After offering those few explanations, he sighed and waved the boy away.

"Abbey Master, this book..." Still utterly bewildered, Wang Yu raised the White Cloud Scripture in his hands and asked.

Wang Yu noticed that the Cloud Pattern on the final page of the White Cloud Scripture had vanished. The page was blank again.

"You possess Spiritual Perception and joined the abbey at a time like this. I suppose there is some fate between us. You may keep this White Cloud Scripture. Once your mind has recovered, you can look at the pattern again. A word of advice: in your current condition, you may look at it only once a day. Stop immediately if you feel unwell. If you keep this up, it may help strengthen your mind." After a moment's hesitation, the Daoist offered a few words of caution.

"Thank you for your gift, Abbey Master. This disciple will take his leave."

After thanking him, Wang Yu left the main hall with a bellyful of questions.

Daoist Chongyun remained motionless, watching Wang Yu's retreating figure.

"What a pity."

The murmured words sounded in the silent hall.

Naturally, Wang Yu knew nothing of the Daoist's muttering. Back in his side room, he couldn't resist opening the scripture to its final page again. He set it on the table and studied it cautiously, but as his gaze swept over it, nothing happened beyond the intense weariness he felt in his mind.

"It looks like Daoist Chongyun was right. I have to wait until my mind recovers before I can look at it again." Wang Yu could only close the scripture once more. He paced around the room, carefully considering everything he had encountered that day.

There was no doubt that both the astonishing handprint on the stone weight and the eerie pattern in the White Cloud Scripture suggested Daoist Chongyun was very likely connected to the mysterious supernatural power Wang Yu had been searching for. Judging from their conversation today, this "Spiritual Perception" seemed to be a prerequisite for coming into contact with that power.

"Cloud Pattern, Spiritual Perception."

After murmuring those words, Wang Yu stopped pacing, raised his hands, and stared at them for a while.

Though his soul belonged to an adult from the twenty-first century, this body belonged to a boy barely into his teens. According to Daoist Chongyun, only one person in a thousand might possess Spiritual Perception. For this body to have such a gift seemed a little too coincidental.

Then again, Spiritual Perception seemed connected to mental power, and he had come here by possessing this body. From that perspective, the body's Spiritual Perception most likely had something to do with his own mind.

Could this body have originally lacked Spiritual Perception, only gaining the gift because my adult consciousness crossed over from Blue Star and merged with some of Wang Tiezhu's memories?

Wang Yu continued making these wild guesses.

Whatever the case, now that he had found a clue to this world's mysterious supernatural power, he had to find a way to gather more information about it from Daoist Chongyun before leaving this world. That way, he could earn great merit upon returning to Blue Star.

The thought of the wonderful life Dr. Chen and the others had promised him if he rendered meritorious service lifted Wang Yu's spirits, even easing much of his mental fatigue.

He put away the White Cloud Scripture, carefully tucking it beneath the wooden pillow on his bed. Then, unable to fight his drowsiness any longer, he collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep.

Early the next morning.

A burst of urgent knocking roused Wang Yu from his groggy sleep. He yawned, got up, and had barely opened the door when Dongyue rushed inside.

"Junior Brother Autumn Leaf, look at the time! How are you still asleep? If you don't hurry, you'll miss it!" Dongyue seized Wang Yu's hand and hurriedly dragged him outside.

"Miss what?" Wang Yu instinctively followed Dongyue out of the room, his face full of bewilderment.

"The Abbey Master's martial arts lesson, of course. Once your name is entered in White Cloud Abbey's Daoist register, the Abbey Master gives you free instruction once a month. After all, we paid a large offering to join, so he has to teach us something real. But it only lasts one morning. If you miss it, you'll have to wait until next month. Yesterday, you seemed very interested in martial arts, so you absolutely can't miss this," Dongyue said rapidly.

Delighted, Wang Yu thanked him repeatedly, then followed him straight to the training ground behind the abbey.

Sure enough, Daoist Chongyun was already waiting there, neatly dressed in a short, fitted martial outfit. Seeing the two arrive, he immediately motioned for Wang Yu to wait to one side, then instructed Dongyue:

"Dongyue, as usual, demonstrate the Vajra Staff Technique. Let me see whether you've improved."

"Yes, Abbey Master. I feel my staff technique has improved greatly lately."

Dongyue agreed cheerfully and pulled a long staff from the nearby weapon rack. Returning to the center of the training ground, he began practicing his staff technique amid loud cries...

Perhaps because the Daoist was watching, Dongyue clearly swung his staff with more effort than yesterday. Every move looked properly executed, and even his shout for the final move was louder than before. Yet the small pit left when his staff struck the ground was almost exactly the same size.

When Dongyue finished and lowered his staff, drenched in sweat, he looked toward the Daoist with a plump face that practically begged for praise.

Standing nearby, Wang Yu had nearly clapped his hands sore.

The corners of Daoist Chongyun's eyes twitched twice. After a long pause, he slowly said:

"You're reasonably proficient in the Vajra Staff Technique, but there's clearly been no improvement in the methods of exerting force and the breathing rhythm I taught you last time. And why must you shout every time you execute a move? I've told you about this time and again."

"I don't know why either. It always feels like I can't put any strength into a move unless I shout it out, like it lacks momentum. As for the methods of exerting force and the breathing rhythm you taught me last time, Abbey Master, I understood them, but something always felt wrong when I practiced afterward. I don't know why." Dongyue scratched the back of his head and answered with a seemingly guileless grin.

"Hmph. If your father hadn't donated such a large sum toward repairing the abbey, why would I have accepted someone as lazy as you? Not only is your aptitude ordinary, but your martial practice is three days fishing and two days drying the nets." The Daoist snorted and bluntly reprimanded him.

"Abbey Master, I'll definitely change next time..." Dongyue's face crumpled.

"There's nothing more for me to teach you. You've turned the Vajra Staff Technique into empty flourishes. Keep studying what I taught you before. Once you reach the point where not even splashed water can penetrate your guard, I'll teach you something else," the Daoist said coldly.

"Yes, yes. This disciple will work hard." Dongyue meekly agreed, then trudged dejectedly to the other side of the training ground to practice his staff technique.

"Autumn Leaf, now that you've joined this abbey, I will naturally treat you equally and teach you some martial arts for self-defense. Is there anything you wish to learn? I know a little of staff techniques, sword techniques, and unarmed combat. You may choose one." Daoist Chongyun paid Dongyue no further attention and turned to ask Wang Yu.