Shushan, early morning.
The rooster crowed to herald the dawn.
Qingfeng rolled over in his sleep, muttering.
"Stinking chicken! Rotten chicken! I'll stew you sooner or later."
Li Ping'an had risen early and sat meditating in the courtyard.
He breathed in the first breath of morning air.
Each breath carried a sense of tranquility, distance, and lingering depth.
It was like a clear, star-filled sky, without the slightest trace of pollution.
The jujube tree in the courtyard had already begun shedding its leaves.
The tree was laden with large, round jujubes, swaying in the autumn breeze and revealing enchanting smiles in the sunlight.
A breeze blew past, and Li Ping'an casually reached out and caught something.
He opened his hand, and a jujube with a leaf attached appeared in his palm.
The jujube gave off a delicate fragrance that refreshed the heart and soothed the soul, making him take a bite despite himself.
The morning air was also at its clearest and richest, like wisps of autumn wind circling around him.
Li Ping'an took the opportunity to slowly sink his consciousness into his mental world, sensing every trace of origin qi around him.
Warmth spread steadily from the position of his Heart Wheel, growing warmer and warmer until his entire body was warm.
In this tranquil state, he became one with everything around him, and everything around him lay within his perception.
After an unknown length of time, Li Ping'an came back to his senses.
It was sunset, and a faint, chilly breeze swept past his eyes like a soft leaf bearing dew, awakening his drowsiness.
He gently moved his body and found, to his surprise, that he felt no fatigue at all, as though he had slept.
Old Ox and Run Tu had already returned from working in the