The next day.
At dawn, he ascended Mount Tianzhu; the mountain temple greeted the morning sun.
Li Ping'an rose early and sat on the edge of his bed, practicing the Nirvana Sutra over and over.
Time flowed past, breath by breath, as he recited the scripture again and again.
Savoring its meaning carefully, he suddenly saw everything in a new light.
[Fate trait "Diligence Can Make Up for Clumsiness" triggered]
Li Ping'an involuntarily entered a state of self-forgetting contemplation.
Immersed in the profound mysteries of the scripture, his mind was utterly clear.
After an unknown length of time, Li Ping'an came back to himself.
His whole body felt more at ease than ever before, as though, after prolonged toil and suffering,
he had suddenly gained a sense of peace and freedom.
Like a dried-up lake fed by a stream of fresh water, he brimmed with vigorous life.
Three or four days passed in the blink of an eye.
From time to time, sounds of air being cleaved rang out in the little courtyard.
Li Ping'an stretched and exercised his long-idle body, gradually finding his stride.
The sky was a washed-clean blue, with a hint of chill and a touch of freshness.
Thanks to the Nirvana Sutra and his fate trait, Diligence Can Make Up for Clumsiness,
although the true qi within Li Ping'an had yet to be fully digested and integrated into his blood,
what had nearly killed him last time would certainly never happen again.
All that remained was a matter of time.
He had thought the days ahead would be long and uneventful, but something interesting happened.
Li Ping'an learned that Wang Shan had paid off his debt.
Whatever the case, he owed the man a favor.
It would hardly be proper not to offer his