The door was gently pushed open.
The creak of its wooden pivot sounded especially clear amid the lingering traces of the Phenomenon that filled the room.
A middle-aged man walked slowly inside, his robes neat, his features upright. A touch of frost silvered his temples, yet his bearing remained restrained. He did not take a single hurried step, but his steady presence seemed to hold down the lingering celestial might within the room.
The head of the Meng Household, Meng Zhiyuan.
First, he stood just inside the doorway and bowed deeply-not to anyone present, but to the purple radiance still rolling beyond the window.
"Heaven has bestowed a Phenomenon. I dare not fail to show reverence."
His voice was gentle, but every word carried solemn weight.
Only then did he raise his eyes toward the birthing bed.
The infant lay quietly in his swaddling, his eyes still closed, yet his tiny hands remained clasped in greeting. His fingers trembled slightly, as though he had not just entered the world, but was paying his respects to Heaven and Earth, to the rivers and mountains, one by one.
Meng Zhiyuan's pupils contracted slightly.
After a long while, he gave a soft sigh. His expression held not wild delight, but solemnity.
"The sage said-'Man is born still; this is his heavenly nature. Moved by external things, he stirs; these are the desires of his nature.'"
"This child has yet to behold the human world, yet already offers his respects. He is not moved by desire; his nature is clear of its own accord."
He walked slowly forward, his gaze growing gentler, yet even more respectful.
"The Book of Documents says, 'Even a sage becomes a fool without reflection; even a fool becomes a sage through reflection.'"
"All others enter the world crying, seeking