On the eve of the New Year, it's customary to stay up late, bid farewell to the old and welco the new. Luo Zheng chatted leisurely with his family until midnight. After his mom and little sister had gotten sleepy and headed to their rooms, he returned to his own room to rest. He called Lan Xue for a while, exchanged sweet nothings, then sat on his bed and began to practice the Breathing Skill.
Quickly, Luo Zheng entered a deep state of ditation, reaching a mysterious realm. The surrounding chatter and television sounds were clear, as if close by, yet not irritating or harsh. When Luo Zheng attempted not to listen to these sounds, they suddenly seed much quieter, as if distant.
Soon, Luo Zheng felt a warm stream rising, flowing through his body, comfortably and wonderfully. He vaguely sensed every cell in his body singing, and he felt as if he could soar; it was an extraordinary feeling, and he imrsed himself fully in it.
He didn't know how much ti had passed, but suddenly Luo Zheng opened his eyes, a sharp glow burst from them and then vanished instantly. Luo Zheng was surprised to find it was already daylight. He raised his wrist to check his watch; it was seven in the morning. He was shocked—had it really only been a short ditation? How did it beco dayti?
Luo Zheng approached the window, confused. Outside, there were more pedestrians on the street, the community garden was bustling with children playing; excitent from the New Year made them rise early. Everything around was familiar, impossible to be mistaken. Luo Zheng skeptically checked his watch again, the ti was correct; he picked up his phone and opened it to confirm, the ti was indeed unchanged. This ant he truly had ditated until sunrise, approximately seven hours, but why hadn't he noticed? Was this form of ditation capable of making one temporarily forget ti?
Curious, Luo Zheng checked his body; he felt refreshed, with no symptoms of sleep deprivation. On the contrary, his muscles were filled with strength, more than usual, and his brain was exceptionally active, not at all like soone who had not slept. He was perplexed.
After pondering for a while, Luo Zheng put aside these thoughts. Regardless, it seed beneficial for now. Quickly freshening up, he went to the living room and found his mom already busy in the kitchen, his sister had just woken up and was brushing her teeth, and his dad was watching TV on the living room sofa.
Luo Zheng clearly sensed a change in his father, but couldn't pinpoint anything upon closer inspection, so he curiously approached and quietly asked, "Dad, did you practice the latter part of the ntal thod? How is it?"
"Tried it last night; indeed, it's extraordinary. The whole person feels a bit younger, senses sharper than before. It's marvelous. For now, this set of ntal thods seems beneficial; I didn't expect our family Breathing Skill to have a sequel, there might even be more parts, but for now, I'm content. With this ntal thod, there'll be no worry for our family in the future." Luo Hu remarked with a sense of awe.
"Yes, after practicing for a while, I feel like my fighting ability can improve, especially here, my thinking feels quicker and intuition sharper, maybe it's just an illusion." Luo Zheng pointed to his head.
"It shouldn't be an illusion. Observe first; be cautious during practice. If anything feels off, stop imdiately." Luo Hu warned earnestly. Seeing the little sister approaching, he changed the subject, "It's the first day of the year today, if there's nothing special, let's stay ho. We haven't played chess for a long ti, accompany for a few rounds."
"Sure, little sister, hand the chess set." Luo Zheng agreed casually.
The little sister handed the chess set placed on a nearby table to Luo Zheng, sat beside Luo Hu, and teased, "Dad, you haven't been beaten by brother for a long ti, have you forgotten the pain? Playing chess with him first thing in the morning, aren't you asking for trouble? You know brother's chess is phenonal. Haven't won against him in years, right? Good luck!"
"Watch, this ti, I'll defeat him thoroughly." Luo Hu chuckled.
Father and son set up their pieces for battle. After a few moves, Luo Zheng realized he previously could calculate up to ten chess moves, but now he could predict the eleventh. Don't underestimate this one extra step; it represents a person's intellectual limit. Luo Zheng speculated, could his intelligence have improved? It's not scientific.
Regardless, it's a positive change. Luo Hu soon fell into checkmate, unexpectedly stared at Luo Zheng and said, "Your skill has improved. Have you been practicing often these years?"
"Yes, played with Xue Er's father a few days ago." Luo Zheng chuckled, curious himself. He hadn't played much lately; was it due to learning tactical command in the organization or benefits from practicing the family Breathing Skill? He pondered without conclusion and decided to ignore these distractions, continuing the duel with Luo Hu.
That day, Luo Zheng felt content, free from thoughts of the battlefield or missions, nothing to worry about, happily spending ti with the family. Unaware, evening arrived; after dinner, he chatted with them for a while before returning to his room to continue his practice.
The next morning, after breakfast, Luo Zheng drove his sister's car to Lan Xue's house. Her company was doing well; though still studying, she had bought a car for commuting. Upon reaching Lan Xue's house, Lan Bo was more enthusiastic than the sisters. After a few polite exchanges, he switched the topic, "You brat, after losing to you last ti, I've been mulling over your chess strategy and finally found a way to counter it. Co on, let's have another ga."
"Dad, are you sure?" Lan Xing laughed, eager for chaos.
Lan Xue set up the chessboard and sat beside Luo Zheng, serene like a lotus, face full of happiness. The elder's recognition of Luo Zheng and his presence made her very content, she couldn't help but cherish his arm and smiled softly, "Since dad's interested, play with him, but don't hold back; my dad doesn't like it when people go easy on him."
"Alright." Luo Zheng agreed casually and set up the chessboard.
Lan Bo noticed his daughter's affectionate deanor with Luo Zheng but didn't object, chuckled lightly, "Boy, I've been pondering these days, this ti you will undoubtedly lose."
The two quickly set their pieces, Luo Zheng courteously let Lan Bo take the lead, and Lan Bo didn't hold back. But he soon found sothing was amiss; Luo Zheng's chess style was not only more ticulous, but his layout was further-reaching, imbued with a sharp aggressiveness—a perfect balance of toughness and gentleness, with advance and retreat well-considered. Lan Bo quickly lost and, displeased, looked at Luo Zheng accusingly, "Were you holding back last ti? How did you get so much better?"
Luo Zheng too sensed his chess skills had improved, filled with doubt, thinking it might indeed be related to the Breathing Skill. But that couldn't be acknowledged, so he chuckled, "I went back and studied your chess strategy too, found a way to counter it; you don't mind, do you?"
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