(Continued): The Beginning of Training in the Northern Dragon Hall
Uncle Han stared deep into Nie Tian's eyes, as if searching for something buried deep within his soul. Then he said calmly:
"Good. Because your first training won't be physical... it will be mental."
Nie Tian was slightly surprised but said nothing. Uncle Han gestured with his hand and said:
"Follow me."
The two walked through the main corridors of the building until they reached an ancient double door, engraved with a dragon coiled around a blazing sun. Uncle Han opened it gently, revealing a vast hall, its walls covered in dark wood, lined with rows of shelves filled with ancient scrolls that stretched from floor to ceiling.
The scent of old paper and ancient ink hung heavy in the air, casting an invisible reverence over the place, as if each scroll held a sleeping soul within it.
Uncle Han spoke in a soft but serious tone:
"This is the library of the Northern Dragon Hall. Every person who walked this path began here."
Nie Tian stepped forward slowly, his eyes wandering over the scrolls—some wrapped in silk cloth, others marked with symbols he had never seen before.
Uncle Han continued:
"You will stay here, read and study everything you see. Ritual arts, breathing techniques, internal martial methods, energy pathways—everything handwritten on these shelves. These aren't just books; they are a legacy left behind by our ancestors."
He turned toward him and locked eyes with intensity:
"You must memorize every scroll in this library. That is your first test."
Nie Tian's eyes widened—he hadn't expected the training to begin like this.
"All of them?!" he asked in disbelief.
Uncle Han replied in a calm but weighty tone:
"Yes. You won't learn a single combat technique until you've memorized every scroll here by heart."
He paused, then walked over to one of the shelves, pulling out a scroll and holding it out to Nie Tian:
"Power without mind is like a sword without a blade. The path to true strength begins with understanding, not muscles."
He opened the scroll and showed it to Nie Tian. The writing was delicate, with diagrams depicting energy circles within the body and explanations on how to control them.
"You'll start with this—basic breathing techniques. You are not to leave this library until you've finished it."
Nie Tian reached out and took the scroll, his eyes scanning the script before asking:
"How many scrolls are there?"
Uncle Han gave a faint smile and, as he walked toward the door, replied:
"Over two hundred."
Then, without turning around, he said:
"And every one of them is a step toward your survival."
He closed the door behind him, leaving Nie Tian alone at the heart of the library.
Nie Tian sat on the floor, opened the scroll, and began to read.
Hours passed. Shadows crept in through the small windows. The chirping of birds faded, replaced by the quiet of night.
But Nie Tian didn't lift his head. He read with a quiet intensity, as if something within him had awakened... as if the words themselves were alive.
[To be continued in Chapter 7 : The Letters That Burn in the Heart]