Chapter 54: An Aura Born of Nature

The physical fitness test was over.

The synthetic track was scorched by the afternoon sun, filling the air with a dry, distinctive scent. The sunlight slanted ever more, stretching the shadows of the school buildings into long, dark lines.

These shaded places, aside from the courts, were the favorite spots for students to gather during free activities.

“Go enjoy your free time—return five minutes before class ends for roll call, and don’t go back to the classroom without permission.”

“Whoosh—dismissed!”

The boys who loved sports had already rushed off to play. Basketball, badminton, and table tennis were the most popular among the students.

Almost none of the girls played basketball—it seemed reserved for the boys. Most girls chose instead to play badminton, stroll around the campus in small groups, chat, or take out their vocabulary books and review materials to read under the trees.

Since the PE class forbade returning to the classroom, Lin Mengqiu didn’t go back either.

She didn’t play badminton, nor did she join the other girls for a walk. Instead, she sat alone in the shade, reading from her vocabulary book.

After nearly stumbling during the physical test and leaving Chen Shian’s arms, she hadn’t spoken a single word since. Her delicate face had lost its blush, her sweat dried, her breathing was calm again. Except for her hair still tied in a ponytail, the girl seemed unwilling to say a word.

Chen Shian glanced at her from afar. Seeing her like this, for some reason, he suddenly thought of a “little bunny crying.” He wanted to laugh but had to hold it in, which was hard.

He still remembered vividly Lin Mengqiu’s panic, helplessness, and loss in that split second before she fell—a stark contrast to her usual confident pride.

If she had actually fallen, for someone as strong-willed as her, it would surely rank among the top three most embarrassing moments of her life...

Chen Shian was sensible; he knew that talking to her now would only provoke her. He needed to protect the girl’s little pride.

If there were a memory-erasing spell, he had no doubt Lin Mengqiu would make him the first test subject.

Now that the PE class was over, Chen Shian wasn’t planning on playing sports either. Whether basketball, badminton, or table tennis, though he didn’t know the rules well, his physical strength, reaction speed, and explosive power were on a different level from his classmates, making the games uninteresting.

Lin Mengqiu, reading her vocabulary book, seemed to sense something and looked up at him.

Chen Shian quickly withdrew his gaze.

Better to take a stroll, he thought.

Just as Chen Shian was about to leave, Teacher Wan called out to him.

“Chen Shian.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Aren’t you going to play ball?”

“Teacher, I really don’t know how. Yesterday I was just messing around with everyone.”

“Haha, you’ve got great physical fitness!”

As the PE teacher, Wan’s demeanor differed from other teachers, and the scar at the corner of his eye lent him a bit of a rugged air.

Wan placed his broad hand on Chen Shian’s shoulder, giving him a firm squeeze, then looked surprised... He knew his own strength, but even so, Chen Shian’s seemingly slender body didn’t budge, as if his hand were resting on a stone mountain.

He had also witnessed Lin Mengqiu’s near fall just now. Like everyone else, he hadn’t reacted in time, but Chen Shian, standing at the edge of the track, had already moved. No one saw how he got there so quickly, and by the time they realized, he was already holding Lin Mengqiu.

Wan knew, even if he had prepared in advance, he couldn’t have caught her so swiftly.

“I heard from Teacher Liang you’re a real Daoist?”

“Yes, since childhood I’ve followed my master up in the mountain to cultivate. Teacher Wan, do you know much about this?”

Chen Shian, with nothing to do, chatted naturally with Teacher Wan. He was always like this—if the other party was willing to talk, he could carry a conversation with anyone.

“Haha, I wouldn’t say I know much! When I was young, though, I read a lot of martial arts novels—about the jianghu, Daoists, kung fu, Taiji... I was obsessed with all that back then.”

“No wonder I thought you had the air of the jianghu about you. Teacher Wan, how did you get that scar?”

“Sigh, from playing ball when I was young.”

“I see.”

The boy’s tone was meaningful.

Wan was surprised by Chen Shian’s sharp gaze. The scar really was from playing ball... injured during a dispute with the referee, fighting with someone... That “jianghu air”—well, youth is youth.

Though the boy before him was not even half his age, and his student, Wan couldn’t help but feel a certain respect.

“You’ve been cultivating in the mountains—now that you’re at school, do you know how to do the daily broadcast calisthenics?”

“I wasn’t very good at first, but I learned by following everyone else. Teacher Wan, does the school have unified instruction for the broadcast exercises?”

“Yes, new students are taught by us PE teachers. How do you usually exercise? Your physical fitness is really impressive.”

“Meditation, breath regulation, or practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade, Five Animal Frolics, Daoist exercises.”

Wan’s eyes lit up at his words. Though over forty, he was still drawn to the things that had fascinated him in those old novels—and here was a real Daoist standing before him.

“I practice Eight Pieces of Brocade myself, but I always feel I’m missing something. You must be quite familiar with it?”

“I’ve practiced since I was little. I wouldn’t say I’m highly skilled, but I do know it well.”

“Could you demonstrate for me? I’d love to learn from you.”

“I wouldn’t dare say teach, but if Teacher Wan is interested, I’d be happy to show you.”

Chen Shian was humble but not shy, relaxed and natural—quite unlike his peers.

As a PE teacher, Wan held some “bookworm” stereotypes about top students, but Chen Shian had made him reconsider.

They stood in a shaded, open concrete area. Nearby, Lin Mengqiu sat on the steps, and some students lingered in the shade, chatting. Seeing Chen Shian and Teacher Wan talking for so long, many cast curious glances their way.

Teacher Wan stepped back, giving Chen Shian space.

Chen Shian stood poised, the afternoon breeze stirring his loose school uniform.

He parted his feet slowly, rotated his wrists, and raised his arms as if embracing the moon, inhaling deeply. Then, crossing his hands, he lifted them upward, tilting his head back, palms skyward—the opening move of Eight Pieces of Brocade, “Two hands lift the sky to regulate the Triple Burner.”

His spine extended with the rise and fall of his arms, the folds of his uniform flowing across his back like water. Every inch of muscle and bone stretched like willow, strong as pine.

Even this opening move made Wan’s eyes shine.

He could tell Chen Shian wasn’t doing the broadcast version, but the more intricate Daoist form.

Wan knew the most profound part wasn’t the movements, but the breath—the regulation of qi.

Absorbing, ingesting, drawing in, swallowing, circulating, gathering qi; upper, lower, full, and surging breaths... Each step was a study. Otherwise, like himself, one could practice endlessly and only grasp the form, not the spirit.

“What are Teacher Wan and the Daoist doing...?”

“Is that calisthenics?”

“Eight Pieces of Brocade! We do this in our school exercises, but his looks different...”

“Let’s go see!”

When Chen Shian moved to the second posture, “Drawing the bow left and right as if shooting a hawk,” he extended his arms, bent his knees, raised his left leg with toes pointed, then slowly straightened it, drawing a left horse stance. The raised leg was slow and steady, inhaling with the lift, exhaling with the fall, forming the posture.

“Whoa!!”

“Is the Daoist doing calisthenics? Doing such a difficult move on one leg without even wobbling?!”

“That horse stance...! Looks so powerful!”

“The moves are so slow, but he seems so commanding!”

Not just the students watching, even Teacher Wan—who had practiced—was stunned. Coming to his senses, he quickly took out his phone to record this rare “lesson.”

More and more students gathered, the scene lively, but Chen Shian was undisturbed, focused, continuing his movements.

Even Lin Mengqiu, who disliked crowds, lifted her gaze from her vocabulary book to watch him.

Someone blocked her view, so she moved aside to keep watching.

But as the crowd encircled Chen Shian and Teacher Wan, she lost all gaps to see. She stood and walked up several more steps, watching from afar when she reached enough height.

Chen Shian’s left index and middle fingers formed an arrow, his right hand drawn to his chest as if pulling a bow. His gaze followed his fingertips into the distance, calm as a deep pool, as if an eagle truly soared in the clouds.

Despite the noise, everyone felt they could hear the rhythm of the wind, matching his breath, steady and long, perfectly synchronized with his movements.

Sometimes “handsome” isn’t just about appearance—it’s a feeling. The girls thought Chen Shian was dazzling, and the boys agreed.

Who could have guessed that the same set of movements, done by Chen Shian, would have such an entirely different aura?

Natural as flowing qi!

Teacher Wan, seeing Chen Shian’s Eight Pieces of Brocade, found only those words left in his mind.

Lin Mengqiu was mesmerized.

Only now did she glimpse a corner of Chen Shian’s past cultivation life.

It sparked new curiosity—what was his life like these eighteen years? While she was studying for exams, where was he, and what was he doing?

This curiosity was like a black hole, pulling her thoughts in. By the time she snapped out of it, Chen Shian had finished his practice.

In the center of the crowd, Chen Shian placed his hands gently over his dantian, his breath gradually settling. He stood still for a moment, as if breathing with the world, then slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gentle and serene.

Enthusiastic applause broke out among the watching students.

“Daoist, you’re amazing!!”

“Daoist! Take me as your disciple! I need to learn this!”

“Teacher Wan! Maybe you can suggest to the school we switch to this for our exercises!”

“Haha, it’s worth considering...”

Teacher Wan put away his phone, only now noticing the crowd included not just his own class but students from other classes also having PE.

To attract such a spontaneous audience—only Chen Shian could do it.

“All right, all right, what are you all crowding here for?”

After the crowd dispersed, Teacher Wan came to Chen Shian’s side.

“Shian, if you have time, could you teach me? I always feel I’m missing something—maybe you can help me improve...”

“...Teacher Wan, you’re too modest.”

“Hey—you’re modest! You’re modest!”

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