Each word drew me closer to something, each sentence bringing back a new insight I’d lost to time. The imperfection of my memory made me curse out loud as I put together pieces like looking back at things through a particularly blurry lens where someone had taken pieces and ripped them out.But as I ate through the memories, devouring them endlessly as the knowledge settled and gathered within my chest, I began to feel a heat rising inside of me.Here, I did not tire, did not need sleep, did not need to eat, and it was only when I could no longer keep any more information in my head, did I finally remember that I existed in a physical world with a body, and needed to return to it. There was a sense of danger, of treading grounds where I would be lost to time, losing myself in the pursuit of those memories and conflating my own self with the one that existed in them.The thought gave me pause. I needed to be careful. This place was as much of a boon as it was a trap. Sink too deep, and

I opened my eyes, blinking to myself. It felt simultaneously like I’d taken the longest nap of my life, and like I had just finished running a marathon. I looked around myself, noting the sun out bright, shining down during mid day and I found myself unaware of just how long time had passed.I brought my eyes to the book I had written. ‘The Laws of Nature Part - 5’ it read.Part-5? I tried to recall if I had written any other parts. I did faintly remember something like it, but my mind moved at a crawl, and I clutched my head, feeling hungover.Stepping up, with aches all across my body I walked out of my chamber, glancing around. There did not seem to be anybody around here, which was strange, usually there were at least some people.No, I realised a moment later. One person was nearby.Following the hint of presence I felt, I walked to a chamber, stepping in and saw Yueling seated on a table with a brush in his hand. He was reading from one book, one with glowing words and swirling

The Old Man’s enthusiasm brought a smile to my face as well. I did not get nearly enough time to sit down with the Old Man like this anymore, and that only made the time we did get all the more precious.As I looked at the Old Man, standing with his usual cup of tea in hand and the look like he was about to reveal the secrets of the universe to me, I couldn’t help but feel like I was once again the ignorant child who had first opened his eyes here, not knowing the world around me, and excited by every little thing I saw.In some ways, I was still that child. And I hoped that child never truly dies.“Sorry, I was busy with things. You know how it is. You give them five books, and they go and make a whole thing about it,” I said, smiling at my own joke.“Indeed. We’ve all heard of the books. I even got to see one. There are many fascinating things written in them, that this old fool does not truly grasp. Perhaps one day, I would be the one sitting there, and you would be the one teachin

I walked through a field at the edge of the sect premises, making my way up to Yueling. A burly man stood nearby, with a stout body, and I recognised him to be the blacksmith Yueling often worked with.Next to him a nervous looking boy stood, holding what looked a lot like the pistol I had given him.Zhang was nearby as well, as they all waited for my arrival. Yueling bowed as I walked closer and I raised a hand to tell him to stop.“The model for the gun has been prepared,” the man said smoothly, before glancing towards the blacksmith.“Had to make some changes, lengthen the barrel, added those spinning groves you mentioned. Changed the trigger and added the safety thing as well, was a pain to properly shape it. Next one will be easier with the molds for shaping the parts but it works for now, see for yourself,” the man said, glancing sideways at the kid.The boy walked closer to me, bowing his head before he handed me the gun.I held the rifle in my hand, inspecting it. Pieces of wo

My Chi swirled around me, and I focused it into the weapon, condensing it around the bullet. The world slowed down around the both of us as I saw Zhang preparing.Then, with a rapid rush, he moved closer. I pressed the trigger as the bullet shot, rushing ahead rapidly. Zhang stepped as the world moved around him and he dodged the bullet. I didn’t wait for a second as I shot again. This time his blade struck, swinging as the bullet was deflected, but the Chi had reinforced it, and it shook the sword. Nevertheless, Zhang didn’t stop, rushing at me rapidly. Barely a second had passed, and already I could tell that this gun was far too slow to react in time.And so I compressed by Chi, forcing the mechanisms to shift into place faster as I aimed the gun and shot one more time. The bullet spun around, almost glowing as it rushed out, and Zhang found himself too close to be able to react in time. And so he didn’t. Instead, he moved slightly, enough that the bullet only grazed his shoulder,