Why do I have so many masters?

After that, the two of them did not talk much. Wang Anfeng thought about the matter of reforming the wicked and then his thoughts shifted back to mundane matters of the village. He thought about returning to feed the Innkeeper's pigs and about visiting the old uncle who lived alone—whom he had last visited three days ago. He intended to discuss this with Ci Ci, but it was always casually dismissed by the latter, which left him feeling frustrated.

It was not until they entered a side hall, where there was a statue of a king in armor glaring with a fierce expression, that things changed. Young monks were practicing martial arts around them. Ci Ci chose a quiet meditation mat and asked Wang Anfeng to sit down on it. He then took a thin book from his robe and looked at Wang Anfeng kindly as he spoke:

"Now that you have just entered Shaolin and have no foundation in martial arts, here is 'Yi Chan Gong,' which is the basic foundation of our lineage. You should first learn..."

"Yi Chan Gong?"

Wang Anfeng was startled and subconsciously took the book, but as soon as the book touched his palm, the aged yellow book transformed into a bundle of soft light and surged into his body, startling him so much that he almost leaped up. Just then, Ci Ci's palm gently pressed on his shoulder, and he spoke in a stern tone:

"Calm your mind, focus your spirit!"

With a stern shout, like the ringing of morning and evening bells, Wang Anfeng felt a slight tremor in his body and all distracting thoughts vanished instantly, leaving his mind clear and pristine. As his mind settled, a delicate yet distinct flow of energy emerged within him and began to circulate slowly along a unique pathway. He felt a warmth throughout his body and heard Ci Ci's low chanting near his ear. His consciousness relaxed, and he felt as if he had fallen into a river, drifting along the current gently.

"The Dharma is equal, without high or low, this is called Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi..."

"With no self, no person, no living beings, no life, practice all virtuous Dharmas, and then achieve Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi..."

The solemn chanting continued unhurriedly by his ears, until the barely perceptible flow of energy had grown stronger. A warm sensation emerged in his heart and then plunged directly into his Dantian. Only then did his body slightly tremble, and he slowly opened his eyes to find a tranquil night scene before him, the moonlight spreading across the courtyard.

"This... this is..."

Wang Anfeng looked at the night scene before him, still not understanding why merely closing his eyes had changed the whole world.

"You've awakened…"

The familiar chanting nearby ceased, replaced by Ci Ci's calm voice. He looked at the young man before him with some satisfaction, gently stroked Wang Anfeng's hair, and said with a smile:

"Being able to maintain meditative concentration for four Hours on your first attempt means you have entered the gate and have learned the first level of 'Yi Chan Gong.' You have good potential, but don't be too complacent."

"Four Hours? You... Master Ci Ci, have you been..."

Wang Anfeng's eyes widened as he looked at the youth's serene and smiling face, noted the changes in the sky, and the mention of four Hours. He was not naive, and immediately realized that this Uncle Ci Ci, whom he had met only today, had been watching over him all this time. The outside cold dew had become heavier, and besides them, the great hall was already empty. This realization stirred him emotionally.

Taking a deep breath, the young man stood up very solemnly and adjusted his clothes, then, following the ritual his father had described for truly honoring a teacher, he knelt and performed three prostrations and nine kowtows in front of Ci Ci, saying:

"Disciple Wang Anfeng greets Master."

A flicker of data flashed across Ci Ci's eyes. Being a product of system settings, he did not possess emotions, and his personality was not predefined. In case of losing connection with the main server, he would only act according to the original database, but at this moment, he sensed a deviation in his operational mode for some reason, feeling a slight acceleration. A smile appeared on his lips as he helped the young man to his feet, joking:

"There was no need for such grand gestures since I agreed so casually. Why such an elaborate ceremony now?"

Wang Anfeng stood up and said earnestly:

"Once a teacher, forever a father."

"One only has a single father, and a master can't just be acknowledged carelessly."

"Can it be done now?"

The youth nodded and responded, "Uncle Li said that whether it's traveling in Jianghu, standing in the Imperial Court, or making a living in a small mountain village, it's all the same. Listen to their words and watch their actions, then you can make a judgment. A man should not be wishy-washy, but he also shouldn't be foolish enough to believe whatever others say."

A look of great astonishment appeared on the peaceful face of Master Ci, followed by loud laughter. His brows lifted, and his formerly calm demeanor transformed into that of a bold and unrestrained hero of Jianghu. He clapped his hands loudly, laughing:

"Hahaha, very good, very good. Listen to their words and watch their actions, excellent, indeed excellent."

"Your aptitude is quite good, and your nature suits my taste. You are fit to be my disciple!"

"Today I shall teach you 'Yi Chan Gong.' Remember to cultivate it daily without cessation. Here are ten Qi-absorbing Pills, consume them in parts during today's cultivation session. They will completely dissolve and assist you greatly in your cultivation."

After the laughter, a smile still lingered on Master Ci's lips. He reached into his robe, pulled out a thick-necked porcelain bottle, and threw it directly to Wang Anfeng, who, without any pretense, caught it and stowed it away in his embrace.

It is impolite to refuse a gift from an elder; refusing would be disrespectful. Wang Anfeng followed Master Ci and the monks by placing one hand vertically in front of his chest, and expressed his gratitude:

"Thank you, Master..."

"Beep—Player's online time has reached ten hours in the game world."

"According to the 'Virtual Gaming Anti-Addiction Law,' the maximum online time for minors under the age of thirteen is one Earth hour per day. You are now being forced to exit the game. Please go outside, breathe some fresh air, and exercise your body."

As the crisp and pleasant female voice sounded, the image of his master, poised yet unrestrained, froze and then slowly faded like smoke, as did the grand and solemn great hall. Outside, the courtyard was littered with bright moonlight. Wang Anfeng was slightly startled, only feeling a blur before his eyes, and suddenly found himself from the candlelit side hall of Shaolin laying flat on the ground in a dense jungle, with sunlight warming his face, making it hard to resist feeling drowsy.

"Is this... a dream?"

Wang Anfeng propped himself up with his arms, sitting somewhat bewildered as he looked at everything around him. Behind him was neatly chopped firewood, dry without a hint of dew, neatly stacked and convenient for use. He held an axe in his hand, and the surroundings were so familiar he wouldn't mistake them even with his eyes closed.

"...It is a dream... Hah, I knew it... I must have gone crazy wanting to learn martial arts..."

"Even in dreams, I dream of becoming a disciple of Shaolin... Shaolin..."

The youth stretched his arms and allowed himself to lie back down on the ground, murmuring self-mockingly. Yet, his chest was filled with a profound sense of loss. After all, he was still a young man, and this feeling of having gained and lost made him quite despondent. However, the birds in the forest didn't seem to understand the mood, chirping incessantly from above in the treetops.

Wang Anfeng felt a bit annoyed, sat up, and picked up a small stone, throwing it at the birds in a fit of pique. He had only intended to disperse the noisy birds, but as he threw the stone, a faint surge of warmth unexpectedly burst from his arm, flowing into his fingertips. The small stone almost shot out like a slingshot, leaving a sharp whistling sound in the air, and it hit a particularly chirpy sparrow directly.

The little bird didn't even have time to react before it plummeted headlong down to the ground, causing the other birds to scatter in fright. However, the shock in Wang Anfeng's heart was no less than that of the birds. He sat dumbfounded on the spot, disbelievingly staring at his hands. Perhaps because of the vigor of his prior action, an object fell from his embrace to the ground, rolling to a stop at his feet—a thick-necked porcelain bottle emitting a pungent medicinal scent.

"This is... Yi Chan Gong! Qi-absorbing Pills!"

"Is everything... real?!"