The late afternoon sunlight poured across the narrow streets of Chaoyang, painting the concrete in golden streaks. Vendors packed up for the day, taxis honked impatiently, and students spilled out of classrooms in waves, laughter and chatter mixing with the hum of the city.
Fang Ze strolled down the familiar path to his mother's bookstore, backpack slung casually over one shoulder. He moved with the ease of someone who had seen the world before, yet now returned to it as a youth, a second chance carrying a lifetime of memories.
The bookstore itself was quiet, nestled between a modern café and a stationery shop. Its signboard read "Fang Linying's Books"—a small chain, well-known in Beijing for rare texts and historical collections. Today, however, the store buzzed with a different kind of energy. A shipment of rare tomes had arrived: texts on Qi harmonization, spiritual node mapping, and a small crate labeled "Experimental Herb Cultivation – Restricted Access."
Fang Ze's eyes twitched slightly. The crate caught his attention immediately. Ancient herbs, grown in controlled spiritual environments, capable of responding to a practitioner's aura and accelerating natural Qi circulation. The kind of opportunity that only appeared once in a lifetime—and not always to the right person.
"Brother!" A familiar voice called. Su Qingxue had followed him, tucking her school bag under one arm. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she glanced at the crate.
"Thought I'd check in," she said casually. "Make sure you haven't done anything… reckless."
Fang Ze smirked. "Reckless? Never me. Just… opportunistic." He tapped the crate lightly. "And luck tends to favor those who notice it first."
Su Qingxue raised an eyebrow. "That sounds suspiciously like advice from someone who's already broken a rule or two."
He shrugged, opening the crate slowly. Pale green leaves shimmered faintly under the fading sunlight, as if aware of their new observer. Fang Ze knelt and brushed a finger across one, feeling the slight tremor of unformed Qi.
"Interesting," he muttered. "These aren't ordinary herbs. They've been cultivated to resonate with the human body's natural Qi pathways. If used correctly…" His voice trailed off as he cataloged the energy in his mind.
Meanwhile, across the city, minor tremors of attention were spreading. In university campuses, corporate offices, and secluded courtyards, young prodigies sensed the rising currents of the Golden Era. Some were ancient family heirs, others had trained under hidden sects, and a few were entirely unaffiliated—but all were stirring.
At Beijing University, Fang Yuhan, now a first-year student, sat in the library, poring over architectural blueprints while subconsciously sensing the subtle flux in the city's Qi network. Her sharp eyes flicked occasionally to the Golden List, recently updated and circulating online. She noted new names, names of prodigies who were quietly establishing themselves in the urban landscape.
Even within the hidden enclaves of the Huaxia Special Bureau Authority, analysts monitored the city's energy shifts. Discussions were hushed but urgent. Small disturbances, spikes of unregistered Qi, and subtle nodal formations hinted at the awakening of young prodigies. The council had yet to act openly, preferring observation—an unusual degree of patience for them.
Back at the bookstore, Fang Ze had already begun extracting small quantities of the herb. The leaves responded to his aura, pulsing faintly, and he carefully began the initial circulation exercise he remembered from his past life. Each pulse of Qi was absorbed, aligning with his internal pathways, refining them without strain.
Su Qingxue watched silently. "You really do take everything seriously, don't you?"
He glanced at her, lips curling slightly. "Not everything. Just the things worth noticing."
Outside, Beijing carried on obliviously, unaware of the subtle alignments shifting beneath its streets. Currents moved, threads intertwined, and young prodigies—unknown to one another—stirred with latent potential.
Fang Ze paused, feeling the faint hum of the herb's Qi settle into his system. It was small. Incremental. But enough. Enough to mark the first step in a much longer ascent.
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, the city exhaled quietly, unaware that its equilibrium had already begun to shift.