An old song

[ Is the player going to open it or not? ]

Sighing, Shen Mingze opened the book and started reading from the first page. The first page of the book had no more than four sentences, the characters were elegant and beautiful and each stroke looked like it was made after much calculation.

[ Spiritual cultivation.

In this world every single thing is made out of five elements.

You do not become one with the world when you die.

You are already one with the world, you just have to realize it.

There is no God, there is only you and nature. ]

Shen Mingze read it once, he read it again and again and again. Everytime he read those four lines he felt something surging in his mind, he felt refreshed every time that happened but he just couldn't grasp what that feeling was in the end.

Saying things like 'you are one with the world' is easy and maybe Shen Mingze understands this concept on the surface level but it seems like that wasn't enough.

"System, are you going to help me?"

[ my job was providing player with the manuscripts, Player should figure out the rest by himself ]

"..."

didn't this big meanie admit earlier that helping him cultivate was his job?!

whatever!

'You are one with the world' doesn't that describe how he felt when he was in the black space?

Back then he remembers feeling things like, he was but a speck of dust in the vast universe, what does his suffering even amount to in the flow of time, or something like that.

What was the feeling he had when he thought all this? Did he feel apathetic or was simply a state of feeling nothing at all.

[ Tip from a friend~ there are instructions on meditation in the third chapter of the book ]

Listening to the system, Shen Mingze flipped through the book and sure enough,

In the chapter titled 'meditation' there were many things like sitting position, hand gestures and tips for how to maintain a peaceful mind when meditating.

Shen Mingze followed all the steps from the book and placed the book back into his inventory before sitting in the beginner position that was titled 'lower stage 1-10, Muladhar'

It was a simple cross legged posture with similar simple hand gestures.

After this Shen Mingze closed his eyes and began to focus on remembering how he had felt when living in the black space.

How he had forgotten his sense of existence, his feelings, his opinions. He was just an empty vessel, he was just simply another existence of this world.

What is even the meaning of his consciousness, what was the point of his desires and wishes.

Wasn't he simply one with the world?

It wasn't like a sudden realization struck him, it wasn't painful either but at some point he started to feel like he truly was a vessel, he felt something slowly gather in a perticular space which was under his belly button.

This something was neither hot or cold but somehow he could still feel it. This something slowly condensed into a ball in that perticular spot and more and more of that something began to gather in the same place.

As this went on Shen Mingze felt more and more peaceful, like he was floating in the air. No, it was like he was air. Light and free.

He doesn't know how much time passed but at some point that something had already condensed into a solid ball. Well not really solid.. It was hard to describe.

When Shen Mingze opened his eyes it was already morning, despite not sleeping the entire night he still felt refreshed.

He got up from the bed and stretched before taking a shower and heading down to check out of the inn, there was no one at the counter so he just left.

When arriving on the main street he asked someone about the time and there were only 15 minutes left until the clock struck 10. Shen Mingze, realizing that he didn't have much time left, hurried to where he was supposed to meet the kid from earlier.

When he got to the alleyway the little kid was already there waiting for him, he was curled up like a ball inside the blanket Shen Mingze had given him last time, his head peeking out.

Seeing him warmed Shen Mingze's heart and he approached him with hurried footsteps.

That seemed to have startled the little kid as he flinched but when he looked up to see him he got up and ran towards him.

As expected he slipped on his blanket mid way, this time Shen Mingze was ready to catch him and he didn't hit the floor, when Shen Mingze placed him down he bowed to Shen Mingze as thanks.

At this point Shen Mingze was used to the kid's behavior to some extent and just patted him on the head.

He went to the same store as last time and bought five meat buns, Shen Mingze divided each one of them in half and shared them with the kid.

After they were done eating the kid thanked him by giving him his classic bow and Shen Mingze told him to meet him in the evening at the same time as yesterday. The kid nodded before running away.

Unexpectedly he didn't fall this time around.

[ You have done a good deed, Little Ten feels happy because of you. You have gained 4 Karma Points ]

Shen Mingze raised an eyebrow, he received Karma points just like that? And was the name of the kid 'Little Ten'? It gave him a weird feeling but people named their kids all sorts of ways. Who was he to judge?

Shen Mingze saw him leave before leaving himself, he strolled through the market until he found himself quite some distance away from the main street.

He searched for a quiet restaurant and found one that was practically empty, he didn't go inside but occupied one of the seats that were placed outdoors instead.

He ordered a pot of tea and drank a cup before taking out the jade flute that he had bought earlier.

Putting it to his mouth, he closed his eyes and began to play a song, this was one of the first songs that he had learned to play from his dad.

The song was fairly upbeat and told the story of a newly married bride.

Her conflicted emotions. Her hope for the future, her joy at seeing her beloved, her sorrow at saying goodbye to her parents all of it.

As the song continued Shen Mingze also experienced all those emotions along with the girl and expressed them through his flute.

Closing the song on a high pitch note, Shen Mingze, satisfied with himself, opened his eyes.

When he opened his eyes he saw that many people had gathered around him and were listening to him play, there were also way more customers in the restaurant then there were originally.

Seeing as how he had stopped playing, many of them clapped for him as a sign of appreciation.

Honestly Shen Mingze wasn't really hoping for praise when he started playing, there is a reason why he left the crowded street, but it felt quite good.

It's been a long time since someone praised him for his musical skills, sure people praised his songs but those praises were always directed at Hong Li, seeing someone truly praise him, Shen Mingze, made him happy.

[ You have done a good deed, your song has relieved the fatigue of 3 people. You have received 6 Karma points ]

[ Looking at you calms people's hearts, you have received 10 beauty points ]

A smile on his face, Shen Mingze started to play another song.