The Outcast: Petals Fall, My Heart Is Restless

[No System] [Beast Tamer] [Genius] Born frail, I could sense qi, but life and nature were at odds, each bringing calamity to the other. Thanks to my mentor, Elder Meng, I entered Baiyun Temple and became a disciple of Elder Fang. Elder Fang spoke little, teaching me to stand in meditation, regulate my breathing, and still my mind amid the temple bells at dawn and dusk. After three years of hardship, I had made some progress. He was the master who passed down the Way. My mentor, Elder Meng: I never knew his real name or past. In the company's files, he was simply called a "biologist." He passed on all his humble insights into life, gained over a lifetime, yet never asked me to become another version of himself. He was the master who taught me my craft. Deep in the Qinling Mountains, a bold, free-spirited old man called himself "a passerby." He appeared when I was most afraid and confused by my own power. For half a month, he drank mountain spring water with me and spoke in riddles, then drew several strange symbols on the ground. In that moment, I glimpsed another side of the "rules." He was the master who answered my questions. The one who passed down the Way gave me my very bones and blood. The one who taught me my craft gave me my eyes. The one who answered my questions gave me my soul. Everything I am, body and heart, was given to me by my masters.