A Formation That Shakes the World

When he opened the door, a fiery red sun met his eyes. The flagstones in the courtyard looked worn, and the wild roses by the wall had been planted by his mother and tended every day. They swayed gently in the June breeze. Two hundred-year-old locust trees stood by the entrance, so stout it would take three people to encircle their trunks, yet still full of life, their branches and leaves flourishing.

After washing up, Nie Wushuang walked to the center of the courtyard and faced the fiery morning sun. He set his feet apart and slowly raised his arms, then suddenly began to move. His fists cut through the air with force, his legs spinning like wheels. In the time it took half an incense stick to burn, he had performed the Nie family's boxing routine from beginning to end, each move executed with meticulous care and perfect precision.