Back then, Li Wei was already a famous outer-sect disciple whom many expected great things from. The librarian, usually impatient and ill-tempered, displayed a respectful attitude to Li Wei. However, Li Wei did not end up borrowing the manual at that time, unwilling to waste his student points on some archaic technique from the West. However, due to his curious nature he had skimmed through the manual's pages, and realized that, just as the librarian said, the breathing technique corresponded to the twelve zodiac signs of the Western Province's astronomy. And judging from the number of stamps the manual's jacket had, very few had borrowed it. This wasn't surprising. The Eastern Province had its own cultivation style. The zodiac way had little value to most disciples here. More so, it was archaic and unfashionable compared to modern, refined breathing arts.

  Today, Li Wei had remembered the Cycle of the Mortal Zodiac Wheel for two reasons.

  Firstly, like the Heavenly Dao Lotus, a treasure whose history dates back to ancient times, the Cycle of the Mortal Zodiac Wheel also dated back to ancient times, when the zodiac way thrived in the Western province. They were both items of antiquity.

  Secondly, the Heavenly Dao Lotus he had ingested had twelve petals instead of the standard six. This breathing technique also pertained to the twelve zodiac signs. Li Wei couldn't help but suspect that this numerical resemblance might provide some benefits, and perhaps held the answer to stabilizing his wild qi.

  Naturally, Li Wei didn't explain all this to Xian Lan. He only explained his need of the technique to appease his fictitious 'blackmailer'.

  Xian Lan clapped Li Wei on the shoulder and told him to go home, that he will bring the manual to him, so Li Wei left.

  Half an hour later, Xian Lan showed up with the manual at his door, a worn bamboo scroll in a leather jacket. “Here. Be careful,” he said, slipping it into Li Wei’s hands.

  If the sect were to know Xian Lan gave a servant such a scroll, Xian Lan would be severely punished, perhaps even demoted to a servant himself.

  Li Wei accepted it with both hands, gratitude heavy in his chest. “Thank you, Brother Lan. I’ll… I’ll return it soon.”

  Xian Lan studied his face. “Just promise me you’ll be safe. Whoever is doing this… they’ll pay one day.”

  Li Wei forced a small smile. “I promise.”

  As he watched Xian Lan leave, he felt a deep warmth in his heart. Xian Lan had been there for him through thick and thin since they were children. He was truly fortunate to have such a good friend.

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  The sect could not find out Li Wei had recovered his cultivation. If they did, they would naturally ask him when he recovered it. Sure, he could lie, but the elders weren't stupid. They would connect dots, perhaps link him to the Buddha Mask Disciple and theorize he had recovered his cultivation months ago. That would spell immense trouble as he would be in direct violation of the True Realm Transparency Edict.

  The True Realm Transparency Edict was a document all disciples signed upon entering the sect. It forbade disciples from hiding their cultivation levels from the sect administration. Though the edict had no spiritual weight and was not some unbreakable oath, it had immense legal weight and was classed under the same level as treason against the sect, should someone break it.

  The edict was fairly sensible, all things considered. After all, a sect that did not know the cultivation bases of its disciples was a failure waiting to happen. It was standard practice amongst sects to have some kind of edict or covenant that compelled disciples to update the sect administration about their increase in power.

  But Li Wei could not afford to out himself. His meridians and dantian had been inspected on the day Zhao Feng crippled him. The doctor-elder who inspected him had deemed his situation abysmal and irrecoverable. He was fated to be crippled for life.

  Should he show up completely healed and cultivating again, Li Wei would not have an easy time explaining himself. He would be classed as a ‘unique disciple’. And if the sect wished to apprehend him and inspect his body, there was no way he could resist.

  After Xian Lan's silhouette disappeared behind the courtyard hedges, Li Wei shut the door of his room.

  That night, under the flicker of his oil lamp, he removed the manual's jacket and unrolled the bamboo scroll. The characters were faded, some almost unreadable, but he traced each stroke carefully.

  The languages of the Western Province were different from the Eastern province. The former spoke Anglishen and Englathic and related dialects, while the latter spoke Sinovarien and Cathayan and related dialects. Fortunately, this scroll had been translated to Cathayan, making it easier for Li Wei to grasp. Although his conversational Anglishen was passable, it was not good enough to understand a complex manual like this.

  As Li Wei read more and more, he realized the Cycle of the Mortal Zodiac Wheel was unlike any breathing technique he had ever studied. Its breathing patterns were slow and deep, each cycle guiding qi not in forceful bursts but in gentle currents, like rivers carving valleys. It emphasized patience, harmony, and balance—exactly what his unstable qi required.

  Li Wei closed his eyes and followed the method. His breaths lengthened, his qi flowed steadily. The wild surges calmed, the tearing pain eased. The lotus within his dantian unfurled its petals again, shimmering softly, as though approving. Not just this, but one of the twelve petals glowed brighter than the others, like something inside it was waking up. Li Wei paid it no mind for now. He was still filled with relief from having survived a disaster, and that feeling was still sweeping through him.

  The crisis has passed, he thought as his foundation steadied.

  He opened his eyes, sweat dripping down his brow.

  The night was silent.