Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
57. Epiphany

Eight days had passed since Jin Shu had studied the visions of the elements from Aunt Chen's jade slip. Thanks to the passive cultivation enabled by Nano’s Quantum Refinement Method, he had miraculously broken through two stages, reaching the 9th and final stage of the Qi Realm.

During this time, he practiced the Dragon-Tiger Steps relentlessly, pushing himself to the brink of a breakthrough in understanding its subtleties.

Now, he sat cross-legged in the backyard that had served as his training grounds.

Wind and clouds swirled around him, whipping his hair and robes violently. Nearby, Tian Li, who had been waiting for her lessons in the shaded pavilion, rushed off in search of her master. The sight before her was unlike anything she had ever seen, and her unease grew with each passing moment.

Somehow, Jin Shu was aware of her departure and could feel her rising emotions, even as his eyes remained closed.

Within his soul, his two other selves were also seated cross-legged. Around Kid Jin Shu, a fierce gale raged, while Adult Jin Shu sat partially veiled by pristine white clouds.

Jin Shu had no idea how he had entered this state. One moment, he had been contemplating how to merge his understanding of the jade slip's visions, and the next, he was acutely aware of every sensation in his surroundings. The intensity of it all had compelled him to sit and focus inward.

Then, without warning, his mind went blank.

***

Tian Li raced toward her master’s residence, pushing her movement technique to its absolute limits. “What the heck is happening!?” she kept repeating to herself, panic gripping her heart.

Even though she had reached her master’s home mere seconds after leaving Jin Shu behind in the swirling storm of wind and clouds, it still felt excruciatingly slow.

“Master!!” she shouted frantically as she reached the main door. “Master!!” she cried again, bursting through the entrance without hesitation.

Her master appeared in front of her so suddenly that she stumbled back with a startled scream. “Ah!”

“Calm down,” her master said evenly, her voice a steady contrast to Tian Li’s panic. “Tell me, what’s happening?”

Tian Li took a moment to catch her breath, then pointed in the direction she’d come from. “Jin Shu! Something weird is happening to him!”

Her words had barely left her lips when worry flashed across her master’s face. In the blink of an eye, she vanished, leaving Tian Li standing there, panting and blinking in disbelief.

***

Jin Shu’s eyes cracked open slightly, and he was startled to see Aunt Chen’s worried face mere inches from his. He kept his surprise hidden, maintaining his composure.

“Hello, Aunt Chen,” he greeted her with a smile.

“Are you alright? Do you feel anything wrong with your body?” she asked, her voice calm but carrying a faint undertone of worry.

He shook his head, the smile still on his lips. “No. In fact, I feel better than ever.”

Aunt Chen nodded lightly, though her gaze remained scrutinizing. “Do you know what happened to you?”

Jin Shu frowned briefly before replying, “Nope.”

“You had an epiphany,” she stated matter-of-factly. “You won’t remember what you learned in that state, but you’ll find new knowledge lingering in your mind. At least, that’s how it’s described.”

Curious, Jin Shu raised a brow and searched his thoughts. Sure enough, at the back of his mind, he found a newfound understanding of the Wind and Water elements.

And even more puzzling, he could feel the presence of the Wind element coming from his connection with Yin’er. He began to wonder if that had something to do with his sudden epiphany. 

But something else caught his attention—a hollow sensation in his soul. His other selves were nowhere to be found. The profound emptiness unsettled him, and he lamented their apparent loss.

“Hey, it’s not like we’re gone!”

A familiar voice echoed in his mind.

“You can still hear us! We didn’t disappear; we just merged with you more closely!” his younger self voice continued to ring through his mind.

“Oh, you’re still here?” Jin Shu asked nonchalantly.

“What…? What the heck, man!” the younger self retorted indignantly.

“Pfft! I’m just messing with you,” Jin Shu replied with a chuckle.

“Whatever, anyway, we're still here.”

His older self remained silent, but Jin Shu could still feel his presence lingering in a quiet corner of his mind.

“Jin Shu?” Aunt Chen’s voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.

He blinked and looked up. “Yeah?”

“Are you sure you're okay? You seem… different from usual.”

He shook his head, dismissing her concern. “No, I’m not different. I’m finally feeling whole, like myself again.”

Aunt Chen raised an eyebrow, clearly not fully grasping what he meant.

He waved it off with a casual shrug and stood, stretching his slightly sore body. As he did, his thoughts wandered back to the strange, newfound knowledge he had acquired. Wind and Water. They were never meant to be separate in the Dragon-Tiger Steps technique; they were two sides of the same coin. Just like him.

For the longest time, he had believed he and his other selves were separate entities, each representing a different part of him—Adult and Kid Jin Shu. But he had been wrong. They were simply manifestations of his memories.

Though they existed in some strange way, they were never meant to be anything other than aspects of himself.

He couldn’t quite put the sensation into words, but he knew one thing: he was whole now.

But enough about himself—what Jin Shu really needed now was to test his newfound understanding of the Water and Wind elements.

With a thought, a light breeze brushed against his back, and faint, almost imperceptible clouds formed beneath his feet. Taking a step forward, he seemed to glide across the ground, moving at a speed far faster than normal.

A sharp gasp broke his concentration, and he turned to see Aunt Chen staring at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“You!” She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You can control the elements?!”

He shrugged casually. “Uh… a little bit, I guess?”

“A little bit…?” she repeated, her voice dangerously calm before it rose in incredulity. “A little bit?! You just controlled two elements!”

“Is that really so surprising?” he asked, tilting his head. “You did give me that jade slip with all the elements.”

“That—!” She cut herself off, rubbing her temples in frustration. “That jade slip only gives you the sensations of each element. It’s not meant to give anyone the ability to control them—especially not two at once!”

He blinked, unsure how to respond. “Oh.”

“You clearly don’t understand,” she said, letting out a long sigh. “Do you know how many people in this sect, with its thousands of disciples and hundreds of elders, can control even a single element?”

Jin Shu shook his head and gave a careless shrug. “I don’t know. Ten?”

“Zero.” Her tone was firm.

“Not even you?” he asked, curious now.

“Well…” She hesitated, then admitted, “Your mother and I can. But we’re special. Our technique grants us a fraction of control over Fire—but only after reaching the Spirit Realm.”

“So you’re saying there’s two,” he replied with a cheeky grin.

“You!” Aunt Chen jabbed a finger at him, her face flushing in frustration. “You’re just like your mother! Do you two only exist to bully me!?”

“Sorry, you’re just too cute when you’re mad,” Jin Shu said with a sly laugh.

Aunt Chen froze, her eyes widening before she flinched back. “You are not allowed to say that about your—no, you just aren’t allowed to say that, ever!” she shouted, her voice shaking with indignation.

Jin Shu’s brain finally caught up to his mouth, and he realized how badly his words had been misconstrued. His face flushed red as he waved his hands frantically. “Ah, sorry! I-I didn’t mean it that way…” he stammered, his tone turning bashful. “I meant like an older sister, not… not as a woman!”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You better keep it that way. No, better yet—you may only ever see me as your aunt, nothing more!”

Jin Shu bowed his head low, his tone contrite. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Hmph!” Aunt Chen snorted and vanished, leaving him standing there, her words hanging in the air.

Jin Shu groaned, tugging at his hair in frustration. “Ah! Why did I say that!?”

“Did we somehow become stupider?” his younger self’s voice piped up in his mind.

“Shut up!” he growled in response.

The younger self snorted. “You do realize you’re just yelling at yourself, right?”

Choosing to ignore his own internal banter, Jin Shu turned his attention to something more productive—figuring out his newfound elemental abilities.

As he practiced, a realization struck him. Despite now having a modicum of control over Water and Wind, he still hadn’t truly mastered the Dragon-Tiger Steps—not even partially. There was a missing piece, something critical that he couldn’t quite grasp.

His train of thought was interrupted by a silver blur flashing in the corner of his vision. Yin’er bounded toward him, her silvery fur gleaming in the light.

“Daddy! Yin’er is hungry! Let’s go eat!” she chirped, her voice filled with cheerful urgency.

He chuckled, realizing how hungry he was himself. “Alright, let’s go get something to eat.”

With a laugh, he scooped her up and began heading toward the kitchen. But even as he walked, something tugged at the back of his mind—a faint, elusive sense of importance. Something crucial. Yet, for now, the call of food and Yin’er’s chatter drowned it out.