Chapter 1

"Crack..." A snow-white lightning bolt, like an enraged god's war blade, swiftly sliced through the pitch-black sky, splitting the dark world with a fleeting flash of light.

"Rumble..." Following the sudden flash of lightning, a shower of pea-sized raindrops, accompanied by the urgent rumble of thunder, rushed toward the earth. In an instant, a misty veil enveloped the entire small village in the midst of the storm.

In the northeastern corner of the village, a small courtyard nestled against the mountain, with a faint yellow light seeping through the cracks of the main room's door.

"Ancestor, your disciple Jiang Qingming pays his respects..." An elderly man with a weathered face and white hair, holding a bundle of incense, bowed three times respectfully before raising his head to look at the altar, and said bitterly, "Ancestor, my grandson has been missing for over three years, and there is still no news. I do not know if he is alive or dead..."

"For these few decades, I have followed the ancestral teachings, healing countless people. In the past three years, I have given away medicine and treated patients without charging a single coin... I only hope that the Ancestor will protect my grandson and keep him safe..."

After speaking, the elderly man held the incense and bowed respectfully to the statue, then placed the incense in the incense burner in front of the altar.

At that moment, another lightning bolt flashed outside, and the 15-watt light bulb above his head flickered and went out, leaving only the faint red glow of the incense tip in the incense burner.

"The power has tripped again..." The old man sighed lightly at the sudden darkness, then turned and slowly walked to the side room.

Another lightning bolt flashed, and the room suddenly lit up again. In the flash of lightning, a very old statue of an ancient elder could be faintly seen on the altar.

The old man returned to his room, sat on the bed, and a look of sorrow appeared on his face. He stood by the window, looking through the rain curtain, and with the help of the occasional lightning, he gazed at the small side room across the way, muttering, "Xiaoyuan... my Xiaoyuan, where are you... How could you leave your grandfather alone... I shouldn't have let you go on that bike trip, I shouldn't have let you go..."

The old man gently touched the window frame, tears streaming down his face, and they slowly dripped onto the windowsill, mixing with the cold rain and disappearing.

Just as the old man was weeping, another lightning bolt suddenly flashed across the courtyard, followed by a continuous roar of thunder.

Feeling the power of heaven and earth, the old man trembled, and with trembling hands, he was about to close the window when his face froze, looking at the small side room where his grandson used to live, his face showing a look of shock.

Suddenly, the old man's hands began to tremble, and he quickly walked out of the room.

The old man quickly passed through the main room and approached the left side room, staring at the door of the small side room in the darkness, his eyes wide open.

Because he saw that a faint white light was now seeping through the door crack of the small side room, just like the white light he had seen from the opposite side room's window earlier, but now it was clearer.

"Xiaoyuan? Xiaoyuan... is that you?" The old man asked in a trembling voice.

"Xiaoyuan... Xiaoyuan, are you in there?" Hearing no response from inside, only the faint white light seeping through the door crack, it seemed there was nothing inside.

The old man's heart began to race. He had lived for sixty or seventy years and had seen many things, but he couldn't figure out what was happening now.

Thinking of his beloved grandson, the old man bit his lip, looked at the door, and was about to push it open when he noticed that the faint white light that had been flickering had disappeared.

The old man's heart tightened, not knowing what had happened, and he immediately pushed the door open, holding his breath and peering inside.

With the help of the lightning, he saw that someone seemed to be lying on the bed that had been empty for three years.

"Xiaoyuan? Xiaoyuan!" As another lightning bolt flashed, the old man's eyes widened, and he rushed to the bed, staring at the figure lying there, his voice trembling.

Rushing to the bed, the old man looked at the figure lying there with tears in his eyes, a familiar yet somewhat strange young man who was clearly more mature than the child he remembered. He couldn't help but choke up.

The young man lying on the bed seemed to be completely unaware of the old man's calls, lying there silently. If the old man hadn't confirmed his breathing, he would have been frightened.

The old man wiped away his tears, then felt the young man's pulse, confirming that he was just in a deep sleep. He then covered him with a quilt, carefully took out a clean set of clothes from the wardrobe, and placed them on the bed.

"Xiaoyuan... your clothes, your grandfather has kept them... waiting for you to wear them when you come back... when you wake up, put them on..."

After placing the clothes, the old man ran to the ancestral altar in the main room, tears in his eyes, and bowed deeply several times, "Thank you, Ancestor... thank you, Ancestor..."

After bowing, the old man ran back to the room, sat on a chair, and stared at his sleeping grandson, afraid that he might suddenly disappear again.

The young man's eyes were fluttering under his eyelids, and images were flashing through his mind...

"Jiang Yuan... go... take it and go... we'll cover you..."

"Captain... no, I won't go... I can't go alone..."

"Damn it... go... don't you remember, you have to go home, you have to return to your grandfather... you've already done too much for us. I shouldn't have dragged you into being our team doctor. Now I order you to take it back, don't die with us!"

"Remember... when you get back, don't mention anything, don't investigate anything... we risked our lives for the higher-ups, but this time we were betrayed by our own people. It must be important, and it must not fall into their hands..."

"You must go back..."

"Bang, bang..." The young man ran forward, firing two shots behind him, and then, holding a wound on his left abdomen that was bleeding profusely, he rolled into a dense thicket of vines...

"Sorry... Captain... I can't take it away..." The young man, who had been evading pursuers for over ten hours, panted heavily, smiled bitterly, and threw away his empty gun. He looked at the small metal box in his hand, his eyes filled with a mix of despair and curiosity.

He gently pressed the code the captain had told him before leaving, and after hearing a soft "click," he slowly opened the small box that had been fought over by elite forces and mercenaries from various countries for three years.

Seeing the object in the small box, the young man's eyes widened in shock and confusion. Inside the box was a fully enclosed glass bottle about thirty centimeters long, and inside the bottle was a strange red cat curled up and seemingly asleep.

Looking at the cat, the young man was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly. He never imagined that the object so many people had fought over for so long was just a strange cat.

The young man shook his head, reached for the last high-explosive grenade on his belt, pulled the pin, and placed the grenade, which was already emitting a thin wisp of smoke, inside the box. He then turned to look east and muttered, "Grandfather... I'm sorry... I'm a disobedient grandson..."

"Boom..."

In the blinding light that filled his vision and mind, the young man's long lashes fluttered a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes...

"Where am I?"

Looking at the canvas-covered ceiling, the young man's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and he slowly turned his head to look around.

Gradually, the dim room came into view, and familiar scenes began to emerge from his distant memories.

"I... I'm home? I... I'm home!"

The young man's eyes, now trembling, finally noticed the old man lying beside his bed. Although the memory of his grandfather's black hair with a few strands of white was different, he still clearly recognized the man he had been thinking about day and night.

"Grandfather..." The young man's heart raced, and his eyes filled with tears. He knew that the old man's hair had turned white in just a few years because of him.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the young man, though he didn't understand why he was suddenly back home after the explosion, was extremely excited.

Carefully lifting the quilt, the young man realized he wasn't wearing any clothes. After a moment of surprise, he noticed that the gunshot wounds on his left abdomen and right leg, as well as the old scars on his left shoulder and right chest, had disappeared. His skin was smooth and unblemished, as if he had never been injured.

After a thorough examination, the young man confirmed that all the scars he had accumulated over the years had vanished, even the smallpox scar on his left arm from childhood.

Just as he was puzzled, he noticed a small, egg-sized, faint red tattoo on his left arm, resembling a curled-up cat, but with a slightly larger tail...

"What is this?" The young man touched the tattoo, feeling the smooth skin with no roughness, but the tattoo seemed to be embedded in his skin.

Looking at the red tattoo, the young man felt a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, he remembered the strange red cat in the metal box he had fought over for three years and opened just before the explosion.

"Could it be related to the cat..." The young man gently touched the tattoo on his left arm, muttering...

Sitting on the bed, the young man pondered for a while, then smiled bitterly. He looked at the familiar white T-shirt and jeans on the bed and the clean white canvas shoes on the floor, his eyes welling up with tears. Without disturbing the sleeping old man, he carefully put on the clothes and shoes, which were now a bit short, and slowly walked out of the room.

The heavy rain had stopped, and the old osmanthus tree in the courtyard was the same as it was three years ago, with small petals scattered on the ground from the storm. More tiny, pale yellow flowers were blooming on the branches.

Breathing in the faint osmanthus fragrance carried by the morning breeze, the young man looked at the familiar well, the slightly damp cement courtyard, and the green bamboo bar by the well. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled...

"Whatever happens... I... I'm back... finally back!"

Looking at the familiar scenes in the courtyard—the small stone table, the well, and the green bamboo bar—the young man smiled wistfully, then habitually took off his T-shirt and slowly walked into the courtyard, stretching...

"Huff... Roar... Huff... Roar..."

The young man, on all fours, moved rhythmically, leaning forward and backward. As he leaned forward, he made a "ha" sound, and as he leaned backward, his chest and abdomen contracted, making a deep "huff" sound, like a tiger roaring on a mountain rock...

After repeating this several times, the young man moved his hands left and right, stretching his body, and then looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, like a lazy tiger stretching, with the joints in his spine making a "pop" sound...

The old man, who had been sleeping by the bed, was awakened by the deep sounds and stood by the window, watching the young man outside. Seeing the young man's skilled and fluid movements, he finally showed a look of excitement and relief.

"It's Xiaoyuan... it's really my Xiaoyuan..."

The mysterious appearance of his grandson last night had made the old man both excited and puzzled, but today, seeing the young man's movements, which were more skilled than three years ago and perfectly matched the ancient Five Animal Exercises passed down in the family, he was finally convinced that the young man was indeed his grandson.

Jiang Yuan then changed his movements, walking around the courtyard like a tiger, and after a while, his movements slowed, becoming more static. He remained on all fours, slowly inhaling, turning his head to the left, and looking back. After a pause, he exhaled, turned his head back to the front, and then inhaled again, turning his head to the right, like a deer breathing.

Suddenly, Jiang Yuan lifted his left leg backward, paused, and then repeated the movement with his right leg...

Watching Jiang Yuan's movements, the old man nodded in approval. Although his grandson had been missing for three years, his progress in the Five Animal Exercises, which he had practiced since childhood, was remarkable. He remembered teaching Jiang Yuan the exercises when he was five because of his weak constitution, and they had helped him grow up healthy, though he still looked a bit thin.

Now, it was clear that Jiang Yuan was much stronger and his movements in the Five Animal Exercises were more fluid, indicating that he had undergone significant training during his three-year absence.

Thinking about the sudden and mysterious return of his grandson last night, the old man frowned, unsure where his grandson had been for the past three years and why he had returned so suddenly and strangely...

Jiang Yuan then changed his movements again, rolling on the ground like a bear, with heavy yet agile movements. Each time he rolled, he would touch the ground with his shoulder and bounce to the other side...

At times, he would climb the green bamboo bar like a monkey, hanging from it with his hands or feet, moving with great agility...

Then, he would land and perform the crane stance, spreading his wings and singing...

The old man and the young man were both deeply engaged in their exercises, and the old man watched with great joy...

However, no one noticed that as Jiang Yuan performed his exercises, a faint red light, invisible to the naked eye, began to flow along the lines of the faint tattoo on his left arm, making the tattoo appear slightly clearer.

After about half an hour, Jiang Yuan completed his exercises, took a deep breath, and then took off his T-shirt. He drew a bucket of water from the well and poured it over his head.

Shaking his head to get rid of the water droplets, Jiang Yuan was about to go inside to get a towel when the courtyard gate creaked open.

A beautiful girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old, carefully carried a thermal lunch box and walked in. She was about to call out to the house when she saw Jiang Yuan, bare-chested and dripping with water, standing in the courtyard.

The girl's beautiful eyes widened in surprise, clearly stunned by the sudden appearance of a stranger, and...

The girl's pink lips parted slightly, her gaze moving from Jiang Yuan's face to his bare chest, where droplets of water slid down his muscular chest and abdomen... Her lips trembled slightly...