The Journey Without End

Chapter 7: Perception

When Eina felt the energy in her veins had become full, she began to push it into her body slowly. The tearing pain caused her to wince, she hoped that she wasn't causing the vein itself to rupture, otherwise she may really die from internal bleeding.

She waited for a while, choosing to pause and wait to determine whether any damage had been suffered. Feeling the pain lessen, she knew that the pain didn't cause any damage to the vein itself. She didn't have much of an idea as to why it happened, perhaps the energy itself was restructuring the places it passed through?

After all, a regular human body shouldn't be able to possess such strength. Surpassing the limits would require a complete transformation.

'Perhaps this was what those scientists were trying to achieve' she thought absent-mindedly.

Knowing that she wasn't in any imminent danger, she began to resume the absorption of the energy, choosing to widen the area that she allowed it to pass into her body.

She let some of it reached the part above her navel, and understood why they would mention this as the place to hold the energy. Eina felt no pain when it entered into it, like a natural storage container, it could flow to other parts of the body seamlessly. But she knew this was a different situation.

Eina equated it to borrowing the strength of the energy to temporarily achieve superhuman abilities. Which is why in the media she had seen, if they could trap the energy there, then the person was left helpless.

But if she used the energy to simply transform her entire body, would it make a difference? Perhaps not instantly, but aren't the people she saw earlier the best example? If everyone follows the same basic steps and keeps the energy stored in the body's container, wouldn't years, or even decades of constant energy flowing through their veins at least leave some residual energy to unconsciously strengthen themselves? Which makes them stronger than ordinary people, even without the internal strength.

Eina didn't choose to ignore the field of life. Instead she wanted to fill it up, not to follow the techniques on the book in front of her, but simply because she wanted to see if she could continue to let it flow through her veins, transforming her body, even without having to meditate.

If she allowed the excess energy that couldn't be sent to the rest of her body, to be stored there, and when she stopped actively meditating, could she continue the process while she was going about her daily activities? Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?

Eina didn't know if others had thought of this process. She didn't think she was a genius that could master this incredible technique like it was nothing.

She just used an outsiders perspective, without having to fall into any martial arts master's biased teaching to try and find her own path. She had noticed there was an unusually strong defensiveness in the knowledge of the booklet. As if it is some great secret that must be kept from the eyes of anyone that wasn't part of the teaching.

Eina didn't know where the madam managed to find those booklets, but she wasn't so easy to be manipulated by righteousness, or filial piety. She didn't believe in that Confucian notion that 'A teacher for a day, A parent for a lifetime'.

Too long had she known the depravity of the world. No matter what world, as long as humans inhabit it, there will always be evil. She didn't believe these teachers were so kind as to pass on their skills for no reason. Be it for honour, reputation or simply for the power to expand and grow. The motive of such people cannot do without selfishness. But that can be said for all humans, so she knew from an early age not to put her trust into others. Because when it comes down to it, she can only rely on herself.

Just like now. When thrown into another world without any support, isn't she relying on herself to survive?

Eina put away her depressing, philosophical thoughts and refocused on meditating. The pain emanating from her body wasn't too much for her to handle. Perhaps the changes had already begun. Last night she felt her body was on the verge of breaking, but now after only an hour? Maybe two? She just felt extremely energetic.

She could hear more noise around the yard, guessing that the servant girls were beginning to return from their respective duties, she knew that time was short. Eina decided to absorb as much energy as she could, and store it in her 'dantian'.

[Author Note: I was sick of writing "Field of life". Tried to avoid mentioning anything too specific about Chinese culture, as I am a layman when it comes to it. But some things are just more efficient to use]

Unfortunately her dantian hadn't grown large enough to hold too much, so it was quickly filled. Eina opened her eyes and stood up, trying to remember the feeling of her body absorbing the energy through her veins, and attempted to try and let it become a subconscious habit.

Eina paced around the room, feeling the energy slowly flowing out of her dantian. She no longer felt the pain that had been there originally. Instead she was amazed at the lightness of her steps.

Although one day wouldn't make her unstoppable, she could already feel the qualitative change in her original abilities.

The senses that had become much duller from her last life, had shown some improvement. If she could only vaguely hear noise from a long distance before, now she could make out a few words of a conversation. Even though it wasn't up to her original standard, but she was only in a child's body now. How long could she dormantly train before she had to even worry about the future?

She looked down at this new body of hers, she guessed that she might be six or seven years old. If she was to be one of the attractions in this brothel, then the madam wouldn't sell her first night off easily. She'd want to bring in the highest amount she could get. So there would definitely be an extra year or two more than the other girls being trained in the same batch as her. If that were the case, wouldn't she be 17 by the time they wanted to sell off her virginity?

Ten years minimum to train. Is that not enough to escape from this place? Not only could she lower their vigilance by maintaining an obedient disguise, but she could also enjoy a higher standard of living than if she tried to survive on her own in this foreign world, in a child's body.

The benefits clearly far outweighed the demerits. And thinking of a certain perceptive girl across the yard, in the neighbouring house. She thought that maybe this girl could bring her some interest in life. If she didn't? It wouldn't be too late to kill her after.