sweat dripped down my temple as i lunged forward, my palm alight with the faint red glow of the heavenly flame mantra. the heat wasn’t intense enough to burn, but it was enough to make the air shimmer faintly around my hand. i poured everything i had into the strike, aiming squarely for feng wu’s chest.

and just like the first time we sparred, he sidestepped effortlessly.

before i could recover, he pivoted and delivered a light tap to my back with his palm. a reminder that he could have ended the match there if he wanted to. i stumbled forward, catching myself before hitting the ground, and spun around to face him again. my frustration bubbled to the surface.

"you''re kidding me," i muttered, breathing hard. "this is just like last time. are you even trying?"

feng wu smiled, his posture relaxed as if this was all just a warm-up for him. "oh, i’m trying, kai. it’s impressive you’re even standing, let alone sparring, kai. not many people could take the kind of beating you did from wei long and be back to training days later. it’s alright to be a step behind.”

his words stung, not because they were untrue, but because they were entirely accurate. i could feel it in every exchange. but it wasn’t just that.

during our first spar, if it could really be called that—the gap between us had been insurmountable; his speed and finesse had made my every move feel clumsy and telegraphed. but now, even though my power, speed, and technique had undeniably improved, something else had changed.

something i couldn’t put my finger on.

i lunged again, this time feinting left before spinning into a sweeping strike with my glowing palm. feng wu leaned back effortlessly, evading the arc of my attack with a movement so smooth it was almost insulting. as i pressed forward, trying to follow up, i noticed it.

he wasn’t reacting to me.

he was moving before i attacked.

"that’s not possible," i muttered under my breath. he wasn''t clairvoyant.

i briefly wondered if it was the growing pains of learning a new martial art style. initiating the offense, channeling my qi into my palms—it was difficult. especially when elder ming forbade me from using my main techniques until i digested the heavenly flame mantra. even with my added options for offense, using a new martial art would have its drawbacks.

but to test this, i threw another punch, this time aiming low. he stepped aside again, his body already positioned to counter with a swift kick that stopped just short of my knee.

frustration boiled over as i dropped to the ground, my back hitting the packed dirt with a soft thud. my chest heaved as i stared up at the cloudy sky, trying to swallow my irritation. "alright, i give. how? how are you doing this? you weren’t this strong last time we fought, but somehow, you’ve gotten even stronger, faster than i did. did you take a pill? found enlightenment? achieved mind-body unification?"

feng wu crouched beside me, his expression thoughtful. "that would be nice, but no. i’ve just been working on something new,"

"something new?"

he nodded. "you’re not the only one who’s been training hard, kai. while you’ve been here in gentle wind village, i’ve taken a break from missions to hone my memory palace."

i sat up, intrigued despite my irritation. "memory palace? what does that have to do with dodging my attacks like you’re reading my mind?"

"it’s not mind-reading," he corrected, crossing his arms. "but i’ve adapted the memory palace into something... more practical for combat. i completed a quest recently, which granted me a skill: combat anticipation array."

"combat... anticipation array?" i repeated, the name rolling awkwardly off my tongue.

he nodded again, his expression turning serious. "the skill uses the principles of the memory palace. by visualizing combat scenarios and storing them in my mind, i’ve built a library of movements and counterattacks. during a fight, my mind reflexively draws on that library to predict the most likely attack based on my opponent’s stance, rhythm, and intent. it’s not clairvoyance," he added quickly, seeing my skeptical look. "it’s just experience, applied faster than i could consciously process."

i stared at him, trying to wrap my head around the implications. "so, you’re saying it’s like... simulating the fight in your head while it’s happening?"

"exactly," feng wu said, his lips quirking into a faint smile. "it’s not perfect, of course. it’s limited by my own knowledge and how much i’ve trained. but it’s sped up my reaction time immensely. i''ve gotten ahead of lan sheng in our spars, and he can''t figure it out. it’s been frustrating him to no end."

the way he described it reminded me of my refinement simulation technique, which allowed me to visualize alchemical processes in real-time and adjust on the fly. the concept was different, but the core idea was the same: using mental visualization as a tool to anticipate and adapt.

and before this, i already took his advice, learning how to visualize opponents and using them to practice within the confines of my mind. but what he was describing was combining those two together.

"the memory palace..." i murmured, more to myself than to him. "it’s not just a storage method. it’s the foundation for so much more."

feng wu raised an eyebrow. "figured that out, did you? the memory palace isn’t the end goal. it’s what you can do with it that matters. for me, it’s combat anticipation. for you... well, who knows? but i wouldn’t be surprised if there are dozens of techniques that can stem from it."

my mind raced with possibilities. if feng wu could develop something like combat anticipation array from the memory palace, what else could i create? could i adapt the refinement simulation technique into something that applied to combat? or even further refine my alchemical processes with new insights?

the familiar hum of the heavenly interface echoed faintly in my mind, and a notification blinked in the corner of my vision.

quest: beyond the memory palaceno?v(el)b\\jnn

- successfully evade or counter 10 different attacks by predicting their trajectories using a simulated visual map in real time. (0/10)

- land 5 precise hits on a moving opponent using openings simulated beforehand. (0/5)

this tale has been unlawfully obtained from royal road. if you discover it on amazon, kindly report it.

he smiled and raised a hand in farewell, his steps crunching through the snow as he walked away. i watched him disappear into the horizon, his figure fading into the quiet expanse of white.

the cold bit into my skin, and for a moment, i stood there, watching the snow fall softly around me.

the sunlight filtered through the clouds as i stepped into the garden, its warmth softening the lingering chill of the morning. the greenhouse stood proudly before me, its structure finally restored to its former glory. inside, the plants were thriving once more, their vibrant energy filling the air with a subtle hum of life.

and just near the edge of the garden, a tiny golden shoot poked through the soil—a bamboo sprout, its delicate form almost imperceptible but unmistakably there.

i smiled, letting out a breath i hadn’t realized i’d been holding. progress. small, but real.

off in the distance, tianyi and windy’s sparring continued, their figures darting and weaving in the snow-covered hills. everyone was growing stronger. recovering. moving forward.

“kai?” lan-yin’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling my attention back to the house. she stood in the doorway, her expression faintly troubled. “i... i think something’s wrong.”

"what is it? what’s wrong?"

she waved me off, brushing a hand through her hair. "it’s nothing serious. i’ve just been feeling... nauseous. a little dizzy. it’s probably nothing. but it''s getting hard to ignore."

still, i ushered her inside, sitting her down at the table and brewing a fresh pot of tea. as she listed her symptoms, i couldn’t help but fall into diagnostic mode, mentally running through the possibilities.

dizziness. fatigue. nausea.

"alright," i said, pulling a chair closer to her. "let’s break this down. when did it start?"

she furrowed her brow, resting her chin on her hand. "a few days ago, maybe? i didn’t think much of it at first. just figured i was tired."

"and the nausea?" i pressed, leaning forward slightly. "does it come and go, or is it constant?"

"it’s not constant," she replied. "mostly in the mornings. sometimes it fades by midday, but other times it sticks around. it’s annoying, but not unbearable."

morning nausea. i filed that away. "any other symptoms? dizziness, you said. what about appetite? any changes?"

lan-yin shrugged, looking faintly embarrassed. "i’ve been hungrier than usual, but i thought it was just from training harder. wang jun keeps saying i need to eat more anyway, so i didn’t think it was strange."

i nodded, suppressing a small smile at the mention of wang jun. "what about fatigue? do you feel more tired than usual?"

she tilted her head, considering. "i guess? but again, i thought that was just training. elder ming has been working me harder lately, and i’ve been pushing myself to catch up."

fatigue. hunger. dizziness. nausea. my mind sifted through possibilities, but something about her symptoms pulled at a distant memory. when was it? it was years ago, when xiao bao''s mom had...

"lan-yin," i began cautiously, setting the pot down with deliberate care. "have you... noticed any other changes lately? anything different in the past few months?"

she looked at me, her brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of the question. "what kind of changes?" she asked, her tone tinged with suspicion.

i rubbed the back of my neck, choosing my words carefully. "you mentioned feeling hungrier and more tired, but... have you had any other symptoms? anything unusual?"

lan-yin’s eyes narrowed, her tone sharpening. "kai, if you have something to say, just say it."

i hesitated, my thoughts spinning. could i really say it out loud? what if i was wrong? but the more i considered her symptoms, the clearer the answer became.

my voice dropped to a murmur, almost as if i were speaking to myself. "this reminds me of xiao bao’s mom... when she was—" i stopped myself short, glancing at her uncertainly.

her eyes widened, her expression shifting rapidly from confusion to realization, then disbelief. "kai liu," she said, her voice dangerously calm. "what. are. you. suggesting?"

i swallowed hard, my hands raised defensively. "i—i’m not saying anything for sure, it’s just... your symptoms—they’re common for... pregnancy."

her jaw dropped, and for a moment, she just stared at me, utterly speechless. then, her voice rose sharply. "you think i’m what?!"

the teapot rattled slightly on the table as i winced. "it’s just a theory!" i said quickly, trying to backpedal. "i mean, i could be wrong, but—"

i opened my mouth to respond but immediately shut it, realizing there was no winning this. meanwhile, she buried her face in her hands, letting out a muffled sound of disbelief.

the silence that followed was thick and awkward. i sat frozen, my mind running through the consequences of this revelation. and one thought loomed above the rest.

how am i going to tell wang jun?