Liu Wei couldn''t sleep. In the darkness of his small quarters at the cultivation sect, he sat cross-legged on his bed, watching copper light pulse beneath his skin. The essence of the clay cup he''d absorbed that morning still resonated through his meridians, and with it came fragments of memories that weren''t his own.


    His fingers twitched with phantom movements of throwing pottery, and sometimes he caught himself humming an old love song he''d never learned. The potter''s memories were fading like morning mist, but they left behind something more permanent – an understanding of clay that went beyond mere knowledge.


    A soft knock at his door broke his reverie. "Enter," he called, quickly pulling his sleeves down to cover the gleaming meridians.


    Senior Ming''s familiar face appeared in the doorway. "Still awake? Some of us are gathering to practice the new qi circulation technique Master Zhou taught today. You should join us."


    For a moment, Liu Wei was tempted. Before discovering his copper meridians, he''d often trained with the other disciples late into the night. But now...


    "Thank you, Senior Ming, but I should rest. Master Chen has assigned me... special training for tomorrow."


    Ming''s expression shifted slightly. "You''ve been different lately, Junior Wei. Always training alone with Master Chen, missing group lessons." He hesitated. "There are rumors."


    "Rumors?" Liu Wei kept his voice steady, though his meridians flared with anxiety.


    "Some say you''re practicing forbidden techniques. Others think you''re failing at basic cultivation and requiring remedial lessons." Ming''s voice softened. "If you''re struggling, we can help. We''re sect brothers, after all."


    The concern in Ming''s voice made it worse. Liu Wei wanted to explain, to share the wonder and terror of what he was learning. But Master Chen''s warnings rang in his ears: The cultivation world fears what it doesn''t understand.


    "I appreciate your concern, Senior Ming. But I''m fine. Really."


    After Ming left, Liu Wei slipped out of his quarters. The sect grounds were quiet under the moon''s glow, most disciples either asleep or meditating in their rooms. He made his way to Master Chen''s private courtyard, drawn by an urge he couldn''t explain.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The wooden practice dummy they''d be using tomorrow stood silent in the courtyard''s center. Even from a distance, his copper meridians sang in response to it. Old wood, rich with essence. He could almost taste the years it held – decades of disciples training against it, countless impacts leaving their mark on its surface and core.


    "I wondered if you''d come."


    Liu Wei spun to find Master Chen seated in the shadows, as if he''d been waiting.


    "Master, I..."


    "The essence calls to you now, doesn''t it? Like hunger, but deeper." Master Chen stood, his expression grave. "This is why we begin with simple things. Clay, wood – they carry straightforward memories. But be warned: as your power grows, you''ll sense the essence in everything. Even things you shouldn''t touch."


    Liu Wei thought of the qi he''d sensed in his fellow disciples. "The living..."


    "Yes. And more." Master Chen traced a finger along the practice dummy''s surface. "Every object holds stories, Liu Wei. Some beautiful, some tragic. The more essence you absorb, the more these stories become part of you. This is the true challenge of the Copper Path – maintaining yourself amidst the echoes of everything you take in."


    "The potter''s memories..." Liu Wei began.


    "Will fade, yes. But they''ve changed you, haven''t they? Not just the skill they granted, but the understanding. You know now what it means to create, to pour years of dedication into a craft." Master Chen''s eyes glinted in the darkness. "This is why the Path was forbidden. Not because it''s evil, but because it changes those who walk it in ways the cultivation world couldn''t control."


    Liu Wei looked down at his hands, where copper light still pulsed. "Master Chen, why did you agree to teach me? If the Path is forbidden..."


    "Because the world is changing, young disciple. The old ways of cultivation are failing. We need those who can understand the essence of things, who can preserve what might otherwise be lost." He gestured at the practice dummy. "Tomorrow, you''ll absorb decades of martial knowledge in a single moment. But remember – knowledge without wisdom is a flame that burns its wielder."


    As Liu Wei walked back to his quarters, he felt the weight of his master''s words settling alongside the potter''s memories in his core. The Copper Path offered power, yes, but more than that – it offered understanding. Each essence he absorbed would add another layer to his perspective, another lifetime of experience to draw from.


    But Ming''s words echoed too. There are rumors. How long could he walk this path before the sect discovered what he was? And when they did, would they see the wisdom Master Chen spoke of, or only the forbidden cultivation technique that threatened their traditions?


    In his room, Liu Wei finally drifted to sleep, dreaming of pottery wheels and wooden warriors, while his copper meridians pulsed with the promise of essences yet to be absorbed. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new memories, new changes. He only hoped he''d still recognize himself when the changes were done.