Elder Mei''s presence transformed Master Chen''s ruined courtyard into something else entirely. The very air seemed to thicken with possibility as she circled Liu Wei, her copper eyes noting every detail of his meridians'' glow. Even Master Zhou had fallen silent, though his disapproval radiated like heat from a furnace.


    "Interesting technique you used," she said finally, "drawing all the essence at once. Crude, but effective. Tell me, what did you learn from it?"


    Liu Wei hesitated, conscious of the many eyes watching him. The training dummy''s essence still churned within him, a vast library of martial knowledge seeking expression. "I learned... too much. Centuries of techniques, but more than that. The dedication of every disciple who trained here, their understanding, their purpose..."


    "And did you learn why they trained?" Elder Mei''s staff tapped against the courtyard''s stones, each contact producing a sound like distant bells. "Did you grasp the essence beneath the essence?"


    "I..." Liu Wei frowned. There was something there, beneath the surface memories of countless training sessions. A deeper current of meaning that he''d glimpsed just before losing control. "They were preparing for something. All of them. Even if they didn''t know it consciously, there was this sense of... anticipation?"


    Elder Mei''s smile deepened. "Very good. You see beyond the obvious. That will serve you well." She turned to Master Chen. "You''ve done well with him so far, but he needs proper guidance now. The old ways must be remembered correctly."


    "With respect, Elder," Master Zhou stepped forward, "this boy nearly killed three disciples today. His powers are uncontrollable—"


    "Uncontrolled," Elder Mei corrected sharply. "There is a difference. And as for nearly killing them..." She gestured at the injured seniors with her staff. Copper light briefly illuminated their forms. "Their meridians are merely stunned. The boy''s body knew exactly how much force to use, even if his mind did not. The essence taught him perfect control, even in chaos."


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    Liu Wei blinked. She was right. Despite the violence of his possessed movements, he realized he had pulled every strike precisely. But that meant... "The dummy''s essence wasn''t just fighting through me. It was teaching me."


    "All essence teaches, young collector. That is its nature." Elder Mei''s eyes grew distant. "It is why our path was so feared, so long ago. Not because we could take power from objects, but because we could learn the true nature of all things. Including truths some preferred to keep hidden."


    Master Chen cleared his throat. "Elder, the sect leader should be informed—"


    "The sect leader already knows I am here." Elder Mei''s smile turned sharp. "Indeed, many eyes have turned toward your little academy since copper meridians once again bloomed in the world. Changes are coming, Master Chen. The old balances shift." She focused again on Liu Wei. "Which is why this young one must learn properly. No more accidents with training dummies. It is time for real instruction in the Path of Essence Collection."


    "You''re going to teach me?" Liu Wei asked, hope warring with apprehension in his chest.


    "Teach you?" Elder Mei laughed, the sound like wind through copper chimes. "Oh no, young collector. I''m going to show you what your path truly means. Starting with this."


    She drew something from her robes – a simple clay cup, unremarkable except for its age. But as Liu Wei''s copper meridians resonated with it, his eyes widened. The cup''s essence sang with memories far deeper than its humble appearance suggested.


    "This," Elder Mei said softly, "was the first object ever touched by an essence collector. It holds the memory of our path''s beginning, and all that followed." She held it out to Liu Wei. "Are you prepared to learn why the world feared us enough to erase us from history?"


    Liu Wei stared at the cup, feeling the weight of three thousand years of hidden history waiting within its essence. The training dummy''s martial knowledge stirred in his meridians, as if recognizing something fundamental about what the cup represented. This was more than just another lesson. This was a threshold.


    He reached for the cup, copper meridians blazing. "I''m ready."


    Elder Mei''s eyes glinted. "We shall see."


    As his fingers closed around the ancient clay, Liu Wei felt the world shift beneath his feet. The essence within the cup reached for him, eager to share its burning truths. And somewhere in the depths of his copper meridians, something ancient began to wake.


    The true path of the Essence Collectors was about to be revealed. Liu Wei could only hope he was strong enough to walk it.