The sunset gradually slanted westward, and the light shining through the window slowly dimmed.
Until the entire bedroom was enveloped in darkness.
Fang Cheng opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and slightly shook his head.
He had just been using Concentration Skill, attempting to meditate, and nearly fell asleep.
His entire body did feel quite relaxed and comfortable, but he hadn’t at all reached the so-called "Meditation" state.
He had deliberately taken the day off today.
Fang Cheng spent the morning playing snowball fights with Wen Xin and Zhou Xiumei, followed by some aimless shopping at the supermarket.
Afterwards, he holed up at home, calming his heart to practice meditation, but to no avail.
Consequently, in the afternoon, he ran to Wu Datong’s audio-video store and borrowed several discs about the spiritual practices of yoga masters and Buddhist monks.
After watching for half a day, while he had gained a substantial reserve of knowledge,
he still felt the absence of something vitally important during the actual practice of cultivation,
which made it possible for him to achieve only a preliminary state of "Meditation," but not the advanced state of "Meditation."
Fang Cheng vaguely felt that the mental state while using the Concentration Skill was quite similar to the "Stilling and Observing" approach in Chan Buddhism.
The so-called "Stilling and Observing" is a method of practice adopted before entering Meditation, enhancing cultivation.
Stilling is the process where, through meditation, sitting or other methods, you focus on an object, such as the breath or a particular thought, to halt distracting thoughts, achieving internal calm and concentration.
Observing is the deep observation and contemplation, on the basis of Stilling, of the focused object, to understand its essence and meaning, and eventually unlock a certain form of wisdom.
However, the "Concentration" state has a stronger sense of purpose and practicality,
and often after fully engaging in an activity, high levels of excitement and satisfaction follow.
Whereas "Stilling and Observing" seems to emphasize a peaceful and tranquil mindset more, striving to cut off the senses from external perception, not allowing emotions to cause the slightest ripple.
Fang Cheng pondered secretly.
The real difference between the two might be the key to whether he could reach the "Meditation" realm.
"It seems I need a master to show the way, to systematically learn this..."
Fang Cheng lifted his gaze to the postcard written with a Spell.
Perhaps... he could enter that mystic space again, contact the person who sent the letter, and ask for answers.
The moment the thought arose, Fang Cheng immediately shook his head, decidedly dismissing it.
No one knew whether the other party harbored any ill will.
It’s better not to actively seek out potentially unassessable dangers until significant improvement in strength is attained.
After some thought, Fang Cheng still decided to join the meditation class upstairs at the club and enroll to give it a try.
He then silently calculated the available funds in his wallet.
Today was only January 8th, and there were more than ten days left before salary day on the 20th.
In order to purchase weapons and equipment, he had already advanced 20,000 yuan.
There’s less than 90,000 yuan left in the bank card, which he needed to save for his grandfather’s surgery and couldn’t touch again.
Fortunately, after receiving the tip from Ma Donghe to reinvigorate, he also picked up a few submachine guns and two valuables from Wu Shihao’s office.
Fang Cheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, feeling somewhat reassured in his heart.
In a few days, he would let Ma Donghe help handle the disposal, which should be enough to deal with all the problems.
As he was pondering, his head suddenly felt a slight throbbing pain.
Fang Cheng rubbed his forehead and immediately got out of bed.
He planned to head downstairs to the bathroom, take a hot bath to relax, and after dinner, go to bed early.
Due to the previous state of frenzy, he had overdrawn his mental capacity too much, and had still not fully recovered.
Over the next couple of days, he needed to ensure plenty of rest.
Jiangdong District, Global Elite Fighting Club.
All around the training grounds, one could see the figures of muscular, energetic students.
Some were lifting barbell plates, engaging in strength training, while others were energetically punching and kicking the sandbag.
"Puff-ha" sounds of exertion kept ringing out, mingling with the smell of sweat in the air, creating a very robust training atmosphere.
Fang Cheng had just finished a sparring class and looked at the 5 points he gained in Sanda experience.
Then he sat on the ground to change his shoes, preparing to finish the workday and leave.
Next to him, several professional fighters were discussing the Black and White Spectacle super fight that took place last night at the KFC event.
"Razor really has an iron chin, if it were me up there, I’d be KO’d with one punch!"
"White Bear’s punches are powerful and he’s flexible too; he seems to have a good chance to challenge Zheng Haokang for the defending championship..."
Amid the discussions, a Sanda fighter turned his head towards Fang Cheng, who seemed preoccupied, and said:
"Ah Cheng, did you not sleep well last night?"
Fang Cheng looked at him with slight surprise.
The fighter smiled and said:
"Take a look in the mirror and you’ll see, your eyes are as red as a rabbit’s."
Fang Cheng came to a realization and immediately rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"I stayed up all night watching DVDs, feeling a bit tired now. I need to go home early in the afternoon and catch up on some sleep."
Hearing this, everyone teased him, suspecting that he had a girlfriend, which was why he was worn out.
Fang Cheng just smiled and didn’t argue.
Thanks to the reminder, he recalled that there was an important matter he needed to attend to immediately.
Exiting the club’s gate, Fang Cheng did not go downstairs but instead visited a branded eyewear store on the same floor.
The store was softly lit and had a serene atmosphere.
A sales associate greeted him with a smile:
"Sir, hello, what can I do for you?"
After glancing at the dazzling array of eyeglasses in the glass cabinet, Fang Cheng replied:
"I’m looking for a pair of non-prescription glasses. They should be good at blocking harsh light and make the eyes seem softer..."
Listening to the customer’s specific request, the sales associate quickly selected a few suitable frames from the showcase and had Fang Cheng try them on.
Fang Cheng, donning a pair of thin-framed gold-rimmed glasses, stood in front of the mirror admiring himself.
The handsome man in the mirror had gone through an utter transformation in temperament; he looked refined and genteel, hardly resembling his former self.
If he didn’t take off his shirt to reveal his sculpted muscles, he would fit the stereotype of a "cultured rogue."
Of course, none of that was important.
The most crucial thing was that the faint red glow in his pupils was finally somewhat concealed.
Unless someone got really close and stared into his eyes intently, it would be very hard to notice anything unusual.
"Sir, those glasses really suit your temperament. You look like you could be the second lead in an idol drama."
The sales associate clasped her hands together, heaping praise upon him.
"Yes, yes, you look so cultured!"
Not just her, two other female employees also gathered around, their eyes sparkling with little stars.
Fang Cheng’s face darkened slightly upon hearing this.
Aren’t the second male leads in idol dramas usually the third-wheelers who disrupt the main couple’s relationship, or the silently devoted puppy lovers?
Although he had reservations about their comments, Fang Cheng was still quite satisfied with the quality of the glasses.
Besides, the price of just over two hundred yuan was not expensive.
After promptly paying, he simply wore the new gold-rimmed glasses and walked out of the store.
At that moment, however, his phone began to ring inside his shoulder bag.
Fang Cheng took out his phone and glanced at the displayed number.