Before his shift, Yan entered the empty courtyard with Gu and checked the chalk boundary. He would perform one measured circulation of Nine-Death Blood Ignition, then rest before starting work. He had eaten, his qi reserve was sufficient, and the practice area was clear.
Gu checked his pulse before he began. “One circulation only.”
“I know.”
Yan followed the complete breath pattern. Blood-colored qi rose through his limbs and the strength came at once. The lifespan cost began as a cold pull at his chest. Before it became weakness, the System changed it into renewed life and vigor. His morning fatigue ebbed, and the strain of the early hour lifted.
The qi he had gathered was spent. The life cost had not been taken from him; it had returned as vitality. He did not feel tireless, but his body was awake and strong.
Gu marked the time and pulse. “How do you feel?”
“Clear. Strong. The fatigue is gone.”
“Any heaviness or pain?”
“No.” Yan rolled his shoulders and opened and closed his hands. “My reserve is used. I won’t try to gather another charge before work.”
“Good. Go to the yard and rest before the shift begins.”
Yan washed the chalk from his hands and drank water. He sat on the stone step while Gu put the pulse strip away. The vigor remained, but the technique had not given him a new realm or endless qi. He would still need to work through the day like everyone else.
At Furnace Three, a heavy grate had been left beside its rack. Two workers had been trying to shift it into place, but one handle snagged on the platform. Yan offered to lift the near end while they guided the other side.
“Are you sure your strength is back?” one asked.
“I’m rested. I can take this side.”
He bent at the knees and set both hands on the cool outer frame. The grate was heavy enough to press into his forearms. The two workers lifted the far end while Yan raised his side. Together they moved it to the rack and lowered it without scraping the wall.
One of the handles had been bent inward. Yan set the grate down while the workers adjusted their grips. A mechanic came over with a short bar and straightened the handle enough for a secure hold. They checked the other side before lifting again. The grate needed a small shift to fit the rack, so Yan raised only his end while the workers guided the lower rail into its slot. The frame settled with a muted clank.
“Now it sits level,” one worker said. “The first try would have caught the wall.”
Yan looked at the hand marks on the frame. “It was easier because we changed the grip and fixed the handle.”
“You also lifted your side without shaking.”
“I had more strength this morning. That helped.”
The mechanic checked the rack and tightened a loose bolt. He asked Yan whether he could move the grate alone next time.
“I don’t know. I won’t try it until the work lead asks and the path is clear.”
The mechanic accepted that answer and marked the handle for replacement. The grate was in place, but the work still depended on tools and the other workers keeping the frame level.
“That would have taken all three of us last week,” one said.
“Today we did it with two,” Yan answered. “The frame didn’t catch because we raised it evenly.”
The workers checked that the grate sat squarely in its braces. Yan kept his hands away from the hot center and wiped the dust from his palms. His internal vigor had helped, but the grate still had weight and sharp edges. The other workers had guided the move and kept it stable.
Ning arrived with breakfast in a covered bowl. She had finished her morning sorting shift and carried the inhalation kit in her bag. She saw the grate in its rack and looked at Yan’s pleased expression.
“Why do you look proud of a grate?”
“The new art gives me power and adds life when I practice it. This helped me move the frame.”
“Did you use the art at work?”
“No. I practiced before the shift, then used the strength I had. I’m not saying anyone else should copy it.”
“Did it take qi?”
“Yes. The charge is spent after the circulation. The internal life cost changes for me, but it doesn’t make qi from nothing.”
Ning handed him the bowl. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes.”
“Then eat this too.”
She had made rice and vegetable broth before the shift. Yan sat with her beside the yard wall, keeping the bowl away from the bandaged hand. She asked whether the life cost had felt different on the third activation.
“It started the same, but the vigor felt smaller compared with what I already have. It was still more than before the test.”
“Does the qi come back with it?”
“No. I have to gather again before I use the technique. The returned life and the qi are different.”
Ning nodded. “And the grate?”
“Still heavy. We changed the grip and fixed the handle.”
“That sounds like a result from work, not only from the manual.”
He took the bowl anyway. The broth was warm and had enough salt. Ning sat beside him, watching the furnace crew move the next load.
“You seem more excited by a forbidden manual than by the roast duck you bought last week,” she said.
“The manual cannot be roasted.”
That made her laugh. “Use the technique when it helps you. Don’t test it only because you want another result.”
“A heavy grate is a practical reason.”
“Then keep the work practical and the practice supervised.”
“I do.”
They ate beside the yard wall. Ning took an inhalation break before returning to the sorting room. Yan finished the bowl and rinsed it at the basin. He felt strong, but not untouchable. The heat of the furnace still pressed against him, and the cart’s weight still required care.
At the end of the shift, Yan remained steady but not tireless. The work had used his muscles and the hot air left him thirsty. He drank from the water barrel and waited until his pulse had settled before carrying a small basket to the tool bench. The strength made the move easier, but the furnace heat still made him sweat and the iron dust stuck to his sleeves. The vigor from Blood Ignition had made the morning easier, and moving the grate had saved time. It had not removed the ordinary effort of the day.
Ning waited by the walkway with her schedule. “The inhalation break stayed in the shift. I’ll note how my breathing was after the second load.”
“I’ll note the time I moved the grate.”
“Only if the work record needs it.”
He smiled. “The shift foreman asked for the rack check.”
She looked at the repaired cart and the grate in place. “Then write what happened, not what you think it proves.”
Yan agreed. The technique had given him vigor, and the work had become easier. The furnace heat, the grate’s weight, and the ordinary fatigue still mattered. Ning’s schedule and treatment continued on their own track; neither sibling’s plan controlled the other’s choices.