This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 66 Why is your breathing suddenly erratic? (Thanks to the patron on the 24th of last month)

Chen Shi'an exited the chat interface with Lin Mengqiu and only then did he realize that she had added him to two group chats.

One of the groups that popped up messages was called [Class 5 Secret Base], and there were a total of sixty people in it, including Chen Shi'an.

It was lunch break, and even in the top classes, some students were secretly playing on their phones in the dorm instead of sleeping. When they saw that Dao Ye had joined the group, they all started sending out all sorts of weird welcome emojis.

[Holy crap! It's a Taoist priest! Welcome, Taoist priest, to the group!]
Welcome to the newcomer!
[Newcomers, hurry! This is all Nantong!]
[【Panda Head Bowing Boss】]
Above their profile pictures are their nicknames; the three people who flooded the screen are Xu Zihan, Li Kai, and Dong Wenyu.

Chen Shi'an was taken aback. Wasn't the Kidney Deficiency Prince studying in the classroom? He turned his head and saw Dong Wenyu sitting in his seat, 'reading intently'. But when he stood up and went closer, he noticed that the Kidney Deficiency Prince seemed to be hiding something in the pages of his book.

The thick dictionary had a hole cut out in the middle, just big enough to fit a cell phone. Perhaps he was too engrossed in playing on his phone, because the figure that appeared in his peripheral vision startled Dong Wenyu. He immediately turned a page and completely covered the cell phone in the hole.

"...Damn, Daoist Master, you scared me to death! You walk so quietly?"

"……sharp."

Chen Shi'an was impressed; such a clever disguise technique for a mobile phone could easily fool someone who wasn't paying attention.

Back in his seat, Chen Shi'an checked another group chat called "[Class 5 Dreams Take Flight Together Group]", which had 66 members including himself.

He opened the group member list and found that in addition to the sixty students in his class, there were also six subject teachers, including Teacher Liang, Teacher Zhang, and Teacher Ye.

The group was quiet. Xu Zihan, Li Kai, and Dong Wenyu were clearly in the group, but they showed no intention of posting anything.

Chen Shi'an understood.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see the chat history before joining the group, so Chen Shi'an didn't know what everyone usually talked about in the class group.

He left the group chat and found three new friend request messages on WeChat.

Xu Zihan, Li Kai, and Dong Wenyu all passed Chen Shian's application.

Before he could even turn off his phone, he was immediately pulled into a [Good Things Sharing] group by Xu Zihan, whom he had just added as a friend. There were only about ten boys in the group, and he didn't know what it was for.

However, Chen Shi'an soon found out what kind of group it was.

The little Taoist priest's eyes widened as those incredibly impactful GIFs and short videos popped up—

Damn! What kind of group is this?! It's causing so much harm!

Quickly mute the group messages to avoid corrupting your Daoist heart...

……

Lunch break is over.

Not long after Chen Shi'an withdrew from his meditation, Lin Mengqiu arrived at the classroom.

She went home at noon the past two days and brought more than ten kilograms of books to school.
She didn't go home at noon today, but her hands weren't empty either. With a thud, the girl placed a carton of milk on the table between the two of them.

Chen Shi'an blinked, pointed at the milk, and asked with a smile, "Class monitor, is this for me?"

He never refused anyone who asked, thinking that the class monitor was really nice. He didn't lend him a book today, but he did bring him a box of milk.

Just as he reached out to take the milk, a small hand reached out and firmly pressed down on the carton of milk.

Did I say I gave it to you?

"Huh? Didn't you say this morning that you'd give me all the milk?"

"..."

Shameless Taoist priest! How can you ask people for things like that?!
Chen Shi'an guessed correctly. Lin Mengqiu originally intended to give him the whole box of milk, but just now, she changed her mind.

It's not about not giving him anything, but about giving him something slowly and gradually, in a planned way.

I give him a bottle every morning, and if he ever upsets me, I just take all the milk out of his bottle!
The girl ignored Chen Shi'an, took the box of milk off the table, and placed it on the corner of her chair against the wall.

"Squad leader, what time should I come to your house for dinner tomorrow?"

"..."

"Ok?"

"I'll go home after school this afternoon."

"No more evening self-study sessions?"

"No need on Saturday nights, but we need to take Sunday nights off. We get one day off per week."

Thanks to the fact that school starts on a Wednesday, even if we have to make up for the missed classes this Saturday, we only need to attend classes for four days before we can rest.

It's Friday, and it's obvious to the naked eye that everyone in the class is much more relaxed as the weekend approaches.

"Uncle Lin only gave me a general direction before, so I don't know where your home is, class monitor."

"...You'll come back with me then."

"it is good."

Seeing that the students in front of and behind her had all returned to their seats, Lin Mengqiu subconsciously lowered her voice when she spoke about this. She, who never cared about other people's opinions, felt a secretive feeling at this moment, as if she was afraid of being misunderstood.

Fortunately, Chen Shi'an didn't dwell on the topic of "going to her house for dinner together," otherwise he definitely wouldn't have any milk to drink tomorrow...

……

Classes are held as normal in the afternoon.

Each class submitted their survey forms regarding changing the morning exercises to Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade), and the survey results came out quickly.

Almost all of the first-year high school students agreed, since the freshmen hadn't started learning the broadcast exercises yet, and they would have to learn them anyway, so they might as well practice something more fun.
More than two-thirds of the students in the second year of high school expressed their approval or indifference, but almost 90% of the students, whether in the first or second year of high school, expressed their dissatisfaction with the current broadcast exercises.
As for the senior year students, they did not participate in filling out the survey because they no longer have morning exercises in their senior year. Instead, they do eye exercises in the classroom, and then study on their own. They do neither broadcast exercises nor Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade)...

The school thus decided to change the broadcast exercises to Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade).

When school ended in the afternoon, Teacher Wan approached Chen Shi'an, wanting to ask him to go to the activity room and give some pointers to the various physical education teachers on how to practice Baduanjin, and then have the physical education teachers teach their students to practice it.

The school plans to officially replace the morning exercises with Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade) starting next month.

Chen Shi'an was happy to lend a helping hand; after all, he had broken a backboard last time, and the school hadn't even asked him to pay for it. He figured it was just a small contribution to the school. Chen Shi'an and Teacher Wan talked for a while outside the fifth-grade corridor. When they went downstairs together to go to the activity room, Wen Zhixia was already waiting for Chen Shi'an on the first-floor corridor for lunch.

"Hey, Teacher Wan. Taoist priest, aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm going to practice Baduanjin with Teacher Wan in the activity room. Why don't you go eat first, Xiaozhi?"

"Oh, I see. Can I come along and take a look?"

"Sure, you'll have to practice it later anyway," Teacher Wan said with a smile.

The three of them then went to the activity room together.

The activity room is spacious and large, and is usually used for dance students to study their professional courses or for various class activities. Now that school has ended, there are still quite a few students in the activity room.

There are eight physical education teachers in the school, including the ten thousand teachers. Compared with subject teachers, teaching physical education is a relatively easy job. Usually, the only time you are more noticeable is when you teach radio calisthenics at the beginning of the school year, the physical fitness test at the beginning of the school year, and the school sports meet.

Now that the school has decided to change the morning exercises to Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade), teachers should definitely learn it first.

Previously, Chen Shi'an practiced the Taoist version of Baduanjin, which was more effective but also more difficult. Considering the difficulty for most people to master, the broadcast version of Baduanjin will be used for morning exercises.

Chen Shi'an watched the broadcast version of the Eight Pieces of Brocade video on Teacher Wan's phone. For a Taoist practitioner like him, the version didn't matter.

There are many versions online, but they all come from the same source. Chen Shi'an can learn them with just one glance. He can even readjust the breathing rhythm according to the revised key points of the movements, making the broadcast version of Baduanjin even better.

"Okay! Then we'll do it the way you taught us, Shi'an. You're an expert at this!"

“Shi’an, you usually have classes and evening self-study sessions. Today, I mainly wanted to ask you to take some time to give me some guidance. I will record the key points of the movements you teach, and then the teachers and I can practice them ourselves. It won’t interfere with your study time.”

"Teacher Wan, you're too kind. It's an honor to be able to communicate with the teachers, but I wouldn't call it giving guidance."

The difference between humility and modesty is only one word, but the feeling they give is completely different. Even though the people in front of him were all teachers, there was no sign of nervousness on Chen Shi'an's face. His calm and humble image would make a good impression on anyone who saw him.

Teacher Wan used a tripod to prop up her phone and record Chen Shi'an's teaching videos.

In the activity room at sunset, sunlight slanted across the wooden floor.

Chen Shi'an stood in the center, raising his hand while explaining, "Shoulders relaxed, elbows dropped, movements slow and gentle, like supporting a cloud, while also paying attention to your breathing..."

Eight teachers stood in two rows, following his movements as they raised their hands, bent their knees, and adjusted their breathing rhythm.

When someone's wrists were stiff, Chen Shi'an would come over and gently stroke them to adjust the angle; when someone's steps were unsteady, Chen Shi'an would patiently say, "Relax your waist when you exhale, and imagine your breath sinking to your dantian."

Other students in the activity room watched curiously from a distance, and many of them practiced along with the students.

Wen Zhixia, who had come to watch, was now practicing along with them.

As a top student, the girl was a dazzling presence wherever she was in the teaching building. However, when she was with these physical education teachers, she lost that aura, while Chen Shi'an, who was a "nine-year underachiever," became the most sought-after student.

Many teachers initially underestimated it, but after practicing with Chen Shi'an for a while and receiving his personal guidance, they were able to feel the unique mystery of Baduanjin.

While I didn't feel anything special when practicing with online videos, I started sweating after just a short while with Chen Shi'an. The movements, which looked easy, suddenly felt like I was running out of stamina! You have to understand that they work out a lot regularly!
Teacher Wan, who had been exposed to Baduanjin for some time, felt the effects even more strongly.

After practicing under Chen Shi'an's guidance, he felt his palms and soles burning. He was not used to the rhythm of the breath at first, as breathing with his lungs alone could not achieve such a long and deep effect. It was only after gradually understanding a little that he realized that even breathing had a kind of clear feeling.

No wonder it's called Qigong! Without mastering the breathing techniques, it's just gymnastics. It seems like I've been practicing for nothing all these years!

Chen Shi'an didn't expect the teachers to be very good at it. Even Teacher Wan, who seemed to be practicing quite well, was probably not even at the beginner level if he were to give his opinion...

What is the most basic thing for Chen Shi'an would probably take most of his life to figure out for the vast majority of ordinary people.

He walked up to Wen Zhixia.

The girl has been practicing diligently since the very beginning.

Chen Shi'an was slightly surprised. Compared to the teachers, Wen Zhixia's movements were not very good, but she had a good grasp of the rhythm of her breathing.

Wen Zhixia's forehead was covered in fine sweat, which slid down her temples and across her cheeks, condensing into a glistening drop on her delicate chin.

Seeing Chen Shi'an standing in front of her, the girl's big eyes turned to look at him, and the drop of sweat that had been hanging on her chin for a long time swayed and fell to the floor, splashing out a small flower.

"How are you feeling?" Chen Shi'an asked.

"I'm so tired! It feels like I ran five kilometers!"

"At the beginning, you need to master that gentle strength and pay attention to your breathing rhythm. If you feel really tired, stop and rest; don't push yourself."

"No need! Can you check if my movements are correct?"

"Take your shoulder blades in a bit."

"so?"

"..."

Chen Shi'an didn't speak, but simply stood behind her, his fingertips lightly tapping her back.

"It's here. You can imagine a feather tucked under your back, which you can't let fall out or crush."

His fingers seemed to possess some kind of magic. Wen Zhixia didn't know if it was just her imagination, but when he touched her lightly, a strange tingling sensation seeped through her thin school uniform into her skin and meridians. She felt that the flow of her strength suddenly had a direction. Following the sliding of his fingertips, she adjusted her posture, and the stiffness in her wrist gradually dissipated.

"Yes, that way the breath can travel from the spine down the arm to the fingertips."

"Oh……"

"How do you feel now?"

"That's great!"

The girl stared into the void, her pretty face slightly flushed. Even though his fingers had been removed for a long time, she could still feel the tingling sensation from his fingertips as they slid down her back to her arm.

"Calm down, focus, why is your breathing suddenly erratic?"

"……oh!"

(Thank you so much to the leader on the 24th of last month! Boss, you're so generous! May you prosper! Thank you so much for your continued support!)
(End of this chapter)