Once the plane had ascended and stabilized, I eagerly took out the book my Master had left me.
I opened *Tianyi's Notes*.
"Taoist cultivation is founded on the principle that all things arise from nothingness. The Jing, Qi, and Shen that truly exist within this void are the true reality of life."
"Life is a dual composite structure, a combination of the illusory form of Jing, Qi, and Shen, and the tangible reality of consciousness, flesh, and blood."
"Right mindfulness, right thought, right action... these can maintain, preserve, and enhance the vitality of one's Jing, Qi, and Shen... allowing one to truly enter the tangible yet formless realm of Jing, Qi, and Shen..."
No wonder Master told me to firmly remember that 'morality and the Dao are one.' It turns out this is the foundation of everything.
I absorbed it all, hungry for more.
Time passed quickly, and the cabin announcement signaled our impending descent.
It was just after nine at night. I looked out the window; beneath the dark night sky, scattered pinpricks of light seemed to speak of the city's prosperity.
The flight was only a few hours long, but while I was still me, I also felt like I was no longer the person I used to be.
... ...
After getting off the plane and collecting my luggage, I called the woman Feng Dashu had told me to contact.
Thankfully, my domestic phone number worked for direct calls abroad through international roaming.
She told me to wait for her at Gate 8 of the arrivals level in Terminal 3.
Singapore's Changi Airport has been repeatedly named the "World's Best Airport." It's stylish and magical, and even has a large indoor park.
I didn't have time to appreciate it properly, so I hurried off to find the meeting spot.
But who could I ask for directions? I looked around and saw people of all ethnicities—blond hair, blue eyes, dark skin.
Asking someone who had just arrived like me was definitely out.
Suddenly, I spotted someone special in the crowd: a petite, East Asian girl. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Unlike the rest of us, she wasn't looking around in confusion. Instead, she was moving swiftly and purposefully in a set direction.
She walked so fast she created a breeze.
It was obvious she was familiar with the place.
I immediately strode over and asked politely, "Hello, miss. Could you please tell me where Gate 8 of the T3 arrivals level is?"
She stopped and looked at me, confused.
I repeated my question, but she just kept looking at me in confusion, not saying a word.
Now it was my turn to be confused.
My Mandarin is top-notch—I passed the Level 1, Grade A proficiency test, for crying out loud. My accent couldn't possibly be so thick that she couldn't understand me, right?
And so we stood there, two confused people staring at each other, wondering where things had gone wrong.
She thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sorry, I cannot understand Mandarin."
"Sorry, sorry," I immediately apologized, though I couldn't understand why she didn't speak Mandarin.
It wasn't until much, much later that I understood: not everyone with an East Asian appearance is Chinese.
People from many Southeast Asian countries look quite similar. But that's a story for another time.
After asking around, I finally found Gate 8 and successfully made contact.
This was my first time meeting Feng Jie.
She had a fair complexion, a well-proportioned figure, and was of average height. She had long, soft hair and a sweet smile, with a hint of a languid air about her.
But as we exchanged pleasantries, I happened to notice distinct lines under her lower eyelids, tinged with a faint bluish-yellow. My heart sank.
My Master's notes mentioned this area. It's the 'Children's Palace' in face reading. A feature like this can affect one's ability to have children and also indicates marital disharmony.
Could a woman with such a radiant smile be destined for such a fate?
A quick look at will leave you more fulfilled.
I wondered to myself.
But since it was our first meeting, I didn't say anything.
As the car left the airport and headed toward my pre-arranged accommodation, I soon pushed that flicker of doubt to the back of my mind.
Singapore truly deserves its name as the "Garden City." Its beauty is hard to describe unless you've seen it with your own eyes.
Clean, artistic, primal...
Amidst its stunning modernity, you can still see the pure, wild vitality of nature everywhere.
Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate. The trees along the roads towered into the clouds, their trunks so thick it would take several people to encircle one.
The trees were also covered in all sorts of parasitic plants, like Christmas trees adorned with gifts of life.
Lao Dao used to say that Feng Shui is essentially about temperature and humidity—the essential conditions for all life.
The vitality and grandeur radiating from these plants were a testament to Singapore being a place of excellent Feng Shui.
It's no wonder, then, that Singapore is world-renowned as a nation of longevity, with an average life expectancy of over 83 years and an abundance of centenarians.
Before this, aside from going to university, I had barely ever left my small hometown county.
Now, experiencing the dazzling lights and unbridled vitality of this developed nation, my mind surged with emotion. I couldn't help but imagine what kind of brilliant future I might have here.