“Hey Li Jing! Look over there, someone’s drifting downstream!”

“Don’t just stand there, go see if they have something valuable on them!”

“Wait, I think this guy’s still alive! Hey, wake up!”

….

When Sean came to, he found himself laying in a hammock. The walls surrounding him were wooden and bare, with the occasional jar of spice hanging off to the side. The roof was dilapidated, likely having been poorly constructed and slowly worn over time. Four curious eyes looked down on the young man. There were two children, most likely less than eight years of age. One of them seemed to have noticed his conscious state.

“He’s awake! Run away!” The two children ran off.

A middle-aged man entered the small, wooden hut. He pulled up a chair and sat down beside the young man lying in bed. The man crossed his arms and leaned himself back. The two did not exchange words for some time.

“Where am I?” Sean was the first to speak. His voice was hoarse, as though he had not eaten for days.

“You are Yu-Hwa-Wan Province, traveler. My two sons found you drifting on a river. You must have traveled some far distance, judging by your attire.”

“I-“, Sean tried to get up, but the man quickly stopped him.

“Calm down. There is no need to push yourself. Rest for now, and come outside when you are well.” The man got up and left.

Sean was once again alone. The young man closed his eyes and turned his body to the side. He remembered Fǎ Shù’s back staring him in the face. He remembered the old man’s last words before a wall of black that enveloped everything around him. He remembered the sound of metal clashing and explosions in the distance as he lost consciousness. A complicated emotion welled up inside the youth. Did they get out alive?

The young man looked down to his left. A basket of fruit laid beside him. Sean did not recognize any of the fruits, but he assumed they were still edible since they had been left at his feet. He picked up a green-colored fruit and stared at it. Pàng Zi’s smiling appeared in Sean’s mind. The large man was giving him a thumbs up.

[They were… surprisingly good people.]

Sean took a bite out of the fruit. A tear rolled down his cheek. Alone in an empty wooden hut, a young man cried his heart out while eating from a fruit basket.

下一章

Atop the Huang Ti Mountains, two suns cast bright rays down upon a rural village. Gentle clouds slowly drifted across the sky's horizon, revealing am ambient blue. A number of children were running around, trying to catch a butterfly with four wings. Local women gossiped and laughed whilst weaving straw beds, and simple farmhands passed down dirt roads carrying their fruits of labor. A young man sat on the terrace steps of the rice patty fields.

“The Yu-Hwa-Wan Province is situated on the southernmost corner of the Peach Blossom Empire.They are home to a number of small to medium-sized sects. The nearest one would be the Transcendent Pill Mongering Sect. A little bit further out is the Saint Devil Walks a Thousand Paths Sect and Peng Gong city.”

Sean Wu sat on a terrace step, listening to Xin, the woodcutter's son, explain the continent topography and various points of interest relative to his village. Xin’s village was situated high up in a mountain. The locals specialized in terrace farming and grew a special herb rich in spiritual energy. From things were, it seemed the dao continent was actually rather large.

There were about fifteen hundred thousand sects spread out across the province. A large majority of them made up the martial alliance, a gathering of small to medium-sized sects locked in a cold war armistice. Generally, these smaller sects would compete against one another for resources and martial techniques, however in face of a greater threat, such as a heavenly supreme or immortal devil sect, they would band together to form a temporary coalition.

The village’s concerns, however, were with the Blossom Empire, subsidiary of the Blossom Lotus Orthodox Sect. This empire had majority control over trade routes in the region. They imposed high tariffs on any goods coming in and out of their cities. As such, the village could only produce enough herbs to sustain their livelihood. In times of famine, many had to leave to find work elsewhere or face starvation.

“Why not trade with any of the local sects? I’m sure they would be happy to obtain a steady supply of medical herbs.” Sean suggested.

“It is not that haven’t thought of that already. These sects are very prideful. They want nothing to do with mortals. All their business is done through the empire and the cities under their jurisdiction.” Xin sighed. If the Peach Blossom Empire caught wind of this conversation, it would amount to treason.

“If that is the case, why don't you join a sect and become a cultivator--your words will bear weight!” Sean suddenly exclaimed.

“It is not as easy as you think, friend. Since so many people wish to cultivate the path of dao, these sects have no shortage of disciples. The testing is quite rigorous and very difficult. There is a hefty entrance fee to take the test as well.”

“Don’t worry and just come with me. I always find a way.” Sean smirked.

下一章

“Absolutely not.”

Sean was rejected before he had even walked inside the door. The pair had traveled some twenty kilometers to get to the Saint Devil Walks a Thousand Paths Sect, only to be rejected immediately. The guy sitting atop the gate didn’t even give them a passing glance.

“Can’t you at least here me out?”

“No.”

A swift response.

Sean felt wronged. What kind of examiner fails the student before he even has the chance to take the test? Still, he did not let up. “Is elder Fǎ Shù there? I need to see him! Tell him Sun Tian Wu is here!”

The examiner raised an eyebrow at this statement. This guy was starting to annoy him. “What a joke. You are so desperate to get in, you would dare to waste another’s time and besmirch an elder’s name? Get out of my sight before I jump down there and slap you silly!”

“You dare talk to me like that?! This avocado in my hand was given to me by elder Fǎ Shù himself! Come and see for yourself!” Sean angrily raised the piece of fruit over his head.

“If you are an acquaintance of elder Fǎ Shù, then I will chop off my own d**k and eat it! You-!”

“Hold on a second, Qi Fan.” A disembodied voice rang. “This one looks promising.”

Sean turned his head upward to see a man lying on a nearby tree branch. He had a conical hat covering half his face and was dressed in an ordinate, pink robe. The dainty man lazily got up and tipped up his hat, revealing a chiseled face with slight facial hair. The man smiled, “so you want to join our sect? Very well, we always welcome new talent.”

“That’s right, I wish to join the Saint Devil Walks a Thousand Paths sect and become a cultivator unmatched beneath the heavens!” Sean cupped his hands and bowed.

“I wasn’t talking you.” The man pulled a fan from his under his sleeve and pointed it at Xin, the woodcutter's son. “I was talking to him. This one has good spiritual roots, if he received the proper guidance, he may reach the unrestrained realm within his lifetime.”

[Why does everyone in this sect so rude to people they just met?]

Sean was not one to back down. “How can you deny me when I have yet been given the chance to prove myself? I have been wronged! If you would allow me a fair test, then I will gladly accept the results.”

“You want to take a fair test?” The man turned his head. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes were not friendly. “Qi Fan, open the gate. Show him what he needs to do.”

The examiner named Qi Fan shook his head and opened the door. “Follow me.”

Sean exchanged a goodbye with Xin and followed the examiner inside.