Some years ago, in Curlan...

Through the three descents of the city of Curlan, three semicircles separated by hills sloping down from the blue-white mountain, pedestrians of all classes hurried themselves into their lodgings—mansions, pagodas, homes and houses and huts, where there was a roof and four walls to shield themselves from the shed frost of the mountain. Some unfortunate ones chased other figures into inns or acquaintances’ roofs to warm their chilled hands and feet. There were warm buckets of water given out, poured down the streets, and from the chimneys of common buildings rose thick black and silver smokes depending on the quality of coal and firewood.

Further down from this common camaraderie for shelter, at the bottom of the city laid a large stretch of rotten huts and torn tents. In one of the rotten huts, with its windows unshielded against the storm of snow and its door about to break, Liu and Little Zhang remained shivering and whimpering on the ground. They sat next to the squeaking door. A storm of snow ravaged across the streets and raised a thick fog, blocking the two children's way to see this sight spreading out the rising city.

The door in front of them remained open, welcoming in gusts of chilling wind that, as they stood at the corners of the wall, only tickled their small pale feet. A wave of frost expanded through the flat floor in a circle, dying it brown and white, and this further numbed both their bottoms and their legs. At some point they had no power to let out sounds. Only their breath kept them aware that there was a door open, and there was someone outside who had to come in.

Little Zhang kept stealing glances at the purplish arm of Liu, hanging by the boy’s side. There were bloody marks spread across its surface, blooming like a flower, indicating burst blood vessels and perhaps torn muscle.

A howling wind brought another chill. The planked windows rattled and sprinkled bits of snow on their hair. Squeaking of the door intensified, and with a push from Liu’s foot was shut off.

‘’Keep it open.’’

‘’You will freeze.’’

Little Zhang did not answer back, but simply rubbed his hands and stared at the banging door. He remained seated for a while, and so did Liu, then nervous he stood up to look through the gaps between the planks. Plenty of snow kept piling up in front of their doors, while the dancing flakes turned everything illusory in his eyes.

His bright green eyes shrunk and expanded, his mind filled with thoughts of his big brother. Liu cast him a desolate look from the side. He watched the little boy, at most six or seven years old, tremble, holding onto the window railings, on his tiptoes to keep his head afloat. A hazy steam formed around him, stealing all his body’s warmth.

Liu’s own face was pale with worry and pain. He rubbed the broken left arm and took deep breaths to ease the waves of hurt. Every few breaths he would scratch his dirty golden hair and flick out dandruff-filled strands. He gathered them on his lap, later intending to make a rope, if he could.

The two boys spent the time in that state, only listening to the banging door and clattering planks, and to their own heaving breaths echoing inside the hut. This eerie, hopeless mood continued for a while more until Little Zhang let out a yelp. Liu raised his head to see him on the ground, shivering, his fingers purple.

‘’You fool—’’ Liu leaped onto his feet and grasped Little Zhang’s frozen fingers. ‘’—I told you you would freeze!’’

He forced the boy up to his feet. ‘’Jump.’’

It seemed this was not the first occurrence, as without any more instruction little Zhang kept jumping and shaking his limbs, forcing out more beads of sweat to warm himself up. Liu himself peered over the desolate room, picking the one stool and a broken table in his sight and nothing more. He pondered a moment, cast his eye to the two-foot long fireplace with its dead embers, then walked over to the table.

He crouched over it and punched the legs until they cracked, then brought them over to the caved space. He took out a box of matches, and found only two sticks left inside. Holding his broken arm on his knee, he put a thumb over the box’s top and pushed with his nose. The box tumbled down his twitching hand.

Liu looked, incredulous and grave, down at his purple fingers. He attempted to clench them, yet found himself unable to close even a few centimeters. The fingers only touched the excess fat gathered at their bottom, squeezed them like folds of a cloth, and nothing more.

If it was not for the boy behind him, Liu would have cried right there. But he didn’t.

Instead he opened his mouth, then bit at his paralyzed shoulder. He bit too hard, unable to ascertain the proper strength from the numbness brought to him, and drew blood. Then he forced two fingers around the wound and pressed, warming them in his blood. The boy took them away once he felt touch and took the matches out, lit them, and put them inside the embers and wood. To his surprise it took hold fast enough and a fire blazed before him, forcing him to sit back with a thud.

‘’Come over.’’ He said, and little Zhang approached. They sat next to each other, shoulders touching, and the little boy laid his head on Liu’s shoulder to rest. Once his breathing calmed down and he warmed up, the boy stood up again and went back to the planks to peer through the empty street. Once the cold frightened him enough, the boy let himself down and warmed himself up beside his big brother. This sequence, he repeated several times for an hour.

Then, Little Zhang let out a gasp. ‘’Big Zhang!’’

The boy let himself down the window, sprinted to the door, slid on ice, then picked himself back up by holding onto the door’s handle. He flung the door open and dashed out. Liu tried to stand up but his body failed him, and he fell face front. But he had tears coming up in his eyes. The boy attempted again, fell, then a third time. Forcing himself on his bleeding left shoulder, then pushing with his stable right arm, he shot up and trod outside.

Ravaging snow brought the piled up flakes up to his knees. Little Zhang himself seemed to be buried halfway into the white scenery, carving his way through the freezing obstacle to a long figure. Liu’s brown pupils shrunk.

There was a tall old man, with hair floating behind him for several meters. He had one of the most horrifying features Liu ever saw in his life—cheeks and eyes sunken, limbs thinner than a starved serpent, all bones visible. The man walked towards them, holding the sleeping Big Zhang in his arms.

Little Zhang met the man halfway through the street.

‘’Little Zhang!’’ Liu shouted, his voice trembled. ‘’Don’t!’’

Liu recognized the unnerving, ethereal feeling this man gave. The snow did not fall on him, the wind paved the way for him. Where he walked, nature parted the path so he might go unobstructed and undisturbed. He saw many cultivators, but this old man seemed to be from something more like the fantastic tales and myths.

Little Zhang suddenly floated, then Liu watched the young boy fly around the man like a small moon. He had nothing else to feel at that point, so Liu walked back to the hut and brought out the single stool they had.

As he did, the old man lowered his head and came inside the hut. Even bowing, his head almost scraped the top of the ceiling. With him came Little Zhang and Big Zhang, the latter still unconscious. Liu saw bloodstains on his arms and face and legs, but no wounds. An idea formed in Liu’s mind.

Little Zhang was but a child who took after Big Zhang. Big Zhang was the muscle-head who did most of the work, while Liu was the one that thought for them what they had to do. Knowing Big Zhang’s personality, he must have come into a fight with those two thugs.

He motioned for the cultivator to sit and quickly kneeled before him, forcing the baffled Little Zhang to do the same. The old man took his seat, laid Big Zhang on his lap, and cast a faint glance to the burning fire. The red color flushed his face and reflected from his pupilless white eyes.

He seemed to think, making no sound. Not even a breath escaped his wrinkled lips. From the open door a cold gale blew and made Little Zhang shudder. Liu wanted to move him near the fire when a breeze went past him and the door shut.

He turned around. Liu found no one else, shocked, then looked at the old man and saw his blank white eyes. Deep terror welled up inside him, but it only existed there. He kowtowed thrice, as he would do to his parents, to show his appreciation.

The old man smiled, but still said nothing. They remained in that silence for a little more, and when the rattling planks seemed about to be broken from the winds everything went blank. Now they heard no more wind, and inside the hut seemed to warm up. The fire beside them blazed up further, consuming all wood, and made their pale skins reflect its fiery red like a small sun. Then it calmed down, rested, only crackling on nothing but air. Liu felt the chill leaving his feet first, then the warm air cleansed his spine. The sting from his left arm went away.

His heart pumped out warm blood down to his toes and the bleeding of his shoulder stopped.

‘’How long are you going to act, rascal?’’

At the reprimand, Liu’s heart jumped up. And as his heart did, Big Zhang did too.

The boy snorted and leaped off the old man’s lap to stand between his brothers on the ground, but did not kneel. He pointed a finger at the man.

‘’What do you want now, old hag!?’’

Liu shot up to his feet and slapped Big Zhang’s nape. ‘’Be respectful!’’ He then turned around and kowtowed nine times, shouting as he did. ‘’Please forgive my little brother, Immortal Sir!’’

‘’He is young and boorish and has no education! Even vagrants don’t teach him because of his lineage, and I am not capable enough. Please, forgive him for his ignorance, if not for your own virtue!’’

Big Zhang didn’t answer back, but the old man let out a pleasant laugh. ‘’For my virtue...Where do you hail from?’’

Liu answered without raising his head. ‘’From the city of Sayon down south,’’ then added after an instant thought to inform the man. ‘’It is, was a city for fishermen and coastal traders.’’

‘’What work did your family do?’’

‘’My father was the illegitimate son of a late vassal to the local lord, and he did accounting and organizing for the lord’s estate, acting as the assistant of the head steward. My mother sold embroidery, pots, and cups of ceramic through her brother’s workshop, but was interested in them more for hobby than for necessity.’’

‘’Who gave you your education?’’

‘’From ages two to five, I received lessons with the lord's heir to be his aide from a North Marble scholar. At age six...a beast horde destroyed the city, so I came here with my older cousin, though she died of fatigue. Then my late big brother Zhang took me in, and I learned everything else from travelers and caravan guards able enough to endure wilderness.’’

‘’...what a misfortune.’’ the old man shook his head. ‘’Still, you have done an excellent thing.’’

Liu, yet on his knees, felt his heart throb at the remark. What was it that he had done good? What had he done since leaving his home, except fighting for food every single day? What had he done? What was excellence?

‘’Raise your head.’’

Liu did as the man said and saw Big Zhang kneeling beside him, his face hot. He seemed to struggle, but a strange magic kept him in his place.

‘’Why so stubborn?’’ Liu regarded the boy.

‘’What about you?’’ the immortal spoke to Little Zhang.

‘’Sir, my little brother—’’

The old man raised his hand and Liu found his mouth sealed. He could neither speak, nor let out a sound.

‘’I wish to hear from him myself. The boy has a voice, does he not?’’

Liu kowtowed in response, but an invisible force raised him up.

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‘’I know your intentions.’’ He said, then paid no more attention to Liu. ‘’Where do you hail from?’’

‘’I...’’ Little Zhang fidgeted with the hem of his torn shirt. ‘’I am from here.’’

‘’What work did your family do?’’

‘’I don’t know...my big brothers and sisters took me in as a baby.’’

‘’Who gave you your education?’’

‘’Big brother Liu and Eldest brother Zhang...’’

‘’I see.’’ the immortal nodded. ‘’Are you three alone?’’

Liu found the spell being lifted from his mouth, but he did not rush to speak. He heard Big Zhang respond.

‘’We had an eldest brother Zhang, and a big sister Liu. Both of them passed away. There are almost a dozen children in the huts next to us, but none of them are too close.’’

‘’What is your relationship to them?’’

‘’We work together.’’ Big Zhang said. The old man turned to Liu, so he answered in detail.

‘’We organize who goes where to beg, who shovels the snow, who guards the houses. There are too many who are worse than us, and do not want to work for what they might gain. They steal and...sometimes...even rape and kill. Even militiamen come over once in a while. They ransack the few silvers we have, so we all work together to secure our livelihood...or whatever is left of it.’’

The old man fell silent, then Liu heard a sob.

Raising his head, he saw the immortal shedding crystal tears down his sunken eyes. His mouth opened, then closed, but the weeping seemed to continue even harsher.

Raising the sleeves of his robe, the man wiped his face again and again, then took a deep breath.

‘’You all did good. You all did good to have lived so !ong...’’ The old man’s voice gathered up a wind that blew on them. The breeze raised their hair and washed over their bodies, taking up all fatigue and hidden wounds.

Liu felt his arm working again, as well as his eyesight turning better. He kowtowed once more, and understanding the effects two Zhangs followed him.

‘’Thank you, sir immortal!’’

‘’This is enough of a blessing!’’ Liu thought. ’’Big Zhang is already as strong as adults, and I myself feel better! We can work with this state!’’

The old man raised them up again. ‘’How many children are there?’’

‘’Fourteen of us.’’ Liu replied.

‘’Fourteen...’’ The old man showed them a wry smile. ‘’One short of excellence.’’

‘’I have thirteen acquaintances in Curlan, who are all perfected in a different trade and are seeking apprentices. They will only take one person, and each person will have to work hard to keep their place. But if you do well, I promise you will neither suffer from cold nor hunger for the rest of your life!’’

‘’That means...’’ Liu frowned. There was a very blatant reason the cultivator said this to them, and not the other children. He cast a glance at Big Zhang.

With a heave Little Zhang stood up.

‘’I can give away my place!’’

‘’What are you saying, you fool!’’ Big Zhang slapped the fellow down. ‘’Old man, don’t listen to him! He doesn’t even know how to take a shit alone.’’

‘’But I-’’ little Zhang let out a whimper. ‘’I can survive alone. You two are stronger and smarter...you can just help me when you get rich...’’

‘’Retard!’’ Big Zhang punched this time, causing the boy to shed tears. ‘’Who do you think you are!? You can survive!? No shit, then I am a fucking immortal!’’ Saying this, Big Zhang couldn’t resist his violent urge and punched again. ‘’Do you think children like us will have time to look after you while working? Who will protect you from others? Will you be able to beg all by yourself? Will you not get cheated by those fucking traders!?Will you fight those militias and vagrants with your bare fists!? Huh!? Answer me, you idiot! Just because we took care of you—’’

‘’Big Zhang! Hold your tongue!’’

‘’You hold your tongue, Liu!’’ Big Zhang shouted.

Liu only glared at him and Big Zhang found no words rising up his throat. Then he noticed Little Zhang heartbroken, trembling on his knees, and the tears through which he looked at them. He had no trace of anger, nor indignation, but only magnanimity and brotherly love, and confusion.

Big Zhang said no more, but still gave a short ruffle to the boy’s dirty hair.

‘’Liu.’’ Big Zhang said. ‘’Go tell the boys and girls to gather in the big house.’’

‘’You go.’’ Liu said.

‘’Do you not believe I will beat you to death? Don’t speak, don’t come closer. Do what I say.’’

‘’Big Zhang, since when have you become so articulate? Do you not believe that I will fight you to death, then? Do you think you have any right to admonish Little Zhang as you are? What will you do all alone, then? Will you still cuss those who tip you money? Will you go pick fights with thugs and vagrants, worse, go rob the wrong people? Then...’’ Liu’s voice started to shake, and the boy had tears in him. ‘’Then...will you get stabbed? And go die in a ditch, bleeding in the cold?’’

He had spoken from experience of life that the younger two had, fortunately, not the chance to see. These two only had him as their eldest brother, but Liu had too many that he had the chance to know and see them perish. To him, death was no longer a faint sight only visible at the depth of night, but a cold finger poking him at each bout of mental awareness.

‘’I can survive!’’

‘’You won’t.’’

The cultivator raised a brow at the choice of words. There was a great deal of difference between cannot and will not.

‘’I will.’’

‘’You won’t. For once act like a proper younger brother and listen to me!’’

Big Zhang only spit on the ground. ‘’I won’t call you my brother then.’’

Liu seemed frozen stiff. The boy remained there a few more moments, then hung his head low. ‘’Cultivator sir,’’ He bowed, then kowtowed again. ‘’Will you not make an exception?’’

‘’None.’’ Old man shook his head.

‘’Can you persuade my brother for me, sir?’’

‘’I cannot.’’ Old man shook his head again. ‘’This is just a chance. I have come here not for your particular lot, but for all children, and for all those that suffer in this land. It is up to you to decide and convince each other to take up this opportunity to relieve yourself of this hell. Or to not take it and stay here the three of you, and still take care of each other in mutual pain.’’

‘’It is also a choice to not make any choice.’’

Liu pondered upon the words, and so did Big Zhang, and after a bout of silence the latter spoke again.

‘’I can survive long enough.’’

At that response, Liu sighed. He gave another bow to the old man and went out with Little Zhang to gather the other children. Some were out as of now, begging or watching out or resting, so they would have to get them from their positions.

A minute passed between the old man and Big Zhang. They listened to the howling wind, the crackling fire, the trembling door and windows, and the shivering floors. Then Big Zhang took a seat across from the old man, staring right at him.

‘’Was what you said true?’’

‘’I have not lied.’’

‘’...you didn’t even ask which part.’’

‘’Because I have not lied.’’

‘’...there truly were only thirteen jobs?’’

The old man nodded.

‘’Why did you make us make that choice?’’ Big Zhang asked. He rubbed both hands on his cheeks, admiring the warmth he had not felt in years. ‘’Because of me?’’

The old man neither nodded nor shook his head. Instead, he stared forward to the door, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the layers of earth and rubble to fixate on a place Big Zhang had no way of accessing. ‘’Because of you, but not for the reason you think.’’

‘’...what is the reason?’’

‘’I wanted to see your nature.’’ He smiled there, showing a rather affectionate gaze. ‘’I have seen many murderers, even children younger than you. I have seen most regret it, few accept it, very little embrace it.’’

‘’What about me?’’

‘’You are the most common. You are confused. Scared.’’

Big Zhang’s body shivered. ‘’They deserved it.’’ he mumbled.

‘’It is foolish to hold onto thoughts you have no faith in.’’ the old man shook his head. ‘’I can see how terrified you are. How scared you are of the future, of being alone, of not knowing what to do or how to live by yourself. How to live with the guilt.’’

Big Zhang crossed his legs, held his ankles, bowed his head until his face was not visible from above. Only his dirty, curly hair dangled in the sight.

‘’I have indeed not lied. I came here to relieve people of their suffering, no matter what manner of people they might be. Noble they might be, or a beggar, it does not matter. It is...’’ Here the old man slowed down, considering, as if about to let out a sigh that endured great hardships with him, but ultimately managing to reign it, only uttering in a soft whisper. ‘’... it is my lifelong wish.’’

Big Zhang raised his head a little, then saw the man about to cry again. ‘’Old man!’’

The cultivator controlled himself this time, for reasons unknown, and only took a soft breath in.

‘’I have another chance for you.’’ he said. He had a steeled expression, thin brows locked tight in the middle to form an arrowhead. ‘’But you need to consider it with great caution.’’

‘’Will I be hungry?’’

‘’You might be.’’

‘’Will I be thirsty?’’

‘’You won’t be.’’

‘’Will I be cold?’’

‘’Depends on where we go.’’

‘’Where we go?’’ Big Zhang looked incredulous. His entire being seemed like a thirsty flame burning up with fervent instinct to live. The glow on his face, the flush of his cheeks, all converged to express his turmoil.

‘’But you will be in grave danger.’’ The old man said. ‘’You will be more scared than you are. You might not starve or suffer from a cold, but you will be alone. You will have many fatal obstacles before you, and you will suffer tragedies greater than any man can even hear. You will, most certainly, die in anguish. Or you might suffer a fate far worse, trapped and even tortured.’’

‘’You will be fighting all your life. You will be searching all your life for something you might not even be sure exists. You will be obsessed with many things, including family, and will experience that much intense loss over things you might not have any control over. Even if you do have control of them, it might be snatched from you by others with force.’’

‘’You will suffer injustice, discrimination, and people will most likely never agree with your worldviews. People will judge you not only for your lineage and station of life, but also for your appearance, for your prowess, and for your intellect. In essence, there will be no part of you left unexamined, and even your own community might not be free from such obstructions.’’

‘’You will be forced, even if you are not willing, to fight for the people who have judged and wronged you, for the fight I am offering you to join is not one for benefits and interests but one of survival! You, my child, should know the best what surviving is. And in this battle, it is not a competition between us and our opponent, as competition is the true nature of survival. We are the only ones who think of survival.’’

‘’This fight began long before you, and will end long after you, if there is still any mercy left in the heavens. So you will fight not only for something that seems to be empty, intangible, but it will also bear consequences which will have no effect on you. You might be rewarded with vain honors and material wealth, but to the one who is aware of their life, what is a piece of silver?’’

‘’I am wishing to take you as my disciple, and being my disciple means you will always be more different than other cultivators, who might not have thought of what I warned you, nor might ever think of such matters. You cannot be in search of power, wealth, longevity alone—pursue them if you wish, but this chance, and this I stress heavily for your own sake, only exists because of what you can contribute.’’

‘’Only I can...?’’

Old man seemed aware that most of his speech went from one ear and out through the other. The child, whose only business was to fight for his everyday food, had no mind for profound thought, nor of life. To simple folk, he reminded himself, it was enough to have bread to chew and water to drink. Anything else was a luxury.

Thought, itself, was a luxury. Yet, to him, this had no bearing on how he acted. He did not spare his words and always spoke with clear intent.

‘’Only your unique sort.’’ He nodded. ‘’But do not forget! This is a choice! You can choose not to accept, and you will neither suffer nor be ever aware of the pains I have pointed out to you. You can choose to live here, wait for your brothers to establish themselves in their station of life, and aid you themselves. You can spend the rest of your life in relative peace, among family and friends, with no great struggle or great honor that comes from the position I have offered, which brings with it several times suffering you might otherwise not deserve.’’

Saying this all, the old man let out a faint sigh, rested both hands over his chest, then whispered. ‘’I leave the decision to you.’’

It was a long, dreadful silence between them that endured. It took minutes for Big Zhang to let out a sigh of his own and kowtow. He repeated nine kowtows, then went forward to grasp the hand of his master.

‘’Wahlidian tradition.’’ He said, then kissed the old man’s hand and put it on his forehead.

‘’...poor child.’’ he whispered, but Big Zhang had not heard it.

‘’What is your name, master?’’

‘’Zhang Fei.’’

‘’Zhang?’’ Big Zhang seemed shocked, then amused. ‘’Zhang! Haha! Then, what will you first teach me?’’ Big Zhang asked.

Old man found the child smiling, seemingly relieved, but only he knew what great burden this little fellow had taken up on his shoulders without being aware of it. Fate had no certain outcome, nor a set path to follow, but he, Zhang Fei, knew too well to even console his dampened spirit.

‘’Your name.’’

‘’My name?’’

‘’Since we are both Zhangs, and I am Fei, then you shall be Cai.’’

‘’Zhang Cai is your name.’’

Zhang Cai looked up to his master, and for the first time found his blank eyes not terrifying.

‘’Okay!’’ He nodded. ‘’Then what is the second thing you’ll teach?’’

‘’Do you know how to read?’’

Zhang Cai raised his brows.