“What do you mean you know?” Fu Liu asked.

“Liu, you have reached the fifth stage. Heavenly Tribulation is not something two children at the peak of the first stage should be capable of attracting, no matter their potential.”

“Which makes it all the more baffling. I detected no foreign qi within my courtyard.”

Fu Zixing took a sip of tea and gestured up. Fu Liu glanced up. He saw nothing but the heavens above. He dropped his teacup and rose to his feet. Porcelain shattered to the floor and pieces pelted them, but Fu Liu paid it no mind. The enormity of such a suggestion filled him with fear. Preposterous!

“You believe the he-“

Fu Zixing’s gaze became sharp and the words were severed as they left Fu Liu’s mouth. Fu Liu blinked and when he opened his eyes the teacup was still in his hand and he was seated across the table from Fu Zixing.

“Do not speak of such things aloud Liu. It’s nothing more than an educated guess.”

“How did you arrive at such a conclusion?” Fu Liu set his teacup back down and stared up into the sky. He shook his head, hoping to erase the idea from his mind. If the heavenly dao targets them, what can even be done?

“How often do you think someone is blessed such as Yuxuan is?” As Fu Liu was forming a response, Fu Zixing motioned cutting him off. “I do not expect you to answer Liu. It’s something that happens on average every five thousand years. The day Yuxuan was born, dozens, if not hundreds, were born. Chosen under heaven.”

“What?!”

“Calm yourself.”

“Patriarch, what do you mean by this?”

Fu Zixing waved a hand and his qi became visible. It took the shape of their home continent, The Sovereign Continent, in miniature. Small bursts of qi emitting faint light began to shine as if points on the map.

“I’ve spoken to other clans and sects about the auspicious signs on that day. Dao phenomena were seen at each of these locations. Coincidentally, a child was born at the same time at each location. Once tested, each child also showed frightening potential. These 37 instances were just with sects or clans I could reach out to and only on our continent. I do not know if it also occurred on the other four or with demonic sects or associated clans. Some chosen children may have even been born to mortals.”

Fu Liu began connecting the points on the map with the sects and clans he knew. The valley of the Hei clan had a point. The Iron Cauldron sect had one. The Midnight Pavillion had two. The Unrivaled Peak sect had two. The mountains thought to be the headquarters of the Laughing Moth sect had one. With each location Fu Liu became more numb.

“Patriarch, what does this mean?”

Fu Zixing drained his tea and set the cup down.

“Unfortunately, I believe it means we live in interesting times.”

Zhihao woke in the afternoon to Yuxuan poking him in the side.

“Zhihao get up! Let’s go play!”

Zhihao yawned and sat up. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes he got off the bed and put on some clean robes.

“What do you want to do?”

“I was thinking we could jump in the river by the fourth branch, we haven’t done that in forever!”

Zhihao looked down at his clean robes. He sighed and changed out of them into an old set he wouldn’t get yelled at for getting dirty.

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“Didn’t grandfather tell us to stay in the third branch?” Zhihao asked while cinching his belt.

“The river runs through the border between our branch and fourth branch. It should be fine.” Yuxuan shrugged.

Zhihao nodded. With a grin Yuxuan lead them out of the room.

“Do you know the way? I don’t recognize this building” Zhihao asked. The featureless white wall and wooden floors of the hallway were all he had seen of the building they were in besides his and his brother’s room.

“It should be the medical halls under the pill refinement facilities. Once we’re outside I’m sure we’ll find our way.”

Zhihao scrunched his face up in thought. Yuxuan was usually energetic and cheerful. That much hadn’t changed. But was he always so easygoing? It didn’t seem entirely out of character but Zhihao couldn’t place the strange feeling he had.

Yuxuan had said he’d died twice. What did that really mean? When Zhihao had asked, Yuxuan had changed the subject by telling him of all the stories he’d read.

“Yuxuan. Can you tell me more about your other life or memories?”

“What parts? I have way more stories!”

Zhihao was about to reply when he had that feeling again. Yuxuan was speaking differently. That was easy to point out. Zhihao may only be 10 but he could see that much!

“Not the stories. Parts of your life. What was living in that other world like?”

Yuxuan tapped his cheeks in thought. He was silent for a moment while they walked down hallway after hallway.

“What was it like?” Yuxuan spoke more to himself than to Zhihao. He tilted his head to look down another hallway as they passed and let out a cheer. “I see the outside. Through that door!”

Yuxuan picked up the pace and ran to the door. Zhihao chased after him eager to go play.

“I was right, we were under the pill refinement building. So the river should be…” Yuxuan held his hands over his eyes and looked around. They stood atop a small flight of stairs leading into the basement of a large building. A road laid before them with walled off homes and courtyards lining either side. Zhihao looked around for a landmark and saw the mountains to the north.

“This way!” Zhihao took off down the road heading south. It lead to the fourth branch but they would have to cross the river if they followed it.

The boys ran down the road passing other clan members and servants going about their days. As they ran further south the larger industrial buildings and manors gave way to smaller homes and shops.

The bridge leading into the fourth district had a clan member on guard duty. A young man of the second stage sat in the shade of a nearby tree in the lotus position, meditating. He opened one eye as he felt two other cultivators of the second stage running at him.

Is my shift over?

“Brother Chen we’re going swimming!” Yuxuan yelled as he ran past him and hopped over the fence separating the walkways from the river.

The river was 20 feet across and maybe five feet at its deepest. The waist height fences weren’t set up to keep people out but so that people wouldn’t accidentally fall in. With a single hop Yuxuan cleared the fence and the short reeds growing on the riverbanks.

“Apologies senior brother, Yuxuan is just excited to swim!” Zhihao clasped his hands and did a small bow before he climbed up the fence after Yuxuan.

“Don’t act like you don’t want to swim too!” Yuxuan yelled up at Zhihao. A large splash cut him off. Zhihao popped back up to the surface, a grin on his face and tackled Yuxuan trying to dunk him under.

“Junior brothers! You both have reached foundation establishment?” Fu Chen called to them from the fence above.

Yuxuan slipped around Zhihao’s arms, climbed on his back, and dunked him under the water before looking up at Fu Chen.

“Yes Brother Chen, we advanced a few days ago. Grandfather’s told us young geniuses to relax for a week.”

“Congratulations junior brothers! You’ve done our third branch proud!” Fu Chen waved and returned to his spot under the tree.

“Blblblblrlrrrrlr!” Zhihao gurgled his way back to the surface, fighting Yuxuan every inch of the way. The boys splashed around for the rest of the afternoon. By evening, they were resting on the riverbank watching the sunset.

“Yuxuan, you never answered me earlier. What was your life like in the other world?”

Yuxuan glared at Zhihao then sighed. He leaned his back on the incline of the riverbank and stretched his legs out.

“You’re pretty observant big brother. I don’t think a 10 year old would notice me being evasive.”

“What does that mean. I’m older than you!”

Yuxuan smirked.

“Are you sure, big brother? I died at 19 in that world. 19 plus eight is 27, I’m almost three times older than you!”

“We were only unconscious for 2 or 3 days. Your 19 years of dreams don’t count for your real age.” Zhihao gestured dismissively.

“You might be right.” Yuxuan turned his attention from his brother to the clouds over head. The sky was like a painting with every shade of orange and purple reflected off the clouds as the sun dipped below the horizon. “What I remember is weird. It doesn’t feel like 19 years worth of memories.”

“What does it feel like then?”

“I don’t know! But I’ll try to answer your question big brother. I don’t remember every day. Just the overall impressions of things. I can remember some specific events, but not everything.”

“What does that mean?”

“Do you remember what you had for lunch three weeks ago?”

“No.”

“Exactly! So I know I did stuff, like went to school. Moved around a lot. But I don’t remember the specifics of everything. It’s annoying. I can remember watching movies and some of the stories I read. I think I only read them because they reminded me of here. But Zhihao, do you know what I do remember the most?” Yuxuan’s tone had started off light hearted, but as he continued to speak Zhihao noticed his tone become more somber. “I remember being alone.”

“You told me before you remembered making friends,” Zhihao stated. He wasn’t quite sure what to say. He had always had Yuxuan beside him, as far back as he could remember. Yuxuan had always had him. Zhihao realized what Yuxuan must mean. He ruffled his younger brother’s hair, but Yuxuan batted his hand away.

“It was strange. I was an only child. Mom and I moved a lot, I think because of her job? I don’t remember my father from over there. Over there, my memories of here felt like a dream. I would brush them off and tried not to think about it. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about my memories of here. I grew up. Moved to places where I couldn’t speak the languages of the other students. Went to university. I think I died over there while traveling.” Yuxuan’s voice got quieter the more he spoke. Zhihao placed a hand on Yuxuan’s shoulder, trying to be supportive. By the time Yuxuan finished speaking his eyes were closed and all Zhihao could think was that his brother looked sad.

“You’re back Yuxuan. And I’ll always be here.”

“Thanks big brother.” Yuxuan gave him a small smile.

The two sat in companionable silence while they watched the sun finish setting. Though Yuxuan had smiled at his words, Zhihao swore in his heart. A dao promise. He would always be there for Yuxuan.

For a second, Zhihao thought he felt something. A tingling sensation crept down his neck. Yuxuan jumped up shivering.

”Is it just me, or is it getting cold? Let’s go home and get some food big brother.”

“Sounds good.”