Xing Kai walked out of the warehouse, his hands in his pockets, his face scrunched up in frustration. There was a weak breeze which made the lone few torches crackle in the camp occasionally.

If I had known just a bit more about cultivation...if I was more careful...I wouldn't be in this situation.

Xing Kai kicked at a protruding stone out of the ground, sending it clattering into the dark.

Hell, I could have been killed in the infirmary if anybody else realised what I was. If it wasn't that old lady who noticed...if she didn't just reveal it to those two grandsons of hers...I'd be dead in my sleep.

No revenge.

Nothing

Xing Kai booted a barrel of arrows sending it spinning off into the distance, it's contents raining out the whole way.

I'm such as fool...I'm just such a useless bastard

Xing Kai's face twisted.

I'm the only person who survived...I can't fail...stupidly rushing to get revenge will get me killed before I even now it...

Xing Kai ground his teeth.

If I had just given the town a proper sending to their next life, and not chased after those scum for revenge...I'd never be at the infirmary and in someone else's hands...

If I had just chosen to stay back then...I wouldn't almost have been killed and everyone would have a proper sending

Xing Kai's cheeks trembled.

A proper sending

Xing Kai shook his head bitterly.

They're dead and rotting now...as long as I get justice for the village, at least they won't roam the world as unfulfilled spirits

Xing Kai wiped his eyes and began running.

I've made mistake after mistake. Not a single thing have I done right, not one...

Kai ran quickly, evading all the militiamen on guard, and went straight out of the camp.

But moaning about it now won't change anything

His eyes cleared, and he set his jaw.

Can not be weak, must not be weak

As long as I hold true to that, I can challenge all my mistakes and mend them

Xing Kai's Heart's blood stirred slowly.

.....

It was dark here, unlike the town. No fires, for warmth or light.

Clouds had moved in over the town during the night, and the air was thick carried a thick stench.

Rotting food, faeces, stagnant water; these things could be seen everywhere across the slums. The homes of the people who first settled in this clearing of the forest were now burnt and broken, with not even tiles left on the roofs. The ground was muddy, thick like a swamp, thanks to the trees being chopped far back, to the fringe of the slums, and the ground being churned up during the early years of expansion.

Xing Kai looked about from the roof beam of the building he was balancing on. From this height he could see the forest, even the old tree stumps which were now regrown into young trees, in the distance.

The forest seemed darker than the night sky.

There really isn't a wall

Kai frowned, his brows meeting together.

Not that a wall would do much good anyways...

Xing Kai shook his head and turned away from the endless black forest, heading in a direction parallel to it. Having seen his escape route, Kai was looking for a place to cultivate.

In fewer than 300 heartbeats he found an alley with dry compact ground. The houses on either sides of the alley still had walls, and the end was blocked off with a still standing stone wall. Although the alley was lined with odd boxes and bags, Xing Kai found a place at the back and sat down. He put his hand in his pocket and removed his 6 Yao Grass leaves.

The swirling lights of the leaves still mesmerised Kai, and he found himself staring into them.

Stop wasting time...time to train

Hopeful before someone sees me do anything strange

Xing Kai folded his legs comfortably and clasped all 6 leaves between his palms as the instructors had taught him. He had to explicitly ask the instructors to teach him, since they assumed everyone had already learned how to handle special plants in the town school or at home. Only to a villager was it uncommon knowledge.

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Sensing the leaf

Xing Kai closed his eyes and focused on his inner self. With focused thought and intent he began perceiving his fingertips, and then the leaves between his hands. The leaves felt like a pool while his fingers seemed like black wood.

He began focusing on the energy pool...and almost as if his sense was forming the roots of his wood-like hands, Kai connected the pool to himself.

It worked first time

Xing Kai cheered in his heart and couldn't help opening his eyes. The mysterious glow of the leaves was flowing in a gradual manner towards his upper hand. Xing Kai focused back on his inner self, and sensed the pool like energy moving through his wood like hand. It was almost like his hands were barren of moisture, making the pool flow very slowly through his Jingmai. A slight hue was being added to the Jingmai and flesh, as the energy moved through Xing Kai's hand.

How mysterious...it's just like water trickling into an ant's nest

Xing Kai opened his eyes and looked again at this palms, even disturbing his position in order to study the leaves.

I can feel the connection between the leaves and my hands...but why can't I see it?

Xing Kai sniffed the leaves again.

Although I can't see anything when the Captains release their sense, shouldn't I see the glow moving across the gap between my hand and the leaves?

As Xing Kai studied the phenomena, the energy moved along his arm and towards his chest, and up to his neck

Maybe the Heart's blood travels so much faster because of that weird thing in my head...and I've never sensed my body with the image of wood and roots before...may be the instructor's advice is not helping me and I should do what I normally do-

Suddenly Xing Kai was hit by a scorching hot pain in his neck and arm all the way down to his fingertips. Xing Kai opened his eyes and saw many twisting cords standing under the skin of his hand. The pain was like scalding water and Xing Kai paled under the sudden assault.

What did I do wrong?

Exclaiming in his heart, he tried to let go of the leaves but his hands were too stiff.

Completely unresponsive.

And the leaves were becoming very dim all of a sudden.

Xing Kai focused on his inner self, sensing all along his arm and chest.

The energy was out of control and being dragged through his Jingmai like a rake through vines. The energy crashed at the junctions of the Jingmai, forcing the energy to travel in great torrents through the narrow and finer vessels. Xing Kai desperately willed the current to stop, using his sense and imagination to slow the reckless flow but nothing happened. In seconds the leaves were blackened and became ashes between his palms.

With his eyes wide open in horror, Xing Kai finally was able to move his fingers but with a timely breeze...the ashes were carried away.

...What

Looking between his still outstretched hands and the air, Kai couldn't even cry out.

The absorption is supposed to take a few days normally...how the hell did this happen...where did all the energy go?

Xing Kai tightly closed his eyes, while hugging his throbbing arm and tried to sense any changes.

There were many.

The turbulent flow of energy had cascaded violently, leaving thick hues of the energy on the Jingmai and flesh, particularly along all the smaller Jingmai the energy forced it's way through. There, strangely, the surrounding flesh began revealing the appearance of many ultra fine Jingmai branching from the smaller Jingmai. Just trying to look at them made Xing Kai feel dizzy from over concentrating.

My neck!

Why did it stop at my neck?

Xing Kai rushed to focus on his neck, but was amazed at what he found.

The wood like appearance of his flesh was now covered in a thick hue of yellow energy from the leaves, all focused around his vocal cords. But his throat was still ruined. The chunks missing from the lining of the voice box and the grotesque healing were just as they were before.

All that energy...enough for me to breakthrough with...is gone just like that? On what exactly?

Xing Kai's sense faded as he despaired.

Why would it go here? Not even Heart's blood acts like this when I absorb it...

Xing Kai opened his eyes again, to vacantly look across the alley, his face completely blank.

What do I use to cultivate now?

Xing Kai sighed and finally turned his eyes back down to his lap. His right hand and arm felt very tender, and a burning pain lanced across his chest as he breathed in. Xing Kai almost felt like laughing at his own situation if it wasn't a matter which affected his revenge.

As Xing Kai massaged the cord-like vessels snaking across his hand, he heard small footsteps, accompanied by the sound of a sack being dragged across the ground.

A small head of brown hair appeared at the end of the alley. The head bobbed along the alley, occasionally dipping into the boxes at the side, and rummaging through them. A lone fat  rat leapt out of the rubbish and scurried away which caused the person to squeal.

"I missed it" cried the voice. The head bobbed again, and a little stamping sound could be heard.

After a sulky kick aimed at a crate, the person continued searching among the rubbish, occasionally releasing cheers of delight. Another item was added to the bag being dragged across the ground.

Xing Kai wasn't sure what to do.

Have I met anybody my own age since then?

The small head of brown hair floated to the opposite side of the alley, allowing them both to see each other clearly.

The person paused.

Xing Kai oddly froze.

The person was a little girl, around 6, with short brown hair roughly cut. She had big brown eyes, bright even in the dark alley. She wore a muddied dress that appeared to have once been soft and pretty. Her feet were covered with genuine leather shoes, light and well fitted for her feet. There was even a little floral hair clip, which was neatly shined and without a single scratch. In her hands was the mud-coated hemp bag, and a ratty doll of a women made of actual wool.

Where did she got those things?

Xing Kai blinked as he took in the confusing sight, while the little girl curiously looked back at him.

"Who are you?" she said. Her voice was even more confusing, sounding clear and proper, unlike the speech used by the townspeople. It was a lively, curious voice.

Containing his rising confusion, Xing Kai pointed to his shoulder, to his officer stripes.

"What?" Her face scrunched up in confusion.

Xing Kai looked at his shoulder and realised that his originally green militia clothes were plastered in more mud and dust then even the little girl's was. Kai quickly tried to clean his shoulder to show her, but she interrupted him with another question.

"Are you friendly?" she asked curiously.

...wh...

Xing Kai's mouth dropped open but he managed to nod his head hesitantly.

"Good" she said with a happy smile. She turned around and walked out of the alley. "Do not you want something to eat?" she said over her shoulder, seeing as Kai hadn't moved.

Xing Kai quickly sensed his internals to check whether he was dead or brain damaged.

What am I even doing? I need to sort out my cultivation before anything else

Regardless of his inner complaints, Xing Kai got up and followed the little girl out of the alley. Walking behind her, he was amazed at how different she was from all the children that he knew. Never was he the one following behind others aimlessly.

"What's your name?" she said cheerfully.

Xing Kai looked down towards her for a moment, before he pulled out his old square of folded up parchment. The ink had hardly fainted over the past month since he made it. He showed it to her as she walked backwards with the muddy sack bouncing against her legs.

Can she read?

"Oh, you don't talk? Hello older brother Kai, you can call me Xiao Lan like my brother does...not that you can though" she said. She began humming to herself again.

Xing Kai shook his head.

I'll see what she's doing here and then sort something out for my cultivation...if it's going to work I'd better start soon.