Chu Haoyu added to his sister’s statement by saying, “I demanded that the cultivator release you, and - you know me - I would have punched him if Gongsun Bolin didn’t hold me back.”

It was clear that Chu Haoyu was trying to convince himself more than Shao, but Shao appreciated the effort either way. Thinking back to his brief one-sided fight with Shen Jian, Shao figured the cultivator wouldn’t even notice Chu Haoyu’s assault.

“I’m sure you would have,” Shao said with a smile.

“So…? What happened?” Chu Haoyu asked. It was clear by the expressions of everyone in the room that they were still concerned about what had just happened.

Shao paused for a long moment, considering what to say. He was worried that they would all view him differently if he told them of his true nature as a cultivator. His eyes shot to the side, making eye contact with Lin Daiyu. He asked, “I finally know the truth about myself, Granny Daiyu, and I think you’ve suspected the truth for a long time now. Do I have your blessing to tell them what happened?”

Lin Daiyu froze for several seconds as years of her suspicions were confirmed in an instant. It was obvious in hindsight that a child could not lift an entire fallen tree onto his shoulder without being a cultivator. Lin Daiyu sighed and said, “Fine. Just don’t let it get to your head.”

Shao took a moment to steady himself. He reminded himself that there was no reason for him to be ashamed of being a cultivator. Shao never chose to be a cultivator, and he had never used his strength for evil purposes. He took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and told them what had happened over the past few hours.

The explanation took a few minutes, and Shao had a hard time explaining everything. He still didn’t understand most of what Shen Jian had told him. Shao didn’t bother explaining the “realms” or “steps” or whatever it was that Shen Jian said, but he did make it clear to them that Shen Jian was far stronger than him. Either way, the villagers listened to him with rapt attention. He told them about Shen Jian’s threat, his failed attack on the cultivator, how Shen Jian tied him to a tree, and the strange lesson he underwent.

When Shao was done with his explanation, he stopped speaking and looked at the villagers in anxious silence. He had known these people for as long as he could remember. If they responded with fear and distanced themselves from Shao, it would be a terrible blow.

After three long seconds, Chu Peijing broke the silence. “That’s amazing, Shao! Did he really say you’re good enough to become a disciple at Shigong Temple?”

“Yes,” Shao said, slightly taken aback by Chu Peijing’s enthusiasm. “He said I could become ‘the strongest in the world,’ but I’m sure that’s just a lie.”

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“So, when are you gonna go?” Chu Haoyu said, clapping Shao on the shoulder.

“I don’t plan on becoming Shen Jian’s student,” Shao said with a frown. “Right to my face, he told me that all cultivators are killers. I have no interest in becoming one of them.”

“Whatever you say,” Chu Haoyu said with a laugh. “By the way, I gotta ask, just how strong are you? Are you slightly stronger than a normal person or, like, a hundred times as strong?”

In response, Shao reached down and lifted the iron staff off the ground in one hand. “I don’t know. Ten times normal strength seems like too much, but I’m definitely a bit stronger than a normal person.”

“Come on, then!” Chu Haoyu grabbed Shao’s arm and began to pull him toward the door. “We can make a big event of it! Everyone in the village can bring items for you to lift!”

Shao imagined the looks on the other villagers’ expressions when they learned that he was a cultivator, and a large, proud smile lit up his face. Though he didn’t like the idea of joining cultivator society, surely there would be no issue with letting everyone in the village know about his strength. Before Shen Jian had arrived in the village, no cultivator had traveled to Bluecrest for several generations. There was no chance that he could offend a cultivator with his very existence if there was no cultivator to witness his display of strength.

“That sounds great, Haoyu,” Shao said with a smile. Ferried out of his home by the Chu twins, Shao didn’t notice as Lin Daiyu shook her head in disapproval. Moved forward by youthful aspiration and the desire for social acceptance, he left his home and walked excitedly to the village square.

Gongsun Bolin and Lin Daiyu did not follow the three teenagers out of the home. The blacksmith returned to his seat and took a sip of tea from a cup on the table. Turning to Lin Daiyu and seeing her expression filled with doubt and worry, Gongsun Bolin asked, “Is it true that you knew he was a cultivator?”

“I suspected as much,” she said sadly. “Lin Shao’s always been… different from the other children. He doesn’t remember this, but he got into a fight when he was just three years old. Lin Shao punched a boy two years older than him and twice his size, and the boy’s arm was broken in three places. It was a miracle that he survived.”

“You make it sound like this is a bad thing,” Gongsun Bolin said evenly, peering at Lin Daiyu over his cup. “Lin Shao could become Bluecrest Village’s first Divine Guardian in over two hundred years. Isn’t that cause for celebration?”

“The boy doesn’t have the disposition for it! He attacked Shen Jian even though he knew he would lose. It’s only a matter of time before he ends up dead in a ditch because he picked a fight with a powerful sect leader or clan patriarch.”

Gongsun Bolin shrugged, saying, “Who knows? Perhaps that cultivator can put him on the right path?”

Lin Daiyu did not respond to Gongsun Bolin’s suggestion. She merely looked in the direction of the village square and listened to the excited villagers crowding around Shao with a worried frown.