Lin Shao followed Shen Jian into the Patriarch’s home. As he passed by Yang Feng, he bowed to her and muttered a quick, “Pardon the intrusion.”

“We’ll be on the second floor,” Shen Jian said to Patriarch Guanyu without looking at him. The cultivator picked up his sheathed sword from the ground where he had placed it during the game.

Wordlessly, Lin Shao bowed to the Patriarch as he passed by. The whole situation was immensely confusing to him. He wondered why Shen Jian had mentioned the number fifty when he had only picked up ten blocks.

He followed Shen Jian through the Patriarch’s house. As the two of them began to walk up the stairs to the second floor, Shen Jian began to speak. “What’s your name, boy?”

“I said it earlier to Yang Feng.”

“Well, I wasn’t listening. It wasn’t important at the time.”

“My name is Yang Lin Shao.”

They had reached the second floor of the building by the time Shao had told the cultivator his name. Shen Jian said, “Let me be the first person to congratulate you, Yang Shao. You have quite the talent for cultivation.”

“Excuse me?” Shao asked, his steps interrupted by the shock induced in him by the cultivator’s words.

“It might take a while to explain,” Shen Jian said, an annoyed frown appearing on his face. “Do you know what cultivation is?”

“Of course.” Yang Shao continued following the cultivator. “It’s the process of taking in the life energy of the planet and using it to strengthen yourself. People who cultivate are called cultivators, and these cultivators can throw fire from their hands and make swords move with their minds.”

“Close,” Shen Jian said as he slid open the door to Patriarch Guanyu’s guest room. The room was larger than Yang Shao’s entire house. In the center of the room was a low table that was surrounded by brightly-colored cushions. A set of porcelain drinking cups and a large bottle of rice wine sat atop the table. “Most cultivators can’t control ki at all, but that’s a fine understanding for a beginner.”

“How do you know I have any skill at cultivation?” Yang Shao asked as he and the cultivator took their seats on the cushions next to the table.

“Every person in the world has a predetermined talent for cultivation determined by their number of ‘spiritual roots.’ You can have anywhere from one to one hundred spiritual roots, and having more means you’re more naturally talented. The average cultivator has thirty spiritual roots.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

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“I’m getting to that. I had you touch those wooden blocks to test your spiritual roots. A person with thirty spiritual roots would change the color of six blocks at once, and someone with fifty or more spiritual roots would change the color of all ten blocks. Are you following?”

“So you think I have fifty spiritual roots?”

“I think you have at least fifty spiritual roots,” Shen Jian corrected him.

A skeptical frown creased Yang Shao’s face. Surely, if he had such a significant talent for cultivation, he would have noticed already. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with the test? There’s no way I’m a cultivator?”

“Hmm,” Shen Jian grunted thoughtfully. “Even without training, someone with your talent should have opened the First Gate by now. Do you recall ever experiencing… how do I put this… a spiritual event where you were suddenly made aware of the connection between yourself and the world around you?”

“Uh, no?” Yang Shao was completely caught off-guard by this question. He definitely would have remembered such an event.

“That doesn’t make any sense. You’d have to be purposefully holding yourself back to have not opened the First Gate by now. Oh, that must be it!” Shen Jian snapped his fingers as he came to a realization. “Yang Shao. Have you always found yourself to be much stronger and faster than those around you?”

A sharp intake of breath immediately gave away Yang Shao’s thoughts. Shen Jian was completely correct. “Yes, actually. How did you know?”

Shen Jian laughed out loud before saying, “You must have opened the First Gate when you were so young that you don’t even remember the event. Yang Shao, you’re already a cultivator.”

“No way.” His denial came out like a snarl. The anger Yang Shao felt toward Shen Jian and all cultivators in general roared back to life. “Don’t you have to choose to be a cultivator? I’ve never meditated. I’ve barely done any physical training. There’s nothing special about me beyond the fact that I can lift a little bit more and run a little bit faster.”

Shen Jian pointed at Yang Shao’s forehead and said, “That’s exactly how it works. You’re in the First Realm right now, which is also called the Body Purification Stage. Cultivators in this realm can’t control ki at all. The only things that mark these cultivators as distinct from mortals are enhanced physical abilities and, sometimes, super human senses.”

Yang Shao went quiet for a time as he considered what Shen Jian had said. His eyes were clouded with indecision as he battled with his own disdain toward cultivators and the self-evident truth of Shen Jian’s words. As Yang Shao thought, Shen Jian filled his own cup with rice wine.

Just as Shen Jian lifted the small porcelain cup to his lips, Yang Shao said, “Even if what you say is true, I have no interest in being a cultivator. I enjoy my life in Bluecrest Village. And, from the way you describe it, life as a cultivator sounds terrible.”

“Sure, sure, whatever,” Shen Jian said dismissively once he had drained his cup of rice wine. He got to his feet, and Yang Shao stood a moment later, who immediately took a step back to put some distance between them.

“You’re free to live here as a fisherman when infinite power and wealth is at your fingertips.” Though his words had a sarcastic bite, by Shen Jian’s tone, he seemed disinterested. Yang Shao was apparently not impressive enough for the hassle. “I should warn you, though. You are on the Path whether you want it or not. When the Dao calls, it’s only a matter of time until you answer.”

“I’ll be fine,” Yang Shao answered in a rebellious tone.