“Very well, after this, see if what he has said, is true or not.”
Though while Rowen and Adrian were feasting on the cooked meal from old Wan, concurrently, Levis was seated with the wife of the village chief, the village Healer, and her daughter.
As once he had returned from Rowen and the others, the three kids of the village had flanked him, and in the end, he had been forced to play with them, however as he was running away, the wife of the chief had caught sight of him, and grabbed him by his ear, essentially dragging him to take a bath and a change of new cloths, as he had not taken one as of yet and as he seemed to have become a little homeless man again. After which he had been brought to the table of the three women where they were eating, while he was attempting to be the least conspicuous, regarding anything, that they might question him of what had happened to the chief and the rest.
“All three of them at the same time, can you believe?”
“I just hope, this is not some disease that is passing thru the camp.”
“Did the three of them consume Fat Red Berries? Otherwise, why the three of them had been affected at the same time?”
“Wh-who knows.”
While the village chief wife, the middle-aged Healer, and the young lady next to her, that had a rather similar facial and body structure to her, were discussing, Levis gave a comment out of the blue, as he could not openly admit, that he was at fault for the three's absence.
[This is stressful, Aunty's village Chief and Healer, do not know that it was me, but once the village chief and hunter return they might tell them.]
[Why are you stressing over insignificant things? What can she do to you?]
[She might beat me again for tricking them.]
[If you are going to do nothing, just take the beating, do not speak to me if you have nothing important.]
[ [Why do you not tell him, that you do not know how to socialize and deal with others.] ]
[ [Why do not try for yourself, If you so think, you can help him] ]
[ [In fact, I will.] ]
[Phsss, disciple.]
[“Urger”]
[Yes? It is me who comes---, to your rescue. Now, what you need, is not to panic, as your guilty consciousness, is stressing you out, and might give you away as suspicious to the ones you are interacting with. Just stay natural and slightly weird.]
[Slightly weird?]
[Yes. After all, if you are too natural, you might give the opposite effect. It is nothing much, just look interested in their talk, and do not avoid eye contact too soon, stay for a moment, then move. Do you get it?]
[I—, think!?]
[Good now you are an expert.]
[Wait what?]
[ [How in Hell's name did you make him an expert from that? That is the very base—, if it helps him, all good for the brat. I just want him, to start his cultivation session already.] ]
“So when are you going to leave? You little big man.”
“Eh!?”
“Cough”-”Cough”
But, as Levis was in his mind listening to the “Urger’s” advice, the sudden question, caught him unprepared and unguarded, and he almost choked, on the piece of bread in his mouth.
“Aunty—! This—!?”
“What “Aunty”, answer me already, and do not try to hide or run!”
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Though as Levis seemed to be put in a spot, the woman was relentless in with her stare that seemed to say “just try to run and see what will happen”, making him uneasy. While the other two women turned towards him, though the young one, had a particular and rather surprised expression at the news that was just brought up.
“Little Levis, are you going away, leaving the village?”
“Sister Mi.”
“From the look of your reaction, I guess it is true.”
“Aunty Healer.”
“So what is it? Answer me, you coward.”
However, as the word coward came out from the middle age woman across the table, where he and the three of them were eating, a subtle and unnoticeable contracting of his irises occurred, as at the same time Levis's body calmed down all the fidgeting and shyness he was presenting just an instant ago, making the surroundings take a hint of seriousness for the moment.
“Yes, I will. This is something that I have decided to do, once—, once grandpa, grandma, and old village chief—.”
As he begin to lay down his reasons, to the three women present with him, their faces started to become darker and somber with each word that he was conveying, as non of them had known the truth and reason, about how the seniors of their village had died, or of Levis involvement.
“You do not need to say anything more. Aunty understands well your situation, however, if you go on this road, I fear for your future, my child. This will lead you on a dark road that you might not see the end of it before you understand that you have been already eaten by the world.”
While the woman was expressing her concern for him. Levis said nothing, as he moved out of the chair that had a few layers of material to help him stay at a higher height, with respect to the table.
Though once down on the ground, he moved towards a small group of uncut logs of wood that were used for fire, making the three women stare at him with perplexed gazes, as they had no idea of what he was trying to do.
However, as he rolled one of the large cut logs and put a small one over it, the three women were even more confused, at his actions and silence.
“Levis, what are you—!”
“You brat—!”
Although once he raised his right hand and made a fast chopping motion, they call to him in shock to stop, though it was too late as his hand hit the upper log at a fast speed, making them have an instinctual reaction of closing their eyes, to the horror that was about to happen.
“Crack”
Even so, the crack still resounded, but it was not that of the broken bones, but that of wood being cut. As they were shocked at the sight of not just the upper log, but the second log being chopped, as though from an axe falling down, with great strength, and weight.
“Aunty, it is not me, who should be afraid of the world, but the world should be scared of me.”
“This! How did you do it? Is it a trick?”
“No! It is real, this brat actually cut the logs with his hand, look at the cut, does that seem to have been but with something sharp?”
And yet to the disbelief of the village chief wife, it was the other middle-aged woman Healer who affirmed Levis's deed, as she had not closed her eyes during his action, which was a rather mad action that had frightened and scared the women.
“This is the real reason I can go. Captain Rowen has taken me as—, what he called it—, yes, "subordinate" that was it, I think.”
Though, as he was speaking, the disbelief and shock on the three’s faces was not diminishing as there was far too much to say and process, as the weak and frail-looking Levis was all of a sudden a stranger that they did not know or recognize.
“What happened? Are you alright?”
“No, no, it is just---, how can you do that exactly?”
“From what I understand, I have become a cultivator---, well a cultivator is nothing more than—.”
As Levis begin to describe, to the two aunties, and his big sister present, what a cultivator was, they were still looking at him in disbelief. As the Levis of the present was a far to of a big change, in both character and manner of speech, as he gave a sense of confidence and enthusiasm that had been non-existing on him, all the additional time, that they had interacted with him in the past. However, at the same time, a certain distance was beginning to form between them, as though a rift had begun to form on the ground between them.
“Then if you think this is what you ought to do, then I can do nothing, but hope that you are going to be safe in your journey, though do not forget to return here once in your life before I am no longer here to see you.”
“Aunty village chief, what are you saying? I need to return so that all can see, that I was always the bigger and stronger man of the village!”
“Yes, yes, yes! You need to come here so I can see that you have really become the big man, that you say, you are. Now come and finish the meal. ”
While the women were calming down from the shock brought by Levis, as they resume the meals, it did not take much, before they were done, and Levis left them, to go on his own thru the camp.
“Sister, have you lost your will, or do you really want to let this little idiot go?”
“What can I do? I can not force him to stay if he wants to see the world, and he knows the risks, then all I can do is to watch him leave.”
“You are indeed right, but do not hide your emotions, it is not healthy for your minds to do so.”
However, once Healer ended her phrase, the woman that was on the other side of the table begin to tear up as her eyes begin to grow red, while some slow and lonely tears trickle down her face, as she gave the impression of a mother in sorrow for her child leaving.
“It is not like you will never see him. And you have a son already, so why do not cry for him too, as he is going to get married!?”
“Mother in l—, Aunty, it is alright, after all, if little Levis is that strong, of whom can he really be afraid of?”
While on the other side, the Healer and the young woman, could only watch her in silence and comfort and soothe her.
Yet, as the Healer, turned her head to look at the two cut logs, she appeared confused for some reason.
“What is it, Healer?”
“No, it is just, I knew and know something about cultivators, the guards are cultivators, even as they say nothing to us. However, are cultivators people that can cut trees with their bare hands? I have seen and helped a lot of the guards and non of them had a body so tough and strong, not even remotely close.”
“Mother, he said, that he got chosen for this, so it must mean that he is sought for his strong and though body?”
"Maybe."
Though, while the village Healer was still in some doubt about him, Levis was now walking towards his tent as the sun was already past the midday time of the day.
[Huuu, fortunately, the argument about the village chief, died there.]
[That was on your mind!?]
[Yes. I really do not want, to take another beating from aunty.]
[A beating, what I—, ahh, you did not think and just acted on the moment, how are you going to explain what you did if the little boys are going to ask you?]
[Ahh-ah!? A shit, I just did it to show that there is no need to be worried about me. Aaa-aa let just say that—, this was a miracle?]
[Miracle your ass, and your unarmed hand?]
[It is not totally unharmed, it hurts a bit on the—, joints.]
[Well let us deal with one problem at a time, as the white hair boy will come to you with some big doubts.]
[Realy? When? About what?]
[Let it end at this. It is time to cultivate, hand in the ground!]
[Are you not going to tell—, what hand!?]
Nonetheless, as Levis was beginning his new phase of cultivation, the sun moved towards its final stage, as the western horizon was an orange-red transitioning to the blu of the sky that could still be seen before the dark night coming from the east.
However, at this, old Wan was moving towards Rowen's tent, with a hardened and contemplating look on his face, as he was truly in one of the deepest mental introspections he had been in a very long time in all of his life, making him unaware that he had already entered the place of the two young men were, as they were looking at him, with their eyebrows raised at the strange behavior of the old man, that was very out of character for the senior old Wan.”
“Old Wan!!!”
“Eh! Wha—, young master. I am very sorry for my behavior, I have lost myself for a second.”
And yet, as he was speaking, he was at the same time taking the sound-dampening stone, and activating it, without informing to any of the two young men.
Although, as there was no sound coming out of the tent, if one was to look at its insides, one could see the hardened and stern face of old Wand moving his mouth as the facial expressions of both Rowen and Adrian change in ones of disbelief, that seemed to have shaken the foundation of their worlds.