*buuzzz*

An annoying, but common noise broke through the darkness of his consciousness. 'I'm not dead?' Ao Ruang thought as he could feel the aching pain all throughout his body. Opening his eyes the moon was high up in the skin and abnormally large. It was a full moon which meant that several days had passed since he was thrown in the river. Several days potentially of being swept down the river.

Ao Ruang tried to move, but his body was still depleted of vitality and wouldn't respond. 'How did I survive the injuries and the river? Were the heavens taking pity on me?'

Unable to move, Ao Ruang could only roll his head side to side and on one side was a river that flowed gently along and he was pushed up against the edge of a small outlet of the river near the cave that seemed to be carved into the cliff side.

"I survived...the heavens had to have taken pity on me." Ao Ruang certainly felt he was qualified for their pity. "Mother must think I am dead by now." a tear rolled down his bruised face.

Being swept down stream so long Ao Ruang felt he must be near the edge of the mountains of Mist. They were not a particularly large mountain rage, but they still spanned several nations on both sides. Realistically he likely would struggle greatly to find YinWu town again unless he could find the only kingdom that had a road that leads into the mountains, but he didn't even remember where along the mountain range the mountain range was located.

Ao Ruang could still feel the Yin river's ki penetrating the air around him he figured that somehow the Yin Ki had sustained his vitality despite being on the verge of death before. What that meant he didn't know, but he first had to rest until his energy was enough to move.

The moon had finally reached its peak and the moonlight reflected off the water giving the entire cave a cool glow. Despite his situation seeming better the river and energy from it was only slowing his loss of vitality. He quickly realized that his internal injuries were not healed and he likely was going to pass away despite surviving the fall and the river. The spark in his eyes were beginning to lose their light and his vitality was fading slowly.

Looking around Ao Ruang gave a bitter smile as he turned his head to look into the cave. A shiver ran down his body despite his fading life his heart began to beat rapidly. A pair of crimson orbs looked at him from the dark depths of the cave. The sound of something crawling across the floor as if nails were being dragged across rocks slowly moved closer to him. Ao Ruang was certain some sort of savage beast had come to claim his life and devour him for their evening meal. This was the end.

A half incense stick of time passed and the sounds had finally nearly made its way from the depths of the cave. "Finally." a ghoulish voice said it's voice sounded not entirely human like someone's voice was being filtered through clay pots rubbing together.

"Someone has arrived." The voice said as if it was out of breath.

Ao Ruang was too weak to even respond or ask the voice for help. He could tell those unnatural crimson eyes were not human, at least not entirely human.

From the darkness a decrepit body emerged from the cavern into the cool light of the moon. Its face was gaunt as if they had lacked sufficient food for weeks. The hair was faded black the bottom half of the body was mangled and broken and the bits that were left over had seemed to have begun to rot away.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Slowly the body came to him and used its arms to prop itself over Ao Ruang whose eyes were wide in shock and horror. "You will have to do. It is your fortune to meet me when I have no way of maintaining myself any longer. Today. I pass on the legacy of an entire people. Do not waste it."

Having said that, the gaunt face gave a small smile flashing two fangs over Ao Ruang and quickly snapped his jaws around the nape of Ao Ruang's neck plunging the fangs deep into his body. Immediately he felt a searing pain start to radiate from the puncture wound around his entire body.

Ao Ruang immediately felt what blood he had left in his body start to boil and his vitality began to stir. The spark in his eyes immediately began to flicker with renewed energy. The doors of death were closing and Ao Ruang had a moment of joy surge through him.

As he began to rejoice a small cramp could be felt going down his legs then as fast as the cramp came all the muscles in his body began to contort as if they were a wet rag being rung of water and ripped in half afterwards. His bones felt like they were splintering apart and regrowing over and over.

Ao Ruang's muscles ripped and reattached his veins which felt like scalding hot water was being dripped into them. His eyes seemed to harden and crust over then peel away only for them to harden like dry dirt during a drought. The entire process lasted seemingly an eternity and with a wretched scream he could bear it no longer and passed out.

…

"Child."

"Child!" A weak voice entered into Au Ruang's ears causing him to sit up immediately.

"Who is there? Who said that?" Ao Ruang remembered the decrepit body from earlier and he looked to see the body slowly withering away into dust.

"No time" the body said "I gave you the last ounce of power I still had and gave you my blessing...when this body fades to dust there will be a crimson crystal...take it in time you will know what to do with it. Do not lose it no matter what the cost. You now carry my legacy young one."

As he finished those words his body collapsed to dust and a red crystal roughly the size of his fist remained. Grabbing the crimson crystal, Ao Ruang examined it closely. It was dark red like blood and roughly the size of a human heart. A deep and unfathomable power radiated from it giving Ao Ruang a sense of connection with it.

"A blessing? What sort of blessing hurts so badly? I am alive I suppose." he thought as he shoved the item into his satchel.

Standing up, Ao Ruang stretched, the moon was lowering slowly and the dark night was slowly turning brighter outside. If I’m alive I can return home, but first I need to get my bearings so he could ask where he is. The mountains were vast and ran along the eastern part of the continent. From what little he knew and heard from merchant's his town was deep in the mountains towards the north.

Walking along the river bank Ao Ruang felt thankful towards the creepy...whatever he was, but it had saved him and he was thankful regardless. Making his way along the river bank Ao Ruang soon found a path that led to the top of the bank. It looked like a path beasts used to get to the water. It was good enough for Ao Ruang who had grown up in the mountains despite his low cultivation skills. He was still a child born of the wilderness and knew basic survival skills.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Ao Ruang plunged himself into the forest, but kept an eye on the river and walked down stream. If he wanted to find a town following the river was his best bet. Plus even if he managed to get back to town there were those who would kill him the first chance they had to shut him up. So Ao Ruang knew he had to get stronger before he even considered going back to YinWu.

His mother would be completely distraught and there was little he could do. Maybe a letter would suffice once he settled down somewhere tolerable.

...

Several hours passed as he wandered along the forest edge. His stomach was completely empty and he was starting to really feel the deep hunger in the pit of his stomach or perhaps it was a thirst.

As he walked along he found bushes with some edible berries, but they didn't help with the constant thirst that he yearned for. Ignoring the pannes of hunger and thirst he continued on his journey until a sharp crisp sound entered his ears.

*thwak*

*thwak*

*thwak*

The Sound was heaven to his ears; it was clearly woodsmen. Bordering on delirious Ao Ruang's eyes dilated from excitement. Running towards the sound desperate to find someone with some sort of food and drink he threw caution to the wind.

As he burst into a forest clearing he stumbled into what appeared to be a logging camp. His eyes landed on roughly a dozen burly men. They all save a few apprentices who were veteran woodsmen who were at least middle aged.

"Fo--" Ao Ruang managed to speak a couple of words before he passed out from the ravenous hunger he had.