Two years later

The 5483rd year of the Imperial Dynasty.

The sun was at its apex, so intense that the heat sent ripples through the air. Shang fanned himself while cowering in the shade. The sun was uncharacteristically powerful for late summer, almost unbearable on Shang’s fair skin. The crops in the village seemed to agree. The stalks of rice in the patty fields were bent over, wilting under the scorching heat.

Shang muttered a quick prayer to JinWu, the three-legged sun crow, urging a stop to the heat if only for some refuge against the biting flies. These flies gained energy from the heat. If Shang didn't know better, he would have thought the little vermin had figured out a way to cultivate with it.

Shang was in a terrible mood. A rash had broken out on his arms from the intense temperatures, and his cheek was swollen and itchy from a bug bite. He could not even make time to scratch at his wounds. His hands were too busy fanning himself.

“You look about two steps from death’s door.”

Shang didn’t even bother turning his head at the voice. He didn’t have the energy.

“I wish,” Shang groaned. “Anything is better than this torture.” He could feel a faint breeze as YiHua sat in the grass next to him.

“Stop your crying. You’re such a baby. You have to get used to this you know. We train well past midday even during the summer," YiHua said, her tone light. Shang turned to look at her.

YiHua had grown even taller in these past two years. She almost matched his mother in height even though she was only in her first year at the martial school. Her hair was tied back in a tight braid, and her JaLong uniform was freshly washed. The jade dragon embroidered on her shoulder stood out starkly against the black of her tunic.

“You look nice,” Shang offered, ignoring her taunts. YiHua shifted uncomfortably at his compliment. According to the villagers, YiHua had grown into her namesake. Her beauty was becoming more and more apparent by the day. Shang did not really see it. She looked the same as she always did. Shang knew that YiHua was aware of what others thought of her. It was clear from the way she shied away from their comments that she did not enjoy the newfound attention.

“Like a freshly plucked rooster, all shiny and clean,” He added. YiHua’s face mouth hung open, shocked out of a response. She barked out a laugh and stretched her arms above her head, laying out in the grass beside him.

“You sure have a way with words, MingMing.” She was one of the few people besides his family that called him by that diminutive name and only when he did something particularly funny or clever. His mother had started calling him that before he could even crawl. When, eventually, he had asked why. She drew out the logograms for Ming, the right side a symbol for the sun, the left a symbol for the moon. She finished off with a flourish, circling her work for emphasis.

“Because you are like a shining light. Brighter than the sun and moon combined.”

“Are you ready?” He asked. YiHua responded with a shrug. He asked as more of a formality because he knew she was ready. He had heard the gossip among the other children. Of the forty first-years in JaLong temple school, she stood leagues above the rest. To everyone’s surprise, YiHua was something of a prodigy. Her parents, while being valued members of the community, were not strong cultivators.

While cultivation was encouraged for everyone, some parents were still held back by their traditional mindsets. They feared sending their daughter to the martial school would make her unruly and undesirable as a wife. Many small-minded men did not want their wives to be stronger than them. YiHua’s parents thought much the same. Unfortunately for them, even at such a young age, YiHua was already too unruly to control.

The trials tonight would act as her graduation from basic cycling into more advanced techniques.

“More importantly, what about you? Are you scared?” She waggled her eyebrows in question. I mirrored her previous indifference with a shrug. Truthfully, Shang was scared. Since his outing with the jade rabbit two years ago, his body did not feel the same.

He would break out in random fits of coughing and nausea. Even while doing basic chores, he found himself gasping for air, forcing him to rest for long periods. Shang always saw himself as a cultivator. He was not ambitious or deluded enough to think he would become a truly legendary cultivator. He was not born large and burly, like Xin, or a prodigy, like YiHua. He would have been content watching his friends shine instead. He simply wanted a place to stand beside them. That meant at least getting into JaLong temple school.

Shang, being one year younger than YiHua, was getting ready for his spiritual scan. It was a ceremony that directly followed the trials of the first-year students. It would determine if he even had a place at JaLong.

These two events marked the start of the autumn lunar festival, the week of celebrations that heralded the start of the harvest season, and the arrival of the moon goddess onto the earth. The two of them sat there in companionable silence, both lost in their thoughts.

“Your friend is watching,” YiHua said gesturing above Shang. In the branches of the willow tree, a sable, a weasel-like creature with a face resembling a fox, gazed down at him. The sable was a lighter shade compared to the others he had seen. The tops of his head were almost white. The color grew deeper closer to its tail, ending in a reddish brown. The sable’s eyes were a deep shade of blue, darker than the blue of the sunny sky. They stared intently down at them, unblinking. Shang groaned inwardly.

“Not again. I feed him once and now he won’t leave me alone,” Shang said. YiHua raised her eyebrows in challenge.

“Once? Don’t kid yourself. I’ve seen you sneak food to him so many times that I’ve lost count. You can’t blame the poor little guy. He thinks you’re his baba.” Shang rolled his eyes in exasperation. In truth, he had seen the sable following him around for many moons now.

At first, he ignored it. It wasn’t until several more encounters with the animal and its large wonton eyes that he relented. He brought out a half-eaten piece of fish offering it to the animal. The sable did not take the food immediately, opting to stare at him instead. With a little effort on Shang’s part, the sable ate his offering. It appeared more regularly ever since. It became a habit for Shang to offer it a treat whenever he had the chance. He knew the villagers would not approve. Feeding wild animals was a sure sign of broken values. To pamper a wild animal was to take from it its strength. Shang saw the wisdom in those words, but he just couldn't help himself.

The sun was finally making its descent into the sky. Shang felt the pressure on his chest and lungs ease with the dissipating heat. “You should get back and prepare for the trial,” He said to YiHua. She was already on her feet, hand proffered to help Shang stand. Shang took it graciously. His friends, especially Xin, had grown overly protective of him since the accident. While it could be grating to be constantly reminded of his feebleness, he appreciated their help.

“I’ll see you tonight then,” YiHua said with a smile and a wave. Shang made his way home. His house stood at the edge of the village on a small promontory, a ledge jutting over the TianZi river. Climbing his way up the hill left him winded and his legs weak. He could see his mother bent over her flower garden in the distance. He tried to steady himself, hiding his weakness.

The worst thing about this injury was the way it changed his mother. ChuHua had never been an anxious parent. She never tutted at Shang for coming home with a twisted ankle or a scuffed knee. That was all different now. His mother treated him like an overripe peach, bruised with just a touch. Whenever Shang showed any discomfort, she would rush over, herbal tea in hand.

Shang could tell his infirmity was eating at her. He could often feel his mother gazing at him as though she was scared that he would suddenly disappear. After a steadying breath, Shang walked up to her. Her face, still unlined by the years, lit up at the sight of him. She rushed over, walking him to his room. They spoke about the day as she prepared them for tonight’s festivities.

“Your father has been preparing a new dance for months and it’s finally ready. I’ve caught glimpses here and there,” she said as she bustled around the room looking for Shang’s best sandals. She talked about everything except Shang’s upcoming test. He could tell she was trying to avoid the subject. That was fine with him. He did not want to bring it up and cause her any more pain.

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

He remembered the many visits with the healer and her warning to never cycle qi without guidance. The act could result in a further imbalance in his body. His feebleness was a sure sign of spiritual misalignment, and he knew his chances of being selected for the temple were low. It did eat at him though that even his mother did not believe in him.

Soon his whole family made their way down to the village center. His father was dressed in ceremonial robes, his hair pinned up in an ornate headpiece. His face was painted white with dark lines accentuating his eyebrows and eyes. As they approached the village center, the sun had fully set. The streets were lit with paper lanterns and forged light crystals.

The full moon overhead was huge and bloated, casting the world in pale silver light. The air was heavy with the smell of grilled meats and sweet candies. As they walked through the festival, most of the villagers ignored them. Shang had cemented the bad luck of his birthmark with the accident. Afterward, he was stuck in bed for months, the cause of his infirmity unknown. Now, many of the villagers, feeling justified in their superstition, pretended he did not exist.

Shang quickly spotted Xin in the crowd. He stood almost six feet tall and looked out of place with his classmates. At Shang’s arrival, Xin quickly excused himself and made his way over to him. Shang could see the looks of contempt and disgust on many of the faces as they watched Xin’s departure. They obviously had an issue with his choice of companions though they would never dare voice it.

Xin was, by far, the best brawler in his class. That combined with his unpredictable temper and his father’s position made him untouchable. He dressed up in his uniform today with a golden pin of a pouncing tiger, his family crest.

“Xin-su, I like your pin. The gold brings out your eyes,” Shang teased. Xin looked down at his robe, slightly abashed. He looked like a different boy from the one Shang met at the river many years ago, but Shang knew better. Even though he had gotten better at hiding it, Xin still possessed a sincerity and shyness that made teasing him irresistible.

“Stop it, little brother, I told you not to call me that. It makes me feel old," Xin said. He fidgeted with the pin in discomfort. “Father made me wear it. It’s not like I had a choice,” he insisted. The taller boy once so enamored with his family heritage, had grown almost embarrassed by it, at least in front of Shang.

“Big brother, you shouldn’t care so much what I think,” Shang said. “And besides, I wasn’t lying. It does look good on you. It’s very…majestic. It suits you perfectly,” he said with a playful grin.

“Why compliment me then if you don’t want me to care about what you think?” Xin asked. Nevertheless, he stood a bit taller at Shang’s words. “And just because you can walk around not caring about what others think, doesn’t mean I can.”

“And why’s that? Am I that special?” Shang asked. Shang knew the answer. Xin was carrying a world of expectations on his shoulders. While he had befriended Shang against his father’s wishes, he was still desperate to gain his approval.

Xin shook his head, not deigning to respond. “So, how are you feeling?” Xin asked.

“Ready to get this over with,” Shang responded. He could feel the pressure of impending doom on the horizon. Xin nodded in understanding.

“I felt terrible on my testing day too. I swear, when it was my turn, I almost barfed on Master Elder,” Xin admitted. Shang couldn’t help laughing at the image of the ancient cultivator covered in vomit.

“Brother, don’t put ideas into my head,” Shang said ominously. “At least I’ll get to watch YiHua kick some butt. I’ve been looking forward to that all day.”

They both made their way to the trial stands. A row of raised seating platforms surrounded a circular pit of dirt. Twelve magical items made the outline of the circle, representing the twelve meridians of the body. This would act as the testing arena. Before Shang could take his seat, Xin pulled him to the side, behind the seating platforms. Xin looked around surreptitiously, making sure no one was around, before pulling out a pouch from his outer robe. The pouch emitted a faint red glow. The coppery tang of blood poured menacingly from the bag. Shang’s mouth dried at the pungent odor. He gulped and looked at Xin uneasily.

“What is that?” Shang asked in a hushed whisper.

“This, little brother, is a blood gem.” Xin carefully unwrapped the fruit without touching its meaty flesh. Shang stared wide-eyed at the contents of the bag.

A blood gem was not really a gem at all. It was once a wolfberry grown from pure mountain streams. The berries were then harvested and placed under a continuous trickle of mountain leopard blood, infusing the berries with their blood essence. After many years, the berry gains an almost gem-like quality, refracting light in strange and unpredictable ways. This was an almost priceless treasure. His family could not hope to obtain something like this even if they scrounged their savings for the next fifty years.

“Where did you get that?” Shang asked, awestruck.

“I won it from a duel,” Xin replied simply.

“A duel? You had a duel? Who would even have something like this? Why would they risk it in a duel?” Shang hissed out. A high-quality blood gem had the ability to regrow damaged organs. It was an unbelievable treasure. Shang could not imagine someone stupid enough to risk it in a duel.

“Don’t make it sound so easy. I almost lost an arm.” Shang just now noticed that Xin had been avoiding moving his left arm. He kept it pinned close to his side.

“You are so lucky XinXin. I guess it helps being born with the body of a bear.” He gave his friend a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. “So, what are you going to use it for?” Shang asked.

“It’s for you, obviously.” He said, sounding exasperated. His big surprise was not exactly going as he had planned. Shang stood there, unmoving. Xin quickly continued. “I got it for you. A blood gem is meant to fix physical injuries, so it won’t cause further spiritual imbalance. It won’t do much for me, because…” He gestured to his robust frame. “And I know you’ve been struggling with your lungs lately. I thought…well… you know.” He finished awkwardly. The air seemed to leak out of Xin as he spoke.

“You can’t be serious,” Shang muttered softly. Xin had to lean in to catch his words. “You can’t be seri—" This time, emphatically, almost a scream. Xin hand snapped up, quickly covering his mouth. His mitten-like hands did a great job of shutting him up but it also made it almost impossible to breathe.

“You boys having fun back here?” Both boys jumped at the sound. YiHua was standing at the junction between the seating platforms and the thoroughfare. She was dressed in battle robes which consisted of a short inner rob tied tight to her frame. Even though she was backlit from the celebrations on the street, the grin on her face was unmistakable.

Xin and Shang both waved her closer. The smile left her face, replaced by worry. As she approached, she could sense the blood fruit. She quickly joined the huddle. The three of them forming a cocoon around the precious treasure. Xin quickly brought her up to speed.

“I can’t take this Xin. You should use it. You may not have any injuries to heal, but it can help grow muscle, and—” Shang reasoned.

“Oh, Xin has enough of that,” YiHua interrupted. Xin’s brows were furrowed in consideration, unsure if YiHua’s comment was intended as a complement or an insult. “He’s right Shang. You should take it. It’ll help you the most.” Shang could tell YiHua was drawn to the fruit. She was staring at it with a hungry glint in her eyes.

“What about you YiHua? It could help you with your trials today. I know how much you wanted to really stick it to the headmaster,” Shang proposed. YiHua paused before answering, struggling internally.

“No, I don’t need it. You should take it,” YiHua answered, her voice certain and unwavering. Xin and Shang continued to bicker back and forth arguing about the benefits of the gem in relation to muscle mass distribution. They then discussed cutting the fruit into unequal thirds.

“Oh heaven’s above,” YiHua grumbled. With lightning speed, she snatched the blood gem from Xin’s outstretched hand and slammed it into Shang’s open mouth. The gem melted with the heat of his tongue. The taste of copper and iron was so intense that his vision dimmed.

“You can’t just do that YiHua!” Xin exclaimed in a hushed whisper. “That was so incredibly reckless.”

“Save it, Xin. If I left it to you two you would be here arguing until the fruit disintegrated into dust. Tell Shang what to do to process the gem,” She urged.

“Now look who’s regretting rushing into things. Imagine how he feels! You can’t just stuff magical fruits down people’s throats.”

“Xin, focus!” YiHua emphasized her words with a hard pinch of his arm.

“Ow! There’s nothing he needs to do. The fruit is made for purely physical effects. He just needs to absorb it into his body,” Xin explained, rubbing his tender arm.

“So, it looks like I was right after all. I helped him absorb it into his body just fine.”

The sound of their hushed argument sounded like thunder to Shang’s sensitive ears. He clasped his hands over them and shut his eyes to block out the light. He could feel the blood in his body rushing to absorb the gem. Within seconds, the fruit had disappeared on his tongue, leaving it numb and throbbing. The assault on his senses was vanishing by the second. Before long, he could open his eyes again.

“How do you feel?” Xin asked. His voice sounded a bit muffled, but otherwise, Shang felt great. His head and lungs felt clear. He inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling of air entering his body.

“I feel great!” The effect was immediate. He could feel his limbs strengthen and his breathing ease. The weight that had settled on his chest since that night relented gradually.

Xin sighed in relief. “You won’t feel the full benefits for a few days yet, but the gem should already be doing some good.”

Shang stepped towards Xin, grasping his forearm, making sure to choose the undamaged one. “Thank you, brother. I can never repay you for this gift.” Xin’s stern face reddened at Shang’s sincerity. He mumbled something indiscernible in response.

“Ha! I knew there was some good to you being built like a bear,” YiHua said. She slapped Xin’s back heartily. Shang winced at the sound the contact made, though Xin did not seem to mind.

“Funny, he said the same thing.” Xin gestured towards Shang. Shang and YiHua shared a conspiratorial smile.

“Now, let’s go watch YiHua absolutely pulverize her friends,” Shang cheered.

YiHua grimaced in response. “Well, when you put it like that…”