Mingwei was a 10 year old boy, born as the 5th son of a large family of lesser nobles, the Ming family. The most senior in their family, Mingwei’s uncle, was a local magistrate in a small town not far from where Mingwei was born. Mingwei’s father mostly was a merchant, trading in local rice produce to the larger towns that didn’t make enough of their own food.
He was in many ways, a young boy who was constantly berated by his older brothers and sisters for not using his time properly. He wanted to just play and lie down, look at the night sky, and well, relax. He wasn’t ambitious by any means, and his hobbies reflected that.
Then, just one night, when he was staring up into the night sky, and saw a speck of light. It was extremely small, but somehow he was it. Then it got brighter. Rather than get out of the way, Mingwei was too entranced by the light and he just kept staring at it, and he wondered what in the world was it.
The light blinded him. It was just a meteor in the sky, burning vividly in the night sky..
Yet, that moment, that very view triggered a feeling from deep within Mingwei. Over the next few weeks, he experienced visions of a land far away. Memories. Weird, strange memories. Of a place so far away. Another world. Feelings of betrayal.
Mingwei wasn’t ready for it, but he began to remember a little. Of who he once was. Of this other world far away that fell to the Devourer Dragon.
Mingwei wondered whether these were memories of a past life, but then he remembered the traitors. Those feelings were intense, and Mingwei felt they were so, so real.
“His agents may be everywhere.” Mingwei said to himself, as he lay on his bed, his eyes on the wooden ceiling. Somehow he felt... worried. He suddenly wondered whether anyone in his city may be the Devourer Dragon’s agents.
He took a deep breath and went to sleep. More memories flooded his dreams, a life he once lived. So many different lives.
When he woke up the next day, Mingwei felt normal again. He took a deep breath, got dressed in his plain looking clothes, and then stepped out.
“Younger brother Mingwei, I see you’re awake. How unlike you.”
Mingwei paused. He usually did not wake up so early in the morning, and somehow, it didn’t occur to him that it was too early. He turned and looked at his 3rd elder brother, brother Mingjian. Mingjian was 4 years older, thanks to a little bit of talent in cultivation and spearmanship, and also some good old political and business connections, he was made an outer disciple of the town’s Green Insect Blade Sect.
Mingjian sat, he cultivated on a rock in the house’s courtyard.
Mingwei bowed politely. “Ah, brother Jian, I somehow woke up. My apologies for startling you.”
“No matter. It is a good habit.” Mingjian smiled. “Though I wonder how you’re going to use your extra time. Perhaps you’ll look for your friends?”
It never occurred to Mingwei before this, but somehow now it did, that the way they spoke to each other was rather odd. “Ah. I would perhaps have a walk today.”
Mingjian’s eyebrows moved a little. “Oh? A strange idea from you. Well, enjoy your walk. I must continue my practice.”
Mingwei nodded, and quickly walked out of the courtyard. He was soon out of his house. His family, being in the top 10 percent of the city, enjoyed a relatively good life. His father’s hard work and business afforded him a decently sized home in the city. He was a lucky boy, to be born to a family like his.
“Oh, young master.” A peddler called out to him. He sold dumplings. “Want a dumpling?”
Mingwei nodded and bought a plate. It just occurred to him he had not had breakfast. As he sat there and savored the juicy dumplings, he noticed the presence of other cultivators on that market street.
The peddler smiled at Mingwei. “It is rare to see you here so early, young master.”
“Ah...” Mingwei’s face blushed a little. Was he really such a lazy bum? “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Well, the stars are telling you something.” The peddler grinned, and Mingwei grinned too. “Today there are visitors from Northstar City, people of the Northern Star Sect. Real big shots.”
Mingwei frowned. He never heard of them. “Oh, I never heard of them. I’m surprised you know about them, uncle.”
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The peddler smiled.
“Why are they here?”
“Hmmm... rumors of a marriage, young master. The Northern Star Sect’s Core Disciples is to be wedded to one of the Green Insect Blade Sect’s Core Disciples.”
“Oh, today?” Mingwei honestly had no idea such a thing happened, but his memories of the other world told him all this was normal. His past selves were the bride, and groom in different marriages too. It was an odd feeling, suddenly being able to relate to how that felt.
“Nah.” The peddler shook his head. “There’s no... invitation and all. It’s probably just one of those sensing meetings, where the two prospects first meet each other.”
Mingwei nodded. That made a lot of sense. He realised he knew very little about this world’s cultivation, and so he looked at the peddler curiously. He wasn’t thinking much about his words when he asked. “I wonder how strong is the Northern Star Sect’s Core disciple.”
Would they be around 3-star, or perhaps the higher end of 4-star? Mingwei recalled the best sects of his former life, their core disciples were at the 5-star level, though just at the beginning of it.
The peddler stared at him. “Young master, such words are best not said.”
Mingwei paused, and the wisdom of his past lives quickly informed him of his mistake. “Ah. Yes. A fool of me to question their strength.”
The peddler just nodded. Mingwei finished the last of his dumplings. “But, if you want to know, I believe the Northern Star Sect will usually hold a demonstration battle.”
“Ah.” Mingwei nodded. It’s typical publicity and marketing for a visiting sect to have demonstration matches with the host, just for both sides to suss each other out. It’s also an excuse to raise each other’s profile, by letting the public see how strong both of them are. A bit of showmanship was necessary from both sides for a good demonstration match, and it also helped to deter any challengers. “Today?”
“Should be this evening. Interested, young master?”
“Certainly.” Mingwei nodded. “I’ve never seen someone of that level fight.”
“Then don’t miss it.”
Mingwei stood among the crowd that evening, in a massive temporary stadium. Chairs and steps were set up, so that so many could watch, and Mingwei was there, right in the audience. There were easily 2,000 people watching, and he spotted his own elder brother, Mingjian, sitting together with the rest of the Green Insect Blade Sect. The patriarch of the Green Insect Blade Sect sat on a special podium, next to the Northern Star Sect’s elder. It was a relatively small delegation, about 10 people.
A nicely dressed man went up the stage and introduced the few who would be practicing. Apparently, there would be five rounds of combat. Three between the two sect’s outer disciples, one between the inner disciples, and one between the core disciples. A friendly match.
Everyone observed the battle intently, and it was soon very clear to Mingwei that the Northern Star Sect was holding back significantly. Even though all 6 outer disciples were at the 3-star rank, the Northern Star Sect’s outer disciples were on the verge of their breakthrough, whereas the Green Insect Blade Sect all had just stepped into the 3-star rank, and it was the same for the inner disciples too. The Green Insect Blade Sect’s inner disciples were just barely 4-star, and the Northern Star inner disciple was very comfortably in the 4-star rank.
In Mingwei’s world, the Green Insect Blade Sect would be a ‘city-level’ sect, whereas the Northern Star sect was comfortably a regional sect. The battle of the two inner disciples was intentionally flashy, both sects using inefficient but colorful, vivid moves. Clearly a show aimed at the crowds.
The crowd went wild whenever their moves collided. The materialisation of their Qi was colorful and flashy, and Mingwei honestly admired how good they were at releasing their Qi. It seemed that this world’s cultivation was no weaker compared to his old world. The way all the disciples released Qi was superb, and their attacks all had good energy and force behind them.
He clapped and cheered together with the crowd.
Then, it was the core disciples’ turn. The one everyone waited for. The two core disciples, from the Northern Star Sect, a young lady, and from Green Insect Blade Sect, a young man. They bowed, and got into position.
“It is an honor to spar with you, miss.” The young man bowed, and he released his Qi energy. The crowd cheered, and Mingwei overheard some of the men speak.
“Wow, already 5-star.”
Mingwei felt strange then. The Qi felt different from how he remembered 5-star ones were. There was a prickling feeling on his skin, and he wondered then, perhaps this world's cultivators cultivated differently?
The girl gave a light bow as well. “It is indeed my honor as well.” She had long hair, and her features were also sharp. A beauty not uncommon in such worlds, but still a beauty. She too, released her aura. The crowd cheered again. Also 5-star!
At 4 star, that was one the Qi-aura manifested, at the 5 star, the Qi-aura could act as a field of suppression to intimidate or disable those weaker than the cultivator.
Mingwei just felt strange. Sure, it is impressive that these young cultivators are at 5 stars, totally an achievement for someone in their early twenties. But, it was overshadowed by the strange feeling of the Qi. It felt unfamiliar. Different.
Is Qi different here? Mingwei didn’t understand, he did briefly try to sense Qi when he was at home, and it felt and behaved the same. If Qi was the same, then it must be the way they cultivated. Has this world developed a cultivation method that’s different?
The two core disciples clashed, both unleashed move after move after move. The crowd went oooh and aaah as the stage was filled with sparks and colors. Mingwei watched, but his mind was thinking. They fought for hours, and as it went on, it felt more like a dance than a fight. The elder and the patriarch both looked happy and impressed. The two core disciples slowed down, and then they stopped.
They both gave each other a gentle, customary bow. The exhibition match was over.
Mingwei walked back home.
“I saw you. In the spectator stands.”
Mingwei turned. It’s Mingjian.
“Was it entertaining?”
“Oh, they are impressive.” Mingwei said, and part of it was true. He really was impressed by their Qi, but he was more disturbed, and fascinated by how different they felt.
Mingjian smiled. “Well, ever thought of being a cultivator?”
Mingwei rubbed his head. “Don’t we have to go through... uh... tests?” He wasn’t sure whether this world had similar concepts.
“Ah, the sect trials, yes. You would have to get through the sect trials.”
Mingwei was instantly relieved that such a thing was still present. He didn’t know why that Qi feeling disturbed him so much. So much so, at that moment, he blurted. “Brother, are there dragons in this world?”
Mingjian paused, and laughed. “Ah younger brother, have your friends been telling you strange folk tales again? Of course there are. We just don’t know where they are.”
Those words made Mingwei freeze, and it honestly hammered down that this world was very, very different from his own. “I’d like to meet them.”
Mingjian patted Mingwei on the shoulder, “Then you better cultivate to a very high level, a dragon won’t just meet a nobody.”
“That is... true.” He wondered whether the dragons of this world could stand up to the Devourer Dragon. If so, perhaps this world had more reasons to be safe. Still, Mingwei’s interest in this world was now significantly higher.
If he could find a way to defeat the Devourer Dragon, he would feel extremely satisfied. “Let’s go home.”