In her hands, Mei held a ring towards the sunlight.

It was made of some kind of shiny black metal and had an "O" engraved on it. If it wasn't for how her dad told her he got it from a cultivator, she would have paid no attention to it. He mentioned it didn't seem to do anything however and was basically just a good luck charm.

For a moment then, she got excited, thinking it could be some kind of artefact with hidden power. But in the end, this wasn't a novel. There was no way a cultivator would just give some powerful artefact to a peasant.

"Your sect might be good, but it doesn't mean the other cultivators are good! There might be many nefarious cultivators out there!"

Along with that, he said those words. They resonated with her.

She hoped he was wrong and that those were a minority. It might be fun to read about, but no sane person would want to live in such a cruel world.

After a soft sigh, Mei walked towards the fields her family was in charge of.

For a moment, she thought of helping to plough it in secret but decided against it. She wasn't in the mood for that right now.

She just wanted to look at the plants, for old time's sake.

The soil didn't look as well ploughed... Mei realised her parents must not have been doing a good job without her, who usually did most of the farming due to her strength. With the hot weather recently, the plants looked slightly withered too.

She felt slightly guilty.

As she walked across the field, she halted.

In a section before her, there were rows of flowers planted. From messes of large fleshy leaves, lone flowers grew. Each of them had three petals each, each of a different colour. Blue, yellow and red.

Mei's parents told her they were Tri-Colour Spirit Flowers when she was younger. They had been planting them for ages.

It wasn't unusual for mortal farmers to farm low tiered spirit herbs to sell to cultivators.

As for why she stopped, it was because of what she felt from them.

With her new senses for qi, she could sense them hungrily trying to suck the qi from the air and expelling trace impurities. They even managed to suck out some qi from her pores. Her face darkened.

Were all spirit herbs this bad, or was it just this type? This was probably why the air was so devoid of qi.

She sighed. Her life could have been so different if her parents hadn't chosen to plant these.

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Wang Wei was donning his old outfit.

He released his aura, making his clothes flutter. The golden dragon almost seemed to come to life.

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Just as quickly, he retracted his aura.

Right now, he was standing in his family's courtyard, the array bringing him here.

Unlike Mei, he did not feel the empty feeling from his pores upon arrival. His family had hired a formation master to set up a qi gathering array in the past for the sake of health, though it was still very lacking compared to the qi in the sect.

Shocked servants stared out of the window.

"Young master Wang Wei has returned!" a servant shouted.

Unlike back in the sect, he had a very noble bearing. He stared coldly at a set of doors before him.

Soon, the doors opened. His father, followed by the two eldest sons walked out, each as regal in both dressing and bearing.

"Wang Wei. You have returned." His father said.

"Yes, father."

His two brothers simply stood at the side, wordless. While both of his brothers looked composed, Wang Wei could sense jealousy and some anger from his brothers.

It was well hidden, but Wang Wei had been living with them for a long time.

"Very good. I can see you will bring honour to our family as a cultivator." said his father.

But Wang Wei could not sense a trace of pride in him from his father's eyes.

Turning around, his father and brothers headed back. Wang Wei followed.

They passed through halls, servants bowing respectfully as he passed. They entered the dining hall.

Wang Wei could see the rest of his brothers and sisters sitting already. His mother, two other concubines and his father's main wife. Along with a few important guests.

He did not even consider presenting his box. Not even for a moment.

They ate silently. As the last of them finished their meals, his family began to talk about affairs. In the past, Wang Wei would have listened keenly, but today, he was only paying attention to his siblings.

"Wang Wei, I have high expectations of you."

Hearing his father, he snapped out of his daze.

"Yes!"

His father held back a look of annoyance.

"I have prepared some items for you. Don't let down the Wang family."

A few servants walked up to him, presenting him with small bag. For a moment, he was confused, until he opened it. There was enough space inside to fit an entire table! Inside, there was an beautiful sword made out of blue metal covered in intricate designs.

Wang Wei felt a bit conflicted, as he was planning to learn the art of the sabre instead, but he decided not to voice up.

"Thank you, father."

His father merely nodded.

At last, they were dismissed.

Wang Wei slowly walked out. He stood outside and waited.

His eldest brother walked by.

"Wang Wei, I would like a word with you later. You know where to go."

Wang Wei simply gave him a cold stare.

"Yes, Wang Fei."

He walked along the halls. They felt so empty. So hollow. His footsteps echoed with every step.

Wang Wei looked at the dreaded room and stared for a little. Eventually, he walked in.

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"You think you're a big shot now that you're a cultivator, don't you?"

Before him, three of his brothers stood. Wang Fei trembled slightly but steeled himself. He would not let his facade be broken.

"It was your misfortune not to be picked," Wang Wei said, finally.

Wang Fei walked right up to him, pressing his face close enough to touch Wang Wei's nose.

"You've grown so arrogant." Wang Fei whispered.

Wang Wei's heart began to beat rapidly.

Finally, Wang Fei distanced himself, letting out a cold snort.

"Don't forget your position in the family."

After that last sentence, Wang Fei and the brothers left.

All he felt was relief. He hated how he felt relieved.

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A week ago, before joining the Sect

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That day, Wang Wei was in his room.

He sat before a table, with stacks of books placed neatly on it. A cup of water, writing brushes and a bowl filled with black ink were on it too.

Carefully, he wrote neat words onto a piece of paper before him. The calligraphy was elegant and neat.

A knock came from the door, making him jolt. Fortunately, his brush was not touching the paper.

"Young master, a mysterious cultivator has requested to meet every son and daughter of the family. Your father has accepted his request to take disciples in."

That voice was one he recognised, the voice of the servant that tended to him, Shaohe.

"Oh."

Strange... thought Wang Wei. In the past, cultivators looking for disciples had come too, but they were rejected by his parents.

He couldn't understand why. Wouldn't letting members of the family cultivate be beneficial?

As he left the room, Shaohe gave him a reassuring pat on the back and smiled.

"You can do it. I believe in you!"

Wang Wei gave him a wide smile.