Blossoming Path

The chill bit harder than usual that morning as I stood with Elder Ming, the crushing weight of the Black Tortoise shell pressing down on every joint and muscle. My breath misted in the cold air, and each exhale felt heavier than the last. I’d barely managed to pull myself upright after Xiao Bao’s announcement.

When I saw them, my heart sank.

The group approaching wasn’t Feng Wu or the Whispering Wind sect disciples I’d been hoping for. Instead, it was a caravan of strangers; at least a dozen figures, many of them seedy-looking types who wouldn’t have been out of place in the darker alleys of Crescent Bay City. A handful of carts and wagons creaked behind them, weighed down with items I couldn’t make out from this distance. Leading them was a man with a sharp, angular face, dressed too well for a simple traveler but not quite polished enough to be a noble. His hair was slicked back, and even from afar, I could see the smirk curling his lips as he locked eyes with Elder Ming and me.

The kind of smirk that made my stomach churn.

"Great," I muttered under my breath, forcing my legs to move. The shell’s weight bore down on me with every step, and I had to focus just to keep my qi flowing steadily enough to reinforce my body. My limbs screamed for relief, but I straightened my back and clenched my jaw, doing my best to appear composed.

Why now? I cursed silently. Out of all the times to take on a tribulation, why did it have to be today?

The strangers continued their approach, and as they drew closer, the leader’s smirk widened. His confident gait and the rough demeanor of his companions—all of it screamed trouble. I braced myself, each step feeling like a gamble. By the time I reached the courtyard’s edge, my legs were trembling beneath the weight of the shell, but I kept my chin up.

“Are you Kai Liu?” the man called out, his voice smooth but with an edge that set my nerves on fire. His sharp eyes flicked toward Elder Ming briefly before settling on me again. “And the Village Head?”

Elder Ming nodded, and I stopped a few paces from him, fighting the urge to lean on the gate for support. “That’s me,” I said, keeping my tone steady. “Who’s asking?”

The man’s smirk didn’t falter. In fact, it deepened. Without warning, he moved.

Fast.

Too fast for me to react.

My body tensed instinctively, qi surging in a desperate attempt to respond. But the weight of the shell slowed me down, and I could only watch, frozen, as his hand darted toward me.

My heart jumped into my throat, panic flaring—

—and then he pulled something from his pocket.

“Here,” he said, holding it out with a flourish.

It was… a silk-wrapped box?

The man’s movements were deliberate as he extended the box toward me, and then bowed deeply. His smirk was gone, replaced by a respectful expression that looked almost out of place on his sharp features.

“I’m Liang Chen,” he said, his tone calm and deferential. “A humble merchant. These men and the caravans you see behind me are my workers. We’ve come to offer our services to your village.”

I blinked.

He straightened, gesturing toward the wagons behind him. “We bring supplies, tools, and goods for trade. The roads here aren't well-maintained, but word of Gentle Wind Village as your abode has spread. It’s rare to find a village with such a promising reputation.” He offered a small smile. “And I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to establish connections with someone who made it to the finals of the Grand Alchemy Gauntlet.”

For a moment, I just stared at him, my mind reeling. I’d prepared myself for a fight, for a bandit leader or ambitious rogue sect trying to claim the village’s resources. Instead… he was just a merchant?

I glanced at Elder Ming, whose expression remained as unreadable as ever. Of course, he’d probably seen through this man’s intentions the moment he laid eyes on him. Meanwhile, I stood there like an idiot, trying to process the sudden shift in tone.

Liang Chen cleared his throat, holding the silk-wrapped box out toward me again. “This is a gift,” he said. “A token of goodwill. I hope it will convey the sincerity of our intentions.”

With effort, I unclenched my jaw and forced a smile. “Uh… thanks,” I said, taking the box with hands that trembled only partly from exertion. The weight of the shell made it feel heavier than it was, but I managed not to drop it.

Just as I took the silk-wrapped box from Liang Chen, a familiar, indignant voice erupted from behind me.

“You!”

I turned to see Huan, the representative of the Azure Silk Trading Company, storming out of the village gates with all the dramatic flair of someone personally wronged. His eyes darted between Liang Chen and me before landing squarely on Liang Chen. He pointed an accusing finger at him, his expression a mix of shock and derision.

“What are you doing here, Liang?” Huan demanded, his voice tinged with an almost theatrical outrage. “Haven’t you caused me enough trouble already?”

I blinked, caught completely off guard. Huan was rarely this animated unless he was haggling prices or trying to sell off his more dubious wares.

Liang Chen, for his part, seemed entirely unfazed. In fact, he chuckled. “Good to see you too, Huan. It’s been a while.” His smirk returned, but it was lighter this time, almost playful. “Still running things under the Azure Silk Trading Company, I see?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“You know each other?” I asked, glancing between them.

Huan turned to me with wide, pleading eyes that would’ve looked ridiculous on anyone else. “Kai, you wouldn’t betray me, right? After everything I’ve done for this village? For you? I got your letter to the Verdant Lotus Sect in time! Surely you’re not going to let him steal my business now!”

Liang Chen let out a hearty laugh. “Steal your business? Come now, Huan. I’m not here to compete with you.” He turned back to me, his smirk softening. “Your company has a good eye for potential, though. I’ll give them that. It seems we both recognized this village’s promise.”

Huan looked skeptical. “Then why are you here, exactly?”

Liang Chen gestured to one of his workers, who hurried over with a small crate in tow. “Allow me to demonstrate,” he said, lifting the lid to reveal an assortment of tools: woodworking equipment, farming implements, and sturdy-looking building materials. “My company specializes in practical goods and infrastructure support. Tools to make daily life easier for your villagers. Building supplies for expansions. And, should you need it, access to our network for more specialized needs.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Building materials?”

He nodded. “I go where the money goes. And while your village is small, it’s growing. Word of the Verdant Lotus Sect’s interest in this place wasn’t exactly subtle.” His gaze was shrewd, calculating. “Opportunities like this don’t come often.”

Before I could respond, he added, almost as an afterthought, “Of course, there was another reason I decided to come here.”

I stiffened slightly, still wary of his motives. “And what’s that?”

Liang Chen’s smirk widened. “I happened to cross paths with someone I believe you know. Feng Wu, I believe his name was? I found him leaving Crescent Bay. He was traveling alone, so I offered him a ride in one of my carriages in exchange for escorting us with my bodyguards.”

My eyes widened. “Feng Wu?”

As if on cue, one of the carriages parked near the back creaked open. A familiar figure stepped out.

“Kai!” Feng Wu called, waving as he strolled over, completely unfazed by the group of workers or the tension in the air. “Long time no see!”

Relief flooded through me, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Feng Wu,” I said, my voice lighter than it had been all morning. “You're back! I thought you were supposed to arrive with the second-class disciples."

"Ah, I had business to attend to. It relates to the Whispering Wind sect, so remind me to update you on that later."

I nodded, though Feng Wu’s words only deepened my curiosity. For now, there were more pressing matters.

Like the fact that every step I took felt like dragging an entire mountain with me.

The second-class disciple's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, his grin fading slightly. “Kai, you look... off. Are you limping?”

I forced a chuckle, though it came out more like a wheeze. “Just a little... sore from training. Nothing to worry about.”

His brow furrowed, his sharp eyes scanning me more closely.

I waved him off, though it took every ounce of willpower to keep my arm steady. “I’ll explain later,” I said, trying to inject some finality into my tone. “For now, I need some rest. Thank you, Liang Chen. It was nice meeting you.”

Without waiting for his response, I turned and began hobbling toward my shop.

My qi reserves, already strained from reinforcing my body during Elder Ming’s training, were dangerously low. I’d been burning through them just to maintain the semblance of composure in front of Liang Chen and his caravan.

I didn’t dare glance back.

By the time I reached my front door, I was running on fumes. My legs buckled the moment I crossed the threshold, and I collapsed against the wall with a ragged sigh. The shop was quiet, the familiar scent of herbs and faintly sweet incense wrapping around me like a balm. For the first time since morning, I allowed myself a moment to breathe.

“Kai?” Tianyi’s soft, melodic voice drifted toward me. Her silhouette cast a massive shadow over me. “You've fallen. Are you okay?”

I opened my mouth to explain but stopped myself. Where would I even begin? Instead, I groaned and waved toward the back of the shop. “Just... carry me to the bed, please.”

Tianyi blinked, clearly confused, but didn’t argue. She walked around me, her delicate frame belying the strength she used to support my weight. With a surprising amount of ease, she hoisted me off the ground and guided me toward the bed in the back of the shop.

Halfway there, she paused and cocked her head. “Kai... did you get fatter? Preparing for winter?”

Despite the exhaustion, I couldn’t help but snort. “No, it’s not fat. It’s the product of a tribulation.”

“A tribulation? I see.”

She didn’t press further, though it was clear she didn’t fully understand. I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t entirely sure I understood it myself. Once she set me down on the bed, I waved weakly toward the door. “Can you bring me some fresh snow from outside? Just melt it onto the pill furnace.”

Tianyi nodded, darting outside without a word. I let out another sigh and closed my eyes, focusing on the faint wisps of qi I still had left. With a final sigh, I let go of my qi reinforcement, letting myself fully sink into the bed.

CRACK!

...Looks like I'll have to ask Li Wei to fix my bed.

For several minutes, I sat there in silence, cycling my energy inward, drawing what little I could from the environment using the Crimson Lotus Purification. The air was saturated with qi, thanks to Tianyi’s Qi Haven skill, and I could feel it seeping into my pores like a balm for my frayed reserves. Slowly but surely, my reserves began to return with every breath.

When I finally opened my eyes, I glanced toward the furnace. The snow Tianyi had brought was already melting, the reflection on the surface rippling slightly. As I leaned forward, I caught a glimpse of my own reflection—and the massive, black tortoise shell draped across my back.

It gleamed like polished obsidian, its surface smooth yet etched with faint, intricate patterns. I reached out to touch it, but my hand passed through as though it weren’t even there.

“Tianyi,” I called, my voice steady now. She moved closer, her wings stirring the air. “Can you see anything on my back?”

She tilted her head, studying me intently. “No. Why? Are you experiencing hallucinations as a result of this tribulation?”

I frowned, glancing at the reflection again. “I’m not hallucinating,” I muttered, more to myself than her. “But this... tribulation’s effects are stranger than I thought.”

Tianyi didn’t press further, though the concern in her gaze lingered. “If you’re sure...”

“I’m sure. It’s just... a lot to take in.”

Tianyi’s antenna-like strands twitched, but she nodded and stepped back.

I turned my focus back to the reflection on the furnace’s surface. The tortoise shell shimmered faintly, almost alive with some inner energy, its intricate patterns shifting subtly when I blinked. My fingers itched to study it more closely, to analyze whatever this tribulation had brought upon me. But even thinking about it made my back feel heavier, like the shell could sense my curiosity and decided to remind me of its presence.

“By the way, Where's Windy?”

“He went hunting,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact as she dusted off a shelf near the furnace.

I groaned, leaning down on the bed as carefully as I could. “Of course, he did. I told him not to stray too far! We’re in no position to be chasing him if he runs into trouble.”

I focused my senses on our emotional link. It was faint. Only Tianyi could detect his location or communicate with him. Perhaps being infused with her energy from his time as an egg led to their bond?

Her glowing eyes blinked at me, wide and unassuming. “He’s grown more confident. You should trust his instincts.”

I sighed, sinking deeper into the creaking bed.

Tianyi, utterly unfazed, returned to dusting. Still, her words gnawed at me. Maybe she was right, but that didn’t make it any easier to watch Windy put himself in danger, even if I knew he was more than capable. I suppose this was how Elder Ming felt dealing with me in the beginning.

I let out a long breath, shifting my focus back to the more immediate problem—the crushing weight on my back and the dire state of my qi reserves.

This wasn’t sustainable. Judging by the weight, the shell must be at least two and a half shi. And from the looks of it, it applied itself evenly throughout my body.

If walking a few steps around the village was enough to drain me, how was I supposed to maintain the shop, handle the villagers’ requests, or even keep up with my cultivation? Every task, no matter how minor, would demand an immense amount of qi just to function normally.

And if I was going to survive this tribulation, or even just make it through the next few days, I needed a plan.

The answer was obvious. Pills. Copious amounts of them.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. It wasn't that long ago when I’d lectured Lan-Yin and Wang Jun about the dangers of over-reliance on pills.

I glanced toward the furnace. I’d need to refine something potent enough to replenish my reserves without completely depleting my stock. The villagers needed these pills too, and if I burned through everything for my own sake, it would set us all back.

“Tianyi,” I said, my voice breaking the silence. She turned, her glowing eyes locking onto me.

“Yes?”

“I need your help,” I continued, pushing myself upright with a wince. “I’m going to focus on cultivating as much qi as possible, but I need someone to keep an eye on the furnace. And maybe help me fetch ingredients from the storage.”

She nodded, her antennae twitching slightly. “Understood.”

“Thanks,” I said, reaching under the table where I kept my personal stash of pills. My fingers brushed against the cool surface of the wooden box, and I carefully brought it down to the bed.

Inside, neatly aligned in rows, were several pills, each gleaming faintly in the light from the furnace. They were my best work; high-grade recovery pills I’d refined over the past month. I’d been saving them for emergencies, either for a battle or if someone was gravely injured.

Well, if this wasn’t an emergency, I didn’t know what was.

Tianyi hovered near the furnace, watching me with her usual detached curiosity.

The next step in surviving this tribulation started now.

As I picked up one of the pills, the faint warmth it radiated seeped into my fingertips, a promise of the energy it held. It was going to be hard. But if I could complete this, then the reward...

I let out a slow breath, preparing myself for the long night ahead.

"Time to see just how far I can push myself."