In the early evening, Li Shen would often try to hunt small animals to supplement his income. The space was filled with a fine mist.
Shen advanced slowly over the damp ground, leaves, and branches.
He carried a light basket for the carcasses of the animals he managed to capture. With skilled hands, he adjusted improvised trapsâthin ropes, sharpened stakes, small mechanisms he had learned by observing experienced hunters.
He stopped in front of a clearing, noticing recent tracks of small animals.
Shen was lucky that day; he managed to capture two rabbits and three small birds. The meat of the rabbits was quite valuable, and he would be able to trade it for some resources with local merchants. After checking all the traps, he looked for a space to clean the animals. He sat on the ground, removed the skin and feathers, the viscera, and other internal organs. He placed the carcasses in the basket and let out a sigh of relief.
The reduction of his payment had completely ruined his mood until that moment.
Shen placed his hand on his chest, felt his heart, and squeezed.
"Come on⦠work this time."
He crossed his legs and tried to assume a meditation position he had seen some young cultivators from the Twilight Sect practice. No one had ever actually taught him how to meditate; he was just following what he had heard about the subject.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and tried to locate his Datian.
Focusing on his breathing, he felt the vital energy of his body vibrate slightly, an almost imperceptible current that ran down his spine. He spent a few minutes trying to amplify that sensation. But as before, nothing materialized. Just small vibrations, as if the energy wanted to obey him, but he still lacked something. However, the changes his progress had caused in his body were clearer now, giving him an almost supernatural perception: the world seemed sharper, the smells more intense, the sounds clearer.
'Amazingâ¦'
He felt a little disappointed and anxious, but was still content with the changes he was undergoing.
As he prepared to leave the forest, something caught his attention: a strange, metallic smell, mixed with the damp earth. He walked toward the strange scent and found a dead adult tiger with a hole in its neck. His heart raced, adrenaline surged. Shen took a few steps back, feeling every muscle tense.
Sounds in the trees made him hold his breath. Breaking branches, rustling leaves; something was moving above him. For a moment, he thought they were monkeys, but his instinct screamed dangerâsomething big, strange, it could be a powerful predator.
Furthermore, he felt that something was wrong with himself.
It was as if something was affecting his mind, forcing him to act on instinct. He wanted to run away from there as fast as possible.
'Noâ¦'
He forced himself to stay calm.
Running would be worse, much worse.
He slowly crouched down, his body hunched, hiding behind the bushes, observing every shadow with caution. Each breath was measured, each sound was listened to attentively.
The cold of the night mixed with the smell of blood, making the environment even more oppressive. Shen felt the tension rise through his body, almost as if the entire forest was watching him. The urge to flee was there, but he knew he needed to stay calm. He waited there in silence until the noise stopped. When it ended, he stayed there for a few more moments.
Moving slowly between trees and bushes, with controlled steps and trying to stay calm, he headed out of the forest.
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***
After what happened in the forest, Shen needed a moment to breathe.
'What the hell was that?'
He wanted to go home and lock himself in his room, but his day couldn't end yet.
He moved to the Red Gin Village market.
The old wooden stalls creaked in the wind. Unlike before, the pleasant scent of roasted meat and cooked vegetables reached his nostrils. In his hand, still a little shaky, he carried the basket with the carcasses of the small animals he had caught.
Shen approached a provisions vendor, a robust man with thick eyebrows, who looked at him with curiosity. Without saying a word, Shen placed the basket on the wooden table and began to separate the animals, choosing the best, cleanest, and most intact ones.
"Well⦠what do you have today, boy?" the vendor asked, observing each carcass with experienced eyes.
"I want to trade these carcasses for dried fish, grains, and some vegetables," Shen replied.
The vendor examined the carcasses, asked a few questions, and finally nodded, accepting the trade.
Shen's lips curled into a smile. A sense of a job well done filled his heart. He carefully organized the provisions in the basket.
Li Shen looked at the night sky and took a deep breath. His next task would probably be the most difficult of the day.
'Stay calm. If you commit murder and get sentenced to death, Mom and Xiaoyun will be left alone.' He focused on that as if it were a mantra.
He opened the door and heard the sound of a bell. The wooden walls were covered with glass bottles and clay pots holding roots, leaves, and colored powders.
The old vendor, with graying hair and a shrewd look, raised his head and examined Shen with interest, as if he already knew what he needed.
"What do you want today, boy?" he asked, with the hoarse and irritating voice that Li Shen hoped to one day never have to hear again.
Shen placed the basket on the counter and answered, firmly, with barely contained anger:
"I want something that actually works for my mother this time! Last week's medicine didn't help at all!"
The vendor frowned, a small sneer forming at the corners of his mouth:
"If you want real results⦠you'll have to pay more. There are no shortcuts, boy. Quality medicine is expensive."
Heat rose to Shen's chest. Anger mixed with frustration, and he felt his internal energy, his Qi, react immediately, pulsing involuntarily through his arms and legs, as if it wanted to help him confront the situation. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his body and organize his thoughts.
"You said that medicine would work last time, and the time before, but I haven't noticed any change!" he said, with clenched fists. Each word carried more urgency than anger, more sadness than indignation.
The vendor raised an eyebrow, impassive.
"Serious illnesses require rare ingredients, and rare ingredients require a lot of money. I can't change that."
Shen took a deep breath one more time, feeling the Qi subtly expand through his body. He handed over the money he had saved with effort and carefully took the medicines.
'Shit!' He wanted to be able to cry.
All he could do at that moment was hold on to hope.
As he left the store, the cold air hit his face, but the heat of the tension still remained in his body.
Walking back home, Shen carefully organized the provisions and medicines.
He opened the door and walked to his mother's room. He found her lying down, looking worn out, but the look she gave him when she saw him filled him with more strength than any mystical energy could.
"I brought everything, Mom," Shen said, handing her the vials carefully.
Li Meiling touched her son's hand, and said, weariness mixed with gratitude in her voice:
"Thank you, Shen... I know you do everything for us."
Shen's chest contracted. He smiled sadly, determination growing in his heart.
***
The calm river reflected the silvery glow of the full moon, the water gently rippling as Shen knelt to fill the bucket.
Upon returning to the village, he noticed a group of villagers gathered near the bridge, talking in tense whispers. The expression on each person's face revealed fear. Shen stopped, discreetly leaning in to listen.
"...that guy Yu Cheng, Hao Zao's henchman... they found him on the road, with his neck ripped off and limbs broken. It seems no one has discovered who was responsible for it yet..." a man murmured, his voice low and trembling.
"I heard there were no marks that a weapon was used; they're saying it was just brute force..."
"Could a demonic beast be wandering the village?" another voice said, full of dread.
Shen swallowed hard, remembering what he had felt in the forest. His heart rate sped up. He observed every shadow around him, every dark corner, and felt the whole village seem smaller, fragile in the face of the unknown threat.
'If a strong man like that didn't survive... what would happen if whoever did this came after us?' Shen thought, his mind racing between worry for his family and the urgency to become stronger.
As he walked back home, every sound seemed exaggerated: the creak of a door, light footsteps on the dirt road, even the whisper of the wind between the rooftops.
Upon reaching the door, Xiaoyun and his mother were already asleep. Shen put away the bucket of water.
He sat for a moment, closing his eyes and concentrating on the circulation of energy within him. His body felt the weight of responsibility. He needed to train, he needed to awaken his Datian, he needed to protect his family, and now, more than ever, the urgency burned in his chest.
He needed to change his destiny.