Ryse awoke to find himself sleeping on a bamboo bed. Above him was bamboo ceiling he blinked his eyes again twice determining he was not hallucinating he sat up slowly. Ryse looked around and saw a wooden table in the corner, a shelf with lots of paper, and a pot of ink.
The sound of a door opening caught his attention and looked towards it. An old man walked out, Holding a jade bottle in his hands. The crinkling sounds inside told him that the bottle should have something round. The smell of medicine wafted over and he wrinkled his nose lightly.
"Child how are you feeling now?" The old man asked caressing his beard and looking at him with his beady eyes.
Ryse lowered his eyes and replied softly " I'm okay"
The old man nodded his head "Good good...Are you hungry I have soup here...If you want?"
Ryse looked up at this "Can I have it?" He had already figured out that this person should be the alchemist who was mentioned in the information and appeared in the memories. Because memories of the old man were very blurred as if the owner did not wish to remember forever. The reason he guessed should be that the owner really depended on this old man and considered him a family member and when the old man died the owner was really hurt and almost drowned in the sorrow. So chose to forget instead.
The old man chuckled " Of course child".
Ryse took the wooden bowl handed by the old man and quietly drank the soup occasionally observing the things around him. When he set the bowl down the old man coughed lightly to get his attention.
"Child what is your name? I am Long wang" The old man softened his voice and spoke slowly trying to show he was not threatening.
"Fang jing ci" Ryse replied pursing his lips.
"A very nice name, Jing ci, May I call you that?"
".....Yes..." Ryse blinked his eyes and tilted his head lightly.
"Jing ci okay.....why were you alone in the forest?" The old man seems to realize that he was a little too forceful and direct, He coughed, He was embarrassed.
Ryse did not mind after all he was not really a child that he would be scared of someone raising their voice a little. He lowered his head and answered " I want to go home" Ouch he went straight to the point haha.
The old man was silent for a moment, He spoke lightly again "What about your parents?"
"Dad forgot to pick me up" Ryse raised his head sharply, " He said to wait for him but he did not come back so I want to go home myself" There, He threw a bombshell on the old man without letting him digest the first bit.
The old man remained motionless for a while. A few seconds later he suddenly reacted "What?"
"I said, Dad said to wait for him but he did not come back so I want to go home by myself!" Ryse was enjoying this haha. He successfully trolled the old man.
The old man seemed to freeze for a second as if he figured something out. Poor child, He was abandoned by his father and did not even know. He looked at the lively child in front of him with pity.
Ryse was startled 'Why is he looking at me with pity'
"Ahem,...how about you stay with me? I'll teach how to make this" The old man raised the jade bottle and shook it. "Do you know what is inside this?"
Ryse thought ' Of course I know what is inside that do you think I am an idiot?' he replied " Don't know".
The old man grinned "It has Magical things inside!"
Ryse's eyes widened "Magic!?" 'Of course not he really takes me for an idiot.. does he think I look like an idiot.....oh wait I do look an idiot at the moment.....children are idiots... I am a child...which means I look like an idiot.....never mind'
"If you stay with me I will teach to make these magical things" The old man nodded his head and laughed twice.
Ryse was not planning to leave anyways alchemy is what he wanted to learn too. Because he does not remember if he had learned it previously and it sounded interesting. AL.CHE.MY....never mind it does not sound interesting.
Ryse looked at the old man with shiny eyes "Really you will teach me to make magic!?"
"Haha, Yes if you agree to stay with me" The old man smiled.
"Okay!" Ryse blinked his big shiny eyes happily. The old man secretly nodded and laughed again ' Success'. Ryse said 'Not really'.
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Si yang had always been a calm and indifferent person. He never even bat an eyelid if someone died in front of him. This world, Only the strong could survive. That day he does not know why he suddenly felt suffocated when he saw the dirty mortal child being attacked by the beast.
He had not even thought yet and his hands moved by themselves rescuing the child from the imminent death. Then he received the biggest shock of his life when the child turned to look at him. Those eyes like his own one blue one gold, That sharpness inside them like a soldier who has been on the battlefield for ages.
That look was only momentary but Si yang had captured it. The boy seemed just as shocked as himself. He understood that he really wanted to talk with this child, He wanted to know him, But he was running out of time.
If he did not leave at that moment his fellow sect members and senior brother and junior brothers will leave him behind. He noted down the child in his heart thinking That this child must be from the village right outside the forest.
He will come back to find him later and so he nodded to the child having acknowledged him and left hurriedly. He did not take the child back to the village because he knew this child is not simple. That sharpness was enough for him to raise the child's level high in his heart. For now the quicker he leaves the faster he can get back later.
But when he came back two days later he did not find the child anywhere in the village. At that moment he admits that his heart hurt quite a lot, The suffocating feeling was entirely overwhelming and he almost thought he had caught some kind of disease. He went back to his master and told him the occurrence.
His master laughed at him...Laughed a long time. When he calmed down did his master tell him the reason why that had happened . His master said:
"My dear little disciple, Congratulations you have met your love trial after 30 years of cultivating....That was a little fast mostly cultivators meet their trial subjects after they reach nascent soul stage or ensoulment stage or above.....You are only soul wandering stage oh well maybe that is what's written in your book of fate."
Si yang couldn't believe his ears the other party was what? probably six or seven so why was the other his trial, Now seven entire months later that slight ache that unexplained want to see him again still exists. Si yang clenched his fists there is nothing he can do.
The other is still a child and he still can't find him. Where could a child have gone to? he wondered.
"What are you thinking about?".....