The first thing Feiyin understood about the world was that it moved.
Not in the way people walked or the wind rustled through the trees, but in a way that no one else seemed to notice. Everything, every rock, every leaf, every breath of air, carried a rhythm, a pulse that wove through existence itself. He could feel it, even before he had words for it.
It wasn't something he had been taught. It simply was.
He first noticed it with his mother. When she hummed, the air around her rippled like gentle waves on a lake, the vibrations carrying through the wooden floor and into his tiny fingers. When she spoke, her voice had a weight, different from his father's, softer, fluid, yet undeniably strong.
His father, in contrast, was like stone against the tide. His voice didn't ripple, it held, solid and unwavering. When he trained in the yard, his movements were sharp, controlled, yet Feiyin could feel the way the ground beneath his feet absorbed each step, how his strikes sent shudders through the air around him.
It fascinated him.
Even before he could speak properly, he found himself reaching out, trying to grasp at the unseen forces that danced through the world.
It was through small things at first.
One morning, as Feiyin sat on the floor beside his father, he stacked two stones together.
His parents thought little of it, what child didn't enjoy playing with rocks? But Feiyin wasn't just playing. He was watching.
The stones, though silent to his parents, hummed faintly in his mind. Their rhythm was slow, deep, like the steady beat of something ancient. But when he stacked a third stone atop the first two, the vibrations changed, a slight shift, a new note added to the silent melody.
He stacked a fourth. Then a fifth.
Each time, the resonance shifted, aligning, balancing, until he could sense a kind of harmony forming. The stones weren't just sitting on top of each other; they were connected, their frequencies aligning in a way that felt right.
Then he reached for a different stone, a smoother one, slightly lighter, and placed it at the top.
The moment it settled, Feiyin's brow furrowed. Something was off.
The resonance changed, clashing against the others in a way that unsettled him. He tilted his head, staring at the pile for a long moment, then carefully removed the last stone and replaced it with a different one.
The moment the new stone settled, there.
Balance.
He grinned in satisfaction.
Mei Liao had been watching from the other side of the room, her fingers pausing mid-stitch as she observed the seriousness on her son's face. She had seen children stack stones before, but not like this. Not with such… deliberation.
Her gaze flickered to Cai Feng, who had also stopped sharpening his blade, his sharp grey eyes narrowed in quiet thought.
Feiyin, oblivious to their stares, carefully added another stone, only for the stack to tremble slightly. His smile faltered. Something was wrong again.
He pressed a tiny hand against the stones, concentrating, feeling how the tremor spread through them, how the weight shifted.
"This one," he mumbled, pointing at the third stone from the bottom. His words were still a little clumsy, but the certainty in his voice was unmistakable.
"What about it?" Mei Liao asked, setting aside her work and kneeling beside him.
"It's…" Feiyin struggled for the right words. He knew what he felt, but words were difficult. How did one explain something no one else seemed to notice?
"It doesn't match," he finally said.
Mei Liao blinked. "Doesn't match?"
Feiyin nodded, frowning slightly. "It's wrong. It… it shakes different."
His father, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"You can feel that?" Cai Feng's voice was quiet, but there was an intensity behind it.
Feiyin turned to him, puzzled. "You don't?"
The room fell into silence.
Mei Liao and Cai Feng exchanged a look, one filled with unspoken words.
A child of his age should not be thinking about these things. Should not be perceiving the world in ways even cultivators struggled to comprehend.
Feiyin watched them carefully, sensing the subtle shift in their breathing, the way the rhythm of the room had changed.
"…Did I say something bad?"
His mother smiled quickly, smoothing his hair. "No, my love," she murmured, voice gentle. "You're just… very clever."
His father, however, did not smile. Instead, he reached out and lifted one of the stones, rolling it between his fingers before setting it down.
"Tell me," Cai Feng said, his voice measured. "How do you know when it's wrong?"
Feiyin hesitated. He didn't know how to explain. It just was.
"They talk," he finally said, furrowing his brows. "Not like Mommy and Daddy, but… they hum."
Cai Feng's fingers curled slightly. "Hum?"
Feiyin nodded. "Everything does." He looked around the room, as if seeing something invisible. "The air… the floor… even you and Mommy. It's all, " He searched for the right word. ", moving. Even when it looks still."
Mei Liao's breath caught slightly. She hadn't taught him this. No one had.
Yet the way he spoke, the certainty in his tiny voice…
This was his own understanding.
Cai Feng leaned back slightly, studying his son as if seeing him for the first time.
"Come here," he said after a long pause, extending a hand.
Feiyin crawled into his lap without hesitation, his small hands pressing against his father's chest. He blinked suddenly, his gaze sharpening in interest.
"You… feel different."
Cai Feng raised a brow. "Different how?"
Feiyin hesitated. "…Strong."
Cai Feng exhaled through his nose, a quiet huff of amusement. "That's good."
Mei Liao, however, did not look amused. She worried.
A child with talent was a blessing. A child with too much talent was a burden, one that could bring attention they weren't ready for.
She reached forward, cupping Feiyin's small face in her hands, her amethyst eyes meeting his own.
"You mustn't tell anyone about this, alright, my love?"
Feiyin blinked up at her, confused. "Why?"
"Because…" She searched for the right way to explain. "Because not everyone will understand. Some people… might not be kind about it."
His small fingers curled in his father's sleeve. "Will they be mad?"
"Not mad," his father murmured. "But they might want to take you away."
Feiyin's body tensed, an unfamiliar fear stirring in his chest. "I don't want to go away."
Mei Liao pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Then you must promise to keep this just between us."
Feiyin hesitated, but the quiet worry in his mother's face, the concern hidden behind his father's gaze, made him nod.
"Okay."
Mei Liao smiled, though there was a trace of sadness in it. She wished she could let him be open, could let him explore his gifts without worry. But this was not a world where such things were possible.
Cai Feng ruffled Feiyin's hair, his lips quirking in rare fondness. "Good. But don't stop learning."
Feiyin's eyes brightened. "I won't."
Cai Feng chuckled, lifting Feiyin up effortlessly. "Then let's see how strong those tiny arms of yours are."
The worry melted from Feiyin's small body as he giggled, the heaviness of the moment fading.
His mother sighed, watching them with quiet fondness.
—
The next morning, sunlight filtered through wooden shutters, golden and warm. Outside, birds chirped. Inside, Feiyin sat cross-legged on the soft rug, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
His mother had promised something "very special" today.
His curiosity burned.
Mei Liao finally returned, carrying a large, leather-bound book, the cover decorated with delicate gold patterns. Feiyin's amethyst-grey eyes widened as she settled beside him, the book resting across her lap.
"What's that?" he asked, scooting closer.
"A picture book," Mei Liao said, smiling. "One that will teach you about the world we live in."
Feiyin's small fingers traced the edges of the cover, his brows furrowing slightly. "Why do I need to learn about the world?"
Mei Liao chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Because, little one, the world is big, far bigger than our village. If you don't understand it, how will you ever find your place in it?"
Feiyin thought about that. It made sense.
He nodded solemnly, giving her his full attention. "Okay. Teach me."
His mother's lips curled in amusement. "So serious," she murmured before opening the book.
The first page was an illustration of a massive blue and green sphere, the planet itself. Beneath it, elegant script spelled out a name.
Terra.
"This," Mei Liao said, "is the world we live on. It's called Terra, home to many different people and creatures."
Feiyin stared at the image, then at his mother. "It's round?"
Mei Liao blinked. "…Yes?"
Feiyin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then why doesn't everything fall off?"
His mother paused, lips parting slightly, before laughing softly. "That is a very good question." She patted his head. "One we will come back to another time."
Feiyin's lips pressed together in dissatisfaction, but he accepted the answer… for now.
Mei Liao flipped to the next page, which showed a vast landmass divided into many regions, some covered in mountains, others in forests, deserts, or icy tundras.
"This is the Magnola Continent," she explained. "It's where we live."
Feiyin's finger traced the lines of the map. "Where?"
Mei Liao pointed to a smaller region near the center, painted in deep blue. "Here. This is the Azure Cloud Kingdom."
His small face scrunched in thought. "So… we live in Azure Cloud, on Magnola, on Terra?"
Mei Liao smiled. "That's right."
Feiyin nodded, satisfied. "That's a lot of names."
She laughed. "And you'll learn even more, little one."
The next page showed figures of different shapes and sizes, each one carefully painted with distinct features.
Feiyin's eyes sparkled with fascination.
"There are many races that live on Terra," Mei Liao said, turning the page so he could see better. "Let's start with the ones most similar to us."
She tapped a picture of a tall figure with light skin and brown hair, dressed in a tunic and carrying a sword.
"This is a Human," she said. "Just like us."
Feiyin studied the picture for a moment, then pointed to his own hair and his mother's darker complexion. "But we don't look the same."
Mei Liao's smile softened. "Not all humans look alike, Feiyin. Just like some people have black hair like me, and some have grey like your father, humans can look different depending on where they're from."
Feiyin hummed in thought, his fingers lightly tapping his chin in a gesture he had picked up from watching his father.
"What about them?" He pointed to a figure with long, pointed ears, dressed in flowing robes with leaves embroidered into the fabric.
"These are Elves," Mei Liao explained. "They live in accordance with nature, their bodies and spirits connected to the elements around them."
Feiyin's eyes gleamed. "What does that mean?"
"It means they change," Mei Liao said, tapping the page. "Elves who live in the forests grow attuned to the trees, their senses sharper in the wild. Those who live near the sea move like the waves, graceful and unyielding. Every Elf is shaped by the world around them."
Feiyin's brows furrowed. "So… if an Elf lived in the desert, would they turn into sand?"
Mei Liao snorted. "Not quite, little one."
Feiyin grinned, satisfied with his joke, before turning his attention to the next image, a figure with curved horns, dark crimson skin, and piercing golden eyes.
"And them?"
"These are Demons," Mei Liao said. "They are strong and resilient, with many different forms."
Feiyin tilted his head. "They don't all look like this?"
"No," Mei Liao explained. "Some have blue skin, some black, some even pale like humans. Some have tails, some don't."
Feiyin squinted at the picture, then looked at his mother. "Are they nice?"
Mei Liao chuckled. "Some are. Some aren't. Just like humans."
Feiyin wasn't entirely convinced, but he moved on, pointing next at a massive figure with thick muscles, stone-colored skin, and broad shoulders.
"This one is so big!"
Mei Liao nodded. "That's a Giant. They are very strong and can grow even bigger than this picture shows."
Feiyin stared, impressed. "Bigger than Daddy?"
Mei Liao smirked. "Much bigger."
Feiyin gasped. "Bigger than the house?"
"Bigger than some mountains."
His jaw dropped, his tiny hands gripping the book in awe.
But before Mei Liao could turn the page, he pointed at the last picture, a figure with human-like features but animal ears and a long, furred tail.
"They're fuzzy," he said, tilting his head.
Mei Liao smiled. "These are the Beastmen. Some look like wolves, some like cats, some like birds. They are just like humans, but with features of animals."
Feiyin grinned. "They look fun."
Mei Liao laughed. "They can be."
Feiyin stared at the page a little longer, his small fingers brushing over the pictures. So many different kinds of people. So many different places. His mind buzzed with possibilities, with questions, with an eagerness he could barely contain.
Finally, Feiyin looked up at her, his gaze sharp. "Mommy."
"Yes, my love?"
He hesitated for a second, then asked, "Are we the only ones here?"
Mei Liao blinked, caught off guard by the weight of his question. "…What do you mean?"
Feiyin's small fingers pressed against the book. "If there are so many places, so many people… then there must be more beyond what we know. More than just this kingdom. More than even this world."
Mei Liao's breath hitched slightly. He wasn't just learning. He was thinking beyond what was in front of him.
She brushed her fingers through his hair, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "You're right," she admitted. "There is more. More than I can teach you in a day. But one day, you'll see it for yourself."
Feiyin beamed at her. "Promise?"
Her smile softened. "I promise."
And as he drifted into sleep, visions of vast lands, towering mountains, and strange new people filled his mind.