The morning sun painted the sky in soft hues of gold and pink as Feiyin walked alongside his father through the village streets. The crisp scent of pine filled the air, mingling with the warmth of freshly baked bread and simmering broth from the market stalls.
Feiyin's steps were lighter than usual, an uncontainable excitement bubbling within him. Today, he would be training with the militia.
Though his father had drilled him relentlessly in body tempering and internal strength control, this would be his first experience training alongside real warriors.
As they passed through the village, Feiyin felt the familiar hum of life, voices rising in friendly banter, the clatter of wooden carts, the rhythmic pounding of a blacksmith's hammer.
Near the market square, an elderly woman stood behind a simple stall lined with warm, golden flatbreads. Granny Ma, the village baker, was always awake before dawn, making sure everyone started their day well-fed.
As she spotted Feiyin, her wrinkled face brightened into a gentle smile.
"Oh my, look at you!" she cooed. "Every time I see you, you've grown a little taller. Such a handsome young boy! I hope you grow healthy and strong."
Feiyin, completely unprepared for the praise, felt his cheeks heat up.
"I, I'll try my best, Granny Ma." His voice came out a little more flustered than he would have liked.
She chuckled and handed him a warm bean bun. "Here, something sweet for my favorite little one."
Feiyin took it with both hands, mumbling a quick "Thank you!" before hurrying after his father.
Cai Feng, who had watched the interaction with quiet amusement, smirked. "What's wrong? Not used to being called handsome?"
Feiyin scowled at the teasing, stuffing the bun into his mouth to avoid answering.
His father chuckled and kept walking.
Pine Village was not isolated. It was part of a larger county, with several other villages surrounding Red Moon City, the central hub of the region. The roads connecting them were well-traveled by merchants, hunters, and messengers, keeping the flow of goods and news constant.
Feiyin had seen it firsthand. His mother, a sharp and shrewd trader, frequently dealt with merchants who passed through, exchanging goods and gathering information. Through her, Feiyin had learned about different trade routes, bartering techniques, and the power of negotiation.
But today, his focus was not on trade.
Today, he was stepping into his father's world.
The militia's training ground was located near the village outskirts, where the land was open and wide. A simple wooden fence encircled the area, and training dummies stood in neat rows. The dirt was compacted from years of heavy footfalls, and a few worn weapons rested against a storage rack nearby.
Feiyin inhaled deeply, excitement thrumming in his veins.
Several men had already gathered, stretching and preparing for the morning drills. They were not full-fledged cultivators, but they had all started their journey in Body Tempering with accomplishments, their bodies visibly honed through discipline and training.
As Feiyin and his father stepped into the yard, a broad-shouldered man with a thick brown beard spotted them.
"Ah, look who it is! Our captain's little shadow!"
A few others chuckled.
Feiyin scowled immediately. "I'm not little!"
"Yet you only come up to my waist," the bearded man shot back, resting a heavy hand on Feiyin's head and ruffling his hair.
Feiyin ducked away, pouting as the laughter around him grew.
Another warrior, a lean man with sharp eyes, crouched down to Feiyin's level. "You're training with us today, huh? We'll make sure you don't get trampled."
Feiyin crossed his arms. "I can keep up."
Sun Ke, one of the younger militia members, barely sixteen, smirked. "Heh. Feiyin might end up surpassing Brother Jiang before long."
Brother Jiang, the bearded man, scoffed. "If he does, I'll owe him a whole roasted pheasant!"
Feiyin grinned. He liked them already.
Cai Feng's sharp voice cut through the laughter. "Enough talking. Form up."
Immediately, the atmosphere shifted. The men straightened, standing in organized rows, and Feiyin quickly fell into place.
"Today's focus is on strengthening the bones. We'll be using the Tiger Posture."
Feiyin perked up. He had trained in this posture before, but this was his first time practicing it with a large group.
The Tiger Posture focused on low, powerful stances, where the bones and joints bore most of the weight, strengthening their resilience.
Feiyin lowered his stance, mimicking the others. His legs burned, but he held firm.
Jiang, standing beside him, smirked. "Not bad, little cub."
Feiyin growled in annoyance. "I'm not a cub either!"
The training progressed, each movement controlled and deliberate. Feiyin's bones ached, but he embraced the discomfort. This was what it meant to temper the body.
After the posture training, the focus shifted to combat drills.
"The ability to generate internal strength is useless if you don't know how to use it," Cai Feng explained.
The men partnered up, practicing controlled exchanges of strikes, blocks, and counters, all while applying their internal strength to enhance their movements.
Feiyin was paired with Sun Ke.
"Alright, little brother, let's see what you've got."
Feiyin narrowed his eyes, remembering his father's teachings.
He focused his internal strength, feeling the vibrations of his muscles, the weight of his movements.
When Sun Ke launched a palm strike, Feiyin dodged, redirecting the force with a small shift in his stance.
Sun Ke's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Hoh? Not bad."
Feiyin grinned. "I know."
The drills continued, and though Feiyin was smaller and less experienced, he compensated with precision, using what he had learned from both his father and mother.
By midday, the warriors finally rested. Feiyin sat with them, his body aching, but his spirit soaring.
A bowl of rice and meat stew was placed in front of him.
"Eat up, kid," Jiang said. "You earned it."
Feiyin dug in eagerly, listening as the men chatted about village affairs, trade with Red Moon City, and border tensions.
Sun Ke leaned toward him. "You're not bad, little brother. Just don't let it go to your head."
Feiyin smirked. "Too late."
Laughter erupted around him.
A few weeks had passed since Feiyin first began training with the militia, and the once unfamiliar faces of the warriors had become as familiar as the trees that lined the village.
At first, they had treated him as an amusing curiosity, an eager child tagging along with his father, wide-eyed and determined. But as the days turned into weeks and he showed up each morning without fail, his place among them shifted.
They no longer looked at him as just Cai Feng's son, but as their little brother, a part of their rough, battle-worn family.
As Feiyin stepped into the training grounds, he immediately caught sight of Sun Ke leaning casually against a wooden post, his playful eyes flicking toward him. Without a word, he slipped something into his palm and closed Feiyin's fingers around it. Feiyin didn't even have to look to know, it was another piece of candied hawthorn.
Sun Ke had a habit of sneaking him treats before training, as if bribing him to keep quiet about it. Feiyin smirked and popped it into his mouth, savoring the burst of sweet and sour before Jiang Hu's booming voice interrupted.
"Oi, you two whispering secrets again? Feiyin, don't let Sun Ke corrupt you. Next thing you know, he'll be teaching you how to sneak into the wine storage."
Feiyin quickly swallowed, trying to look innocent, while Sun Ke scoffed. "I would never. That's more of Lao Min's expertise."
Lao Min, stretching nearby, didn't even bother looking up. "And yet I'm not the one who got caught last time."
Laughter rippled through the group as Jiang Hu clapped a heavy hand on Feiyin's back, nearly making him stumble. "Alright, little brother, let's see if you're ready for today's lesson. No more easy drills."
Feiyin straightened, his chest swelling with anticipation. He had spent these past weeks perfecting his stance, learning how to balance his weight properly, how to redirect force instead of just absorbing it.
But today, they were focusing on movement. His father had always said that footwork was the foundation of every great warrior, but training with the militia had drilled that truth into him in a way that simple words never could.
Jiang Hu gestured toward the training area. "We're working on movement efficiency today. Doesn't matter how strong you are if your feet are in the wrong place. You step wrong, you fall. You hesitate, you die." He grinned. "And since you're so small, Feiyin, you better be quick."
Feiyin scowled at the mention of his size but said nothing, stepping into position alongside the others. The drill began with simple evasive movements, sidesteps, pivots, controlled retreats, but quickly escalated.
The warriors had to react instantly, dodging imaginary strikes while maintaining their center of gravity. Feiyin watched how the older warriors moved, how Jiang Hu barely wasted a step, how Lao Min seemed to glide rather than walk.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the oscillations of the ground beneath him, the shifting weight of those around him. When he opened them again, he moved, not by thinking, but by instinct, flowing between steps rather than forcing them. His feet barely made a sound as he adjusted his stance, always one step ahead of where an attack might land.
When the drill ended, Jiang Hu eyed him with approval. "Hmph. You've got good instincts, little brother."
Feiyin grinned, sweat beading on his forehead. "Of course."
They moved on to stability training. It was one thing to dodge and weave, but another entirely to hold one's ground when it mattered. Feiyin was paired with Sun Ke again, who grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "You ready?"
Feiyin nodded, bracing himself. Sun Ke pushed against him, not too hard at first, testing his stance. Feiyin dug his heels into the dirt, feeling his internal strength settle into his core. The first few pushes, he held firm. But Sun Ke wasn't going easy. His next shove was stronger, unexpected. Feiyin's body tilted, but at the last second, he adjusted, using a small shift in weight rather than brute force to stabilize himself.
Sun Ke chuckled. "Not bad. You're learning."
The drills continued, transitioning into hand-to-hand combat practice. They weren't throwing full-strength blows, but the movements were precise, testing reflexes, counters, and control over internal strength. Feiyin was small, but he had one advantage, he was fast, and he knew how to move.
When Sun Ke lunged at him, Feiyin ducked, redirecting the force of the attack rather than blocking it head-on. He shifted his weight, countering with a quick palm strike to the chest, which Sun Ke barely dodged.
Jiang Hu, watching from the sidelines, let out a laugh. "You sure you're only seven, kid? I know grown men with worse form than that."
Feiyin wiped his brow, breathing hard, but grinning. "You're just old, Brother Jiang."
Jiang Hu let out an exaggerated gasp. "The disrespect!"
The other warriors burst into laughter, and Feiyin felt something warm settle in his chest.
As training wound down, they sat together, sharing food and stories. Feiyin listened as the warriors spoke about Red Moon City, about disputes between merchants, about bandits lurking near the borders. Even though Pine Village was small, it wasn't isolated. The world beyond was full of movement, of power struggles, of dangers lurking beneath the surface.
Sun Ke leaned over, nudging Feiyin. "You keep training like this, and one day, you'll be leading a militia of your own."
Feiyin raised an eyebrow. "Why would I stop at just a militia?"
Sun Ke grinned. "Now that's the kind of ambition I like to hear."
The sun hung lower in the sky by the time Feiyin made his way home, his legs aching but his heart full.