"Repeat that again."
"You are on the path of becoming an immortal?"
"Again."
"Are you retarded? Do we need to bring the dome's doctor here again?"
Ji Yong laughed loudly.
"Yes, perhaps I need a doctor, or a shaman. Even mother throwing hands would be appreciated. I'm losing my sanity, now I'm the main character in one of those stories she'd scold me about, cultivating towards immortality. What is next? I can turn into a dragon? I can fly?"
Shinichi grumbled, something about another headache he was going to have to keep an eye on. But Yi Jong didn't listen.
The absurdity of it all left him in a drunk state, torn between wanting to scream or cry. He did not wish to become an immortal.
A life of eternity remembering his mistakes seemed more of a punishment than a reward.
His mother's disappointed gaze, her painful jabs masked as motivational words, and the comparison to the other princes, all of whom had worked to gain their father's favor and had something to show. Then, there was him. A pathetic existence fading into the Forbidden Palace's halls.
He spent his days drinking tea, flirting with the older maids, and bribing eunuchs to bring him scrolls and fantasy tellings to escape his problems by dreaming up nonsense when in reality all he met was criticism and expectations to be more.
He had not been fit to be a prince. He was not fit to be an immortal.
He held his hands to the stomach, the mass of white that was his qi making him feel warm. Did it even have potential? Was there any potential that could flourish within this dome?
He did not need to be told that the life of those inside was restricted, that they lived caged by those demons, monsters outside. Couldn't he just die?
His mother sang him to sleep every night. Her warm presence rarely left him until he was deemed too old to sleep with her. Gentle caresses on his crimson hair and puffy cheeks, not too different from hers.
"Glad that you exist." She would murmur repeatedly, hugging him as tears dripped down. "You have to try, my little prince, you have to work hard. This mother's hopes are all on you."
He had not worked hard. Her hopes had been shattered, but even in her last breaths all she had begged for was for him to live.
Dying was not the answer, but to live when all he had loved had died Could he come to terms with that?
"Are you hungry?" Shinichi asked. His eyes with a hint of compassion.
"I know that this must be hard for you, but understand, no one here is willing, no one has had it easy, but we live on. Life is what it is. You have to keep moving, at least for the sake of those that risked it all to see you survive another day. Come, cultivation tends to evoke hunger, and if you wish to grow that weak, fragile qi inside you, you need to eat, train, and give your all."
Ji Yong nodded. He didn't know if he had it in him to give it all, but he could not give up yet.
'Mother, maybe one day, I'll make you proud.'
Shinichi led the way with sharp, confident steps, while Ji Yong shuffled behind him, taking this new world in.
The path they walked was wide and paved with dark stones, flanked on both sides by bustling shops and stalls. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meat, sweet buns, and a dozen different spices.
Here, inside the dome, life felt surprisingly normal—a vibrant, thriving community despite the cage they lived in. Not too different from what Ji Yong had seen the few times he had gone out of the palace.
As Shinichi passed, those who noticed him bowed, people smiled and waved. Children stopped in awe. He acknowledged each of them, showing that the respect he was given wasn't one of fear or status but was earned. He was a good leader that cared for his people, and in return his people cared for him.
They stopped in front of a small restaurant. Ji Yong looked up at the hand-painted sign, somewhat faded, that hung above the door. There was a dragon coiled around a bowl of steaming noodles.
Nine Dragons Noodle Kitchen.
He stepped in, and the savory smell of noodles hit his nostrils. The place was filled with clatters of bowls and chopsticks, friendly banter, and loud laughs.
They walked towards a circular table, far away in a quiet corner. Shinchi ordered for both of them. Soon, the table was filled with steaming bowls of beef broth and tender slices of meat that made Ji Yong's mouth drool.
He waited for the Shinchi to start, a sign of respect for the man's age, before he began to eat too. As he chewed on a piece of savory beef, he finally found the courage to ask the question that had been burning in his thoughts.
"Who… who is 'she'?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "The woman who saved me?"
Shinichi paused, a pair of chopsticks held mid-air. He placed them down carefully and looked at Ji Yong, his gaze intense. "Her name is Meihua," he said.
"Or at least that's what she calls herself. Not many use their original names inside the dome, especially not those who might have enemies."
"Will I meet her?" Ji Yong pressed. "I want to thank her. She saved my life."
A faint smile touched Shinichi's lips, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"You will, though not unless she wants you to. The dome is small, but somehow she is as sneaky as a fox."
Yi Jong was not the smartest when it came to women, nor when it came to romance, but from the wistful tone and soft look in Shinichi's eyes, he could tell there was more to it. He did not press the matter.
He ate the rest of his food in silence, the rhythm of his chopsticks a steady counterpoint to all the questions he had. After he was done, he pushed the empty bowl away, wiping his mouth with a cloth.
"The sun is setting. We should get you settled. You'll be staying in the apprentices' dormitory until you show some progress."
"Apprentices?" Ji Yong asked, the word tasting bitter. It was plural, meaning he had to socialize. If it went anything like his joint studies with his brothers, who loved to boast and show off...
"Everyone starts as one," Shinichi replied, standing up. "Even I did. It's where you'll learn the basics of cultivation and get accustomed to life here. Don't worry, the quarters are better than a lot of places you'll find."
They left the cozy restaurant and stepped back into the twilight. The street was even more lively now, lanterns glowing like fireflies in the dimming light. A few more paths down and they were there.
The apprentices' dormitory was a simple, two-story building made of dark wood and stone. Inside, the main hall was filled with young men and women, all dressed in plain, simple robes. They were practicing various forms, their movements fluid and graceful, their bodies pulsing with qi. It was intoxicating and intimidating all at once.
Shinichi led him to a small, private room at the end of a long hallway.
"This is yours," he said, pushing open a door. "It's not much, but it's clean."
The room was frugal.
A narrow cot, a small wooden desk, and a single, low-burning lamp. A window looked out onto a small, enclosed garden with glowing plants, some of which had grown and intertwined with the structure of the place itself, their petals falling even in his room through the window.
"There will be a master here in the morning to teach you the basic breathing exercises," Shinichi explained. "He's a stickler for rules, but a good man. Pay attention to what he says."
Shinichi turned to leave but hesitated at the door. He looked back at Ji Yong, his gaze softening slightly.
"I don't know all the details of the life you have lived, but your past doesn't matter here. The only thing that matters is what you do now."
Ji Yong looked at his reflection in the dark windowpane. The young man staring back at him looked tired, scared, and out of place. He was no longer the pampered prince who spent his days dreaming. He was a refugee, a student, and a survivor.
For the first time, he felt the true weight of his mother's dying wish. To live. He had to try, not just for her, but for himself.
He put a hand over the faint warmth in his stomach. The mass of white qi seemed to pulse in response. It was a weak, fragile thing, but it was his. And tomorrow, he would begin to make it stronger.