A figure, no taller than four chi, stood silently in the dim light. His long black hair fell to his neck, and his smooth skin bore no scars. His young face carried no expression, only cold calm.
Fu Yang exhaled slowly.
"The Skin Tempering Stage is complete… I've stepped into the initial phase. Haaaah…"
He closed his eyes and focused inward. Within his body, he saw it—a core swirling with dust, half silver-white, half pitch-black.
A faint smile curved his lips. What he had achieved was something others would call impossible: the formation of a core. Normally, a cultivator's core would only form after breaking through the Spirit Vein Stage, yet Fu Yang had forged his immediately upon stepping onto the path of cultivation.
But this core was unlike any other. It could grant him inhuman strength, but beyond that, its secrets were unknown. He had no method to properly use it. He didn't know if the Yin–Yang Core cultivation technique contained hidden defects. In his past life, he had never reached this stage. Yet, even knowing the risks, he had chosen this path.
It was self-trust. If you cannot even trust yourself, then you might as well sit and wait for death.
"I should clean up and stay low until the clan starts the admission procedure," he muttered.
He tidied his dorm carefully, picking up the leftover scraps of wolf hide and tossing them into the trash bin. The room looked ordinary again, devoid of secrets.
"Now it looks good."
A sudden growl broke his focus.
Grrrrrrr…
His stomach twisted in hunger. He pressed a hand against it and grimaced.
"Shit, I don't have anything left… I should hurry."
Fu Yang changed into ragged clothes and smeared dirt across his pale face, disguising himself once more as nothing more than a starving child. He slipped out and went directly to the canteen. His cultivation breakthrough had consumed enormous energy, and the hunger biting at him was unbearable.
Without waiting for orders, he stormed into the kitchen and devoured meat and chicken pieces like a ravenous beast. He tore into a whole chicken in seconds, shocking the chefs and waiters alike.
One furious chef, the man who had cooked the bird, snapped. With a curse, he kicked Fu Yang in anger.
Fu Yang, his stomach now full, saw the kick coming easily. But instead of dodging, he fell back dramatically, clutching his side as tears welled in his eyes.
"Uwaaaah! Aaaaah! It hurts!"
Though unharmed, he remembered his body was only that of a ten-year-old. He had to act the part.
The chef scowled at a waiter, who caught the hint and barked, "Hey brat, get out right now, thief, or else—!"
Fu Yang scrambled up, still crying loudly, and ran for the door—snatching a strip of jerky as he fled.
The commotion drew attention. Villagers turned their heads as the small figure bolted from the kitchen. Some poor onlookers muttered that it was cruel to beat a hungry child. A few even wanted to help him, but fear stopped them. Who would dare defy the canteen staff? Who would risk being barred from food?
Fu Yang didn't care. He found a quiet spot in a nearby field and sat cross-legged, chewing the stolen jerky in peace.
---
Meanwhile, in the Tian household…
A little girl sat gracefully on a carved wooden chair, her every movement delicate. She toyed with two young boys who looked almost identical.
The girl was Cin Yan, granddaughter of the clan patriarch yan. The two boys were Shi Tian and Sha Tian, sons of Li Tian.
The twins sat on the grass, gazing at her as though she were a fairy descended from the heavens.
"Wow, your grandfather is so cool," one of them blurted out.
Cin Yan giggled softly. "Hahaha! My grandfather is the strongest person alive. He cares for me more than anyone. If anything ever happened to me, he would come immediately to save me."
Both boys stared at her, their young hearts already stolen. Their father had warned them—win her favor at any cost.
Shi Tian leaned forward eagerly. "Wow, you're so beautiful, Miss Yan. It's like seeing a fairy."
Sha Tian hurried to add, "Yes, yes! And I heard from my father that you're very talented and intelligent."
Cin Yan's lips curved as she leaned closer, eyes gleaming with amusement. (Hehe, they're competing with each other… as they should. I am just too beautiful.)
"Hmmm… then tell me about your village. Is there anything interesting happening here?"
Sha Tian spoke first, eager to please. "Yes, yes! Our bamboo building was set on fire, and the culprit is said to be Shin Tian, who's now in prison. And, and—"
Before he could finish, Shi Tian cut him off. "Also, our village has started a clan system, and our father is one of the elders."
Cin Yan tilted her head, her smile deepening. "Hmm, I already know these things. What I want to know… is whether there's any interesting person in the village."
The twins exchanged confused glances. "Interesting? Mmm… we don't really know anyone like that."
Then Shi Tian suddenly snapped his fingers. "Of course we do, brother! Did you forget that crazy bastard?"
Sha Tian's eyes widened. "Oh right, yes! Miss Yan, there's a crazy boy. We used to play with him, but our father told us to stop. We don't know why."
Cin Yan's eyes lit up faintly. She tilted her head, feigning curiosity. "What is his name?"
Both boys answered together.
"Fu Yang."
---
Inside the prison…
Chains rattled in the darkness. The air smelled of rust, blood, and damp stone.
Li Tian stood before a battered man whose body was covered in wounds. His voice was sharp with fury.
"Shin… oi, you bastard, Shin!"
Shin Tian's swollen eyes cracked open. Hope flickered for a moment, only to die when he saw Li Tian's expression.
"Bastard!" Li Tian roared. "Where are the spiritual frogs? The guards found nothing!"
Shin Tian's face turned pale. "What?! The frogs are missing? Sir, I don't know—please, trust me!"
Veins bulged on Li Tian's forehead. His aura flared, heavy as a mountain. "Then why did you lie before? Do you take me for a fool? I'll tear your skin and break your bones if you don't tell me the truth!"
Shin Tian sighed bitterly, his strength gone. In the end, he revealed everything—what he had been doing, why he had left, and what he had seen.
Li Tian's face stiffened. Behind him, other elders exchanged glances. Even Rion Yan stood silently at the back, his sharp gaze fixed on the prisoner.
Li Tian looked toward Bai Nian. The old man studied Shin Tian carefully, then gave a single nod.
"He speaks the truth."
Bai Nian stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "What is the name of the child you accepted as your disciple?"
Shin Tian's lips trembled. He hesitated for a long moment before whispering the name.
"Fu… Fu Yang."