"Wei Shun. No spiritual root. Rejected!"
Ming He's cold words echoed endlessly within the ears of every villager present in the square.
Wei Shun, proclaimed to be their village's fortuitous son from the heavens, had no fate with the distant and ethereal immortal path?
No, this cannot be! How can I, a transmigrator, be…!
Wei Shun's eyes widened, his trembling hands clenching tightly against the silent stone tablet. His brows were furrowed like storm clouds before a flood, unaccepting of the result.
Meanwhile, the villagers' expressions faltered.
Some were shocked. Some pitied him. The others gloated at his misery.
"No root? But he was supposed to be the one…"
"Heaven has abandoned him!"
"Perhaps the rumors were wrong. He's no son of destiny."
Doubt and confusion spread like wildfire. Even the village chief couldn't help but stumble for a moment. Thankfully, Uncle Bao was nearby to assist him.
"Chief, what do we do with Wei Shun?" asked Uncle Bao, "What if he lashes out? That boy's always been proud."
"Take… take him away for now! Ask Wei Han, go!" the village chief urged them. "And tell the rest to stop talking! Their voices are ringing in my ears to deaf!"
Wei Han immediately stepped forward and tried to encourage his son, his voice trembling.
"Shun'er, don't mind it. Perhaps there was a mistake."
Ming He heard Wei Han's words and immediately rebuked him, "The stone tablet has never been wrong. Are you saying this Daoist's methods are incorrect?!"
Displeased, he released a subtle aura that swept among everyone. The air thickened, forcing the villagers to bow their heads at once.
Wei Shun's eyes regained clarity amidst his confusion, falling to the ground without resistance.
"I will say it once more!" Ming He's voice was louder than ever, a hint of anger behind his tone, "Those that are fated will be taken by me, and those that are not will remain here!"
"Chen Liang, Zhang Yuexin, Ma Cheng, Wei Ling!" he called out the four chosen ones, startling them to stand out.
"Yes… senior!"
"The four of you, I will take with me to Qingquan Hall. You have three hours to pack up and say your goodbyes!" Ming He harrumphed and turned around, swatting his long white robes in a fit and returned to the carriage.
His hands twirled like a snake as the stone tablet was taken away.
With Ming He's absence, the market noise returned, but every whisper carried Wei Shun's name.
Wei Han glared at them while pulling Wei Shun close, shielding him from the stares and whispers.
Not far away, Zhang Yuexin bit her lip. She took half a step forward but froze. The crowd's stares pressed her back, its weight too heavy for her to carry. At that moment, Old Zhao came to her side, his eyes mixed with complicated emotions.
"Xin'er…"
Zhang Yuexin's feelings for Wei Shun were pure, but Old Zhao felt conflicted, wondering if this would rift their relationship apart. He pulled Yuexin out of the square while berating the good-for-nothing villagers who loved to gossip.
The boy's heart was broken just now, and if Wei Shun were to hear more, he might really lash out.
Wei Ling followed her brother back to their house, her body trembling after realizing that her brother was not fated, unlike her. Worse, the talent he should have had belonged to her, not him.
As her younger sister, she couldn't help but blame herself. Her brother was supposed to be chosen, yet now, the stone tablet's stillness dictated his path of immortality being cut off.
On the other hand, Chen Liang wanted to follow them, but his father firmly grasped his shoulder. Chen Liang's father shook his head, a light sigh escaping his mouth.
"Don't bother with him. Wei Shun's talent has already been shown." The scholarly father remarked, "You should spend the time to prepare now. Do not anger the immortal!"
"But father…" Chen Liang wanted to argue, but his father's piercing gaze lost him the courage to talk back.
"I know what you feel inside, but Liang'er, now is not the time. You must focus on this opportunity given to you first, or else all would be naught."
His father waved the fan and walked away, leaving Chen Liang to think things through.
Brother Shun, I'm sorry! I wanted to help you out, but I… alas.
He lowered his head, brows twitching in anger about his helplessness. On the corner of his eyes was Ma Cheng, his face gloating as he stared at Wei Shun's departing figure.
"Ma Cheng, what are you looking at?" Chen Liang looked over and asked.
Ma Cheng combed his hair with his finger and flicked it, "Nothing. I just thought that I should start calling you Brother Liang from now on."
He offered his hand while smugly smiling back at Chen Liang.
Chen Liang swatted Ma Cheng's dirty hands away, disgust shown on his face.
"You don't have to call me brother. Just Chen Liang will be enough."
Then he strode off, catching up to his father. Staying long enough with Ma Cheng would put him in a difficult position, and probably make his Brother Shun misunderstand things between them.
Ma Cheng let out a cold snort and ignored Chen Liang. He walked away in the opposite direction, heading back to his grandmother's house to prepare for their departure.
…
Back at the Wei Family's house, Wei Han guided his son to the table. The tears welling up in Wei Shun's eyes burst out, faint whimpers echoing under the wooden table.
"Shun'er, my son…" Wei Han was left speechless.
Wei Shun's situation was uncontrollable, and nobody expected such a result. All the talk about being heaven's chosen son, only to end up like this.
He wished he could dig a hole and crawl over. Not only was it embarrassing, but it was also too depressing.
Wei Ling arrived and embraced her brother, unsure of what to do or say. She only wanted to share her brother's anguish right now, for she knew that nothing she would do would change what had happened.
"Wei Han, husband, what happened to Shun'er?" Yan Lan, hearing Wei Shun's cries, went over, her heart thumping faster as she neared them.
"Shun'er, he… didn't pass the cultivator's test." Wei Han recounted the events slowly.
Yan Lan listened by the sides, both to Wei Han's explanation and Wei Shun's faint whimpers. After hearing everything, Yan Lan let out a sigh, whether in relief or in distress.
"Shun'er," she called out, reaching to her son's soaked back, "… don't be sad now. Whether you are a cultivator, a martial artist, or a farmer, your mother will always be here for you."
Wei Shun's cries halted, pausing to hear more from her mother's voice.
"Listen, Shun'er. Even if the heavens have forsaken you, me, your father, and Ling'er won't." Yan Lan patted her son's back, her heart filled with tumultuous emotions, "If you want to cry, then cry, but the Shun'er I know doesn't back out so easily. You may have failed today, Ling'er, but tomorrow is another day to try again. Never lose hope, my son."
His mother's words echoed incessantly in his mind.
Never lose hope. That's right! I may not be a cultivator, but I will still, and am, alive!
He breathed deeply, swallowing both his tears and snot. He wiped his face haphazardly, ending up dirtier than before. However, his eyes, though still crestfallen, now had an inkling of determination swelling from within.
Yan Lan, seeing her son pick himself up from depression, felt joyful within. She could only do so much, but she knew that her words were all that Wei Shun might have needed.
Wei Han, on the sides, witnessed the changes in his son. He was tearful hearing his wife's words, for he was once in Wei Shun's place.
Anger. Bitterness. Unacceptance.
That night, the Wei household sat in silence. No one had the appetite to eat, and even the warm soup tasted like ashes on their tongues.
Meanwhile, as part of the children with spiritual roots, Wei Ling was dragged by her mother to prepare for her sudden departure.
She folded and refolded the same plain dress, her small fingers trembling as her hands moved. Beside her lay the ribbon Wei Shun once tied in her hair, frayed at the edges. She pressed it to her chest, biting her lip as tears welled.
Brother Shun, Ling'er will do her best to become a good cultivator!
She swore in her heart before wrapping up a bit more clothes and necessities for her long journey.
The sack was filled to the brim, nearly half her size. It was so heavy she could barely lift it.
To prevent Wei Shun from feeling depressed again, Wei Han voluntarily carried Wei Ling's sack into the marketplace.
Outside the Wei household, Zhang Yuexin lingered under the torchlight. Her hand hovered at the windowsill, trembling, before she lowered it and turned away. Even with roots awakened, she could not gather the courage to face Wei Shun.
Wei Han witnessed her figure walking away, sighing silently from his heart. He knew that Yuexin and Wei Shun's paths would soon diverge, along with their feelings towards one another.
…
"Brother Shun!"
Wei Shun, who dazedly looked at the dusk sky from the window, turned his head upon Wei Ling's call.
"Ling'er, I'm happy for you." He weakly responded, his eyes drooping to the floor.
"Brother Shun, I…!" Wei Ling ran over and hugged him again, wetting his clothes with her tears, "I will come back for you, brother! Ling'er will do her best! If anyone dares to bully brother in the future, Ling'er will teach them a lesson!"
Wei Shun's arms shivered, slowly hugging Wei Ling's trembling body.
"Ling'er, sorry that it has come to this. Brother will wait for you here… I am really happy for you, it's just that…"
"I know, brother. I know! So please stop talking anymore…" Wei Ling cut him off. Before he could say any further, she tiptoed and pressed her lips to his cheek, then rushed outside before he could react.
Wei Shun wanted to follow them, but he was too late. The night had already fallen, and it was too dark outside. He sat on the wooden chair, resigned to his fate and clumsiness.
His mind wandered into her vow that lingered in the room, brighter than the glow of the tablet, heavier than the silence that followed.