Cold winds breezed through Caojing Village, sweeping dust and someone's dream of the immortal path.
Wei Shun woke up on his bed, languidly sprawled like a dead fish. His muddled mind kept replaying the scenes of yesterday, the day he felt he was no different from an ant.
I wonder how Ling'er is doing now.
He shifted his body to the side, thinking about Wei Ling's current circumstances. She might be joyous right now, or maybe she misses her brother after a short while.
"Shun'er, time to get up, child!" Wei Han called out from the kitchen, busily fanning the fire as the broth boiled softly.
He was preoccupied with how to cheer Wei Shun back to his usual fervor.
If this continues, I fear Shun'er won't have the courage to face Ling'er again…
As Wei Han's eyes darted around, he caught sight of the large rabbit hanging from a rack. He hadn't noticed it, but the rabbit seemed larger and more plump than the usual one.
Also, why hadn't Wei Shun processed the meat already?
"Wife, did Shun'er catch this rabbit yesterday?" he asked, his fingers sliding through the smooth fur and skin. Its fur gleamed faintly even after death, and the wound where the arrow struck glimmered with a strange sheen.
"Yes, husband," Yan Lan answered distractedly, tending to the plates and chopsticks, "Shun'er said he was going to sell that for the merchant caravan."
Wei Han raised his eyebrow, wondering if something was wrong with his son. However, since it was Wei Shun's idea, he wasn't going to go against it. He also realized that they were running out of necessities for the upcoming winter, and maybe selling this large piece of a rabbit would surely fetch a reasonable price.
"Is that so?" Wei Han slowly fanned off the fire and stood up.
He heaved a sack lying on the side over his shoulder and slung the rabbit on the other; its weight lighter than the one pressing on his chest.
He looked over at Wei Shun's bed and sighed over his son's lethargic state.
If he won't face the village, then I'll do it for him.
Yan Lan pressed her lips together, worry flickering in her eyes as she watched Wei Han step out into the cold morning air, heading toward the village square.
...
Ming He's arrival disturbed some of the villagers' plans for the caravan, but now that the cultivator had left last night, everyone was bound to return to their old ways.
Well, except for proclaiming Wei Shun as their village's son of destiny.
Gossip about yesterday's events remained a hot topic for everyone. Wei Han ignored them and went over to the stalls where food was bought and sold.
"Brother Wei, that's quite the size of a rabbit," a merchant noticed him and called out, "You should be storing that for winter instead!"
The voice came from Liu Quan, a fat merchant who ran the grain stall at the square. Known for his loose tongue and sharper eyes, he had been in the caravan long enough to know a little of the world beyond Caojing Village.
Liu Quan has been a good friend of Wei Han over the years, and has even seen Wei Shun following him before. However, now, to see only Wei Han alone carrying a large sack and a familiar-looking rabbit, Liu Quan knew that his conversation was bound to be a bit serious today.
"Brother Liu Quan, nice to see you," Wei Han greeted, "Food's not a problem for now in our family, what I need is..."
"Brother Wei Han, I know what you're looking for." Liu Quan, the fat merchant, let out a dry chuckle. Who doesn't know what Wei Han was thinking of?
"I will have to discourage you about that, Brother Wei." Liu Quan shook his head, reminiscing about something in his life, "Countless people have sought the path of an immortal but failed. And those who were desperate for the martial arts fell lower than even those who were talentless."
Wei Han felt his conviction slowly breaking apart upon hearing Liu Quan's words.
"But Brother Liu, Shun'er can't be an immortal. As a father, I still have to strive for him to become better than just a farmer of a land!"
Liu Quan sighed after hearing Wei Han's argument and felt that this stubborn father wouldn't give up unless he knew of the risks themselves.
"Do you really want to let your son go this path, Brother Wei?" he asked again, "Do you even know what kind of rabbit you're holding?"
"Rabbit? What do you mean, Brother Liu?" Wei Han asked, clutching the carcass tighter.
"This is a spirit beast, Brother Wei," Liu Quan whispered, afraid that others might come over and snatch it from Wei Han's grasp, "If it were somebody else, they would have duped you out of this!"
Wei Han gasped and marveled at Wei Shun's luck.
He remembered that spirit beasts were similar to cultivators, blessed by the heavens, and were far superior to the common animal. They weren't so easily seen, and to even hunt one was a challenge in itself.
For Wei Shun to get one at just 12 years old shows just how good and rare his talent was in hunting.
"Brother Liu, does that mean that this spirit beast, this rabbit, will fetch a high price?!"
Liu Quan nodded with furrowed brows.
"Now that you know it is a spirit beast, it's better for you to sell it and use that money for something else! Buy a plot of land, expand your fields, or move your family into a town or city." Liu Quan persuaded, afraid that Wei Han might twist the idea he was promoting, "Look, as a good brother of yours, I'll advise you that selling this spirit beast won't guarantee that your son, Wei Shun, would even get started with it!"
"Should Xiao Shun'er set foot into the path of martial arts, it will be bloody and full of hardships! One day, he might be strong and full of life, and the next day, an arm could be missing!"
Feeling hot all over after all the explaining, Liu Quan flicked his fan and waved it over his fat body.
"Tell me, Brother Wei, who truly wants to live as a crippled half-warrior? Better to stay a farmer than to crawl through Jianghu with broken bones. No matter how much effort Xiao Shun'er puts into martial arts, he will never be as good, powerful, and ethereal as a cultivator!"
A cold shiver ran down Liu Quan's spine, the bulky fat skin trembling like waves on a shoreline.
"I still remember this famous martial artist challenging a cultivator, only to be turned into a meat paste by a single flick of his finger!" Liu Quan raised his finger and followed the same action, "A single flick of his finger!"
His eyes stared deep back at Wei Han, "That's why, Brother Wei, I suggest you do not sell this spirit beast and use it for Xiao Shun'er's martial arts. It's a dead path!"
Wei Han's grip on the spirit beast tightened. If even martial arts was a dead end, then what path remained for his son?