Shen Jintian did not make his choice immediately, and Kang Shanxi did not force him to. Instead, the two shared a dinner of fish and rice, and Shen Xinyu once again refused her brother's hand, this time crawling away to sit beside Kang Shanxi. The two of them could do nothing but smile bitterly between each other at that.
After dinner, Jintian returned to his room, exhaustion having almost made him fall asleep at the dinner table. As he laid in bed, he held his heirloom necklace over his head.
It waved slowly in the air, revealing none of its secrets under Shen Jintian's scrutiny. He sighed, then tucked it back underneath his tunic, and stared up at the ceiling.
His mind sifted through the information he had learned. The implications of it all. And then he thought of his father, his real father, Shen Anjia. He thought of his brother, and of his mother. The simple life they led. The happy peace he had not even known he was never destined to keep.
When he finally fell asleep, it was with tears slipping past the corner of his eyes.
And he dreamed of fire. Of screams.
Of Wu Mingjie.
-
The next few days passed by similarly to the first. He hobbled around the house, supported by a hand on the wall, and at times by Kang Shanxi.
He continued his attempts to connect with Xinyu. Reluctantly, the infant had seemingly realized that the annoying, skinny boy would in fact not be leaving her alone, and began to show him her toys.
Of which Kang Shanxi had spoiled her with plenty.
"Abbubuub." She burbled seriously, waving a small wooden fish in the air towards Jintian. He smiled and nodded, reaching for it, and she snatched it away while staring at him accusingly. He rubbed the back of his head, and then pointed at a wooden frog.
She shook her head slowly.
"Okay, not that one…" Jintian muttered, and then pointed towards a painted doll.
She looked offended that he would even suggest such a thing.
Chuckling, he cycled through pointing at various dolls and animals, each of which was met with a resounding no. Finally, he sighed in exasperation, and pointed at a simple wooden cube.
She looked between it and him for a few moments, before nodding reluctantly.
He laughed, and picked up the cube, waving it in the air. Finally he seemed to have somewhat earned her approval, as she smiled slightly and waved her fish with him, clacking it against his cube.
After a week, Shen Jintian was finally strong enough to walk around the house unaided. However, Kang Shanxi warned him not to overdo it. Then, seemingly worried about the matter, he went out and grabbed a log of wood, about the length between Shen Jintian's feet and just above his waist.
When he brought the wood inside of the house, Xiyun's eyes began to sparkle, and she crawled over to sit next to Kang Shanxi. Curious, Jintian did the same.
"... She tends to like to watch me do this part." The elderly man said, hiding an embarrassed cough with his hand. Jintian tilted his head, as Kang Shanxi then pointed a finger at the log.
Jintian's eyes widened, as he watched the wood itself begin to peel away in layers. In only moments, it had been reduced from about the width of his torso, to thinner than his leg, the wood seeming to simply slide away to reveal a cane beneath it. It was unadorned and simple, but Jintian thought it might have been the most wondrous thing he'd ever seen.
"That's magic?" He asked, his own eyes sparkling just as intensely as Xiyun's when Kang Shanxi handed him the cane. He marveled at the smoothness of its cut, not a single imperfection or errant splinter to be seen.
"That's simple Qi manipulation." Kang Shanxi said, though he couldn't help but hide the pride in his voice. Jintian smiled wryly, looking back towards Xiyun's toys.
He suddenly had a feeling he knew why she had so many…
"Try it out." Kang Shanxi said, and Jintian nodded.
He rose with a grunt, leaning his weight on the cane, and it held without any issues. In fact, the handle of it was perfectly cut for his grip, and he laughed as he tapped it against the floor. Then, he stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look back at Kang Shanxi.
"All of those years I spent cutting firewood…" He trailed off accusingly, and Shanxi harrumphed, standing up and flicking a sleeve.
"Were years you spent well building character and doing your filial duty for your family." He said brusquely. Jintian rolled his eyes, before glancing towards the door. Seeing his expression, Kang Shanxi nodded.
Jintian shuffled toward it, his gait awkward with the cane but his body less strained for it, and hesitantly reached for the door. Then, calming himself with a breath, he slid it open.
Bright sunlight immediately blinded him, and he covered his eyes with a hand as he hobbled out onto the balcony.
The sweet scent of the forest lingered in his nose, a fresh autumn breeze brushing against his skin. The leaves rustled in his ears, casting dancing, canopied shadows along the ground. And when his eyes finally adjusted, he saw spread before him lush, untamed forestry, a small stream babbling beside the house.
The sight of it caused him to sigh emotionally. And then, his eyes drifted towards one spot in particular, his breath catching as he saw a trail of broken stumps just thirty meters away.
He knew almost instinctively, that that was where he and his mother had died.
To see how close they had been to Kang Shanxi's home, to safety, caused a bitter laugh to escape him. It was a sharp, hateful sound, and coming from him it sounded almost pitiable.He clutched his chest, gnashing his teeth as pain and sorrow and rage consumed him again. His heart shuddered agonizingly in his chest, his knuckles going white as the handle of his cane groaned underneath his tightening grasp.
Wu Mingjie. The name was a whisper in his mind, one that he would never allow himself to forget. Wu Mingjie. Wu Mingjie.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by a comforting hand placed on his shoulder. Jintian glanced toward Kang Shanxin, who looked at him in concern.
"You must learn how to control that anger, young Jin." He said quietly. "It will only damage your heart further, and in the worst-case scenario…" He paused, and then shook his head.
Jintian ground his teeth, taking a shuddering breath as he tried to let the anger go. But it refused to leave him, as much a part of him now as the wound in his heart. Still, he managed to regain his clarity, and with one last glance towards the spot of his death, he turned fully towards Kang Shanxi.
"Elder Kang." He said softly, though the resolve in his voice rang with steel. He then bowed his head, clasping his hands over his cane. His decision had been made. "Please teach me cultivation. Please show me the path to Immortality."
Kang Shanxi studied him silently for a few moments, before nodding. "Very well. We can start immediately, if you'd like." He said, his voice low but rumbling with the promise of power.
They walked back through the house, Shen Xiyun watching them curiously. Jintian paused, before smiling and crouching down next to her.
"Yunyun, your big brother is going to become a cultivator." He confided in her, and she furrowed her little brows. Shen Jintian was sure that she was far more intelligent at her age than either he or Xiacheng had been.
She looked down ponderously for a few moments, before silently raising the fish in her hands toward him. He looked down at her, shocked, and when he seemed to be taking too long, she waved it impatiently in the air.
He took it emotionally, and she still refused to look at him, her gaze downturned shyly. Kang Shanxi watched them both, his own eyes wide. And then, strangely, he seemed to pout.
"She doesn't even let me touch her fish, and I made the darn thing…" He grumbled, and Jintian cheered with victory internally. He made sure none of his smugness was visible on his face and pet his sister's wispy hair.
She pushed his hand off her head and scowled up at him, as if telling him not to push it. Chuckling, he tightened his grip on the fish and rose to follow Kang Shanxi once more.
Rather than leading him to the room that he'd been staying in, Kang Shanxi led him further into the house, pushed aside a fur rug to reveal a seamless hatch that opened into a set of stairs.
Looking at Kang Shanxi strangely, the elderly man chuckled. "Go on then, you little rascal." He urged, and Jintiansteeled his nerves and descended the stairs.
It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust, but when they did he realized that he was in a small cave that the house had apparently been built atop of. It was rather small, perhaps just twice around as he was long, but there was a small spring that was pooled in the center of it that was both fed into and drained away by sources he couldn't see. And located within the center of the spring was a small stone platform, just wide enough for someone to sit comfortably atop of.
The air here was cool, and surprisingly fresh. Although dark, there was faintly glowing moss that offered a murky green light to the cave that grew along the walls, and he noticed a ring of bright red mushrooms that he did not recognize in a small corner, as well as several other herbs that he likewise could not name.
When Kang Shanxi had joined him, he looked at him curiously. "What is this? And those plants, they're not native to this region, are they? I don't recognize them." He said, and then realized his voice was too loud for this small of an area.
Kang Shanxi smiled, flicking his sleeve and raising his chin into the air. "This is an Immortal's cave." He said, and then coughed. "Although if any other cultivator were to hear it called such, they would only laugh. Still, it's one of the few pockets of naturally occurring spiritual energy in the mortal realm. It is where I grow my spiritual herbs for my medicines."
Jintian nodded slowly, looking around at the Immortal's cave in a new light. "So an Immortal's cave is…" He began, and Kang Shanxi nodded.
"Any place that either naturally produces Spiritual Energy, like this, or where Spiritual Energy naturally gathers." He confirmed. "And in fact, they do not necessarily have to be caves. A meadow in a forest, a lagoon, a particular spot atop of a mountain can also fulfill these conditions. However, they do tend to be caves. There's much debate on why-" He then coughed, covering his mouth with his sleeve. "Apologies, young Jin. None of that is relevant to you right now. All you need to know is that, while pathetic, this is an Immortal's cave."
Jintian smiled wryly. He would have gladly listened to his Elder's explanation, but had the feeling the topic was something he was quite passionate about. "So what do I do, Elder?" He asked, and Kang Shanxi's expression settled.
"First, take off your tunic and sit down on the platform there." He said, gesturing to the spring. Jintian scratched the back of his head, looking down at his tunic in confusion. Still, he did as his elder said, and soon felt goosebumps ripple along his skin as the cool air brushed against him. He shivered, before obediently stepping over the gap of the spring to sit upon the platform.
Nodding, Kang Shanxi then instructed Jintian on the correct meditation pose to assume. "In truth, once you reach the first circle of Qi Condensation, you can assume any position thatsuits you most comfortably. But most begin with this."
Jintian nodded, resting his elbows on his knees and extending his arms outward. He sat with his back straight, and his thumb and pointer fingers connected together into a circle, his other fingers curled slightly. Satisfied, Kang Shanxi nodded.
"Now, you must know what Spiritual Energy is. In truth, there are three sources of Spiritual Energy. Medicinal, Earthly, and Heavenly." He began, reaching into his sleeve and extracting three incense sticks.
Seeing them, Jintian felt his body stiffen as he suddenly remembered his chance encounter with the fortune teller in Chenghe. He trembled slightly, before shaking his head. That could wait until later. Pushing the thought away, he refocused his attention on Kang Shanxi.
"Medicinal is exactly what it sounds like, and is what we will be using to assist in your first step of cultivation." He continued. "It is Spiritual Energy created by extracting properties of different spiritual plants and, in some cases, alchemical regents of spirit beasts." Seeing Jintian's attention peak, he chuckled. "We'll get to that another time. Now, medicinal spiritual energy is not inherently better or worse than the other two. However, if the medicinal spiritual energy you consume is of poor quality, it can lead to blockages in your meridians, which will result in slowed Qi flow. In the worst case, it can permanently damage your future growth. So, when consuming spiritual medicine, it must be of mid-grade or higher."
He expressed this point gravely, and Jintian nodded to show he understood. Satisfied, Kang Shanxi produced an incense stand and placed one of the sticks upon it. He then waved a finger over the incense, and it began to smolder, taking only moments to fill the cave with its tangy smoke.
"I'll explain the other two energies later as well. For now, breathe exactly as I do." Kang Shanxi instructed, assuming a similar pose to Jintian. Jintian felt a flaring guilt as he glanced at his Elder's empty sleeve.
Kang Shanxi snorted. "Do not allow empty distractions to enter your mind." He scolded, and Jintian nodded, closing his eyes.
He breathed in, and out, following Kang Shanxi's instructions. In through the nose, deeply enough to allow the air to flow through him. Pulling it downwards into his center, before fully exhaling, slowly and controlled.
"As you breathe, clear your mind." Kang Shanxi said quietly. "You should feel your muscles aching after a short time, if you are doing it correctly. The body rejects Spiritual Energy, at first. It is pure, while your body is impure. Forcing the two to mix is effort, and effort is progress."
Jintian nodded, and just as Shanxi had said, soon his muscles began to ache. He continued, and so too did Shanxi. "This process will take time. Your body must become acclimated to being submerged within Spiritual Energy. For some, it can take months. But as you focus, attempt to visualize you pulling the very energy of the world around you into your body. Eventually, you will be able to sense it, and then we can-"
Xanshi was interrupted as Jintian cried out, an agony slicing through his heart that immediately made his entire body contort. Shanxi rushed forward and held him, as Jintian ground his teeth and screwed his eyes shut, his fists clenched so tightly his nails drew blood from where they dug into his palms.
When the fit passed, Jintian opened his eyes, panting and with his body soaked in sweat. Kang Shanxi ensured the youth could sit on his own, before sighing.
"I feared this might happen." He admitted, and Jintianlooked at him with wide eyes.
"Feared what would happen?" He retorted. "It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest all over again!"
Kang Shanxi nodded, smoothing out the front of his robe and shaking his head. "It would seem the calamity sent by Heaven was more thorough than we thought. Due to the damage to your heart meridian, cultivation for you is… while not impossible, it is going to be several magnitudes more difficult and grueling."
Jintian laughed at that, the absurdity of it, the cruelty, causing tears to blink to his eyes. He angrily scrubbed them away, before gritting his teeth. "So the Heavens wish me to die, then?" He asked, venom in his voice. He settled into his meditative position again. "They want to prevent me from cultivating?"
Kang Shanxi looked at him with wide eyes, as Jintian glared hatefully at the ceiling. There was a madness in his gaze, a vile fury that caused Shanxi to shiver.
He had lived many years. Having reached a failed Foundation Establishment, he had also been part of many of his own bitter battles, and yet, he had not seen hatred such as that he sensed from Jintian in this moment.
"You kill my family? You orphan my sister? You want to prevent me from even trying to live?" He snarled, screwing his eyes shut. "Fine, then. Let it be this way. I hereby swear an oath against Heaven. I will visit such hatred upon you, such terrible destruction, that my name will be a curse in your mouth."
Kang Shanxi should have laughed, then. To hear such preposterous words from the mouth of a boy who had not even a foot on the path to Immortality should have been the best joke he had ever heard in his life. And yet, in that moment, he instead felt a cold shiver tingling down his spine.
Because he believed him.
Looking at Jintian, he watched him resume his meditation, completely tuned away from the outside world. He watched him shiver, tense, and sweat and grimace and clench his teeth so hard Shanxi could hear them creaking inside of his mouth.
But he never stopped meditating.
Kang Shanxi took a deep breath, before looking up towards the Heavens. If they had heard the boy's oath, they should have taken it seriously.
Because he would severely pity them if they didn't.