The biting wind of the Ashfall Slums was Li Xiao's constant companion, a frigid whisper against his torn robes and the hollowness of his belly. At fifteen, his life was a cycle of scrounging through the trash heaps of Jinshi City, seeking scraps of metal, forgotten trinkets, or the occasional half-eaten bun. He was an ash picker, one of the countless forgotten children clinging to the fringes of the prosperous realm of the Azure Dragon Empire. His only possessions were the tattered clothes on his back, a worn wooden comb, and a small, smooth river stone he'd found years ago that was cool and comforting to the touch.
Unlike the other pickers, who often fought with snarling ferocity over a meager find, Li Xiao moved with a quiet, almost scholarly intensity. His eyes, though often shadowed by hunger, held an unusual depth, missing nothing. He observed the grand carriages of noble families, the swaggering disciples of minor cultivation sects, and the intricate dances of merchants in the bustling markets beyond the slum's edge. He knew he was different; not just weaker, but possessing an innate curiosity, a thirst for understanding that went beyond mere survival.
Today, however, even his quiet determination was tested. A freezing harsh winter had swept through, freezing the scraps solid and driving the city's beggars into a frenzy. Li Xiao had found nothing of use since dawn. His stomach rumbled with hunger that was ignored as usual. He shivered, pulling his thin torn robe tighter, its old fabric offering no comfort against the deadly cold.
As he rummaged near the back alley of an old alchemist's shop, a sudden tremor shook the ground. A low, guttural roar of a beast echoed from the direction of the city's outer wall, which was followed by screams and cries for help. Panic erupted and people scrambled, tripping over each other, their faces contorted with fear.
"Demonic beasts!" someone shrieked, the word a felt heavy on the already freezing air. "The wall has fallen!!! ".
Li Xiao's heart slammed against his chest. Demonic beasts were rare within the strongly fortified Jinshi City as they were usually dealt with by the city guard or the local cultivation sects before they could cause significant damage. For them to reach the slums meant something has gone terribly wrong. He saw a mother clutching her child, falling to the ground only to be trampled by the paniced crowd. He heard the tearing of flesh, the beast was getting closer.
He instinctively hid into a narrow gap between two broken shacks, pressing himself against the cold, damp stone. From his hiding spot, he peered out. What he saw made his blood run cold. A large hulking figure of Dire Wolf walked along the path its fur matted with mud and blood, its eyes glowing with green light of hatered, it had torn through a makeshift stall, scattering its contents. Its jaws dripped with saliva and let out another terrifying roar, sending splinters of wood flying. It was a beast with cultivation of the Mortal Body Tempering level, perhaps even closer to Qi Gathering, far beyond anything the common guards could handle alone.
Suddenly azure light flashed and a young man, no older than twenty appeared cloaked in the elegant robes of the Verdant Cloud Sect leaping over the shacks. In his hand he held a gleaming sword that hummed with spiritual energy. "Evil beast!" the disciple who was known as Young Master Lin from a famous local clan, roared, his voice resonating with cultivated power. "You dare tresspass on Jinshi City!"
Gracefully the young master moved towards the beast his movements were swift and precise. He emitted the aura of someone in Qi Gathering realm.His spiritual energy visible as a faint aura surrounding his blade. The Dire Wolf was clearly outmatched. Lin's sword flashed and blood scattered all around the ground.
Li Xiao watched, mesmerized. He had never seen a cultivator so close tangled in a battle. The power, the elegance, the control. He felt like watching a divine being move amongst mortals. His beating heart filled with desire, a desperate yearning that he hadn't known existed, took place within him. He wanted that power. He wanted to be able to protect, to fight, to not be just another piece of ash in the wind.
The fight ended as quickly as it started. Young Master Lin, with a final blow impaled the Dire Wolf through its heart. The beast thrashed letting out a final, pained whimper before collapsing into stillness. A cheer erupted from the few brave souls who had stayed to watch from a safe distance. Young Master Lin, whose breath was slightly haggered wiped a drop of blood from his cheek, his gaze sweeping over the relieved but still wary slum dwellers.
He saw Li Xiao who was still hidden in the shadows eyes wide with a mixture of awe and determination. Young Master Lin simply nodded curtly, someghing unreadable flickered in his gaze before turning to assess the damage and organize the cleanup. For him, it was a routine task and a minor inconvenience.
But for Li Xiao, it was a life changing experience. He felt a tremor, not from the earth, but from deep within his own spirit. He had always been told that cultivation was for the privileged, for those with spiritual roots and noble blood. But seeing Young Master Lin, witnessing the tangible force of spiritual energy, planted a seed of impossible hope.
As the commotion died down, Li Xiao carefully emerged from his hiding place. He looked at the dead Dire Wolf, then at the retreating figure of Young Master Lin. His gaze then fell upon a small, glowing object lying half-buried in the dirt where the wolf had fallen. It was a shard, barely the size of his thumb, shimmering with an ethereal, greenish light, pulsating faintly. It must have been dislodged during the fight.
Curiosity took over him. Li Xiao knelt and picked the glimmering shard. It was warm to touch and was humming with a subtle energy that resonated with the smooth river stone in his pocket. As his fingers closed around the shard he felt a faint, almost imperceptible surge of warmth spread through his palm, traveling up his arm. It was a feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced it was not pain, not cold, but a subtle vibration and a silent but hungry whisper of power.
He quickly pocketed the shard while his heart was thrumming with a new kind of excitement and hope. He didn't know what it was, but he knew instinctly that this was not just a discarded piece of junk. It was a glimmer, a tiny, improbable spark in the ash filled void of his life. And for the first time, Li Xiao felt a faint stirring of destiny, a path that might lead him far beyond the Ashfall Slums.