"Yu Shidi! What are you really doing?" Da Shixiong shouted, his voice full of worry and anger. His face, already red, showed even more displeasure as he pulled Yu Shidi's hands away from the small rabbits.
Yu Lingyu only grinned, his voice a bit scratchy. "What? Did I do something bad, Da Shixiong?" he teased, his eyes shining with mischief.
The older boy standing in front of him looked even angrier. Dressed in brown-and-white robes tied with a golden belt, Da Shixiong glared sharply. His long sword hung at his back, and his usually gentle eyes were now narrowed in frustration. His eyebrows were drawn together tightly, clearly thinking about what to do with his naughty Shidi.
"A crime? Isn't hunting rabbits during the day a crime?" he asked, voice shaking with disbelief. Yu Shidi was dirty from head to toe, definitely not how a student of their proper and clean sect should look.
Even though Yu Lingyu was just nine years old, he looked unusually handsome. His light brown eyes had the shape of a phoenix, and his face was striking. But his talents in cultivation were poor. If he wasn't related to their Shizun by blood, he might've already been kicked out of the sect.
"I didn't hunt them," Yu Lingyu muttered, with a little smugness in his voice. He seemed to know that Da Shixiong wouldn't punish him today. "I was just playing," he said again, his eyes still full of mischief.
Wei Yunhe, who was usually calm and patient, felt a vein twitch on his forehead. He could almost throw this troublemaker off the mountain. Yu Lingyu was always making trouble and embarrassing the name of the sect.
The Wen Sect was a great and powerful sect hidden deep in the tall Tianmen Mountains. It was called "Tianmen Wen" with pride. Each of its five peaks was home to powerful teachers and talented students. Wei Yunhe was the Jewel of Jun Peak, known for his calm nature and good heart. Even though Jun Peak had weaker students compared to the other peaks, no one dared look down on Wei Yunhe. But now, this little troublemaker was ignoring him without a care.
"Yu Lingyu!" Wei Yunhe shouted, using his full name.
The little boy, startled by his full name booming through the air, released the rabbits by their ears, watching unhappily with a pout as they hopped away. Because he just doesn't want to upset his da shixiong again.
Besides, no matter what, he will catch those rabbits again.
Jun Peak sat in the middle of beautiful mountains. It had thick forests and stunning views. There were more than fifteen hot springs, and many types of rare herbs grew there. The student homes were strong and pretty, and they always had enough food and water. But even with all this, most students hadn't learned even the basics of qi cultivation. Only Wei Yunhe had reached the core formation stage at such a young age, an amazing thing.
"Come with me. Look at you, you're all dirty," Wei Yunhe sighed, pulling his playful Shidi by the hand. Even though he was angry, he remembered Yu Lingyu's sad past and didn't want to scold him too harshly.
Surprisingly, Yu Lingyu followed him quietly like a curious little puppy. He cleaned himself up and changed into fresh clothes, going from messy to neat in just a short time. "There," Wei Yunhe said with a small laugh, tightening the belt around Yu Lingyu's waist. A piece of hair had fallen out of place, so he gently fixed it, making the moment feel almost like a family scene.
He blew on a hot bowl of meat stew and fed it to Yu Lingyu carefully. At that moment, he looked more like a loving mother than a serious Da Shixiong.
The room was quiet, the only sound coming from the fire. After a while, Yu Lingyu softly said, "Da Shixiong?"
His small room wasn't fancy like the ones higher up the mountain, but it had its own charm by the cliffside. It used to be messy with bird nests and drawings all over the floor, but now it was clean. Yu Lingyu knew who to thank for that, his Da Shixiong.
He didn't really understand feelings. They were like a fog he couldn't see through. But something was stirring inside him. He didn't know what to call the warmth in his chest, or the tight feeling in his heart. He didn't know what "love" or "pain" meant. But he knew one thing, he owed everything to his Da Shixiong.
"Thanks," Yu Lingyu said, shyly and awkwardly. Wei Yunhe smiled warmly. Yu Lingyu had said thank you before, but this one felt different. It came from the heart. Just like that, all of Wei Yunhe's anger disappeared.
"Good boy," he chuckled, giving him the last spoonful of stew. Then he stood up. "Time for bed now, little rabbit. Sleep well, no worries."
Yu Lingyu wanted to complain. The sun hadn't even set yet! And didn't Jun Peak usually sleep at ten and wake up at seven? That was the routine everyone followed. But when he saw the worry on Wei Yunhe's face, he didn't argue. He knew he wouldn't win this time.
"Hmph," he grunted, pretending to agree. As Wei Yunhe ruffled his hair and left, a sly smile appeared on Yu Lingyu's face. The sleepy act had worked. He wasn't planning to sleep at all. He was going to catch those rabbits tonight.
***
He peeked outside to check if anyone was around. When everything was clear, he quietly put on his shoes and left the cabin. The sunset lit the sky in red and orange. With a small bag over his shoulder, Yu Lingyu ran through empty paths, passing the beautiful cabins hidden among trees. His cabin was close to the cliff, the best spot on Jun Peak.
By now, all the students should at training. Yu Lingyu, feeling both nervous and excited, moved through the shadows carefully. His feet made no sound. The lower forest called to him, full of mystery and adventure.
He had to catch a rabbit today. Tomorrow was Wei Yunhe's fifteenth birthday. Yu Lingyu wanted to give him a rabbit as a gift. He had almost caught one earlier, but Wei Yunhe showed up and scolded him. Even though Wei Yunhe loved rabbits, he was mad when he saw Yu Lingyu playing roughly with them. So now, Yu Lingyu was determined to catch the smallest and cutest one.
He would find the fluffiest little cub, the kind Wei Yunhe would never want to let go. Even though Wei Yunhe loved rabbits, he didn't have one of his own. Today, he wouldn't fail. Tomorrow, Wei Yunhe would smile brighter than the sun.
Yu Lingyu hurried into the forest. It was getting darker by the minute. He dropped his bag near the entrance and placed some traps, not going too far in, since rabbits usually stayed near the edge.
But who knew rabbits could be so tough? Yu Lingyu caught a rare golden cub without a problem, but the little thing bit his hand and ran off into the forest.
Yu Lingyu didn't give up. No way! He ran after the golden rabbit as the forest grew darker. Soon, the rabbit disappeared, and Yu Lingyu was alone in the black woods.
The trees looked strange in the dark, and strange sounds came from every corner. Creatures moved around, some harmless, some not. Dangerous snakes could be hiding nearby.
Still, Yu Lingyu wasn't scared. He didn't even notice the blood dripping from his leg.
The moonlight came through the trees like a shy spotlight. Yu Lingyu kept walking, searching for the golden cub. He knew he had to be back before ten, when the seniors checked each cabin. If anyone were missing, it would be a big problem. And if Wei Yunhe found out… Yu Lingyu could already imagine him panicking and searching the whole night.
With no rabbit in sight, Yu Lingyu fell into a patch of plants, using his arms as a pillow. The moon peeked through the branches above him.
He started humming a tune he made up on the spot, something silly and playful, but something about it struck a chord. It felt strangely familiar, like a whisper from a forgotten dream. He racked his brain like a dog chasing its tail, trying to place the tune, but it remained elusive. It hummed in his memory, just out of reach, a phantom music box playing a forgotten song.
Then, a golden shadow darted past him.
Yu Lingyu's eyes lit up. He jumped to his feet and chased it, not caring about the branches scratching his skin or how many times he fell. He didn't feel any pain, even though his leg was bleeding and swollen from a snake bite.
"Ah…" he stopped, suddenly feeling dizzy. Everything around him started spinning. He tried to hold his head, but his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground.
The snake's poison was moving through his body, getting closer to his heart with every shaky breath. Unlike others who had Qi to protect them, nine-year-old Yu Lingyu had no shield against its poison. If help didn't reach him soon, the creeping darkness would swallow him whole.
He lay face down on the ground, holding his head tightly as pain throbbed through his skull. He bit his lip so hard that he could taste blood. His skin looked pale, almost ghostly. The forest, which was full of sounds just moments ago, had gone completely quiet, as if the trees and animals were watching, waiting to see what would happen.
The little ball of fur stopped when it noticed Yu Lingyu was no longer chasing it. Its tiny nose twitched as it sniffed the air, then it slowly walked back to him. It could smell the venom. It could feel the pain.
The cub circled around him, nervous and unsure. In its eyes, Yu Lingyu was just a loud, annoying kid. But now, something felt wrong. The cub started to feel guilty. If it hadn't run into the forest, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
It curled up close to him, gently pressing its soft body against his side. It sniffed him again, as if hoping it could somehow take the pain away.