Five years later
Qiao Lianxi's brows creased with strain as she fought to clear the copious impurities weighing down her body. Seated cross-legged on a polished stone slab, she was as still as a statue, while her mind combed relentlessly through her dantian and meridians, expelling as much of the dark filth as she could.
The pain was excruciating, all the more so because she had just taken Master Gao's Bone Clearing Pill. Yet despite her young age, the girl possessed a fierce determination and an iron will. She endured until the pain became truly unbearable and she coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. Her breathing had grown ragged, so she slowly withdrew from her cultivation state.
The moment she opened her eyes, she met a pair of wise cobalt eyes and was startled for a moment. As always, Master Gao gave off a powerful presence, standing with his back perfectly straight, his long white hair fluttering in the wind.
"Master, you're back!" she called in a soft, feeble voice.
She tried to rise and bow, but the old man lifted a hand to stop her. "You're exhausted. Focus on recovering your strength."
Master Gao was always strict, at times almost harsh. Lianxi had learned early on that he expected quick understanding and prompt obedience, so she nodded once without argument.
Only then did she notice the state of her skin. It was blackened by the impurities her body had expelled, a greasy, unpleasant layer that gave off a foul stench. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and she glanced away self-consciously.
"I'll go wash up," she said in a tiny voice, and quickly got to her feet.
"Xiao Xi."
Lianxi turned back. "Yes, Master?"
"You don't need to push yourself this hard. You're still young. You have time."
A soft smile graced her face, which remained exquisite even smeared with filth. "Thank you for your concern, Master. But I promise I'm not exceeding my limits. I want to do it this way, and I can bear it."
When Master Gao had first given her the Bone Clearing Pill a few days ago, he had warned her that the process was particularly painful and advised her to simply rest while it took effect. Cultivating while the pill worked would make it far more effective, but it would also make the pain ten times worse. Naturally, Lianxi had chosen the latter.
Her eyes shone with determination. "I want to reclaim everything I've lost. And more than anything, I want Master to be proud of me."
The old man let out a soft laugh. "I'm already proud of my good disciple. You've surpassed all my expectations."
Her smile widened. "Then I have to keep it up and can't slack off no matter what!" Just then, the foul smell hit her again, and her nose scrunched. "I'll be going now."
Master Gao watched her small figure disappear between the trees, a helpless look in his eyes. The child's mental maturity far surpassed her age. She was solely focused on growing stronger and showed no interest in playing or enjoying life like other children. Perhaps he had been too strict in training her, or perhaps it was because of what she had suffered. Either way, no matter what he said, she refused to change.
He shook his head and walked slowly toward the wooden house. The humble hut he had once lived in had been expanded into a cozy home after he took Lianxi in. The land around it had been cleared to make room for her training, and a barrier stretching several miles kept the beasts away. Over the years, the reclusive old man had grown to care deeply for the little girl.
✦ ✦ ✦
In a perfectly hidden corner of the Balzamia Forest, sunlight glittered over the gentle ripples of a picturesque lake.
Lianxi was rather particular about cleanliness, so she scrubbed herself several times before she was satisfied. By the time she had dressed and knelt at the water's edge to wring out her hair, the girl reflected on the surface looked like another person entirely.
Her long dark hair, fine as silk, shimmered with a faint purple sheen in the sunlight. Beneath long lashes was a pair of rare violet eyes that sparkled like gemstones. Even at seven years old, her delicate features were so lovely that anyone who saw her would be convinced she would one day grow into a peerless beauty.
Lianxi paid her reflection no mind. Her thoughts were elsewhere.
These hours of meridian cleansing were taxing on her body, but the results were good. She could already feel spiritual qi flowing more smoothly through her. At this pace, she should be able to clear all the impurities from her meridians within three months, and her cultivation speed would improve considerably.
Though Lianxi had been born with outstanding talent, her dantian had been crippled when that talent was torn away. By all rights, she should have remained that way forever, never able to cultivate. Fortunately, Master Gao had taken her in. On top of being a powerful cultivator, he possessed extraordinary skill in medicine and pill refining. He was a genius who seemed to have mastered every art, and Lianxi felt endless admiration for him.
Master Gao had poured tremendous effort into nursing her back to health and helping her dantian recover. She had suffered from weak health for years, and only two years ago had she recovered enough to begin cultivating. Even so, many flaws remained in her dantian. For all her hard work, her progress was below average.
Her mood began to sink. Then she shook off those thoughts, tied back her damp hair, and headed back to the wooden house with purpose.
✦ ✦ ✦
Several hours later, Lianxi stood before Master Gao's door and knocked hesitantly. "Master? May I have a moment of your time?"
"Come in," came the old man's gruff voice.
Master Gao sat cross-legged on a straw mat, his eyes fixed on the book before him.
Lianxi bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. I only wanted to ask… is there any other way for me to advance faster?"
He regarded her probingly and didn't answer right away, so she went on. "My meridians have cleared considerably, but I can't sense much change in my cultivation speed."
"That's to be expected," Master Gao replied calmly. "Even though your dantian has recovered, it's still riddled with cracks and fissures. On top of that, the dark ritual left too many impurities in your body. The Bone Clearing Pill can purify your meridians, but it can't cleanse your dantian."
"Then what can I do?" Her voice turned despairing.
"As I said, give it time to heal naturally. If you keep up your current pace, your dantian should return to normal in ten years."
Lianxi shook her head vehemently. "That's too late! In ten years, my half-sister will have advanced so far. She has my heavenly dantian while I have a broken one. It'll be impossible to surpass her by then. I might not even reach the pinnacle of cultivation before I die."
"No one can say who will reach the highest peak first," Master Gao said. "The world of cultivation has always been unpredictable. You might stumble upon a treasure or an inheritance that greatly boosts your strength."
"I don't want to rely on something so uncertain," Lianxi mumbled. "If Master knows a way, please tell me. I'm willing to work even harder."
She didn't like depending on something like luck. If she truly had luck, her talent wouldn't have been stolen when she was too small to defend herself. She preferred to believe that hard work would always bear fruit.
Master Gao studied her cryptically. "Why are you so desperate to be the strongest?"
The question made her feel rather awkward. "It's not that I want to be the strongest. I just…"
"You want revenge on those who hurt you?"
His words dragged her back to that night.
She had been very young, and much of it was blurred. But some fragments had never faded, returning to her in nightmares again and again. Her stepmother leading her by the hand to a strange room, saying a doctor would examine her there. The man in the dark cape. The markings on the floor. Lianxi had sensed something was wrong, but she had trusted her stepmother, so she stayed.
Su Yao had never shown her the love she lavished on Qiao Yue'er, but she had never mistreated her either. Then the ritual began, and the pain came. Lianxi had reached out to the only mother she had ever known, but Su Yao's eyes remained fixed on Qiao Yue'er. When the woman finally glanced her way, there was nothing but loathing in her gaze.
That was the moment Lianxi understood she had never been wanted.
She was quiet for several seconds. Then she shook her head resolutely. "It's true that I hate my stepmother for what she did to me. But I don't care about revenge. I want to face them again and obtain justice."
Master Gao raised an eyebrow. "Justice?"
Lianxi nodded firmly. "Their evil deeds should be exposed so that justice can be served. Fairness is the righteous way… the law of heaven. That's all I want."
The corners of the old man's lips lifted slightly, and he looked pleased. "You truly have a maturity beyond even many learned adults. And you possess extraordinary intelligence. You will surely climb very high in this life."
"Master flatters me," Lianxi said demurely.
"As for your earlier question… I do know of a way for you to recover faster."
Her eyes widened. "Truly?"
"However, it is extremely dangerous. There's a high chance you could lose your life. First, you will need to pass several tests. If you succeed, I'll tell you about the method."
Resolve hardened in Lianxi's gaze. "Thank you, Master. I'll do everything in my power to pass them."
"We'll see." Master Gao patted the mat beside him. "Now come sit. I'll teach you some more advanced medical skills."
Lianxi eagerly went over and spent the next several hours in deep focus, absorbing everything her master had to teach.