Three days ago, when Sui Sui was out in the forest gathering common materials to refine low-level energy pills, he stumbled upon a boy, no older than six or seven; he lied collapsed beneath a tree. The child's name, he would later learn, was "Long Yizhou"
At that moment, the boy was barely conscious. Blood streamed from a wound on his head, matting his soft black hair, and some parts of his clothes were torn and caked with dirt. He looked like he had been running for his life. His tiny frame trembled with every shallow breath.
At that time Sui Sui froze at the sight. His heart thudded wildly.
Though he had lived in this cultivation world for eight years now, he had come from the modern world: one where such bloody scenes were rarely seen outside of movies or the news. And even though he did live here for eight years, he was still just a low-level disciple who had hardly left the sect grounds. A sight like this left him momentarily stunned.
Snapping out of his daze, Sui Sui rushed forward and crouched beside the boy. The first thing he did was check if the child was still breathing. When he felt the faint warmth of breath against his fingers, he let out a sigh of relief.
Quickly, he retrieved some clean cloths from his Qiankun pouch and pressed them gently against the bleeding wound. His movements were careful and steady and he didn't dare press too hard, afraid he might worsen the injury.
Once the bleeding had slowed, Sui Sui finally had the presence of mind to consider his next move. He knew his meager knowledge of healing arts wasn't nearly enough for this boy. And after a moment of hesitation, he decided to seek help from the person nearest to him; His Lian-Shishu.
However, just as he prepared to stand up, a faint tug on his sleeve stopped him.He blinked and looked down. At some point, the little boy seemed to have regained his consciousness.
"Hey, kid, you awake? Can you stand?" Sui Sui asked softly, leaning down to inspect him. "Wait here for a bit, I'll look for someone to help you."
"No... don't go," the boy whispered.
His voice was faint, barely a breath, but it carried a trembling weight that made Sui Sui pause. The child's tone was soft, high-pitched, unmistakably childlike. His cheeks still held a hint of baby fat, making his pale and bloodstained face appear heartbreakingly small. He looked like he was trying hard not to cry.
"I'll be quick. Just wait here for a bit, okay?" Sui Sui tried to reassure him, his voice gentle.
"No, no, Don't tell anyone" the boy said again, voice cracking with emotion as he clutched weakly at Sui Sui's sleeve, almost pleading. "no one should know I'm here"
This time, Sui Sui frowned. "Who can't know?"
"Those bad people... If they find out I'm here... they'll kill me," the boy said, his chest heaving slightly, "Then they'll kill all of you... too."
Sui Sui's breath caught in his throat. His mind reeled. Did I just stumble into something dangerous?
"But... I'm only a low-level cultivator. I can't treat your injuries. If I don't get help, it'll get worse," Sui Sui said, unsure of what else to do.
"It's fine," the boy murmured. "I have life-saving pills... in my Qiankun pouch. Please find it for me... I think I dropped it nearby..."
Sui Sui hadn't seen any pouch on the boy's body. But hearing the urgency in the child's trembling voice, he didn't hesitate. He glanced around and followed the faint trail of blood that led deeper into the forest.
Not long after, half-buried beneath fallen leaves and dirt, he spotted a small, dirty blue Qiankun pouch. He picked it up and quickly ran back.
Sui Sui handed over the pouch, and the boy's eyes lit up faintly. With trembling fingers, he pulled out a jade bottle and took out a single pill. The pill glowed with a vibrant green hue that practically shimmered in the sunlight. Sitting upright with difficulty, the boy placed the pill into his mouth and closed his eyes to meditate.
Half a minute passed. Right before Sui Sui's eyes, the wounds on the boy's body began to vanish at an astonishing speed. The gash on his head closed up, and the bruises faded as if they had never existed.
Sui Sui stared in disbelief.
Just from the vivid, almost luminous green hue of the pill, he could tell it was a high-level healing pill.
Such pills were exceedingly rare in the Middle Realm, for several reasons.
First, there simply weren't many high-level alchemists on the continent capable of refining pills of this grade. Crafting one required not only expert control over spiritual fire and precise qi manipulation, but also years of accumulated knowledge and experience.
Second were the ingredients themselves; most were high-grade spiritual herbs that were nearly impossible to cultivate, or materials obtained from powerful spirit beasts that were difficult to subdue.
Because of this, high-level pills were usually monopolized by major sects or noble clans, He Huan Sect also had a few pills like that, but it could only be counted in one hand. Even among them, they were reserved only for key disciples or those with significant status. Ordinary cultivators, especially low-level ones like Sui Sui, would be lucky to even see one in their lifetime.
And now, this severely injured boy, no older than six or seven, had casually taken one from his own pouch.
Sui Sui's gaze flickered to the child's face again, taking in the faint traces of noble bearing hidden beneath the dirt and blood.
This boy... who exactly was he?
Recalling the boy's earlier words
"If they find out I'm here, they'll kill me... then they'll kill all of you."
Sui Sui felt a chill creep up his spine.
He had definitely stepped into something far more serious than he'd anticipated.
Footnotes:
Qiankun Pouch - This is usually used in most Cultivation novels, it's a bag that contains a separate Spaces, it can store any non-living items.
Alchemists - Cultivator who specialises in making pills