At noon the next day, Han Li made his way down the mountain.
The sun beat down harshly, but he didn't seem to mind. Strapped to his back was a bundle of firewood nearly as tall as he was. In his arms, held tight against his chest, was a small pile of red sugarberries. His little sister's favorite.
He didn't know it yet, but while he was out in the woods, a visitor had arrived at his home.
A man who would completely change his life.
The man was his third uncle.
Not just some distant relative, they shared the same blood. According to what his parents often said, this uncle had left the village long ago and now worked in a restaurant in a nearby town. Not just as a cook or cleaner either. He had climbed high. He was the head manager. In this entire generation of the Han family, he was the only one who had made something of himself.
Han Li had only seen him a few times in his life. But his impression was strong.
It was thanks to this uncle that Han Li's oldest brother had been able to become a blacksmith's apprentice in town. It was also him who secretly sent food and coins back to the family when times got too rough. He never said much when he visited, but everyone in the house respected him deeply. Han Li included.
To his parents, the eldest son was already a source of pride. A proper blacksmith apprentice, earning silver each month, with the promise of more once he mastered the trade. When his name came up, their tired eyes would brighten. Even Han Li, young as he was, understood what that meant. He wanted that too, his own trade, his own future.
And maybe, just maybe, a way out.
So when he returned and saw the familiar figure in new clothes, a round face and warm smile waiting for him at the door, Han Li knew immediately, it was third uncle.
He dropped the firewood, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully.
"Good afternoon, Third Uncle."
Then he stood to the side, quiet and still, listening as the adults talked.
His uncle gave him a long look and smiled, tossing out a few kind words: "Well-mannered," "sensible," "mature for his age." Then he turned back to speak to Han Li's parents.
Han Li didn't catch everything his uncle said. A lot of the words were too formal, too adult.
But he got the important part.
Third Uncle worked at a restaurant in town, but not just any restaurant. It was owned by a martial sect called the Seven Mysteries Sect.
Han Li had heard the name before.
In the nearby towns and villages, this sect was famous. They were said to be powerful, with disciples who knew martial arts, cultivation, and secret techniques. People whispered about them the way kids whispered about ghosts: afraid, but fascinated.
The sect had two branches: inner disciples, who trained in martial and mystical arts, and outer disciples, who ran the businesses, farms, and inns that supported the sect.
Third Uncle had just recently been promoted to an outer disciple.
And now, for the first time ever, he was allowed to recommend someone to take the entrance trial, a rare recruitment exam held once every five years for children between the ages of seven and twelve.
He had no children of his own.
But he had Han Li.
Han Li's father sat silent for a long time, puffing on his bamboo pipe. He'd always been cautious, especially when he heard words like sect, martial world, or jianghu. It sounded like the kind of place where trouble was guaranteed.
But when Third Uncle mentioned that inner disciples didn't just train for free, they were given silver each month, his father's eyes lit up.
Even outer disciples could earn a living, he said. Han Li didn't need to become a great cultivator. Just getting accepted was already a win.
Han Li's father hesitated, then finally gave a slow nod.
That was all Third Uncle needed. He beamed, leaving a few taels of silver behind, enough to feed the family better for the next few weeks and promised to return before the exam.
He even ruffled Han Li's hair and told him to eat more, sleep well, and build up his strength. He'd need it.
Han Li didn't understand everything, but he understood enough.
He was going to the city.
He was going to take a test for the Seven Mysteries Sect.
He might even become like Third Uncle, someone who wore clean clothes, who walked with his back straight, who could send money home and make his parents proud.
And more than that... he was leaving the village.
That night, he barely slept. His thoughts spun in circles, excitement, fear, wonder. For the next several weeks, he trained harder, ate every scrap of food given to him, and tried not to fall sick.
Then the day came.
Third Uncle returned, right on time.
Before leaving, Han Li's parents gave him their final words.
His father told him to stay humble, to avoid fights, to know when to back down. His mother reminded him to eat well, sleep properly, and not catch cold.
They didn't cry. But their eyes said everything.
Han Li climbed into the back of the cart with a small bundle of clothes and a tightly knotted stomach. As the cart rolled away, he looked back one last time. His parents stood at the edge of the village road, growing smaller and smaller.
He bit his lip hard, refusing to let the tears fall.
He was only ten. But this was the first step.
The world he had only dreamed about, the cities, the sects, the strange powers, was no longer a fantasy. It was real.
He didn't know yet that silver, food, and comfort weren't the true rewards waiting for him.
He didn't know that once he stepped into the path of cultivation… he'd never be able to return to the life of a normal boy.
Not really.
The road of mortals was behind him.
And ahead?
Was something else entirely.