Moonwell village, one of the villages under the governance of Amberhill Town. The village has a very old well where moonlight reflects perfectly round every full moon and one of the founding ancestors of the village inspired by this scene named the village Moonwell village.
Summer was already upon the Moonwell village. In early morning at dawn the village seems to start to wake up. Smoke started rising from the rooftops of houses as farmers were getting ready for another long day in the fields. A team of 8 hunters gather at the village entrance with their bows across their back planning for today hunting and then vanishing into the forest..
Children are running around the village playing, their laughter echoing all around the village.
In one of the houses of Moonwell village lived a boy , fourteen years of age. His name is Kai Yang. His father gave him this name because he was born in the morning of summer. He has long black hair and dark eyes , his lean frame dressed in coarse gray tunic. His skin was tanned from long hours under the sun and a small woven basket hung at side.
This morning he woke up early as usual. Preparing to go to the Green Pine Mountain to gather herbs. Kai Yang learned about herbs from his father who was a herb gatherer and often supplied the village healer with fresh herbs.
While Kai Yang was getting out of the gate an old man followed behind him without making noise and he was floating 2 inches from the ground. His was in tattered robe hung loosely from his frame and his long messy gray hair were covering his face.
From his messy hair one could see a sharp pair of eyes which were constantly on Kai Yang who seemed unaware of the old man's existence.
After Kai Yang got out of the gate he locked it and continued his way toward the village entrance where he saw two men keeping watch over the village entrance from their watchtower.
As Kai Yang approached the village entrance one of the two men called out Kai Yang. "Oi, young kai going to gather herbs again today?". Kai Yang looked up at him with a smile. " Yeah Uncle Li, a man gotta make his living". Then he turns toward the entrance of the village and goes outside of it toward Green Pine Mountain and his smile fades.
Uncle Li who saw Kai Yang fading in distance toward the mountain forest said to his partner "Poor boy he just lost his father to an illness and I can't imagine how he is living with that alone".
The other man also said with a frown " hmm, his father was a herb gatherer for the village and a good man, such misfortune". After saying this and shaking his head he chose to keep quiet. Uncle li could only sigh.
...
After 1 hour of walking and climbing Kai Yang has finally reached his destination Green Pine Mountain. This mountain was known by such a name because one could find pine trees in every corner of the mountain.
Kai Yang started searching for herbs in the mountain for the next two hours. The old man was like a shadow always following the Kai Yang wherever he was going and sometimes muttering to himself.
After two hours of searching herbs Kai Yang was little tired and find a place below a tree. He said to himself "It's been five months since my father passed away from illness. What i am going to do know" while speaking to himself he start staring at pendant at his neck and touching it stone embedded on it.
His father gave him this pendant saying this was his mother. He has no memory of his mother, his father told him that his mother passed away after giving birth to him.
He sighed and started checking his herb basket for today's herbs he has gathered. He took out 5 silvergrass from his basket and laid them in front of him. "Today's harvest is not bad and it should fetch 5 copper coins after selling it to the village chief".
He frowned, the money his father had left was already spent two weeks ago. "I have to think of a way to find rare herbs and get more money to get by."
He still remembered what his father said before dying. "Remember what I say, I don't have much time left. Your mother and I… we have many powerful enemies. But don't worry, they won't be able to find you. If you ever want to walk the path of cultivation, you can, but know that if you do they might come after you. So think carefully if you want this kind of life or not. All I want you to know is that if you ever walk the path of cultivation, you must become stronger, stronger than anybody else. Only then will you have the ability to defeat those enemies. Son, I am sorry for the trouble I caused you… and sorry that I couldn't give you everything you deserve…"
Thinking of his father, his eyes became moist, but he quickly wiped them with his sleeve. "I don't even know what cultivation is… Father said if I walk the path of cultivation, they might come find me. But… I don't even understand what cultivation means."
The old man seeing him wiping his eyes couldn't help but sigh and thought " I have been observing this child for one month and his body is ordinary but I can sense a faint aura nurturing inside him. He doesn't know it, but destiny will drag him onto the cultivation path."
While the old man was muttering to himself Kai Yang put his silvergrass herbs back into the basket and decided that today he will go further into the mountain forest to find more rare herbs.
As he goes further into the forest for the search of herbs the old man seems to sense something and turn his face deep into the mountain and then resume his observation of Kai Yang.
The trees grow denser , light filters through the canopy, and he feels a little uneasy but determined. After going deeper into the mountain forest for 1 hour he had no luck finding rare herbs, only common herbs but he was still happy . "Finding rare herbs can't be easy and these common herbs may not be worth much but with their quantity i can sell them for 10 copper coins".
So he started to travel back toward the village after seeing his basket was filled with herbs. While going back to the village from the mountain forest he heard faint voices and footsteps ahead.
He decides to follow the voice and check what is going on and walk toward the voices and finding a clearing in the forest he hides behind a bush , but before he can even see what is going on the group notices him.
The group contains four people , two middle aged men in light leather armor, swords at their waists, eyes sharp and cautious. They look like guards for the other two young people beside them. A young man about fifteen, dressed in fine green robes, hair tied neatly, carrying a short sword at his side. His posture shows arrogance.
And lastly a young girl around Kai Yang's age , dressed in a pale blue dress , her long black hair tied with silk ribbon. Her face is delicate, with bright curious eyes.
The guards tense , stepping in front of the young master and young lady , hands on their swords. One of the guard frowns and calls out "Who are you, boy? Why are you sneaking around here?"
Kai Yang grows nervous seeing the swords, his voice trembling as he replies quickly afraid if he doesn't answer quickly they will attack him. "I... I'm just a herb gatherer from Moonwell village. I came to collect herbs...".
Seeing Kai Yang nervous speaking quickly the young man chuckles, waving his hand at the guards. "He's just a poor village boy. No need to waste time on him. Let's continue the hunt".
The guards relax, stepping back respectfully, answering "Yes, Young Master Han." They prepare to move deeper into the mountain forest.
Just as Kai Yang sighs in relief, the young girl notices the pendant on his neck. Her eyes brighten with a spark of delight, and she smiles sweetly "Little brother, that pendant of yours is quite pretty. Why don't you sell it to me? I'll pay you double it's worth."
Kay Yang stiffens, holding the pendant protectively. "This pendant is not for sale."
The young girl's smile remains, but her tone sharpens slightly "I can pay even more. Name your price." Kai Yang shakes his head nervously , voice firm despite his fear " It belonged to my mother... I can't sell it."
Seeing that Kai Yang refuses to sell the pendant, the smile on the young girl's face fades away, her eyes turning cold now. Sensing an opportunity to impress a young girl, Young Master Han smirks and steps forward. "Miss Lin, don't trouble yourself with this. Such a brat doesn't know how to respect a lady's wishes. I'll get it for you."
Then young master Han glared at Kai Yang and snorted. "Boy, this is your last chance. Sell the pendant, take the money and leave, or else."
Kai Yang's heart pounds. He realizes the situation is getting out of hand and they won't stop at words. He grips the pendant tightly, thinking of his father, who gave him this pendant, saying this was his mother's last keepsake. "If I stay, they'll take it... I must run back to the village!"
Seeing Kai Yang frozen and silent, Young Master Han grows angry. His voice is sharp as he orders, "Guards! Take the pendant from him. Break his legs if he resists. Let him learn the cost of defying me!"
The guards exchange quick glances, then step forward menacingly toward Kai Yang. Kai Yang started running toward the town the moment young master Han started ordering the guards.
He was running with all the strength in his body, but still the guards caught up to him in a matter of seconds. One of the guards said while catching Kai Yang, "Boy, do you think you can outrun a martial artist at the Flesh Training Body Refinement Stage?"
The other guard also said with a smirk on his face, "Boy, you should have taken the money when young Master Han offered you, but now you can only blame yourself". Two guards dragged Kai Yang like he was nothing more than a sack of rice and threw him harshly in front of their young master.
The young master with an arrogance on his face, the kind that made people hate him at first sight. He walked closer with a slow and proud step, his chin raised slightly as if the world was beneath him, to Kai Yang and tried to snatch the pendant from Kai Yang's grasp, but Kai Yang tightly held onto the pendant.
A deep frown appeared on the young master's face, his eyes filled with irritation at this defiance. "You dare resist me?" he said coldly. Without hesitation he suddenly unleashed the Han family's martial art – Coiling Dragon Muscle Art. His fist shot out and the muscle of arm twisting like a dragon's coil, carrying explosive force.
"Ughh—!!" Kai Yang didn't even get the chance to do anything before a fist hit his stomach really hard. The pain rushed through him and his eyes went dizzy. His small frame was blasted backward, rolling on the ground before he crashed heavily, his back smacking into the ground. The impact made dust scatter around him.
Kai Yang coughed violently, his face turning pale and the pendant falling from his grasp to the ground nearby him. Young Master Han took the pendant and waved his hand carelessly and said coldly to the guards, "Break his legs."
Then with a smug expression on his face, he presented the pendant to Miss Lin. Miss Lin's eyes lit up slightly as she immediately wore the pendant around her neck."
Meanwhile, the two guards came closer to Kai Yang, both of them showing ugly grins. Kai Yang kept coughing violently and his eyes blurry but he still stare at the pendant already on Miss Lin neck. His chest feel heavy and his heart hurt, but his weak body can't move at all.
Crack!
All of a sudden without saying anything, the guards stomped hard on both his legs together.
"Ahhhhhhh—!!"
Kai Yang shouted as loud as he could, the pain was too much for him to bear. His face twisted up, the veins on his head stood out, and he rolled on the ground. The guards only looked at him with sneers before stepping back.
Young Master Han did not even look back at him, and seeing Miss Lin satisfied with her new pendant, he ordered his guards. "Let's go back to town before it gets dark."
"Yes, young Master Han!" The team of four began to walk outside the mountain forest.
As for Kai Yang, his vision was fading, his body trembling. He reached out a weak hand toward the pendant one last time, but his arm fell powerlessly to the dirt. Darkness swallowed his mind. And he lost consciousness.