The morning air in Jiangnan City was crisp, carrying the faint scent of street food and gasoline fumes. Vendors shouted by the sidewalks, and the endless stream of cars honked impatiently at one another. Among the crowd, two figures walked side by side toward Jiangnan High School.
Li Feng carried his schoolbag lightly, his pace unhurried, while his younger sister Li Xue strode beside him, tugging on his sleeve every few steps.
"Brother, are you really going to school today?" she asked, suspicion written all over her face. "You've been sick for so long, and now you suddenly look… different. It's weird."
Li Feng's lips curved faintly. "Weird? How so?"
"You're calm. Too calm." She pouted. "Before, you were always nervous about everything. Now you're walking like… like some big shot. Like one of those CEOs in dramas who doesn't care about anyone."
Li Feng chuckled softly. "If I don't care about anyone, why would I let you drag me to school?"
Li Xue blinked, then rolled her eyes. "Hmph. Smooth talker. But seriously, don't do anything reckless today, okay? People at school… they can be cruel."
Her words held the faint tremor of worry.
Li Feng's gaze softened. His sister's heart was tender, easily hurt by gossip. He reached out and patted her head gently. "Don't worry. No one will hurt you. As for me… I've faced worse than schoolyard taunts."
She tilted her head, staring at him strangely. The brother she knew had always been timid, avoiding conflict. But this Li Feng… his words carried a weight she couldn't understand.
"Brother…" she murmured, but didn't press further.
The gates of Jiangnan High School loomed ahead, crowded with students chatting, laughing, and jostling one another. The sound of sneakers on pavement mixed with the clang of bicycle bells.
As Li Feng stepped onto the campus, dozens of eyes turned toward him. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Isn't that Li Feng? The sick kid?"
"He fainted during exams, didn't he? I thought he dropped out."
"Why'd he come back? What a joke."
Mocking smiles and sidelong glances followed him like shadows. Li Xue's fists clenched, but Li Feng's expression remained serene. His steps were steady, his back straight, as though the chatter were nothing more than buzzing insects.
Inside, his mind observed quietly:
So fragile. These mortals cling to arrogance as though it makes them mighty. Yet their foundations are weaker than dust before a storm.
"Brother…" Li Xue whispered, tugging at his sleeve again. "Don't listen to them."
"I wasn't." His calm voice silenced her protests.
The morning bell rang, echoing across the campus. Students flooded into the classrooms. Li Feng and his sister parted ways at the stairwell—she heading to her class, he to his own.
When he entered, conversation immediately shifted. A dozen pairs of eyes locked onto him. Some sneered. Some whispered. A few ignored him entirely.
"Hey, look who crawled back."
"Must've realized he can't hide at home forever."
"Still looks weak. Bet he'll faint again."
Li Feng walked to the back row, taking a seat by the window. The sunlight poured over his desk, illuminating his calm face. Outside, the leaves of the old gingko trees swayed gently in the breeze.
He opened his notebook, his movements deliberate, unbothered.
At the front of the room, Teacher Zhang adjusted his glasses, glancing at Li Feng with mild surprise. "Li Feng, glad to see you back. Take it easy today. If you feel unwell, let me know."
Li Feng nodded slightly. "Thank you, Teacher Zhang."
The teacher smiled faintly before turning to the blackboard.
But whispers behind Li Feng didn't stop.
"Does he think acting calm makes him look different?"
"Heh, just wait. Someone will put him back in his place."
Li Feng's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze distant.
So this is the beginning. Fate never fails to deliver stepping stones to my path.
He closed his eyes for a moment, sensing the faint threads of qi in the air. Weak, scattered, thinner than smoke… but there. The corner of his lips curved.
Even a barren desert can give rise to flowers, if one knows how.
A faint ripple passed through his body—his cultivation beginning to stir, faint traces of starlight hidden deep within his dantian.
At that moment, the creak of the classroom door broke the silence. Heavy footsteps entered, accompanied by mocking laughter.
The students straightened, eyes flashing with recognition.
"Wang Jun's here."
"The Young Master of the Wang family."
"This'll be good."
Li Feng opened his eyes slowly, his gaze shifting to the newcomer.
And so, the first obstacle revealed itself.