Chapter 2 - The Whispering Jade

That night, in the dark, damp barracks he shared with five other Ash-Pickers, Li Mu waited until everyone was asleep. The air was heavy with the smell of unwashed bodies and damp straw. He took the green jade stone from his tunic. Under the sliver of moonlight streaming through a cracked window, it emitted a faint, deep-green glow, almost as if it breathed. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what the junior instructors had taught the new initiates about absorbing Qi. Focus on the dantian, the energy center below the navel. Breathe in the essence of the world. Let it flow through the meridians. He had tried this a thousand times. The result was always the same: nothing. He placed the jade against his palm, where the lightning jolt had occurred earlier. He focused his mind, breathing slowly, imagining the clean mountain air as a river of pure Qi. Suddenly, the cold jade pulsed. It didn't just flicker; it pulled. It was a greedy, powerful suction, drawing something out of the air and simultaneously pushing a subtle warmth directly into his palm. The warmth traveled up his arm, skipping over his blocked meridians, which usually acted like dams. Instead, it seemed to create its own path. The feeling was exquisite—a gentle, humming vibration that settled in his lower abdomen, his dantian. For the first time in sixteen years, Li Mu felt Qi within his body. A small, vibrant pool of energy. He opened his eyes, breathless. The jade was now warm, the green light brighter. A rough voice startled him. "What is that?"Master Hong stood over him, eyes wide and fixed on the glowing jade in Li Mu's hand. He must have followed him."Nothing, Master Hong! Just a smooth stone I found," Li Mu stammered, trying to hide the jade. Hong slapped the stone from his hand. It clattered to the dirt floor. "A smooth stone? That's spirit jade, you thief! Something only Elders use!" Hong's face twisted into a greedy sneer. "Where did you steal this from?"I found it in the ash chute, Master! I swear!"Lies! You worthless servant, you think you can possess something with spirit potential?" Hong moved to snatch the stone from the floor. As his hand closed over the jade, the green light flared violently. A wave of pure, concentrated energy erupted outward. Hong screamed as he was launched backward, crashing into the rough wooden wall of the barracks with a sickening thud. He slumped to the floor, unconscious. Li Mu stared at his own hands, then at the glowing jade. The small pool of Qi he had cultivated was gone, seemingly absorbed by the stone to power that defensive burst. This was no ordinary stone. It was a treasure, a secret, a chance. He quickly grabbed the jade and tucked it deep into his tunic. The noise hadn't woken the exhausted Ash-Pickers. He glanced at the unconscious Master Hong. He had to leave. If anyone found out he could wield this jade, he'd be killed or worse. He slipped out the door and into the misty mountain night, the humming jade pressed tightly against his heart.