Chapter 5 — When the Weak Stand Tall
Morning light crept gently through the cracks in the roof, soft and warm against Ling Tian's eyelids. The world existed in a muted haze at first… a faint ache along his ribs, a throbbing pulse in his arm, the lingering fog of exhaustion.
Then he felt a warmth beside him.
A small, delicate weight leaning lightly against his hand.
His eyes opened.
Yun Xinya lay curled at the edge of the straw bedding, one hand still wrapped around his. Her breathing was soft, steady—completely unguarded in sleep. The early sunlight touched the tips of her lashes, turning them golden.
For a moment, he simply watched her.
Her hair was a little messy, strands sticking to her cheek. Her hand clutched his with a gentleness that felt more precious than anything he had known in two lives.
He tightened his fingers around hers just slightly.
She murmured something in her sleep and instinctively inched closer. Her forehead brushed against the side of his arm. A small sound escaped her lips like a sigh of relief.
Ling Tian's breath stilled.
He had woken alone for as long as he could remember—both in this life and the last. Woken to silence, to cold rooms, to emptiness that waited faithfully at dawn.
But this morning was different.
This morning, he wasn't alone.
His ribs protested as he tried to sit up. Pain flared sharply, and he suppressed a wince.
The slight jolt woke her.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then widening as she realized how close she was. Her cheeks reddened instantly, and she sat up abruptly.
"I—I didn't mean to stay the whole night!" she blurted, voice flustered. "I closed my eyes for a moment and then—"
Tian shook his head. "I know. It's fine."
She opened her mouth to protest, then stopped when she saw him smiling faintly.
"Does it hurt?" she asked, gaze flicking quickly over his bruises.
"Not much."
She narrowed her eyes. "Liar."
He laughed softly despite the pain. "Maybe a little."
She looked away with a pout. "You should rest more."
But he could hear the relief hidden beneath her scolding.
She eventually brought him the food she had brought last night—now cold, but still nourishing. They ate quietly, knees almost touching, the kind of silence that felt strangely comfortable.
He watched her sneak glances at his wounds, worry etched clearly in her expression. She watched him pretend not to wince with every movement.
For a brief moment, in that tiny broken hut, it felt like the world couldn't reach them.
But reality did not care for peace.
A deep gong reverberated through the village—loud and insistent.
Xinya stiffened. "That's the summoning gong. Elder Mo… he's calling all the youths."
Ling Tian set down his bowl. "For the Lotus Pavilion selection?"
She nodded. Her fingers fidgeted nervously. "You should stay here. Rest. You're still hurt and Elder Mo—"
"I'm going," he said quietly.
Her head shot up. "Tian, your body—"
He met her gaze steadily. "If you're going, then I'm going."
Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her eyes softened.
"Let's go," he murmured.
And she followed.
The square was more crowded than usual, villagers gathering in clusters, murmuring excitedly. Youths stood at the front—some proud, some nervous, some fidgeting. Hai Lin stood at the center of attention, basking in admiring looks after yesterday's test results.
When Ling Tian and Xinya walked into the square together, the murmurs shifted.
"He actually showed up again?"
"After yesterday?"
"He's shameless."
"Xinya is too soft on him—she'll ruin her future."
Xinya's shoulders tensed.
He placed a gentle hand on her arm—not pulling, just grounding.
"Don't listen," he whispered.
She bit her lip but nodded.
Elder Mo stepped forward, glaring for silence.
"Today," he announced, "we name the youths who will accompany the Lotus Pavilion delegation for their entrance assessment."
His gaze swept over the crowd with pride—until it landed on Ling Tian.
The disgust in his eyes was unmistakable.
Still, he continued:
"Hai Lin, with Profound Spirit Level 4, is our primary candidate."
The crowd cheered.
"Mu Fan, with Elementary Spirit Level 3, will join as a reserve."
More applause.
Finally, Elder Mo looked at Xinya.
"Yun Xinya, with Elementary Spirit Level 3, will be our second reserve."
Xinya exhaled shakily, relief and anxiety mingling in her eyes.
"And…" Elder Mo added reluctantly, "Ling Tian may accompany us…"
A pause.
A sneer.
"…as a helper."
The whispers exploded.
"A helper? How fitting."
"He'll carry bags, nothing more."
"The sect will laugh at us for bringing him."
Xinya stepped closer to Tian, jaw clenched.
He simply bowed his head slightly toward Elder Mo. "Thank you."
Elder Mo scowled, annoyed he didn't look ashamed.
The gathering broke apart.
Tian and Xinya turned to leave—but Hai Lin and his two lackeys moved in front of them, blocking the path.
Xinya froze.
Hai Lin wore a smug smile. "Ling Tian. I'm surprised you can walk today."
Before Tian could speak, Xinya snapped, "Move."
Hai Lin raised an eyebrow. "Or what? Will you cry again?"
Color drained from her face.
Tian stepped in front of her.
His heart hammered. His ribs screamed. His hands trembled.
But he stood anyway.
"Hai Lin," he said, voice low but steady. "If you have a problem, direct it at me. Not her."
Hai Lin blinked.
Then laughed.
Long and loud.
"Oh, listen to him! The cripple thinks he's a man today."
He reached out and shoved Tian's shoulder.
Tian staggered—but didn't fall.
He straightened.
Hai Lin's smirk faded slightly.
"So," Hai Lin said slowly, "you think you can talk back to me? You?"
Tian met his eyes.
"She's braver than you'll ever be."
The square went quiet.
Xinya stared at him as if hearing him for the first time.
Hai Lin's face darkened.
His fist shot forward.
Xinya gasped—
—but Tian raised his arm.
Not to block.
Just to grab Hai Lin's wrist.
For a heartbeat, Hai Lin could not move.
Shock flashed across his face.
"What—?!"
A faint warmth throbbed in Tian's veins. A familiar warmth. A dormant strength stirring, responding to danger… and to the urge to protect the girl behind him.
But the moment passed as quickly as it came.
The warmth faded.
His grip weakened.
Hai Lin shoved him hard. Tian stumbled back, breath hitching painfully.
"I warned you," Hai Lin hissed. "Stay in your place."
He made to step forward—
"Enough!" Elder Mo barked.
All four youths froze.
Elder Mo glared at Tian first—always Tian.
"Do not cause trouble. Do not embarrass this village further."
Tian bowed his head. "Yes, Elder."
"And Hai Lin," Elder Mo added sharply, "save your aggression for the sect trials."
Hai Lin gritted his teeth but obeyed.
When Elder Mo left, Hai Lin shot Xinya a final smug glance, then stalked off with his lackeys.
The moment they were out of sight, Xinya grabbed Tian's sleeve and pulled him toward a quieter path.
She didn't stop until they reached a small stream, the water glistening under midday light.
She turned on him immediately.
"Tian, why did you do that?!"
Her voice cracked.
He blinked. "Do what?"
"Stand up to him! Yell at him! Put yourself in danger again!" Her hands balled into fists. "You almost got hurt again!"
He stared at her quietly.
Her eyes glistened.
"Tian… why?" she whispered. "Why would you provoke someone who can crush you so easily?"
He opened his mouth.
The truth slipped out before he could stop it.
"Because if I don't protect you now… then when?"
She froze.
Her breath trembled.
He continued softly, "You always protect me. You always stand up for me. If I don't do the same… then what am I?"
Her lips parted in a silent gasp.
Her hands reached for his shirt, gripping the fabric tightly.
"You're… you're Ling Tian," she whispered. "That's all you have to be."
He swallowed hard.
She leaned her forehead against his chest, trembling.
"I don't want you to get hurt because of me," she murmured. "I don't want you to suffer."
He hesitated before placing a hand gently on her back.
"You're not the reason I get hurt," he said. "But you are the reason I stand back up."
She inhaled sharply.
"Tian…"
He forced a small, warm smile. "And I won't always lose."
Her fingers tightened against his chest.
"I don't want you to lose ever again," she whispered fiercely.
He almost laughed at the intensity in her voice. But it wasn't mockery—it was something protective, something desperate, something he didn't fully understand.
Something he wanted to deserve.
Later, when he returned to his hut, his body throbbed with aches, but his mind was sharp. He sat cross-legged on his pallet, breathing slowly.
Calm in.
Pain out.
Calm in.
Pain out.
He tried to feel qi.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Then he thought of Xinya crying for him. Protecting him. Holding his hand through the night.
Something inside his chest stirred again.
A faint warmth—stronger than before. A pulse that spread through his limbs like a ripple across still water.
His breath caught.
For a moment—
a real moment—
he felt something move along his meridians.
Not true qi.
But resonance.
A response from the sealed Eternal Unity Body.
It was faint.
Like a heartbeat beneath stone.
But real.
He exhaled shakily, heart pounding.
"It's coming," he whispered. "Slowly… but it's coming."
He didn't know how long it would take.
Days.
Weeks.
Months.
But for the first time in eighteen years, the impossible didn't feel so impossible.
For the first time, he wasn't just surviving.
He was changing.
He lay back on his bedding, exhaustion flooding him, but a smile tugging at his lips.
Tomorrow would be just as difficult.
Hai Lin would keep coming.
Elder Mo would keep glaring.
The village would keep whispering.
But Yun Xinya had cried for him.
And Ling Tian had stood tall for the first time.
He would do it again.
And again.
And again.
Until one day, the world looked at him not with pity or contempt…
…but with fear.
He closed his eyes and let the resonance fade.
Sleep pulled him under.
This time, he didn't wake alone.
Not in his memories.
And not in his heart.