On the top of a stately mansion lay Chongyun village, where a slightly obese middle-aged man paced slowly. His name was Yu Meng, a clean-shaven man of pallid complexion whose eyes held intimidating glyphs whirling within. He was an adept belonging to clan Yu, on orders from ancestral elders to observe territories of western frontier where the clan held certain interest, as valuable metal mines and tribute sites of rare creatures and beasts, amongst other things.
“May lady Youyu have arrived?” Asked Yu Meng, standing on the arched stone bridge in a pavilioned garden, gazing at crimson scaled fish in a pond. He further demanded the attendance of a talisman tablet offered by Bounteous Heaven Pavilion emissaries—his purpose in making this circuit—as a tribute to a remarkable prodigy from Yu Clan. Deeply cherished by elders of Yu line, the youth was not to risk being left in uncertainty. His assistant humbly replied with bowed respect, “The young mistress’ movements are yet known, we will hasten to inform as we know anything further.”
“This is vexing…” murmured Yu Meng unhappily. “The ancestral patriarch bids me probe into Shi Zilin… yet, you provide no lead here whatsoever! Worse, the mere obtaining of a glyph emblem brings difficulty that none even sight such an object!”
Irritatedly, Yu Meng paced off the bridge stepping under a pavilion’s shadow where he sat himself, face shadowed. Seeing this shift in mood, the steward blanched deeply, swiftly following him inside.
Lowering himself onto knees reverently, bowing and entreating for clemency: “Oh great Master, forgive us the lapse!” Shortly after the steward resumed himself at his personal chamber, rubbing temples beneath furrowed brows which showed his regained authority. With a roar of “Summon the attendants!” A line of formidable warriors hurried into view as they stood awaiting commands, the group a display of power honed by years at duty.
“This has been years,” the stewared sneered. “Not even the smallest sign from Shi Zilin? Not even scrap traces have surfaced? All but worth nothing! Inept dogs!”
His fury surged like tempest winds with such contradiction to past subservience, instilling shivers into them for he bore both venomous cruelty and high attainment; the sort of man commanding great reverence in the skies of Chongyun town.
Another spoke with courage, “It has mostly clarified the youth is but a substitution! Most probably not Shi Hao indeed.”
“Imbeciles!” Roared in wrath, palm smashing table to bits instantly and releasing waves enough to send ripples through marble floors sinking one step down. Clearly he was no mere figurehead but possessed a dread prowess.
“Sham or not—he must be erased!” He bellowed. “Yu is among the most ancient houses; time’s own breath has kissed its legacy. We will permit no embarrassment of a child’s existence defiling our honor and glory!”
A fearful silence swept over, many retreating instinctively; the steward screamed so hard eardrums cracked painfully.
“I have but assured his end comes swiftly; elders having departed he now goes unchecked. We expect to find means shortly.” The crowd rushed their promises hastily.
“Let none remain uncovered.” He thundered, “For if one oversight, one blemish remains, I’ll strip life essence and skin bare every offender. No one lives from my anger.”
“A plan is underway. Poisonous insects’ mishap strikes fatal? Fierce beasts emerging as sudden accidents? Gradual consumption via feign ailments—or hired villains’ subtle interventions will suffice. Such methods already in design.”
“Enough!” He snapped impatiently, waving them out, satisfied with action prepared. Ruined halls stood grim and desolate—creaking windows, winds howling hollow through decay. For decades had seen no newcomers, the place felt hollow, its air heavy. At night, none walked the hallways even staff avoided movement; ghostly winds groans through night skies. Little by little, elders passed into the silence; leaving the youth utterly forlorn.
“Say… name…” The tiny companion, “Little Spark,” mumbled while rubbing the back of his tousled mop.
“My whole youth only bore the appelation ‘Shi Hao’” came his friend’s murmur beneath a veil of gloomy resignation.
“Then use this now as I’ll take on other.” “Little Spark” smiled. The lad suffered much for him already, sharing even the name used felt unjust theft.
“Away with it, I prefer change.” The lad softly replied. “This name binds to haunting days best buried.” Long thoughts passed; hence the child claimed the newly formed name—Shi Qingfeng; yearning henceforth the freedom of breezes soaring skyward from a cage. The two shone eyes vibrant like twin lanterns laughing heartily into nights ahead.
“There, I’d love to greet Big Black before departure!” Shi Qing Feng’s voice rang hopeful. For too long lived a life hollow of company his age, loneliness deepened by absence of true peers, only the great dark tiger brightened his day.
Morning broke when heavy trudging announced a familiar arrival. Loud yet merry voice pierced courtyard: “Son! Are you here? Let Uncle Hai whisk you from this haunted place far from servant’s cruelty!”
In walked an immense middle ages man covered thick matted beard and powerful frame. Little Spark hid in panic; fearing unwelcome revelation.
“Oh Uncle Hai!” Shi Qingfeng leapt gleeful. The family had always shown him tenderness; ever since grandfather and father consulted gravely, intent settled: adoption necessary.
The boy must escape impending doom; his twisted leg proof of this truth already, for when grandfather neared death one night an extremely rare toxic serpent latched unto foot before vanishing into mist once again.
“But this is not proper,” argued servants attempting protest.
“Ridiculous!” Hai uncle boomed indignantly. “Stay here and this child lives not past next spring. Think ye know what danger stalks within these premises?”
Little Qing Feng dashed joyously alongside him back to his small hamlet—an isolated place that delivered game and fruits to secondary shrine to the mighty ancient Shi dynasty ancestral domain, home of barely over one-hundred households.
Suddenly, a terrifying roar rang across hills. Emerging from woods a giant black tiger over twelve feet, with young quadrup lets of adorable shape following eagerly alongside parent’s thunderous gait.
“Hey big Black!” Qingfeng raced toward the towering beast full of joy and remembrance; yet unseen from shadow, “Little Spark” marveled how such feral vitality could carry ancient glyph secrets. Indeed a ferocious entity. Far off, watching with frost-covered visage stood icy stare youth.
“Curses; Hai family sheltered him?” the voice muttered beneath clenched teeth.
That very night, shrieking of wild-beasts echoed hills surrounding peaceful hamlet as monstrous pitch black shadows rushed toward sleeping dwellings.
Wild chaos gripped the night…
“Aim carefully!” An elderly yet precise figure stood poised drawing massive crossbows etched sacred inscriptions releasing bursts of glowing glyphs from distance piercing beasts and silencing them dead in place with single arrows.
Aftermath settled with village grateful.
“Elder Hai—your bow arm still golden, vanquishing the monstrous beasts alone?” Applause roused with deep appreciation. Little Spark smiled from hidden forest cover approving the prowess and hidden might residing within the father-child dynamic duo.
“Perhaps even stronger than we imagined?” Murders’ eyes grew cold at a distant vantage point. Each successive attempt by way of poisoned creature attacks brought swift death under the Hai family warriors’ bows. Tension rose thick with anxious dread.
“Villanous attempt upon this village… to reclaim him they seek? If we surrender the youth to them… mark my certainty: he lives less then two moons!”
Fury simmered as Hai elder spat words cold determination: “No further delay… We will uproot this shelter today, relocate alongside him—after I enact one more judgment.” When another creature raid surged, shadow streaked skyward; two phantasma dashed like silent tempest.
Groans followed with death-cry piercing night skies from within forest depths, not beasts’ alone… men, twenty strong, none fleeing. These sent by steward, wielders of bone glyph techniques used for tracking Shi Zilin lineage.
But their talents meant naught—swift execution left none to speak.
“This strength formidable… indeed…” murmured Little Spark from under dark trees.
The village steward heard soon; face turned death pallor as he reported slaughter of all sent within single fleeting hour to a man—all dead.
“No common assassin… not any could accomplish… shall I personally visit next?!”
He arose in fury; pressure radiated through quarters; walls cracked beneath raw unleashed Qi.
At first dawn inside stately mansion Yu Meng paced through serene gardens speaking idly while tucking jade petals beneath robes: “Heard of heavy loss recently?”
Hesitantly, the steward bowed low murmuring: “Hidden masters at the village made it impossible to act… preparations ongoing for personal strike… eliminate all.”
Yu Meng smiled with sinister intent murmured low, chillingly.
“Masters indeed! A new pet beast of mine hungers on powerful warriors’ blood. Summon my retainers with you this hunt. Let that father and son reveal identities suspected…”
A sudden joy filled the steward at elite’s involvement; even famed hermits wouldn’t evade. Anticipating Yu’s rising vengeance—storm clouds brewed heavy o’er western borders in this brewing tempest yet to break.
Inside humble village, heart stirred full with gratefulness.
“Old Grandfather Hai… I shall travel no longer with ye. With my little older brother shall I journey, together we seek healing my infirm gait. Please flee yourselves, lest harm reach thee again!”
Secret forest rendezvous, final farewells. The figure once known as little Shi Hao revealed again.
“Fare thee well! Great gratitude to Ye noble elders… yet danger thickens near. Depart this realm swiftly—the earth shakes will soon follow from west!”
“But what an interesting tale ye share for an introduction.” Elder Hai laughed lightly.
“You’re but scaring birds young’ling?” Joked Hai junior lightly yet fond.
“No, but truth… every soul dwelling here in ill-intentions soon pays!” The innocent child clenched small fists firmly.
“Then what art thy planning?” questioned Hai elder in sudden pause after little Spark stepped through thicket dragging several corpses—their very warriors slain yesterday.
“You await but few moments more.” He calmly returned before dashing off alone toward dilapidated grounds.
Confused yet alarmed—fatherly pair and Qingfen followed swiftly only to witness scenes leaving chills deep inside—columns rose flames from ground up, entire buildings collapsing in roaring conflagration sending terrified servants sprinting from fire’s wrath.
“Mercy Gods! That is hallowed domain belonging to Stone Clans’ ancestral ground… unclaimed and forgotten before, yet ablaze! No ordinary act! Dire wrath follows!”
Both elders panicked greatly for such bold destruction was unheard. Qingfen could do naught but marvel, astounded at what their friend had wrought from cold calculation.
“I have a single birth-land only—this forsaken estate holds naught anymore, my connection broken.” The truth bore heavy. Originally having had divine bone usurped alongside betrayal from kins within Stone city, here again suffered by shadows of another—mock existence no one noticed.
Kind though, his soul bore no tremble; courage to face any reckoning.
“Let us vanish!” Old Hai shouted. His heart pounded furiously; remaining meant disaster!
And vanish quickly indeed they did.
A messenger burst before steward with news. He turned ghost pale…
The moment Yu Ming heard, a guttural roar escaped like that of dragon, realizing doom’s shadow approached—his fate sealed!
“You insipid simpleton!” Raging he struck steward midair like leaf caught wind sending him tumbling, teeth spewing like crimson dew.
“Not mine! Not my hands in this act!”
“Fault irrelevant—this act shall send tremors far and wide, Stone Empire summoning legates of royalty blood and wrath upon trail; every minor act you enacted will light scrutiny, even as our own names drawn out amidst the reckoning…”
Yu Ming growled, every fiber trembling amidst dread.
Realizing fate’s weight—the steward fainted where kneeling… terrified to edge beyond breath itself!
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