Wang Xiao's earliest memory was from when he was around four years old. He remembered sitting at a writing desk, filled with books and loose papers, while Yi XiangLiang sat next to him with a benign expression gracing his features.
"A-Xiao, can you tell the man over there how you memorized all of these books?" he said, pointing towards the grim-looking minister who stood before them.
Pouting, he shook his head, replying "I don't know uncle Yi, I just did."
"That's alright, A-Xiao, you did well. Do you want to go outside and play? A-Huang is in the courtyard, waiting for you," said Yi XiangLiang as he gently patted the boy on the back.
"Okay!" said Wang Xiao and, standing up from his desk, ran out of the library and disappeared.
After a few moments of silence, the grim-faced minister cleared his throat. "My lord, the boy..."
Cla leader Yi put his hand up to silence his minister. Sighing, he picked up a few books that had fallen off the table and put them back in a neat pile.
"I know minister, I know."
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Daishan mountain
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Dawn came crashing into the cave with piercing golden light, completely illuminating the previously cold and damp rock. Blinking slowly against the sudden daylight, Wang Xiao woke, feeling better than he had the day before.
Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he flexed his arms and rolled his shoulders, finding that both were a lot less painful than what he remembered from last night. He felt stiffness from having slept on a hard surface all night long, but apart from that, he felt as though he had never been injured.
Wang Xiao unwrapped the dressing on this forearm, finding that the bite mark was still present, but it had diminished in size. There didn't seem to be any sign of infection, which was a major relief. He carefully redressed his arm with the same bandage and, once satisfied, got up from his makeshift pine needle bed. Walking towards the now cold and grey campfire, he found last night's fruits sitting prettily on the ground nearby, ready to be eaten.
Grabbing three pieces, one for immediate consumption, the two others for later, Wang Xiao walked to the opposite side of the cave to pick up the fake One Thousand Souls book he had discarded last night. Stuffing it back down the front of his shirt, he made his way towards the mouth of the cave and walked out into the brightness of daylight.
Immediately, Wang Xiao had to shield his eyes from the blinding light but, after a few moments of adjustment, he was able to take in his surroundings. The cave was set a little bit higher than the rest of the forest floor, with its opening facing the tall, green treetops. Wang Xiao concluded that he was further down the mountain that last time he was conscious, because of the clear lack of fog in the air. As he had noted earlier, the higher up the mountain, the more the fog was thick and grey. In this part of the mountain, however, the air was clear and vibrant with all the scents of the forest.
Wang Xiao wondered how he had ended up here, so far down from where he had fainted, but every idea that surfaced in his mind involved a stoic red-robed swordsman. Truly, Zhang Yao must have struggled to bring him down the mountain while unconscious. Wang Xiao felt grateful for this show of brotherhood, but he still felt ashamed at having been cared for by another man.
It wasn't that Wang Xiao was overly proud, but he was so used to being on his own that the thought of someone worrying about him was very disconcerting. There were only two people in this world who had ever shown him true kindness, and to him, they were as close as a real family.
As far as he could remember, Wang Xiao had always been in the Yi clan. When he was young, he was raised alongside servants' children but was often awarded special visits from the clan leader himself. After he had started to show some aptitudes in scholarly studies, Wang Xiao had been moved from the servants' area and into the main library hall, where one of the spare rooms was converted into a bedroom for him. From that point on, he was given gold and cream-coloured robes to wear and was allowed to study and play with Yi Huang in the main house. At the age of seven, when all children were tested for their aptitudes towards cultivation, it was discovered that he could not cultivate even the slightest bit of Qi.
From that point on, things began to change for Wang Xiao. Although he was still the same child he had always been, the other children refused to come near him. Their parents were quick to warn them that playing with an ordinary child could harm their spiritual growth. Wang Xiao heard all sorts of speculations about his condition: being orphaned at birth had caused the gods to forsake him; that he had mistakenly been thought of as special when in fact, he was quite ordinary; that he should be excluded from the clan now that he was a normal boy, and so forth.
Through it all, only Yi XiangLiang remained benevolent towards him, always comforting him and spending time with him in the library. Wang Xiao came to see the clan leader as a father-figure, though he never dared say it out loud. As for Yi Huang, who had been his bosom brother since early childhood, he now shunned him completely.
A few years later, Wang Xiao was introduced to a new clan brother, Yi Ling, and, a few years after that, the two became the best of friends. Wherever Wang Xiao went, Yi Ling was sure to follow. When Yi XiangLiang asked him to look over his youngest son, Wang Xiao took on the responsibility with immense pride. If A-Ling were to truly become his shidi, Wang Xiao wanted to make sure he could teach him as much as possible.
With this in mind, the then 10-year-old boy began reading everything in sight, memorizing each book and scroll that rested in the library, with the sole purpose of teaching his shidi burning bright within his heart. Due to his incredible diligence and academic rigour, Wang Xiao quickly became the best scholar of his generation and, soon, other clans wished to meet the boy-genius.
Over the next few years, Yi XiangLiang was offered many valuable things in exchange for Wang Xiao. One neighbouring clan promised him enough gold to sustain his family for a thousand years in exchange for Wang Xiao's services. However, Yi XiangLiang refused them all. His prodigy was not for sale, and he would never let him leave the clan unless he desired it himself.
Wang Xiao was all too happy to work for the clan leader and never thought once about leaving. The Yi clan was his home--the only one he'd ever known--and he would stay there till the day he died. Yi XiangLiang was very pleased with his fierce loyalty and, as a reward, ordered all of the greatest cultivators and priests to come and try to help Wang Xiao unlock his potential.
Among these great men stood one in particular who was admired and respected around the kingdom. Xi-Daozhang had attained the highest level of cultivation during his lifetime and had gained the title of Grandmaster in his field. Xi-Daozhang lived far removed from society, on a remote mountain well-hidden by waterfalls, cliffs, and trees. If someone wanted to communicate with him, they had to send a signal into the sky. Without fail, the Daoist priest would always come down from his mountain and find the source of the flare.
When Yi XiangLiang called upon the Grandmaster, he came without a moment's delay. Clothed in brilliant white from head to toe, Wang Xiao remembered that the Grandmaster looked young and handsome, even though he was probably a few hundred years old. Xi-Daozhang had all the elements that a priest needed: graceful, elegant, powerful, and incredibly intelligent.
Wang Xiao thought, if anyone in this world could help him, it was the Grandmaster. However, in the end, even he was unable to solve his problem. After having examined him from head to toe, Xi-Daozhang approached clan leader Yi with his diagnosis.
"I believe," he began, his voice as clear and soft as water flowing over rocks, "that young master Wang's condition is permanent."
Yi XiangLiang nodded gravely, accepting Xi-Daozhang's statement.
At that moment, Wang Xiao had seen something strange pass between the two. What he thought he'd seen had been disregarded as a child's wild imagination, but Wang Xiao was sure that he had seen a glimmer of understanding flow between clan leader Yi and Xi-Daozhang, as though they shared a secret knowledge.
Wang Xiao had accompanied the Grandmaster towards the gates of the Yi clan, happily skipping alongside the godly man beside him. When they had arrived at the gate, Xi-Daozhang had turned a benevolent smile upon the boy and, bending at the waist to be at eye-level with him, he had offered Wang Xiao an invaluable piece of advice.
"Young master Wang, if, one day, you choose to leave the Yi clan, please know that my mountain retreat will always be open to you. You may come whenever you want, whether in danger or simply out of boredom. I promise that I will help you."
Before Wang Xiao could reply, Xi-Daozhang had straightened to his full height and, in a flourish of white, clean-scented robes, the Grandmaster stood on his sword and flew off into the distant azure sky.
Fascinated by his retreating white form, Wang Xiao thought that Xi-Daozhang was one of the most beautiful and ethereal people he had ever met. Even though he had no intention of leaving the clan, the Grandmaster's offer was tantalising and it piqued his curiosity. What would his home look like? Why was he willing to have him visit, even though he was famously solitary? What would life be like, way up in the luscious mountains?
Upon returning to the library, Wang Xiao pulled out every book that existed about Daoism and enlightenment. Not noticing the time, he read the whole night trough in rapt fascination over this way of life. Even though he would never be able to become like the Grandmaster, he silently vowed to follow a similarly righteous path for the rest of his life.