Chereads / The Heroic Pilgrim / Chapter 4 - Set Off

Chapter 4 - Set Off

Wu Clan is the overlord clan of the prosperous Jiang Xia commandery. Controlling eight counties and fifty thousand households, it was below the administrative rule of Jing province.

Even though Jiang Xia commandery seems large, it was but just a tiny corner of the cultivation empire White Crane Dynasty. Still, as the local overlord, Wu Clan can enjoy the privilege only the top power of a region can have.

Even the surrounding powers will not easily look for trouble with this clan especially when a cultivator clan will always have ties with other clans and one or two cultivation sects.

Born in this peaceful and prosperous Wu Clan, little Feng can grow with ease in a tranquil environment far from the bloody daily life of vagrant cultivators. Alas, the young juniors of the Wu clan have to pay the price for his great luck by becoming the frontline for facing wave after wave of excessive energy release of little Feng.

If Wu Feng was born in a far far away planet in a far far away galaxy in a far far away universe, the doctor there would have diagnosed him with hyperactive syndrome. It was a pity that in this world, the private doctor of Wu Clan diagnosed Wu Feng as having talent as high as the Heaven, rare in ten thousand years, as hard to find as Qilin feather and Phoenix horn by having strong meridian and very active spirit root which is the reason of his very active behavior. So, the young juniors of Wu Clan can only suffer for a few years.

The senior members of Wu Clan of course knew that Wu Feng loved to play pranks on others it seems to be an incurable addiction, but they ignored it as means to polish the temperament and perseverance of their young members. If Wu Feng is crossing the line, he would still suffer punishment. But if he knows propriety it was fine if he made some children cry or some senior experts blowing smokes from their ears.

As Wu Feng's grandfather, Wu Zhuang Yan said, "as long as Wu Feng happ - ahem, I mean as long as Wu Feng knows the rules, it was just children mischief. He can serve as a sharpening stone for others. Just like a sage once said, walking among three people, I find my teacher among them. I choose that which is good in them and follow it, and that which is bad and change it."

An elder eyeing him suspiciously, "who is the Exalted Sage Clan Master mentioned? Why I never read about him in our library?"

But Wu Zhuang Yan berated him with a red face, "shut up, it was a very popular saying in the very ancient past. It is not something you can know. I only knew because I've read a secret book passed down only for Clan Masters."

And so, Wu Feng lived his daily life as usual with joy and tears, run like the wind in the grassy fields along with his little followers, sometimes with the accompany of his seniors in their cheery shouts, unaware of the eventual doom approaching in his teenage.

"Noo, I do not want to go! I do not want to go! Father, mother, you can not do this! Grandfather, I can not bear to leave you all!"

"Yan'er, Mei'er, Yong'er, Jing'er, help me!"

"Wu Ye old man, help me!"

Pulled by two disciples of Wu Clan, Wu Feng struggled intensely in their steel-like grip. His shoe soles grinded on the ground.

He pleaded with snort and tears covering his face. His expression expresses shock, disappointment, wronged look, sadness, and betrayed feeling. No one can imagine such a rich expression on a human's face.

"Who are you calling Yan'er?!"

"Who are you calling Mei'er?!"

"Who are you calling Yong'er?!"

"Who are you calling Jing'er?!"

"Smelly brat! Call me Master!"

The other children all sneered at him. Some even cheered.

Wu Feng stared at them in shock. He pointed at them with his trembling finger, "You, I have been very good to all of you! But none of you have a sense of camaraderie at all! What clan, what family, laughable!"

"Yan'er, don't you remember when I climbed high and low for hours just to find you a pet that matched your hair color?"

Wu Fei Yan screamed, "I do not like caterpillar! Especially on my hair!"

"Mei'er, I helped you train Shadow Step to small mastery, Aunt Lan even praised you for it!"

Wu Mei exploded, "you caught a tiger to chase me every time I go to toilet, if I do not use Shadow Step, I, I... Aargh, I'll stake it all with you!"

Fortunately an elder stopped her from pouncing to Wu Feng in time.

"Jing'er, I know you like to study in a quiet place, so I exhausted all of my efforts to find you a comfortable and quiet place for you to study!"

Wu Leng Jing looked at him with disdain, his face was dark, "Yeah, thanks to you I can experience how it felt like to wake up in a dry well."

Wu Feng coughed. "Well, as long as you know. Don't be bothered with small details."

"Yong'er, don't you remember when I protect you at that time?"

Wu Yong was startled. He frowned his eyebrows in deep thought. "Was there such a time? Why can't I remember?"

Wu Feng fumed in anger, "How can you not remember? I was always in front of you no matter what when we faced that bear in the forest back then! No matter what, I never left you!"

Wu Yong's face turned uglier and uglier before he roared, "bastard, you ran in front of me! Of course you were always in front of me! And it was not just with the bear! Don't think that I already forgot it!"

Wu Feng coughed again in embarrassment, then said in a low voice than can be barely heard, "but I never leave you."

Wu Feng's father, Wu Hao, already slapped his forehead from a long time ago. Meanwhile Xu Yue, her wife who changed her name to Wu Yue after she married Wu Hao, and also Wu Feng's mother just smiled. Only her eyes glittered with intelligence. She was amused inside.

Xu Yue take a step forward, smiled sweetly, then waved his hand. "Take care, Wu Feng. Don't be naughty in the new place. Also, we got a good price from selling you."

Wu Clan's disciples face all around get black lines on their faces. The jaws of Wu Clan disciples that dragged Wu Feng almost dropped to the ground. For a moment they forgot to hold Wu Feng's hands.

Wu Zhuang Yan blinked, but his long beard was trembling. Wu Hao looked at the sky and tried hard to stop his lips that were curling upward.

Wu Feng's pupils constricted, "Sooo...ld?"

"Mother, you must be kidding right? Who dares to buy me? No, who sold me?"

"Yes." Xu Yue winked. Her smile still not faded yet.

"Mother!!! That was not funny at all!" Wu Feng exploded and his cheeks were as red as tomatoes. He ran to his mother's back and held on her sleeves like his life depended on it.

Xu Yue turned and bent his waist to huge Wu Feng.

"Silly child. We will not part forever. It is time for you to look at the wider world. An eagle's son has to learn to fly and a tiger's son has to learn to seek his own path. Mother sure you will become more than just an eagle or a tiger in the future.

You need to learn and associate with your peers. Seek good friends and be obedient to your teachers. We will visit you often."

Of course, the word often is in cultivator terms. For how long each visit is, it can be a few years as it can be as long as a few decades. And to visit that place, there was a scheduled time. The easiest way is visiting when there was open recruitment every three years.

"Mother..." Wu Feng's eyes became red, but he still nodded. "Um, I will become strong enough so I can get out whenever I wanted and do not have to go back there anymore."

"Yes, that is my child. Let's go now. Father and mother will accompany you." The corner of Xu Yue's eyes has gotten wet since who knew when.

"Alright, let's go." Wu Hao walked with dignified steps to the gate of Wu Clan mansion. A carriage has been waiting outside.

"Feng'er, take care in the new place. Don't forget to send a letter often." Wu Zhuang Yan smiled amiably to Wu Feng.

Wu Feng nodded. He looked at the Wu Clan mansion, at the face of the instructors, at his grandfather and the elders, and his friends. Then imitating his father's dignified steps, he walked to the carriage. His mother beside him.

After Wu Hao, Xu Yue, and Wu Feng get in the carriage, Wu Hao shouted, "set off!"