The seconds and minutes passed slowly as Yueshi continued to focus.
The ethereal particles of qi that existed in the ambient had crept closer by then, and as they came closer to each other, they merged, thus increasing in size and changing shape.
Eventually, it was as if a small, translucent stream was flowing around him.
'Is this enough?' He pondered over it for a moment. If it were merely meant for cultivation, he would not need much to start.
Unfortunately, most people had thin or crippled meridians. Thankfully, the first case still had hope, unlike the latter.
Having inspected his own body, he knew of his own situation.
His meridians were just a little bit larger than an average person's meridians and if he tried to cultivate like that the qi would not flow well inside of his body, hindering his progress.
'If I want to become truly strong, then that is the first hurdle.'
It was also where most people gave up.
'No matter what, I will not stop', clenching his fist, he swore to himself to go until the end. Leaving his worries aside, he finally started to absorb the qi stream. Breathing in and out, he calmly guided the foreign energy inside his body.
However, it did not take long for him to reach the first blockage.
Because his meridians were thin, the amount of qi was too much for his body to cope with, which resulted in his meridians being placed under great stress - any wrong step could turn him into a cripple.
However, despite the uncomfortable feeling brought by it, he did not hesitate for even a moment. Instead, he pushed the energy forward with all his might.
"Argh!" A low grunt escaped his throat. One of the smaller meridians in his body was brought almost to the limit, before being forcefully broken apart.
Then, just as it broke, the energy that had gathered in that region healed it back.
The change was very small and almost unnoticeable, but Yueshi knew it – it was bigger and stronger than before. Using qi to break and restore the meridians… that was the only way to make them become sturdier and larger.
Yes, there would come a time when they would not be able to regenerate anymore, however, Yueshi's meridians were far from that limit as of now.
What followed the first success was intense pain and despair.
Big and small meridians all over his body were torn apart, being destroyed section by section. Then, just as they were restored, they would be forcefully broken once again, causing unimaginable pain.
Yueshi soon understood why most people gave up.
Talking about it was easy, but doing was another matter altogether. The meridians were not only an important part of the body but were, also, very sensitive – almost like nerves. Every crack sent a searing pain through the whole body, almost making him spasm.
'Why I am doing this?' Feeling the pain spread like electricity through his nerves, burning everything inside, he clenched his teeth and doubted his resolve for the first time.
They could always run away, move to a smaller village and live there happily for the rest of their lives.
Moreover, he could also just leave Xuehua alone and live his own life – find work somewhere and never come back. After all, she was not his true sister. Why suffer like this when there were other paths that could be taken?
Even his mother back on earth would not fault him for giving up, right?
Little by little, but surely, he was becoming less keen on continuing down this road. Even now, he could feel the pain ravishing his insides, tearing and clawing at his entire being.
Every second and minute that passes felt like a day of continuous torture.
"Urgh!" He could not suppress his groans anymore, not that he still felt the need to. The sturdier and larger his meridians became, the more painful it was to break them down.
Then, just as he was going to let go of the qi inside him – letting it dissipate and spill out of his body - a figure flashed past his hazy and confused mind.
It was not his mother, whose existence had been his greatest support for many years. Nor was it this new sister of his, whose charming smile was able to turn his sour mood into pure bliss.
Instead, it was a much darker figure. It was the image of someone he had hated for years and years, and whose entire existence disgusted him. That person was far away, still living his own life on Earth.
Then, it disappeared in smoke and the man with a mustache showed up. His ugly face was adorned with a wicked grin as he spoke vulgarly, trying to humiliate him and Xuehua – saying what he would do after he caught both of them.
'Why?' Yueshi asked himself. 'Why do I need to cope with them, unable to do anything?' The answer came in an instant as the figure of the shadow guard looked down at him. 'Right. It is all because I am weak,' because he did not have what it took to confront them – power!
He really wanted to protect Xuehua and help his mother. However, those desires were just a part of something far bigger.
To have unrivaled strength and walk unhindered and to never have to bow his head and be wronged – that was his true desire, the thing his heart longed for the most.
'An ordinary life would be good', and he had thought about living one alongside his sister, 'but it is not what I want!'
Maybe it was the bloodline that belonged to the man he abhorred, or maybe, it was simply his fate. He was not sure. However, there was some sort of pride engraved in his bones that whispered in his ears – you are not meant to give up here!
As his mind calmed down, he pushed onward on his cultivation.
The process continued at a slow pace, but having acquired a new resolve, he endured it all. He was unsure of the passage of time and the pain never went away, nonetheless, his mind was strangely at peace.
Absolute power was the only way out of the cycle of suffering because that was the only way one would be able to rest at peace and know that nothing and no one could harm them and their loved ones.
Even if this was merely the first step, Yueshi felt that he would be able to travel this grand road to the end. While unsure of where this newfound confidence came from, he did not dislike it.
So he swore, with a passing thought, that one day, he'd stand at the top of the world and oversee the myriad creations.
Meanwhile, inside of his body, the remaining qi started to rotate through the expanded meridians. Even without Yueshi guiding the streams of qi they flowed following a strange and unknown path.
Yueshi was still not aware of this change, but later he'd find out that it was the turning point of his fate - and one of his greatest problems.
—--
In the end, Yueshi only managed to catch on two hours of sleep, being awakened by the sound of Xuehua getting up from her bed.
"Why don't you sleep some more?" She said as she smiled at him. "I will come and call you once breakfast is ready."
Shaking his head he stretched his arms. "I think I have rested enough already." That was a big, fat lie. He just wanted to spend more time with her.
Xuehua did not seem to fully believe him, but shaking her head with a thin smile she decided to not comment. "I will go wash myself first and give you time to change clothes. After that, we can make breakfast together."
In a merry mood, Yueshi continuously nodded his head. It was as if he had completely forgotten the pains of the previous night.
The two siblings then proceeded to enjoy a peaceful early morning in each other's company, as if their previous crisis had been merely a fletching nightmare.
Yueshi this chance to know a bit more about this lovable sister of his, and also 'his' family in this world.
Their parents were ordinary people that settled in the city in search of work and a better life. Unfortunately, both of them died after catching a certain disease, leaving the two of them behind.
Having learned that, Yueshi came to admire his sister even more, for she, alone, had raised him from a very young age. He couldn't imagine how many hardships she had to go through to do that when she wasn't even that much older than him.
"I have already talked with Uncle Yan, so you should continuing resting for today." Yueshi nodded.
Uncle Yan was a grumpy middle-aged man that loved to complain about everything. Still, both the past Yueshi and Xuehua were extremely grateful toward him, since he had given Yueshi a chance to work at his smith despite his inexperience.
"Then, I will be going to work now," Xuehua said by the door while putting on her sandals.
"Hm. Make sure to take care of yourself." As much as he did not want her to leave, he could not stop her.
Xuehua worked on a medium-sized restaurant in the business district, and although the place not famous and her position was only that of an auxiliary chef, it was still a job she worked extremely hard to acquire.
Once alone, Yueshi massaged his shoulders and stretched his neck. "Since I don't have to go to work, then I will cultivate until she comes back."
The business district was heavily protected, so there was no need to worry about her safety, therefore, he had the peace of mind needed to focus on his own things.
What neither Yueshi nor Xuehua could expect, however, was what this day had in store for them.
Perhaps, they were naive. But, after all, how could they know the depths of a stranger's malice and pettiness?
Some people were just like that - they would never leave you alone once you crossed their paths, and it did not matter who was right or wrong.
—--
Old Wang was the Golden Seashore Restaurant's head chef. He was an old and kind man that treated the other employees with respect and care. He'd also often teach the other employees a few things, in the hope that they could one day also become chefs.
Among the people working with him, Xuehua was the one closest to him. He had seen all kinds of people in his long life, however, none was as hardworking as the young lady. Because he liked that trait of hers, he treated her even better than the others.
Yet, today there was something different in his eyes as he observed her. He could not help but sigh and lament. 'What is it that you have done?' He asked himself, clearly worried, 'I am really, really sorry, but… I have to protect my family,' and also clearly ashamed.
Early, just before the restaurant opened, the owner had called him. To his surprise, his boss had asked about the little lass, Xuehua. As if that was not enough, he had threatened him, saying that if he messed up there would be heavy consequences.
In the end, he was given a bottle filled to the brim with an unknown liquid and was instructed to make Xuehua drink it. No explanation was offered, instead, he was once more threatened after the order, with his family getting involved in this whole thing.
Old Wang sighed as a heavy feeling pressed down on his chest.
Having dumped the liquid inside of a bowl with one of his specialties, he walked toward Xuehua. "Lass, try this and tell me what you think of it." It was rare for him to do that during the expedient, but, without any hesitation, she did just as he had asked.
Ah, the shame became even bigger.