On a bed adorned with ancient motifs, in a modest room without ornament or frills, a young man progressively regained consciousness.
It was, of course, Ku Kazu as soon as he awoke he was assaulted by a severe headache.
Trying to move, Kazu could feel a sensation of sharp pain run through his entire body.
Her face was pale. As he struggled to sit up he could see a boy barely younger walking towards him worriedly.
"Kazu, are you awake? "
"That kid the other night ..."
Ku Chen smiled before dissipating some of the worry that had marked him so far. Before pointing in the direction of a sleeping child, sitting on the wooden slats that served as the parquet floor of the room. Her delicate face made her look adorable when seen asleep like this.
"This girl is a little strange. She has hardly spoken since you lost consciousness, most of the time just monitoring your condition. "
Ku Kazu stared at the sleeping child on the ground for a moment.
Ku Kazu stared at the sleeping child on the ground for a moment.
Unable to associate her to the image, seen crushing in an instant two practitioners at the door of the spiritual forming realm. After a few seconds he faced Ku Chen again.
"How long have I been unconscious"
Kazu's question had the strange effect of causing his friend to smile, which was not without intrigued him.
" Twelve hours ! After you fall unconscious. We have brought you back together to your room. "
Kazu's pupils dilated in surprise.
" Twelve hours? How it is possible. The last time I opposed Xiao Lin, I didn't wake up for two days. This time it was even harder and yet ... "
"I told you, I don't really know what this child did but she's amazing, isn't she? I really couldn't believe what happened. Even the manager didn't know what she was capable of. "
As if she had been waiting for a suitable introduction, this is the moment that the interested person chooses to be heard.
"I came to Yellow-Town to find Ku Kazu. "
Ku Kazu and Ku Chen turned in the direction of the voice. But Kazu was the first to interact.
"Why are you looking for me? Who are you firstly ?! And more importantly what is your connection with my grandfather? "
Kazu's grandfather was not from the Ku clan but he was in his eyes his dearest person. Kazu was born in rather special conditions. Kazu's father was the greatest talent born in the Ku clan in the last century. He thus naturally represented all the hopes of these.
However, the latter fell in love with the wrong person. Kazu's mother was from the Yang clan, one of the most prominent clans on the continent. This one had originally been promised to another but preferred to flee with Kazu's father.
The Yangs, in addition to being forced to renege on their commitments, saw in the union of the two an insult hardly acceptable to their authority. The father and the mother of Kazu was thus eliminated by Yang Kai, one of the greatest contemporary talents.
Orphan at a very young age and despite being born from the union of two very talented practitioners. Kazu was seen strangely lacking in cultivation skills.
Rejected by the Ku clan and spared by the Yang clan only due to an important figure of the latter in the person of Yang Zhong.
Frequently the subject of mockery for his weak abilities, Kazu had been able to count only on the unwavering support of his grandfather.
After he suffered a multitude of bullying within the main clan branch within Black-sun-sect he was taken to Yellow-town by his grandfather.
Although the region was incomparable to the one they were from, Kazu finally had happy days. Yang Zhong meanwhile had spent a lot of effort in understanding his grandson's situation. That fact alone was enough to fill Kazu's heart with joy.
However on Kazu's eleventh birthday. Yang Zhong suddenly disappeared.
After his endless stream of questions a trembling Kazu hung from the young girl's lips. Silence settled in the room for a long time, before any words were uttered. Seeing the turmoil caused to his friend Ku Chen wanted to do a few things. However, the two young men had no choice but to wait for the response of the youth. She put on a difficult expression before she started.
"Yang Zhong, is dead! He saved me and died because of me. "
The room was once again plunged into deafening silence. He was interrupted only by the sounds of Kazu struggling to get up from his bed.
"I see, grandpa died to save you. "
Ku Chen put on a pained expression after seeing the dull face of his friend who was now facing the young girl.
"It was predictable, he wouldn't have left me for four years for no reason, right? So you went all this way to break this news to me? "
"I have come to fulfill Grandpa Zhong's last wishes. "
"His last wishes? "
"Until his last moments, you were in his thoughts. He told me many stories about you Kazu. He wanted you to be able to cultivate and for your efforts to be rewarded. Finding a way to make you the best Essentialist was one of the reasons for his trip. So I came to help you in his stead. "
"The best Essentialist ..."
Coming out of Kazu's mouth his words had a painful connotation.
It was something he said regularly during his childhood years. But with the difficulty and the sense of reality he gradually stopped mentioning it. Yet when all seemed to suggest that this was just an impossible dream. Part of him refused to resign himself to it.
He never thought that his grandfather had remembered that.
" It's impossible ! His words Kazu was still refusing to utter them yet today they left his lips without his even giving them a second thought.
"Grandfather started his journey because of me. No, it was only for me that he had to leave the Yang clan to begin. Me, his incapable grandson. He died because of me. I condemned him. I couldn't do anything about the death of my parents. I couldn't stand up to the bullying. And even after all these years I find myself stuck in the 3rd stage of physical molding. Someone like that can never become the number one practitioner.
Moreover if grandpa and really dead by your fault as you say so I don't want your help. You can leave ! "
Contrary to Kazu's expectations, the child's expression remained steadfast.
"Il refuse ! "
"What? "
"I already decided that day to help you even if you don't want my help! I don't think there is anything true about what you said. Yang Zhong was a great Essen… no, he was a great man and yet he didn't stop believing in you. My, I believe in his judgment. "
Ku Kazu looked a little desperate at the pupils in front of him. But they showed no sign of doubt.
"You're just a kid anyway. Can you be of any use to me? When even grandpa was unable to do anything. "
Kazu's tone grew more serious as his gaze wetened.
"Tell me instead how… how did Grandpa die?" "
Despite his questions Kazu decided not to continue when he saw the child's face take on a gloomy hue.
"It's okay, tell me when the time comes. Grandpa wouldn't want me to spend my time whining. If he has saved you. I too will choose to believe in you. Tell me what your name is instead. "
"... Seis. "
"So, I'm counting on you Seis!"
[Seis, that's a really weird no. But I might be better off not mentioning it.]
The worry that had once again marked Ku Chen's features was completely dispelled after the two were exchanged.
"Aaahh! "
Turning to Ku Chen Kazu looked cautious.
"Why are you suddenly screaming ?! "
"Kazu there are a few more things I haven't told you. "
In a large room, neat but rudimentary in style, an imposing young man was perched on a desk, sitting in a lotus position as the morning light from an adjacent window lit his back. The name of this boy was Ku Kai. He was of the same generation as Kazu as well as the son of the patriarch of the secondary branch of the Ku clan established in Yellow-town.
"Ku Kai! "
The young man opened his eyes at the call of his name to find in front of him a ridiculously fat young man with a somewhat yellowish complexion.
"Do a few things for your unsightly appearance. Just seeing you will almost make me want to hit you. Anyway, I imagine that you have a good reason for disturbing my practice. "
"That's that good-for-nothing of Kazu, he's waking up. "
" You sure ? "
"Sure, I heard quite a bit of commotion coming from his room. "
"Okay, so I guess it's high time for a little visit. Make sure you make sure he is unable to practice before the deadline. "
"Are you sure that's very wise? You know from the stories about what would have happened to Xiao Lin's lackeys. "
"And I couldn't believe a word of it. One child would have managed to cripple two essentialists at the doorstep of the realm of spiritual forming in one move. Let me laugh, these are just stories. "
"It's true that it doesn't sound very realistic but ..."
"Don't be a coward! Since you seem so scared I will accompany you. In six weeks Kazu will be celebrating his fifteenth birthday.
And if as it has been decided he does not reach the 4th level of physical molding. Then he will be kicked out of our clan. I doubt he can do it, but I intend to reduce his chances to zero. We will see how he can pierce when he is bedridden.
"Hehe, that idiot can't count on his grandfather's support to keep him here anymore." The Ku clan will shine all the more once we get rid of this garbage that only tarnishes our image. "