Feng saw his father all bruised up and seemed to be just hanging on a thin thread of life.
[What... what happened here?]
Rumia's question was the same for Feng.
Fei saw Feng's arrival and only gave a saddened glance. She didn't say anything about Boqin's condition.
"Go to sleep early, Feng." she said.
Sensing that his mother doesn't want to talk about it, Feng could only obediently nod and pull the curtain to divide the small room they call house.
[You're not going to ask?]
'I... shouldn't...'
Rumia could only stay silent. She was feeling that Feng's mood was not good in anyway. She just closed her consciousness and placed her to sleep. Any consolation wouldn't do anything right now.
When the morning arrived, Boqin's state was getting better. There were no fatal injuries on him, Feng assumed but his mother, Fei was still quiet about it while tending to Boqin.
"Mom... I'm going out to play with Lin again. I've already eaten breakfast."
Hearing this, Fei's body shuddered. This was too noticeable for Feng to ignore. But soon, her saddened expression returned, and only replied with a nod and few words.
"Don't go far..."
"... okay." Feng then left.
Arriving at the meeting spot, Lin was nowhere to be seen. That's normal so Feng waited. Rumia couldn't find a chance to speak this time again.
Feng cultivated and waited. Only when a couple of hours had passed did Feng noticed a far silhouette. Lin's speed was nothing to scoff of for a ten-year-old kid. He was as fast as a professional athlete, or even faster.
Feng stood up and saw that Lin was not in his usual self. He would run but not this fast and desperate. When Lin arrived and faced Feng, he showed guilt and shame on his face before saying with a tear in his eyes.
"Feng... I'm sorry... my father... to make sure that I will not make a scene on the Trial and Observation day, he did something bad so that you will be forced to... regard me as not your friend any longer."
At the end of his sentence, tears fell off from his eyes. Lin wiped it off with a clenched face.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault... my father wants me to focus on cultivation. I just escaped for the time being... I can't go against him, my father is at the Fifth Stage of Body Refinement Realm. I should head back now. Feng... I'm so sorry..."
Before Feng could say anything, Lin turned heels and ran away.
Seeing Lin's fading silhouette, a smile fiendishly curved on Feng's face.
[F-feng...?]
"Hmm..." Feng sighed.
"See what I mean, Rumia?"
"Life is a joke."
"It has a punchline and it hit hard this time."
[Feng...]
"But no matter, my joke is only for people who will laugh at it. I'm one of them."
Rumia had no idea what Feng was murmuring now. She even thought that this affected him so badly that he turned a little crazy.
"A cruel joke, a crueler comedian. If they will not laugh, they can only cry."
[You're edgy...]
"I say what I want and I will do what I want."
[And what is that that you will do?]
"Nothing..."
[Huh!?] Rumia thought that they were getting in the mood and was shocked to hear what just Feng said.
"It is not I who will make a move."
"The one who will is Lin."
"What Lin can rely on is the system."
"And the system is I."
Feng looked at his mind and saw the new mission.
[Mission: Learn the Rock-Disintegrating Fist Skill.
Progress: 12%
Time till Expiration: None
Reward: Breakthrough into the Fifth Stage of Body Refinement Realm.]
Rumia realized what Feng was up to.
[I don't understand. He's just ten, even if he stepped onto the Fifth Stage of Body Refinement, he will not be able to defeat his father who is much more experienced.]
Feng pointed at himself, "I'll be there with him."
[But that doesn't do much... Even then! Even if you defeated Lin's father so what? What will that do? That will do nothing.]
"It will do something, Rumia." Feng's smile widened, "I will see the one who is responsible for my father's state gets beaten up. A cruel joke, a crueler comedian. But I don't see myself as a comedian this time, I see myself watching Lin's father get beaten up."
[Feng, you're really edgy and cringe, you're hurting me.]
"Sorry, Rumia, I say what I want."
[Okay, I get it. But in the longer run, that won't accomplish anything.]
"Lin will show his might. The envoys from the Hawk Might City would want to take him. My mind will be at peace. Lin's father will learn a lesson. No one in the village will look down on us anymore... the benefits are endless, I don't get what you are worried about."
[I guess you're right... it is obvious that your family is treated badly just from the placing of your house. If there's ever a beast attack, they will be at the frontline without any choice while the rest will be notified.]
Hearing this made Feng's face twitched.
"Let's not brood over it. Life is a joke. Laughing and enjoying at it is getting the most out of it."
[I wonder how much more meanings can you milk out of that edgy line of yours?]
"Life is a joke, I'm going to practice the Rock-Disintegrating Fist Skill now."
[That makes no sense.]
Feng opened the skillbook and soon words and images entered his mind in an orderly fashion.
Meanwhile, while other kids were playing in the valley, Lin was in their backyard, practicing it already. Repeating it over and over whenever his father is gone, either drinking or hanging out with his friends.
Progress: 25%
Days passed and Boqin finally recovered. He went out again for job-hunting which he never stops doing. Feng didn't even know how his father continues his job-hunting for months when the village is not that large.
Although, at the end of the day, he brings some food back to the house which is fine and good.
A week flashed by in an instant.
Lin completed two more missions. The second mission was about using the skill against a beast. He had to go around to find one since it's rare than normal animals around here.
The beast was stronger than the black cat they met before but it has no power against Lin who was at the fifth stage.
Fortunately, even if they were far away from each other, he was able to accept the rewards in private. This didn't make him step onto the sixth stage though. However, his mastery of the skill improved by a large margin.
The day for the Cultivator's Trial and Observation came. The envoys from the Hawk Might City did come. Riding on horses, their cultivation which averaged on the Fourth Stage of Spirit Condensation Realm were intentionally revealed for the locals of the Gentle Breeze Valley to fear them.
The village chief welcomed them as many people watched them in reverence.
"Look! He is an envoy from the High Wind Academy."
"That old lady seemed to be representing the city hall."
"Woah, there! A captain from the Hawk Might Military."
The locals were thrilled to see new faces again. These envoys were akin to celebrities to them as they flock over.
"Good to see you, Brother Ling Qin." the village chief politely nodded towards Ling Qin, the envoy from the High Wind Academy.
The High Wind Academy is a prestigious school for cultivators of the city. Only the best youths could enroll there. With their high standing, Ling Qin, who had one of the highest cultivation there at the Fifth Stage of Spirit Condensation, have his chin held up high as his belittling gaze swept upon the locals.
'What a waste of time...' he thought.
The village chief continued to greet the envoys with a warm smile. These envoys were then seated under a large shelter in front of a long table.
With Ling Qin in the middle, Mei Lan representing the city hall, and Li Kong representing the city military sat beside them with others more representing various factions such as lesser academies.
Hawk Might City is not small and one academy is not enough to accommodate all youths.
In front of them were children who had reached the age of nine and passed that. There were even some teenagers who will try and impress these envoys again this year for a chance of better life.
Talent and potential are not fixed, after all.
With bored expressions, Ling Qin waved his hand and domineeringly said.
"Just start, we don't have all day." he even yawned at the end of his words but no one was offended by it.
Lin's father was at the side and biting his fingers in worry. Lin was just here before the envoys arrived but then suddenly disappeared.
The village chief and some elders nodded as they were about to call out the first in line. But before an elder could call, a shout could be heard from afar as two youths seemingly raced to there while going through the crowds.
When Lin's father saw this pair, his face clenched.