The early morning sun bathed the village in a warm golden light, casting long shadows across the ground. The village elder sat calmly in the garden, his weathered hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. Across from him, Miss Xu sat quietly, her eyes reflecting the soft hues of the sky. The garden around them was alive with the gentle rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
Miss Xu glanced at the elder, her brow slightly furrowed with curiosity. She had been with him long enough to know that something important had transpired, though he had yet to share the details. With a gentle smile, she broke the silence.
"How did it go, Elder?" she asked, her voice soft but tinged with curiosity.
The village elder paused, savoring the moment. He took a slow sip of his tea, allowing the warm liquid to fill him before answering. His eyes sparkled with the light of memory, and a slow, thoughtful smile spread across his face.
"It went well," he replied, his voice calm and measured, though there was a hint of amusement behind his words. He set the cup down gently and leaned back in his chair, his mind drifting back to the events of the previous day. His thoughts were vivid, each memory sharp and clear, as though the events had unfolded only moments ago.
He remembered it all as if it had happened in slow motion. The young man—the counselor—had arrived in the village with a sense of quiet confidence, though his age betrayed his youthful energy. If the elder were to guess, the counselor couldn't have been more than his late twenties, yet there was an air of wisdom about him, something that belied his years.
The elder chuckled softly to himself, recalling the moment they had entered the visitor's house together. The house had been as elegant as it was grand, adorned with beautiful red furnishings and intricate decorations that spoke of wealth and status. The soft, scarlet drapes caught the light from the sun, casting a warm glow over the room.
The young man had gestured for the elder to take a seat in a finely upholstered chair, and the old man had complied, settling into the comfort of the cushions. The counselor, with the smooth grace of someone well-versed in etiquette, had moved behind the elder, placing gentle hands on his shoulders to massage them—a gesture of both respect and submission, though the village elder could sense the hidden motives behind it.
"The boy was respectful," the elder thought to himself as he sat there, remembering the tension in the air, "but also calculating."
The young man had spoken softly at first, his voice almost a whisper, as if he were testing the waters.
"Village Elder," the counselor began, his hands moving deftly over the elder's shoulders, "I wanted to talk to you about Yang Feng."
The elder's brow furrowed slightly, but he kept his composure. His interest had been piqued the moment Yang Feng's name was mentioned. It was no secret that the boy had a rare gift, but the elder had not expected this visit so soon. He remained silent, letting the young man continue.
"We should start preparing him for the Spiritual Academy," the counselor said, his voice taking on a tone of urgency. "It's not something that can be delayed for much longer."
The village elder had smiled faintly at this, his old, weathered face crinkling at the corners. He could feel the tension in the young man's voice, the eagerness that belied his calm demeanor. But the elder had lived long enough to know when someone was pushing too hard. With a small shake of his head, he responded in his usual measured tone.
"There is no rush," the elder had said softly. "Yang Feng must make that choice himself. It's not something we can force upon him."
The counselor had chuckled at that, his hands pausing briefly before resuming their gentle massage. When he spoke again, his voice was louder, more forceful, as if he were trying to assert dominance in the conversation.
"But, Elder," the young man said, a slight edge to his voice now, "you must understand, Yang Feng is no ordinary child. He has a Sun-ranked spiritual beast, one of the rarest to appear in the Three Spiritual Lands."
The elder's eyes had flickered briefly at this, though he had kept his face neutral. He knew all too well what that meant. A Sun-ranked beast was something of immense power, capable of altering the balance of any land. Only three Sun-ranked beasts appeared every century in the Three Spiritual Lands, and to have one under the control of someone like Yang Feng was nothing short of extraordinary.
The counselor's voice grew more insistent as he continued. "With your wisdom, surely you must know how rare this is. Yang Feng is the Sun-ranker of the East this time. There is no one else like him. Surely the village can do something to convince him to join the academy immediately. There's no time to waste."
The elder had remained quiet for a moment, the weight of the counselor's words hanging heavily in the air. He had known this day would come—the day when someone would try to persuade him to push Yang Feng toward a future that wasn't his own choice. The elder's smile had remained in place, though his true thoughts were hidden behind the façade.
"You're right," the elder had said finally, his voice soft but firm. "I suppose we could do something to encourage him... but tell me, what are you offering in return? What can you bring to our village?"
The young man had smiled at that—a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. It was a smile of negotiation, of understanding that this was no longer just a conversation about Yang Feng. The elder had seen that look before, many times in his life, from those who sought to gain something from him. The young man wanted something, and the elder was all too aware of the dance they were now engaged in.
The two had exchanged polite words, each one masking their true intentions, each one smiling at the other with the knowledge that a game was being played.
As the elder recalled these events, a slow smile spread across his face once again. He took another sip of tea, the warmth of the liquid spreading through him as he remembered the young man's reaction. The counselor had thought he could outmaneuver the elder, but in the end, it was the elder who had set the terms.
The memory faded, and the elder returned to the present, sitting quietly in the garden with Miss Xu. She was watching him closely, her eyes curious but patient. She knew better than to pry too deeply into the elder's affairs, but her interest was clear.
The village elder set his tea down gently and looked at Miss Xu, his smile still in place.
"It went well," he repeated, his voice filled with a quiet satisfaction.
Miss Xu nodded, understanding that there were layers to the elder's words that she would not yet be privy to. She took a sip of her own tea, her thoughts swirling with questions, though she knew the answers would come in time.
The sun continued to rise higher in the sky, casting a soft golden light over the garden as the two sat in peaceful silence, their thoughts filled with the weight of the future and the paths that had yet to be walked.