On the calm river flowing in the middle of the city, a young man stepped out of the shallow waves, carrying wooden buckets full of water on each shoulder.
Luen visited numerous houses throughout the entire morning, supplying fresh water to many households. As noon approached, his shoulders were beyond sore.
As he walked, water occasionally splashed from the buckets, washing over his head.
That did not cool his anger, however, and only seemed to fuel it instead.
'Curse it.' Luen thought in indignation.
Although eunuchs are merely servants within the palace, they are still lofty figures among mortals.
His long life of servitude under the imperial family had been devoid of such menial labor that he had forgotten what it meant to truly be mortal. To be without the elite status that comes with being a Cultivator.
The life of a peasant.
'This won't do!' He roared in his heart.
As soon as he got home, Luen immediately locked himself in his room and sat cross-legged on the bed, absorbing external qi through meditation.
Currently, the city is going through a dire crisis, forcing all cultivators to engage against external threats.
In his memories, this conflict will last for over half a year, ceasing only when reinforcements from the royal army arrived, bolstering the city forces. Even then, the conclusion was a pyrrhic victory at best.
It was a period of turbulence. Becoming a cultivator at this juncture is not very ideal. The current battlefield was simply too dangerous. Perilous, even. Thus, he was originally planning to lay low for a while and let the storm pass.
But now, that was no longer an option.
He simply couldn't imagine himself spending another day as a mundane peasant carrying water for mortal households.
Today, he will become a cultivator!
And that he did.
It only took a few seconds.
The process is rather straightforward, but requires three crucial steps.
Realize qi.
Control qi.
Absorb qi.
Only when the practitioner is able to absorb qi into their body will they qualify as a Cultivator.
But that was the easiest part.
The most difficult aspect of cultivation is grasping the concept of qi. Learning how to control and absorb qi is much easier, but still takes a considerable amount of time and effort.
Luen, with his past cultivation experiences, skipped the first two steps and directly absorbed qi from his surroundings, plundering the world's essence without restraint.
Minutes quickly passed.
Soon, his dantian was saturated.
Deep in meditation.
Luen saw a turbulent river of qi surging within a small but radiant sphere, its ethereal surface surrounded by a thin layer of bright haze.
It was his dantian.
The dantian looked like a newborn star in a diminished nebula, its shining frame bore impurities, the taint appearing as dark spots in the otherwise pristine glow.
At the same time.
In his room, a loud knocking sounded twice from the door, followed by a woman's voice.
It was his sister's voice.
This time, she did not dare to hastily open the door.
She had learned her lesson.
"Lunch is ready!" Lana announced.
Hearing no response, she knocked on the door one more time. "Did you hear what I said?"
Luen's tranquil expression broke, and his eyes soon opened.
With an annoyed look, he spoke: "Yes, yes, I'm coming."
Luen lazily stood up, took the scattered items on the table, and then placed them back on his bed, hiding them under the thin blanket.
These were the treasures he had stolen from the imperial palace.
Seeing the obvious bumps on his bed, he sighed.
In the past, he had thought the imperial treasury's security was quite lax.
But now, he didn't even know what to think.
This doesn't even count as security.
'Well, it's better than nothing.' Luen convinced himself.
Then, he went to the door and left, tracing the soup's smell.
***
In the late afternoon, walking down the streets illuminated by the dwindling rays of sunlight, Luen gazed at the ancient pavilion in the distance.
Now that he had become a Qi Cultivator, he was entitled to many benefits.
Cultivators of the Qiwel Clan receive a generous stipend every week, much more than what he could earn from selling water to multiple households. Moreover, cultivators are also exempted from the head tax imposed by the city. With these two stacked together, cultivators technically did not need to work to earn a living.
Yet, those benefits also came with responsibilities.
Like now, in the face of a colossal threat, cultivators are obliged to help protect the city and risk their lives in battle.
Luen sighed.
It had been a long time since he had fought with anyone properly. Eunuchs rarely get into trouble, and when they do, it means offending someone of high status from the palace, which usually results in summary execution.
After a while, his steps came to a halt.
At present, Luen stood in front of a lotus pond, its stagnant waters the hue of emerald. Across the green pool was the imposing silhouette of the open pavilion, a curved path of spacious stepping stones cut across the waters, allowing passage to the ancient structure.
To claim the benefits Cultivators are entitled to, he first needed to have that elite status officially recognized by a superior.
Thus, he came here to report about the matter.
A few moments later, Luen stepped onto the cold stone floor of the pavilion.
In the middle of the open structure, a middle-aged man sat in a lotus position, still and serene. The man wore a clean purple robe with wide sleeves; on its chest, the Qiwel Clan's emblem could be seen, embroidered on the soft fabric.
"Elder Wei." Luen greeted respectfully.
As he spoke, Luen felt the man's presence wash over the surroundings before focusing onto his figure.
Soon, the Elder's eyes opened.
Glancing at Luen, the man's eyes showed a subtle look of pity as he spoke.
"You have reached the first level." The Elder remarked.
"Yes, Elder." Luen confirmed.
Elder Wei nodded slightly as a small compartment opened above.
Two items immediately flew out from the ceiling and gently landed onto Luen.
Soon, a folded white robe along with a bronze waist token rested on his palm, both a proof of his newly elevated status within the clan.
Seeing him casually taking the two items, seemingly without much thought, the Elder heaved a deep sigh and spoke with meaning.
"The city faces an unprecedented crisis, and the walls demand a tribute of blood. Young man, you have received enlightenment at the worst possible time."
"Alas, this is your fate."
"Accept your fate with bravery."
"Ah, let nature take its course."
Luen stared at him blankly.
The Elder said a lot of things, even dragging fate into the mud, but in essence, his words boiled down into these simple words:
"Go ahead and die."