Each morning, he woke before dawn. First came his rigorous morning practice, followed by sword lessons from PM Meng. After that, hand-to-hand combat training—a grueling affair that felt more like a beating than a lesson.
After getting beaten by his father, came the sword swings—one thousand of them. Followed by a hefty breakfast, the sole moment of joy in his day. Once his stomach was full, he had to take lessons on beasts and beast-taming skills from his father, both theoretically and practically, often involving encounters with dangerous beasts in the pavilion.
But all of this was nothing. This could still be considered normal, but real torture only began after lunch, and that was learning and training under Mother Bing. Even PM Meng, seeing the toll on his son, asked her to be gentle, only to find it backfiring and causing more trouble for Yuan. Since she had decided to allow him to chase after his dreams, nothing held her back.
She had a whip made up of Level 3 beast's tendon in her hand, typically used for taming unruly beasts in the pavilion. However now, it was being used to discipline Yuan.
From lunch to 10 pm, Yuan had to bear her torture. Everyone in the pavilion gave him sympathetic glances, including his father and Xu'er. Xu'er, who used to be very clingy to him, dared not show up even for a second.
His only hope of survival was the beginning of the competition 10 days later.
However, the day he heard the news of the competition being postponed, his heart shattered. The reason was an edict from the Capital. Emperor Shu of the Crimson Empire ordered all the academies and sects to increase this year's quota for student intake. They delayed the tournament so more people could apply and avail the opportunity.
But for Yuan, this delay meant only one thing: more grueling training. He cursed Emperor Shu silently in his heart.
5 days into the training, Yuan thought of running away and made his preparations. After leaving Silver in his room and grabbing his bag pack, he sneaked out of the pavilion with Red beside him.
However, all his preparation was for naught. At the entrance of Menghao Beast Pavilion stood a beautiful lady with a stern look on her face. Seeing Mother Bing at the entrance, Yuan's heart sunk. His foolproof plan of escape went down the drain.
In addition, Mother Bing's silently watching him only increased his anxiety. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he nervously gulped down his saliva. "Mother!"
"What are you doing here?" Mother Bing slowly asked, her voice completely calm without any hint of anger.
"Mom, I was just taking Red out for a walk. Nothing else." Yuan nervously said.
A sneer appeared on Mother Bing's face, "And where exactly is Red?"
Yuan turned around, but to his shock, his trusted partner had already abandoned him and was hurriedly walking back into the pavilion.
"Traitor," Yuan cursed under his breath, shooting Red an anger-filled glare.
Yuan slumped, knowing that fate was not on his side. Mother Bing grabbed him by his collar and hoisted him toward the fifth floor like a police officer bringing in a criminal. After reaching on fifth floor, yuan found his father already waiting for them. He shot him a pleading look, on to realize his father avoiding making eye contact with him. "Coward,"
Finally realizing he had little choice, he steeled himself to embrace the training.
*****
Days blurred into weeks, and before he knew it, a month had passed. Yuan looked much skinnier than before, but his mind with brimming with knowledge. This month-long training helped him build a strong foundation for his future cultivation journey.
Under Mother Bing's rigorous training, he learned about spirit herbs, precious materials, and the basics of alchemy. PM Meng also imparted his vast knowledge of beasts and beast-taming skills.
Today was the last day of this hellish training. Yuan stood before PM Meng, holding a wooden sword in his hands.
"Yuan, what do you believe is the most important quality for a person or a cultivator?" PM Meng suddenly asked.
Caught off guard, Yuan blinked. He raced his brain but could only shake his head. "I don't know"
PM Meng smiled gently. "Many things must have come to your mind, like strength, power, courage, and the like, right?"
Heat rushed to Yuan's cheeks as he nodded, embarrassment flooding him.
"All these things are part of the cultivators' life, the most important is your consciousness, your inner heart, and your character." PM Meng continued.
Yuan frowned, unable to grasp his father's meaning.
PM Meng chuckled at the sight of his son's perplexed expression. He placed a hand on Yuan's head, his voice gentle yet firm. "Let's assume a powerful person kidnaps Xu'er. You don't have enough strength to save her and you've no time to contact me or your mother or any of your friends."
"What will you do? Will you let her die? Or will you let her suffer till you have enough power to save her? Or will you try to save her knowing you might die?"
Yuan's face instantly turned cold when he heard about someone kidnapping his sister. He grunted in a hoarse voice, "Nonsense. Why would I let her suffer? Besides, who would dare to hurt my sister? If someone dared to even try, then I would kill him."
"But why would you feel that way? I mean you aren't strong enough to save her," PM Meng pressed.
Yuan fell silent, his brows furrowed into a knot. After a moment of silence, PM Meng continued, "It's because you can't bear the thought of her suffering or, worse, dying. You would blame yourself forever if you failed to save her, am I right?"
Yuan's heart raced at the truth of those words. He nodded slowly, understanding dawning.
"So where does that sense of guilt come from?" PM Meng asked.
Yuan raised his head and looked at PM Meng with shock in his eyes. The realization struck him like lightning. PM Meng nodded knowingly at the spark of enlightenment in his son's eyes.
"Yes, that's your consciousness, your inner heart, your character. In life, when you feel lost, always listen to your heart. Even if you made a wrong decision, you won't have any regret even if you ended up dying."
Confusion still lingered in Yuan's mind, but PM Meng didn't elaborate on it further.
"Just trust your heart; one day, you will understand. You can go now." He waved his hand and ordered Yuan to leave.