Chapter Two: Embers of the Past
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting faint streaks of light through the dense mist that clung to the forest. It was quiet, almost eerily so, as though the world itself held its breath. Old Bai moved with careful steps, his senses alert, tracing the faint whispers of spirit energy that pulsed beneath the earth. Every step felt like a reminder—a calling that had lingered in his bones for nearly seventeen years.
For Old Bai was one of the last remaining members of the Emberveil Order, a fallen sect whose mission had been to protect relics of ancient power, relics that connected the mortal world to celestial forces. The Emberveil Order had once been a powerful alliance of cultivators and mystics, guardians of fire and flame, devoted to protecting the balance of elements and keeping the power of the Phoenix Feather Amulet hidden from those who might seek to exploit it.
Time, however, had unraveled the Order. Its members scattered across the land, many choosing exile or anonymity to preserve the Order's secrets. As one of its last loyal members, Old Bai had carried this responsibility alone, watching over the Phoenix Feather Amulet and waiting—hoping—that one day it would awaken and choose a new bearer.
But never had he imagined that day would come so soon, or that it would call to the boy he had raised as his grandson, a boy who, to the village and even to himself, was simply an ordinary child.
As he reached the edge of the dark forest, Old Bai's thoughts drifted back to a night seventeen years ago, when he had felt a similar pulse of spirit energy—an echo of Feiyan, the Celestial Phoenix herself. He had followed that energy to the ruins of an ancient temple, hidden deep within the shadows of the forest. And there, amidst the crumbling stone and wild vines, he had found an abandoned child—Li Yan, barely an infant, swaddled in tattered cloth and lying on the temple's cold stone floor.
Old Bai had sensed Feiyan's presence even then, a faint warmth that lingered around the child like a protective flame. Though he had found no trace of the amulet that night, he knew, deep in his spirit, that the child was tied to the Phoenix. But the connection, the true nature of Li Yan's destiny, had remained elusive—until now.
When Li Yan returned from the forest that morning, his appearance alone spoke volumes. His clothes were singed, his hair disheveled, and his face bore the exhausted look of someone who had faced something far beyond his understanding. But there was something else in his gaze—a flicker of fire, both fierce and uncertain, that Old Bai recognized instantly.
"Grandfather…" Li Yan began, his voice low and trembling. "I found… something in the forest. An amulet. It… it merged with me."
Old Bai nodded, motioning for him to sit. "The Phoenix Feather Amulet," he said quietly, watching Li Yan's reaction closely. "Its awakening is no coincidence. The amulet has chosen you, Li Yan."
Li Yan looked down at his hands, his mind racing. "But… I don't understand. Why me? Why would it choose someone… ordinary?"
A faint smile crossed Old Bai's face. "Ordinary? You have always been more than that, Li Yan, though you didn't know it. Your arrival in this village was not by chance. The Emberveil Order, the sect I once belonged to, was sworn to protect the amulet, to wait for the day when it would choose a new bearer. And it has chosen you."
Li Yan's heart pounded. The Emberveil Order. He had heard whispers of sects in distant lands, stories of powerful cultivators and hidden relics, but he had never imagined that his own family—his quiet, unassuming grandfather—would be part of such a legacy.
Old Bai continued, his gaze steady, his voice laced with the weight of old memories. "Our sect was dedicated to preserving the balance of elemental forces. Feiyan, the Celestial Phoenix, entrusted the Emberveil Order with her flame, granting us the responsibility of safeguarding the amulet until a worthy bearer emerged. The amulet's power is not given lightly, and once it awakens, it cannot be ignored."
The room fell into silence as Old Bai's words settled heavily in the air. Li Yan's mind spun, grappling with the reality of what he had become. "But… if the Order was meant to guard the amulet, then why would you leave me to live as if I were just a villager?"
Old Bai sighed, a sadness darkening his gaze. "Because I wanted to protect you, Li Yan. I hoped that you would be spared the burden, that the amulet would remain dormant. The Emberveil Order fell long ago, and its enemies have not disappeared. I thought that if you lived as an ordinary boy, you might escape notice."
He paused, looking down as if the weight of his words was almost too much to bear. "I found you in the ruins of that temple, abandoned, but not alone. There was a presence around you—Feiyan's presence. I knew then that your fate was tied to the amulet, though I did not know how."
Li Yan's breath caught as he looked up, meeting his grandfather's gaze. "So… I was born to carry this?"
Old Bai nodded slowly. "It seems fate has decided so. You are the Phoenix Bearer, Li Yan, though it is a path that will demand everything of you."
A strange warmth flared in his chest then, a pulse that spread through him, filling him with both fear and exhilaration. And then, as if in answer to his unspoken questions, a voice echoed in his mind—a voice rich and resonant, filled with a pride and intensity that left him breathless.
"I am Feiyan, child. My flame now rests within you. Prove yourself worthy, or find yourself consumed."
Li Yan's hands trembled as he felt the presence of the Celestial Phoenix herself, a presence that filled his very being. He looked at his grandfather, his voice barely a whisper. "She… she spoke to me."
Old Bai's expression softened, a glimmer of sadness in his eyes. "Then the amulet has truly chosen you, and your journey has begun. Feiyan's flame is not simply a power; it is a spirit, a force that requires balance, respect, and control. Without discipline, that flame will consume you."
Old Bai rose, moving to a small, hidden compartment in the floor. From it, he withdrew an ancient scroll, its edges frayed, its surface marked with symbols Li Yan did not recognize.
"This scroll contains the teachings of Qi Gathering," Old Bai explained. "It is the first step on your path, a way to harness the energy within and around you. To master Feiyan's flame, you must learn to gather Qi, to balance it with your own spirit, and to wield it without letting it overpower you."
Li Yan's heart raced as he looked at the scroll, his eyes tracing the ancient symbols. The pulse of Feiyan's flame within him seemed to respond, a gentle warmth that urged him forward, as though the Phoenix herself approved of his first steps.
Old Bai gently unrolled the scroll on the small wooden table, revealing its faded surface. The scroll was ancient, its parchment worn and yellowed with age, the edges frayed from centuries of use. Yet the ink—deep crimson and gold—still held its luster, as though infused with a trace of the spirit energy it described. Symbols and intricate diagrams danced across the page, their meanings layered with mysteries that could only be unraveled through patient study and disciplined practice.
The scroll itself was more than just a manual; it was a relic, a piece of the Emberveil Order's history that had been carefully preserved and passed down through the generations. To the untrained eye, it might look like a simple set of instructions, but to someone like Old Bai, it held echoes of their sect's teachings, values, and rituals.
Li Yan stared at the symbols, feeling both a surge of excitement and a pang of doubt. The intricate calligraphy, the strange, coiling diagrams—they were unlike anything he had ever seen. It was as if the scroll itself breathed with a life of its own, each line carrying the essence of those who had come before him.
"This scroll," Old Bai began, his voice reverent, "is one of the last remnants of the Emberveil Order's teachings. It contains the foundational practices of Qi Gathering—a technique that will allow you to draw in and harness the natural energy around you. This is not merely a set of instructions; it is a guide to aligning your spirit with Feiyan's flame."
Li Yan's fingers traced the edge of the scroll, his eyes drawn to a central diagram that depicted a figure sitting cross-legged, energy swirling around him in a pattern that resembled a spiral of embers. The scroll's diagrams were detailed, each one showcasing techniques that ranged from breathing patterns to specific hand positions and even points of focus within the body.
"This," Old Bai continued, pointing to the spiral, "is the basic Qi Gathering formation for those with a fire affinity. See here?" He traced a small, flame-shaped symbol at the figure's core. "For those like you, who carry the essence of Feiyan, Qi Gathering must begin by centering the energy within your spirit flame. From there, you will learn to draw in Qi from the world around you, letting it stoke the flame within."
Li Yan stared at the symbol, feeling a flicker of warmth in his chest as he focused on it. The scroll's teachings felt as though they reached out to him, the diagrams and words resonating with the faint pulse of Feiyan's power within him.
Old Bai pointed to another part of the scroll, where a list of warnings was written in careful strokes. "These teachings are not without their dangers, Li Yan. For those with fire affinities, the risk of losing control is especially high. The flame within you is powerful, but it is also volatile. If you let it burn too fiercely, you could end up consumed by it."
He gestured to a phrase written in bold, red characters that seemed to shimmer slightly on the scroll: "To walk the path of embers is to dance with fire." Old Bai's gaze turned solemn as he explained, "This phrase was often spoken within the Emberveil Order. It reminds us that those who follow the path of fire walk a delicate balance. Power must be tempered by patience; strength, by humility."
Li Yan's fingers rested on the phrase, its meaning sinking in. The scroll didn't merely teach techniques—it was a philosophy, a way of life that his ancestors had followed with respect and caution. It was as though every word, every stroke of ink was infused with the essence of those who had walked this path before him, a lineage of guardians who had understood the gravity of wielding Feiyan's flame.
The scroll contained more than just Qi Gathering techniques. Old Bai carefully flipped the scroll to reveal other sections filled with layered teachings: the Nine Stances of Ember, defensive and offensive postures designed to channel fire Qi effectively; The Breath of Ash, a calming technique to extinguish one's inner fire if it grew too intense; and The Embershade Meditation, a ritual designed to connect the practitioner with the memory of Feiyan, seeking her wisdom and guidance.
Old Bai's finger paused on a final section near the scroll's bottom, where a symbol of a small, closed flame was drawn. "This is the Mark of the Emberveil," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "Every member of our order who truly mastered their flame received this mark, signifying their bond with Feiyan. For some, it manifested as a mark on their body—a sign that they had earned Feiyan's acceptance."
Li Yan's gaze lingered on the symbol, an almost reverent silence falling over him. The weight of the Emberveil Order's legacy settled on his shoulders, but there was something in the scroll that made him feel… connected. He was no longer alone. The teachings of those who had come before him, those who had once followed this path, were now his to carry forward.
He looked up at Old Bai, his eyes reflecting both awe and uncertainty. "Grandfather… how did you come to learn all this? Were you… were you once marked by Feiyan?"
A flicker of sadness crossed Old Bai's face, and he looked down at his hands, rough and weathered by years. "I served the Emberveil Order in my own way, as a guardian, a keeper of knowledge. But no, I was never chosen as you have been. The amulet never awakened for me; I was merely a caretaker, holding the teachings until the true bearer arrived."
Old Bai's gaze turned resolute, though a faint sadness lingered. "But now, with you, the amulet has reawakened, and Feiyan herself has chosen you. This scroll is only the beginning, Li Yan. The teachings within it will guide you through the first steps of cultivation, but they are only the start of a journey that you must walk alone."
Li Yan felt a mixture of fear and excitement swell within him as he looked back at the scroll, absorbing its intricate symbols and teachings. This was his inheritance, a gift and a challenge passed down through generations. As he traced the scroll's lines, he could almost feel the presence of those who had come before him, as though their spirits lingered within the parchment, watching, waiting to see if he would prove himself worthy.
With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, centering himself as Old Bai had taught him. He pictured the spiral of energy from the scroll, visualizing it at his core, just as Feiyan's flame pulsed faintly within him. He felt the warmth begin to spread, like embers kindling to life, filling him with a strength he hadn't known before.
This was his first step into the unknown, his first taste of the destiny that had waited for him all his life. And as he sat there, feeling the warmth of the ember within, he knew that his journey had only just begun.