Yan Zi walked for hours, his steps heavy, each one sinking deeper into the weight of his thoughts. The path ahead seemed endless, the distant treeline of the Primordial Beast Forest beckoning him like a silent, uncaring witness to his turmoil. His heart, once filled with hope and determination, now seemed to ache with each passing step. He had been cast out, a mere shadow in the eyes of the clan he once called home. Each word from that fateful day echoed relentlessly in his mind—trash, loser, disgrace—until they were the only thoughts left, gnawing at his spirit like a swarm of biting insects.
The air around him was thick with the scent of damp earth and the distant rustling of leaves. The forest was alive with a quiet but undeniable energy, the trees towering above him like ancient guardians. Their trunks twisted in odd, almost unnatural shapes, and the canopy formed a dense mesh of dark green, filtering the sunlight into soft beams that barely touched the ground. The forest floor was blanketed in thick moss and fallen leaves, with occasional glimpses of vibrant flowers in hidden corners. The sounds of distant beasts, their growls and calls muffled by the thick foliage, gave the place a sense of mystery and isolation.
Yan Zi reached a large, weathered stone, its surface smooth from centuries of wear. With a heavy sigh, he collapsed onto it, his body aching from the long walk, though it was nothing compared to the weight pressing on his chest. He looked out across the forest, his gaze distant, as if searching for something he could not name. The tranquility of the scene only seemed to deepen his inner turmoil. Here he was, alone in the vast wilderness, far from everything he once knew. Yet, even the beauty of nature could not soothe the storm within him.
"What should I do next?" he murmured to himself, his voice barely more than a whisper, carried away by the wind. His fingers curled into fists, his nails digging into the skin of his palms. "Kicked out of the clan... with no cultivation, no resources... What am I supposed to do? I can't go back to Feather Fall City until I've avenged their humiliation, until I've proven them wrong. But how...?"
His thoughts swirled like a storm, each word from his past replaying over and over in his mind, more painful than the last. The scornful looks of the clan elders, the contempt in his father's voice, the indifference in Yan Ling's eyes... Trash. Loser. Disgrace.
Yan Zi closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the echoing voices, but they only grew louder, filling his head with a sickening, never-ending loop of failure. He clenched his jaw, teeth grinding together as frustration built within him.
"I won't go back," he whispered fiercely, his voice trembling with a mixture of resolve and uncertainty. "I will make them regret this. I will show them that I am not a disgrace. But... what should I do? How will I even start? Without cultivation, without a clan, without anything..."
He sat in silence, his heart heavy with uncertainty. The forest around him seemed to press in closer, its ancient trees towering like silent witnesses to his pain. Yet, even in this moment of solitude, a flicker of determination ignited in the depths of his soul. Despite the doubts, despite the darkness, a small part of him refused to give up. He wasn't finished. Not yet.
But the question lingered in his mind—What should I do next?
The wind rustled through the leaves, the sound almost like a whisper, as if the forest itself was urging him forward, beckoning him to find his path. Yan Zi sat there, lost in thought, staring into the dense woods ahead, unsure of where this journey would take him, but knowing in his heart that he could not turn back.
The forest around Yan Zi was silent, the weight of his decision pressing heavily on his chest. He had been walking for what seemed like hours, lost in the maze of his thoughts. The distant rustling of leaves, the soft whispers of the wind in the treetops—everything was peaceful, but within him, chaos reigned.
Then, out of nowhere, the silence was shattered by the unmistakable whistle of an arrow slicing through the air. Yan Zi's instincts kicked in immediately. His body reacted before his mind could fully process the danger. In one swift motion, he ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the projectile that shot past him. He glanced up, his sharp blue eyes scanning the shadows in the trees.
From the forest's edge, a group of men emerged, their dark robes fluttering with every step they took. There were five or six of them, all with menacing expressions etched into their faces, their eyes cold and filled with malice. They moved with purpose, their steps deliberate, and Yan Zi could feel the weight of their intent pressing against him.
A cold smirk tugged at his lips, his heart pounding in his chest. "Oh, I see," he muttered under his breath. "You must be the dogs sent by that old man to hunt me, right?"
One of the men, tall and with an air of arrogance, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "Oh? So, you knew we'd come for you?" His voice was mocking, the tone dripping with disdain.
Yan Zi's gaze hardened. "I knew that old dog wouldn't leave me alone, even after I've been kicked out of the clan. I knew he would send people after me." His voice, though steady, betrayed the anger simmering beneath the surface.
The man laughed cruelly, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. "So what if you know? It's your time to die now, little boy."
Before Yan Zi could react, the man lunged forward, his sword aimed straight for his chest. The blade gleamed in the dim light of the forest, moving with deadly precision. Yan Zi's heart skipped a beat, but there was no time to think. Without cultivation, fighting back was futile. He couldn't afford to take on someone with so much strength. The odds were stacked against him—six men, all in the elementary realm, at least 6 to 8 stars. They were stronger than him by far, and without his cultivation, trying to fight back was like trying to punch a boulder.
Yan Zi's only option was to run. With a burst of speed, he dodged the attack, rolling to the side and pushing off the ground, his feet moving faster than he'd ever run before. The sounds of his pursuers' footsteps grew louder, their growls and taunts ringing in his ears.
"You can't run forever," one of the men shouted, his voice cutting through the forest like a whip. "You're just prolonging the inevitable!"
Yan Zi's mind raced as he pushed himself harder, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The forest seemed to close in around him, the trees blurring as he dodged and weaved through them. The poison needles he threw behind him didn't even slow them down, and every time he glanced over his shoulder, the black-robed figures were right behind him, relentlessly chasing him down.
His heart pounded in his chest. I can't stop... I can't afford to stop. If I do, it's over.
He pushed his legs harder, ignoring the ache in his muscles, ignoring the sharp sting of exhaustion gnawing at his body. He was running on pure willpower now. But it wasn't enough. As one of the men drew near, another arrow whizzed through the air. This time, it struck him.
The sharp pain in his arm made him stumble, his body instinctively recoiling from the sudden injury. Blood began to flow freely from the wound, staining his sleeve, but he gritted his teeth, barely allowing himself to slow. His body screamed in pain, but his mind was sharper than ever.
No. I can't stop. I must keep running.
The black-robed men were closing in on him, and Yan Zi's vision blurred as he pushed himself forward with the last reserves of energy he had left. He could hear the mocking laughter of his pursuers, the sound of their footsteps growing louder. They were gaining on him, and he could feel the cold hand of death reaching for him.
His legs carried him, even as his body screamed in protest, until the landscape in front of him shifted. The trees thinned, the forest opening up to reveal a vast, rocky landscape. The ground sloped downward into a deep, jagged valley, the sheer drop on the other side looking like a bottomless abyss. The wind howled through the crevices, the sound of it carrying the weight of the impending doom that was closing in on him.
Yan Zi stopped, his breath ragged as he looked over his shoulder. The black-robed men halted just behind him, their eyes gleaming with triumph. One of them stepped forward, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Now, boy, where will you run to?" he sneered, the others laughing in dark amusement. "You have nowhere left to go. It's your time to die."
Yan Zi's heart skipped a beat. His mind screamed for him to find a way out, to somehow escape, but the reality was clear. There was no way out. He had run as far as he could, and now, the cliff before him was the end of his journey.
With a final, sorrowful glance at the men who had relentlessly pursued him, Yan Zi's gaze turned to the abyss before him. The pain in his body, the injuries, the exhaustion, it all felt distant now. He closed his eyes, a single tear slipping from the corner of his eye, and whispered softly to the wind, "Father... Mother... I'm sorry. I've brought nothing but disgrace and humiliation to you. In the next life, I hope you find a better son, one who can make you proud..."
Without another word, Yan Zi turned towards the abyss. His breath hitched as he took a step forward, then another, and finally, without hesitation, he leapt.
The sound of his fall was drowned by the roar of the wind as his body plunged into the dark, empty void. The black-robed men rushed to the edge of the cliff, staring down into the abyss with disbelief. But it was too late.
The tear in Yan Zi's eye dried quickly, his body disappearing into the darkness below. The world seemed to freeze for a moment, the pain, the humiliation, the chasing thoughts all coming to a sudden, painful halt.
Yan Zi's fate, his final leap into the unknown, was left hanging in the air, a mystery that would only unfold in time.