In a village within a certain country, a boy ran carefully, his face beaming with joy as he carried a bucket of water in both hands. He moved through the grass and giant tree trunks, the cool breeze brushing against his face, accompanied by the melodic chirping of birds. After running for a while, amidst all this, his caution waned, and it wasn't long before he tripped over a rock, fell onto the bucket of water, and soiled his heavily stitched clothes with mud. Not only that, but the stitching was terribly poor!
As he lay there, a voice called out to him, growing closer and closer until a small, white hand extended toward him. "I told you the bucket was too heavy for you, and yet you ran! How careless you are, Chang Yu," said a soft, childlike voice that reached the boy's ears. It belonged to the girl whom the villagers had dubbed the "Fairy of the Village." Many envied the boy for his relationship with her and often bullied him because of it.
The boy, his muddy hand slightly trembling, grabbed hers and stood up. He was slightly taller than her. At that moment, he scratched his neck and let out a childlike laugh. "Haha, I'm sorry. I just wanted to hurry and bring water for Father so he could prepare lunch faster! Believe me, that was my only intention."
The girl, known as the Fairy of the Village, was an orphan whom the boy's father had found while chopping wood in the forest. He brought her back, intending to care for her only until she recovered. However, things didn't go as planned. The girl insisted on staying, going so far as to beg and promise to work as a servant if necessary. If he couldn't bear her presence, she was willing to live in a small hut in his yard.
The kind-hearted man couldn't refuse such a sweet little girl, so he accepted her and adopted her as his daughter.
The girl frowned and scolded him again, and they headed home. There, a middle-aged man awaited them. Despite his appearance suggesting so, he was in his late fifties. The boy's father never explained the reason for this contradiction, though he speculated that during a challenging time in his youth, he had stumbled upon a river in the mountains while utterly exhausted. Drinking from it, he felt a surge of energy that had not waned to this day.
This story became a well-known legend in the village, sparking numerous rumors and theories.
"Yu'er!" the father called out sharply. "How many times have I told you not to overexert yourself just to impress your adopted sister? Don't think I don't know why you do these things, you teenage boys!"
"Father! You... I told you not to say that! Damn it! How will I face my adopted sister now?" The boy's face turned green, then red with embarrassment. The girl covered her mouth, releasing a laugh that warmed both the boy's and the father's hearts. Their faces softened, smiles creeping onto them.
At that moment, a knock came at the door. The father opened it to reveal a tall, dark-skinned man. "Brother Chang, how have you been lately? Would you mind letting your son accompany me? I need his help with some work. My son is also eager to see him again," the man said, a sly smile playing on his lips.
The father's eyes narrowed, and he was about to refuse when the boy intervened, pleading to go. Reluctantly, the father sighed and allowed it. The man thanked him slyly, and once they were out of sight, the father's face darkened with regret.
The girl approached, confusion evident on her face. "Father, where is my brother going?" she asked curiously.
"Don't worry, my daughter," the father replied, feigning optimism. "Your brother is a man. He must experience all kinds of work; otherwise, how will he take care of you in the future?" He chose his words carefully, and they hit the mark. The girl's ears turned red as she became lost in thought, stumbling away awkwardly.
Despite the humor of her reaction, the father sank into deep thought. He knew his son was being bullied and beaten again. Over the past few years, every time he went out with that man, he never returned unharmed. The father had tried refusing multiple times, but one night, he found threatening letters from an unknown source, promising to rob and destroy their home if he continued to resist.
Tears fell as his hands trembled. When he returned home, his face pale, he was shocked to find his son awake and reading the letter. The boy's face was serious. "Father, please, if they come again, don't refuse them. I'll endure it—for now. Once I grow up, I'll make them regret it!"
The father saw the determination in his son's eyes and couldn't refuse, not even this time. But what neither he nor the girl knew was that this time would be unlike any other.
Back in the present, though the boy displayed unparalleled courage in front of his father and adopted sister, it was all an act. Inside, he was trembling. When he looked into the man's cunning eyes, countless terrifying thoughts raced through his mind.
He was living in hell—who, as a child, could bear such pressure?
The man noticed the sweat on the boy's brow and smiled wider. "No need to worry. You'll only work twelve hours this time, and don't forget to play with my son for two hours. Only then will I let you live for another three months."
The boy froze, his face turning dark. All hope drained from him, replaced by an expression of despair and terror. "Two hours?! Two hours of play?! You bastard! You call that playing?!" he thought.
The man turned to look at him, and the boy's fearful expression vanished. He forced a bitter smile and followed. They walked until they reached a flat plain where a cart drawn by two horses awaited.
Their path led through a vast plain toward an enormous mountain called the Great Mountain. It was named for two reasons: its seemingly inexhaustible natural resources and its worship by some locals. Its peak resembled a sword piercing the sky.
Despite its fame, the mountain had another, far less known name. Only a few knew it: the "Sky-Sealed Mountain".