After returning from the 'Hunt' a few months ago, Noyan focused on recovery and remained very lowkey. His daily routine was mundane and uneventful on the surface, but only he and Lady Naran knew he was undergoing a dangerous tempering process.
During this time, Noyan fully concentrated on mastering the technique of "Mind's Eye". He would often spend hours in meditation, trying to develop immunity to the effects of Greenglow. His attempts were not completely in vain, but also not fully successful; naturally, his condition in the past few months was like a rat or a cockroach on the verge of death but unable to die.
Any other person would have undoubtedly died long ago, but Lady Naran's healing sorcery always brought Noyan back from the brink. In this period, Noyan was in a constant state of inner conflict, his heart unwilling to endure such suffering, doubting whether it was all worth it, while his rational mind reminded him of the benefits of his ordeal.
Speaking of benefits, Noyan's suffering wasn't without merit.
Due to his discoveries, Noyan could divert the harmful particles of Greenglow to that mysterious place within his inner world, though occasionally, some would still leak out, tearing into the very fabric of his existence.
But then, like a spring breeze washing away the dirt, Lady Naran's magic would replace his damaged cells, as if creating them anew. This was like tempering his body at the most fundamental level.
The astonishing thing was that Lady Naran wasn't satisfied with just this. Having gained Batu's favor, she had accumulated many precious, miraculous medicinal ingredients over the years.
Using these ingredients, she prepared a special medicinal bath for her son. According to her, this was a technique used by the Chin People. How she knew about it? It was all thanks to the mysterious Tower of Apostles on the western continent.
Just from this, Noyan became extremely curious and even awestruck by the Tower's widespread influence. But it wasn't something he could reach or even think about now, so he didn't dare linger on it鈥攖hough the image of the mighty tower was already etched deep in his heart.
For now, Noyan was focused only on becoming stronger. After his severe injury, it took him just one month to fully recover, thanks partly to Lady Naran's tireless efforts, his body's exceptional recovery abilities, and his willpower.
After recovering, Noyan's routine didn't change much. After waking up in the morning, he would freshen up, have breakfast, and then head to the Aanjin river. There, he would meditate in peace and hunt animals. Returning, he would visit his mother, who would then force him to learn many things.
Speaking of which, Noyan couldn't understand how his mother managed to acquire so many books in a place like the Sumer没 Plains.
Each day, Noyan had to study different subjects: Western war tactics, Eastern war tactics, medicine, strategy, literature, languages, and so on.
To the whole tribe, this was nothing more than eccentric behavior, so much so that Noyan had been labeled with many derogatory tags like "Sissy boy" and "Bookworm."
The Nomads believed that a true man should be gallant, big, fearless, and very strong! And to everyone's eyes, Noyan contradicted all these ideals.
By appearance, Noyan was very beautiful, which would gain admiration in the civilized world, but in the rugged Sumer没 Plains, this signified weakness. What was a man if not ferocious?
Due to this, Noyan had little interaction with others, which was intentional on his part as this was not the time for him to shine. Fortunately, he could feel that this moment would come soon.
To seize such an opportunity, Noyan was doing his best to prepare, even regretting not being able to hunt wild animals more often. This kind of thought would always attract his sister's ire, so Noyan would muse secretly in his heart.
On the day of the meeting to decide whether to agree to the Khan's demands, Noyan was practicing meditation in his Yurt in the afternoon, as usual. His image was calm and ethereal as he breathed systematically, his hands placed over his stomach in what Lady Naran called a 'Mudra'. With each cycle of breathing, the rhythm and mudra would change.
Noyan was completely immersed in meditation, with the Greenglow pendant nestled on his chest, hidden behind his wolf-furred jacket.
Suddenly, he sensed footsteps approaching and instinctively became alert. As a woman entered, he slowly opened his eyes. This was a familiar person.
"Aunt Torgana, what's the matter?" Noyan asked, blinking his eyes.
Torgana, who had no family, felt warm inside when Noyan called her 'aunt' but hid this emotion, speaking indifferently, "Madam has called you, please come with me."
Noyan didn't hesitate. He immediately got up and left with Torgana.
Upon reaching his mother's Yurt, Noyan bowed respectfully before asking, "Mother, what's the matter?"
"Sit first," Lady Naran said.
Torgana nodded towards her master and then left the Yurt, leaving mother and son alone.
Noyan and Lady Naran sat on the ground on a soft rug; Lady Naran on her knees, Noyan with his legs crossed casually.
"Today, your father will teach you the Martial Arts of the Tribe," she said plainly.
Noyan's eyes widened with anticipation and excitement. "Really?! Did my father really agree to teach me?" he asked in disbelief.
Lady Naran furrowed her brows in displeasure, "What's so surprising? I showed him the fangs of that direwolf you slayed. You are more than worthy to learn from your father!"
Hearing this, Noyan calmed down and nodded with pride, feeling a bit smug inside.
Batu Ulaan had many children, but very few were deemed worthy by Batu to learn the ancestral techniques of the Tribe. Now, Noyan was one of them.
Lady Naran didn't care what her son was feeling. With a cold face, she said, "Hmph! No need to be this happy just yet. Remember, there will be many more challenges ahead. You have to be careful, do you understand?" Lady Naran warned vaguely, a hint of fatigue in her voice.
With his intelligence, Noyan could easily gauge what his mother was hinting at, so he nodded seriously.
"Now that you've completely recovered, you can ask me any question you want. I will answer as I promised before," Lady Naran said indifferently.
Noyan immediately wanted to ask about her real identity, but seeing the dark circles under her eyes and her pale complexion, he closed his mouth. Deciding on something, his eyes cleared as he asked, "Mother, tell me the truth. Does using sorcery to heal me... harm your body?"
Hearing this question, Lady Naran's body stiffened momentarily before she quickly hid any oddity. Then, with a cold expression, she said, "That's none of your business. It's just a bit tiring, nothing else. What? You think I can't handle it?!"
Noyan lowered his head as his hands trembled. Although she said it was fine, he had already discerned the truth from her reaction. To think she would even lie, how bad must the situation be?
Noyan was suddenly filled with guilt and remorse, not realizing his mother had moved closer until he felt the warmth of her palm on his head, jolting him out of his daze to look at her with teary eyes.
Seeing this, Lady Naran sighed and embraced her son. "This is my choice entirely. You won't understand why I'm doing all this. Someday you will... but for now, just focus on getting stronger and not letting down my efforts," she whispered softly in Noyan's ear.
Noyan wiped the tears from his eyes, his mood somber, yet he nodded with ironclad determination.
Moments later, both calmed down. To divert from this troubling topic, Lady Naran brought out her chessboard, beckoning Noyan to play.
They immersed themselves in the game, which on the surface seemed fun but was actually a form of training, subtly tempering Noyan's strategic mind through chess.
The games soon ended, and as expected, Lady Naran won all five. By now, they had unintentionally moved past the topic of her health.
After chess, Lady Naran brought out a stack of books and began teaching Noyan about the knowledge she had amassed of the world.
In the midst of their studies, seeing Noyan's frustration with all the books, Lady Naran asked, "Noyan, do you know what's the greatest weapon in the world?"
Noyan thought of famed weapons but felt the answer was different. "What is it, mother?" he asked humbly.
Lady Naran smiled, "The greatest weapon is knowledge and wisdom. However, without solid power, you cannot fully make use of it. Therefore, there must be a balance."
She paused to let him think, then adjusted her posture and asked, "Do you know why the barbarians haven't been able to break away from their destiny of rotting away here at the edge of the world?"
Noyan's eyes shone with wisdom. He looked around the tent, fell silent, then chuckled mockingly.
"In the Western Continent, people live in cities. Kings live in fortified castles. The nations are prosperous. This is also the case in the Southern Continent. But... look at us. We are nomads running around year-round just to survive. On top of that, we can't stop killing each other first, let alone focus on other things."
Lady Naran nodded thoughtfully, "The Northern Emperor was the only truly wise barbarian ruler. Alas..."
Suddenly, she looked at Noyan with a piercing gaze, "In the Western Continent, people are led to believe by the Church's doctrine that the barbarians are descendants of Orcs and Giants, hence simple-minded savages who only know killing. However, I don't believe this. Neither does the Tower."
Noyan was instantly enamored by these forgotten legends, his curiosity piqued like a moth to a flame.
"The Sumer claim they are descendants of ancient Dragons. Is this really true then?!" Noyan asked excitedly, his breathing labored and eyes brimming with expectation.
Lady Naran snickered, "Hmph, who knows? Today's world is completely different from the world in the forgotten legends. It's a difference between night and day, heaven and earth, so much so that many believe these legends are simply hearsay.
The truth has long been buried after the unknown catastrophe that completely wiped out the old civilization; only one thing is certain."
"And what is that?"
"We, the humans of today's world, are merely byproducts of that long-forgotten era. And perhaps, we will never know the truth as nearly all the clues have been wiped out over time." Lady Naran said with a sigh, lost in thought.
Noyan was completely entranced by the mysteries of the forgotten era. His curiosity was deep towards these legends, and listening to his mother, he felt like he was in a dream, imagining how majestic and magical that civilization must have been.
Suddenly, Noyan's pupils shrank as a crazy thought entered his mind.
"Could the mysterious phenomenon in my inner world have any connections with the forgotten era and the legendary lost civilization?" Noyan mused inwardly.
Like a seed, this idea took root in Noyan's heart. His eyes burned with curiosity, but he forcefully restrained himself. There was no need to dwell on such illusory things, especially when there were more pressing matters at hand.