Chapter Seven: Discovering A Hidden World 2
The crowded streets of San Francisco pulsed with life, but Daniel only had eyes for the figure darting through the throng ahead of him. The girl—Lily Sūn, though he didn't know her name yet—kept slipping just out of reach.
He had caught sight of her again after their first encounter, her dark ponytail bobbing as she weaved through the crowds with an uncanny ease. Each time he thought he was gaining on her, she would vanish around a corner or blend into the flow of pedestrians as if she were a shadow.
"Hey, wait!" Daniel called, dodging around a couple walking arm-in-arm. He stumbled as he tried to keep up, his pulse hammering not just from exertion but from curiosity.
Why was she avoiding him? Did she know something about him—about cultivation?
Finally, he saw her dart into a narrow alley between two buildings. Daniel quickened his pace, determined not to lose her again. But when he rounded the corner into the alley, it was empty.
He froze, scanning the area. The alley was a dead end, flanked by high brick walls. There was nowhere she could have gone, no door ajar or fire escape in use.
"Impossible," he muttered under his breath.
"Daniel Rivera."
The sound of his full name spoken aloud made him spin around. Standing at the entrance to the alley was the girl.
She looked calm, almost amused, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. Up close, Daniel finally recognized her. He had seen her before—at Mark Sūn's birthday party last year.
"You're Mark's cousin," he blurted out.
Lily tilted her head, studying him. "So you do remember. Good." She stepped forward, her gaze sharp and searching. "But I don't think you understand how strange this situation is."
"What situation?" Daniel asked, still catching his breath.
Lily crossed her arms. "An American teenager with no apparent ties to any Cult, Family, or Sect somehow manages to cultivate. That shouldn't be possible."
Daniel frowned. "Cult? Sect? I have no idea what you're talking about. I just... felt something inside me last Friday and looked up ways to cultivate online. It wasn't that hard... apart from the heart palpitations and needing to go to the hospital."
Her expression faltered for the first time, surprise flickering across her face. "You felt something inside you?"
"Yeah," Daniel said, confused. "It was like... energy in my blood. I found this technique online and started with Skin Refining. It's been working fine."
"Working fine," she repeated, almost to herself. "You mean to say you've already started Pre-Cultivation without even needing to absorb qi first?"
"Absorb qi?" Daniel echoed.
Lily took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "Do you know how long it takes most people to even reach the point where they can sense qi? Some spend hours meditating, others spend months or even years. And yet you, with no training, no guidance, just—what? Felt it?"
"Well... yeah," Daniel said, feeling a little defensive. "I thought that was normal."
Lily let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. "Normal? No, Daniel, that's not normal. That's unheard of. None of the texts, none of the ancient records mention anything like this."
Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Okay, so I'm different. What does that mean?"
"It means," Lily said, her tone turning serious, "that we need answers. And the only person who might have them is the family head."
"Family head?"
"My family," Lily clarified. "We've been preparing for the return of qi for generations. If anyone can figure out why you're like this, it's the head of our household."
Daniel hesitated, glancing back at the empty alley. He wasn't sure how much he trusted this girl or her mysterious family, but if they had answers, he couldn't ignore the opportunity.
"Alright," he said finally. "Let's go."
Lily nodded, her expression unreadable. "Follow me."
As they left the alley, Daniel felt the weight of the moment settle over him. He had stepped into a hidden world, one he barely understood—and there was no turning back now.