The warm light of dawn bathed Falling Lotus Village in gold as villagers gathered in the central clearing, their murmurs filled with anticipation. Never before had their quiet settlement needed warriors, yet after yesterday's events, fear hung in the air.
They had seen how easily the Iron Fang Sect had treated them like insects. And yet, those same cultivators had fled—not from swords or sorcery, but from a mere glance of the Hidden Sage.
Now, they stood waiting, eyes fixed on the man at the center of it all.
Jiang Chen.
He sighed inwardly as he faced them, hands folded behind his back.
This was not what he had planned for his peaceful life.
Xiao Yue and Bai Qi stood to the side, arms crossed as they watched. Bai Qi had his sword at his waist, while Xiao Yue's dagger remained hidden within her robes, but her stance was alert, ready.
Finally, Jiang Chen exhaled and spoke.
"Many of you believe I am a great master," he said. "A hidden sage with profound wisdom."
A few villagers nodded, clearly agreeing.
"You are mistaken."
Silence.
Jiang Chen's voice remained calm. "I am not a warrior. I do not wield powerful techniques or grand martial arts. If you are expecting a miracle… I have none to offer."
Some villagers glanced at one another, uncertain.
"But," Jiang Chen continued, "I can teach you something."
He walked forward, plucking a single fallen twig from the ground. He held it up between two fingers.
"What is the purpose of a tree branch?" he asked.
Silence. Then, a young boy hesitantly raised a hand. "To burn as firewood?"
Jiang Chen smiled. "Yes. And yet, in the hands of a skilled warrior, it becomes a weapon."
Without another word, he flicked his wrist.
The twig shot forward like a thrown dagger, striking a wooden post in the distance with such precision that the villagers gasped.
Jiang Chen turned back to them, his expression unreadable. "Everything has a purpose. A tool is only as powerful as the hands that wield it."
He walked forward, picking up a dull farming hoe from a nearby cart.
"This," he said, raising it, "is used to till soil."
With a swift, controlled motion, he shifted his grip—and suddenly, the simple hoe was held like a war axe, its weight perfectly balanced for a downward strike.
The villagers stared.
"A sword is only one path to strength," Jiang Chen said. "Understanding your tools, your surroundings—this is wisdom."
Bai Qi, watching from the side, rubbed his chin. "I see what you're doing," he murmured.
Xiao Yue folded her arms. "He's training them without them realizing it."
Jiang Chen continued, addressing the villagers. "You do not need the strength of a cultivator to survive. You need knowledge. The ability to see what others do not."
He let his words settle.
Then, he smiled.
"Shall we begin?"