Chapter 1
“Guard your heart above all else, for from it spring the fountains of life.”
The heart is the control center of blood flow in the body, and in this world, it is also the fountain of qi. Not everyone is born equal. Some are born with vast qi potential, others with barely a trickle. Those blessed with strong hearts become martial artists and rise to the heights of power: army commanders, military officers, aristocrats. Even among the royal family, only the prince with the greatest potential can claim the throne. Those without aptitude have no choice but to accept mundane lives.
Shi Yin Tian was born with neither blessing nor choice. His mother, a seamstress, died bringing him into the world. His father, a common soldier, could offer him nothing but a cramped rural house and a name that meant “Hidden by Heaven.” And Yin Tian himself? His heart was so weak that walking from his bedroom to the front gate left him gasping for breath, his frail body trembling with exhaustion. So his father warned him not to leave the house unsupervised, and did not let him participate in any work that could put a strain on him.
Qi refinement techniques are taught to kids while they are still really young when meridians are flexible. There were a few schools in the town: Mount Ivy, The Flaming Torch Academy, the Fuyou Clan, and the Moonrise Temple. Among all these schools, the Fuyou Clan and The Flaming Torch Academy were the hardest to get into. One was an exclusive property of a family of the same name, so therefore, you would need a personal connection with someone of that Clan to get in, and the other had a really high tuition fee, and only those who had a good pay could afford it. Mount Ivy once stood at the summit of this town, but in recent years, or to be more precise, ever since they have a new grandmaster, they have faced a steady decline. Better schools have better refinement techniques, so there are barriers to entry due to some families’ vested interests. The Moonrise Temple was free, so that’s where most common folks sent their children to, in the hopes that they may secretly have a rare potential and get recruited by one of the better schools.
Shi Tai Lang, Shi Yin Tian’s father, also intended to send his son to Moonrise Temple. So on his day off, he personally went to the temple to file all the paperwork.
Many years ago, Tai Lang was a rising star of the Moonrise Temple. The Flaming Torch Academy and Mount Ivy tried to recruit him, but he stayed loyal to the school who had given everything they had to someone who had nothing. See, the Shi Clan used to be a powerful clan in the Western Capital. But they made political enemies, and someone had them “dealt with”. Only Tai Lang survived because he was skipping martial art classes that day to take a nap somewhere. When he came home, he was greeted by a metallic smell, and the clan domain was unusually quiet for that time of the day. He made his way in, only to find out that everyone had been massacred. He was only 14, but he could tell that this city was no longer a safe place for him, so he took whatever food he could find and left, not knowing where fate would take him. After he ran out of food, walking for days with little hope of making it to tomorrow, he luckily arrived near the town of Quan Xi, a few miles north-east of the Western Capital, and collapsed at the door of the Moonrise Temple, and was found by a seamstress by the name of Rou Yu. The temple gave him shelter, and Rou Yu took care of him until he recovered completely. Adjusting took time, but thanks to Rou Yu’s kindness and patience, Tai Lang slowly accepted that this temple, this town, was now his new home. However, he never told anyone who he was or where he was from. After all, his enemies could be here in this town too.
After years of living in Quan Xi, the past seemed a distant nightmare, and Moonrise Temple was truly growing on Tai Lang. He was also starting to be fond of Rou Yu, who was the kindest angel heaven could ever send, despite her unfair fate. But then, Tai Lang started showing remarkable potential. In the Tournament of the Four Winds, a yearly tournament hosted in the town, he consistently ranked in the top candidates. But the more he shone brightly, the more distant Rou Yu was to him. So he told her. He told her how he felt, how he was grateful to have met her, the most fortunate happening in his life. But, she did not react as he expected. In fact, the angel showed a glimpse of the shadows she had to live with. Why would a blessed martial artist like him be interested in a lesser seamstress like her?“This is so unfair. Right when I had steeled myself to give up on you.” She felt the same way, but she was convinced this was impossible. “It’s not going to work”, she said, tears threatening to spill despite her best efforts to contain them. Then she smiled at him, a sad, resigned smile. “You have a bright future ahead of you. You deserve someone better.” Not leaving him a chance to reply, she ran. To her hiding place. Where no one would know where she is. “Wait, Rou Yu!”He was devastated. He couldn’t understand. Why was she thinking so lowly of herself?
So he did the only thing he could think of. He renounced his awards, his titles, his position. He distributed every manual he’d earned, every medicinal pill he’d won, to junior disciples who needed them more. Then he quit cultivation altogether. He served a year in the imperial army, proving he could survive without cultivation, that he could provide for her through honest work. Only then did he return to Quan Xi and propose again. This time, she couldn’t deny his sincerity. She still didn’t believe she was worthy, but if he’d truly given up everything, if he’d waited a full year and come back, maybe, just maybe, they had a chance. Sadly, a year later, she passed on giving birth to Yin Tian. Tai Lang still resented that she felt unworthy till this day, and that made losing her all the more painful.
Seven years later, Tai Lang stood before the gates of Moonrise Temple once more. His hands clenched at his sides. Would they welcome him, or see him as the fool who threw everything away? The stone path beneath his feet was the same one Rou Yu had walked when she found him all those years ago. He buried the memory before it could make him more emotional than he already was. He went to the registration booth. There was already a line of people, probably here to register their children as well. Taking a look around, the place hadn’t changed that much. After his service, he hadn’t dared to come back, so it was his first time setting foot there in seven years.
An administrator entered the booth to collect the waiting applications. Tai Lang recognized him immediately despite the years—Li Yan, older and more imposing now, but still with those same earnest eyes. The junior disciple he’d once defended from Fuyou bullies who’d mocked his humble origins had grown into his authority well. When he turned to leave, his eyes fell on a familiar face in the line, and widened in recognition. “Brother Tai Lang? Is that truly you?” The man rushed forward, recognition turned to reverence, and without hesitation, he dropped to one knee. “Esteemed Brother, it is an honor to have you back among us.” Murmurs rippled through the waiting parents. “Who is that?” “Must be someone important for an administrator to kneel.” “Why is Brother Li kneeling?” Tai Lang shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, and he rushed over and helped the man stand up. “Please, Brother Li Yan, there’s no need for such formality. You far outrank me now.” He forced an awkward laugh. “Only because you chose a different path, Senior Brother. Had you remained, none of us could match you.” Li Yan bowed again, deeply. “In my heart, you will always be our greatest, most esteemed brother.” “What are you here for today? I want to help you,” he said, ushering Tai Lang to his office. Guilt needled at him as he glanced back at the waiting parents, but Li Yan’s insistence left no room for refusal. He sighed. “It’s nothing worth your attention, really-” “Anything you need is my priority, Brother, so tell me, what is it?” “No, really, I’m only registering my son to the Moonrise Temple.” “Then allow me to handle the application myself. You can even accompany your son here tomorrow.” “But brother Li, what about the other people who were here first?” “Brother Tai Lang, you have done much for the temple. For years, those pompous schools have mocked us and stolen our best warriors. But you stuck with us through thick and thin, giving our humble Moonrise pavilion its honor back. And when you left seven years ago, you distributed manuals and medicines you won as prizes in the tournament to disciples, giving our students techniques they’d never have accessed otherwise. You gave us a gift beyond measure, so consider this our way of repaying you for all the good you’ve done for us.”
