The Night the Sky Glowed Red (Part One)

A week passed like a fallen leaf carried by a swift river. In that period, Shao Ling felt his meridians widening, although they remained as fragile as wet paper. A trickle of Heaven and Earth Qi entered his dantian, which remained similar to a starving stomach. Nonetheless, Shao Ling could feel that the cultivation seed he had been nurturing through training and meditation over the last four years was nearing its time to sprout. Shao Ling's birthday celebration would be held on the following day.

The news of Shao Wei acquiring a Hazard Bone for Shao Ling was kept under wraps, and even Shao Ling himself was unaware of it, but it was bound to result in a huge upheaval in the Shao residence the moment it was revealed.

Shao Ling rose from his bed and washed his face in a basin of water. A servant came in and dressed him in a pale blue robe with practiced hands.

A sliver of a crescent began to overtake the new moon in the starry sky. Shao Ling stepped out of the main building under the cloak of night. The hour was approaching midnight. It was naturally safer for him to cultivate during the night, when Yin energy was stronger, but his master said it was important to avoid an imbalance of Yin and Yang Qi by cultivating from midnight to midday- despite the temptation that having Extreme Yin meridians brought- as striking a harmony with the forces of the universe was imperative to building one's martial arts foundation.

Yao Hu stood under the moonlight clad in his usual black robe and carrying a long object wrapped in cloth, like a demon waiting to claim Shao Ling's soul; however, Shao Ling's heart was filled with boundless respect for this man. The scene of Yao Hu awaiting him reminded Shao Ling of the unexpected encounter he had the previous night.

-

Shao Ling emerged from his room and exited the main manor house to see a tall, slim youth with jet-black hair tied into an upright ponytail and a handsome, pale- although relatively tan- face dressed in black scholar's clothes.

Shao Ling's pinkish-red eyes met Shao Zhi's cool obsidian gaze.

"Hello, elder brother." Shao Zhi was often outgoing and witty amongst his friends, but he appeared completely serious before Shao Ling.

"Hello, younger brother."

Shao Ling was surprised to see his half-brother waiting outside for him. He had woken up earlier than usual. Neither a servant nor his master had come for him, but he had been pried from the embrace of sleep by a strange dream that evaded his consciousness when he tried to grasp it. It was strange that his half-brother would also be out and about. He was preparing for a journey to the capital in order to attend a school that prepared students for the civil service examination that would determine whether he could become a government official. Everyone in the village and the Shao residence, as well as the young masters of neighboring estates praised Shao Zhi for gaining entrance into such as prestigious academy, and they confidently declared that he would one day pass the examination with flying colors and hold a high office one day. His mother Xin Rong, had made the announcement that he would be leaving before Shao Ling's birthday banquet, which was a figurative slap to Shao Ling's face that demonstrated how confident she was in her son becoming the next family head of their Shao Clan branch.

Shao Ling was saddened by Xin Rong's animosity towards him. Unlike the voluptuous seductresses that one might think of when picturing the lover of a married man, Xin Rong was a petite woman with a face that was more cute than the image Shao Ling had of a femme fatale in his previous life. In reality, the situation of concubinage was complicated. Xin Rong had come from a poor landowning family, and she was part of the negotiated financial aid from Shao Wei. Her position was not so different from Shao Wei's official wife, who married him after a lengthy negotiation and exchange of gifts orchestrated by their parents. For a time it seemed that Shao Xiaoyan was unable to get pregnant, so Shao Wei sought to ensure that he would have an heir. A year later, Shao Xiaoyan became pregnant, followed by Xin Rong a month after that. However; Xin Rong was the concubine and Shao Xiaoyan was the official wife. She was naturally in a sensitive situation. As such she was very protective of Shao Zhi, and viewed Shao Ling as a threat to the future of both herself and her son, a view that wasn't without merit.

At least, that's how Shao Ling viewed the matter. He had spent his new life pursuing his passion for martial arts, and so strove to ignore the animosity he felt from Xin Rong; however, he was still human, and it felt unpleasant to be pitted against one's own brother since birth. His relationship with his half-brother had remained shallow for the six years since he had been reborn, but Shao Ling remembered Shao Zhi visiting him before he learned to communicate, and simply watching him in silence with inscrutable eyes.

"What brings you out here tonight?"

A soft wind rustled the leaves in the courtyard and tugged at the hair of the two youths.

"... I came out here to say goodbye."

Oh?

"I appreciate it, brother."

"It will be some time until we meet again. I hope your birthday celebration goes well. Sorry for missing it... I wish you luck in pursuing your martial path."

There wasn't a trace of sarcasm in Shao Zhi's words.

"... Thank you."

Shao Zhi nodded in acknowledgement and returned to his section of the Shao residence. Shao Ling watched his back fade away as the wind tugged at his hair and clothes.

I will surpass you, Shao Zhi, Shao Ling vowed in his heart.

I didn't want to get dragged into family politics, but since it can't be helped I'll make sure I'm the one standing on top in the end. Looks like even reincarnating couldn't get rid of my competitive streak.

Shao Zhi left for the capital that morning amidst cheers and tears, the later was from the village girls and maidservants. He left without looking back.

-

"Let's go."

Shao Ling pulled himself out of his mire of remembrance at the sound of Yao Hu's brisk order.

"Yes, master."

Shao Ling followed his master through the gates of the Shao residence, which were opened by an aged gate-guard who bowed reverently before the pair. The pair traveled alone; the palanquin bearers would join them some time later. As Shao Ling walked through the silent village, he thought about if anyone happened to peek their head out the window of their cottage, another ghost story would be added to the proliferation of cautionary tales about the Ghostly Young Master. It was both a funny and depressing thought.

I guess that being remembered through stories is one way of achieving immortality, Shao Ling thought wryly.

Not a soul stirred as the pair passed through the village.

Soon they came to the edge of the forest. The villagers simply called it "the forest," because in this society peasants would typically only leave their land if they were forced off of it by war or famine. The outskirts of the forest was like a ragged coat of trees, as the villagers regularly cut down trees for timber and firewood. However; new saplings and sprouts could be seen on the ground as the younger trees took advantage of the deaths of their seniors who once blotted out the sun to grow without restraint. It was a relatively safe forest because of a lack of Hazard Beasts due to low spiritual energy in the area. The trees thickened as they ventured deeper into the forest; many of these gnarled giants with green hair and rough skin had probably lived for more than a century. They traveled up a shallow slope, as the forest covered a small mountain.

It's interesting, these trees outlive most mortals, but a peak martial artist can outlive them by many centuries, Shao Ling mused as his footsteps navigated the uneven soil and occasional root or fallen branch stretched across his path.

Yao Hu moved like a spirit of the forest, completely unimpeded his surroundings. After making the journey by taking a different path every night for four years, Shao Ling had improved his ability to navigate the forest without disturbing it greatly, but he was still lacking compared to his master. After a month of taking a different path to the forest each time, he had asked his master what the reason was. Yao Hu replied: "learn to walk lightly upon the earth and you'll leave deep footprints; comprehend and master the earth and you'll step off the ground." Shao Ling interpreted this to mean that the purpose of taking a different path each time they journeyed into the forest was to gain insights into the Way of Heaven and Earth in order to transcend it. Thus, he applied himself to the fullest each trip.

Look, my feet have already left the ground, Shao Ling thought drolly as his feet left the ground when he raised one to take a step.