Prologue: Such is the way of heavens

In a town called Shenjeng, on a field of dry patchy fields, a young boy was working without rest for the last two days.

The town had been suffering from a drought for two years in a row, and no amount of effort put up by the boy could help the field he was working on regain its vitality again.

He looked at the glaring hot sun and smiled in despair.

His sweaty body was covered in mud as he laid down on the ground for a quick break, his chest caved in and out, as he huffed and puffed, trying to catch his breath. He tried to moisten his lips by licking them, which had become dry from dehydration.

Maybe for some, his action in the face of adversity may look heroic; but for most people in Shenjeng, his actions were ridiculous. Chen Yang didn't care though, his face which used to be as white as snow was now tanned due to the glaring sun, and even his innocent and energetic eyes had grown dull. He simply laid there, dryly gulping forcefully in hope of moistening his dehydrated throat.

Chen Yang who would turn ten-years-old this month was originally from a rich family back in Xinhua — his father was a merchant and his mother, had, unfortunately, died during his birth.

Chen Yang's father used to sell beauty potions for old ladies in the castles and used to organize trades between some cities and towns.

This led to Chen Yang experiencing frequent home shifts; this time he was leaving Kenkau after living there for two years.

That time, he moved from Kenkau to Shenjeng. The trip was fairly peaceful aside from a few skirmishes, however, on one night, their carriage was suddenly attacked by bandits from the Black Hell organization; an infamous group known to spare none of their victims' lives.

Remembering the events that happened that night, Chen Yang's eyes grew red from grief.

Chen Yang could still remember his father with an arrow stuck on his back; his face pale and his eyes which emitted endless sadness as his body collapsed on the ground. Chen Yang had rushed towards him and lifted his father's head and rested it on his lap, careful enough to not hurt him more than he already was.

"Dear Chen, I've…*cough*…watched you grow up in my lap…now you've grown to be a fine child."

He then coughed blood and said in a sad weak voice, while panting for breath.

Then from a few meters away, a harsh voice sounded out, scaring the young Chen Yang.

"Where is he? We have to kill him before night otherwise there would no meal for us!", said a voice echoing in the forest, as another voice replied " quick, let's hurry! We can't waste time!"

Then his father put his arms on the child's shoulder and said, "Run away my child or else they will kill you too!", said his father, then from his pouch, he slowly took out a wooden piece with the image of a map with some characters on it. He placed it in Chen Yang hands and told him that the piece of wood was from Xham Chen, a friend who was like a brother to him when he was younger.

" I'm sure he can raise you to be a fine young man…", he said as he coughed a mouthful of blood, he then ordered him to run away and to follow the road in front of him, which also lead to Shenjeng.

" Dear Chen, I don't have…much time left in this world…please remember; your father always loves you..."

And for the last time, he caressed the amulet on his chest and put the amulet in Chen Yang's hand and said that he should always wear it. He should never lose it, and then his father passed away…

Chen Yang buried him in the forest right under a mangrove tree and kowtowed three times before escaping from there.

Chen Yang still remembered that day clearly. He sighed as he cleared his tears with his small hands and then took the amulet from his inner clothes and closely studied it.

It was the same star-shaped amulet his father told him to wear. So he always carried it or wore it. He soon hid it under the clothes and then, without warning, a foot kicked Chen Yang out of his daze.

"Aargh!"

Chen Yang said as he looked up, it was Xie Hung, the eldest son of uncle Xham Chen. He still remembered the day when his father said to go to his old friend, but upon arriving Xham Chen treated him coldly and was made to slave away in the fields that were dry because of the drought; furthermore, his sons always bullied him upon arriving here and if he ever tried to even talk back to them, they-they would whip him.

"Why aren't you working? you freeloader!"

Xie Hung said with a cold look in his eyes and then beat Chen Yang furiously, and then spat on him and then berated him saying, "You're a trash that can't even plow properly! Father shouldn't have taken you.", to Chen Yang, although this had become so regular to him that he knew if he even tried to talk back, he would get beaten up. So Chen Yang always silently endured.

As Xie Hung is beating Chen Yang, a hard metal stuck to his feet; Xie Hung carefully looked towards Chen Yang then.

Xie hung shuffled through Chen Yang's clothes and found a peculiar amulet. He then took it and inspected it closely and due to it looking expensive, he whistled and thought he could probably sell it for a fair amount of money.

But of course, he didn't forget to beat up Chen Yang until he was both bloody and almost unconscious.

Chen Yang's entire vision was blurry and dizzy, but he somehow managed to gather enough strength to hold on to Xie Hung's legs and pleaded, "Please, anything but that amulet! Don't take it! " he said.

That remark had only strengthened Xie Hung's suspicion that the amulet must be…expensive!

He smirked and said disdainfully, "You wretch! You must've stolen it, fucker!" he then whipped him some more and said, "Remember kid, the strong always preys on weak. Such is the way of heaven. Do you understand? " and then he left whilst whistling[¹].

Xie Hung could've never imagined, that that sentence would've been the pathway to prominence for Chen Yang. But for now, Chen yang lied there unconsciously.

Editors note

--------------

1|Wow, I hate this beetch.