Chapter 5: Thunder

Ying Yue told Eric how he had been discovered, naked in the river behind her home, by a group of villagers that had set out to cut down 'ironwood' trees in the forest seven days prior.

Upon discovering that he was still breathing, he had been taken to the villages' physician. Having been determined to only be in a deep slumber, he was promptly shoved into the care of the only true loner around.

"Me." Ying Yue's voice was barely above a whisper by the time she had reached this point.

Eric used every ounce of willpower at his disposal to not ask the questions that burned within him. The truth of her circumstances would more than likely be laid bare before long.

"Okay... can you please tell me where I am and what our current circumstances are?"

Ying Yue seemed to let out a breath at his change of topic. "You are currently on the outskirts of Lei Village, home of what remains of the Thunder clan. The Thunder Cloud sect was once the most powerful sect on Mount Qixuan..."

Eric chuckled at her attempt of a probe and said, "I can say without a doubt, that this place and every thing about it is quite foreign to me."

Ying Yue's face flushed a shade of embarrassment in response to the direct statement. "I- I see." She paused to gather her thoughts. "Mount Qixuan is also known as the last bastion of the Eastern Azure Continent. It is said to have risen from the corpse of a great cultivator that died protecting the remaining Eastern Azurians during the Great Demonic Beast Tide more than 10,000 years ago. Mount Quixuan rests within the "eye of the storm" that had spawned upon its creation."

"What storm?"

"Ah, yes", she said, "you must not have seen it since you are a mortal. There is a somewhat invisible cyclone that surrounds the perimeter of our land. It protects us from the demonic beasts that reside in the surrounding wildlands."

"You're quite knowledgeable, for one as young as you are."

"Twenty- eight is hardly young to a mortal", Ying Yue said with a slight chuckle. "Though I guess I do look slightly younger due to my cultivation... Though, it is not as if you look any older than me, and I am pretty sure you would be considered young, even for a mortal."

"Hm?"

He hadn't been called young in years. Healthy, yes. Youthful, occasionally. But young? Not to mention, Ying Yue looked no older than twenty.

'And yet she's only two years younger than me.'

"Do you happen to... have a mirror?"

Ying Yue tilted her head quizzically but still wordlessly got up and retrieved a hand mirror from a drawer behind a folding screen in the corner behind him.

He took the mirror when offered.

"Thank you"

'For the mirror and respecting my privacy.'

He really lucked out, having her as his first contact in this new world.

One glance at the mirror and Eric was glad he had already braced himself. He fought the urge to touch his face.

What looked back at him through the mirror was a face he had only seen in old pictures. A face of a much younger Eric. An Eric that existed before the loss, before the fame, before the success, before the gold medals, before the scholarships... This was Eric at seventeen to eighteen years of age.

He calmly set the mirror on the table after asking for a hair tie and pretending to be occupied while fixing his hair.

"Mhm..."

Eric had long since forgotten his cup of fragrant tea, plate of steaming buns and bowl of chicken and rice. He had placed his hand on his chin in thought without realizing it.

"You mentioned the Thunder clan once being the most powerful sect on Mount Qixuan. What happened?"

"Ah!" Ying Yue said, seemingly startled. "Yes, unfortunately the Qianggong family, that is, the head family, faced a tragic decline less than one hundred years ago with the death of its third patriarch, Lord Qianggong Lei Yun. This village was granted to the Thunder clan fifty years ago by the Lightning clan as a last gesture of good will. Otherwise, we would barely qualify to remain in the middle regions."

"The Lightning clan huh..."

"Yes", she said. "The Thunder clan is now subservient to the Lightning clan in a sort of twisted reversal of fate kind of way."

"Well, lightning does come from thunder clouds."

This elicited a laughed from the maiden. "Don't let anyone outside these walls hear that, or you just may end up my neighbor."

Curiosity burned within Eric but he had already decided to let her tell him her story or to let the details come to him through observation.

'Change the subject.'

"So what exactly is the Thunder clan's rol-"

"Jiang Ying Yue!" A loud, rough voice angrily sounded from outside.

'Ah. Right on time.'

Seems his unspoken questions would be answered soon.

Ying Yue visibly flinched at the blatantly agressive tone. It would've gone unnoticed if he was any less observant.

'Interesting.'

She rose from her seat in an impressively composed manner. An icy look appearing in her eyes. "Please excuse me."

"Of course."

'Very interesting.'

Eric remained seated.

Ying Yue seemed to go through a mental checklist; chin up, shoulders back, back straight, eyelids rested, deep breath and... begin.

It reminded Eric of actors before they stepped on stage or shot a scene.

'Seems certain things are universal.'

His musings freely wandered about as he idly began tearing pieces off a steamed bun while watching. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now.

"Jiang Yi-!"

The voice was interrupted by the slowly opening door, followed by a cold voice. "Pen Yushui, why must the second sun's rise be tainted with such nonsense? Is it not time for leisure and your usual bouts of waistraling and debauchery?" Ying Yue's petite figure was dwarved by the one hundred eighty centimeter silhouette before her. The man may not be as tall as Eric, but he was much more muscular, which is saying something.

A nasally voice belonging to a skinny, wirey framed man resounded from this Pen Yushui's side. "Silence witch! Always with your big words and constant slights. When will you learn respect!?"

Without breaking eye contact with the large man before her, Ying Yue casually remarked, "Still allowing this talking rat to speak for you Pen Yushui? Such a shame, given your otherwise flawless reputation."

The sarcasm was palpable in the air as Eric quietly sipped his tea at the table while observing his host in action. Taking note of the large crowd of people gathering outside of her door, he noticed they seemed to keep a solid ten meter distance at all times.

'This will be good.'