Strange Burst Out

The afternoon sun sank low, casting a golden glow over the vast sea, where it met the towering mountains in a breathtaking view. 

In the distance, the small city of Tai Hua bustled with the lively chatter of marketgoers. 

Nestled within the city, the Xu Clan's residence sat by a tranquil lake, its surface rippling gently as fish swam beneath, occasionally flashing silver. The wooden beams and tiled rooftops of the Xu Clan's small residence sparkled delicately on the water's surface, kissed by the soft glow of the setting sun. 

By the water's edge, a nine-year-old boy named Xu Hanyu stood, his black and purple robe dancing lightly in the gentle breeze. A blue cord bracelet rested on his wrist, its intricate design hinting at deeper meaning. Beneath his robe, a dark-purple thorn-like mark spread across his arm, contrasting with his innocent smile. 

Though he was the third son of the head of the Xu Clan, there was little sign of the expectations that came with his title. At his age, he cared little for cultivation, living more freely than most children his age. 

He simply enjoyed the world around him as an innocent child would do, unaware of the pressures that would eventually come.

As his fingers grazed the lake's surface, ripples spread, which caused the fish to dart away.

While watching them, he noticed a young man, three years older than him, dressed in the same Xu Clan clothing.

"Brother Xu Rong!" Xu Hanyu called out, hoping to get his attention. 

Xu Rong turned with a faint smile on his face. But beneath that facade, his younger brother's enthusiasm grated on him.

Irritating…

Despite putting on a facade of being a good older brother to Xu Hanyu, Xu Rong harbours a profound hatred towards him, one that runs deeper than one might fathom. His feelings for the young man go beyond what one might expect.

Even his voice grates on my nerves, like an itch you can't scratch. Xu Rong's fingers slowly curled into a fist. 

"Come here..!!" He laughed softly, beckoning Xu Rong closer as he dipped his fingers in the water.

"Little brother.." he said softly, walking over to him. "What are you doing out here?" 

"Brother Xu Rong! Look–there's a fish!" Xu Hanyu beamed while pointing at the water.

"Oh? Do you like them that much?"

Xu Hanyu nodded eagerly. "Hm!"

Observing the young child in front of him. Carefree. Defenseless. Weak. His back turned.

A thought slithered into his mind.

This is your chance, Xu Rong!

Without hesitation, his expression darkened. 

"Then stay with them forever!"

With a swift kick.

A sharp splash. 

"Aah–!"

Xu Hanyu tumbled into the lake, the cold water swallowing his cry. 

His older brother's grin twists into something cruel, revealing a glint of madness. A small victory. 

But then–panic.

That smile quickly faded to terror as he stepped back, helplessly watching his brother's desperate fight against drowning. 

What if he goes under? 

A cold knot tisted in his stomach. He hadn't thought this through. 

No. It's his fault for being weak. So incapable. I can't show weakness now.

"Brother Xu Rong! H-help–cough–!"

His heart pounded while thinking.

If someone finds out… Father will—

Suddenly, panic erupted from a distance. 

"Oh my–?! Young Master Xu Hanyu has fallen into the lake!"

Xu Rong froze into the spot as he didn't have any idea what to do next.

It wasn't my fault…I didn't do that…!

Footsteps. A frantic rush.

"Call Lord Xu and the three Elders!"

He took a shaky step back as he covered his ears.

It wasn't my fault... I didn't do that!

Yet, his eyes remained locked on the boy in the water—Xu Hanyu, slipping below the surface, while the others were reaching for him.

And still, Xu Rong did nothing.

…

"Kneel!"

Finally standing before him, Lord Xu's voice cut through the tension like a blade. Xu Rong fell to his knees before Lord Xu, his heart pounding with worry. He complied instantly, the thud of his knees hitting the ground resonating in the charged stillness around them.

Meanwhile, the three elders sat quietly, their eyes intense, waiting for the moment to happen, their expressions hard to read.

"Xu Rong, what have you done to your brother!? He could've drowned!" Lord Xu's voice boomed, anger and fear mixing together, while the three Elders looked on in silence.

"I haven't done anything wrong! He deserves it!" Xu Rong shot back, surprising Lord Xu.

"You–!" Before Lord Xu could utter another word, Elder Xu Ting intervened, his voice steady and authoritative. "Lord Xu, please take a moment to breathe. Allow me to handle this matter," he urged, hoping to soothe the rising tension.

Turning his attention to Xu Rong, who knelt with tightly clenched fists, Elder Xu Ting continued, "Xu Rong, you are aware of what your actions can lead to. You should never have put your younger brother's life in danger. Our clan does not hurt others, and you must know the difference between right and wrong. Do you understand?"

Yet, the young master remained angry and frustrated just from hearing the scolds. 

Once Lord Xu had calmed down, he took a deep breath and stated, "I know how you feel about Han'er, but this behavior can't be tolerated…!"

"..."

Xu Rong stayed silent, but he was consumed by his feelings of hatred for Xu Hanyu. Father, you never cared about my feelings! Your attention has always been on Xu Hanyu, even though I am your son too! 

"..."

Then a clan member gradually made his way toward Lord Xu, clutching a brown envelope in his hand. He leaned in close to whisper something to Lord Xu before passing the envelope over. 

Taking the envelope, Lord Xu replied, "You may go now," dismissing the clan member with a wave.

"Yes."

As the clan member exited, Lord Xu opened the letter and began to read. Meanwhile, Elder Xu Jia, curious about the contents, asked, "Lord Xu, who sent the letter?"

"Hm, it's from Chen Shun."

"Oh? Your father-in-law?" 

"Yes."

"What did he say?" Elder Xu Ting interjected.

He paused for a moment before saying, "He mentioned that he wants to take Xu Rong to Lharong for a few years..." Xu Rong was stunned by the news in the letter. 

"What!? No, we can't do that!" Elder Xu Bai exclaimed.

"Why is it so sudden?" Elder Xu Ting added.

"..."

Lord Xu inhaled deeply and gazed at Xu Rong, thinking about what choice to make.

"Rong'er… I believe it would be best for you to go to the Lharong Empire with your grandfather. You can return when you turn nineteen." With that, Xu Rong couldn't believe how quickly his father accepted that.

"What?!" Elder Xu Jia and Elder Xu Bai both shouted in unison.

Sending me away like this… proves that I'm not worthy enough of your care. He thought as he tightened his fists.

The three Elders were taken aback by Lord Xu's sudden approval. Elder Xu Bai, in particular, felt upset and disappointed over him, as he had developed a close bond with Xu Rong, his favorite child whom he had always hoped to mentor.

Elder Xu Bai rose to his feet, gesturing emphatically towards Xu Rong. "Xu Dan, what are you talking about?! Xu Rong is one of our clan's finest fighters and our future! How can you agree to send him away just because of that unworthy son of yours?! This is unacceptable!"

"He speaks the truth, Xu Dan. You can't decide to dismiss him like this! You've invested all your time into Xu Hanyu, and now you're willing to return Xu Rong to his grandfather?! Xu Hanyu hasn't even shown the ability to cultivate, yet he's your chosen one over Xu Rong!" Elder Xu Jia chimed in.

Meanwhile Elder Xu Ting sighed, resigned to the escalating argument.

"He needs to stay there and reflect on his actions! That's my final word! And don't you dare refer to Han'er as an unworthy future, Elder Xu Bai!" he declared with conviction.

"You—!" Elder Xu Bai pointed an accusatory finger at Lord Xu but found himself at a loss for words. Frustrated, he flicked his robes and sank back into his seat.

Why does father always prefer him and pay so much attention to that useless kid when I deserve it more? How could he favor the child of the one who caused the death of the most important person in my life…

Xu Rong hesitated, unable to believe his father would send him away. He wants to send me away... just because of Xu Hanyu? 

But at the end, he resigned himself to the decision as he couldn't do anything about it and Elder Xu Bai let out a frustrated grunt. 

After that, all the Elders, except Elder Xu Ting, were upset and left the hall together with Xu Rong, getting ready to leave. This left only Lord Xu and Elder Xu Ting in the hall.

Once the hall was empty, Elder Xu Ting studied Lord Xu. "Xu Dan, did you truly intend to send Xu Rong away?"

With a heavy sigh, Lord Xu shook his head. "It's not what I want, but Rong'er has been increasingly aggressive lately. If I keep him here, he could end up hurting Han'er..."

"I fear Xu Rong will only resent you for this. And you've made enemies of two Elders."

"I know," Lord Xu admitted, rubbing his forehead. "But I have my reasons."

Elder Xu Ting let out a long breath. "Whatever they are, I hope they're worth it. Your actions today may cost you your son." With that, he rose up and left.

Now, Lord Xu sat alone, eyes closed, resting his arms on his knees. Did I really make the wrong choice?

Just as silence settled over him, hurried footsteps approached.

"Father! Father!"

He turned to see, it was his daughter, Xu Lian rushing toward him, her long brown hair bouncing with each step, the familiar purple of the Xu Clan wrapped around her frame.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned about tightening his chest.

"Father! Little brother Hanyu—something happened to him!"

Lord Xu's expression shifted as he quickly rose sharply from his seat.

"What?!"

…

When Lord Xu and Xu Lian entered the room, they were taken aback to find Xu Hanyu's unconscious body suspended in mid-air. 

"The Regal Spirit…!" Lord Xu gasped in fright.

"Father, what is happening…?" Xu Lian said nervously, hiding at his back.

Lord Xu then calmly instructed her, "Lian'er, leave the room for now," he said, caressing her hair and continued, "And… don't tell anybody about this. Alright?" Without hesitation, Xu Lian nodded saying, "yes, father…" and dashed out.

Meanwhile, Xu Hanyu who was unconscious and moaning as he levitated in the mid-air, a vibrant and intense aura enveloped him, glowing with a fiery brilliance. It was a mesmerizing yet daunting spectacle, filling the room with a formidable energy. 

Even in his unconscious state, he emanated a powerful force that made him get intimidated with the powerful aura that had slowly released into his body.

"Not even someone at my Da Xuan level can deal with a force this strong!"

Watching the escalating energy surrounding Xu Hanyu, Lord Xu felt an urgent need to act. He quickly concentrated his wuqi, channeling his internal energy to create protective barriers around him.

"I have to stop this before the aura radiates out…!" he whispered.

With each passing second, the energy emanating from Xu Hanyu intensified, causing him to groan in distress as he thrashed in pain. Even the protective barrier of Lord Xu struggled against the overwhelming force, barely managing to hold it at bay.

"Aahhhh—!"

"It's tormenting his body…!" Lord Xu exclaimed.

It seems like I have no choice but to use the technique 'he' taught me…!

As the tension in the room thickened, Lord Xu drew his wuqi into two tightly clenched fists, initiating his technique "Aura Dampeniingg!" With a deliberate grace, he pulled his right fist back, supported by his left arm, his stance steady with slightly bent legs. 

Then, with a powerful thrust, Lord Xu shot his right fist forward, opening his palm to release three small, intricately designed flat circular discs. They spun in the air, glowing with golden-orange energy, their pulsing light connecting them with radiant lines.

The discs hovered around Xu Hanyu, their energy flowing gently into his body, soothing the chaotic aura. Lord Xu grunted in effort, controlling the energy to ease Xu Hanyu's pain, the golden-orange light swirling around him, calming the flames sparked by the release.

More..

Almost there!

And finally!

"!!!"

Finally after a tense moment, Xu Hanyu slowly regained his steadiness, and the aura finally calmed down. Lord Xu breathes out in relief, catching Xu Hanyu just as he starts to fall from the air, stopping him from hitting the ground. 

He was holding Xu Hanyu in his arms, then gently brushed the young man's hair from his forehead. "That was a close call." he whispered quietly. 

Lord Xu then gently lifted the young master up and laid him down on the bed, tucking him in with a blanket as he remained unconscious. 

Then thought,

It's strange for the Regal Spirit to awaken this early. Something's wrong. If this aura spreads, not only will you be doomed, but the entire clan will be as well.

"I'll set up a barrier to hide your aura, just in case. You can't leave the residence until you're ready to handle the attention it will bring."