A Story About Eon

The warmth of the crackling fire filled the air, casting flickering shadows on the faces of the disciples gathered around. Zhuan Ming sat among them, tending to the wounds he had sustained in the last fight. His movements were deliberate, though his mind was elsewhere. "Ha…," he thought with a dry internal laugh," I wanted to fake an injury, but that tiger had other plans. I'm still not used to this body." He winced slightly as he tightened a bandage, his expression carefully neutral.

"We're close to the exploration site," Li Qingyue's voice broke the silence, her tone calm but firm. The other disciples immediately rose to their feet, eager to show their readiness and impress her. Zhuan Ming followed suit, but as he stood, he deliberately faltered, bending one knee and sinking back to the ground with a faint grimace. He clutched his side, his breathing shallow, as if the effort of standing had been too much.

Li Qingyue's brow furrowed, and she exchanged a glance with the others. "If you can't continue," she began, her voice tinged with both concern and frustration, "we can't just leave you behind. But…" She hesitated, then straightened her shoulders. "I can carry you. When we get there we'll take turns looking after you until you recover."

Zhuan Ming wanted to roll his eyes at the situation, but he forced himself to stay in character. "Umm… if it doesn't trouble you, and you're okay with it…" he stammered, his voice soft and hesitant. His cheeks flushed faintly, and his eyes remained fixed on the ground, as though deeply embarrassed by his own weakness. The act was flawless—his posture slightly hunched, his tone dripping with humility, and his gaze avoiding hers as if he couldn't bear to impose.

Li Qingyue suppressed a shiver, her mind flashing back to the night before—how different he had been then. Now, he played the role of the humble, injured disciple so convincingly it unnerved her. The others, however, weren't as perceptive. They shot Zhuan Ming resentful glances, muttering under their breaths. Of course, they thought," he gets to play the hero and now gets carried by her. Lucky bastard."

"It's no trouble," Li Qingyue said finally, her voice steady despite the unease prickling at the back of her neck. "We're a team. We look out for each other." She stepped forward, offering her hand to help him up, though she was thinking of what to do with him. Zhuan Ming accepted her hand, his grip firm but not overly so, and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. But at that moment, he felt something off—something he couldn't quite place. He ignored it for now.

"I will now take you in my arms," she warned Zhuan Ming, even as she was already performing the action. Zhuan Ming didn't fight back.

"Okay, let's move out," Li Qingyue said.

They moved swiftly through the forest, the wind whipping past them as Li Qingyue carried Zhuan Ming with ease. Her hair fluttered wildly in the air, and though her face was flushed, she kept her gaze forward, avoiding eye contact. Every so often, however, she would sneak a quick glance at him, her expression unreadable.

"You're a good actor," she said casually, breaking the silence between them. Her tone was light, but there was an edge to it, as if testing him.

Zhuan Ming's lips curled into a faint smirk. "And you're dying," he replied, his voice calm and matter-of-fact.

Li Qingyue's eyes widened, and for a moment, she faltered, nearly dropping him. Her steps slowed as she turned to look at him, her voice trembling. "How… how did you know?" she asked, her composure cracking. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt the sting of tears threatening to spill. She had thought herself beyond such emotions, but his words had struck a nerve she didn't even realize was still raw.

Zhuan Ming's expression remained impassive, though his eyes gleamed with a calculating light. "It matters not," he said dismissively. "But since you're so eager to know, let me tell you a story. A story about the beginning of all things."

Li Qingyue frowned, her confusion evident. "A children's story? Really?"

"Not just any story," Zhuan Ming replied, his voice low and deliberate. "A story about the first man who dared to defy the natural order. A story about Eon."

Long ago, when the world was young and humanity wandered aimlessly, a man stumbled upon a tree unlike any other. Its branches stretched endlessly into the sky, and from them hung many fruits, each glowing with an otherworldly light. The man, unburdened by thought or purpose, reached for the first fruit—a translucent, glass-like orb. He ate it, and in that moment, his mind awakened. A voice echoed within him: "I am the Fruit of Consciousness. You can now think freely."

The man, now aware of his own existence, was asked by the fruit, "What is your name?"

"A name?" the man replied, puzzled. "I am… human."

"A name is who you are," the fruit explained. "It is how others will know you."

The man paused, his newfound clarity guiding him. "I am… Eon," he declared, "for I am the beginning of all that will be."

Eon, now conscious of his own existence, reached for another fruit—a pink, uneven orb that pulsed with raw power. The Fruit of Strength. With it, he became the strongest being in existence, capable of shaping the world with his hands. Yet, strength alone was not enough. He climbed the tree and plucked the Fruit of Wisdom, gaining the knowledge to wield his power with purpose.

But Eon was not alone. He had a brother, who, upon hearing of Eon's newfound gifts, was consumed by envy. "Take me to this tree," the brother demanded. When they arrived, the brother's eyes fell upon a small, fragile fruit—black and white, radiating an aura of restriction. The Fruit of Rules.

"Eat this," the brother was told by the voice of envy within him. "It may seem weak, but its power lies in how many possess it and believe in it."

The brother broke off a piece and ate it. Instantly, he felt a strange duality—a sense of being bound, yet also the power to bind others. He began to preach his rules, offering pieces of the fruit to others. Soon, the world was shackled by his laws, and he became the most powerful man in existence—not through strength or wisdom, but through control.

When Eon returned from his journey around the world, he found a world that no longer recognized him. His brother, now a ruler, looked upon him with disdain. "You are an anomaly," the brother said. "You are free, and freedom has no place in a world bound by rules."

Eon, heartbroken, was offered the last piece of the Fruit of Rules. "Eat it," his brother urged. "Join us, and you will be accepted."

The Fruits of Consciousness, Strength, and Wisdom pleaded with Eon. "If you eat it, you will no longer be limitless. You will be bound, your strength restrained, your wisdom confined, your consciousness caged."

But Eon, driven by his longing for acceptance, ate the fruit. In that moment, the brother's power became absolute, for Eon had willingly surrendered his freedom. The world was now ruled by the brother's laws, and Eon, though still the strongest and wisest, was bound by the very rules he had helped create.

Zhuan Ming's voice grew quiet as he finished the tale. "You, Li Qingyue, are like Eon. Your body is limitless, born to break the shackles imposed by the Fruit of Rules. But the world—and your own body—cannot sustain such freedom. That is why you are dying."

Li Qingyue's breath hitched. "What… what does that mean?"

"It means," Zhuan Ming said, his tone darkening, "that you must cultivate the Rule Path. You must learn to shape the rules that bind you, to bend them to your will. Only then can you survive. Only then can you become truly free."

Li Qingyue's mind raced, the weight of his words pressing down on her like a heavy fog. She had always sensed there was something more, something just out of reach, but now it all began to make sense. As she studied Zhuan Ming, she realized he wasn't just an injured disciple or a cunning man—he was the kind of person who could lead others to truths they didn't even know they were seeking. Whether she trusted him or not, she couldn't deny that following him might be the only way to uncover what lay beyond the confines of her current understanding.

"Teach me," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within. "Teach me how to break the rules."

Zhuan Ming's smirk returned, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Oh, I will. But remember, Li Qingyue—freedom always comes at a price."