Chapter 2 A New Life

As he slowly blinked his eyes all that filled his field of vision was a sea of unrecognisable faces. Cradling him was a women with porcelain skin and long flowing dark purple hair. His new mother he assumed. She radiated happiness as she looked down at him. Her piercing violet eyes taking in every detail of this new life in her arms. 

"His name will be Hou. Hou Tang."

The room erupted in joyous praise. Maybe this life would be better Hou thought while clutching at his mother. Examining his surroundings he was clearly someone of importance. The room, although small, was elegantly decorated and his mother had at least half a dozen midwifes attending to her. Outside he could see small court yard in which it appeared some form of troops where training. 

"Look at my boy!" A voice boomed next to him

"Now now honey not so loud near the baby"

"Sorry dear but did you see that? He's already looking at the training field! How can I not be a little excited."

This must be my father Hou thought. A more rugged man then he expected. With a well developed physique it felt like he took up half the room by himself. Although a little rough around the edges there was certainly a...dignity to him Hou mused. And while he wasn't sure Hou thought he could definitely feel a strange energy radiating off him. However, unable to fight the instinct of his infant body he began to succumb to the exhaustion of being welcomed into the world and fell into a blissful sleep.

And like that one year passed. 

Spring had once again come and it was time for Hou to be introduced to the patriarch of his clan. In this short year he had learnt much about the world he was reincarnated in. Unlike the earth he came from this world was one of martial arts and immortals where strength made right and all bowed before absolute power. He was apart of the Tang clan. Renowned for both its poisons and medicines it was one of the five great clans that ruled Jianghu. Not only was he born into a prestigious family but his father, Bai Tang, was of the direct lineage being one son of the current patriarch. At the Nascent soul stage and possessing what the clan called the supreme poison body he was well regarded within the family and worked to maintain balance and order between factions. 

Despite being kept isolated for the first year of his life Hou's room had a window overlooking the training yard. As he lay in his crib he would listen to the teachings of the masters and had managed to overhear that the stages of cultivation in this world were qi gathering, foundation establishment, core formation, golden core, Nascent soul, spirit transformation, immortal ascension, and then Mahayana although according to the teachings of his seniors there hasn't been either an immortal ascension or Mahayana cultivator in the last 1000 years. 

And that wasn't all he had learnt. With a mind far above his little body Hou had managed to comprehend the beginner breathing techniques of the Tang clan. At first it felt like simple breathing but as he continued to focus he managed feel the faintest droplet deep within his abdomen. Although an alien sensation to him Hou quickly became accustomed to the feeling of taking energy from the air surrounding him, and gathering it into his dantian. With each passing day the small droplet he had started with soon developed into a sizeable pool of Qi. 

Alas now was not the time to be lost in thought. His mother carried Hou into the grand ancestral hall of the Tang clan. Sat on either side of the central opening were elders of the clan. Each evaluated this young child. Each attempting to gleam whether or not this babe would become an asset to the clan, although there were certainly some that looked at him with more disdain then hope. Aligned to the center of the room and elevated above the rest an imposing figure sat on a purple jade throne carved to look like a writhing mass of venomous snakes. This man with a face hardened not only by age but developed across countless battlefields was his grandfather and the current Tang clan patriarch Qiang Tang. 

Hou's mother placed him on the cold tiles of the floor. In front of him lay four items: A sword, A set of acupuncture needles, A motor and pestle, and a mask. Hou looked back at his mother and she looked at him, gesturing forwards and indicating he could pick an object. Knowing this choice would likely determine his fate in some way Hou couldn't afford to act rashly and yet he felt himself drawn in. Laying on his stomach he stretched out his arms and at the same time grabbed not only the sword but also the mortar and pestle. 

The room erupted around him. There was a flurry of action as Hou tried to make sense of what was going on. And although the air was electric with fevered energy his grandfather sat on his throne all the same.

"SILENCE!" bellowed the tang patriarch. His internal energy causing his voice to press down on all those beneath him. 

"What a bold child we have." The patriarch mused.

Looking at the face of his grandfather Hou felt a tingle up his spine. Although human, his grandfather had the eyes of a serpent. With vertical slits and a vibrant green hue holding eye contact for any amount of time drove fear into Hou's heart. As if he were prey being stalked by a predator. 

"This child has chosen a unique path but like all of us it is his to choose. Let this choice be recognised and the child will be trained as both a poison warrior and poison master."

Hou's mother scooped him back up in her arms as he still tightly clung to his new sword and mortar and pestle. She bowed towards the patriarch before turning and walking out of the ancestral hall.