The fool who faced the general
1. The Arrival of the Mountain Lotus Sect
It was a calm morning in Mirewood Village.
Birds chirped over the thatched roofs, the small stream ran quietly, and the villagers tended to crops—until a ripple in the sky signaled the arrival of cultivators.
Four elders descended gracefully, each dressed in flowing green robes embroidered with white lotus patterns. Their faces carried kindness, but their spiritual pressure, though subtle, reminded everyone that these were not ordinary guests.
They had come as part of a goodwill visit—Mountain Lotus Sect often sent scholars and healers to rural areas.
The children gathered quickly, curious and eager.
Even Mei, who usually avoided strangers, joined the small crowd near the old stone shrine.
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2. Questions and Curiosity
One of the elders—a kind woman with silver hair named Elder Su Wen—sat on a stone and smiled at the children.
> "Any of you wish to ask something?"
Small hands shot up.
> "Can you fly?"
> "What beast is strongest?"
> "Can we be cultivators too?"
Laughter filled the air.
Elder Su answered each question with patience. She spoke of sky-soaring talismans, of cultivation realms, and of the many types of spirit beasts.
Then Mei raised her hand.
> "Do you know of any tier seven beasts?"
The children went silent.
Elder Su's brows rose slightly.
> "That's quite a question."
Mei looked determined.
> "Please."
Elder Su thought for a moment.
> "There was one. A few months ago, a Vyren, a winged serpent of deathly green aura, appeared in the demonic realm during a battle... It attacked a demon general—Khur Zhal—and left him without an arm."
Mei's breath hitched.
> "Who is Khur Zhal?"
Su Wen's smile faded.
> "He's one of the most feared demon generals in the upper regions of the demonic realm. Ancient… cruel… and powerful. Few humans survive his strikes."
Mei clutched her fox tighter.
> "But… he was defeated?"
> "He was pushed back," Elder Su corrected. "Not truly defeated. No one knows how long that will last."
The children gasped.
> "Who did it?"
Elder Su paused and looked up at the blue sky.
> "No one knows. The elders from our sect say a young cultivator—unknown, hidden—faced him. Pushed him back into his realm. But that boy vanished. Some say he died after the battle. Others say he… disappeared to protect the realms from the shadows."
Mei's lips parted, her heart thudding.
She looked over her shoulder, across the fields, toward the cottage on the edge of the woods.
Where Ash lived.
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3. Questions Behind Her Eyes
Later that evening, Mei sat near the well, her little fox playing with falling leaves.
Ash returned from the forest with some herbs, his robe dusted with pollen.
> "You went quiet today," he noted.
Mei looked up slowly.
> "Ash… have you ever seen a tier 7 beast?"
He blinked.
> "Why?"
> "Just curious."
He sat beside her.
> "Yes. I have."
She paused again.
> "Have you ever fought a demon general?"
Ash didn't reply immediately.
Instead, he stared ahead.
> "Why do you ask that?"
Mei gave a small shrug.
> "I just heard a story today. About someone… who pushed back one of them."
He didn't smile. He didn't flinch.
> "What kind of fool would do that?"
Mei didn't answer either.
They both sat there in silence.
And the stars began to appear, one by one.
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4. Back in the Mountain Lotus Sect
Back at the Mountain Lotus Sect headquarters, Su Wen knelt before an inner court elder.
> "The village is ordinary, as expected."
The elder nodded.
> "Anything unusual?"
> "Just a girl asking about tier 7 beasts and Khur Zhal."
The elder's eyes opened.
> "...A girl?"
> "She's young. No cultivation yet. But her question… wasn't playful."
The elder fell silent.
> "Keep an eye on that village," he said softly. "If she's heard more than she should have, or worse—seen more than she should have, then we may have found something the other sects missed."
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5. In the Distance, Shadows Move
In a shadowed cave within the demonic realm, Khur Zhal's severed arm still burned at the shoulder.
He stared into a blood-filled crystal, watching the world like a predator through glass.
> "You're alive… little cultivator."
His growl rumbled.
> "I will find you."
His other arm clenched with black lightning.
> "And this time… you will not walk away."
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