If someone were to ask me about my life, I would answer; it was full of tribulations. My family abandoned me due to my lack of talent compared to my siblings, I say abandoned, but it was more of they neglected me. But thanks to that, I learned at a young age how to depend on myself.

 I did some odd jobs to sustain my living and save some money. Two years of tireless toiling led me to save five gold coins. I know the number looks pitiful, but what can I say? I think I fared quite well, I mean. Those who hired me had the alternative of waving their sleeves, and the work that took me ages would be done in an instant.

 By all means, I should have given up and committed suicide, I should be depressed and locked in a room starving myself, I should push away any form of relationship I have with people. But I can’t do that; I can’t afford to give up here. There is a reason I refer to all my experiences as tribulations and not sufferings. You see, tribulations are hindrances on my path to greatness while sufferings are just that, sufferings. They serve no purpose other than to give me a reason to give up and pathetically seek sympathy.

 That aside, where was I, umh... Yes, I managed to save five gold coins. With this kind of money, I could live the rest of my life with the bare minimum of my wants satisfied. To me, who was unlucky at every step, this was the best choice. But as you’ve already predicted, my story doesn’t end here. I am destined for greatness, so much that the heavens are jealous of me and create tribulations at every corner.

 During my days of endless slaving, I caught wind of some news. A new sect had been formed in a city far from here; I was elated at such news simply because the sect should be desperate to enroll disciples. This meant someone like me with mediocre talent finally had an opportunity; I was like a drowning man who caught sight of a straw. I frantically saved anything I could, eating and drinking only when I was at my last breath. My efforts finally paid off after two years.

 To travel to said city, I had to part with one gold coin. It was painful but it couldn't be helped; I could have walked if the distance didn’t take more than six months. I paid a merchant, and after one month of an uncomfortable carriage ride, we finally arrived at the Star-light city. The city lived up to its name; it had towering red buildings with tiled roofs. Though the city’s beauty was something to marvel at, I, who was destined for greatness, disinclined from paying attention to such mortal things. My destination was set, the newly formed Heaven Returning Sect. The name was weird and makes one ponder, but the important thing is I will finally belong to a sect.

 After asking around here and there, I was finally able to locate the sect. Surprisingly it took me two days of walking to arrive. Coincidentally, when I arrived, registrations for new disciples were ongoing. Truly, my luck finally started to show its beautiful head.

The line leading to the testing arena was surprisingly long, wasn't this supposed to be a new sect? As far as I'm concerned, the sect had been set up only a few years back, so it shouldn’t have such a massive turn up.

 Nevertheless, my turn finally arrived. Unsurprising to no one, an obstacle appeared. It turns out there was an age limit; I, who was already thirty years old, was unqualified.  I desperately begged the middle-aged man, but he paid me no heed. Even after making him an exception and telling him about my limitless future, he still refused to listen to me.

I was dejected and defeated. As you can tell, I’m not one to wallow and submit in the face of adversities, but this time, the blow is too painful to endure.

 Joining a sect was my last option; if a newly formed sect can’t take me in, can the others even consider me? Maybe I should settle down and  sire a family? I can't... I can't give up until I die! I chanted my life mantra while clenching my fists to the point of pain. I purged the negative thoughts from my brain and performed a breathing exercise to calm my heart. Working with the rich led me to develop a few tricks to calm my heart, or I would have long died from anger. The world isn’t kind to those that don’t adapt.

 “Boy,” I was about to leave and search for greener pastures, but a hand tapped my shoulder. I turned my head to see who it was. At first, I was a bit irritated over being called a boy. After all, I’m a man. The abandoned brats I’ve left back home are proof of it but seeing the man who stopped me. I swallowed my dissatisfaction and cupped my fists.

 “How can this little one be of use to senior?” I couldn’t balance myself well due to the involuntary shaking. The old man before me is a cultivator. I can tell by the mysterious aura surrounding him. Now he being a cultivator isn’t particularly scary. The attention he’s giving me is what is provoking my instincts. My thoughts start to wander to a particular dark event unwillingly; I had a male friend raped to death before my eyes by a passing cultivator. I was spared from the same fate due to my toilet cleaning duties. It turns out even the scummy cultivator had limits. Frankly, I was a little offended by that.

 “Boy, you’re shaking like a leaf on a stormy night. Did you perhaps have a dark encounter with a cultivator?” As expected of a cultivator, nothing could be hidden from them. I nodded at his inquisitive gaze. Lying might cost my life.

 “Don’t worry, I despise such cultivators that use their strength to bully the weak,” his voice was comforting. So comforting that Goosebumps formed on my pale skin. “I am elder Da Wei, the reason I stopped you is because I want to offer you a job,” A skeptical look flashed through my face, but I hid it equally as fast. “I saw how you were rejected and sympathized with you, let me tell you. Right now, it’s too late for you to start cultivating; the first stages require you to be young and vigorous,” I sensed nothing but goodwill from the old man, so I decided to listen to him, but I still hadn’t given up on cultivating.

***

Months passed since I joined the Heaven-Returning sect, life here was much more bearable than back home, and the job the mysterious elder was referring to was toilet cleaning. It wasn’t a difficult job for one such as myself with unbridled experience. The pay was great; ten gold coins a month. I know I should have been content and saved for my retirement, but that would be an insult to my younger self.

 I desperately searched for any way I could cultivate, and finally, I found a way, or should I say encounter a way?

 “Boy, you should get that scroll no matter what,” the ‘thing’ I’m referring to sounded in my mind. More specifically, the ‘thing’ or person is a remnant spirit of a powerful cultivator from ancient times. I encountered him in a cave during my searches for a way to cultivate.

 He told me all I needed to do was listen to his orders, and a grand future awaited me. Naturally, I was skeptical, but I had to accept after he showed me a way to open my meridians and cultivate to the second layer of qi refining. My excitement at that time was unmatched; I roared to the heavens and stamped the earth. My great destiny finally began.

 “Why should we snatch the scroll from the boy? Is it that important?” I stealthily asked the remnant spirit as I approached the youngsters.

 “I’m not sure, but that’s exactly why I’m telling you to get it no matter what,” it turns out the scroll the youngsters were playing with was a mysterious treasure.

 “Should we really antagonize the disciples over an unknown scroll?” The said youngsters aren’t unknown to me; In fact, I have suffered under their vicious pranks before. They are a group that follows a certain young master surnamed Jiang.

 “Why are you still hesitating? Our fates are no longer ours. We are tied together both fortunes and misfortunes, we share,” the remnant spirit made a point. Our lives are intertwined. A mistake by either of us will lead to us sharing the same consequence, I hesitate no more.

 “Hello, boys, why don’t you hand over that scroll to this uncle?” I smiled at the boys and introduced myself.

 “Young master Jiang, it is that creepy old man from the toilet,” a youngster relayed to a handsome man with black and white robes. The surnamed Jiang pulled away from the scroll and looked at me with contempt; it was like he was staring at an ant. Well, I am an ant… no, I was an ant. Right now, I can squish these brats if I wish; their lives right now depend on my mood. A snap from me, and that would be their end. DON'T look at me like that just because you're a little handsome. My emotions started to show.

 “Hand over the scroll, or I will give you a gruesome death,” though I say I will kill them that is only to scare them as I still can’t risk murder inside the sect.

 “T-Toilet man, do you dare kill us in the sect?” The brats appear to be shaken by my might, but I can still see an unwavering spirit in some of them. Now I understand how cultivators feel. To have someone at your mercy is so satisfying. If it were up to me, I would have kidnapped them, subjected them to gruesome tests, and watched as they break. Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to me.

 “Old man, scram back to your toilet duties before we end your pitiful existence,” the boy who just spoke has an overbearing voice. It seems he is a veteran when it comes to ordering others.

 “Hue! Hue! Hue!... My patience is limited,” with that, I waved my sleeves and attacked the snotty brats.

 “You should have handed over the scroll when I ordered,” I calmly spoke while snatching the scroll from the unconscious boys.

 “Quickly, get out of here before the elders notice,” I wanted to step on the kids some more to get back on the pranks they did to me, but it seems even that has to be postponed.

 I quickly erased my presence and left the scene; I arrived at a dark alley and disappeared inside.

 “What did you just do?” A girly voice I was familiar with stopped me in my tracks, I turned back, and sure enough, I know the culprit. The funny thing is that he is a boy with more feminine charm than girls; I had already considered him a female that I would eventually have to conquer. She has a fragile body, and if you look closely enough, you can see a faint feminine shape. An excellent idea crossed my mind; I can kidnap her and finally satisfy my lust.

 “Boy, since you’re here. Don’t even think about leaving. I’m going to thoroughly enjoy you,” saying that I stepped closer to her, but something was wrong. There was no fear in her eyes, only fury that I doubted could be contained in this heaven.

 “Oh… I get it, do you love one of those boys I just beat up?” I smiled, having solved the tragic love story. “But that makes me jealous. Will you take responsibility? How dare you give another man your heart while I’m here?” My words still didn’t affect the little whore.

 “Strange…” I was about to taunt her some more, but something happened, the aura around her suddenly became hot and dangerous, an ominous feeling crept into my bones. I have to run.

 “Boy, don’t hesitate, run or perish,” as if to confirm my fears, the remnant spirit warned me. I didn’t need to be compelled anymore. I turned my heels and bolted for my life. Something hot made me look behind. What I saw stopped me in my tracks.

 A fiery bird made from nothing but flames was hot on my trail. I knew I couldn’t run anymore. I hoped for a quick death, but it seemed the fiery bird had other thoughts.

***

~3RD POV~

 *AAARRRGGGHHH!*

 A pitiful man engulfed in red hot flames screamed in agony and writhed on the ground. A small silhouette approached the charred body and picked up something before hastily walking away while murmuring incoherently.

 The flames earnestly continued to burn even after the man stopped struggling. They burned until nothing but ashes remained.

 A streak of light emerged from the ashes and frantically rushed away, but the streak’s path was doomed to be stopped.

 A silhouette emerged from the dark and snatched it from mid-air.

 “I observed you for some time and deemed you to be no threat. Are you telling me I was wrong?” The silhouette’s feminine voice echoed in the dark alley.

 “Who are you?” The streak of light that was now a ball of blue light spoke up.

 “Who I am doesn’t matter. Answer me, are you the one that misled that idiotic man to attack the boy? The silhouette asked.

 “I didn’t tell him to attack. I only told him to take the scroll. You have to listen to me. That man was more evil than I thought. Even at my peak, I couldn’t match the despicable villain. Thanks to the heavens for freeing me,” the ball of light struggled to explain itself.

 “So you did order the attack. Luckily, you didn’t manage to injure him. Seeing you died but refused to perish, I’m going to grant your wish of living. I will refine you into a weapon and gift you to my master,” the silhouette ignored the light’s explanation and delivered a verdict.

 “Please, anything but that… please…” the light’s voice echoed through the night as the silhouette disappeared.

Junior_elder

Heya, I'm new to writing so don't expect too much from me but I promise to deliver my best so long as you guys support me.

English isn't my first language so correct my grammar whenever you can. Our journey is yet to start, I believe I should warn you guys; I won't shy away from handling some dark themes so if you are in the mood for a good natured read, please turn back.

You can ask questions if you need something cleared up, thank you for reading this.