Duan Xiang watched as the boy left, a satisfied smile on his face.

His eldest disciple appeared behind him, on one knee and head bowed. Peng Xiang was his most outstanding student, a veritable ocean of talent and skill. He reached Pillar Creation, initial stage at the early age of thirty seven. Only matched by the sect leader’s most prized disciples and children. 

It was his ride into true fame and glory. 

He had to wait until Peng reached the Master, Late stage to create a branch sect and lord over others as he and many others are being lorded over now. It was the highest calling of any cultivator who had lived for thousands of years. But most could never pass the final stages of Domain Consolidation. It was necessary to protect yourself and the sect's students. 

“Speak.” Duan commanded. He knew what his disciple was going to ask, but it was best for him to give his thoughts a concrete image. 

“He is worthless. No person worth investing in would reject the opportunity you so benevolently offered. Why, Master?” Peng’s hands were balled into fists, he clearly objected to his decision. 

Duan let him simmer for a few minutes, allowing him to think before getting the answer. It would do neither of them anything if he was hand fed his way of thought. Many might not understand, but the greatest thing a cultivator carried was not their strength, speed, or amazing effects on the natural world. 

No, it was the ability to think clearly and critically in any situation where emotions and doubt would cloud the sharpest mortal thoughts. 

“The refuse of one, the treasure for a hundred. If he fails, I have spent nothing but the worst resources most masters would be offended by even suggesting to provide their students with it. That cultivation book was the most lowly cultivating parchment, created by ancient beings that did not know how to properly cultivate. They had no idea of what a meridian was.” He chuckled. 

“I… Your disciple fails you master. This one does not understand.”

Duan turned to look at his disciple. Sometimes it was necessary to speak clearly with no opportunity for insight beyond face value. “If he somehow learns to cultivate, or someone discovers him and convinces him to follow a heavenly path. Then it will be I who will eternally have his gratitude. Not the teacher who painstakingly taught him, or his senior brothers that collect the myriad of resources he would need.

No, it will be I that benefits. If he fails, then I’ve lost nothing but a few worthless silver taels and an even more worthless pile of garbage no one wanted. On the other hand, if he does make it out of the gutters of the mortal world, I can call on him when the time comes.”

Peng’s eyes flashed with understanding. He could only kowtow before Duan. “Your wisdom knows no bounds, Master! It was foolish of me to question-”

“Enough, boy. I welcome your questions. It’s what made you the shining jewel of our Golden Gate Sect.” Duan covered all his bases with that statement. Peng would continue to attribute all his success to him and not the sheer talent he possessed. 

He was in the business of debt and gratitude, and it was clearly a very lucrative trade. 

---

Atuel, on the other hand, stared down, his mother matching his stunned look. They could not tear their eyes off the shining silver that spilled out of the pouch. The taels clinked together as they fell into a pile. 

Atuel had not expected this. How could someone give away such an absurd amount? Truly, the wealthy knew nothing about how much their money was worth. 

His mother flicked a tael. It rang in a distinct sound only solid metal could make. “Is this real?” 

“Yeah,” Atuel breathed out, too distracted to string words together. He was too afraid to touch them lest they disappear from before him. Then it hit him. 

They were going to be robbed blind if they ever used any of it. No fear of being bewitched or cursed with a hex would keep the greedy from rushing them. One of them would probably get out alive, but that one person from a hundred would be filthy rich. 

“How much do you think it is?” his mother had grabbed one and began to rub it with her face, imprinting it into her sight and mind and body before she fell back to her trance state. 

Atuel shrugged. “Does it matter? We can’t use any of it. We would be robbed instantly.”

His mother laughed. “We can just leave, no one remembers Xieran family anymore. Other than this wretched hovel. Even then, they only remember me. If we go to a far away duke’s city, no one would know us and we can spend very frugally.”

Atuel could already imagine using the money to buy cultivation resources, or maybe even a sword as long as he was tall! He would cut the biggest beasts in half.

“We will get the best teachers!” His mom sighed, already imagining him in a nice clean robe with a master imparting arithmetics, language, and history. 

“Mom.” he patted his cultivation book. “I’m going to cultivate, then go out to hunt monsters and wild demons making hundreds more silver taels. We won’t need to think about spending again.”

His mother pinched his arm. Hard. Atuel yelped and tried to escape, but she had none of it. Sometimes, she would not be capable of finding the most simple things around her, like a dropped chopstick, but other times, she was far too aware of her surroundings. It was a bit frightening when her hand could always find his pinching points without error. 

“You're going to be taught whether you like it or not. If you even mention not learning, then don't blame me for being merciless.” She waved her hand like a sword ready to strike at any moment. 

Atuel could not but bow in terror from her awe inspiring power. 

That night, while his mother slept, he hid the taels in a hole under his ‘pillow’. They could never be used until they escaped, whenever that was. They would continue to suffer for a while before they reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, for the first time, there was a light. He was sure to never let this opportunity go. No matter what, he would hold on to dear life, because that's what it was. His mothers life, his life. The life they deserved.