The wind quietly blew above the forest, shifting the leaves and branches of the countless trees. Riding among this peaceful harmony was a large group of three dozen men on horseback arranged in formation. They were arrayed in a two-layered diamond around a smaller group of five riding at their center.

Each of the three dozen men wore the same thing, blue and silver-colored robes which fit tightly to their bodies, their long sleeves wrapped. Light armor was fitted to their left bicep and forearm, running up to their collar and around the right half of their necks. Additional armor was fit to their chest and upper back as well, and thick leather boots covered their feet and ran up to their shins. A sheathed Jian was attached at each of their right hips, and a sheathed bow was attached to their left; a quiver strapped alongside it.

Among those at the center of the formation, it was obvious that three of them were bodyguards for the other two. Each man wore more noble and elegant sets of robes from the guards around them, tightly wrapped to fit more tightly to their bodies to make them more adequate for battle. One of them wore black and white robes, a light feathery collar running partially around his neck which connected to a cape that wrapped around his shoulders and ran down to his waist. Another of them was wearing a set of robes made up of several shades of blue, starting dark at the top and growing gradually lighter. Unlike the other two, his sleeves were left unwrapped. The last of them wore a fiery red robe accented by ornate black embroidery, and a half-cape draped over his right shoulder.

The first of them wielded a pair of twin Jian which were sheathed to his back, while the second of them carried only a single Jian. He held it tight to his chest as they rode. The last one of them, however, seemed to be completely unarmed. They rode closely to the other two, one of them an older looking man, and the other a young-looking boy. Both of them high quality robes, ornately decorated and neatly wrapped around their bodies. Both of them a Jian sheathed at their right hip.

"I'm sorry to say Lord Li..." the bodyguard in blue robes spoke softly as he slowly approached the older looking man. He appeared middle aged, with salt and pepper colored hair on his head, and possessing a long beard on his face. "But it seems today's hunt may end in... failure." he seemed hesitant to continue as he spoke, pausing for a few moments before finishing his statement.

"Aye, I must concur, Wu Yin." Lord Li replied with a displeased sigh as he spoke, looking over to the young boy with soft, apologetic eyes. "We've spotted neither bandit nor beast, and the time to return is drawing closer." he continued with a discontented inflection to his voice.

"If it please, my lord, I can return to Kinman and alert Earl Shi that we'll be late for the luncheon." the bodyguard in black and white rode closer as he spoke, offering his proposition. He looked older due to the flowing silver hair upon his head, but had a clearly young, clean-shaven face.

"No, it wouldn't do to insult Earl Shi with tardiness, Wei Jie." Lord Li responded almost immediately, not putting a moment of thought into the proposal. Wei Jie immediately bowed his head in deference, acknowledging his lord's denial as he drew back.

"We shouldn't give up yet, my lord." the bodyguard wearing red and black suddenly spoke up with glee. He was young looking and couldn't have been any older than teenager. He possessed hair as fiery as his outfit, colored a mix of black and red like magma. "We're coming close to location of the old mine. Surely, we'll find some scoundrels to hunt there." he spoke with a wry, rather wicked smile.

"Haha... you might be right..." Lord Li responded with a gentle laugh. "However, Ao Jīn, don't underestimate the cunning and deadliness of even the lowest of us mortals." Lord Li began to explain. "Even a cultivator can be killed by a mortal if they're not careful."

"I apologize for my impulsiveness." Ao Jīn bowed his head in response, clasping his fist while doing so. "Thank you for offering me your wisdom, my lord." He spoke gently as Lord Li looked back at him.

"Mmmmm..." Lord Li quietly approved as he turned his attention back forward. Ao Jīn released his salute a moment later, returning to his vigilance as the group continued forward.

"Wait, my lord." Wu Yin suddenly spoke up as the group came to halt. The other two cultivators seemed to suddenly come to a realization themselves as they gathered around Lord Li and his young son.

"What is it?" Lord Li spoke with a commanding tone. The guards surrounding them immediately placed a hand on their sheathed Jians and prepared for possible battle as they scanned the woods around them with their eyes for any possible threat.

"I'm unsure if it's a threat, my lord, but I'm sensing a feint source of Qi." Wu Yin to the right of the group, leading into the woods off of the path. "And it's not too far from here."

"I see." Lord Li looked off in that direction for a moment before turning back to Wu Yin. "Can you sense anything beyond that."

"Unfortunately, not, my lord." Wu Yin replied quickly. "The Qi feels feint. Unless I see the cultivator in person, I'm afraid I am unable to determine the depth of their cultivation." he continued with his explanation.

"Mmmmmm..." Lord Li quietly grumbled for a moment as he contemplated. "Then let us investigate." He spoke as he turned to face in the direction that Wu Yin pointed. The entire formation immediately shifted alongside him.

"My lord!" Wu Yin, Wei Jie, and Ao Jīn all seemed to call out in concern at the same time.

"If you were harmed, my lord..." Wei Jie spoke, frantically fidgeting in place as he attempted to properly articulate what he was thinking.

"We couldn't forgive ourselves if something happened to you or the young master!" Ao Jīn spoke out loudly in a harried fashion as he attempted to dissuade Lord Li.

"Exactly as they say, my lord!" Wu Yin shouted out in haste, continuing along the same attempt of persuasion as the other two bodyguards. "At the very least, you and the young master should return to Kinman!" he continued with desperation.

"No, it is my duty not only as a noble in the service to Earl Shi, but as one of the generals of Kinman to ensure the security of this territory." Lord Li responded resolutely, staring at the three men for a moment before turning away from them, and facing the direction which Wu Yin had originally pointed. "Stay close to me Tao Cai and stick to your training should you need it." Lord Li spoke with a reassuring voice as he placed a gentle hand on his son's small shoulder.

"Of course, father." Tao Cai spoke with confidence as he took in a deep breath before turning to face the forest alongside his father. The three bodyguards looked between each other for a moment. However, realizing that attempting to persuade the lord wouldn't work, they simply prepared themselves and stepped up alongside him and Tao Cai.

"Three of you, ahead." Lord Li gave out an order as three soldiers trotted forward on their horses. Each of their horses had simple cages attached to their sides containing several birds each. Stepping ahead of the formation, they began to ride into the forest at pace. "Forward." he spoke again as the entire formation began to move into the forest, though moving slower than the group sent ahead of them. However, as they made their way in, they were forced to spread out their formation over a wider area due to the clumping of the trees.

The formation rode deeper for several minutes, inspecting the trees and looking for any signs of traps or movement. Though they noticed nothing nefarious among the forest, the more they rode, the more they noticed an odd silence. The wind was blowing, and birds quietly chirped, but something felt strange. The had yet to spot any deer or fox, or even rabbits.

"Perhaps a spirit beast recently made a nest here?" Wei Jie questioned the silence as he looked around. "Maybe that's what you sensed, Wu Yin?" he continued, offering a suggestion.

"This felt too feint to be a spirit beast." Wu Yin responded in a low voice he contemplated. "At least not a living one." he thought out loud as he gently stroked his chin while sighing. "I assume what I sensed is from something dead." he continued, explaining his thoughts as he began to feel the feint sense of Qi growing ever stronger.

"Mmmmm..." Lord Li loudly grumbled as he thought on Wu Yin's words. He thought on what could happen if there was a spirit beast, especially if it wasn't dead.

Suddenly a small flock of three tiny white birds came rushing from the direction they were heading, fluttering about over them. Lord Li stared for a moment before speaking, "It seems the scouts have located something..." Lord Li paused as a black bird landed on the head of his horse. "Something dead..." he spoke in a low, cautious voice. "It looks like you were right Wu Yin."

The group continued forward, fanning out slightly further than before as arranged themselves in a battle formation. Moving deeper, they began to notice the concentration of trees begin to thin, and the foliage became noticeably less dense. It was clear that the formation was coming close to a clearing in the woods.

Eventually they came upon the three riders which had been sent ahead. They were sitting on the edge of the woods, and the clearing beyond. "Lord Li..." the scouts spoke in unison as they offered a fist and palm salute while bowing their heads.

"What exactly did you find?" Lord Li questioned. Though the three men looked uncomfortable, they immediately gestured for the lord to follow them. Entering into the clearing, they came upon a grisly scene. Corpses covered the ground of the clearing, dozens of them. Many had limbs missing and whole chunks of flesh and bone sliced from their bodies. The luscious green of the clearing was interrupted by the soak of dark red blood. Lord Li's face twisted in disgust as he stared upon the scene, glancing over at his son to find a similar expression on his face as well. Though his was filled more with sickened nausea.

Inspecting the bodies, most of the guards began to fan out across the clearing, searching for any sign of who did this, or any sign of where they may have gone. A small contingent of guards stayed close to Lord Li and Tao Cai, alongside two of the three cultivator bodyguards. They stayed back and watched as the guards spread across the clearing. Many of them began to dismount as they investigated the bodies, searching them and inspecting their wounds.

"We count at least four dozen dead, my lord." A guard rode up to Lord Li from across the clearing as he spoke, stopping several feet in front of him.

"Are there any signs of their affiliation?" Lord Li questioned while looking out over the field.

The guard rode closer as he pulled out a small black token with an unknown symbol made up of numerous intertwining lines, carved into it in red. "Several of them had this in the breast of their robes." He explained as he put out his hand, Wu Yin taking it in his stead.

"Does it look familiar?" Lord Li questioned while looking at it.

"No, my lord, it doesn't." Wu Yin responded as he inspected it. "Maybe we should return," Wu Yin questioned to himself as he pondered, "perhaps one of the scholars will know something?"

"I'm not sure what you sensed earlier, Wu Yin, but I was barely able to sense any Qi." Wei Jie spoke as he approached from the side, stopping in front of Lord Li before directly addressing him. "For certain, however, I can confirm that none of these men were cultivators." he continued his explanation. "Considering the number of casualties, I suspect the one who did this is a 4th or 5th layer expert of the Qi Genesis Realm." he shrugged as he spoke, quickly continuing. "But while the wounds are consistent with those inflicted by a human, I'm unable to sense any strong remanent of Qi. Not throughout the clearing, nor on any of the bodies."

"I see..." Lord Li stroked his long bear as he spoke, blowing air from his nostrils as he looked around. "Perhaps it would be prudent of us to send an inquiry to Earl Shi once we return and have him dispatch a troop to search the woods."

"I concur, my lord." Wu Yin bowed his head as he spoke, continuing quickly. "But I also believe we should return at once." he spoke as he returned to his normal posture.

"Mmmmmm... I suppose." Lord Li glanced around the clearing for a moment as he continued speaking. "For now, then, lets us return to Kinman." Lord Li replied as he whistled loudly, the sound echoing across the clearing. The scattered guards immediately gathered up into a defensive formation around the lord once again. As they gathered Lord Li gestured for Tao Cai to come closer. "Next time, we'll hunt for something extra-large to make up for today." Lord Li asserted as he smiled, placing a reassuring hand on Tao Cai's slender shoulder.

"Yeah, like... like maybe a tiger!" Tao Cai seemed more than pleased with his father's words as he excitedly shouted out his response. Lord Li could only laugh loudly with glee.

"Yes, my son, like a tiger!" He responded just as jovially as he let out another laugh. "Or maybe something a little smaller?" his father questioned with a light laugh.

"Or perhaps something smaller, father!" He responded just as happily as before, mimicking his father's words to show his approval.

"Good!" Lord Li announced in affirmation. "Now, let us return." he announced to the group as he gestured for them to move forward. As they began to leave, however, each of three cultivators began to feel a sensation swirl about their bodies.

Without a word, each of the three cultivators drew their weapons. In an instant, Ao Jīn's arm burst with Qi, a spear made of black metal shooting forth from it into his hands. The three men reigned in their horses, turning about to face the back of the group, now looking toward the other side of the clearing. Lord Li, Tao Cai, and the rest of the guards immediately reacted to their sudden movements. The guards at the back immediately reigned in their horses, quickly turning about to face the same direction, Lord Li and Tao Cai moving with them. The guards at the front remained forward facing, vigilant of any threats that could appear on their side. While the soldiers arrayed in the outer diamond drew their swords, those in the inner diamond drew their bows.

All of those who turned about were met with the same sight, a wealthy looking man in golden and white robes slowly waving a crystal-looking fan at himself. He silently approached them as he fanned at his face.

"Identify yourself!" The guard at the center of the formation now facing the man called out as they inspected him. The man stopped at the guard's call, quietly staring at the much larger group sitting before him on horseback.

"More bandits perhaps?" The man questioned out loud with a smooth voice. The man seemed to have a rather mild temperament.

"Of course not!" Lord Li, rather outraged, responded to the man's questioning. "I am Li Jian Shu, head of the Li Warrior Clan." He continued, clarifying who he was, as well as his noble status. The wealthy looking man immediately took a step back at his response, appearing to be mildly surprised.

"I apologize for my presumptions, Lord Li." Speaking softly, the man bowed his head and offered a fist and palm greeting as he spoke.

"I must ask, stranger, are you the one who massacred these men?" Lord Li questioned as he kept his hand on the hilt of his sheathed Jian.

"Why yes, yes I did." The man raised his head, his eyes seeming to narrow.

"Why did you kill these men?" Lord Li asked, a serious expression plastered across his face. Had he been a cultivator, the man's killing intent could easily have been felt. The guards, as well as the cultivators grew noticeably more tense as he continued his questioning.

"Because they were bandits." he replied with a wry smile across his face. "And because they were weak. Simply too easy to kill." He continued, his soft voice and gentle demeanor making the guards feel uneasy. A trouble expression came across Lord Li's face as he looked between his guards, as well as between Wu Yin, Wei Jie, and Ao Jīn.

"Are you from some bandit clan, or evil sect?" Lord Li demanded in a loud, booming voice as he finally drew his sword. Tao Cai watched his father draw his blade, looking between him and the wealthy looking man in the center of the clearing. Slowly drawing his sword, he could feel his hands trembling, his vision feeling blurry and his chest hot as if it was burning. With a deep breath, however, he attempted to steady his weapon.

'Is this what going to battle feels like?' Tao Cai questioned quietly in his head as he stared straight at the wealthy looking man.

The wealthy looking man simply shook his head in response, pulling a golden token with red tassels from within his robes. With a gentle toss, it flew toward Lord Li with ease. Before it could reach him, however, Wu Yin caught it in his own hands. If it was somehow poisoned, he was prepared to die in place of Lord Li.

Wu Yin inspected the token for a moment before his eyes widen with shock. The seal of the Imperial Clan was engraved into the token, imbued with an imposing Qi. Wu Yin nervously gulped as he bowed his head toward the wealthy looking man, very carefully handing the token to Lord Li with both hands. It only a moment before Lord Li, too, recognized the seal of the Imperial Clan engraved onto the token.

"We weren't expecting an agent of his majesty, the emperor, in Kinman." Lord Li spoke in a respectful, soft voice as he offered the man a fist and palm salute while bowing his head. The guards and the three cultivators quickly followed suit as well as they put their weapons away. The man merely nodded in recognition of their respect before putting out his hand, calling the token back to it. "Might I introduce you to my son, Li Tao Cai." Lord Li gestured over to his son as the boy took a few steps closer on his horse. Though his body felt like it was burning, and his mind felt clouded, Tao Cai shakily sheathed his sword as well, offering a respectful greeting.

"Greetings to young lord Li." The agent offered a quick salute before turning his attention back to Lord Li. "The emperor's astrologers predicted that a cultivator of great power would awaken here and sent me to retrieve them." he said as he placed the token back in his robes.

"We will do our best to assist you then." Lord Li responded with bow. "But what are you going to do if they reject the emperor's offer?"

"It isn't an offer." the agent responded with a slight smirk. "The emperor has ordered I take them back to the capital by any means necessary." the agent explained quickly.

"I see..." Lord Li stroked his beard as he stared off to the side for a moment with a troubled expression. "Would you like to travel with us back to Kinman?"

"I would be delighted to." the emperor's agent replied, bowing his head ever so slightly as he did so.

"Then might I offer you a horse?" Lord Li responded while gesturing around him. "None of my retainers would feel troubled to offer such assistance to you, an agent of his majesty." he continued with a nod.

"I would not dare refuse such a generous offer, my lord." The agent bowed as he began approaching the nearest guard.

"In that case, you can have my horse, my lord." Ao Jīn rode closer before dismounting, bowing his head while offering him a hold fist salute. "I'm faster on my own feet anyway." He explained as he took a step back while gesturing for him to climb up. A moment later, he disappeared back at the side of Tao Cai and Lord Li.

"Then I thank you, young cultivator." He offered his thanks while mounting atop the back of the horse "Should we begin our journey to the city, my lord?" He asked while turning about to face Lord Li. "And please, call me agent Piao."

"Of course, agent Piao." Lord Li responded with a smile. "Prepare for the journey back!" Lord Li commanded loudly as he threw his arm forward, his palm open and his fingers straight.

"Yes, my lord!" the troop of guard responded in unison, while the three cultivators quietly bowed their heads while offering a hold fist salute. After a moment, the large group began to move back in the direction they came from.

Tao Cai slowly turned his horse to face the same direction as the rest of the group as he swayed gently forward and back, side to side as his vision became blurry. The heat in his chest felt even worse than before. With heavy breaths, he began to move forward on his horse.

"Are you alright, young lord?" One of the guards rode up to Tao Cai as everyone around him looked over the boy. Suddenly everything went black, and in an instant, he fell from his horse.

"Young lord!" the guard shouted loudly as he immediately attempted to leap from his horse to catch the young boy. However, in a blur, Ao Jīn was at the side of Tao Cai's horse, catching the young boy in his arms as he laid him on the ground. He immediately began to look over Tao Cai's body for injuries.

"What's happening to my son?" Lord Li exclaimed with an exasperated look on his face as he quickly climbed down from his horse and ran over to his son's side, kneeling next to the boy. Tao Cai was breathing erratically, seeming to suppress a scream as he breathed quickly in and out from his nose, his mouth contorted in anguish. The guards immediately moved around the area, forming up into a protective formation around Lord Li and Tao Cai.

"Could it be...?" agent Piao spoke in a low voice as he climbed down from his horse. Approaching Lord Li, he continued. "This... this may be an awakening of his Origin Root." he sounded intrigued and surprised as he spoke, kneeling down next to the boy.

"Is that even possible?" Lord Li asked with concern, speaking with harried breaths.

"While it is exceedingly rare, I observe it one to two times every year." He explained as he gently placed his hands on Tao Cai's body, slowly running them over his body as if following the flow of a stream. "As of yet, I've only observed this phenomenon in rural villages." he continued his explanation until he finally stopped moving his hands, one placed on Tao Cai's chest, and the other on the left side of his neck. "Though do not yet understand this strange phenomenon."

Suddenly Tao Cai screeched in agony, echoing loudly through the woods, and causing flocks of birds to fly from the trees. At the same time, other parts of his body began to rapidly heat up.

"Was that... Qi?" Wu Yin asked as he looked down at agent Piao from his horse.

"Damn it." agent Piao quietly whispered to himself. "Barring weak bandits like that," agent Piao nodded in the direction of the dozens of corpses in the center of the clearing, "is this place safe?"

"I... It should be." Lord Li responded with an unsure voice as he looked down at his son with a twisted expression on his face. "Why?"

"I will do my best to ease his pain and guide the Qi through his body." agent Piao explained while slowly sitting Tao Cai up, the boy loudly whimpering and huffing from pain. "If the awakening is interrupted, it could cripple or kill him." he moved behind the boy, placing his hands on Tao Cai's back, one hand placed to the left and right of his spine.

Agent Piao began immediately as Qi from his own body began to enter Tao Cai's, helping guide it throughout his body. As he began, agent Piao noticed a strange dark aura within the young boy's Qi. Though he wished to delve into the boy's Origin Root and physique, he knew doing such a thing while attempting to help the boy awaken would be foolish. As he continued, Tao Cai became noticeably calm as his sweating began to subsist and his breathing steadied. Though it may have looked simple on the outside, agent Piao was struggling the guide the Qi through his body. While they waited, several strange bottlenecks formed in his body, preventing the Qi from properly circulating. As he helped Tao Cai, he was forced to use large amounts of his own Qi to forcibly shatter these bottlenecks while attempting to not harm Tao Cai.

After an incense stick of time, Tao Cai let out a heavy breath as his body fell limp, slumping over to the side as he fell unconscious. Agent Piao carefully caught him before laying him down on the ground.

"You're very lucky, Lord Li." agent Piao rose to his feet as he spoke. "In more ways than one, I must say."

"W-what do you mean?" Lord Li asked in a low, cautious voice as he kneeled next to his son's body. "Will... will my son's health be affected this? Will he be okay?"

"Yes, young lord Li will be fine... more than fine, actually." he explained with a slight happy snicker. "Whenever you please, you can move him from the ground."

"Ao Jīn." Lord Li spoke in a soft voice, prompting Ao Jīn to gently grab Tao Cai from the ground. He quickly made his way over to his horse, placing the boy atop it as he rested his upper body securely onto the mane of the horse. Ao Jīn stood next to it, holding its reigns. "Now, would you please explain what you meant by lucky in more way than one?" Lord Li questioned as he climbed to his feet.

Agent Piao smiled before he replied, "Not only has your son awakened his Origin Root, but he also made significant progress in his cultivation." he explained while looking over at Tao Cai with inquisitive eyes. "Should he practice strictly for the next few weeks, he should be able to unblock the last three of his thirteen Meridians, and advanced to the Qi Genesis Realm."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Lord Li questioned with a confused look. "I'm not well versed in the particulars of Cultivation."

"Normally, a Cultivator must spend several months, even several years, to advance past the Thirteen Meridians Awakening Realm and enter into the Qi Genesis Realm to truly begin their cultivation." agent Piao explained simply as he approached his horse. "That means your son has made a great stride, you should be proud, Lord Li." he offered a hold first salute while smiling. "Though, when we return to Kinman, if you would allow it, I would like to examine his physique once we're finished meeting with Earl Shi."

"Of course, anything to help my son." Lord Li bowed his head to the man while he spoke. "And when we return, I will do anything I can to assist in locating the child you're looking for." He continued as he mounted his own horse, preparing again to head back to Kinman.

"I might not have to look far..." agent Piao spoke quietly to himself as he glanced over at Tao Cai, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. "Truly interesting..."

"Let us return!"