“In that case, the first thing we need is knowledge. It’s said that the first step to becoming stronger is acquiring knowledge about training. Should we head to the library?” she asked.

Wu Jian agreed, but they didn’t get to leave the hospital wing before the door opened and someone else walked in. She wore a white and blue ruqun hanfu with floral designs on it. Her skin was tanner than both his and Wu Meiying’s, but she was still a pretty woman with a kind smile and black hair tied into a bun on her head.

“Oh, my. Wu Jian and Wu Meiying. What are you two doing here? Did one of you get injured?” the woman asked. She was Wu Jian’s mother, the first wife of his father, and therefore the most powerful woman in the clan.

“Aunty Àiliàn,” Wu Meiying greeted. She paused and bit her lip. Wu Jian could see it in her eyes. She was thinking of telling his mother about what happened between him and Wu Yong.

“I just… slipped on the snow and smacked my face,” Wu Jian explained.

“Is that really what happened?” his mother asked with a raised eyebrow. Wu Jian looked down and nodded once. His mother remained silent for several seconds, but then she sighed. “I see. I’m glad that’s all that happened. Please be more careful in the future. I would hate it if something happened to my little man.”

“Mother… please don’t call me that,” Wu Jian muttered, but his mother laughed his words off, stroked his and Wu Meiying’s hair, and sent them on their way.

Mother was Father’s first wife and therefore the primary wife. She was something of an oddball among the clan too. Everyone called her a free-spirit, though there were some who called her stubborn. His mother liked to do whatever she wanted, which meant she often did a bunch of different activities within the clan, and woe to anyone who tried to stop her.

That was probably why she got along with Wu Meiying so well.

He and Wu Meiying traveled to the library next. It was a two-story pagoda even bigger than the hospital wing. Wu Jian entered alongside his best friend and looked at the shelves lined with books and scrolls. There weren’t a lot of people in the library, but that was because many people preferred to train their bodies instead of their minds. Most people only used the library when they needed to find a new technique to study.

“Oh ho ho. If it isn’t the young master and little Meiying. What are you two doing in the library? Are you here for another book?” asked a person sitting behind a desk. He was an old man with gray hair bordering on white and a drooping fu manchu moustache. His back was stooped like he had spent his entire life leaning over his desk.

“Grandpa Son, we’re here to look for a cultivation method for Wu Jian,” Wu Meiying said.

Grandpa Son was the custodian of the Wu Clan Library and had been since before Wu Jian was even born. He was a kind old man. Wu Jian would often visit the library to read because it offered him an escape from the bullying of Wu Yong and the other kids in their clan. He and Wu Meiying loved to read all the story books. Their favorites were the books about heroes going on adventures and saving the people from great evil. Grandpa Son always knew what books to pick for them to read.

Grandpa Son stroked his beard. “A cultivation method, you say? My dear girl, you know that both you and Wu Jian are far too young to cultivate, do you not? Attempting to cultivate your chi before you turn sixteen years old is detrimental to your growth. Not only will trying to cultivate before you reach adulthood leave a sequela, but it can also result in deformities forming in your body. You wouldn’t want the young master getting strange growths on his body because he tried to cultivate before he came of age, do you?”

“We know that, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find a good cultivation method to use once he comes of age, right?” Wu Meiying said with a smile.

Grandpa Son stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Oh ho ho ho. Yes, that is true. Hmm. Well, I wouldn’t recommend looking for a cultivation method right now, but how about I give you an introductory scroll that teaches you about cultivation instead?”

“That works,” Wu Meiying said after pondering for a moment.

“Thank you, Grandpa Son.” Wu Jian held out his hands, placed his right fist in the palm of his left hand, and bowed his head in a show of respect.

Grandpa Son waved off their thanks with a smile. “Think nothing of it.”

Grandpa Son walked over to a bookshelf with scrolls sitting on displays, plucked one from the shelf, and handed it to Wu Meiying.

“This one should suit your purposes,” he said.

“Thank you, Grandpa Son,” Wu Meiying and Wu Jian said in unison.

They didn’t travel into the library to sit on a table. Neither of them were tall enough for their feet to reach the floor. Wu Jian and Wu Meiying traveled to the passage connecting the library to the dojo and found a place to sit. Their sitting spot offered a great view of a snow covered courtyard. There were many such courtyards in the Wu Clan compound. During the spring and summer, these courtyards would become filled with flowers, flowing streams, and an array of trees, but right now, it was a winter wonderland.

Wu Jian shivered a little.

“Are you cold?” asked Wu Meiying.

“A little,” he admitted.

“Then let’s sit closer together. That way, we can warm each other up.”

Wu Meiying scooted closer until their shoulders and thighs were touching, then spread the scroll across their laps. He touched the aged parchment, which crinkled under his fingers. The scroll had a lot of writing and a diagram of the human body. Both of them could read what was said. Clan members were taught to read and write at a young age.

“Let’s see what it says,” Wu Meiying murmured, her breath coming out as white steam. “A person’s cultivation can be separated into nine realms. Each realm has nine subrealms. The Deva Realm and Body Forging Realm are the only exceptions to this rule. The realms are divided into the following: Body Forging Realm, Hunger Realm, Anima Realm, Asura Realm, Human Limit Realm, Deva Realm, Seeker Realm, Realization Realm, and Perfection Realm… hmmm…”

“Is something wrong?” asked Wu Jian.

Wu Meiying furrowed her brow as she finished reading off the realms listed. Something was bothering her, though he couldn’t for the life of him imagine what. He waited and watched, lightly swinging his feet back and forth, the ends of his shoes kicking up small motes of white powder as they grazed the ground.

“I feel like there is something wrong with this explanation,” she said, pursing her lips.

“What’s wrong with it?” he asked.

“Um. I’m not sure, but I feel like there should be a lot more realms, shouldn’t there?” asked Wu Meiying like she wasn’t sure herself. Shaking her head, she continued reading. “The Body Forging Realm is the first realm and breaking through it to reach the Hunger Realm is considered a rite of passage for children entering adulthood. It doesn’t have any subrealms since it’s about training the body and not the chi. The Body Forging Realm is measured by the physical strength of the cultivator. Hey! Doesn’t this mean we can train in the body forging realm?”

“Maybe?” said Wu Jian.

“I think it does,” Wu Meiying said. “Look here. It says the reason children aren’t allowed to cultivate is because our meridians and qi sea aren’t fully developed until we turn sixteen. However, the Body Forging Realm isn’t about cultivating. It’s about strengthening the body so we can cultivate. This must be why all children of the Wu Clan are required to practice martial arts from a young age.”

Once someone in the Wu Clan reached the age of six, they were put in classes designed to strengthen the body and train in martial arts. Wu Jian hadn’t known why, but if he was to believe what this scroll was telling them, then they were probably training their body so they could break through to the Hunger Realm. That made sense. He had often wondered why he and Wu Meiying had been forced to train and why their strength was tested every year.

“That settles it. I think we should begin training our bodies. I mean, we’re kind of already doing that in class, but I think we should begin training on our own time too,” Wu Meiying said with a nod as if it was already a done deal.

Wu Jian wasn’t as sure about this as she was, but he eventually nodded anyway. “Okay. But how are we supposed to train our bodies?”

Wu Meiying tilted her head. “Well, by exercising and stuff, right? I’m sure Grandpa Son will know of a book or scroll we can read that has strengthening exercises.”

“We can talk to Grandpa Son later then. I think we should read more about cultivating right now,” Wu Jian suggested.

“Good idea. Let’s keep reading,” Wu Meiying agreed.

They continued to read until it was late in the evening. Wu Jian found the various realms fascinating to read about. It sounded like each realm offered far more power than the previous one. The one that sounded the most frightening was the Deva Realm, which only had three subrealms. That might have made it sound like breaking through to the next realm was easy, but each subrealm of the Deva Realm brought down Heavenly Tribulation Lightning. The only way to breakthrough was to survive all three tribulations. According to the scroll, more than 75% of cultivators who attempted to break through this realm died, which was why there were only a handful of cultivators who had stepped into the realm beyond, and they were all renowned figures whose names echoed across the Xiao Continent.

“Look here. It says the number of heavenly tribulation lightning bolts someone is struck by during their Heavenly Tribulation equates to how much potential they have. The more lightning bolts someone is struck with, the more likely they are to become powerful individuals once they break through. I wonder what the highest number of lightning bolts someone has been struck with is,” Wu Meiying pondered out loud.

“I’m not sure I want to think about that right now. It sounds scary,” admitted Wu Jian.

After they finished reading, the two walked up to Grandpa Son, who they found putting books back on their shelves. They waited until he was done before getting his attention. He turned to them with a kind smile.

“Are you two done reading?” he asked.

“We are. Thank you for letting us read this,” said Wu Jian.

“Do you have any books on strength training exercises we can practice?” asked Wu Meiying.

“I already guessed that would be what you want next,” Grandpa Son said with a smile. “That is why I have already prepared several scrolls for you. These ones have multiple copies, so feel free to take them to your rooms. Just make sure you don’t damage them and bring them back when you are done.”

“Thank you!” Wu Jian and Wu Meiying said at the same time.

Grandpa Son had given them ten scrolls that they took to Wu Jian’s room, which was located on the eastern side building in the main courtyard. Wu Meiying’s room was located in the backside building of the main courtyard. It was the most secluded building in the complex and used by all the unmarried women of the clan. Wu Meiying almost never slept in her own room, however.

Wu Jian and Wu Meiying would have looked over the scrolls Grandpa Son got them, but a loud bell rang out, echoing across the entire compound. They looked at each other.

“I guess it’s time for dinner,” Wu Jian said, setting the scrolls onto his bed.

“We can look at the scrolls later tonight before bed. Let’s hurry up. I don’t want to be late for dinner.” Wu Meiying grabbed his hand and pulled him out of his room.

The dining hall was located in the middle of the clan compound. It only had one floor, but it was the largest building present and surrounded by all the others. All members of the clan were required to eat dinner there at the same time. Wu Jian’s mother once told him this was so members of the clan could mingle with their peers and make friends. Sharing food with others was a good way to solidify relationships, or so she had said.

There were already a lot of people when they arrived, and most of them were sitting down with food in front of them. They spoke to the people they were next to with happy smiles. It was loud inside of this building with so many people talking at once. Wu Jian could see his father, mother, and his father’s second wife sitting at the head table alongside the three elders.

His father’s name was Wu Yōushì, and he was a large man with broad shoulders, a thick chest, powerful arms, and a constantly brooding expression. His father’s long hair was tied into a topknot. A hairpin was impaled through the middle. He had a powerful-looking face that made him seem stern and uncompromising, with eyebrows like swords and a pointed beard. The hanfu he wore was red and white.

Several people spotted them as they walked into the dining hall. A few pointed and said something, laughing afterward. They must have been making fun of Wu Jian’s appearance. It was something people often did, and while he was able to ignore it because it happened so often, it still hurt.

Wu Meiying kept a firm grip on his hand as she led him to where his father, mother, and his father’s second wife were sitting.

“Lord Father,” Wu Jian said. He removed his hand from Wu Meiying’s, placed the fist of his right hand into the palm of his left, and bowed.

“Wu Jian. Were you out frollicking with Wu Meiying again? You know I do not approve of that,” his father said. His voice was deep like rumbling thunder. Wu Jian had once heard that his father had been called the Tiger of Shang in his youth because of how powerful he and his voice were.

“Hmph. That boy is always playing with Wu Meiying. I believe that is the reason his mannerisms are so much like a girl’s,” said Wu Taohua, his father’s second wife. Her skin was pure white, but Wu Jian knew that was because she wore a lot of makeup, unlike his mother who preferred wearing no makeup. Her lips were painted bright red and her hair was styled into a bun with strands untied at the back. The headdress she wore was made of plated gold and looked like a dragon’s claw.

“Oh, go easy on him, you two,” said Mother. “These two have been close since the moment we adopted Meiying into the clan. It is only natural that he would spend most of his time with her. Why, they were practically inseparable as babies. Remember how they would always cry whenever we tried to separate them? Besides, they are both still young. I believe we should let children be children.”

While Wu Taohua wrinkled her nose like she had smelled something foul, Father sighed and offered Mother an indulgent smile. “I suppose it would not be the end of the world. However, I do wish Wu Jian would act in a manner that is more befitting his station. You understand, Wu Jian? You are the heir of the Wu Clan. That means you must be strong, you must be proud, and you must never bow to anyone who is not your father, your mother, or the emperor. We might be a small clan, but that does not mean we are not mighty.”

“Yes, Lord Father,” Wu Jian said dutifully. He had heard all this before. His father often told him that he should act more manly, that he should be bolder because that was more befitting the heir of the Wu Clan. He didn’t really agree with his father, but he knew better than to argue.

“Hmph. Go and eat your food, you two,” Father dismissed them.

“Yes, Lord Father.”

“Today’s dinner smells delicious,” Wu Meiying added as they left. His father shook his head and his mother smiled, while Wu Taohua and the three elders gave her a disapproving look.

Wu Meiying was often looked upon with mixed feelings by the rest of the Wu Clan. She was not a member of the clan by blood, which meant she was seen as less important than the sons and daughters of the clan, but she was very pretty and many of the boys in the clan were infatuated with her. Even some of the men thought she would grow up to be a beautiful young woman and had their eyes on her future development.

Dinner that evening was fried rice, peking duck, and stinky tofu. Wu Jian was not a fan of the tofu because of how strongly it smelled. He preferred the duck and fried rice. However, Wu Meiying loved the tofu. She said the strong smell added to its flavor. He would admit it had a very strong flavor, but he also couldn’t say he liked how it tasted either.

The duck, on the other hand, was very good. It was served in bite-sized slices and rolled up in a wrap with salad and hoisin sauce. The flavor of the sauce complemented the duck, and the salad wrap cleansed the pallet so he could enjoy more food without dealing with the strong after taste. He liked it a great deal along with the fried rice.

“Mmm. My compliments to the chef. This tofu is delicious,” Wu Meiying moaned happily around a mouthful of food. Her smile was so blissful that Wu Jian was almost tempted to believe the tofu was actually good.

“I don’t know how you can eat that,” Wu Jian said.

“I don’t know how you can not eat it,” she shot back.

“It smells.”

“Yes, it smells delicious.”

As Wu Jian spoke with Wu Meiying, he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked around and found Wu Yong glaring at him. Before, whenever this happened, Wu Jian would always look away out of shame and fear. He was even about to do just that. But then he remembered what Wu Meiying had said to him in the hospital. He needed to be stronger. If he didn’t become stronger, she would be taken from him, and he didn’t want that. He was more afraid of losing Wu Meiying than he was of Wu Yong.

He met Wu Yong’s glare even though he wanted to look away. His body trembled, but he still held the older boy’s gaze. This caused Wu Yong’s face to turn red. He leaned over to whisper into Wu Fei’s ear. The other boy looked over at him, sneered, then whispered something back to Wu Yong. Wu Jian wondered what they were talking about, but his attention was pulled away when Wu Meiying held out her chopsticks.

“I know. Why don’t you try some of my tofu?”

“No, thanks.”

“Please?”

“I insist. No, thank you.”

“But… it would make me really happy if you ate my tofu. Please? Just try it.”

Wu Jian grimaced, but he couldn’t deny her when she looked at him with those big blue eyes that reminded him of a clear sky. He leaned over, opened his mouth, and allowed the girl to place her chopsticks holding the tofu into it. The food touched his tongue, and he couldn’t keep from grimacing.

Just like he thought, it tasted awful.

---