The air in the small, resilient village was thick with the scent of pine smoke and sorrow.

  The funeral pyres had been lit, their flames a solemn, flickering tribute to the men who had fallen defending their homes.

  Bi Kan stood with his arms clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the dancing light, his face a mask of grim contemplation.

  He had won the battle, but the cost felt impossibly high.

  "I'll gather some food,"

  he finally said, his voice quiet but firm, breaking the respectful silence that had fallen around him.

  "It's the least I can do for your people."

  His eyes were solemn as he turned and began to walk towards the village gates, the weight of a responsibility he had never asked for settling heavily on his young shoulders.

  The elderly village chief watched him go, a long, weary sigh escaping his lips.

  The fight had taken a toll on his old bones.

  He gestured with a trembling hand, catching the attention of two men who were setting up long wooden tables for the funeral feast.

  "Phew, a few more to go," one of the men grunted, wiping sweat from his brow. His friend nudged him.

  "Isn't the elder calling for us? Let's go."

  They glanced over, seeing the old man's insistent wave.

  "Dang, you're right," the first man said, and they made their way through the busy, grieving villagers.

  As they approached, the elder’s tired eyes followed Bi Kan's receding back.

  "He's going hunting," the elder coughed, his voice raspy and thin.

  "I want you two to assist him. He's done so much for us already; we can't just let him do everything."

  A villager rushed to the elder's side, supporting his trembling arm.

  "You should rest, Elder," the villager urged.

  "The fight from earlier did not bid you well."

  The elder’s friend helped lift him, guiding the old man towards a small hut and gently laying him down on a simple cot.

  "Thank you," the elder breathed, his gaze still fixed on the doorway.

  "But please… help out our brave hero. He does not need to bear everything alone."

  The two men nodded, a fire of pride and gratitude igniting in their eyes as they looked towards the gate.

  "We definitely will." They moved to a nearby hut where the spoils of their victory, the bandits' own daggers, were hung in neat rows upon the wall.

  A weary look crossed the faces of many villagers as they passed the grim display, the dark stains of old blood a stark reminder of the battle.

  "Don't worry, we'll clean them soon enough,"

  a man in his thirties with brown hair and a thick stubble declared, taking two of the blades.

  "They'll be our own weapons now. That way, we won't need to rely so heavily on support."

  His gaze softened as he looked towards the gate.

  "That boy… he's far too young to burden himself with this kind of trouble. It's not his fault."

  As the two men prepared to follow Bi Kan, a flash of pink pigtails caught their eye.

  The brave girl, Ying Xia, was running towards the wall of daggers.

  "Are they going hunting?" she whispered to herself, her breath catching in her chest.

  She reached for a blade, but a bandaged hand gently stopped her wrist.

  "Young lass, the fight is over," the older man who had been injured said, his breath uneven.

  "What do you need our daggers for?"

  Ying Xia wrenched her wrist away with a scowl.

  "Tsk! It does not matter what I intend to use them for!"

  The man let out a tired sigh.

  "You're always looking for trouble, Ying Xia. Do you wish to help out our hero?"

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  His gaze drifted to the gate, where Bi Kan now stood with his two new companions.

  "It does not concern you," she snapped, her pride a sharp, protective wall.

  "Now, get out of my way." He sighed again and stepped aside.

  Ying Xia snatched two daggers, hiding one in the back of her pants and keeping the other firmly in hand.

  She shot the old man one last defiant glare before sprinting after the departing group.

  "That girl," he murmured, shaking his head with a weary smile.

  "Do you two intend to accompany me?"

  Bi Kan asked, rubbing the back of his neck as the two powerfully built villagers caught up to him just outside the gates.

  "Well of course!" the stubbled man boomed, flexing an arm that was nearly as thick as Bi Kan’s leg.

  "You are still young, so let these two older brothers help you out! Hahaha!"

  "He is right," the other man added, his tone more serious.

  "If you are looking to hunt the local boars, you will need our knowledge of their dens. We would be honored to assist."

  Bi Kan nodded, a genuine smile touching his lips for the first time since the battle.

  The slump in his shoulders straightened.

  "I am quite weak in swordplay, and daggers are a new tool for me. I'll be relying on you two, then."

  The first man blushed slightly at the polite title.

  "The young hero doesn't need to be so formal! We are all brothers here!" he laughed nervously.

  "Wait up for me!"

  A familiar voice shouted from behind.

  They turned to see Ying Xia sprinting towards them, her pigtails flying, her hand waving frantically.

  "Ah, it's her," one of the men stammered.

  "She's always so active, eh?" His companion chuckled in agreement.

  Ying Xia had been a whirlwind of energy since she was a child, always eager to join the hunts and explore the forest's edge.

  "Hahh… hahh…"

  she panted, finally catching up.

  "If this brave hero needs one more hand, I am far more suitable than these two buffoons!"

  She pointed her dagger at them, her chin held high.

  A vein bulged on each man's temple.

  "Hey! You don't need to be so mean, Xia!" one of them ground out.

  The other gritted his teeth.

  "I swear, I'll teach you a lesson one day, little girl."

  Bi Kan waved his hands, stepping between them with an exasperated sigh that held a hint of amusement.

  "It's fine, it's fine. You may come." He looked at the girl, his eyes softening.

  "You're the brave one who struck the first blow, aren't you?"

  Ying Xia’s chest puffed out with pride. She raised her dagger in a mock salute.

  "Yes! I'm Ying Xia, at your service!

  After everyone had calmed down, a new, more comfortable energy settled over the small group.

  Ying Xia, true to her nature, made herself comfortable by sticking close to Bi Kan’s side, the dagger she had claimed now tucked securely at her belt.

  Her eyes, which had been filled with defiance and fear just hours before, now glinted with a bright, unconcealed admiration for the boy walking beside her.

  "You know, you're younger than me,"

  she declared, her voice ringing with certainty, "yet you're far better than I could ever be! The way you moved, the way you fought… it was like something from the stories my grandpa used to tell."

  She threw her arms out wide, a grin splitting her face as she looked up at the sky.

  The dark, smoke-stained clouds from the funeral pyres were finally dancing away, clearing a path for the sun to glow in all its glorious, unfiltered glory.

  "I wish to become like you! A cultivator!"

  Bi Kan’s gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, but a small, thoughtful smile touched his lips.

  "It’s not about being better, Ying Xia. It’s about having the strength to do what’s right."

  He finally looked at her, his eyes holding a surprising depth.

  "You have the heart for it. A brave heart is the first step to sensing the world’s energy. With a spirit like yours, I have no doubts you'll be able to feel it soon."

  Her brows furrowed in concentration.

  "Do you mean… Qi?"

  He nodded.

  "Yes. It’s the breath of the world, the energy that flows through all living things. Once you can feel it, truly feel it, I'll do everything I can to help you grasp it, to gather it and make it a part of you."

  His gaze then swept over her, a quick, clinical assessment that took in her sturdy frame and the coiled, athletic energy in her movements.

  "A build like yours… you'd be well-suited for the path of body tempering. You’d definitely be strong and powerful."

  Her hands flew to her chest, her cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of crimson as she shot him a glare.

  "Even young heroes are quite… perverted, huh?"

  Bi Kan raised his hands in defense, a matching blush forming around his neck and creeping up to his ears.

  "N-No! That's not what I meant! I was just… admiring the vessel you have! Your physical foundation! You'll definitely be a great… disciple, once you become one…"

  Pouting her lips while squinting her eyes, she slowly took her hands away from her body, letting them fall back to her sides.

  Before she could retort, the man with the stubble smacked her lightly on the back of the head.

  "Don't be so rude in front of our young hero!"

  The other man quickly interjected as well.

  "That's right! You can be rude to us all you want, but you can't be so rude in front of your savior!"

  She bit her lip, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her dagger.

  "Shut up! Don't you dare smack my head again!"

  Their argument was cut short by a sound that made them all fall silent:

  a deep, guttural grunt, followed by the crashing of undergrowth.

  A boar. If it knew of their presence, it would run deeper into the forest, making it impossible to catch.

  Ying Xia’s eyes lit up, her earlier embarrassment forgotten.

  "I hope it's a fat one," she whispered, a predatory grin on her face.

  Then, with a burst of her natural athleticism, she leaped into the forest, disappearing into the dense foliage.

  "Hey, idiot, wait up!" the stubbled man shouted, his hand reaching out uselessly.

  He frowned, shaking his head.

  "She's always trying to look cool!"

  Bi Kan followed without a word, his movements swift and silent, making sure to tail just behind Ying Xia.

  He knew all too well what kind of creatures could lurk within these forests.

  "It's not mating season just yet," he murmured, his voice a low whisper as he easily kept pace with her, his eyes tracking her flowing pink pigtails.

  "So it could just be a lone male boar. If it's a female, it will definitely be with a group, and a few young ones. The village could raise them and breed them."

  The two men also followed behind, though their pace was considerably slower.

  They were not as fast as the two teenagers, but they kept a reasonable distance, their heavy footfalls a stark contrast to the others' near-silent tread.

  "Hahh! Hahh! Have we gotten too old for this?!"

  one of them panted.

  The other shook his head, a grim smile on his face.

  "Maybe! But those two… they're definitely going to be something great!"

  They heaved their way through the forests, driven by the hope of hunting down a delicious feast for that night's solemn gathering.

  "Nothing like food to fix the mourning, huh?" the second man said, his voice softer now.

  The stubbled man laughed, a short, humorless sound.

  "Aye. My wife's brother died during the fight. He fought bravely. I hope to bring the fattest meat back for my wife, for his memory."

  His companion’s own expression turned somber.

  "Good. My mom cried for my little brother… he was caught in the fight as well. He was just a boy."

  His hand clenched into a fist.

  "I'll make sure my mom receives a well-seasoned roast. For him."