Born as a third son among five siblings, ten year old Chesa never quite found his place in his home.

  His older brothers, four and five years older than him got along too well. They were partners in crime, playing and causing mischief together. Due to the age gap they never included Chensha in their wild adventures leaving him all alone.

  His younger siblings now two and three years old, a boy and girl, took almost all of the care and attention of their mother. His father was a hardworking farmer showing little attention in family matters.

  Chensha who was quiet and responsible as a child was hardly paid attention and left to his own devices. But he didn't care that much because he had Sumei.

  She was a single child, the daughter of the vegetable shopkeeper. Their fathers were good friends so thats how they both got acquainted with each other. Even though she was an year older than her, she treated him as an equal. This is what made him like her at first.

  The other thing that made him happy was that he was a cultivator. He could feel the Qi surrounding him. But no one except Sumei believed him.

  For those simple villagers cultivators were like a fairy tale. Even though people have heard about them, no one presently living has ever seen one. So they took his words as a little boy trying to get attention.

  Still he refused to give up, he knew he was special. Lacking any knowledge in cultivation, he tried to figure out on his own. But cultivating without proper techniques and guidance is very dangerous. Many times while meditating he would spit out blood and roll over, clutching his chest in pain.

  Years later he would learn that while circulating Qi one must avoid the vitals but the little boy didn't know then. And unknown to him, his earnest effort were all in vain.

  Seasons passed and the childhood friendship between him and Sumei grew into something more. He spent his time 'cultivating' and playing with her. Then day came that changed everything.

  Sumei's father had gotten terminally ill. Fearing for his daughter after his death, he proposed to marry her to his friend's eldest son. His father agreed in the honour of their friendship. Seeing the sixteen year old Sumei had grown into a beauty, his eldest brother also had no objections.

  This sent Chensha in distress. That night he met with Sumei for the last time. He was very much frustrated and barraged her with questions.

  "How could you let your father do this? Have you forgotten the promises we made?"

  "Believe me I tried to convince him. I told my father that I loved you and wanted to marry you. Do you know what my father said?

  "He tearfully begged me to listen to his final request. That marrying your eldest brother would secure my future, that the status of the eldest daughter in law is much superior than others. He doesn't want me to suffer after he is gone and he will never allow me to marry a third son."

  "Tch. Damn that old man. So there is no chance he will change?"

  "No I don't think so. Father is very stubborn in his decision."

  "Then we have no choice. Sumei do you love me?"

  "You know I love you so much."

  "Then let's just run away."

  "Run?" Seeing the confused expression on Sumei, Chensha continued, "Let's just leave this village. We can't let our parents dictate our lives. I've been thinking about this for a long time. We can find someone to teach me. I will soon become rich and powerful.

  "I promise you a life so much better than you can even imagine in this village. So take my hand and leave the rest to me."

  Sumei looked at the outstretched hand towards her. His eyes were filled with love and desperation, earnestly pleading to take it. Her hand twitched but remained firm, tightly gripping the hem of her skirt.

  "Chensha I have come to tell you to forget about me. I have to decided to marry your brother."

  "What?! How can you say such things? Don't you love me? Or is it that you don't believe in my ability to make it big?"

  "I love you but I can't bet my life on an uncertain future. We don't know anything about cultivators and we can't be sure of success. We are both children, how will we survive in this unknown world all alone? What will we eat? Where will we sleep? What happens if one of us falls sick? Have you thought of all that?

  "If you really want to hear it from me then I will say it. Yes, I don't believe in you."

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  She was crying both outside and inside. She wanted to take that hand but she wasn't a naive sheltered princess. As a daughter of a shopkeeper she was familiar with the cruelty of reality from a young age.

  "Also I can't hurt my father. He had so lovingly raised me so I can't betray him in his final moments. The next time we meet I will be your sister-in-law. Goodbye Chensha, I hope you find someone better "

  Chensha could only watch heartbroken as the love of his life walked away. For the first time he felt so helpless.

  The week passed and it was the day of the wedding. Chensha had been drinking heavily.

  Sumei why did you leave me? We promised to spend the rest of our lives together. Do those words, my love mean nothing to you?

  No. Sumei loves me. She must have been forced by them. Just because he was born earlier than me, my brother thinks he can take away my Sumei? I am born a cultivator making me much superior to him.

  In his drunken stupor, he tried to crash the wedding ceremony but was caught by the second eldest brother before he could reach her. He tried to argue with Chensha but when he saw he was beyond words, Chensha was thoroughly beaten.

  "I know you were done wrong but grow up. How dare you try to ruin your brother's wedding and throw mud on our family's name? I will forgive you this time and won't tell others but learn to let things go."

  As he laid there bruised and beaten, Chensha broke into tears. He couldn't stop Sumei and even lacked the strength to take her back. How pathetic he was!

  In his shame, he left the village that very night. Next few months were spent roaming around. He tried to live by doing odd jobs but many nights were spent hungry on the ground with the sky as his roof.

  Countless times thoughts of returning back to village would surface but his pride refused to accept. In his travels he reached Gingko village where he was taken in by old man Ping. The old man took pity on the poor and malnourished youth and gave him work in his tea shop.

  Countless cultivators come to Gingko village so he thought that he would find a chance but he only met with more disappointments. He learned that he was born with the lowest spiritual root and had passed his formative years. Many advised him to forget about cultivation but he refused to listen.

  He took up monster hunting, risking his life day after day. One day it could be said that his fortune finally shined. He was captured by a group of blood cultivators.

  He was taken to their master and was asked to join them. Chensha never wanted to associate with demonic cultivators so as an excuse he told them everything; about his lack of talent and low grade spiritual root.

  The leader Ding Yang just laughed and threw him in the blood pool. Chensha suddenly found a rush of energy entering him. He was lost in pleasure for first few minutes but then he started circulating the Qi. After an hour he got out and he was astonished to see that the hour was worth a few days of cultivation.

  Ding Yang laughed again at the dumb look on his face. "What low grade spiritual root, what born with lack of a talent? In the demonic path you only need will and determination to follow through on your goals.

  "So will you remain useless or will you work hard to defy fate?"

  He had hated the word fate, it has taken everything from him. He lost Sumei because he was fated to be the third son, nobody took him as disciple because he was fated to have the lowest grade spiritual root, he never had a cultivation inheritance because he was fated to be the son of a farmer.

  If that's what the heavens have decided for him, then he will defy the heavens itself. He decided to join the demonic path and promised to become so great that he will make Sumei regret leaving him, his brothers regret crossing him and even the heavens regret tormenting him.

  He had many opportunities to leave the blood cultivators but he never did. Chensha had been completely seduced by the demonic path, making rapid improvements using the blood path techniques. He kept killing people, falling deeper and deeper into sin and one day he encountered a warrior of the righteous path.

  Chesha knew it was the end for him. He should have surrendered and died as a man but even in his final moments he remained a demonic path cultivator. He killed a little girl, defiled her body to use demonic techniques, still struggled to defy fate but died horribly, painfully under the silver gleam of Absolute Righteous sword aura.

  His life ended, full of regrets and remorse. How would have his life turned out if he had swallowed his pride and went back to his family. Or if he remained content working at the tea shop. He had many chances to live a happy life.

  If given a second chance, he would have tried to do many things differently but if asked he really regretted the demonic path, he still couldn't answer yes with full confidence.

  ***

  Ling Yun laid motionless on the floor of his room. He didn't know how he had gotten back. Just the only thing he remembered was old man Ping. He had taken one look at the blood soaked Ling Yun walking alone and understood what happened. He never asked any questions and quietly went back to his room, tears flowing from his eyes.

  Even Brahma had been silent for quite a long time. In his heart Ling Yun wanted someone, anyone to help him but he himself couldn't muster any energy to reach first. He was completely spent but sleep refused to come.

  Every time he closed his eyes, the scene of little Hua exploding would keep playing in his mind on repeat. So he just laid there staring at the ceiling. He didn't cry anymore, there were no tears left to shed.

  In his emptiness all he could do but think what had transpired. About the words left by Su Ning and the life of Chensha. The thoughts kept turning in his mind.

  Su Ning and the righteous path would never forgive demonic cultivators. A single mistake, just one step straying from the righteous path and one would be relentlessly hunted to death. But somehow he agreed with her. He also would never forgive the blood fiend and his thugs for trying to refining little Hua.

  Chensha and the demonic path were willing to let go of their humanity in pursuit of their goals. From the outside, it would be easy to brand them all as evil and deplorable but after seeing his life, he sympathised with Chensha. Born with a crippled body, he also had similar thoughts of defying fate.

  Earlier if he had strength, what should have he done? Should he have attacked Su Ning from the behind and let Chensha, a demonic cultivator run away scot free? Or else joined together with Su Ning and killed Chensha, his big brother?

  Both answers left a bitter taste in his mouth. In this world divided by the righteous and demonic path, where does he fall?

  These thoughts kept him awake for the rest of the night.