Bai Yan stood at the sect gates, her face cold and expression unreadable. The baby she had just rescued was cradled gently in her arms, eyes closed, unaware of the commotion around him.
The sect elder frowned. "We don't take unknown things into our sect, especially those with no soul power."
Thing?
Bai Yan's eyes turned sharp, fury rising in her chest. "He's not a thing. He's a child."
"He has no soul power. He's just a burden—"
"Enough."
With those words, Bai Yan turned her back to the sect that once raised her. Her decision was final. If a place that claimed to protect mortals saw a helpless baby as worthless, she wanted no part of it.
She left.
From that moment on, she vowed to raise the child herself. If there was a sect that valued people for who they were—not just for their potential or power—she would join it. If not, she would carve her own path through self-cultivation.
After days of walking, she reached the edge of an untamed forest. Dangerous beasts roamed there, but she wasn't afraid. She found a quiet spot near a river and built a simple wooden house with her own hands. It wasn't much, but it was safe.
She named the baby Han Qian, and for the next six months, she raised him like her own younger brother… or even her son.
Han Qian grew slowly but peacefully. He never cried too much, never caused trouble, and always looked at Bai Yan with bright, innocent eyes. Despite having no soul power, there was something mysterious about him—something calming, almost sacred.
One early morning, Bai Yan left to gather food. She wasn't gone long.
But when she returned… the baby was missing.
Her heart dropped. She searched the house. Nothing.
Then the forest. Still nothing.
She ran.
Faster.
Deeper.
Calling out his name.
"Han Qian!"
Hours passed. Her breathing was ragged, her spirit energy scattered. She was about to lose hope when she sensed an enormous, suffocating aura. She followed it, her instincts screaming at her to run the other way.
But she kept going.
And then she saw it.
A massive black-scaled dragon, easily a hundred meters long, rested in a clearing. Its wings were folded, its breath slow, and its presence terrifying.
And beside it…
Han Qian.
Sitting. Laughing. Smiling.
The dragon was still.
Almost gentle.
Bai Yan's sword was already in her hand as she dashed forward, rage and fear battling inside her. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"
The dragon's eyes opened, glowing gold.
But it didn't move.
Instead, it spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"Calm yourself, human. I will not harm this child. I cannot."
"What…?"
The dragon lowered its head, revealing a small empty nest-like space behind it.
"My own child went missing days ago. I found your little one playing there. Somehow, this baby calmed my rage. He made me laugh."
Bai Yan was stunned.
Even she had to admit… it didn't make sense.
But as she looked at Han Qian, giggling while patting the dragon's giant nose, something clicked.
This child was… different.
Later that day, the three sat together in peace.
The dragon didn't leave. He stayed close, always watching over the child from the shadows of the trees.
Even the beasts of the forest grew strangely quiet around Han Qian. As if all of nature itself was watching him.
And Bai Yan?
She finally allowed herself to breathe again.
But deep in her heart, a strange fear had begun to grow.
Not of losing the child.
But of the day when the world would finally realize who… or what… he truly was.