"Sister, let's go for a walk."
"At this hour?"
"Yap. Let's go. If our uncles find out we're out touring, they'll lock us in this shabby house for life."
"Brother… They do this for our safety."
"Don't worry. Nobody will notice. Come on, or they'll catch us."
"Okay, okay."
The siblings slip past the village headquarters, the night swallowing their figures. Shadows stretch across the empty streets as they walk in silence. Suddenly, a feeling prickles at the back of Lu Yan's neck.
"Sister… Do you think someone's following us?"
"Hmmm… what are you talking about? At this hour, who would?"
"I don't know… but my heart says something big is about to happen tonight."
The air hangs heavy. Footsteps echo softly behind them, but the siblings keep moving. The village is unusually quiet, as if holding its breath.
"Ahhh… it hurts!" Lu Yan cries suddenly, clutching his back.
"What happened? Let me see!" The young girl rushes to him, checking carefully. A small, sharp dart protrudes from his shoulder. She yanks it out with trembling hands.
"Stop there!" A deep, commanding voice shouts.
The children bolt, zigzagging through narrow alleys. Lu Yan stumbles and falls in the street. His sister screams, hoping someone will come to their aid. But the villagers… they are all busy with their own struggles, their eyes cold, their hearts indifferent. No one moves.
An hour passes like a nightmare. Then, a towering figure steps out of the shadows. Silent as night, he scoops up the children and vanishes.
It's their uncle, Yan Four, assigned to protect them. Calm and imposing, he carries them back to the safety of Spring Well Village headquarters.
"Who did this? If someone wanted him dead…" Yan Three, the previous village caretaker, shouts, his voice cracking with fury. His white hair and beard shake as he grips the edge of the table. Loyalty to the Yan family runs deep, but this… this is intolerable.
"Yan Three, control yourself. We are not in the mansion," Yan Four says evenly, his tone soothing yet firm.
"How can I? Don't you see the importance of this incident?" Yan Three's voice rises, his chest heaving.
"He's the main reason we are here," he continues, calmer now. "We didn't come to be restricted. We're here to watch over this sick boy, to wait for his demise—but not by accident. We want freedom from that stinky place."
Yan Four sighs softly. "Alas… we must be more careful about his security." Without another word, he steps out to find a healer to tend to Lu Yan's injuries.
"First, call the healer in this village immediately. If not, we'll be in serious trouble," Yan Three instructs, his tone sharp but measured.
"Understood," Yan Four replies, disappearing into the night.
From the shadows, a figure moves silently. The previous guard steps forward.
"Master, why do you care for the new young master?" he asks.
"You're a mole. Where are they?" Yan Three demands, his sharp gaze narrowing.
"They're in that room," the guard whispers, pointing.
"You… come with me," Yan Three commands.
"Yes, Village Head," the guard replies obediently, following him into the darkness.
Meanwhile, in a dim corner, Yan Three rages quietly.
"What happened? Why isn't he dead?"
"Master… we followed your instructions. We gave the poisonous needle to the boy, but… it didn't work properly."
"Rubbish. Do you think I'm a child? Trying to save him to blackmail me?"
"Master, please… calm down. We obey you. You are our master," the guard pleads.
"Give me a single reason not to kill you right now."
"Master… Master… don't…"
Screams pierce the night, faint and desperate. The sound fades quickly, swallowed by darkness. Yan Three clenches his fists, anger bubbling under control. Even a child can survive this—his plan has failed because of the incompetence of his underlings. What he doesn't realize is that Lu Yan's intellect and foresight far surpass his imagination. The boy has saved himself.
"Perhaps… I may not have another chance," Yan Three mutters, voice cold as ice. He burns the bodies of his failed subordinates, leaving no trace.
Minutes later, Yan Four returns with the healer. He gently places the children in a safe room and instructs the healer to tend to Lu Yan.
"Ha… you poor boy," the healer murmurs, inspecting him. "How did this poison enter your body?"
"Thanks for coming, uncle. Can you save me?" Lu Yan asks, his voice barely a whisper.
"The poison is mild. I'm not sure why, but the concentration must have been weak. That's why you're alive," Yan Four explains, relief in his voice.
"That's… good news, isn't it?"
"Have you started cultivation yet?"
"Not yet. My parents said I can't… my body has a problem."
"I see… hmm. But there's another problem in your body, aside from the poison. I don't fully understand it. Perhaps your parents know, which is why they disowned you."
Lu Yan exhales slowly. "Oh…"
"Don't be upset. Even a mortal life can surpass the lives of many cultivators. Remember this."
"I'll remember, uncle," he replies.
The healer administers pills to stabilize Lu Yan's condition, though a full cure remains elusive.
"Uncle, do you know who did this? Was it someone from the mansion?" Lu Yan asks, curiosity sharp in his tone.
"I don't know exactly… but some families may not want a new young master. Only they could harbor such ill intent." Yan Four's voice hardens. "We must stay vigilant."
They leave the room quietly, ensuring the young master rests.
Yan Four's mind races as he walks down the hallway. He glances back at Yan Three, whose expression seems calm but conceals a storm of emotion.
"Who is truly responsible?" Yan Four mutters under his breath. His gaze lingers on Yan Three, suspicion tightening around him like a noose. "His calmness… it doesn't feel right. Is he involved in this? I need to find out before it's too late."
Outside, the night presses in, thick and suffocating. Somewhere in the shadows, eyes watch, waiting. The village sleeps uneasily, unaware that a storm has quietly begun…one that will ripple through the Yan family and test the limits of loyalty, cunning, and survival.
And as the wind shifts through the alleys, Lu Yan stirs slightly, pain etched on his face, but determination burning brighter than any poison, any scheme, or any shadowy threat that dares to cross his path. Tonight is only the beginning…and the boy will not go quietly