The first thing Hua Lianxin noticed when he woke was the stillness. The air was heavy, carrying the faint scent of medicinal herbs and burning incense. He blinked, his vision blurred, his body aching as though every fragment of his being had been shattered and clumsily pieced back together. The light from a single lantern flickered across the ornate wooden walls, illuminating the unfamiliar room.
He sat up abruptly, his breath hitching in his chest. His hands searched for something—anything—that would tether him to the reality he feared. "Mama? Papa? Yuelin?" His small voice echoed in the silence.
But no one answered.
The memories of that night came rushing back like a tide. His father's last stand, his mother's piercing scream, his sister's lifeless body crumpling to the floor—images that clawed at his mind and tore apart his fragile heart. Hot tears streamed down his face as he pressed his hands to his eyes, desperate to block it all out.
"No!" The cry ripped from his throat, raw and broken. He stumbled out of the bed, falling to his knees on the cold wooden floor. His fists pounded against it as his sobs wracked his small frame. "Why? Why wasn't I strong enough? Why couldn't I save them?"
For what felt like an eternity, there was no answer but his cries. The boy, barely nine, was consumed by a grief too vast for his fragile soul to bear.
The door creaked open.
Hua Lianxin looked up to see a tall figure entering the room, his presence commanding but laced with a quiet kindness. The elder wore the robes of the Verdant Wood Sect, their dark green trim adorned with golden leaves—a mark of his seniority. His face was lined with age and wisdom, and his sharp eyes softened as they fell on the boy crumpled on the floor.
"Lianxin," the man said gently. He crouched down, placing a hand on the boy's trembling shoulder. "You're safe now."
But Hua Lianxin flinched away, his tear-streaked face twisted with anguish. "Safe?" His voice was hoarse, his words dripping with bitterness. "They're gone! My family is gone! And I... I couldn't do anything..."
The elder sighed deeply, a shadow of sorrow crossing his face. "Your father, Hua Tianfeng, was my brother in arms. Together, we faced countless battles, some that even the heavens themselves watched with awe. But even he..." His voice faltered before he steadied himself. "Even he could not stand against the wrath of the Primordial God Wu Changkong."
Lianxin froze, his wide, tear-filled eyes fixed on the elder. "Wu Changkong? It was him...?"
The elder nodded, his expression grim. "Your father killed Wu Changkong's son years ago. It was a just act in the name of peace, but the gods do not forgive so easily. The cultists who came for your family were his instruments of revenge."
The boy's fists clenched, his nails biting into his palms as he shook with fury. "Why did they... Why my mother? Why Yuelin?"
The elder placed a hand over his chest, his own grief evident. "Because they wanted to destroy not just Hua Tianfeng, but everything he loved—everything he stood for. The Verdant Wood Sect arrived too late to save your family. But I swear, we will protect you, Lianxin. No harm will come to you while I live."
The room fell silent, save for the faint crackle of the lantern's flame. Hua Lianxin's voice broke the stillness, a quiet yet searing declaration: "Protect me? Why? So I can live in fear? So I can hide while they laugh over my family's graves?"
He stood, his small frame trembling with resolve. "No. I won't hide. I won't run. I will become stronger—not for peace, but for vengeance. I will tear Wu Changkong from his throne, no matter the cost. I will bring my family back, even if I must defy the heavens themselves."
The elder watched him silently, his heart heavy. "You are still a child, Lianxin," he said softly. "Your family would have wanted you to live a happy, peaceful life. Not one consumed by vengeance."
But the fire in Lianxin's eyes burned brighter than any plea for peace. "A happy life?" He shook his head, his voice sharp with pain. "Without them, there is no happiness."
The elder sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "The path you've chosen is one of suffering, Lianxin. But... I will not stop you. Perhaps the Verdant Wood Sect can help you find the strength you seek."
As the elder spoke, he led Lianxin to the window. "Look," he said, gesturing to the sprawling expanse outside.
The Verdant Wood Sect was a sight to behold, even in the dark of night. Massive towers of jade-colored stone rose high into the skies, their surfaces covered in intricate carvings of ancient legends. A majestic waterfall cascaded down the mountainside, feeding into a crystal-clear lake that reflected the glow of countless lanterns. Disciples sparred in the courtyards, their movements precise and graceful, while elders meditated beneath the towering Verdant Tree—the heart of the sect and the source of its strength.
At its peak, the Verdant Wood Sect boasted not just hundreds of disciples, but also twenty True Gods, each a force to be reckoned with. It was a sect that commanded respect across realms, its name spoken with reverence by mortals and deities alike. Yet even in its glory, it was but a shadow of what it would become under Lianxin's future leadership—a sect that would rise to dominance, feared and revered in equal measure.
Lianxin's gaze lingered on the Verdant Tree, its leaves shimmering like emeralds in the moonlight. He clenched his fists, his heart aching but resolute. "I will make the Verdant Wood Sect stronger than ever. Strong enough to crush Wu Changkong and any who stand in my way."
The elder placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Then let this place be your sanctuary, Lianxin. Train hard, and one day, the heavens themselves will tremble before you."
As the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, Hua Lianxin stood tall, the weight of his grief and anger forging the first embers of the godlike power he would one day wield.
End of chapter