Fudi

Location- Ming Empire, Qilin Mountain Range.

Nestled deep inside the endless mountains, laid with lush forests as well as beautiful clouds, lies the small village of Fudi. In the grand beauty of the mountains, this village makes for a picturesque sight, granting its people a life of ample bounty and joy. The forests outside the village are filled with peaceful fauna that thrive with the protection of the villagers. A few kilometers from the edge of the village, however, the forests grow more untamed, with wild beasts roaming.

The people of Fudi live a quiet life, with most being warriors that hunt wild beast for money as well as to protect the village. The rest are of various occupations, forming a simple structure that enables this community to function.

Due to the expansive nature of the village, the villagers live in houses spread far apart, with some being as much as a day's walk away from the nearest house. Yet in all this distance, the people of the village find the ability to live together as a society.

In the middle of the village lies the most important establishment, the village school. The school occupies a sprawling estate of over 500 square kilometers. In this, the martial arts training ground occupies most of the territory. In the center of the academy campus are the academy buildings of the 3 sections- the academic section, the vocational section and finally, the martial arts section. The academic section has several vast buildings: the Music Building, the Painting Pavilion, the calligraphy House, the medical school, and finally, the most prestigious, the 'Library', along with several other buildings. The vocational section has several courtyards dedicated to teaching their crafts. The Carpenter's Yard, the Woodcutters' Forest and several others. Similarly, the Martial Arts sections had its own sprawling territory. The only difference, however, was that the martial arts section only had one building, known as the Tavern. Apart from that, most of the campus was converted into training grounds for the martial artists to train and learn.

The academic section, true to its name, imparts all kinds of knowledge, from literature to science, from painting to history, from music to geography.

Meanwhile the vocational section teaches specific trades, such as woodcutters, carpenters and other jobs that keep the village intact.

Finally, the most important of all is the martial section. This section devotes itself to the training of the human body, allowing the children of the village to forge extremely powerful physiques that would help them stand tall in the endless path of martial arts.

About a hundred meters to the west of the academy lay the village chief's residence. Although it was called so, it was a residence in name alone. In truth, it was the administrative compound where the village's management was taken care of.

* * *

Nestled high up in the mountains, where the clouds hugged the peaks and the sun shone down upon the world like a gentle next-door neighbor, a 13 years-old boy lived with his grandfather. Although theirs was a simple existence, it was yet one filled with wonder and joy, as the pair of grandfather and grandson spent their days embraced by the natural beauty of the world around them. The boy is named Jian Xing, and his grandfather, Jiang Junjie.

The boy's grandfather was an old man filled with wisdom, who had lived a long and fulfilling life. He had seen a great deal, gone through great times filled with joy and sadness, and he was well-versed in the ways of the world. He imparted his knowledge to the young lad, instructing him about the creatures that lived on the mountain and revealing to him the mysteries that were concealed in the rocks and caverns that dotted the terrain.

For the boy, life growing up on the mountain was a wonderful adventure. He would explore the forests and fields that surrounded their home, listening to the birds sing and the bees buzz, and watching as the wildlife went about their business. He would swim in the crystal-clear streams that flowed down from the mountain, feeling the cool water wash over his skin and the rocks beneath his feet. He would climb the peaks and cliffs that rose up towards the sky, feeling the wind whip past him and the sun warm his face. These past few years, he had even begun basic martial arts training to stay in top shape.

Still, the daily life of these 2 on the mountain was not without its challenges. The boy and his grandfather toiled and worked hard to live in such a wild and rugged place. They grew their own food in a small garden, tended to their animals, and gathered wood for the fire that kept them warm during the cold nights. They faced the dangers of the mountain, from sudden storms and rockslides to the occasional encounter with a wild animal. Of course, nothing could ever faze the old man, and even the boy grew unafraid soon enough, all due to the presence of the old man. Through it all, they remained strong and resilient, relying on their love for one another and their deep connection to the world around them.

* * *

On this cold night, Jiang Junjie brought 2 plates before sitting in the middle of the courtyard with his grandson, who was tending to the warm fire blazing in front of them.

"Happy Birthday, Ting!" wished his grandfather, inviting the child to begin feasting on the meal he had specially prepared for tonight.

"Thank you, grandfather!" Jiang Ting exclaimed, proceeding to eat his dinner.

"Ting, you're 14 now, you remember what this means right?" As he said this, a hint of excitement broke the composed demeanor the old man was habituated to.

Jiang Ting looked up from his plate, nearly bursting with excitement, before saying, "I can finally practice martial arts!"

"Indeed, be up first thing at sunrise." Jiang Junjie relaxed, getting back to his meal while a wide grin formed on Jiang Ting's face as he did the same.

* * *