2-Sudden Will

Wu Yong stared blankly at the wall for hours, not knowing how to occupy himself without his beloved instrument. His fever had subsided a bit ago but his fingers currently felt numb. The young man wondered if he would have to suffer these illnesses for the next year like the imaginary immortal said. It would be hard to hide and avoid becoming a testing rat.

During his trance footsteps thundered outside his door, approaching each second. Wu Yong groaned inwardly when he immediately recognizes a particular gait but he sits up straight nonetheless. The hole in his door reveals the group of people is led by Xue Weifeng*, wife to the head of the family. On her right is her adopted son, someone Wu Yong is familiar with.

"This damned lunatic ruined my door! Does he think my property is for him to destroy? Wu Yong, I know you are hiding in there. Come out to receive your punishment this second or I will come in and skin you alive." The woman peeks through the hole in the door, grinning deviously when her eyes land on Wu Yong. She sees him leaning against the wall sitting pathetically beside his broken guqin.

Her eyes burned with rage, "Not only did you destroy my door, you also broke that instrument? Wait until I get my hands on you, little villain, you will wish I sent you to the streets. You hurt my son, ruined my property and destroyed the gift I gave you because of your rage. My heart hurts looking at you."

Xue Weifeng clutched her chest with her right hand, getting ready to open the door with the other. Xue Liang stopped her for a moment, "Mother, you need not be angry at the lunatic for hurting me. I forgive him so please be more lenient towards him. He needs to pay for damaging our things but do not hit him too hard."

"Look how merciful my son is," Xue Weifing cooed loudly. Wu Yong could understand they were trying to destroy the amount of spirit he had left in him and they were not planning on punishing him severely. Xue Weifeng unrolled the whip strapped at her waist.

"Fine, I will give him one hundred lashes instead of one hundred and fifty. Half pays for the door and the other half pays for the instruments. Afterwards we will starve him for three days. This will surely prompt him to reflect on his sins." The woman sets to work with her weapon. She created many lacerations, skilled with handling her whip. Each whimper from Wu Yong brightened her eyes.

It has been years since she last punished him personally. Ever since the Xue family adopted Xue Liang he became the person to deliver punishments to the crazy boy. Of course, Xue Liang enjoys torturing the former son of his parents. He is happy seeing Xue Weifeng relishing the moments of harming Wu Yong. There are still sixty whips ahead but the young man is already hanging onto his last bit of consciousness.

As the number of scars on his back reach seventy, Wu Yong collapsed. Xue Weifeng paused the whipping to access the situation. Wu Yong had passed out, unable to take all of the one hundred whips from her Blue Serpent Whip. She hit his back one last time looking at the unconscious man in contempt. "Such a weakling. To think I birthed this noodle! Come Xue Liang, dinner today is your favorite, seafood. I know you will never disappoint me."

The loving family leaves the barren house after pushing a pill down his throat. Xue Liang was ordered by his mother to study Wu Yong the next morning and tell Xue Weifeng if the pill had an effect. Laughing merrily they exit the Forbidden Courtyard, expecting good food ahead of them. In an instant the bloody lunatic was disregarded by the both of them.

Inside the Forbidden Room the resting man twitched. The raucous laughter sounded like the shrill screams of crows in his ears. Wu Yong has entered a deep sleep and is unaware of the ugly wounds on his body. He would be lucky if he does not die tonight by a fever. He will be even more lucky if he does not die from infections. On top of all that, the pill he swallowed unconsciously may not function properly.

The young man slept through the night very well. The shouting of the servants did not disturb him at all. The cold wind entering through the hole in the door and the windows did not chill him like before. The hard ground did not bother his delicate skin and the wounds did not sting as much. Oddly enough, Wu Yong rose early in the morning.

The sun barely peeked through the mountains behind the Forbidden House when Wu Yong stumbled out of his house. The birds are already singing their songs to welcome the morning as if nothing vicious occurred in the house last night. The breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees in the distance. Everything seemed peaceful.

Wu Yong inhaled deeply, appreciating the crisp scent of the morning air. He closed his eyes to lean into the breeze with slightly outstretched arms. With his sight gone he could hear sounds coming from miles away. Before the visit from the immortal he had this ability which he hid from the Xue family for years. He cannot cultivate but his senses are the strongest.

"Is the weak lunatic still alive?" Xue Liang hollered from the entryway. He held his sword in his crossed arms and glided into the courtyard. His look of astonishment was priceless when he saw Wu Yong standing in the middle of the yard as if he had not taken a beating last night. "What a maniac! You are lucky you could still stand."

Wu Yong turns around with his eyes still closed and his arms outstretched. The only change in his appearance were his raised eyebrows, "Brother, what brings you here today? It must be a special occasion if you visit me this early in the morning. What, are you bored of women and want to try something with me?"

"How absurd," Xue Liang put all his energy into pushing Wu Yong to the ground. The amount of strength he used on the man was excessive but Xue Liang smiled anyway. Whenever he pushes Wu Yong around, he feels very powerful and giddy. "Father reminded me to check up on you because he is so kind. Tell me, did the pill we gave you work?"

Wu Yong opened his mouth to reply but the adopted Xue rammed his head into the dusty floor with a foot. Wu Yong groaned in pain. It felt as if his nose had been smashed from the forceful push. The defenseless man did what he always did and went limp beneath the Xue. Wu Yong wondered how Xue Liang had so much strength in the morning.

Xue Liang prodded the younger man with the sheath of his sword, pressing even more on each wound. His eyes widen when he feels something is off with Wu Yong. "What is this? The weakling does not whine like a baby! I will fetch a doctor to see what is wrong with you. Wait here, I will be back shortly."

Wu Yong could only roll his eyes as the heavy man lifted his leg off of him. The gashes on his back have reopened from the pressure applied by Xue Liang and yet, Wu Yong did not feel pain. Feeling the blood drip down his back was only uncomfortable but Wu Yong forgot to scream. "Good, now the Xue family will question me and I will die from tests before I leave this house."

Wu Yong slithered toward the dead tree in the courtyard, using the lifeless plant to support him. He could not feel pain but he does feel the sudden wave of fatigue. He had a good rest during the night, however, as soon as he saw Xue Liang the energy he gained vanished. If Xue Liang brings a doctor, he will feel so tired he prays he will drop dead on the spot.

Xue Liang eventually returned, dragging a familiar physician behind him. Wu Yong could see his former uncle, Xue Qing Chu*, struggling to keep pace with Xue Liang. They were rambling about Wu Yong and his broken mental state. Xue Liang briefly explained his observations from the check up, telling about Wu Yong suddenly having the ability to withstand pain.

"This fellow would keel over if we touch him during a fever. Today I came to check his wounds and I even pressed on them but he did not wail, cry or wince. Look," Xue Liang invited his uncle to inspect the man propped against a decaying tree. The lunatic looked more constipated than in pain which bothered the both of them.

"I see," Xue Qing Chu muttered under his breath. He stroked his wispy beard as he lifts the younger face towards the sky. They made eye contact for a moment before the doctor turns back to Xue Liang, nodding cryptically. "Truly, something happened to him or the pill. I do not know which pill you gave him so I cannot say if it is simply a side effect or something greater."

Xue Liang listened to his uncle quietly. This is a problem because his mother gave the pill to Wu Yong in such a hurry he did not see which test pill she used. A simple human would not be able to tell what is causing Wu Yong to change so drastically to the point he cannot feel pain. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"Perhaps he found a way to cultivate, I do not know if a normal human can suddenly not feel pain. He could also be suppressing it but I doubt he could with his wimpy character." Xue Qing Chu produced a knife from his sleeve. He tried to stab Wu Yong but the latter swatted the blade away. The knife fell with a clang a bit far away from them. "This boy changed overnight? He has much more strength and will."

"It cannot be! He has been as delicate as a flower ever since I took his place. Is it possible for him to gain strength overnight?" Xue Liang took a fistful of ragged clothes, inching his face closer to the younger face. He shook with rage when he sees Wu Yong stare back with flaming eyes. Using a lot of force he slammed Wu Yong into the tree.

"I suggest bringing him to the Sacred Stone* to test whether he cultivated or not. If he had not, his personality could be the result of consuming the pill you gave him. I will go back to my shop to develop a cure for him." Xue Qing Chu rushed away with his belongings, eager to escape the scene of a fight bound to happen. Is it a fight if Xue Liang is the only attacker? The uncle shook his head. He will not interfere with the matters of his nephews.

Wu Yong felt Xue Liang tighten his grip but this did not intimidate him like it used to. He still felt fearful but a his mind told him to stand his ground and stare Xue Liang straight in the eye until the man splits in half. To enrage him further Wu Yong smirked and put his hands over the hand holding his clothes. "If a servant came by, they may think you made a move on me first. I am pressed against a tree, you are leaning in and handling me roughly."

"Rubbish, lunatic, disgusting!" Xue Liang pushed Wu Yong harder into the tree. A pair of servants rushed away, giggling to each other. "What did you see! Spread any rumors and you will die! Wu Yong, we'll see how you act in front of the Sacred Stone. I will ask my mother if you can leave the house, stay here like a good dog."

Wu Yong flicked his hand to order Xue Liang to leave. The older man struck Wu Yong square in the nose and left. The poor man leaned against the dry tree and let the sun shine on him. His face throbbed but it was more uncomfortable than painful. "I cannot stand in front of the Sacred Stone like this! They will know something happened to me and I will never hear the end of it."

It was too late for him to escape. Xue Liang cane back with both his parents. Xue Weifeng held onto her husband, Xue Xian Tou*. The phoenix cultivators seethed as they watch the limp man sitting in front of them. Xue Liang hauled Wu Yong off the ground by the collar. Wu Yong simply stared back at him with wide eyes.

"You brazen dog! Who do you think you are looking at with such malicious eyes? He is your young master! Treat him with respect." Xue Xian Tou shouted at Wu Yong. His adopted son had a smug expression on his face, excited to see his father scold his biological son. Xue Xian Tou points to the ground to order Wu Yong to look down.

With one last spiteful look, Wu Yong complied. Xue Weifeng pushed the three men out of the Forbidden Courtyard, eager to have Wu Yong confront the Sacred Stone. She wants Xue Liang to test his powers on the stone before Wu Yong. Wu Yong had failed previous tests because he could not cultivate. Xue Liang tested his strength on the day ge was adopted. The stone glowed brightly as soon as he stepped near it. The Xue family would be entertained when Wu Yong is humiliated in front of the stone.

***

Xue Weifeng: Wéifēng (微风), translates to 'breeze'. She is like the wind, leaving as quickly as she arrives. Her strengths are her abnormal speediness and agility. She seems to have ears everywhere because she arrives at the right moment. -Google Translate (Chinese, Simplified)

Xue Qing Chu: Qīngchǔ (清楚), translates to 'clear'. The doctor is skilled in observing facial expressions, wounds and situations. He has a clear sight and his conscience is always crystal clear. -Google Translate (Chinese, Traditional)

Xue Xian Tou: Xián tóu (弦头), translates to 'string head'. To put it simply, the leader of the Xue Sect is extremely narrow minded. -Google Translate (Chinese, Simplified)

Sacred Stone: Each clan, sect or family has a specific stone that tests the amount of powers one possesses. The Xue family has a gold stone placed in the training area. Often times it must be touched by the cultivators to glow. The brighter the glow, the more power the cultivator has. Many students consult the stones to see their progress. Xue Liang does not need to touch the Stone which indicates his naturally powerful nature. Wu Yong was the first recorded person of the Xue family to touch the stone and yield no reaction. He literally has no power, and disgraced the living and dead Xue family members. -Twisted Mind of Author (We will see how important these stones are later)