84 Secret of the Past

The Wild Wind Hermit stared into the distance for a time, not answering immediately, and Yun and Wuying waited patiently. They both understood that this man was bordering on the term ancient and likely needed a moment to collect his thoughts and pass through the doors of nostalgic memories.

The old hermit spent nearly an incense stick of time in this way before his eyes began to clear and he regained some sense of the space around him. Looking at the two young cultivators in front of him he sighed heavily.

"This is a story for another time, both of you are not strong enough yet to survive this knowledge, as it would put you at risk to know these things. Someday, when you've gained the strength to at least survive the ire of anyone in this world, come and see me again. At that time you will be ready to know what I know."

Yun and Wuying looked incredibly disappointed at this response, and Yun expressed this.

"Come now, Hermit, is there nothing about this that you can tell us? After what you've stated thus far we really must get some knowledge from you to be satisfied."

"Fine, you young children and your insatiable curiosity will be the death of me."

At this he sighed heavily yet again before leaning back against the tree trunk and closing his eyes, reminiscing and deciding what would be safe to share.

Soon enough he began to spin a tale for the two young people of when he was much younger, soon after he had taken on his first disciple, a young Elder Lei, then known as Tian Lei.

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"Master," Tian Lei spoke up from the side as they walked through a strange styled building, where the wooden floors they walked on were raised from the ground level and attached directly to the building and was covered by a section of the roof as well. This was a medium sized complex in a small, unnamed town.

"Why is it, Master, that you've never taken a disciple before? The Sect certainly values you, and Elders are given more resources when they are willing to raise others up below them. This disciple would like to know."

Letting out a sigh, the young Hermit replied, "Young disciple, I've refrained from taking disciples in my life because I do not view myself as a good source of training for young hearts. My concerns are certainly more with the realm of my own strength and the ultimate peak of the path we pursue than with teaching young people how to grow. Leave teaching to those who've run to the end of their path and have nothing better to do."

The young man nodded understandingly as though he truly understood what was being said to him, before asking another question.

"Master, in that case why did you take me as a disciple?"

"Tian'er, this fool took you as a disciple because he sensed in you a heart and compatibility with the method he cultivates. The ancient Forest Guardian Sutra that I study has an auxiliary function within it which helps the practitioner to locate someone to pass their learning on to. This is a method that ensures the continuity of the line of those who study this Sutra."

"So you mean that the later stages of our technique will cause one to take a disciple?"

"Not the later stages, it is a special effect that is layered throughout the technique. Every bit of this Sutra has this concept of continuity in it, and it will seek out a successor of its own."

Tian Lei was preparing to ask another question when a servant of the manor rushed up and spoke, hurriedly saying to his Master, "Young Master, there is incredible news! There is a young woman here who has been brought by your father's Will. It is claimed she is the one he sought until his death, and may even be the heir of his techniques!"

The Wild Wind Hermit's young eyes grew enormously wide in shock. He stumbled for a moment before he regained his composure and ordered Tian Lei to stay behind, then followed the servant to the guest hall.

Within the guest hall was a young female Fox wearing simple clothes. Her family was not wealthy, but they were not poor either. She was well fed, had a lustrous coat of fur on her body, and had decent muscle tone. This was the girl his father had sought out for all these years?

Sitting down in a chair, he gestured her to sit across from him, "Tell me, child, where do you come from? The servants say that you are the fulfillment of my late father's last will and testament, and that you may even inherit his techniques."

The girl shyly looked down at her bare feet before she replied, "I am Huli Baolong, and I come from a small village to the north of Melthul, near the northern coasts. My family has lived there quietly, living off the land, for generations. So long that we've forgotten why we are there, but we have not forgotten that we were there for a reason."

The servant just behind the Hermit spoke at this moment, "Young Master, this girl was rescued from a Volvaka party that was destroyed by our patrols near the fortress in the north. It appears she was captured and was being brought back to the nest for some purpose."

The Hermit's eyebrow raised at this. The Volvaka rarely took captives alive, and usually preferred to carry a cold corpse and move much faster.

"Lord, this young one is the last of her family. The Volvaka that attacked my home killed the rest, as none of us had any experience with cultivation. It's said that in the past some of my ancestors were great warriors, but we've lost our past long ago. These men said that I was special somehow, that I could possibly be someone special for your family?"

"Yes child, stand up and follow me to the other building so we may test your compatibility with the elements."

The two left the room with the servant and proceeded to another building, and along the way Tian Lei watched them from a distance, near his small room at the far end of the complex. Within the testing array the Hermit watched in silent shock as his father's greatest dream came true.