2 Yao Feng's tragic childhood

Chapter 2: Yao Feng's tragic childhood

Yao Feng started his days like usual, he woke up before sunrise, went to bring water from the well in the courtyard, washed his head with cold freshwater.

This was his favorite part of the day. He always felt rejuvenated. His drowsiness and fatigue would be gone. It was as if he is not only washing his body but also cleansing his soul...

Life was not kind to Yao Feng. Only one year ago, he was a happy seven-year-old child. His father Yao Ming, was a clan elder in the Yao clan. Yao Feng lived a normal life with his family until all of sudden, a conflict arose between the Yao clan and its neighbor the Wu clan.

Because Yao Feng's father opposed the war and tried to negotiate for peace with the Wu clan, Yao-clan's first elder accused him of treason and killed him.

After his father's death, the war started. Yao Feng's mother took him and fled to ask for refuge under the wu clan protection. Instead of saving them, Wu clan elders captured her together with her son. Then Yao Feng and his mother were made to be slaves.

The war didn't last long. It took only ten days for the Wu clan to obliterate the forces of the Yao clan and to corner them into submission. Most of the men from the Yao clan were killed. The females were taken as slaves after destroying their cultivation. Yao-clan's head and first elder fled the battlefield.

After Wu-clan took over Yao-clan's territories and treasures, they put their clansmen on the region to stabilize the locals and supervise the extraction of spirit stones from the earth vein. At that time, Yao Feng was put on the service of young master Wu Liang the youngest son of the supreme elder.

Yao Feng was treated badly by his master because he was not used to being a servant and was often beaten and reprimanded by head-servants Lao but what made him suffer even more was the treatment from the other slaves. They started to call him "traitor's son "and systemically empty all their frustration and anger on him.

Days passed like that, Yao Feng was finding it hard to cope with all the work he has to do and the daily bullying he was submitted to.

He was always hoping that his mother will come and save him from this nightmarish life. He knew that his mother didn't lose her cultivation and that she made a deal with Wu-clan's head to be his cultivation partner. In return, the Wu clan will allow Yao Feng to cultivate Qi and if he has good talent, Wu clan head will nurture him personally.

But after only two months, one of the slaves come to him with two other children and said: "Traitor's son I heard interesting news about your skanky mother."

Yao Feng knitted his eyebrows and just looked at them, he wanted to hear more about his mother.

The children started laughing and one of them said:" Like father like son, you have no backbone to even defend your mother's honor. You are a piece of shit"

Yao Feng knew they are looking for a reason to beat him so he just continues to stare at them while trying to hide the anger brewing within him. But the children were mean and did not need any reason to beat him.

They jumped on him and pinned him to the ground. Yao Feng couldn't defend himself they were older than him, bigger than him and stronger than him. So he took the fetal position and tried hard to protect his head and vitals.

The children started kicking him while cursing him and his family. Mid the beating, one of the children said while trying to catch his breath: " I heard that your whore mother become a crazy old hag because Wu clan head extracted all her yin Qi."

Yao Feng didn't believe it. He decided to verify it by himself. So after the beating, in the middle of the night, he tried to sneak his way to the Wu head's courtyard and then run away with his mother.

His plan was ruined by the head servant in the Wu supreme elder estate.

After he was caught, Yao Feng was beaten half to death by the head servant then he was taken to the piggery where he stayed in the shit all night.

Not long after that, he was brought to his master. Yao Feng was made to kneel before Wu Liang.

Wu Liang looked at him weirdly he walked around him a full circle then said:" I pity you. I was not interested in you or the skirmish between you and the other slaves." Then he stopped talking, made a sniffing sound, furrowed his eyebrows, took a step back and continued:" Normally one a slave tries to run away, we kill him or cut off one of his limbs. That being said I think that what you suffered was enough so no more punishment for you. "

Yao Feng didn't expect things to go down this way and he was dazed for a second. Then he hurriedly bowed and said:" Thank you, young master." He was afraid to get punished for not expressing his thanks.

Wu Liang smiled and said:" There is no need. But I am afraid I have bad news for you. "

Yao Feng tensed up but kept his head down.

Wu Liang said with a grave tone: " I heard that your mother killed herself last night."

Yao Feng's body shook, he looked Wu Lang in the eyes trying to see the truth and said:" That is impossible."

The head servant jumped on the occasion and said:" Are you saying that young master is lying!?"

Yao Feng said nothing.

Before the head servant continued to speak, Wu Liang put his hand in the air and said:" I heard that after losing interest in your mother the clan head decided to gift her as a servant to his first wife. But first wife hated your mother because she was prettier than her and decided to put her to work in the brothel. After her first night working as a whore, she lost her mind and killed herself ."

Yao Feng's heart tightened, he slumped on the ground and started weeping. He lost his composure and was unable to breathe correctly. He was choking on his saliva and snot.

Wu Liang looked at him with impatience and said:" Your crying won't bring her back, you must focus on your future."

Yao Feng was unresponsive. He was in the fetal position crying his heart out.

Wu Liang then turned to the head servant and said: "Take him away clean him and bring him back, put new clothe on him and bring him back."

After a few minutes, the head servant came back with Yao Feng walking behind him.

Wu Liang said:" Good!, you seem more calm now. I know you are suffering greatly but that is the world we live in. The weak and the feeble can only submit to the whims of the strong.

"Because you are weak I pity you and I bring you a chance. I offer you my protection."

Yao Feng looked at him with vacant eyes.

Wu Liang let out a sigh: " You know I am turning sixteen this year, I will be tasked by the clan to take some men and take control of a region from your fallen clan territory. If you swear allegiance to me, I will make sure no one bullies you."

The head servant and the others were choked and started yelling at Yao Feng to thank the young master. The latter was motionless like a statue but a glint flashed throw his eyes and disappeared as quickly as lightning.

Wu Liang was visibly annoyed by Yao Feng's reaction but he restrained his temper and said:" I asked for your mother's body to be transported here. You can bury her near the servant quarter and jut make a tombstone there."

Yao Feng said: "Thank you, young master! I, Yao Feng, will serve you with my life. "

Wu Liang said:" It was supposed to be done in two months but clan head decided to start the initiation ceremony tomorrow. After it is done, We will make a blood oath to protect each other like real brothers."

The head servant nodded his head and smirked in understanding. His young master tricked this seven-year-old to be his protector before Yao Feng become a disciple of the clan chief.

The next morning, Yao Feng was red-eyed from crying all night on his mother's grave. But he secretly decided to kill all the people that caused him to suffer.

When Yao Feng showed up at the center square, it was buzzing with activities. He swiftly took his place in line for children to be tested.

The procedure was simple, the child is given a solution to drink then he puts his hand on a crystal ball. Then he must concentrate his focus and energy on the ball and according to one's talent, the ball will be lit up with different colors and different intensity.

Soon, it was Yao Feng's turn. He put his hand on the crystal ball and concentrated hard on the ball but his mind was drifting and imagining how one day he will take his revenge.

The ball emitted a very faint blue color. The elder before him declared: "Low human-grade talent, with slight affinity to water-based cultivation methods."

Yao Feng was shocked for a moment. He knew that the aptitudes for cultivation were divided into three categories (Human tier, Earth tier, Heaven tier) and every grade is divided into three grades ( low, medium, high).

He couldn't believe his talent was the lowest of the low. So he asked if he could redo the test. The elder looked at the clan head who nodded calmly.

Yao Feng took a deep breath, tried to empty his mind and put his hand on the ball. This time he closed his eyes and started to repeat in his heart:" more power..more power.. more power."