The boy's choice

The man swung his hammer, destroying two of the earth serpents, but one of the others rammed into his weapon-wielding right arm while the other clamped its mouth down on his waist.

"Damn it."

Since the hammer was knocked out of his hand and he couldn't focus enough to recall it with mental control, the man used a spell to wrap his fists with nearby broken rocks and pounded the serpent biting him. It seemed like a fruitless endeavour at first, but eventually pieces of the serpent's head broke off until it could no longer hold him. Once he was free, the man looked for his foe, but he had already completed his objective and left. It didn't look like he had gone for reinforcements, but for some reason the man was pissed that he wasn't able to finish this battle.

A good distance from the private brothel, Shui ran atop roofs with the boy's mother on his back. He had already given her a healing potion and was using his divine energy to help her absorb it, but this was just to stabilise her. Shui was very knowledgeable, but no idea he could come up with could fully heal her without rare materials that he wouldn't be able to get his hands on in a short time. In fact, now that he got better look at her condition, he was slightly surprised that she was still alive.

'I wonder if this is a mother's tenacity.'

Soon, Shui was back inside the building where he met the boy. The adults were still as inactive as he left them, while the rest of the kids managed to stay awake for his return.

"Mo-mom!"

When the boy saw his mother as she was being laid down, his heart ached at her miserable sight. No longer was she the plump yet fit mother who gently lulled him to sleep. Even more so than him, she had gotten terribly thin like a terminally ill patient.

The boy was too afraid to shake her, lest she snap like a twig, therefore he kept shouting 'Mom! Mom!' but there was no response. She was still alive but she lacked the energy to gain consciousness at short notice. Shui wondered if the two would have to part without any last words being exchanged, but then her eyes twitched and slowly opened.

"Tir...?"

"Yes Mom! It's me!"

While Shui was surprised that she managed to open her eyes, the boy was overcome with joy as tears filled his eyes.

"Good...," said the mother as she slowly stretched out her trembling hand to reach for her son's cheek, "I'm glad that I, got to see, you, one last time..."

"Hu,huh? What do you mean by that?"

Fear quickly replaced his joy as the strength in the hand touching his cheek suddenly faded away. He hurriedly clutched her falling hand, desperate to share his warmth with her, but it was no use.

"Mom, Mom! Mom, don't leave me!"

The boy wailed, and the children, remembering their own parents, joined him. While watching this sight, even Shui nearly felt compelled to shed a tear. However, as the adult here he still had more thinking to do.

'What will he do now?'

Since he had decided to lend a hand, Shui didn't want to finish things half-way.

About an hour later, when the boy no longer had any tears left, he looked up at Shui with a fierce gaze.

"Shui, can you make me stronger?"

"...For revenge?"

The boy nodded, "I have to pay them back for this."

'Your mother wouldn't want that.'

This cliché line popped up in Shui's mind, but he didn't use it. The anger and hatred in the boy's heart wouldn't be smothered so easily, and to live in this world, strength was essential so it might as well as serve as motivation.

"Fine, but I don't have time to baby you so you'll need to grow on your own."

Shui snapped his fingers to put the other children to rest, before he took out a space expansion bag and filled it with everything he thought the boy would need to start his cultivation journey including one of his early resonance series artifacts.

"Here, I've added enough money to let you live in a decent inn for a couple months. Don't let anyone see what's in that bag if you want to live. If you can reach the Soul Realm before you're twelve you can try to enter the Burning Mountain Sect."

"Understood."

"Good. Work hard, maybe I'll come back to check on you one day."

Shui then left the boy who stared at the space expansion bag in his hand. It didn't feel particularly heavy so he took a peek inside and was immediately stunned by all that glittered before his eyes. Putting aside how valuable everything in the bag was, he couldn't understand how it was so light. After all, he couldn't have noticed that this was a custom bag that was inscribed with a 'Lighten' symbol.

This boy would later become famous as Shui's first disciple and a leading figure in the Alterna Kingdom, but that was a story for a different time.

After leaving the boy, Shui considered training when he returned to the Riot clan estate, but then he looked towards the Burning Mountain Sect.

'No, I should be in my best condition for tomorrow.'

It would have been embarrassing if anyone caught him, but the security here wasn't much better compared to the private brothel he had broken into so it posed no problem.

Shui enjoyed a light nap in the guest room until he was woken up by the presence of Sheila who paced back and forth in the front of his door.

'Why is she here?'

Shui didn't want any surprises so he carefully used his spiritual sense to look beyond his door, and he was glad that he did.

'What the...'

As odd as it sounded, Sheila was pacing in front of his door in a black negligee that was obviously not just for sleep.

'She's Fatty's sister alright. So strangely bold when it comes to romance.'

A simple 'no' would likely be enough to turn her away, but he wasn't sure what type of face he should wear to turn her down as gently as possible. Therefore, he decided to let someone else handle it for him.

-Fatty get up here and handle your sister.

Shui knew that Fatty wouldn't be able to respond to his telepathic message, but he was sure that he received it. Shui sat up and waited for Fatty while hoping that Sheila wouldn't be able to gather enough confidence to knock on his door. Fortunately, Fatty arrived about two minutes later, though it wasn't a pleasant sight for him.

When he received the message from Shui, he sighed in exasperation wondering what kind of trouble his sister was causing, but he never imagined she would resort to this.

With a tone that made his disappointment clear, Fatty called her, "Elder sister..."

"Eek! Fatty, what are you doing here?!"

"No no no, what are you doing here? And in that outfit! Oh my eyes!"

"Sh-shut up! And lower your voice, what if Shui wakes up because of you?"

"No no, I don't like the way that sounds. Are you planning on doing something to him while he's asleep?"

"Wha-!? How could you even think that?!"

"I have no choice but to think that when I come down here and see you ready to pay him a night visit! Elder sister, are you really that pent-up?"

"You little-!"

A fight seemed ready to break out at his doorstep but since his issue was solved Shui went back for his nap.