"How?!" Chaos erupted as the elders started talking rapidly. Asking questions. Some were approaching the stone to examine it more closely. Others, staring at me like I was some kind of impossible miracle.
"Silence." The Sect Head's single word cut through everything, forcing everyone to return back to their seats.
He stood up and walked down from his elevated position, approaching me directly.
First, he studied my appearance with an unreadable expression." How do you feel?" he asked curiously.
"Alive."
"Mm." He nodded and turned to address the assembly. "This is unprecedented, for spiritual root transformation through elemental refinement..."
He didn't finish the sentence or didn't need to.
"For now, Fu Yang will be placed in the Spring Pavilion, while elders monitor him and document any changes."
"Yes."
Everyone bowed. And I was escorted to the Spring pavilion.
This Pavilion was located on the eastern edge of the sect grounds.
I walked quietly with Elder Han, Elder Shen and Elder Tian. All of us reached the main building and we entered through wooden doors into a large common area with open space and cushioned seating.
There....children were scattered throughout the common area, ranging in age from maybe eight to fifteen and all wearing grey robes marked with silver trim.
And all of them stopped whatever they were doing after seeing us, their eyes widening.
"Your quarters have been prepared on the second floor." Elder Tian said.
"Mm"
Then Elder Han nodded to me once, before the three turned and left, closing the door behind them.
Left alone, surrounded by curious children staring at me like I was some strange creature. Still, I turned toward the stairs, planning to go to my quarters and avoid them. But before I could take two steps, the children rushed forward, excitedly.
"Fairy! Fairy!"
( What?)
The word came from multiple voices, high-pitched and awed.
"It's really a fairy!"
"Look at the hair, it's white!"
"And the skin!"
"Are you really human?"
"Fairy, I want a big Red chicken soup."
They crowded around me, asking foolish things, but then someone grabbed my hand, small fingers wrapping around my wrist with surprising firmness.
I looked down.
A girl, older than most of them with black hair in twin braids, had pushed through the crowd and taken hold of me, her eyes were glowing faintly.
Elder Shen's daughter. Yue Lian.
She stared up at me as her spiritual sight pierced through the transformation, and excitement on her face instantly turned to shock.
"It's you! It's you!"
But before she could say anything more, footsteps approached from the hallway and a middle aged woman entered, wearing a simple caretaker's robes.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" At this shout, all the children quickly scattered. Running back to what they were doing.
"Get back here this instant—" but her words suddenly stopped as I had turned toward her.
She froze...., staring and murmuring something, almost to herself.
"Are you Aunt Qing?" I asked.
"Yes…"Still staring at me.
(Sigh. This transformation is going to cause me problems.)
"Ah." As if comming back to her senses.
"I forgot, you are perhaps Fu Yang?"
I nodded.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked around at the children. "Oh, sorry, sorry. I mean, all of you come here, come here." Her tone shifted completely. "Let's have proper introductions instead of crowding like excited puppies. Who wants to go first?"
A small boy stepped forward."I'm Su Long, and umm.., I like chicken soup."
"Thank you, Su Long." Aunt Qing thanked him.
Then a chubby girl came next, with a shy expression. "I'm... I'm Xiao Hua...and I have a big cat at home. " She said the last part quietly.
Aunt Mei nodded approvingly. "Good, and the rest of you can introduce yourselves later. For now let Fu Yang settle in since he's had a long day."
She herded the children away, firm but gentle, and they scattered back to their previous activities as Aunt Mei looked at me one more time. "Dinner is at sunset. Don't be late." Then she left through the hallway she'd come from.
I found a cushioned seat near the window and sat down as the afternoon sunlight warmed my face, and outside I could see the compound walls with guards posted at intervals.
There I opened the system screen.
__________
[STATUS]
[ TRUE VILLAIN → FU YANG: The Smiling Demon]
[Current Realm: Qi Condensation Middle Stage]
[Skills:: Silver Tongue→ Lv12
Identify Weakness→ Lv 7
Mask of Sincerity → lv 15
Medical Healing Arts→ lv4
UNUSED REWARD : Breakthrough Token (Permanent Stage Advancement)
[Corruption Progress: Chen Wu - 92%]
[Active Quest: Tomb of the Refining Demon]
[Departure: 2 days]
__________
I stared at that last line. ( Two days until departure.)
I sighed quietly and searched through the system interface looking for anything that had changed, any new features triggered by the spiritual root transformation, but there was nothing, just the same screens and the same information with no new quests and no new rewards.
Turning my head slightly towards the common area which was peaceful with children engaged in their activities and afternoon sunlight creating warm patterns on the floor, yet I felt eyes on me.. and when I looked around at least a dozen children were staring and watching me with wide shining curious faces.
I already understood what this place was, for the Spring Pavilion wasn't just housing for talented disciples but where the sect kept its most valuable young assets, prodigies with rare abilities alongside the sons and daughters of elders.
Right then—
Yue Lian appeared beside me carrying a small tray with rice, steamed vegetables, and some kind of meat dish.
"Your lunch," she said, setting the tray down next to me. "Aunt Mei said you hadn't eaten for a whole day." And sat down right next to me.
"So you're Elder Han's disciple?" she asked.
"...."
"My father said you have a good heart." She smiled innocently. "He doesn't say that about many people."
"...."
"Why do you look like this?" She gestured at my hair and skin and features. "What happened? Did you cultivate a special technique? Is it permanent? Does it hurt? Can you change back?"
"Ok, ok… slow down for a second."
She quietened down and stared at me like a small kitten.
"Haah." Irritation clear on my face. "it's just a side effect of a Cultivation technique and it doesn't hurt.."
"Mmm," she hummed like an old lady. "It's so pretty though. Like you're made of ice and moonlight. I also thought you were a fairy."
I tried to ignore that and focused on the food, but Yue Lian didn't stop talking.
"I've been here for three years, since I was ten. My father wanted me somewhere safe..." She paused. "But it's nice here. Everyone's like me, so we understand each other. Aunt Qing is really kind, even if she's strict. And we get the best cultivation resources, and—"
This brat talked a lot.
She kept going. Talking about the pavilion, the other children, daily routines and training schedules while I ate slowly and listened without really joining in, giving only the occasional short reply.
"—and Lin Feng thinks he's so great because he's Elder Song's Inner disciple and oh! Did you know we have access to the sect library's fourth floor? Only us and inner disciples can go there and—"
Her voice became background noise as i was lost in the depth of my mind.
"—are you even listening?" Yue Lian's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Mm."
"You weren't, Humph!" She pouted with childish indignation. "I was asking if you want to train together tomorrow since I'm really good at meditation techniques and—"
"We'll see."
"That means no, doesn't it?"
"It means we'll see."
She huffed but settled back, still watching me with those curious eyes as the afternoon continued and sunlight slowly shifted across the room.
______
Author: Really, this brat talks a looooooo…t