In a small, previously obscure village a hundred miles away from Thunder City—which had recently and spontaneously renamed itself—it now proudly called itself "Holy Water Village."
The villagers felt the name was both trendy and expressed their profound respect; although their image of the Water God was based entirely on imagination, it did not hinder their devotion in the slightest.
Huo Yuhao was carefully feeding his mother, Huo Yuner, the freshly brewed herbal medicine.
The village's original name, "Stone Gully," had long been abandoned, and on the crooked wooden sign at the village entrance, the newly carved characters for "Holy Water Village" still bore the marks of fresh wood shavings.
Life was poor, but compared to the days of living in fear, hunger, and cold at the White Tiger Dukes Mansion, it was like heaven and earth. That bag of gold coin that had mysteriously appeared back then was like a godsend, allowing the mother and son to buy a humble house with a small courtyard in this relatively simple place and temporarily settle down.
But the principle of consuming without producing would eventually lead to ruin, and the barely ten-year-old Huo Yuhao understood this better than anyone.
Although his mother's health had improved significantly compared to her time at the Dukes Mansion—now that she was no longer living in fear and her spirit was at ease, coupled with Yuhao's meticulous care—her early years of overwork had led to chronic illness. Her foundation was too depleted; she still coughed frequently and was sensitive to the cold and wind, requiring continuous medication and careful nursing. As the gold coin in his pocket dwindled day by day, the anxiety in Yuhao's heart grew.
One evening, Huo Yuhao was carrying a wooden bucket to the well under the old locust tree at the village entrance to fetch water. He happened to run into Aunt Wang, the most well-informed and talkative neighbor in the village, who was returning with a basket full of wild mountain vegetables. She was surrounded by several women, gesticulating excitedly as she spoke.
"...Oh my goodness! You should have seen it! What a sight!" Aunt Wang's voice was loud and clear, as if she had experienced it herself. "The last time I went to Thunder City with my husband to sell pelts, I saw it from afar! The line at the entrance of the Axis Cult... it almost went around the entire square! It was a sea of people, even more crowded than the New Year's market!"
One woman asked curiously, "Is it really that miraculous? That... what was it called? Egg cake?"
"It's cake! Fragrant and soft. I heard that eating it can strengthen the body, and minor illnesses and pains disappear after eating it!" Aunt Wang corrected her, her face beaming. "And that's not all! There's also that... oh right, blood coagulation powder! Oh my, that's truly divine! Old Zhang's mischievous son—the one who insisted on going to the back mountain to raid bird nests last time—ended up rolling down the cliff slope. He got a huge gash on his head, and blood was gushing out! It nearly scared everyone to death!"
"As it happened, Li Lao'er from next door was returning from the city, carrying a small bottle of that blood coagulation powder from the Axis Cult. He quickly sprinkled it on! And guess what? The bleeding stopped instantly! In just a few days, the wound scabbed over! It's truly miraculous! But I heard that stuff is very expensive. Li Lao'er probably spent a lot of money."
Another woman, who had just finished washing clothes, also joined the conversation: "Exactly! I also heard they help children with Martial Soul Awakening for free! Regardless of wealth, any child of age can go! I heard their Pope is a beautiful and kind-hearted girl, like a Heavenly Immortal! Even if she isn't a True God, she's more like a god than a True God is."
"There's also a white-haired Envoy who handles things very fairly and reasonably! Many people in the city are saying that the Axis Cult is the only place that truly cares for us poor folk! It's much better than those nobles and such."
"Axis Cult... free Martial Soul Awakening... miraculous Medicinal Pills..." Standing to the side, Huo Yuhao silently noted these keywords. His heart was like a lake surface with a stone thrown in, ripples spreading out. Free Martial Soul Awakening and such effective Medicinal Pills? He looked down at his hands, which were slightly rough from years of labor, and then thought of his mother's suppressed coughing at night. An uncontrollable thought surfaced: Perhaps... that place has a way to completely heal his mother's body? Perhaps they need help, and he could earn money there to buy better medicine for her?
He took a deep breath, plucked up his courage, stepped forward, and asked politely, "Aunt Wang, is the Axis Cult you just mentioned in Thunder City?"
"Oh, it's little Yuhao!" Seeing it was him, Aunt Wang's chatter became even more unstoppable. "Yes, yes, it's on the oldest street in the western part of Thunder City. It's become the most crowded place now! Why do you ask? Do you also want to go get a cake to try?"
She looked at this child, who was usually quiet but exceptionally sensible, and asked jokingly.
Huo Yuhao shook his head, his eyes showing a seriousness beyond his years. "I heard you say they seem very busy and need help? I... I want to go try and find a job. I'm quite good at cooking."
He recalled how he had taken on the burdens of life early to care for his mother, experimenting with limited ingredients and developing a culinary skill that, while not exquisite, could always make ordinary meals flavorful enough for his mother to eat a few more bites. This was probably his most presentable skill at the moment.
Hearing this, Aunt Wang looked him over carefully. Although the child was young, his eyes were clear, and he was steady and hardworking; he was famous in the village for being filial and sensible.
She nodded. "You are indeed a diligent and reliable child. It's worth a try! I heard they did open a small food stall, and business is incredibly good—they're busy around the clock! Besides, the people in the cult are very amiable, unlike those shopkeepers or Spirit Master lords in the city who keep their noses in the air and look down on us country folk."
Having received positive information, Huo Yuhao felt a bit more confident. He thanked Aunt Wang and picked up the water bucket, but his steps were slightly heavier than when he arrived as he walked back to his humble but warm home.
His mother, Huo Yuner, was leaning against an old couch by the window, doing needlework by the fading light. Her face was still somewhat pale, but the deathly stillness she had at the Dukes Mansion was gone, replaced by a glimmer of life. Huo Yuhao set down the water bucket, knelt before her, hesitated for a moment, and then softly recounted the news he had heard from Aunt Wang and his own plans.
"...Mother, the money at home... is running low. I want to go to the Axis Cult in Thunder City and try to find work. I heard the people there are kind and have very good Medicinal Pills. Maybe... maybe they can help your body." Huo Yuhao's voice carried the characteristic stubbornness of a youth and a faint, imperceptible hope, as he tried to keep his tone light. "I'll work hard once I'm there, and when I earn money, I'll buy you good medicine. With you at home alone... I..."
He couldn't go on, his heart filled with worry and reluctance to leave.
Huo Yuner stopped her needlework, looking at her son's face, which was growing more resolute yet still appeared tender. Seeing his eyes full of worry despite his feigned composure, her heart ached with both pain and pride.
She knew her son was precocious and sensible; the hardships of life had made him far more mature than his peers. She understood that once her son made a decision, especially one for her sake, she ultimately wouldn't be able to stop him.
She reached out a slightly cool hand and gently stroked Huo Yuhao's hair, her voice soft but weak. "Go, child. Mother will be fine; Aunt Wang and Auntie Li in the village will look after me. When you're out there... you must be careful in everything. The city is not like the village; people's hearts are complex. Don't try to be a hero; staying safe is the most important thing."
She paused, her eyes brimming with tears, but she forced a smile. "My Yuhao has grown up and knows how to share his mother's burdens. Go and do what you want to do; Mother will wait for you to return."
"Mm! Don't worry, Mother! I'll definitely find work and earn money!" Huo Yuhao nodded heavily, as if pouring all his determination into those words.
Over the next two days, Huo Yuhao made careful preparations. He specifically went to see the village chief and several neighbors with whom they had good relations, bowing deeply and imploring them to look after his mother while he was away. The villagers liked the polite and gentle mother and son, and they all patted their chests and promised to do so, telling him not to worry.
He found his neatest set of coarse cloth clothes, mended them repeatedly, washed them, and hung them to dry. He carefully wrapped the last bit of white flour and dried meat left in the house to leave for his mother.
Finally, he took a few mixed-grain pancakes for rations, a small bag of water, and the white tiger dagger he used most skillfully—it was something left behind by his so-called father. It was good for cutting vegetables and should also serve for self-defense on the road.
On the morning of his departure, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and the air was chilly.
Huo Yuhao stood at the courtyard gate, took one last look at the window where his mother's faint light was shining, took a deep breath, and turned onto the dirt road leading to Thunder City.
The youth's thin figure gradually disappeared into the morning mist at the end of the village road, but his steps were exceptionally firm. He did not know that this path, which seemed merely a search for a livelihood, did not end with just a job as a cook. The threads of fate had already been quietly woven, linking him to the Axis Cult and to that "Pope" he would never have expected.
At this moment, he only held one simple and pure thought: go to Thunder City, find the Axis Cult, find a job to support himself and his mother, work hard to earn some money to buy that medicine for his mother that was said to be so effective, and incidentally, work hard to Cultivate and become a Spirit Master.
The morning sun finally leaped completely above the horizon, casting golden light on the path ahead of the youth and illuminating his future, which was full of the unknown.