Long Aotian's smile widened. This technique was extraordinary. Far beyond anything the Xiao clan possessed. If the elders knew what he'd just accomplished, they would kill to possess it.
Good thing they would never find out.
Long Aotian stood carefully, testing his balance. His legs felt steady beneath him, stronger than they had in years. He crept back into the house, moving with exaggerated care to avoid leaving black footprints everywhere. His mother would ask questions if she found mysterious stains all over the floor.
He made it to the small washroom without incident. The water in the basin was cold, but Long Aotian didn't care. He scrubbed at his skin until the black gunk finally dissolved away, revealing clean flesh beneath. The process took longer than he would have liked, but eventually, he managed to remove all traces of the impurities.
Long Aotian returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed. Exhaustion weighed on him like a physical thing, dragging his eyelids closed despite his best efforts to stay awake. The smile remained on his face as sleep claimed him.
For the first time in three years, he had hope. Real, tangible hope for a better future.
Morning came too quickly.
Long Aotian woke to sunlight streaming through the window and the sound of his mother moving around in the next room. He sat up slowly, working the stiffness out of his muscles. His body felt different—not just stronger, but more solid somehow. As if his bones had increased in density overnight.
Before he could investigate further, his door slid open and his mother appeared.
Xiao Yue's eyes widened when she saw him sitting up. She crossed the room in three quick steps and pressed her hand against his forehead, checking for fever.
"How are you feeling?" Her voice was tight with worry. "Any dizziness? Headaches? Can you remember who I am?"
"Mother, I'm fine." Long Aotian caught her hand gently and lowered it. "Really. I feel better than I have in a long time."
Xiao Yue didn't look convinced. She studied his face with the intensity of someone searching for hidden injuries. "Elder Gao said you might experience memory loss. Or worse. You were unconscious for three days, Aotian. Three days."
"I remember everything," Long Aotian assured her. "My name is Long Aotian. You're Xiao Yue, my mother and an elder of the Xiao clan. We live in the outer district. I was… injured by some of the young masters, but I'm recovering now."
The explanation seemed to satisfy her somewhat, though the worry didn't entirely leave her eyes. She spent the next hour fussing over him—bringing him food he didn't want, checking his temperature repeatedly, asking the same questions in slightly different ways to ensure his mind was intact.
Long Aotian endured it all patiently. He understood her concern, even if it was excessive. From her perspective, her son had nearly died and might have suffered permanent brain damage. A little overprotectiveness was understandable.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of reassurance, Xiao Yue allowed him to leave his room.
"But you're not to overexert yourself," she warned, pointing a finger at him. "And if you feel even slightly unwell, you come straight back here. Understood?"
"Understood," Long Aotian agreed.
As soon as his mother left for her duties as an elder, Long Aotian set his plans in motion. The Dragon Blood Battle Body required consistent cultivation, but he could accelerate his progress significantly with the right medicinal plants. Certain herbs would help his body recover from the strain of cultivation while simultaneously providing additional yin or yang energy to fuel the transformation.
The Pill God's memories contained recipes for dozens of pills and concoctions that could aid body cultivation. However, creating those required both materials and equipment—neither of which Long Aotian currently possessed. What he could do was gather the raw herbs themselves and consume them directly. Less efficient than refined pills, but still far better than cultivation alone.
His destination was clear: the clan's resource hall.
Long Aotian made his way through the outer district, keeping his head down and his steps quick. The morning was still young, so most clan members were either at breakfast or beginning their daily duties. He encountered only a handful of servants and low-ranking disciples, none of whom paid him any attention.
The resource hall stood near the border between the outer and inner districts. It was a large building constructed from grey stone, with a sloped tile roof and wide doors that stood open during daylight hours. Inside, clan members could exchange contribution points for various resources—cultivation manuals, weapons, armor, medicinal herbs, and more.
Long Aotian had contribution points saved from his time as a genius. Not many, but hopefully enough to purchase what he needed.
He approached the entrance, already mentally cataloging which herbs would be most beneficial. Frost Lily for its yin properties. Crimson Ginseng for yang. Perhaps some Bone Strengthening Grass if they had any in stock.
His journey to the resource hall had been uneventful.
Almost.
Just as Long Aotian was about to step through the entrance, a voice called out from behind him. Familiar and irritating in equal measure.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the once-in-a-millennium trash."
Long Aotian's steps slowed. His hands, hanging loosely at his sides, clenched into fists. He recognized that voice. Xiao Chen, a young master two years his senior who'd once sought his friendship back when Long Aotian was still considered a genius.
He took a breath, forcing his expression to remain neutral. Be rational. Don't give them a reason to escalate. He started to move forward again, intending to ignore the provocation entirely.
Then another voice joined the first, and Long Aotian's entire body went rigid.
"Trash of a whore mother and an unknown beggar of a father. How dare you put on airs in this young master's presence?"
The world seemed to narrow. Sound faded to a distant murmur. Long Aotian turned slowly, his movements deliberate and controlled.
Two young men stood behind him, both wearing the purple and white robes that marked them as inner disciples. Xiao Chen was the taller of the two, with a sharp face and eyes that gleamed with malicious amusement. Beside him stood Xiao Rong, shorter and stockier, grinning like this was the most entertaining thing he'd seen all week.
These were people who had once called themselves his friends. Who had praised his talent and sought his company. Now they looked at him like he was something they'd scraped off their shoes.
Long Aotian could have tolerated the first insult. He'd learned to endure being called trash over the past three years. But insulting his mother crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed.
"What did you just say?" Long Aotian's voice was quiet, but something in his tone made both young men's grins widen.
Xiao Rong stepped forward, clearly emboldened by his companion's presence. "Have you also gone deaf, trash? I said—"
Long Aotian moved before Xiao Rong could finish. He closed the distance between them in two quick steps, his expression perfectly neutral. When he stopped directly in front of Xiao Rong, he slowly extended his right hand, palm facing up, as if he wanted to show the other youth something.
Xiao Rong's grin faltered slightly. Confusion flickered across his face. He leaned forward, stretching his neck to look at Long Aotian's empty palm. "What are you—"
PAH!!