“The loudest beast in the forest is rarely its true master.”
– Saying of the Poison Tribe
Morning fog drifted slowly across the Black Marsh.
The village had already awakened.
Hunters sharpened their blades.
Women prepared medicines.
Children gathered for training.
Grandmother Wu stood before them, carrying nothing but a walking stick.
Today’s lesson…
Required no weapons.
…
“Listen.”
The children looked at one another.
No one spoke.
Grandmother Wu closed her eyes.
“What do you hear?”
“A bird.”
“The river.”
“The wind.”
“A frog.”
One by one, the children answered.
She nodded.
Then turned to Zhao Long.
“And you?”
He remained silent.
Several breaths passed.
Finally, he opened his eyes.
“I hear something missing.”
The other children frowned.
Grandmother Wu smiled.
“What is missing?”
Silence.
The children looked around.
He was right.
The endless song of the cicadas…
Had disappeared.
…
Without warning-
Grandmother Wu struck her staff against the ground.
“Scatter!”
The children ran in every direction.
A heartbeat later…
A massive wild boar burst through the undergrowth.
Its tusks gleamed like polished ivory.
It charged straight through the place where the children had been standing.
Several stumbled.
One froze in terror.
Before anyone could react-
Zhao Long grabbed the frightened boy by the arm and pulled him behind a thick tree.
The boar crashed into the trunk.
Wood splintered.
The forest trembled.
…
The hunters arrived moments later.
Instead of killing the beast…
They surrounded it.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Leaving only one path open.
The boar snorted…
Then fled through the opening.
The hunters lowered their weapons.
“Why didn’t you kill it?”
An old hunter laughed.
“It was only protecting its territory.”
Grandmother Wu nodded.
“If every problem is solved with blood…”
“Soon there will be nothing left worth protecting.”
…
As the children walked home…
The frightened boy caught up to Zhao Long.
“Thank you.”
Zhao Long shook his head.
“Next time…”
“Listen to the forest.”
The boy lowered his head.
“I’ll try.”
For the first time…
He didn’t see Zhao Long as the quiet child who asked too many questions.
He saw someone he could rely on.
…
That evening…
Grandmother Wu sat alone beneath the ancient watchtree.
She looked at the setting sun.
Then at the children laughing in the distance.
A gentle breeze stirred the leaves.
She smiled…
But for reasons even she could not explain…
Her heart felt strangely heavy.
Above her…
A single black bird circled once.
Then disappeared into the fading light.
Ten chapters already!
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