It was a normal sunny afternoon in Silver Jade City when Lu Feng got summoned by the elders of the prestigious Lu family. As the last son of his parents, he had been overlooked most of the time because his older siblings were all talented the moment they reached the year of awakening.
Due to those talents, his parents, who prided themselves on the older children, often forgot they had a son known as Lu Feng.
It only became absolutely worse when he got to the age of awakening. The age of fifteen, when one’s Dantain would form, and one’s hidden gifts would reveal themselves. He had slept through the day and when he woke up, he started acting strange. Talking about how he kept seeing a blue box everywhere he looked.
"Mother, can you see that blue rectangular box on the wall saying ’Welcome Host’?"
That was the first question he had asked. Asking that question had changed his life for the worse. His parents, who barely acknowledged him, now saw him as a child with a mental condition. She became infuriated when he kept claiming that he could see the box wherever he looked.
One day, he had argued heavily with his mother about the box and she became furious and struck him twice in the face. "There is no blue box anywhere! Stop the mad talk already, Lu Feng."
He was instantly placed on medication, healers doing everything they could to check if he was mentally stable. Money was not a problem for his parents as they were also merchants of considerable names themselves. Coupled with the reputation of Lu Feng’s older siblings, their business was booming and so, rather than spend time with their last child, they were more inclined to address the other siblings.
As for Lu Feng, he only saw his father once every week and even though his mother was more present at their family manor, she seemed even more scarce as though trying to avoid him.
It did not take long for the rumors to begin spreading that Lu Cang’s—his father—last son had failed to awaken like his siblings and the backlash had made him go mad, claiming he could see things that were not there.
Wherever he went, many eyes stared at him. Some were filled with pity, some with shame and disappointment, and others with resentment. Resentment for him trying to tarnish his parents streak of having talented children and then going mad after failing to match his siblings pace.
He had even received beatings on multiple occasions just because of his condition. One time, while he was moving through the city streets, he had spotted a merchant selling antique items and tried to purchase one. That attempt of his had cost him a week of swollen eyes and cheeks. He had almost lost a tooth. He ended up being bedridden for a week and half, eating only soup and mashed potatoes.
After three years of seeing a blue box, and being called crazy by even his siblings who now saw him the same as everyone else, even Lu Feng was starting to believe he was crazy and the box that only he could see, was proof enough of his madness.
Today marked his eighteenth birthday—exactly three years since he failed to awaken—and no one except his attendant, Han Lin, had thought it decent to at least celebrate the day with him. Not even his mother, who had birthed him.
He was smiling as he ate tofu and a fully roasted chicken with Han Lin, but his mind was somewhere else, failing to pay attention to her cheerful rants. They were both sitting outside, under a particular shady tree in Lu Feng’s quarters.
’Three years now and you still won’t leave me alone, huh?’ Lu Feng asked the question, directed at the small square blue box in front of him that had only contained two words for the last three years: Welcome Host.
’If you have no importance to me and only serve to make me a failure, you have proven yourself well. Just let me be already.’ He sighed as he subconsciously pushed a piece of chicken into his mouth.
"Young Master?"
"Young Master?"
"Young Master Feng!" Han Lin snapped at him, her tone almost furious. If eyes could cut, her glare would have bored a hole into his head.
"Are you okay, Young Master Feng?" She asked when she noticed her call had brought him back into the moment.
Lu Feng thought of how to best answer her question for a moment before smiling and nodding. "I’m very much fine, Han Lin. I was just thinking about my condition. Maybe I am really mad, and there is no cure. Nothing can truly be perfect, and my family was on the path of perfection, birthing genius after genius. Maybe the gods used me as a tool for imperfection in the family. That way, we can never be truly perfect as a family."
Han Lin’s gaze softened, and she sighed. "The gods are not that cruel. They might have done it to prevent you from great evil."
Lu Feng chuckled at her theory, but since he had also given his theory, he could not quite dismiss hers.
His theory could be right, and so could hers. While two things could be true, he was more inclined to believe that two things could be wrong. They were both wrong. He doubted the gods cared that much about a mortal like him.
Lu Feng was about to sink deep into his thoughts again when he felt a particularly large portion of the chicken fill his mouth.
Han Lin was grinning. "Eat and stop thinking. It’s your birthday, Young Master."
Lu Feng nodded as he chewed on the meat that filled his mouth. "Thank you for staying beside this crazy young master for the last..."
He did not even get the chance to finish his statement before he spotted his third uncle walking toward his location with a smile that reeked of bad intentions. Third Uncle Lu Bao held the record for the person who despised him the most and the man who was his father’s youngest brother displayed his distaste for Lu Feng openly. Everyone knew about his hate toward the boy.
He didn’t speak, walking up to Lu Feng’s position before he cleared his throat. "Ahem! Little Feng, the elders would like your presence at the Lu Family Hall."
Lu Cang—Lu Feng’s father—was next in line for the position of the Lu Family Head which made all his children automatically young masters, but even with that knowledge, his third uncle refused to acknowledge Lu Feng’s status.
The boy did not mind though. No one usually regarded him, and even he did not think he deserved to be addressed as such.
Lu Feng bowed politely to his uncle even though he knew his uncle disliked him. "Thank you for coming out of your way to personally inform me of the summon, Third Uncle Bao."
"I shall immediately head there once I am done with the birthday celebration prepared for me by Han Lin, my attendant." Lu Feng added after a few seconds. His uncle was refusing to leave, and it was becoming uncomfortable for Han Lin, who hated the man just as much as the man hated her master. Perhaps even more than he did.
Lu Bao looked around sarcastically and shrugged. "I can’t find any celebration around, and even if there was one, do you think the elders would be inclined to wait till the celebration was over? Has your madness gotten so bad that it is starting to affect your sense of reasoning?"
Han Lin was already boiling with rage where she sat, but there was nothing she could do. This man could easily deal with her if he so wished, and she wasn’t about to disgrace her master by acting out of order.
Lu Feng noticed her fury. He smiled slightly and stood up. "I was not aware of the urgency of the matter, but now that I am, we cannot leave the elders waiting. Han Lin, take care of the place while I go see the elders."
"Yes, Young Master." Han Lin replied almost instantly.
Lu Feng turned to his uncle and began walking off. "Let’s go now, Third Uncle."
He particularly stressed the ’third’, reminding his uncle of his position. It was subtle but was enough to piss off the uncle.
His uncle frowned but there was nothing he could do. He just kept frowning as he walked behind Lu Feng, both of them heading for the Family Hall.