The Northern Trade Road narrowed as dusk approached, fields thinned into grasses, grasses moved, the woods moved, The carriage wheels struck ruts older than the children inside it.
Yan sat opposite the other children.
The High‑Crag girl could not have been older than sixteen. The twins beside her were younger, thirteen perhaps. A smaller boy near the window tried not to stare at Yan’s scars. The fifth, a quiet fifteen‑year‑old with ink‑stained fingers, watched the road as if memorizing its turns.
At his feet rested his cloth bundle containing two changes of rough clothes along with dried grain, small iron knife and the village doctor’s book.
He had paid for the book before leaving.
Two silver coins placed into a palm that had once treated Shui but failed.
“The book might not help much, it's mortal knowledge” the doctor had said.
Yan had not argued.
"Your luggage is very small" one of the twins commented.
Yan looked over to the twin.
"Don't look at us like that? You are a servant, I am disciple, you don't have the right" the other twin commented.
"Yes, my brother is right, keep your eyes down, the servants in our home never dared to look into our eyes" the twin acknowledged his brother.
Yan did not want to mess things up so soon, hence he diverted his eyes to the sides.
"Good, That's how servants should be" the twin followed up as soon as he saw Yan divert his face.
Yan clenched his fists, but did not say anything.
"And I heard in your village, when the carriage stood there, you were called rot, why is that?" The twin followed up.
But Yan remained silent.
"Brother, don't ask him that, he must have done something horrible" the other twin said.
"Stop it" High Crag girl shouted.
"I need some peace, you two better talk somewhere else" High Crag girl said.
The twins looked at each other and did not say anything for a while.
The carriage continued to move.
And then after sometime.
"Servant, by the way, do you like to fly?" One twin asked.
Yan did not answer.
"You know what, some cultivators can fly, someday I will as well" he said while looking at the sky from the window.
And then he looked back at Yan, "Sad, servants will not have a chance to cultivate " he said and then went silent.
They reached the waystation at dusk.
The structure leaned slightly toward the road as though listening. Lantern glass was on the walls, the floor was made of wood.
"Neigh"
Horses shifted, and came to stop.
The steward beside the driver got down from the carriage.
The owner of the station waited outside as if he anticipated their arrival.
He gladly arranged a table, with five bowls and a ceramic flask containing pale green colored liquid.
"Come in" Steward called everyone.
Yan and others stood beside the table.
Steward Zhao poured the liquid from the ceramic flask into bowls and handed it to everyone.
“It's a tonic” he said mildly. “drinking it now will help you when you start cultivating later"
The smallest boy drank first, and too quickly.
His throat worked twice and shoulders tightened. His breath shortened sharply before he forced it even.
The High‑Crag girl swallowed more carefully, her spine stiffened and fingers whitened around the nails, she trembled and fell to the ground.
The twins followed. One coughed. The other went very still and bent down and tried standing up.
The final bowl was placed before Yan.
Yan took a closer look at it, he breathed loudly before swallowing.
He felt his body burn, something inside him pained but he could not tell as it did not seem physical.
Steward Zhao did not look at his face.
He watched Yan's breathing , the posture and the timing, Yan looked much more stable than others as if it was meant for him.
Across the table, the fifteen‑year‑old with ink‑stained fingers went very still.
Too still.
His hand remained around the bowl long after he finished drinking.
A weird smile hung on his face.
The boy’s head tilted, his breathing did not change but his shoulders did.
Something inside him had accelerated.
The boy’s gaze snapped at Yan, his hands tightened.
Focused.
The bowl shattered.
Then without any warning, He lunged.
The table overturned and the liquid spread across the boards. The lantern swung violently, shadows tearing across the walls.
The boy’s shoulder struck Yan’s chest and they hit the floor hard.
Bone against bone.
The boy clawed at Yan’s throat as if trying to open it. At the moment, his strength felt wrong, Yan unconsciously moved back.
His head struck the wood behind as the pain tore through the head, but his eyes were on the boy whose punch was approaching.
Yan dodged by rolling, and pushed his forearm across the boy’s collarbone. The boy struggled.
And then for half a second.
He wanted to crush the boy’s windpipe and end it.
The instinct rose clean and efficient.
White text surfaced.
Stability: 88%
The boy’s breath scraped against his ear.
Stability: 74%
The room tilted slightly as sound dulled at the edges.
Stability: 61%
His grip tightened.
Too much.
Stability: 49%
The lantern flame stretched unnaturally long in his vision, Yan's breathing narrowed.
Stability: 37%
Stability: 31%
The white text sharpened.
Critical Deviation Detected.
Structural Integrity: 30%
Threshold Breach Imminent.
Yan inhaled and loosened his grip.
Then Yan pulled the boy down, hit his legs and gripped the hands.
The boy screamed.
The lantern guttered.
Steward Zhao stepped forward at last, and pressed two fingers against the boy’s neck.
The boy's scream cut off as he went unconscious.
Silence returned in fragments.
White text dimmed.
Stability: 38%
— 47%
— 59%
Stabilizing.
Yan fell on the floor and looked at the unconscious boy.
The smallest child was crying quietly, one twin had backed against the wall, and The High‑Crag girl stood.
Watching.
The unconscious boy’s breathing returned and normal.
Steward Zhao looked at Yan and said, “Not bad.”
Yan said nothing.
Outside, a horse stamped once.
The lantern steadied.
The room smelled of split wood and metal.
"Pardon, they caused trouble" Steward approached the owner while carrying the unconscious kid in his arms.
"Steward, don't be, it's nothing major"
"it's your waystation as well" The owner replied.
"We will be staying here for the night" The Steward stated.
" Not an issue, you can stay at dormitories upstairs, follow me, I will show you the rooms" The owner took forward steps.
Steward and others followed.
That night, Yan sat in the room , all of them stayed here except Steward and the driver.
Yan recalled the sensation from the morning when he drank the liquid.
"It's not a simple tonic, some kind of test" Yan thought.