Days passed, but the village no longer felt the same. Since the arrival of the envoys from Wuyin City, a wave of whispers had swept through every corner. Children who once spent their days running through fields now sat quietly, gazing at their parents with questioning eyes.
Would they be allowed to go? Were they truly gifted enough?
In front of the village hall, elders and family heads gathered to discuss the offer.
"A martial arts school? In a big city?"
"Our children have never left the village… what if they never come back?"
"But isn't this a rare chance? The world… it's changing."
"I heard a village up north just went through a drought… maybe that change is real."
The village chief, an old man named Mr. Zhen, stroked his beard slowly. He had lived for over sixty years, and never before had envoys from a major city come in person. His eyes drifted toward the evening sky, now slowly turning red, as if sensing something ominous.
"The wind is changing direction," he murmured. "That usually means a storm is coming."
At Li Yuan's house, his father remained silent after hearing the news from his son.
"Father… if I'm chosen, may I go?" Li Yuan asked.
His father looked at the young man deeply.
"What is it you seek, Yuan'er?"
"I want to know the world. I want more than this… but not for power. I just… want to understand. And to protect."
His father gave a faint smile.
"Then you already know the answer. But don't forget this land… the place where you grew."
At Fan Tu's house, his mother clung to him tightly.
"No! I won't allow it! The world out there… it's too harsh."
But Fan Tu simply held her hand firmly.
"I want to protect you and Father. If I stay here… I'll just remain an ordinary child forever."
Meanwhile, Mu Yi responded with his usual cheer.
"If I get picked, I'll buy a golden sword and bring it home! Then I'll become the village hero!" he laughed.
But quietly, after night had fallen and everyone else was asleep, Mu Yi sat alone outside his house, gazing up at the stars.
"Mother… will I be okay if I go…?"
At the same time, strange things began to be reported by villagers.
A bird that usually nested at the top of a large tree was found dead without reason.
The river in the north suddenly dropped for a brief moment, though the season hadn't changed.
A deer wandered into the village, its body marked by unfamiliar claw wounds.
Mr. Zhen watched it all with a troubled expression.
"They say the world is changing. Perhaps not just politically… but something deeper. Something… is awakening."
Night clouds covered the moon. From the outside, the village still looked peaceful.
But within, the seeds of both anxiety and hope were beginning to grow.
Was this the beginning of something greater?
And what would happen if the village children truly stepped beyond its borders?
"Something is coming," Mr. Zhen said, eyes fixed to the east.
"And we must choose—whether to remain the village we've always been… or become part of the change."