As the sun rise glow cast it refreshing glow over the entire Green Wind province, the people of Black scale village have already woken up and busy with their early daily life. Situated at the southern most region of the green wind province, lies here the village house three ruling clan of the Black-scale village, the Wu family, the Zhou family and the Li family.
According to history the southern Li village was established by the Li family ancestors, who later took in the Wu and zhou family to strengthen the village and fight against bandits and the rampaging beast boarding the green wind province and the black Moore jungle.
In the Wu family residence, all the children above the age of 5 years old, have already taken their place in the various martial art training center, while some of the slightly older ones are at the clans arena training with their fellow clan member through physical combat.
Currently in the open area used for the arena, two youth of about the same age are seen going at each other, while other members of the family surround the arena watching the duo fighting. Despite the two boys being of the same age the have glaring difference in their build.
"bam!!" the sound of the wooden blade hitting flesh reverberated across everyone's ear, as the two boys got separated from the each as a result of the clash.
"Dai Yaun!!" yelling furiously at his opponent the boy with the wooden blade frowned
:"would you please take this seriously, every-time we come for practice you are always spacing out" the blade guy said.
"or should I stop using the training weapon so that we all can go hand to hand"
The boy snared again saying that while trying to mask the obvious snare on his face looking at his opponent standing at a height of 140 cm, looking like a giant among his fellow teenagers. Dai Yaun being at the age 15 have an extra huge and tall figure making him stand out among his pears.
"brother Mo, am sorry for that" dai long replied while shaking his head
Almost all the you in the WU clan uses all shorts of blade weapon only dai Yaun among his clan pears doesn't use a training weapon, due to his giant physique dai Yaun preferred using blunt and large weapons such as hammers, axe or halberds but, the Wu clan only specialized in blade technique, and thus with no alternatives, he always come to the training ground without weapon and always uses his fist during practice.
"you don't need to do that, I can still go on"
Saying that Dai Yaun charged towards Wu zhangmo who is holding the training blade with two hands with his legs apart standing in a steady manner while awaiting the charging Dai as the distance between them keep getting short with each passing second his grip on the wooden blade handle become firmer while bits of perspiration dotted his forehead.
One would think that despite his huge body Dai would be slow, if someone thought as so that one would be in for a surprise as it seems that his giant body gives him more agility, speed and most importantly strength. But despite all these factors of his being higher than his pears who haven't started cultivation and also compared to those who are at the early stage of cultivation, like the guy in his front.
Dai Yaun always end up being on the losing side at all the time during their training season,one due to his foster grandfather caution of restraining his strength when ever fighting with the younger members of the clan. And secondly because of his lack of concentration during training hours, as a result of the strange memories and dreams which he keep getting day in and day out.
"Ahh" a screamed echoed from dai Yaun lips as he suddenly withdraw his clenched fist that was about to clash with the striking pose of Zhangmo's blade.
"thud" day Yaun crashed onto the arena's floor after staggering with his hands clutching his head as visible trail of vain and arthres throbbed furiously all over his forehead as he tighten his face in agony from the sudden burst of pains striking his skull from what ever was going on inside the head of his.
"Not again…"
"why cant he just stop coming to the training and wasting people's time
"Every week it's the same! Maybe he's possessed."
"Or cursed. Grandpa Mo should have left him to die on the streets."
The watching disciples murmured.
"damn you bastered!" zhangmo cursed as he stepped back in fright from the sudden scream of dai Yaun.
"what the fuck! I told you to give up but you refuse, watch how I am going to put you where you belong"
Dropping his wooden blade zhangmo proceed to cracked his knuckles while approaching the still struggling dai Yaun on the floor.
"Enough!" someone barked from the sidelines. An elderly man with long black silky hair and white-bearded but weary-eyed, stepped forward. His expression held no sympathy at the you on the floor only exhaustion. "Drag him back to his quarters. He's disturbing the training ground."
Two servants hesitated but obeyed, lifting Dai Yuan's limp body. As they carried him away, Zhoumo called out, "Next time, don't waste everyone's time coming to the training ground, Freek!"
His curse echoed through the courtyard long after Dai Yaun was gone.
The duo dumped him unceremoniously on a simple straw cot in a small courtyard, the courtyard contains nothing say for the wooden bed and table located at the right corner of the room where an incense stick still burns driving away the blood hungry predators of the night.
The pain had begun to subside, leaving a heavy throb and ache behind his eye. Dai Yaun lay still on his bed for a long time, while constantly taking in deep and shallow breath as he regulate his already exhausted body, breathing in the stale scent of the old incense thick in the air.
Struggling to his feet, he went to the table to put away the still burning incense while rising the torn cloth covering the entrance to his little courtyard.
His courtyard is located at the foot of a mountain in the distance part of the Wu clan residence, few other courtyard dotted the mountain, giving it a deserted atmosphere, these mountain is one of the numerous mountain used by the external member of the clans, due to how large the Wu clan area is, almost all the people of the clan has their living environment. Dai Yaun was initially not living in this region of the clan quarters, having been living in the inner region where the direct descendant use to live and dine.
But a month after the disappearance of Grandpa Mo, Dai Yaun courtyard in the inner region was sized and given to another clan member, while he was chased out of the inner region and into the outer and deserted area.
Looking back into his dilapidated courtyard, apart from those two furniture's full of cracks, The old man's presence lingered everywhere, carved wooden talismans hanging from the beams, a cracked cauldron used for concoctions, the faint aroma of herbs. Grandpa Mo… where did you go?
Dai Yaun sat down slowly. Looking down at the bustling area outside the clan residence. People coming and going as the days activity begin to mature. Outside, laughter and the sound of training filled the air once more. He could hear his peers, cousins, and other members of the clan engaged in the training section, this situation becoming a daily norm now as he envisioned the memories etched into his brain.
The memories which begin appearing 6 months ago still churned within him—like molten fragments of someone else life seared into his soul. Every vision came with an ache, but also a strange familiarity, as if they belonged to him before he was even born.
He clenched his fists, in disappointment and anguish as he recall all the struggles which he has passed through during this one year after the disappearance of his godfather in the clan, although grandpa Mo was not a clan member with the Wu blood, but due to his friendship with the old Wu ancestor and his formidable strength, he was given respect and adoration within the clan, and with him around no one dears to mess with Dai Yuan, but without his presence in the clan and seeming to have disappeared from the face of earth.
Dai Yaun who has been subject to the clan members envy and jealousy suddenly become the scorn of everyone, and it become worst after the spirit awakening ceremony during which the clan discovered his lack of spirit root.
When Grandpa Mo had found him years ago, he'd said he was born under a "shattered star." He never explained what that meant, only that Dai Yaun's fate was not meant to be ordinary.
As the day goes by and the glaring sun rays deepened. The compound fell silent bringing in peace and tranquility from the departure of the clan members to their various responsibility.
Dai Yaun stepped outside, bare feet meeting the burning stone of the courtyard. The Sun hung burning harshly from above, its ray frying the entire province.
He walked toward the training ground. The air still carried the faint scent of scorched qi from the morning fights. Beneath the sunlight, the arena tiles gleamed like glass.
He stopped at the place where he had collapsed earlier, as he stand under the hot sun staring at the floor and recalling what had occurred earlier and the memories from before the wind stirred. And memories from what occurred earlier flashed back into his mind.
"what is this?" murmuring silently as he stood up and stare at the sun from above.
Back in his room, Yaun lay down but could not sleep. Each time his eyes closed, he saw flashes of the visions again—the sealed demons, the roaring beasts, the whisper of devouring stars.
His chest burned, not from pain, but from something rawer, somewhere within those strange memories lay the truth of what he was.