As soon as she stepped into the realm, old monsters and ancestors of different ancient sects and families were awoken from their coffins and caves; fear sprouted in their old bones as they felt the barrier of the realm breached easily, their divine thoughts spread to investigate the being from the Upper Realm that descended. But their divine thoughts were like a breeze hitting glass, blocking their probing.
Ling'er hid their aura and flew in the sky, her divine sense looking for towns and villages, searching for a mortal family that could take him in.
She found a nameless town filled with mortals, and her divine sense observed every person there, judging their characters. She appeared like a shadow, and without anyone noticing, she placed the infant in front of a house of a humble old couple that did not have a child. She assumed the old couple would be kind people and accept the child.
She knocked thrice and hid in a corner to watch silently.
The door creaked open after a few short breaths, a middle aged woman looked out left and right, then turned to confusion wondering who knocked. Then, her eyes caught the object under her vision.
"GASP! Oh… Oh my god!" The old woman shook in fear and shock, her heart raced, and then-
Her heart gave out, her body wobbled and fell. Her heart stopped from sheer shock, myocardial infarction invited a local god to bring her to the underworld.
"Wife!" A man roared from behind her and kneeled to check on her.
"No… wife, wife… Don't leave me!" The man shed tears as he held onto her still warm wife's body. But her breathing stopped, her pulse silence.
His eyes turned bloodshot, his neck twisted to look at the object that made her wife so shocked she had a heart attack and died unjustly. Fear filled his eyes as he saw the very thing that killed her, but along with that fear, anger and hatred.
"You cursed monster…" he cursed as he stood, walking step by step towards it.
The infant weeped silently, but he didn't make any other noises as if he accepted his fate. His world was already entirely dark. The pain he experienced deeply etched into his soul, leaving him unresponsive. He couldn't move, he couldn't see. He could hear, but he understood the 'cursed monster' was in fact himself.
Hanxing silently waited for his death. But, it didn't come. Before the man could approach him, a mysterious wind swept and pushed him away.
Ling'er had been watching the whole ordeal. Her heart felt like it was prickled by needles seeing the old couple calling the infant a monster. She never thought the mortal would die from just looking at him. She admitted he did look scary but still…
The old man felt chill crept down his spine as the wind pushed him away. Deep fear rooted into his very being as his brain had a hard time trying to understand where the wind so strong it could push him came from. The trees didn't wave, the dust wasn't blown.
"It's a ghost child…! Ah… ah-!" The man came to the conclusion that it was a child of a ghost, and the wind was a ghostly wind. He rushed back into his home then shut the door; frantically he lit up the incense, praying to the mountain god to protect him and guide his wife's soul to the underworld.
Ling'er sighed in frustration. She was about to take Hanxing away to find another town, but to her surprise, a man in rough linen cloth appeared out of nowhere standing right before Hanxing. The middle aged man crouched down, picking up the infant with scrutiny in his deep dark eyes.
"How did I miss him? How did he avoid my senses? Impossible! He's not a mortal…!" Even if Ling'er was just a servant of the Immortal Gu clan, in the Black Desolate Realm she was a powerhouse that could fight against the top power houses in this realm. Spiritual energy gathered in her arm, ready to unleash an attack in case anything happened.
She observed as the middle-aged man's expression turned from scrutiny to pity. The man actually turned his neck to her direction, as if noticing her presence, but then ignored her as he walked away with the child in his arms, taking calm unhurried steps.
Ling'er followed his steps from behind, afraid to make a direct move unsure of his opponent's power. Not to mention that man didn't seem to care that she was following, as if not caring about her.
The townspeople couldn't see them as they walked in unhurried steps, as if they were just passing wind. She followed him to the edge of the town where there were not many houses around the area. They stopped by a humble courtyard, the scent of cedar and sandalwood hit her nose. She stepped into the courtyard, filled with timber and lumber. Her eyes scanned the area, arriving at the conclusion the place was a carpenter workshop.
The man sat down on a carved wooden bench in the courtyard with air of calm, his arms tugging on the cloths of the infant, helping to cover him from the breeze that might be too cold.
Ling'er sat there for a few seconds, before stepping forward and sat down in front of him. No matter what, she needed to know what his intention was. She never expected someone of this caliber to exist in this realm.
The man turned his gaze from Hanxing to the woman. His eyes quickly pointed to the wooden plaque made of spiritual wood on her waist, carrying the word 'Gu'.
"Gu family of the Tian Realm…?" His eyebrows frowned, his eyes turning to the woman in front of him.
Ling'er clasped her hands together, bowing slightly and replied. "Yes. I am a servant of the Immortal Gu family of Tian Realm." Ling'er was a little relieved that the man knew of the Immortal Gu family whose name was enough to send fear throughout all realms. But it also meant this man in front of her was definitely from the Upper Realm. No one in the Lower Realms would even have the qualifications to hear those names of the Immortal Clans in the Tian Realm.
"Senior, from which family are you from?" Ling'er was careful with her tone, trying to gauge this person.
"My family is of no importance. Tell me, what is this child? What kind of inhumane act had your family committed?" His eyes turned cold, his voice carried chilling pressure pressing down on Ling'er like a mountain.
"Senior, I do not know the details… I am just a lowly servant…" She clasped her hands tight, holding herself from bending down from the pressure.
"For what reason did this child was sent here then?"
"It's… his father ordered me to send him to the Lower Realm, find him a parent that would care for him…"
"Hmph. Finding him a parent? After sins your family committed? Truly laughable." He said with disdain and mockery.
"Senior, the Immortal Gu family is not a clan you can casually mock." She raised her head despite the pressure, as if threatening him.
"Bah! What Immortal Gu family! Bunch of beasts. Who's family is so cruel to refine this child's own blood, bones and roots! Even his eyes are gone! Your family is really not afraid of Heavenly Punishment!" His voice raised a few decibels, letting out genuine anger.
Ling'er remained silent at the remarks. She can guess that was what the child was about, so she didn't know how to retort.
The man let out a huff. "I will take care of him. You can leave."
Ling'er remained like a statue, her eyes darting back and forth between Hanxing and the mysterious man, uncertain.
"You wanted a good parent for him, and that person is me! Now leave!" He snorted and stood up, not caring about her and just went into his humble house.
Ling'er was conflicted. The Clan Leader never said he should be given to mortals to be taken care of specifically; as long as they were good. Besides, the infant would die within ten years at most. And even if he died now, that would be no problem either in her assumption. His existence could not be used to threaten the Immortal Gu family in any way given his body was beyond crippled, even worse than a mortal of this lowest realm.
Finally making a decision, she decided to observe from a distance for the time being.
Han Yang entered his home and placed the infant on the quilt on the floor. He looked at the child with pity.
"Child, don't be scared. I won't harm you." He spoke gently, his hand softly caressing over the white cloths wrapping his body. He noticed a wooden plaque underneath the cloth. He picked it and read the name 'Gu Hanxing' on it.
He flicked his hand, and turned the wooden plaque to dust, erasing it from the world.
"Your surname already contains 'Han', like my family name. It's fate that we met. Han Xing…"
The infant remained trembling. His breathing was irregular, as if he was in a constant state of caution. Even if Han Yang couldn't see through the hollowed eyes, he could tell from the fluctuation of the soul he was just scared.
"Child, uncle will take care of you. Those beasts would not touch a single hair from you again. Shush… it's okay." He took the infant into his arms, rubbing his back. His heart felt a deep sense of responsibility and protectiveness.
The moment he laid his eyes on him before, he felt anger towards whoever did such a heinous thing. And he just wanted to take care of him for the few years the child had.
The child in his arms seemed to ease slightly, but he was still weary. Han Yang felt a relief feeling his soul calm to a more calm state.
"I will get some milk for you, wait here child."
Han Yang went out to squeeze some milk out of the old cow idly grazing the grasses at the back of his courtyard. He used spiritual power to make it purer, whiter, and carried the bucket into his house. He took a small wooden bowl to scoop it and brought it to the child's mouth.
Hanxing turned his head away, as if unwilling, still scared of everything.
"Shush… it's okay. It's delicious, I promise…"
The smell of fresh cow's milk hit Hanxing's nose. His lips were already dry, his sense of survival, of thirst and hunger overcame his sense of caution. Carefully, he tasted the liquid in between his lips. As if water was pouring into a draught, Hanxing quickly gulped them down.
"Easy there… you can choke." Han Yang controlled the flow with his spiritual thought, letting the milk flow little by little. His eyes softened seeing Han Xing wolfing down the milk with relish.
Han Yang sighed with a tinge of sadness. He looked at the hollow sockets, and the stumps in the child's shoulders where his arms used to be. He decided to give the child a good life, taking it as his responsibility given to him by Heaven.
After eating, Han Xing closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep. Han Yang placed him on the quilt carefully, afraid to wake him up. He tucked the blanket on him and went outside to his work area.
He frowned as he turned outside his courtyard. That woman was still there, watching like a ghost. He snorted and ignored her. He didn't really want to offend the Immortal Gu family for no reason. She wanted to watch, so be it. He still wouldn't change his intention.
He took out some things from his spatial ring and began his work. His hand worked carefully as he carves onto the woods little by little, putting his care and attention to the details. Ling'er stood by and watched silently.
Days and nights passed. Han Yang took care of Han Xing diligently. A single spell cleaned him spotless, washing away all dirt a mortal body would have. He fed him three times daily, at times with milk or mashed fruits and juices.
A sense of joy filled Han Yang's heart when he felt Han Xing slowly accepting his gestures and goodwill.
"Good child. Eat more. You are too thin." Han Yang said softly. Whenever Han Xing went to sleep, Han Yang would continue his work outside, wanting to give the child the best he could give. And that included a normal life.
Ling'er just watched for a few weeks, not leaving them even for a moment. Seeing the man really did take care of Hanxing as the Clan Leader would have wanted, she eventually departed, going to the Tian Realm to report back.
The life of Gu Hanxing, a broken Immortal child, began from this day.