It is the third month in the lunar calendar, and autumn is almost here.
Normally, everyone would be enjoying the Autumn Festival this month. But not a young man in Ming Village.
Somewhere, a young man was being chased by cultivators from the Ice Cloud Sect. The young man was about fifteen or sixteen years old.
"Hey! Stop!"
He was Xiao Jun, fleeing from the pursuit of the Ice Cloud Sect disciples who had murdered his parents.
He possessed all the inheritance of the Azure Dragon Clan, forcefully given to him by his father. The cultivators were chasing him, intending to take his body to give to the Ice Cloud Sect leader and purify Xiao Jun's body.
He ran as fast as he could into the forbidden forest, following his father's orders before he was killed. The forest was filled with thorny bushes.
His body was scratched by the thorns, and blood slowly dripped from the cuts. But that didn't stop him.
Xiao Jun ran past slippery large rocks, almost falling and getting trapped.
He kept running towards the unknown.
The clouds began to darken like spilled ink. Red lightning danced, making the situation even more terrifying.
Despite his exhaustion, he continued to run with all his might, hoping to find someone who would help him.
The rain fell heavily, making the ground slick. The smell of wet earth filled the young man's nostrils.
As the young man ran north, he stopped abruptly, finding himself at the edge of a very deep ravine.
The cultivator descended from his flying sword, slowly approaching the young man, ready to seize all the inheritance he possessed.
"Quickly hand over all the inheritance to our sect leader, or you will die."
The cultivator drew closer. Xiao Jun didn't have much time left. Without thinking, he jumped into the ravine.
"Mother, Father, forgive me."
The cultivator immediately followed him, leaping into the ravine, hoping he could still retrieve the boy's body and deliver it to the sect leader.
Something astonishing happened. An azure dragon, so long it could encircle three mountains, emerged from the depths of the ravine. The dragon sensed the aura of the Dragon Emperor's qi, causing it to awaken and approach Xiao Jun.
Its light blue scales glowed, and its breath could turn leaves into ice crystals.
Its eyes glowed brightly, a mix of red and orange. It stared sharply at the cultivator who wanted to kill Xiao Jun.
The dragon placed Xiao Jun, who had fainted from exhaustion, on its head. The cultivator was shocked and quickly retreated.
"Damn it! How can there be a dragon here?!"
The dragon pursued him. The surrounding environment became chaotic, as if unable to withstand the azure dragon's qi aura. The dragon continued to chase him, roaring. When it got close, it opened its mouth wide and devoured the cultivator alive.
The dark clouds slowly dissipated, revealing the morning light that illuminated the forest. The wind blew gently as if signaling that the calamity was over.
The dragon carried the young man to a place deep within the forest. The dragon stopped in front of a mountain; at the foot of the mountain was a small wooden hut in the forest, its roof made of palm fronds.
The dragon descended slowly in front of the house. An old man came out. He was a loyal guard of the Azure Dragon Clan who had gone into seclusion.
"Senior, what brings you to this junior's humble abode?" the old man asked, bowing respectfully.
The dragon replied with a voice like tearing paper. "Guard this child well, or I will kill you!"
The surrounding nature rumbled, hearing the azure dragon's threat.
"Yes, Senior," the old man said, cold sweat dripping down his still-bowed face.
The azure dragon departed, entrusting the young man to the old man.
The dragon's departure brought heavenly tribulation that followed the azure dragon as if telling it not to interfere with humans in the mortal realm.
After the azure dragon left, the old man looked at the unconscious young man.
"Why does the azure dragon care so much about this child?" the old man murmured, stroking his beard.
The old man was shocked to see the dragon pendant around Xiao Jun's neck.
"Th-this pendant! It's the pendant of a member of the Azure Dragon Empire!"
He hurriedly carried the young man into his house to treat him immediately.
The evening light had faded, replaced by the beautiful orange glow of twilight that illuminated the entire forest. In the sky, several cranes flew back to their nests.
Inside, the young man slept soundly. He suddenly dreamed of his parents being killed by the Ice Cloud Sect.
"Mother! Father!"
He woke up with heavy breaths.
"Why did Father and Mother sacrifice themselves just for me!" Xiao Jun held his head, cold sweat dripping from his pale face.
"You're awake?"
A hoarse voice came from the corner of the room. An old man with a white beard reaching his waist sat cross-legged on a bamboo mat. His wrinkled eyes gleamed with a strange light as if they could pierce the soul.
Xiao Jun immediately got up, but his legs trembled. His body was still weak after being severely injured.
"W... where am I?"
"In a safe place, for now," the old man replied, then pointed to the fireplace. "Drink this. Healing potion."
Xiao Jun looked at the earthenware pot over the fire. A thick green liquid was boiling, emitting a pungent, bitter aroma. But he had no choice. Trembling, he took the bowl and swallowed it all at once.
"AARGH-!"
It felt like his throat was on fire! But a few seconds later, warmth spread throughout his body. His previously aching wounds began to feel numb.
"You must be the child of Fang Chen and Lian, right?" the old man murmured.
"H-how do you know?!" Xiao Jun was startled and immediately backed away.
The old man frowned. "Because I was their guard. Your father and mother told me to leave and be free to go wherever I wanted. But... I chose to settle in this forest and told them that if they needed help, they could just call me."
Xiao Jun lowered his head and told the old man the bitter truth. "My parents... have been killed. And I'm the only one left."
The old man stood up, in disbelief. "W-what did you say?!"
"You're not joking, are you?" his face turned slightly pale, and his weak body swayed before collapsing to the floor after hearing Xiao Jun's words.
Tears began to fall from the old man's face; he still couldn't believe Xiao Jun's words.
"Even though... I told them that if they were in trouble, they could just call me. Yet... they, they ignored me."
The old man couldn't hold back his sorrow any longer.
"I..." Xiao Jun paused for a moment and continued, "I want you to train me in the way of cultivation!"
Xiao Jun's determination to avenge his parents' deaths strengthened.
The guard, who was initially grieving, now rose from the floor and approached him, placing his hands on Xiao Jun's shoulders with hope.
"Alright, young master, let us avenge your parents," a hint of sadness on the guard's face couldn't be hidden.
"Since it's getting late, how about the young master eat my cooking first? After that, the young master can sleep, and training will begin tomorrow morning."
Xiao Jun and the old guard ate together, both trying to calm themselves by comforting each other.
After eating and talking, the old guard concocted a purification pill.
Xiao Jun was still awake, slightly curious about the medicine he was refining.
"What are you refining, old guard?"
"Ah, I am refining a pill to help the young master train tomorrow," he said, tending the fire of the stove, a slight sweat on his brow.
"Oh, alright, but don't push yourself too hard, old guard," Xiao Jun said, lying down on the bed and beginning to close his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
"Rest assured, young master, I will make sure you become strong quickly and avenge your parents," he whispered, continuing to refine the pill.
In the distance, something was watching them from behind the trees.
"Is this the scent of the master?"