It was evening.
The sun was slowly hiding behind Godfallen Peak, painting the sky in fading gold and amber. Far away from the market's center, near the very edge of Tai Mu Mountain, only a few wooden and bamboo houses could be seen, standing quietly as if forgotten by the world.
Beneath a massive tree, two figures were sitting.
Autumn had already arrived, and dry leaves drifted down with every gentle breath of wind.
On one side sat a small boy. In his hand was a red Tanghu—bright and glossy, like small red tomatoes threaded onto a thin stick, a rare sweet often spoken of among cultivators. He held several of them, eating one happily, with an expression as if he had never tasted something so sweet before.
Beside him sat a boy of about fifteen years. His back was pressed against the tree trunk, one leg bent into a triangle, the other stretched straight. A flute rested in his hands as he tried to play it. The light of the setting sun reflected off his hair, giving it a soft glow, while warm sunlight gently fell across both of their faces.
In the distance, Godfallen Peak towered over the land. From its heights, a massive waterfall poured down endlessly, feeding into the Azure Blue River, whose blue waters flowed calmly through the mountains.
The two figures were none other than Fang Lin and Vren.
Fang Lin gazed toward God-Fallen Peak, his eyes tracing the silver waterfall cascading down its sheer face.
"What a breathtaking sight…" he murmured softly.
"Even in my real world, I never saw anything like this. No waterfalls. No mountains that felt alive. This world is overflowing with nature… it feels as though I could keep watching forever and never grow tired."
His gaze slowly dropped to the bamboo flute resting in his hands.
"…But this flute," he sighed inwardly, "no matter how hard I try, I can't make it play properly. I only bought it to calm my mind, hoping the sound would ease my thoughts. Well, it's fine. One day, when I learn how to play it, I'll make it sing properly."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"At least I won't call this a waste of spiritual stones. I made the decision myself."
Then his eyes shifted toward Vren, who was happily chewing on the bright red tanghulu, his expression filled with simple joy.
"The flute cost me five white spiritual stones," Fang Lin thought, "The seller said it could calm the mind and even aid cultivation. As for that candy… I got it for just one spiritual stone."
His gaze softened slightly.
"If nothing else, at least it made him happy."
Fang Lin hesitated, his gaze lingering on Vren.
Should I ask him now… about what happened to his big brother?
He paused, then gently shook his head.
No. Not now. Let him eat in peace. I'll ask him later.
Just then, a sudden voice echoed inside his mind.
"Fang Lin."
His body stiffened for a brief moment—then relief and quiet joy followed.
"So you're finally awake, Lingyi…
How long have you been watching us?
he asked inwardly."
Lingyi's voice replied calmly from within his consciousness:
"I awakened the moment your defensive artifact activated. Its power was far too heavy—my soul couldn't withstand the pressure. I had no choice but to wake."
Fang Lin continued speaking through his mind. From the outside, not a single sound escaped his lips.
"So you woke up because of the heavy pressure acting on you, he said inwardly.That means you must have seen everything that happened up to now."
Lingyi let out a quiet sigh inside his consciousness.
"Yes, I saw what happened later… but I didn't witness what occurred before that."
Fang Lin responded quickly,
"Then what exactly do you want to ask?"
Lingyi's voice turned thoughtful.
"I was simply wondering how you dealt with Lin Qingyu. At that point, the attackers hadn't even made their move yet—and your artifact hadn't activated either."
Fang Lin fell silent for a moment, thinking carefully before replying.
"Why did you ask about him first?
Was he more dangerous than the others?"
Lingyi spoke again, his tone carrying traces of the past.
"Lin Qingyu used to bully me and Mu Chen along with the others. Among them, he was the one I feared the most."
There was a brief pause, as if Lingyi was reliving those memories.
"His body matured early. Even as a child, he was far stronger than the rest. He enjoyed tormenting others—he truly took pleasure in it."
His voice grew quieter, tinged with disbelief.
"That's why I was surprised… no, astonished. You defeated him so easily, and without suffering a single injury."
Fang Lin spoke calmly.
"Yes… you're right. His body was tough—thick skin, strong frame. That's why I decided to do something different."
Lingyi sounded surprised.
"Different? What do you mean?"
Fang Lin paused before answering.
"To be honest, I don't know any martial arts. I've never learned them—neither in this world nor in my world . I've never fought seriously, not to this extent."
His voice remained steady, almost reflective.
"Back then, I was always satisfied with avoiding conflict. If I fought, my family would suffer because of it. We were already poor. My parents struggled just to educate me and my siblings."
He let out a quiet breath.
"Even if I wanted to fight, I didn't."
After a short silence, he continued.
"I was bullied in elementary and middle school. But when I reached high school, my grades improved. The same people who bullied me began to respect me."
There was no pride in his voice—only fact.
"Even in college, no one bullied me anymore."
Lingyi interrupted him, sounding a little helpless.
"Hey, Fang Lin… I was asking about the technique. You started telling your life story instead."
Fang Lin blinked, then let out a small, awkward laugh.
"Oh… sorry."
He paused for a moment, then continued calmly.
"I'll explain."
Fang Lin spoke calmly as he recalled the fight:
"When Lin Qingyu rushed toward Vren to snatch the sword, he never once considered that I would attack him.
His mentality was fixed — people like him are used to believing that those they look down on are weak, harmless, and beneath notice.
That arrogance was exactly what I used."
He paused briefly, his eyes steady.
"The moment his attention was fully on Vren, I stepped in and drove my fist straight into his face.
The impact sent him stumbling backward, blood spilling as he lost control of his posture.
He was still capable of standing, but his balance was already broken."
Fang Lin's voice remained emotionless.
"That was when I remembered something important — strength isn't always about overpowering someone head-on.
Without hesitation, I struck between his thighs.
His body collapsed instantly, crashing to the ground as he writhed, completely unable to fight back."
Fang Lin gave a short, humorless laugh.
"After that, I let out all my frustration on him — every punch, every strike I'd been holding back.
But his skin was ridiculously thick, and your body was still weak back then.
In the end, I got tired before he even stopped moving."
He sighed lightly, almost amused.
"Guess some people are born to be punching bags."
Lingyi fell silent for a moment.
Then his voice echoed in Fang Lin's mind again, carrying a strange mix of shock and disbelief.
"So… you didn't fight like a cultivator at all."
"No techniques. No forms. Just… pure street fighting."
Fang Lin smiled faintly, his gaze still resting on the distant Godfallen Peak, where the last light of the sun bled into the clouds.
"Cultivators fight with pride."
"Street fighters fight to end the fight."
He paused, then added calmly,
"I didn't need to defeat him."
"I only needed to break his confidence."
Lingyi let out a quiet breath.
"That kind of fighting… is shameless."
Fang Lin closed his eyes, the sound of the river far below blending with the wind.
"Exactly."
"That's why it works."
For the first time, Lingyi truly understood—
this boy didn't seek strength to dominate others…
By then, Vren had already finished the red tanghulu in his hands, licking the last traces of sweetness from his fingers.
Fang Lin glanced at him, then spoke to Lingyi through his mind.
"Lingyi… do you recognize this child?"
Lingyi slowly emerged from Fang Lin's consciousness, his soul-form materializing beside Vren. He crouched down, studying the boy closely, his expression unusually serious.
"I've never seen him before," Lingyi said softly,
"but… there's something familiar about him. A feeling I can't explain."
Fang Lin frowned slightly and replied quickly,
"How can that be? He only arrived this morning at the banquet. Even your family knew of him. He didn't come alone—there were others with him, wearing torn, almost savage-looking clothes."
"The family head told me they came from a lineage living beneath the mountain… a Rukhan—or something similar."
Lingyi's eyes widened as realization struck him.
"Ah… now I remember."
He straightened a little, memories surfacing from deep within his soul.
"When I was young, people like them came as well. They are called rukhan leanege,But this child wasn't among them."
"Back then, there was a tall, broad-shouldered boy—muscular, far stronger than his peers."
Lingyi looked back at Vren, his gaze sharpening.
"They resemble each other."
"This child might be his younger brother."
The wind rustled through the fallen leaves above them, and Fang Lin's expression grew thoughtful.
Fang Lin spoke quietly,
"So… you know about his brother?"
"Can you tell me what happened to him?"
Lingyi replied without tension, as if recalling an old, distant memory.
"Yes. I know him."
"They came back then, around the time of the awakening ceremony—when my sister obtained a B-grade aptitude."
Lingyi paused for a moment, then continued,
"It was only a small banquet. Nothing grand. Only the Fang family and a few mountain lineages were present."
His tone shifted slightly, curiosity seeping in.
"But why are you asking about his brother?"
"Did he not come this time?"
Lingyi then added, as if noticing something only now,
"And there's one more thing…"
"Why are you keeping this child by your side?"
The question lingered in the air, mixed with the sound of the distant waterfall and the rustling leaves—
as if both the mountain and the past were quietly waiting for Fang Lin's answer.
Fang Lin replied coldly, his presence pressing down like a silent weight.
"Yes. His brother did not come this time."
"And Vren acknowledged me as his big brother—so I stayed with him."
Lingyi froze, shock and confusion flashing through his voice.
"He didn't come this time…?"
"Why?"
Then Lingyi turned his gaze toward the small boy.
"And why would he call you his big brother?"
Fang Lin answered without hesitation. He placed a steady hand on Vren's shoulder.
"Because his brother is no longer alive."
Lingyi went silent.
Fang Lin continued, his voice low and controlled.
"They said his brother died at Godfallen Peak, killed by a Rank Five beast."
"After that, his younger brother—Vren—fell into trauma."
He glanced down at the child beside him.
"When I spoke to him, he accepted me as his big brother."
"I don't know why."
Fang Lin's eyes narrowed slightly as memories surfaced.
"But when he was with me, he lived like a normal child again."
"You saw it yourself in the market—how he reacted."
His hand tightened just a little, not in force, but in resolve.
"That's why I kept him with me."
"So he wouldn't fall back into that trauma again."
The wind passed through the falling leaves, and even Lingyi had no words left ask questions.
Lingyi shook his head slowly.
"Yes… it must have been extremely painful for him."
"But why are you asking about his brother now? He's already dead, isn't he?"
Fang Lin lifted his gaze sharply, his eyes locking onto Lingyi's soul form that still floated in the air.
"Do you truly believe he died because of a beast?"
He brought a hand to his chin, thinking deeply.
"I think there was another reason behind his death."
Lingyi asked immediately,
"Why do you think so?"
"Godfallen Peak is forbidden territory anyway."
Fang Lin replied calmly,
"If Vren witnessed it with his own eyes, then why didn't he die as well?"
"Do you really think beasts spare children?"
Lingyi fell silent, then nodded slowly.
"You're right… that does make sense."
"Is there any other reason to believe it wasn't caused by a beast?"
Fang Lin turned his gaze toward Vren, who sat quietly nearby.
"First—when I went to choose a sword today, why did Vren pick that sword?"
"There were better ones, even more suitable for his size, yet he ignored them."
He paused, his voice lowering.
"Second—out of all five people, why did Vren try to kill Yan Ruochen?"
"And not just attack him… but strike as if something extremely deep had been pulled from his heart."
"Something that could be connected to his brother."
Lingyi frowned slightly, irritation flickering across his voice.
"Your theories are… reasonable."
"But I can't think too much right now. If I do, my soul will weaken even faster."
He sighed.
"I'll fall asleep again soon."
"Why don't you ask him directly what happened that day?"
Fang Lin nodded.
"That's exactly why I brought him here."
"I want to know what truly happened."
"And why his family lied to me."
Both of their gazes settled on the small, innocent-looking child—
carrying a question far too heavy for someone his age.