Druidic Cultivation | Eighteen

“Friends, family, and guests. I hope you’re all enjoying this feast that we’ve thrown together, but if I may have your attention for a moment I’ve got an announcement to make.” Matriarch Feng spoke to the crowd, silencing the ongoing conversations and drawing eyes to herself from all around.

“It looks like everybody has been eating their fill and enjoying themselves, but I’d like to remind us all why we’ve gathered here today. Two generations ago, my grandmother and several of her retainers and servants were sent to his mountain to build upon the Feng family’s newest territory. The Crouching Grass Village was founded and has grown into a power of its own, with several more families moving in to grow ardor grasses and train. 

“This past awakening ceremony has marked an important milestone. One of the largest mid-tier sects on this side of the country has elected to sponsor the Crouching Grass village. The God Tree Grove has sent us numerous amounts of cultivation resources in exchange for us using them to rear new talents to enter their sect, this is a good thing. Although this change was brought about by one of my very own grandchildren, Feng Jiao, the offer of sponsorship has been extended to all of the children of the Crouching Grass. 

“At the end of the day, everybody in this Crouching Grass is family, regardless of one’s surname or sectoral allegiance. In this trying time of growth and trials we must stick together, now more than ever, and strive for greatness as one village. Each of the children present today is a foundation for our future, and we are all relying upon you.

“Feng Jiao, come up here.” Granny Xiaoke summoned Feng Jiao to the stage, which didn’t surprise him too much. As he stood up, the eyes that had been glued to the matriarch began to burn toward Feng Jiao as heads swiveled to catch sight of the one who supposedly was ushering in such a fortuitous event for the village. Feng Jiao didn’t pay them any attention and directly ascended toward the raised wooden platform, near-ish to the center of the clearing, where his grandmother was standing. He bowed in respect and she returned his salute before continuing her speech.

“As is tradition in the Crouching Grass, every six months the most outstanding talent from the awakening ceremony is awarded additional cultivation resources. This season, the reward was supposed to be a Three-Tailed Tempering Pill,” A murmur spread throughout the crowd as they heard the name of a mid-grade martial medicine spoken. This reward was one that was one of the best they’d ever heard be awarded to the youngest generation. Many suspected the granny of nepotism almost immediately, wondering if the reward was so vast only because one of her kin had scored so well. 

Granny Xiaoke frowned gently when the rumor mill began spinning at full speed, quietly waiting for the crowd to finish their harsh whispering. It would have been easy to speak over the gossipers, but Granny did not see the need to do so. Eventually they would realize that they were not nearly as quiet as they thought they were, and would silence themselves. 

    As predicted, shortly after the outbreak of chatter, it suddenly died off as those talking saw others staring in their direction. Several blushed in embarrassment but others had the nerve to look toward the village matriarch as if they’d been doing nothing wrong. Those were the ones who most adamantly felt wronged by the matriarch’s supposed blatant favoritism.

    “As I was saying, the reward was supposed to be a Three-Tailed Tempering Pill that the Feng Family gifted to me during last year’s reunion. I’m sure many of you recognize the name of the pill as it is one of the primary exports of the Feng Family proper, capable of tempering the blood and clearing the mind to assist in breakthroughs.

    “This pill is still the reward for little Jiao’er here,” Eyes swiveled and attempted to penetrate Feng Jiao with their gaze once more but he paid them no mind, “but, it is only part of the reward. The God Tree Grove was so impressed with Feng Jiao’s results that they too gifted a valuable cultivation resource for Feng Jiao.” Granny Xiaoke did not name the pill but pulled out a small, delicate jade box alongside the Three-Tailed Tempering Pill. 

    Feng Jiao had already been showered in gifts from the God Tree scouts back in Willow Mountain City but accepted the new award nonetheless. Although, with his ability to barrow Qi from the nature surrounding him, he had little issues with Qi gathering and breakthroughs, Feng Jiao was not one to neglect a free meal. Feng Jiao peaked the box open for only a second to observe what was within but that second was long enough for dense medicinal aura to escape into the surroundings. Just the smell alone told the entire clearing how valuable the box was.

    “That’s a Five-Seasons Pine Pellet! Matriarch Feng, you go too far! Not only do you award your own grandchild with a Feng Family Three-Tailed Tempering Pill, a mid-grade mortal medicine, but you also gift him a Peak-grade medicine in front of us! Are you trying to play us for fools? Why would a mid-tier sect give away such an expensive medicine to a ten-year old hopeful?” One of the elder men who was most upset about the Three-Tailed Tempering Pill previously couldn’t take it anymore, standing up and directly shouting his objection toward the stage. 

    Although he was the first to speak up, he wasn’t the only one who objected to Feng Jiao’s treatment. Many of them had children who’d been sponsored by the God Tree Grove that season, with talents in the fifth and sixth grade. They didn’t believe Feng Xiaoke for a second when she said that the God Tree awarded the pellet, fully believing that their matriarch was embezzling the village’s own funds into her progeny. 

    “Silence! I do not care how much you object to the God Tree’s judgement, but you will not accuse me of stealing from this village. I, Feng Xiaoke, have gone out of my way to better this village since the day I took the seat of village head, and long before that as well. 

    “Feng Jiao managed to generate two different peak-eighth grade martial spirits during his awakening. That is a phenomena that has not been observed within this country before. Just their appearances cowed the entire arena and had several top-tier sects snapping at each other’s throats to recruit our Feng Jiao. Not only did he turn down each one in succession, he publicly requested to join the God Tree Grove, gifting them much face and gaining their favor. 

    “If you just considered that action by itself, let alone the fact that our Crouching Grass has not produced a grade eight talent before, then Feng Jiao deserves far more than I am gifting him as an award. All of you who are upset, know that your children were only accepted into the God Tree Grove based on the merits awarded to them by Feng Jiao’s actions.” With that, Granny Xiaoke said not another word, directly dismounting the stage and returning to her table to eat. 

    Feng Jiao stood there awkwardly for a few moments and observed the crowd before leaving. When he spotted his no-good cousin, Feng Lou, with black lines all over his face, he couldn’t help but feel happy. The sour and frustrated look upon Feng Lou’s face clearly told the world that there was no medicine for regret, and he’d made a dangerous enemy. 

    The rest of the feast went by quickly, most of the food having already been prepared and eaten, and the crowd dispersed quietly. Although most understood Feng Xiaoke’s words to be truth and were thankful to Feng Jiao, there were many others who were too envious to back down. Feng Jiao walked Duan Cao and Wang Jing home under the heavy glares of several men but nobody tried anything. As anxious as they were, it didn’t make sense to attack a child because of his good fortune. 

    The next morning, Feng Jiao sought out his father for a conversation. With so many goals building up on Feng Jiao’s plate, he had no time to waste and wanted to get more powerful as soon as possible. He found his father as the sun was rising, carrying in water from their pump and preparing for his day.

    “Jiao’er, good morning. What are you doing up so early?” Feng Zhipei greeted his only son with a wide smile, clearly still glowing about the night before. To hear his mother berate so many other people on behalf of his son made Zhipei extremely happy and proud. After all, he and his wife had struggled for many years to have a child and the every child they’d had since then had turned out perfectly. 

    “Father, your son has an unfilial request to make of you. I wish to spend the next three months leading up to the Family Reunion in the forest. I want to train to my heart’s content and compete in the yearly youth competition.” Feng Jiao bowed deeply as he made his request, knowing he was putting his father in a hard place. Sure enough, when Feng Jiao looked at his father’s face he saw various conflicting emotions.

    “Jiao’er… You’ve already brought so much honor to your parents, there is no need to do something so dangerous. You’ve only just awakened your martial spirit and that competition will be filled with your cousins who have been cultivating for years. That isn’t even taking into account how dangerous the mountain is.”

    “I understand that, but I leave for the God Tree Grove in the winter. This will be my only chance to show up all of the cousins who’ve resented me for so long. I need to do this, if not for you then for myself. 

    “Don’t think I’m just seeking my own injury, I have full faith in my ability to defend myself in the forest and in the competition. Thanks to my dual marital spirits, I cultivate much faster than anyone else I’ve met.” Feng Jiao decided to use his “dual spirits” as an excuse to mask his cultivation speed. Although only his ember hawk was the only apparition that appeared during his cultivation, Feng Jiao believed he could convince his father that the massive ash tree was there as well, and needed to be within nature to work at its fullest extent.

    Feng Zhipei was still not convinced so Feng Jiao decided to give him a demonstration. The young boy walked up to a nearby boulder that stood nearly as high as his waist. With a swift motion, Feng Jiao circulated his locus meridian to its maximum and axe kicked the rock. Cracks spread through the stone like a glass in a fire causing the boulder to fracture in many place.

    “I’ve already managed to awaken my locus meridian and I think that if you allow me to spend the next few months in the forest, I will be able to awaken at least three more meridians. I might not be able to win the Feng Family competition, but I will be able to bring honor to the Crouching Grass anyways.” 

    Although Feng Zhipei wasn’t entirely convinced, he also knew that a martial artist had to face strife in order to grow. His son would be leaving home in only six months to join the God Tree Grove and Feng Zhipei thought that the experience could serve Feng Jiao well. After soliciting a promise to avoid going to high up the mountain, where the stronger beasts dwelled, Feng Zhipei gave his son a sharp knife and scabbard that he carried on him at all times. 

    Before his father could change his mind, Feng Jiao pivoted and sprinted back to his room to grab the bag he’d already packed with cultivation resources and rations before turning to the forest and disappearing amongst the titan trees. Feng Jiao did not intend to only ‘bring honor to the Crouching Grass’ but to entirely sweep the entire Feng Family youth competition. Like the results for the Awakening Ceremony, there was often an award for the best of the Feng Family youth. 

    The knife he carried from his father went straight into the sack. Feng Jiao intended to integrate the unarmed skills he’d learned in his previous life with his body in this one, choosing to use the knife only for harvesting beasts and spirit medicines, should he find any. An apparition of a red falcon appeared above his head as he ran deeper into the forest, looking for beasts to hunt in order to refine his fighting style. With Qi slowly floating in through his acupoints, Feng Jiao began his first journey alone.