Druidic Cultivation | Seventeen

“Over here, Little Brother Feng!” In a familiar situation, Feng Jiao was once again beckoned over my a young girl to sit near them during a campfire. This time, he recognized the person calling over to him, unlike when it was Duan Cao calling over to him, so he rushed over with Duan Cao in tow. 

“Big Sis Jing, I’ve told you to call me Jiao.” The girl beckoning to Feng Jiao was none other than Wang Jing, another of the girls who’d pledged the God Tree Grove with Feng Jiao and Duan Cao. She was a year older than Feng Jiao and a bit taller as well, with long slender legs that matched her flowing black hair. 

“You’re too much! I should be calling you Young Lord instead of Little Brother, we are in the Crouching Grass after all. We should keep up pretenses, regardless of how familiar we are with each other, at least with people around.” Wang Jing’s teasing smile lit up the night for many of the young men around, gathering a lot of envious gazes directed at Feng Jiao. If any of them knew what Wang Min and Feng Jiao had shown each other on the ride back, he’d likely be beaten into a pulp on the spot regardless of his rank. 

Feng Jiao found himself on the opposite end of the blushing as his face lit up red in the dim fire lighting. It also didn’t escape his notice that Duan Cao’s grip on his hand suddenly became much firmer as Feng Jiao and Wang Jing bantered. 

Feng Jiao and Duan Cao sat at the long wooden table filled with other children of their generation but talked to only Wang Jing and a few of her friends. The night passed slowly, with stars and moon doing their best to penetrate the smoky atmosphere of the feast to spy on the festivities. Eventually the food was rolled out and Feng Jiao used his position in the clan to secure his table a roasted hog-beast and a few hot pots of rice and vegetables.

He’d heard that when one reached a high level of cultivation they would no longer need to consume food to survive, becoming capable of sustaining off the energy of heaven and earth alone. Although he’d never met anyone at that level, he pondered the wisdom of doing so. Why would one want to live off nothing but cultivation and forego the delicious food and nutritious spirit meats and meads. Apart from being able to live longer in a desert or trap of some sort, Feng Jiao didn’t think the ability merited much admiration at all.

While Feng Jiao was biting into a particularly savory hunk of pork, with thick juices dripping down his cheek, when he spotted a silhouette making their way directly toward his group. Jiao instantly recognized the pompous swaggering of one of his older cousins and deigned it beneath his dignity to acknowledge his approach. Instead, Feng Jiao turned his head toward Duan Cao and squinted at his cousin while giving him a side-eye, a big sign of disrespect.

Wang Jing, as clever as she was, instantly caught onto Feng Jiao’s movement even without being able to see the cousin approaching from behind her, as she was sitting across from Feng Jiao and Duan Cao. She began chattering, about anything and nothing at all, to give Feng Jiao an excuse to ignore whoever was approaching behind her. 

“Little cousin, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Who would have guessed that you’d be hiding with the other little commoner girls?” Feng Lou maliciously spat out at his younger cousin, Feng Jiao. Although Feng Jiao considered him to be a huge idiot, Feng Lou was more than capable of noticing the disdain directed at his approach. It was to be expected from Feng Jiao, but to be disrespected by a couple of village girls as well, that was too much! Of course, he couldn’t lower himself to their level, so he went for his cousin first.

“Feng Lou! It is to be expected that you took this long to find me as your eyes rarely stray from the stronger gender. I’m surprised you even approached my table as I thought you feared female contact.” Feng Jiao had much history between himself and Feng Lou. Feng Lou had been one of the children who ruthlessly attempted to bully Feng Jiao while growing up. Often times Feng Lou would make fun of Jiao’s feminine appearance and try to turn the other children against Jiao, presumably due to orders from his father.  

From this, Feng Jiao’s sisters had started a rumor about Feng Lou’s preferences in certain areas of life which had caught on like a wildfire. When reglaing the vicious and toxic words that Feng Lou would use to describe Feng Jiao’s otherworldly-beauty, many of the girls in the village would pale, it wasn’t hard to convince them that Feng Lou despised femininity. Quickly, he found himself surrounded by only other males, as females tended to avoid him, which developed a sore spot for the young boy. Even now, Feng Jiao could see his cousin’s face redden and contort with anger, a much uglier look than his female friends had when talking with Feng Jiao. 

“You should watch what rumors you decide to spread, little cousin. Grandmother has assigned me as your martial mentor until I leave for my sect this winter. She probably figured that someone as untalented and unpopular as yourself needed a good mentor. As you know I am a grade-seven martial spirit talent, on the cusp of grade-eight. Should you choose to keep acting the way you do, I will not offer you any help. Even the third-rate God Tree Grove wouldn’t want you then!” Feng Lou laughed arrogantly while turning his head to look down on Feng Jiao.

“Who gave you this arrogance, Feng Lou? You don’t even come close to comparing to Big Brother Jiao! When was the last time you had any female companionship, let alone a table full of young beauties who hung on your every word? You should leave with your tail between your legs, arrogant dog.” Wang Jing viciously lashed out at the young man standing behind her before Feng Jiao could even respond. She was known around the village as ‘Steel-tongued’ and showed that she knew how to strike for the heart with her words. Her attitude was the reason many young boys choose not to court her, but if you asked her it was the other way around. As if to reinforce the point, Duan Cao scooted closer to Feng Jiao and laid her head upon his shoulder while glaring at Feng Lou.

“Good, Good, Good. Not only do you hide behind little girls, but you let them fight your battles too. Little cousin, a word of advice. All of these little women will grab onto your legs, holding tightly. You’re their easy path to wealth, they’d all fight to be a bedmaid for any young lord, even a third-rate trap like you.”

“Elder Cousin, there is no need for you to keep running that dog mouth of yours. Not only do I reject the dog-crap breath you breath in my direction, but I will not accept any tips or pointer from somebody so average as yourself. With your aptitude and appearance, you’d be lucky to be accepted into the sect that sponsored you. If I were them, I’d write you off as a failed investment and send you back to the pig sty you came from.

“You call your phobia of girls a rumor, but it is no rumor that you’re nothing more than a reject. Everybody here knows that you were deemed as nothing more than a bare-grade seven talent. ‘Infinitely close to a grade six’ if my memory serves me well. Not only did you get rejected from the first-grade sect that you petitioned for sponsorship first, but your arrogance was put on display when you followed up by petitioning every top-grade sect in order of ranking. Each and every one of them rejected you, along with most of the mid-grade sects.

“You call my God Tree Grove third-rate, but even you must know it is on the cusp of a revolution that will likely push it through into the top-grade seatings. The only reason you speak ill of it is because of your ‘rumored’ fear of women, a fear your father obviously shares considering the absence of a mother in your household. Must you feel so emasculated that you look down on your betters so frequently? It’s very unbecoming of a peasant, let alone a young lord.” Like an expert archer, Feng Jiao ruthlessly struck out at every one of his cousin’s weak points, including his mother leaving him at a young age for good measure.

Feng Lou stood there moving his lips wordlessly for two breaths before shouting while spitting in anger. As he spoke, Feng Jiao raised his plate as if to deflect the globs of saliva flying unconstrained from his cousin’s mouth.

“You may think whatever you want to think, but you may not say whatever you want to say, little boy-girl. If you keep trying to encroach on the territory of a real man, you’ll be beaten down by one. I’ll see you at the Annual Feng Family Reunion.” Feng Lou spat on the ground next to his feet and glared at Feng Jiao. His eyes wandered for to Duan Cao who was still holding tightly to Feng Jiao, although she hadn’t spoken a word thus far, and a malicious look flashed through his eyes. He turned and stormed away, likely to lick his wounds from the lost verbal battle and plot revenge.

“I didn’t realize that there were people who actually acted like that. I always thought that level of arrogance and evil belonged to a bedtime story villain. Why would your cousin be so malicious to you, Big Brother Jiao?” It wasn’t only Duan Cao, the one who’d spoken, who wanted to know. The entire table listed with rapt ears, drawn in by the scene Feng Lou had caused, curious as to why someone would be so aggressive toward their own blood.

“It’s likely that Granny Xiaoke didn’t tell him my results from the awakening ceremony. I’d wager that most of the adults who weren’t present, as well as children from previous ceremonies, don’t know the exact results of our awakening. She likely wanted to save it for the announcement after food, otherwise he wouldn’t dare to speak so freely

“As for why he’s so mean, it’s likely because all of the beatings I gave him when we were younger. Since the age of four, I’ve been able to top him in a fight even though he was three years older than myself, a situation that popped up frequently as he didn’t know when to stop running his mouth. It wasn’t just him, all of my cousins have been against me since the day I was born, so I hit them all.” Feng Jiao didn’t mention the fact that he’d reincarnated with years of unarmed combat training memories, carry-overs from the life he couldn’t remember.

It was true that all of his cousins, including the second and third cousins who visited semi-frequently, had been rude to him since day one. He’d long since made the connection between his uncle’s hate for his father and their children’s behavior. Most of the village knew that Feng Jiao’s mother was favored for taking up the mantle of village matriarch and had been held back only by her inability to produce an heir, which ended the moment Feng Jiao was born.

“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.” A strong woman’s voice spread throughout the clearing, causing Feng Jiao along with everybody else to stop speaking. The voice was strong and tired, clearly coming from a distinguished elder, and was a voice that Feng Jiao knew well. Granny Xiaoke had taken the stage and the night was getting ready to end.