Rebirth: The Fierce Dao Companion

Chapter 5 – First Encounter

Since that incident, Lu Li resumed his usual demeanor, appearing as if nothing had ever happened. He remained the same obedient and polite boy.

However, both Mu Yingli and Lu Kanghe often seemed on the verge of speaking to him, their eyes filled with a mixture of emotions. Lu Li, however, chose to act as though he hadn’t noticed, avoiding the subject entirely.

Several days had passed since he had been trapped in the back mountain. The group led by Lu Zheng hadn’t come looking for him again—not because they thought he had perished in the forest, but because the Yangling Sect was coming to the Lu family tomorrow to select disciples.

The name “Yangling Sect” was known across both the mortal and cultivation realms.

In the cultivation world, three major sects stood at the pinnacle: the Yangling Sect, the White Crane Sect, and the Crimson Flame Sect.

The Yangling Sect specialized in the Dao, the White Crane Sect in beast taming, and the Crimson Flame Sect in elemental magic.

This time, the Yangling Sect was visiting the Lu family because they had a rare talent among their ranks—a cultivator with Heavenly Spiritual Roots.

In the current era, the cultivation world was no longer as prosperous as it had been millennia ago. Heavenly Spiritual Roots, once rare but not unheard of, were now exceedingly scarce.

Lu Li had heard that this prodigious talent had been chosen by the Yangling Sect’s leader, Real Immortal Yuanyang, Lin Yuyang, when he was still a child. The boy was only waiting to grow older before formally joining the sect.

The one with the Heavenly Spiritual Roots was Lu Ning, the eldest son of Lu Li’s second uncle. Coincidentally, he was the same age as Lu Li.

However, Lu Ning was treated as a treasure by the Lu family and rarely appeared in public. Lu Li had only caught a glimpse of him from afar once. Despite his mild features, Lu Ning carried an air of condescension and arrogance that Lu Li instinctively disliked.

Lu Li avoided such people whenever possible, so his curiosity about the so-called genius was minimal.

Lu Zheng, though not a possessor of Heavenly Spiritual Roots, had single-element Spiritual Roots, a fact that had earned him significant favor within the family. He would likely be chosen by the sect leader as well, leaving him no time to bother Lu Li.

Over the five years he had spent here, and with Tuanzi’s teachings over the past few days, Lu Li had learned much about Spiritual Roots and their classifications.

Apart from the Heavenly Spiritual Roots, the next best were single-element roots. The purer the Spiritual Root, the better the cultivation potential.

Dual-element roots were passable, but triple-element and quadruple-element roots were considered impure and came with diminished aptitude.

Beyond these were False Spiritual Roots and what Lu Li had previously been identified with—Waste Spiritual Roots.

False Spiritual Roots were effectively fake and even worse than impure ones. Waste Spiritual Roots meant one was no different from a mortal.

Time spent learning always seemed to fly by. Soon enough, the day of the Yangling Sect’s arrival dawned. Early that morning, the Lu family began their preparations.

Lu Li and his family, however, were instructed to remain confined to their courtyard, forbidden from venturing anywhere else.

They were long accustomed to such treatment. While it was disheartening, they saw no reason to argue—it wasn’t as if the family’s affairs had anything to do with them.

Bored, Lu Li lounged in the pavilion, gazing at the clear sky. He idly guessed that the guests were probably enjoying a lavish lunch by now.

Earlier, passing servants had mentioned the arrival of the Yangling Sect, describing their presence as celestial and awe-inspiring.

Lu Li smirked, cradling Tuanzi in his arms. Despite his outward disinterest, a faint curiosity lingered in his heart.

Tuanzi, meanwhile, was half-asleep, resembling a fluffy ball of yarn. Lu Li, however, busied his hands with a nine-linked puzzle he had taken from the spatial treasure.

He had played with similar puzzles in his past life and was well-acquainted with the techniques for solving them.

Within moments, the final piece clicked into place with a crisp ding, and the puzzle opened.

Just then, a childlike voice came from nearby.

“What’s that in your hand?”

Startled, Lu Li turned toward the voice.

Standing there was a stunningly beautiful child, as though they had stepped out of a painting of an immortal fairy. The child’s eyes were wide with curiosity, fixed on him.

A sudden breeze swept through, lifting the child’s hair and revealing a fiery red mark on their smooth forehead.

The mark resembled a living flame, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed to sear directly into Lu Li’s heart.

Lu Li had long realized he had a weakness for beautiful things.

He had seen his share of beauties before—his mother was a stunning woman herself—but he had never encountered someone so breathtaking.

The child before him couldn’t have been older than nine or ten, their features not yet fully developed. Even so, the delicate beauty of their face was beyond anything Lu Li had ever seen.

Beneath their long, willow-leaf brows were a pair of enchanting phoenix-shaped eyes, slightly round at the corners but already carrying a hint of natural charm. A high, elegant nose and soft, crimson lips completed the face. The lips, shaped like a delicate bow, had a slight pout that added a touch of irresistible cuteness.

Their fair, rosy cheeks were adorned with a faint flush of baby fat, enhancing their youthful charm.

Lu Li felt a strange warmth in his nose and instinctively raised a hand to check. No nosebleed.

Still, he couldn’t help but question himself. Am I some kind of pervert? How can I feel like this just looking at a child?

While Lu Li was caught up in his self-reflection, the child furrowed their brows slightly, displeased by his silence.

“Why aren’t you answering me?” the child asked, their lips pouting even more adorably.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Lu Li finally composed himself. He glanced at the child and spoke, “This is a nine-ring puzzle. Little miss, what are you doing here? You should go back; this isn’t a place for you.”

His words were well-intentioned, but as soon as he finished speaking, the child puffed out their cheeks in indignation and stomped toward him.

Looking up at Lu Li, they said with fiery determination, “I’m a boy! Not some crying little girl!”

Lu Li froze.

His eyes fell on the child again, taking in their crimson robes and delicate features. He couldn’t believe it—such an angelic face belonged to a boy?

Seeing how genuinely upset the child was, Lu Li quickly offered the nine-ring puzzle as an apology.

“I’m sorry, that was my mistake. Here, take this as a peace offering. Would that be okay?”

Children were easily placated, and this one was no exception. Seeing Lu Li’s sincerity, the boy let out a small huff before accepting the puzzle.

Holding it in his hands, the boy studied it curiously, clearly perplexed.

Lu Li chuckled softly at the sight of the boy’s furrowed brows. Gently, he began to guide him, explaining how to solve it.

As Lu Li spoke patiently, the boy gradually leaned into him, his small, warm body pressing against Lu Li’s chest.

The unexpected closeness made Lu Li stiffen slightly, unsure of how to react.

But after steadying himself, he reminded himself that this was just a child. With that in mind, he relaxed and continued teaching.

The boy’s soft hair brushed against Lu Li’s chin, tickling him. A faint, pleasant fragrance emanated from the child, though Lu Li couldn’t place its origin.

They became thoroughly engrossed in the game, one teaching and the other learning, both completely absorbed.

Nearby, Tuanzi, who had long since woken up, observed the scene with his shimmering amethyst eyes. Stretching lazily, the fluff ball seemed to muse about how inhabiting this mortal form was making him lazier by the day—a habit he needed to correct.

Just as Tuanzi twitched his round ears, a voice called out in the distance.

“Xiaoyan!”

The boy immediately lifted his head from Lu Li’s arms and turned toward the voice.

“I’m here, Senior Brother!” he called back, leaning over the pavilion railing to look for the source of the voice.

Lu Li followed his gaze and saw a tall man in white robes with blue patterns walking toward them.

The boy responded eagerly, “Senior Brother, I’m here!” He moved to climb down from the railing but accidentally stepped on his robe’s hem.

In an instant, he lost his balance and tumbled over the edge.

The railing overlooked a lake.

The incident happened so quickly that by the time Lu Li realized what was happening, he had already jumped in after the boy.

The child clearly couldn’t swim. Eyes tightly shut and lips pale with fear, he clung helplessly to the water.

Lu Li managed to grab him with one arm, but as a mere thirteen-year-old, he lacked the strength to pull them both to safety. He focused on keeping the boy’s head above water.

Just as they surfaced, a blinding white light flashed above them.

A strong hand grabbed the back of Lu Li’s collar, lifting both him and the child effortlessly out of the water and depositing them on the pavilion floor.

Sitting on the wet ground, Lu Li stared blankly, still processing what had just occurred.

Tuanzi waddled over to him, nudging his hand gently with his head.

The small gesture snapped Lu Li out of his daze. Shaking himself, he stood and looked around, but the man who had saved them was nowhere to be seen.

Tuanzi’s voice sounded in his mind, cool and calm. “That child has been taken away by his senior brother.”

Recalling the hand that had grabbed his collar, Lu Li slumped back onto the bench, only to realize he was holding something.

Opening his tightly clenched fist, he stared at the object in bewilderment.

It was a small, red... bellyband.

He unfolded it hesitantly, revealing an embroidered duck on its surface.

For a moment, Lu Li simply stared at the garment, his emotions a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.

Tuanzi nudged him again, his tone sharp. “It’s just a child. And a boy, at that.”

Flustered, Lu Li shoved the bellyband into his spatial treasure, muttering defensively, “I’m not a pervert! I just... looked at it, that’s all.”

Tuanzi closed his eyes, choosing not to dignify the comment with a response.

As for the boy, Lu Li would never learn what happened to him afterward. Tuanzi later mentioned that the man who had saved him was the Yangling Sect leader’s eldest disciple, so the boy, being a member of the sect, would undoubtedly be fine.

Still, whenever Lu Li recalled the boy’s striking appearance, he couldn’t help but marvel.

The next day, the Lu family’s restrictions on Lu Li’s household were lifted. The Yangling Sect had departed, taking with them not only Lu Ning, the Heavenly Spiritual Roots prodigy, and Lu Zheng, with his single-element roots, but also three other children with dual-element roots—all of whom had once bullied Lu Li.

Lu Li felt a weight lift from his chest. It wasn’t fear that had bothered him, but rather the constant annoyance of dealing with them.

That morning, after helping with the chores, Lu Li was preparing to head out when his father called him to the hall.

His mother was already there, sitting quietly. Lu Kanghe’s expression was serious as always, and Lu Li had a faint inkling of what this might be about.