CHAPTER 4 AN UNEXPECTED FRIEND
796 Words
Morning sunlight filtered through the towering trees behind the Rizz Clan.
Raizen and Jin Wu slowly walked down the narrow mountain path.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Finally...
Jin Wu broke the silence.
"So..."
"You really train here every single day?"
Raizen nodded.
"It's quiet."
"And no one bothers me."
Jin Wu rubbed the back of his neck.
"I can see why."
"If I had those noisy fools following me around every day, I'd hide up here too."
Raizen chuckled.
"You have an interesting way of comforting people."
"It worked, didn't it?"
"...A little."
Both of them laughed.
As they approached the clan grounds...
The laughter suddenly stopped.
Several disciples stood near the entrance.
Their mocking eyes immediately landed on Raizen.
"Oh?"
"The useless heir actually found a friend."
Another disciple crossed his arms.
"I wonder how desperate someone has to be before becoming friends with him."
The group burst into laughter.
Jin Wu frowned.
"Do they always act like this?"
Raizen calmly walked forward.
"They're just speaking what they believe."
"No."
Jin Wu shook his head.
"They're speaking because they know no one will stop them."
His words surprised Raizen.
Most people either mocked him...
Or ignored him.
Jin Wu was the first person to become angry on his behalf.
One disciple stepped forward.
"You."
He pointed at Jin Wu.
"If you don't want your reputation ruined..."
"Stop hanging around trash."
Silence.
Jin Wu blinked.
Then smiled.
"You know..."
"I've only known him for half an hour."
The disciples smirked.
"I already like him more than all of you combined."
Their smiles disappeared.
"You brat!"
One disciple rushed forward with a clenched fist.
Before the punch could land...
Raizen stepped between them.
"Enough."
His calm voice stopped everyone.
"This isn't worth fighting over."
The disciple sneered.
"You're scared."
"Maybe."
Raizen answered honestly.
"But fear isn't shameful."
"Losing control is."
The disciple's face turned red.
Unable to find a response...
He cursed under his breath before walking away.
The others reluctantly followed.
Jin Wu stared at Raizen.
"You could've beaten him."
Raizen shook his head.
"Could I?"
"I honestly don't know."
"And even if I could..."
"What would it solve?"
Jin Wu smiled.
"You really are different."
As they entered the clan...
A loud bell echoed throughout the compound.
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Every disciple immediately stopped what they were doing.
"The Gathering Bell?"
Jin Wu's expression became serious.
"What happened?"
Before anyone could answer...
A disciple sprinted across the courtyard.
"All young disciples!"
"The Clan Elder has summoned everyone to the main square!"
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Minutes later...
Hundreds of disciples stood neatly arranged before the massive stone platform.
Several elders overlooked the crowd.
At the center stood the Clan Head.
Rizz Magnus.
His commanding presence alone was enough to silence the entire square.
"The annual Clan Assessment..."
He announced.
"Will begin in three days."
Excitement spread through the crowd.
"This assessment..."
"Will determine rankings."
"Resources."
"And future opportunities."
Many disciples clenched their fists.
This was their chance to prove themselves.
The Clan Head continued.
"Anyone who performs exceptionally..."
"Will earn the right to enter the Spirit Gathering Pavilion."
Gasps echoed everywhere.
"The Pavilion?"
"Seriously?"
"That's where the clan stores its cultivation techniques!"
Even Raizen's eyes widened.
The Spirit Gathering Pavilion...
Very few disciples had ever entered it.
Suddenly...
The Clan Head's gaze swept across the crowd.
For just a moment...
His eyes met Raizen's.
Then moved on.
The brief glance carried no warmth.
Nor hatred.
Only disappointment.
Raizen lowered his head.
He had grown used to it.
After the gathering ended...
The disciples slowly dispersed.
Jin Wu walked beside him.
"You okay?"
Raizen smiled faintly.
"I've experienced worse."
Just then...
A soft breeze drifted through the courtyard.
Cherry blossom petals floated across the air.
Raizen instinctively looked up.
A young woman dressed in elegant pale-blue robes stood upon a distant corridor.
Her long black hair danced gently in the wind.
Her calm eyes briefly met his.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
The moment lasted only a heartbeat.
Then she quietly turned and disappeared beyond the corridor.
"...Who was that?"
Raizen asked.
Jin Wu's eyes widened.
"You don't know?"
Raizen shook his head.
"That's Su Ziling."
"The adopted granddaughter of Elder Su."
"They say she's the greatest genius our clan has seen in decades."
Raizen watched the now-empty corridor.
For some reason...
The look in her eyes hadn't contained contempt.
Nor pity.
Only curiosity.
Deep within his mind...
The Origin System's voice suddenly echoed.
"Special Destiny detected."
Raizen stopped walking.
"...Special destiny?"
No response came.
The System fell silent once more.
Leaving behind yet another mystery.
Raizen looked toward the sky.
Three days remained until the Clan Assessment.
He slowly clenched his fists.
This time...
He would no longer stand at the bottom.
- Writer
