Chapter 16: You Don’t Express Yourself Like a Child

Wuyi considered Boluo's question. "No one," he finally replied. "It happened naturally. We were together often," he added, thinking that might clarify things. He decided it was better to let Boluo believe that it was something related to him being born from a noble bloodline. He did not mention the statue or chamber.

Boluo studied him intently. "You don't express yourself like a child; I rarely see you acting like one, but I guess that's how noble bloodline children are," he observed. "That is often the case with noble kids because they possess bloodline powers. From a young age, they are different; they know too much. And as they age, they become even more knowing. The sects admire such talents. It is said only the purest of bloodlines could bring about the best cultivators. Your father had a special bloodline power too; he had mentioned one time it was called Guzhi Insight," he said. "Do you comprehend what I'm revealing to you, Wuyi?"

Again, Wuyi shook his head. Sensing Boluo's rising frustration, he compelled himself to ask, "What is this bloodline power you speak of?"

For a moment, Boluo appeared incredulous, then skeptical. 'You truly don't know?' he finally admitted, suspecting that someone like Wuyi, displaying such power, must have awakened a bloodline ability and should certainly know what they have awakened. It's an innate ability that anyone who awakens it understands immediately. However, here the kid says he doesn't know. Maybe Wuyi had awakened it at such a young age that he did not understand his bloodline powers.

"The noble bloodline powers," Boluo began cautiously, his face turning somber as if he was recalling long-forgotten secrets, "originate from the primordial essence that the ancestors of noble clans cultivated and ascended from the mortal world. Similar to how different skills are passed down through the training of warriors. But for bloodline powers, you do not need to train anything special. It awakens in noble blood on its own. That does not mean you don't train it; once awakened, you have to put in work just like other skills. It is not always a blessing; it feels like a gift, granting you abilities, but sometimes it swallows you if not trained in it properly. There is no one who will train you. If anyone found out you have awakened any bloodline ability, which it seems you have, you might suffer a lot."

He looked away from Wuyi and stared into the dying embers of the fire, his voice softening as he continued. "Your bloodline ability seems to enable you to connect and communicate with anyone. I had felt a few times when you used bloodline power, but I never actively tried to understand. Now it all makes sense why I became attached to you and decided to be your guardian so easily. Maybe you could become a beastmaster in the future, but the truth is you cannot and are not allowed to use your bloodline abilities. Some say that talented cultivators with such bloodline power could control high-level spirit beasts in the future. But if not trained properly, they are consumed by the same beast. Even if it doesn't swallow you, when the Yuanjing clan finds out that a bastard spawn is using bloodline power, what will they do? They will kill you and me, fearing that you might want to take over the clan or reveal its secrets. Tell me, will you use your bloodline abilities?"

Wuyi felt small and insignificant next to the massive Boluo. "I don't know," he answered, his voice barely a whisper. In his mind, Wuyi was surprised that Boluo could feel his power when he used the statue to manipulate his emotions.1

Boluo's gaze turned to Wuyi, filled with disbelief and indignation. "You don't know?" He almost snarled. "I lay out the grim path before you, and all you can say is that you don't know?"

Wuyi's tongue felt parched, and he noticed Haowen cowering beside him. "But how can I know the future, the choices I will make?" he protested softly.

"If you won't decide, then I will!" Boluo thundered, and Wuyi could fully perceive how much he had been restraining his emotions, along with how much he had imbibed that evening. "The pup leaves, and you stay here, under my watchful eyes. If the Yuanjing clan won't accept you and is making me take care of you, I will accept my fate. But at the very least, I can ensure young master Xuan's son becomes a man, lives a good life if not a cultivator or warrior. I will not let anything get us killed just because you have special bloodline. I'll commit to this, even if it's the last thing we both do."

Boluo lunged from the bench, aiming to grab Haowen by the scruff. But in a synchronized move, the pup and Wuyi dodged his reach. They dashed for the door, but it was securely latched. Before Wuyi could figure out how to unlock it, Boluo had cornered them. He used his boot to push Haowen away and grabbed Wuyi by the shoulder, shoving him back. "Haowen, come!" he ordered, but the hound scurried to Wuyi's side instead.

Wuyi could sense the seething anger within Boluo's mind, a storm of fury tempting him to strike them down. The statue rotated in his mind. He tried to calm Boluo.

It worked. Boluo seemed to be calming, but the sheer force of his suppressed rage terrified Wuyi.

But then suddenly, Boluo's mind flared, and he lunged at them once again. The statue in Wuyi's mind shook. He felt some sort of new energy pulsating within him, and a pulse of energy was released around him. Boluo was flung away. He collapsed to the floor like a bird shot from the sky, momentarily stunned.

Boluo shook his head, as if dispelling an illusion, and then stood up. "It's in his lineage," he mumbled to himself. "But the boy must learn."1

Locking eyes with Wuyi, he sternly warned, "Never do that to me again. Now, hand over the pup."

Boluo moved toward them once more, and feeling the heat of his concealed wrath, Wuyi instinctively pushed back with his energy. But this time, Boluo countered with an invisible martial force that rebounded Wuyi's attack, causing him to stumble and nearly black out, his mind enveloped in darkness.

"I warned you," Boluo said softly, his voice echoing like a wolf's growl. Then, with one final grasp, he pulled Haowen and took him to the door. The latch that had thwarted Wuyi was easily undone by him, and soon the sound of his heavy footsteps descending the stairs filled the room.

Regaining his senses, Wuyi ran to the door, trying to force it open. But it was locked from the outside. As Haowen was pulled away from him, he whimpered, then let out a howl, frantically clawing at the door.