Growing Up in Dongying(Japan)

Dongying, Mt. Osore, two weeks later...

'Before I teach you any skills, we will focus on your Golden Core development first.' Wuxian told Xuanyu. 'The younger the stronger, and the older the weaker core it will be. Bad for lives like ours.' he said with a cringe.

'Especially with war coming, right, laoshi?' Xuanyu gulped.

'Sadly, yes. So focus and work hard A-Yu. None of us wished for war but alas, ambition and greed makes a monster out of anybody.' Wuxian tut-tutted. 'Here we are at my old workshop! This place is rich in qi, this place will make you a Golden Core within three months! This place is that rich.'

'EHHHH?!' Xuanyu's eyes bulged.

'I'll bring friends of mine here at some point should they survive the war.' Wuxian sighed. 'But I'll check on them time to time, OK? So I will teach you survival skills as you need to at least, form a Golden Core to be strong enough to use a Qiankun Pouch, while it will take Low Golden Core Realm to enable a cultivator to use even a weak talisman.'

'Yes!'

'So we'll begin...'

The routine was, Wuxian will take care of their livelihood, Xuanyu focus on forming Golden Core by absorbing enough qi to go past Qi Formation and Foundation Establishment.

By how rich Mt. Osore was, what would take years, is easily accomplished in three months. The hard part is the upper levels of Golden Core Realm, that is!

Back home, a disciple who formed a Golden Core at a young age in a good feng shui place, will take minimum of four years to be at peak Low-Level Gold Core stage. While cultivators cultivating in a lousy place will take longer. Inborn Talent and Potential is also a factor to one's rise.

While it's easy to achieve Peak Low Golden Core stage, the hard part is Middle to Peak Levels and at most, it'll take decades as the power needed to become Nascent Soul, is enormous that not even the likes of Wen Ruohan obtained Nascent Soul.

However, should Xuanyu achieve Golden Core Formation, they will focus on Body Cultivation as once the Golden Core is formed, the core will passively cultivate, actively absorbing qi while the Body Cultivation needs more active effort. Thankfully Xuanyu was still 'young enough' to still achieve a high-quality Golden Core as 12 onwards, it will be a weaker Golden Core when puberty hits. It does not help, that his talent is mediocre, so compensation is a must so he can catch up to his peers and conceal this one bit about himself.

Rumors is enough to drive one to despair, especially if you cannot defend yourself. Xuanyu would know that given how he lived years of that and his poor mother weathered that out.

Xuanyu was lucky he was found at 11 and taken to a 'rich place'!

That, and Wuxian will teach him Battojutsu using wooden bokken once said core is formed. And by passively cultivating in Mt. Osore, Xuanyu will be peak Low Level by end of the year but if he actively cultivates, he would be Low Middle Core and his body a Low Bone Refining. That is already a VERY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT for a child. He also learns Manners and Etiquette befitting a Gentleman, Letters, Arithmetic, and Archery. He also ensured that before Wuxian leaves for a job, Xuanyu has a lot of food and can cook.

Wuxian had headed for Dusk Creek Mountain and set up traps, hiding his corpses of poisonous snakes up in trees.

Soon, the Indoctrination Camps came.

The one who must die first, is Wen Zhuliu. Without him, Wen Chao will piss his pants.

And just like last time...yup, everyone suffered. Except him this time.

"Closer...closer..." and Wuxian activated his hidden talismans...and out rained his fatal trap.

'ZHULIU!' Wen Chao gasped as Wen Zhuliu howled as poisonous snakes rained on the man, fangs bared and biting him hard.

'SNAKES!' panic ensued as juniors stuck by the sect and avoided the trees in fear while the women were protected by their men.

"This time, the Stygian Tiger Amulet will stay buried. Forever." Wuxian thought darkly. He saved his school friends though he really could care less about other sects. Especially the Jin Sect unless your name is Jin Zixuan. Wuxian still hopes Jin Ling will be born...so he's one Jin he'll keep alive.

That, and he saved one snake for Jin Zixun, the bastard who accused him of casting Hundred Holes on him on that fateful day in Qiongqi path. He should die too.

'AAAAGGGHHH!' Zixun howled as a snake bit his ankle, causing panic among the Jin Sect.

'Zixun!' Jin Zixuan yelped in alarm as his cousin got bitten.

'Holy shit, watch the feet!'

'Kyaaaa!'

'Screw this Indoctrination, we should get outta here!' someone shouted as they all left, leaving the Wens sputtering at being left behind in all directions.

Wuxian quickly hid up in the trees, cackling to himself. He was thus, unseen as many disciples ran past his tree.

Time for his second trap to come out...

His army of corpses by the cave...all hell broke loose.

His job pretty much done...his last stop is visiting Wen Qing's family.

xxx

A week later...

'So...you're Wei Wuxian.' said Wen Qing as Wuxian finally showed up.

The Dafan Wens are south in a city called Kuizhou, living in a mansion they bought for themselves, and a property they use to make medicine and treat patients as livelihood.

'The Indoctrination has occurred...I just prevented the awakening of the Tortoise of Slaughter while killing my three targets.' said Wuxian with a cold smile. 'With Wen Zhuliu dead, the Sects will stop being cowards and do their damn job. How is everyone?'

'We're doing well since we packed up and took a hike.' Wen Qing told him. 'We changed our name to Shen(沈) since we're all doctors.' she said. 'Coming up with robe designs and colors will take a while. We all avoided fame if we can help it so once war ends, we can be a renowned Sect of Doctors. And...someone from Uncle Four's family is pregnant...but now it's different.' she said. 'She could be bearing A-Yuan. This time, A-Yuan will not be an orphan. He will have a future.' she promised him.

'Its all I ask since my A-Yuan is long dead in the future that never was.' said Wuxian with a bitter smile. 'I'm glad I could change our fates.'

'You and me both.' said Wen Qing with a somber smile. She could really see that this man truly loved her yet-to-be-born cousin judging by his sorrow on his face. By Killing Wen Chao, that means A-Yuan's father won't die though his mother will still die by childbirth...a future Wen Qing is TRYING to avert. This means Wuxian can never have A-Yuan as his son ever again and he was willing to give him up so that he can have a future with his parents by killing three people. That was the price Wuxian was willing to pay for a little boy he loved dearly and also as his own repentance for dying, leaving him alone among a pile of wood with a high fever no less to hide him from murderers.

'We are also in an alliance with Baixue Temple. Its a temple full of Cultivators. Low-level though...their strongest one there is their prodigy Song Lan, Song Zichen. Currently Middle Golden Core but not even Skin Refining. Minor Sects hardly know about Body Training so we are teaching the Temple that. We can't have allies that's easy to be killed you know.'

'That Body Training is known only to powerful sects.' Wuxian snorted. 'My mother knows since she's from the Celestial Mountains and taught my father and I that. For now, focus on Body Training so we're very hardy. This was the same mistake I made that a damn branding iron from a whore scarred me till my death.'

That was what Uncle Jiang told him in the past thus he learned of that late in life. But being stupid kid he was, he didn't hone his Body Cultivation that a Wen Branding Iron could burn him. He's not making that same mistake again.

He visited the temple and donated protective talismans before going back to Dongying. The kind that bans evil-hearted people from the temple. The rest is out of his hands now.

He gave Huaisang a large collection of artistic Dongying Fans that got his classmate squealing he had to cover his ears.

'They're so gorgeous!' Huaisang swooned at the box of fans and scrolls. But he noted the paper. 'The paper is unusually thick though?'

'Yeah, at least I had no fear of them creasing while in transit.' Wuxian snorted. 'It's still something else though. Then again, they're a country capable of drawing flowers on clothes...' yes, Huaisang thought, how can he forget the kimonos?!

'Ahahaha...oh yeah, we heard from Xichen-ge about your case.' Huaisang piped up. 'Dage's new aide found that very interesting.'

'How come?'

'Meng Yao, is also one of...Jin Guangshan's sons.' said Huaisang with an awkward smile. 'Having a little brother out of the blue is...shocking. Even moreso why you took Mo Xuanyu in.'

'Oh, so there's an interested big brother huh? For now A-Yu and I are staying out of trouble, not while he's still in Foundation Establishment.' said Wuxian with a tut-tut manner with a finger-wag. 'Coming back here with a literal baby is asking for trouble. Bad enough even Juniors are gonna deal with War soon, its just too much for someone at Xuanyu's stage.'

'Try telling that to Meng Yao...he's at Foundational at 14 like I used to be.' Huaisang sighed. 'If not for you and Jiang-xiong I'd really be way left behind.'

'By your own choosing as wanting a future isn't a bad wish.' Wuxian tut-tutted. 'But still, a Sect is still a Sect. A sect must be prioritized over one person.' Huaisang sighed glumly. That means he really has to buck up. If the Sect Leader is found lacking, an uprising is inevitable and after that, infighting for the seat of power.

That's a risk Huaisang has to avoid which was why he was prioritizing body training till he was sore.

'I wonder if I can train in Dongying with you.' Huaisang wondered aloud.

He asked Mingjue for permission.

'Going to a foreign country...' Mingjue twitched. 'Are you SURE given Wei-xiong's stories about that country?'

'It will give brother a year to focus on going-ons, until I can come back with a stronger core.' said Huaisang. 'The plan is to come back when I'm Middle Core and Bone-Refining so I can help everyone here.'

'Just so I'm reminding you we'll sleep in a tent, OK?' Wuxian reminded him.

'Eh, I got used to Wen Chao's farce of an Indoctrination Camp!' Huaisang laughed in contempt. 'Hopefully they're dead by poisonous snakes! Wei-xiong wasn't here when the Indoctrination happened...' and he told Wuxian what happened in dark glee.

The ones who survived that were four disciples from Wen Chao's group, while other disciples told their Sects what happened during Indoctrination that got them incensed but still unable to do more than hold back their chagrin, even if its a boon that the Core-Melting Hand, Wen Chao and his woman are dead.

(Wuxian burned Wen Zhuliu to be double-sure)

'Ouch...I guess you can get used to sleeping in a tent...' the two boys looked at Mingjue who twitched.

'Alright, I give my approval, as long as A-Sang comes back strong.' said Mingjue. 'And that Indoctrination was a close shave.' he said darkly. 'That bastard...I nearly lost my brother to that farce...take everyone to a nest of poisonous snakes just to look for a literal monster! Death is too easy on them!' he growled, banging his large fist on his desk in anger. 'For now we're all bracing for the fallout...before that shit happens, get my brother away from here.' he said. 'I'll pay you back as I have no idea about Dongying money.'

'Oh, that's alright, A-Yu and I are alright~ the mountains are abundant in game and edible plants! And we camped near some resources!'

xxx

What Wuxian meant by resources?

'You're seriously stealing a bale of rice?' Huaisang squeaked as upon return to Dongying, Wuxian stole about ten bales of rice from a castle's warehouse. That's about 30kg of rice per bale!

'Hey, it's livelihood!' Wuxian cackled. 'And a bad king's bad day is our good day!' he grinned. 'This much will last us a few years.'

'A few years?!'

'These people say a bale of rice is enough to feed one person for a year straight. But as we are training warriors, we must eat a lot to sustain our developing bodies for training.' said Wuxian. 'I also stole a number of condiments earlier and extra stuff, we're solved for one year here! Then we can go back home with the extras.'

The trek to Mt. Osore was rough, but Huaisang was feeling it. The surge of thick potent ki in large amounts into his core!

'Wei-xiong...this...'

'It feels rich because we're the only cultivators around.' said Wuxian. 'While back home, so many rivals that clans devised their own unique techniques to absorb qi faster than other clans. Here, no rival at all that wherever heck you go...you'll be high level in just a year.' he said. 'I used to cultivate in the Burial Mounds where it gives me the same results but uh...that didn't do my mental health well...'

"AND HOW!" Huaisang twitched. Xichen is a great story-teller to his brother and Wuxian needed a lot of cleansing...the results were both hilarious and cute to quote Xichen when Wuxian's 'true personality' was brought out when he got cleansed from Resentful Energy. Lan Wangji was deeply affected by Wuxian's 'toddler stage of positivity' when for months, the classmate he knew was not such a person...until yeah, halfway through the year, he changed a lot.

'But here in Dongying...this place is brimming with resentful energy...the thing is, no cultivators around to bring that power the spark of life it needs to cause havoc and mayhem...so I avoid battlefields as much as possible lest we bring to life Fierce Corpses. I even taught you the Temporary Spirit Sealing technique because we really can't help BUT pass through old battlefields to get to our destination.' he said. 'Dongying is a war-happy country, that the citizens suffer from ruined villages, farms, and food supply yet their feudal lords don't give a damn. So resentful energy is also from hatred towards their lord when people die hungry and unprotected yet exploited. That only merchants, artisans and swordsmen live well...but what about everyone else?'

'Oh...'

'So when we go to town, seal up...or we er, introduce monsters here...'

And in Mt. Osore, a young boy was feasting on a wild boar and soup all by himself.

'Laoshi! You're back!' Mo Xuanyu lit up. 'Who's he? Your new student?'

'Not quite...he's just here to cultivate while honing his body for his family art.' Wuxian explained. 'It's you who has a lot of workload. Academics and training. This guy is Nie Huaisang, my old classmate from the Recesses and your senior. My task is to make a Senior out of him by simply letting him stay with us as this mountain is a literal gold mine for people like us.'

'Heee...'

'Welp, let's work hard out here since we'll be dealing with a lot of crap by Fall and Winter, so we only have a few months here!' Wuxian chimed.

He has to save Jiang Cheng and Wangji from Chongying Pass at a specific time. So they have to leave before then.

xxx

7th month of the year...

'You know something Wei-xiong? You're onto something.' said Huaisang as in one year at home since graduating, he was Middle Low Level by the time he got the idea of traveling with Wuxian. Here? He's Low Middle Core Realm PASSIVELY because he's ACTIVELY honing his Body Cultivation that he is now at Middle Bone-Refining like any boy his age. He was prioritizing Body Cultivation so he's hardy despite how he looks and from the noodle-skinny boy he once was, he's now slim, but muscular like Wuxian, but with broader torso than he did. From Skin Refining to Middle Bone in just seven months when this normally takes years, was awesome in itself. 'This place is so rich I caught up to Jiang-xiong now...'

'Right~?'

Huaisang had an interesting time in the mountains.

The air is so fresh here. Wuxian cooks great food and they can eat as much as they want, after he makes them hunt with archery while he forages for mushrooms and edible greens to add to weiceng soup! The meat is deer or wild boar or rabbit. And they eat as much as possible every dinner and dinner is at Haishi because they rest for one hour before Haishi. That, and they have real sparring sessions with wooden swords. So the two younger and weaker boys, had their combat skills polished.

All Wuxian does is cultivate since he mastered his sword techniques already, and teaching Mo Xuanyu Language, Arithmetic, Archery and how to use Talismans as well as sword training and physical training. The boy who MIGHT be his cousin, is at the stage Wuxian predicted because he wants to impress his mom at Cloud Recesses. From the skinny boy he used to be due to abuse at Mo Village, he is now a handsome young boy with some resemblance to his classmate, leading to Wuxian's theory...

If he IS related...won't that mean he's related to the Jins through the kid?

The mere idea disgusted Wuxian he swore to make a better man out of Xuanyu than his disgrace of a father who brings disaster on broken hearts of women and children. He had standards, thank you! He would protect his apprentice and he had given Xuanyu all he knew, that he wasn't the only kid, nor was his mother the only ones abandoned.

Wuxian counted more than 29 with Mo Xiuyi, his mother the last woman he touched that had a child. Other women are lucky so far not to bear fruit...yet.

YET.

But sadly, many women were manipulated to be like loyal dogs, waiting for a man who tired of them that he'll never go back, and wither away pining forever.

If he doesn't care for his principal wife who was Sect Leader in all but name while he goofs off with women, heck, she raised their son and heir BY HERSELF that time in school, Jin Zixuan is indeed far from the rotten tree he came from-Madam Jin must have ensured that.

So yes, don't expect him to be father material anytime soon. If he ever did, WATCH OUT. There is surely, a catch that Wuxian added one more subject to his list: 'How to detect Scum and Bullshit'.

That got Xuanyu unhappy at what can never be but he understood more than his mother could.

As to his mother who was abused in Mo Manor, he was the prince who came to 'grace her' with his presence and dosed her with love she hungered for. And she hung on to what will never be as time passed by since their abandonment.

Poor kid cried a lot and Wuxian comforted him like a good big brother. Eventually, poor kid accepted the cruel truth after a sob fest.

Thus, Xuanyu poured his heart in training and study, so he could show off to his mother and become a Rogue Cultivator to start earning money and give her a good life. And hopefully, find a better man as Wuxian rejuvenated her to restore the beauty Jin Guangshan fell for and later tired of. Maybe she'll fall for a Lan man in the Recesses?

By the 7th month?

They're back in Dongying, and Wuxian sent a letter to Qinghe that Huaisang will be home soon...after a little Night Hunt experience.

'We're back home!' Huaisang beamed in relief as they got to Unclean Realm...dragging with them two injured classmates.

'What happened to you boys?' was Xichen's horrified outburst at seeing the boys who clearly...went through a battlefield. His little brother has bloodied fingers! Bloody beneath bandages! What could have pushed him so far?!

'A Night Hunt Training gone downhill, Lan-gongzi.' said Wuxian wearily. 'It's gotten this bad with the Wens and we're gone for seven months?'

'I'm afraid so...' said Xichen morosely as he led the injured group of Lans and Jiangs to the Infirmary. 'Dage and I are the leaders of the Sunshot Campaign and we were planning battle strategies and defenses with other Sect Leaders...Wangji and Jiang-gongzi were assigned to defend Chongyang Pass...'

'And it was nasty. A battle of attrition of a large mob VS a small company.' said Huaisang tiredly. 'That was my first real war sortie too. I wonder how you guys deal with this?'

'We do that, or die a desecrated death.' said Xichen with a bitter smile. 'Come now, you need changing of your bandages...'

xxx

'A lot happened while we're at Training Camp, huh Chengcheng?' Wuxian sighed tiredly. 'Two years since graduating...'

'Y' don't know half of it.' said Jiang Cheng tiredly. 'The only good thing about being in Chongyang Pass is Lan-xiong's cooking.' he griped. 'How the hell does he eat that cafeteria food when he's actually a high-class cook is beyond me! He can just cook for himself during living in Cloud Recesses and enjoy the high life!'

'Wow! Really Zhanzhan? You're that good?!' that, was news to Wuxian as Wangji was embarrassed despite his usual default setting.

'Do not indulge in a life of pleasure and comfort. Do not give up on Learning. Maintain your own Discipline. Be Strict with Yourself.' rules were recited as if that explained everything. 'The food for Lan Cultivators is like that, but its to keep one's blood clean and blood flow fluid.' said Wangji. 'Cultivation is more efficient as blood passes through the meridians and meridial roots as well. Clean blood also allows for quicker healing from injuries.'

'So that torture was literal on purpose?!'

'Yes.' and he admits it!

'Ahhh Zhanzhan cook for me too! No fair you're leaving us oooout!' Wuxian flirted with Wangji who sputtered as the whole Hospital Wing was staring wide-eyed.

'S-shameless!'

Yup, Lan Wangji was embarrassed.

xxx

'I read your long letter home, Huaisang.' said Mingjue, smiling at his brother's growth while annoyed with how he reached his level at a prodigious growth rate. 'You have done well for yourself.' His brother was a head taller last he saw him and his hands are more developed for a saber now.

'Yeah, I changed so much, Dage. I need refitting of clothes soon.' said Huaisang sheepishly before looking serious. 'Did you burn it as always?'

'Mm. Clan secrets are clan secrets and entrusted secrets will remain secret.' Mingjue promised. Dongying's boon, must be sealed forever. Its a land full of Resentful Energy that just by being 'normal', they will cause Fierce Corpses to rise from the grave! The fewer who know the better. Dongying is a Nie Sect paradise...if done right. It's very rich with Resentful Energy they cultivate with, with their Sabers. But one slip...Dongying will learn monsters and cultivators exist, and Wuxian had a good reason to never wish to share the knowledge to Dongying. Huaisang has seen its culture and it, was awful.

Wuxian's brand of revenge against the haughty and cruel elite, was robbing a Feudal Lord's warehouse of food so he can't go to war, nevermind pay his vassals enough. And they all ate well in Mt. Osore that Huaisang got his musculature 'faster'. However, Wuxian treats commoners well by 'buying out their stocks' of vegetables and generous with his money...that he stole from Feudal Lords, by the way!

So in a way, Mingjue has no worries about repaying Wuxian for his brother's growth. Its the Feudal Lords unwittingly funding their training camp.

'And how is that boy?'

'His growth rate is fast thanks to our gold mine, but had he been here, he'd be a mediocre cultivator and we all know it. It kept the kid humble.' Huaisang snorted. Even he had high talent, he just squandered it. 'Humility is what minor sects lack these days as well a two out of five greats.'

Mingjue snorted at that.

'Wei-xiong will stay in Cloud Recesses to continue training Mo Xuanyu there so he can visit his a-niang anytime he wants, but any moron can see what he's really after.' Huaisang giggled. 'This is comedic gold in the making I pity them both. It's just too cute.'

'Oi...'