In the northern region of
, there lies a mountain known as
, a place seen as a death zone by countless cultivators.
At the base of Tianjue Peak, near the mountain’s entrance, rests an ancient village called
.
Xiaoshi Village got its name from the fact that all of its buildings were constructed using stone.
Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the village was founded by descendants of immortals who had secluded themselves in this remote location. However, as time passed, the truth of this tale has long been lost to history.
Today, Xiaoshi Village is home to nothing more than a group of ordinary mortals.
The village consists of about forty households, surrounded by fertile fields and rich soil. Occasionally, the villagers venture out to
to trade for rare items. Life here is peaceful and uneventful.
In the woods east of Xiaoshi Village, five children dressed in coarse hemp clothing, their sun-tanned skin darkened by exposure, crouched in the grass.
In the center, a small boy held a hemp rope. One end of the rope was tied to a wooden stick, which propped up a wooden sieve. Beneath the sieve, scattered grains of rice served as bait.
A wild chicken cautiously peeked around, drawn to the rice. After some hesitation, it finally couldn’t resist and darted under the sieve.
The boy immediately pulled the rope, causing the stick to fall. The greedy chicken was quickly trapped beneath the sieve.
Seeing this, the children erupted in excitement, clapping and cheering for the boy in the center.
The boy, called
, rolled his eyes and laughed.
Twelve said as he stood up,
He walked over to the sieve, skillfully reached underneath to grab the trapped chicken, and headed toward the nearby river.
He had grown up with his grandfather, relying on the kindness of villagers to survive.
Smart and quick to learn, he was the leader among the village children—a "king of the kids."
At the riverbank, Su Twelve deftly slaughtered the chicken, draining its blood and plucking its feathers. From his pocket, he took out a small, battered, fist-sized
.
The furnace was filled with salt. Su Twelve pinched a bit of salt between his fingers and sprinkled it over the cleaned chicken.
He then tore a lotus leaf from the riverbank, wrapped the chicken in it, and coated it in a layer of clay.
The three-legged, round-bodied furnace was carved with intricate patterns of flowers, birds, insects, and fish. Its material was unidentifiable—not metal, not wood, not jade, nor stone. It was impervious to water, fire, or blades.
Su Twelve had secretly taken it from the rafters of his house, where his grandfather had hidden it. His grandfather treated it as a priceless treasure and forbade him from touching it.
At first, Su Twelve hadn’t thought much of the furnace. To him, it was just a strange, old relic. But one day, he had used the furnace to store salt while making
on a whim.
To his surprise, the salt that had been stored in the furnace became especially crystalline. Using this salt to season the chicken made the meat exceptionally flavorful and crispy. After eating it, he felt his mind become extraordinarily clear and sharp.
Since then, no matter where his grandfather hid the furnace, Su Twelve would always find it. Of course, this earned him plenty of scoldings and beatings.
This time, however, he planned to make the chicken for his grandfather to taste.
Su Twelve grinned as he prepared the meal.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out behind him.
Su Twelve turned to see an elderly man with a head full of white hair and a beard. The man had his hands clasped behind his back, hiding a wooden stick as he approached the riverbank.
It was Su Twelve’s grandfather,
, the only literate person in the village and a figure of high regard among the villagers.
Su Twelve’s casual response turned into a yelp when he saw his grandfather walking over with the stick. He shuddered in fear, and the chicken in his hands nearly slipped to the ground.
Su Mingren glared at the alchemy furnace in Su Twelve’s hands, his beard bristling in anger.
Su Twelve had been watching his grandfather’s every move. Before the old man could strike, Su Twelve stuffed the furnace into his pocket and darted away like a rabbit, sprinting toward the village.
Su Twelve shouted as he ran.
Su Mingren roared as he chased after him with the stick.
Despite his young age, Su Twelve was quick on his feet. As he ran, he looked over his shoulder and stuck out his tongue at his grandfather.
Su Mingren’s face turned red with anger as he chased after him.
The truth was, Su Mingren didn’t know the exact origins of the alchemy furnace. It had been passed down for generations, and his father had warned him on his deathbed to guard it closely, lest it bring disaster to their family.
It was a secret Su Mingren had no intention of revealing to Su Twelve unless absolutely necessary.
Su Twelve, sensing his grandfather’s genuine anger, began to feel uneasy. He darted around the village, eventually sneaking into a haystack to hide.
Su Mingren, being older, soon found himself out of breath. After circling the village, he finally locked eyes on the haystack.
With quiet steps, he approached and yanked the hiding Su Twelve out by the collar.
Before Su Mingren could finish his scolding, shouts erupted from the village.
Hearing the commotion, Su Mingren immediately looked up.
In the sky, a black-clad figure streaked toward Xiaoshi Village with a trail of light behind them.
Seeing the figure, Su Mingren’s pupils contracted, and his expression changed drastically.
He shoved Su Twelve back into the haystack and said in a grave tone,
Inside the haystack, Su Twelve had been sulking about the punishment he was sure to receive. But seeing his grandfather’s unprecedentedly serious expression left him stunned. Instinctively, he nodded.
After ensuring Su Twelve was hidden, Su Mingren quickly turned and walked toward the commotion.
[--------------------------------------------]
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