Chapter 7 – Leaving Home
“That’s right! Fourth brother, we are speaking for you because you gave your spot to second bother. What Wang Zhuo said was correct, your son is stronger than Tie Zhu. He might have really gotten selected by the immortals.” Tie Zhu’s fifth brother added on the side.
Wang Zhuo, with a proud smile, gloated, “Their family brought all this upon themselves. My father and I warned them beforehand. This useless family is about as stubborn as a donkey. Now they hit a wall.”
Wang Hao, with a pale face said, “Tie Zhu, he…”
Before he could finish, Wang Hao’s father shot him a fierce look. He lost all confidence and kept quiet afterwards.
Tie Zhu’s fourth uncle let out a deep sigh and said, “Whoever brings this up again means he has something against me, let this be done. Tie Zhu not being selected can only be said that he wasn’t fortunate enough and nothing else. Tie Zhu don’t take it to heart, you can come to your fourth uncle for anything. I have no say in immortal sects, but when it comes to normal sects, your uncle still has some ability to get in you. You can go with my son, Hu Zi. I have alway planned to send him to a sect to train.
Wang Zhuo chuckled when he heard that. He scornfully said, “Tie Zhu, I say go with fourth uncle. When you get there, you can tell them you were the trash that was rejected by the immortals. They might really take you.”
Wang Lin slowly raised his head. He looked around, glaring at all the surrounding relatives. When his eyes finally landed on Wang Zhuo he said, “Wang Zhuo, mark my words. I, Wang Lin, will definitely enter an immortal school. I’ll also never forget how you and your father insulted my family.”
Wang Zhuo laughed when he heard Tie Zhu’s words but before he could say anything else, Fourth Uncle shouted at Wang Zhuo, “ You wordy little brat! I’m going to waste you right now! Let see if the immortals still want you then.”
Wang Zhuo’s father suddenly looked pale. He hurriedly stepped in front of Wang Zhuo. “Fourth brother, you wouldn’t dare!”
The surrounding relatives all held a cold smile on their faces as they watched the events unfold in front of them
Tie Zhu’s fourth uncle laughed. He had a steely look in his eyes. In a low, deep voice, he said, “Really brother? I wouldn’t dare?”
Tie Zhu’s father quickly stepped forward to pull his fourth brother back. “Fourth brother, listen to your second brother. You have a wife and kids at home, acting like this isn’t worth it for you. I will forever remember what you have done for me, just bring my family home.”
Fourth Uncle glared at Wang Zhuo’s father. He then nodded at his second brother, and proceeded to leave the house with Tie Zhu and his family.
Even from afar, Wang Lin could hear the relatives in the yard mocking him and his family.
The family sat in Fourth Uncle’s carriage as he gave them a ride home.
Silence enveloped the inside of the carriage. Tie Zhu’s father quietly sighed. It’d be false to say that he wasn’t disappointed, but Tie Zhu was still his son. He finally broke the silence. “Tie Zhu, this is nothing, alright? When I was forced out of the house before, I was much more despondent than you, yet I still persevered. Listen to your father. Go home and study. Strive towards a good result in next year’s district exam. If you don’t feel like reading, go relax with your fourth uncle.”
Tie Zhu’s mother gave her son a loving look and consoled him. “Tie Zhu, don’t do anything stupid. You’re my only son. If anything happens to you, I wouldn’t want to live anymore. You have to be strong.” As she was talking, tears rolled down her face.
Wang Lin looked at his parents. He nodded and said, “Father, mother, rest assured. I will not do anything silly. Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
Tie Zhu’s mother embraced him. While holding him in her arms she said, “Tie Zhu, it’s over. We will forget about this matter.”
In his mother’s warm embrace, Tie Zhu’s wounded heart was slowly healing. He felt exhausted after the events of the last few days. As the carriage bounced up and down, Tie Zhu slowly drifted into sleep.
He saw a dream. He dreamt that he was an immortal, flying in the sky with his parents….
When Tie Zhu woke up, it was late at night. He sighed lightly as he looked around at the familiar room. His heart was resolute. Before he left the house, he took a long, deep look at his sleeping parents. He picked up a pen and paper, and wrote a letter. After taking enough dry food, he was on his way.
“I will not give up on the path to becoming an immortal. I must try to join Heng Yue Sect one more time! If they still won’t accept me, I must at least find the location of other immortal sects.” Wang Lin’s eyes were filled with resolve as he left the mountain village, carrying only a bag.
With the moonlight paving the road and stars marking his direction, Wang Lin made his way forward, only his long shadow for company.
Three days have passed. Wang Lin was walking on a remote mountain road. He had opened his eyes back when the young immortal was holding him. He could still recall the general direction.
Heading east, Wang Lin ignored the weeds that were cutting both his legs. He kept moving forward.
After a week, he had already entered the inner parts of the mountains. Fortunately, there were no man-eating beasts here. Wang Lin pursued his path carefully. Today, when he looked up, he was finally able to see the familiar misty peaks on an isolated hill top.
Tie Zhu was completely exhausted at this point. He took out some dried food and took a few bites while staring at the Heng Yue sect’s entrance. The hairs on the back of Wang Lin’s neck stood up as he heard a wild animal breathing behind him. He looked back and all the color instantly drained from his face.
A large white tiger with blood-red eyes made the air feel dense. Drops of saliva dripped out of the corner of its mouth, producing dripping sounds as they hit the ground.
The white tiger roared as it pounced. Wang Lin revealed a bitter smile, and without hesitation jumped off the side of a cliff. He felt the wind on his face as he plummeted down. He couldn’t help but remember the looks in his parent’s eyes, as well as all the relatives that taunted him.
“Father, Mother, your son didn’t listen to you. This is goodbye.”
The wall of the cliff was covered in a myriad of branches. Tie Zhu’s body was getting cut by the branches as he dropped at breakneck a speed. A few moments later, in the middle of the drop, Tie Zhu felt an enormous force pulling him.
Wang Lin had no control of his body as the force pulled him. Before he knew it, he was inside a cave that had been carved onto the wall of the cliff. He felt great force constantly pulling his body against the wall, after a long time the force finally disappeared and he fell down from the wall.
It took him a long time to regain his senses. As Tie Zhu struggled to get back up, he noticed his clothes were torn and his body had gotten scraped all over by the branches. Pain came flooding in from his swollen right arm. Large drops of sweat streamed down, sticking to every part of his body. Wang Lin touched his arm, but he couldn’t tell if the bones were broken. This injury was definitely sustained when he hit the wall.