"Young master! Young master! Wake up!"
Chu Feng felt a gentle nudging at his side.
With great effort, he cracked his eyes open. For a moment, everything was a haze. His thoughts scattered like broken glass, then it all came rushing back.
He groaned softly, rubbing his eyes. Suddenly without warning, a fresh stream of memories surged through his mind—flashing at a dizzying speed.
These memories weren't his. He thought in a daze.
Nor did they belong to Ye Feng.
These were… someone else's.
He realized it could only be connected to the tiny orb he had come in contact with before collapsing.
From what he saw, the memories belonged to a hunter who had been recently executed for a crime he didn't commit.
Apparently, the hunter had been targeted by his enemies, framed, dragged to the jurisdiction and killed.
He had fallen victim to a cruel scheme.
But why did the hunter's memories have to appear in his mind?
He could understand inheriting the memories of Ye Feng—after all, he now lived in the guy's body. But this hunter... he had no connection to him, or no past interaction.
So why?
If this was the result of coming in contact with the smallest orb… then could the other orbs also be memories?
Chu Feng sat up slowly and took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. His pulse steadied, and with it, the final threads of the hunter's memories wove into his mind, settling as though they'd always belonged there.
Just then, he heard the voice again.
"Young master!"
He turned this time toward it.
A young girl stood before him, she was no older than fifteen. Her skin was rough, her dress tattered, and her face had soot smeared on it.
From her appearance, it was more likely she had gone digging on the mountain range or elsewhere.
When Chu Feng saw her, he almost blurted out instinctively, "Who are you?"—but then, Ye Feng's memories filled in the blanks.
Ah. Of course.
She had been with him for nearly the entire time he had lived in this cave.
The cave was originally hers. Two years ago at age sixteen, when Ye Feng had been cast out from the family, this cave was where he had come to find. And it was where he had met her for the first time. Then, she had no qualms letting him stay. Even though they were of opposite sex.
She hadn't been afraid of his illness either. If it was anything, the girl had been happy because she had felt at that time that her times of loneliness would come to an end with the new accomplice.
In fact, after some days of his stay, she had taken the initiative to draw close to him and had taken it upon herself to care for him—bringing him fruits and berries she collected from the mountains. Also gathering herbs she hoped might help his condition, and sometimes offering to take him to the lake to help clean his body.
But Ye Feng had always refused her kindness.
He had barely responded to her in the past—not once had he even asked for her name, nor did he know her origin.
He had kept her at distance and he was always by himself on his stone bed resigned to his fate like a silent monk.
…..
Seeing that Chu Feng has gone into a trance, the little girl called, "Young master!"
She crouched beside Chu Feng, trying to help him up.
"I'm fine," Chu Feng said softly.
But to his surprise, the moment the words left his mouth, the girl froze.
Her eyes widened. She clutched her hand to her mouth, and a shimmer of tears formed in her eyes.
"Y-Young master… you spoke to me," she whispered, as though she couldn't believe her own ears.
"Huh?"
Chu Feng blinked in confusion. "Haven't I spoken to you before?"
The girl saw his puzzled look, shook her head while wiping the tears at the corner of her eyes, a smile bloomed through the soot on her cheeks.
"It's not like that, young master," she said gently. "You have… but never like this. This time you spoke in the past years, It was always just grunts, mumbles, and it was just a word or two. You were distant and cold. But now, your voice… It's clear. And there's a warmth in your face that wasn't there before."
She studied him closely. "You even seem… different. Like you are someone new. Before, it always felt like you were far away. Like you didn't want anyone near."
Chu Feng fell silent. He hadn't expected her to notice so much. She's more perceptive than she appears. But of course, he couldn't tell her the truth—that he wasn't Ye Feng, the one she had known.
"Let's just say… I'm feeling a little better today," he said with a small, casual smile.
Then, as naturally as he could, he raised his hand and gently patted her head.
The girl's eyes widened again, but this time with joy. Her body trembled faintly. For two years, she had longed for a moment like this. The wall of distance and silence he had kept was vanishing. How else would she not be happy?
Now, as she stood under his warm gaze, feeling the kindness in his touch, she felt unprecedented happiness.
A soft blush colored her soot cheeks, and a bright smile broke across her face.
But then, a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes. She clenched her fists tightly, summoning the courage to ask what weighed heavily on her heart.
"Will the young master… someday go back to how he was before?" she asked, her words tumbling out in a hurry. "I really like the young master as he is now. It makes me happy."
Chu Feng looked at her tenderly.
From the memories he'd inherited, he knew everything she'd done for Ye Feng. It can be said that she was more reliable to lean on than Ye Feng's family.
How could he not be moved?
He shook his head slowly.
"No," he said gently. "I won't be like before. I promise… I'll always be like this."
"Yay!" she cried out with joy, her face lighting up.
She reached down and picked up a small pouch filled with berries she had gathered. With childlike excitement, she held them out to Chu Feng.
"Young master, I went to pick these for us! Let's eat together!"
Chu Feng looked at the humble offering—small, red berries, barely enough for one person.
His heart ached.
How can I eat what she worked so hard for? he thought. She was just a girl, and the mountains were not safe. Yet, she had always taken it upon herself to go and gather what they could manage for sustenance.
He knew well from the memories: wild beasts roamed the cliffs, many of them had cultivation in their own right, savage and territorial. Anyone without cultivation would find it nearly impossible to forage there and return unharmed.
She had no cultivation, so she must've only ever foraged around the outskirts of the mountain. Still, even the periphery could be dangerous sometimes.
Yet… she had always done it.
And now, with a bright smile and sooty cheeks, she wanted to share it all.
He hesitated.
He looked at the handful of berries she held and gently shook his head.
"You eat it. I'm not hungry."
"But young master…"
Chu Feng cut her half way. "No need to worry about me. Besides, that's barely enough for one person. You should eat it," he said with a soft but firm tone.
The little girl hesitated, her lips parting as if to protest—but Chu Feng simply continued shaking his head. His eyes were kind but resolute.
Before she could argue further, he quickly changed the subject.
"You once said there's a lake nearby where I could bathe… Can you take me there?"
"Ah?!" she exclaimed, utterly shocked.
She blinked in disbelief. This wasn't just a small change—it was a complete transformation. The Chu Feng before her was gentle and considerate but the most startling of it all was that he had brought up the bath himself. For years, she had begged him to let her help him clean up. And now, without any prompting, he was asking to go?
She squinted suspiciously, pressing a finger to her chin and leaning in close to study his face.
"Young master… how have you changed so much?" she asked, baffled. "You always refused before—no matter how much I begged you. But now… you're even asking for it yourself?"
Chu Feng scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly.
"I just… didn't feel like it back then. But now, I suddenly feel uncomfortable with my rotten skin. And talk about how much I smell, it is getting worse. It's about time I try to take care of myself. Or… doesn't the smell bother you?"
The girl blinked, wide-eyed.
"It did bother me at first. That's why I always asked you to take a bath." She leaned more forward and sniffed him unashamedly. "But over time, I've gotten used to it. Doesn't bother me anymore."
She beamed up at him proudly.
Chu Feng stared at her, slack-jawed. This girl… seriously.
Still smiling, she finally popped a berry into her mouth and chewed happily.
Then Chu Feng spoke again.
"Right… Could you not call me 'young master' anymore? Just call me by my name—Chu Feng."
Her eyes went wide again, and she gasped like she'd just seen a spirit rise from the dead.
"W-Wow! Young master even said his name!"
She had called him 'young master' out of habit, a reflex born of her upbringing. From the age of five until she escaped at thirteen, she had once lived as a slave under a harsh master.
He smiled ruefully. "Yeah. Sorry I was so… withdrawn before. I never even told you my name. But I'm calm now.
The girl nodded excitedly. "Okay! Then I'll call you… big brother Chu Feng!"
He smiled and gently reached out his hand and slightly ruffled her hair.
Then, his smile turned sheepish.
"C-Can you tell me your name, too?" he asked, a little awkwardly.
She blinked, tilted her head, and then gave a casual shrug.
"I don't have a name," she said matter-of-factly, as though it were the most normal thing in the world. She popped another berry in her mouth, munching away.
"You don't… have a name?" Chu Feng asked, stunned.
"Nope. Never did. I never had a parent and I was a slave before now. My master never gave me a name. She just always called me… 'that thing.'"
Chu Feng's chest tightened.
"Master? If you had a master, then… why have you been living here?" he asked.
The girl didn't respond right away.
She quietly pops another berry into her mouth, eyes downcast. Her chewing quickened—not out of hunger, but as a distraction. She stared at the fruit in her hands as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Her voice, when she finally spoke, was hollow.
"I ran away," the little girl said sharply with no emotion in her voice. "My master… She was a bad person. She wanted to use me to concoct pill to further her cultivation. But I escaped."
Chu Feng's eyes widened in shock and his body involuntarily spasm ever so lightly.
He might have only just stepped into the cultivation world, but he wasn't ignorant. Served from Ye Feng's memory.
His breathing turned heavy as he imagined the process—the cruelty of it. The image of this small girl, locked inside a giant cauldron, her body slowly being dissolved over blazing flames….
He finally understood what people meant when they said the cultivation world was cruel.
In this world, strength was everything. If you are weak, your life has no value. No one cares about right or wrong. Freedom only comes with power—the power to trample anyone who dared to wrong you.
"A-Aren't you bothered by it?" Chu Feng asked, his voice hoarse.
The girl looked up, blinking curiously. "Why would you ask that?"
"I mean… you talk about it like it doesn't matter. Like you were never scared."
"I was afraid at the time," she said simply. "Why else would I run away?"
She gave a light shrug, picking another berry and popping it into her mouth. "But… I can't dwell on it forever. I survived, didn't I? I'm still here."
Chu Feng stared at her, stunned.
He heard no hatred in her voice. No bitterness. Just quiet acceptance, like a flower that had grown out of stone.
Then, without thinking, he reached over to her and gently scooped her into his arms.
The girl stiffened in surprise, her cheeks puffed full of berries like a startled chipmunk.
"W-What are you doing?" she mumbled through the fruit in her mouth.
"I'm hugging you, obviously. That is… if you don't mind that I smell," he chuckled softly.
Her eyes widened, and her jaw fell slack. Then her pupils dilated as if she was fighting back her tears.
The berries tumbled out of her mouth, falling to the ground with soft thuds.
"I-I don't mind," she said quietly.
Her voice cracked slightly, and it trembled with emotion.
She didn't pull away. Instead, she wrapped her small arms around his waist, holding tightly. At that moment, she felt for the first time the warmth of having someone beside her. Someone who accepted her.
It was most surprising that the boy who had once treated her to silence and always ignored her was now embracing her like a protective older brother. Her heart raced, and for the first time in years, she felt safe.
Chu Feng thought of making her his relative. At least with that, he wouldn't stand without one in this world. He did not consider the Ye family in the slightest, he was not Ye Feng from before.
"Don't worry," Chu Feng whispered. "From today onward, I'll take care of you. From now on, you're Chu Ling'er… the little sister of me, Chu Feng."
The girl's body trembled in his arms.
"Chu Ling'er," she repeated softly.
She weighed the name in her heart, cherishing it like a priceless treasure. Her arms tightened around him, as if afraid he might disappear.
"Mn." She nodded, and a single tear slid down her soot-streaked cheek.