Wisdom comes early to those who embrace imperfection (An Apology to All Dear Readers)

The vast caravan of the Ning clan, carrying their entire family, journeyed alongside the footsteps of March, finally arriving in the southern fields. Spring was in full bloom. Sprawling fields of rapeseed flowers blossomed, their golden petals rippling in the spring breeze like a layer of gilded light atop a sea of green, filling hearts with boundless hope.

As the caravan rolled forward, its thunderous rumble echoed across the land. A middle-aged man dismounted, then leapt onto one of the mechanical carriages in the convoy. In haste, he pushed open the door and entered.

“My dear, look what I’ve brought you,” he said, presenting a pill as if it were a precious treasure.

His wife, heavily pregnant, lay resting with her eyes closed. The carriage windows were shut. The man channeled spirit power from a distance, lighting the spirit lamp overhead. Under its glow, his wife slowly opened her eyes to see the pill—a crystal-clear orb, radiant with a gentle yellow light, like a bead of purest glass.

She caught the scent, fresh and soothing, reminiscent of a forest cleansed by rain—calming the spirit and clearing the mind. She marveled, “This is an Early Wisdom Pill, and of the highest quality. Where did you come by such a thing?”

He grinned widely. “Didn’t I lend Strong Fist Monk a hand? He cultivates the Buddhist way, and believes in repaying karma. He insisted on rewarding me. So I told him my wife was about to give birth, and hoped that the master might offer something to aid our child’s future cultivation.”

His wife’s delight turned quickly to concern. “Husband, you could have taken this chance to ask for the master’s reward for yourself, to heal your wounds.”

“At the very least,” she continued, “you could have asked for a lotus seed from the Universal Salvation Lotus Platform of the Buddhist sect, and improved your own spiritual aptitude.”

He shook his head, sighing. “I’ll pass. My old injuries trouble me, yes, but they won’t kill me—only cause a few days of pain. Even if they were cured, my strength would not fundamentally change. Even with a lotus seed, my cultivation aptitude would only rise from middle grade to upper-middle, and at my age, that’s not enough to break through my bottleneck.”

As he spoke, he squatted by her side, gently stroking her swollen belly. “Given all that, I’d rather leave this opportunity for our child.”

“The main ingredient of the Early Wisdom Pill is, after all, a root of enlightenment from the bodhi tree.”

She sighed softly, but nodded, accepting his choice.

“Come, take the pill,” he said, handing it to her. “I’ll help you absorb its power.”

She swallowed the pill, and its gentle medicine flowed into the unborn child within her womb.

The Early Wisdom Pill fortifies the mind, opens the spirit platform, nourishes the soul, and moistens the heart—allowing one to awaken early, intelligence shining bright.

Having accomplished this, the middle-aged man beamed with joy. “Wonderful! With this, our child will awaken early—perhaps he can already remember everything we say.”

“Why not try reciting cultivation methods to him? Who knows, maybe he’ll begin cultivating while still in the womb!”

His wife couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re dreaming. Even if he could remember every word, he wouldn’t understand the meaning. Besides, his body is not yet formed—beginning cultivation now would do more harm than good.”

He grinned. “Of course, I was only joking. Still, only after becoming parents do we realize how much we truly care for our children.”

“Our child isn’t even born, yet I can’t help but worry about his future, hoping he’ll have good potential for cultivation—better than mine, at least.”

She shook her head. “And if he has no aptitude, will I love him any less? No. He is our flesh and blood, whatever his gifts. I only hope he has enough talent to get by, but not so much as to draw ill fate. Haven’t we seen enough prodigies cut down before their time? I only wish for him a long and peaceful life.”

Just then, alarms blared.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!” someone shouted.

Their expressions changed. The man urged his wife to remain calm, then stepped out.

In the next instant, the world was transformed. Icy winds howled, sharp as countless blades slicing through all life.

“We’re trapped in a grand formation!” the man realized with equal fear and fury. Forcing himself to remain calm, he channeled his spiritual power into his magical artifact, shielding himself. The mechanical carriage, under his wife’s control, lit up with protective runes, defenses rising.

“Who goes there?” The Ning clan’s patriarch soared into the sky, his presence commanding, and roared his question.

The assailants gave no reply, only manipulated the formation, triggering another wave of changes.

Hailstones the size of fists rained down in a deadly cascade.

Immediately, casualties erupted among the Ning clan.

The old patriarch laughed coldly. “So, you hide your faces and think I can’t guess who you are? Frost Marquis, Wandering Ice Hermit—you’ve waited until we crossed into the Southern Bean Kingdom’s borders to ambush us.”

Their identities revealed, Frost Marquis and Wandering Ice Hermit stepped forward.

The former spoke. “Old Ning, you left my Northwind Kingdom to seek refuge in Southern Bean—surely you expected this day would come.”

The patriarch retorted, “I made everything clear with your king, left treasures behind, and forged an agreement. If your royal family breaks its word, after this battle, I will make it known throughout the world!”

Wandering Ice Hermit sneered. “Which is precisely why I’m here. Old Ning, rest assured—after today, any rumor will say I alone came for personal vengeance.”

A fierce battle erupted.

Outnumbered and forced to protect his clan, the patriarch soon found himself at a disadvantage. Sensing disaster, he sacrificed a magical artifact, blowing open a temporary passage in the formation.

“Go! Quickly!” he roared.

In the chaos, the current clan head led as many as he could through the breach.

But packs of snow wolves, conjured from ice and snow, surged after them in pursuit.

The passage was shrinking, and more than half the Ning clan remained trapped inside.

“Don’t push! Don’t panic!” people screamed, descending into disorder.

The snow wolves tore into the crowd, unleashing a bloody massacre.

Amid the chaos, the young clan leader and two others forced their way into the mechanical carriage.

“Ning Zhong, brother!” the young leader, Ning Xiaoren, saluted the middle-aged man, panic on his face. “The passage is closing—please, let us use your carriage!”

But now, overloaded and damaged by the ice, the carriage’s power waned, and it fell behind.

They were about to be trapped once more, sealed within the formation.

The young leader’s two attendants looked to Ning Zhong. “You’re at Foundation Establishment as well—will you help us hold the enemy at bay?”

His wife cried out, “Zhong, don’t go!”

He frowned, swiftly assessing the situation with his seasoned experience. “If I don’t go, no one gets out.”

He turned to glare at the young leader, eyes blazing.

The young leader trembled, raising his hand in a vow. “Brother Ning Zhong, I swear—if we survive this, I will protect your wife and child, and do all in my power to support your son’s cultivation.”

Ning Zhong cast one last, loving glance at his wife, whose eyes were already red with tears.

“Take good care of our child.”

Gritting his teeth, he spun around, leapt from the carriage with the two attendants.

Snow wolves roared. The mechanical carriage, staggering forward, plunged into the passage and disappeared.