“Thought he’d died this time.” Hu Khan grinned as he stepped into the room, followed by two other supervisors.His face was twisted in anger and delight. He looked at the girl and barked, " Leave us. Now."The girl scrambled to her feet, bowing frantically, and rushed past him, leaving Rael alone with the man who had nearly beaten him to death.Hu Khan walked over, his heavy boots thudding against the floor. He stopped at the edge of the mat, looking down at Rael like a predator inspecting its prey."You think you're clever, boy?" Hu Khan smiled dangerously. " Because Master Xavier smiled at you, you think you’ve become someone important? Hahaha ha. Well, I'm here to remind you that you're still a bug in this place!" He said and gave a hard laugh and the others followed." I wonder who is going to save you from me this time? No one is going to come for the next one hour if you scream your lungs out " His voice filled with mockery.Thaddeus smiled." I never said I needed him.." he r

It took Thaddeus just two days to recover and while it had been a full week, Hu Khan was yet to regain consciousness.The other two servants who had been with them that day were also rumoured to be unstable ever since, plagued by constant hallucinations, and now undergoing treatment that deals with insanity. The rumours grew wild among the servants as everyone began to avoid Rael. Even the supervisors who enjoyed asserting authority were now scared to come near him. Strangely enough, he could now walk without difficulty and happened to be a lot stronger after the incident which only made people more curious..This sudden, unexplainable physical change didn’t just terrify the lower servants but it eventually reached the ears of the clan's elders.They became suspicious and deeply curious about how a weak, crippled servant boy had suddenly healed and were confused about what had happened to the minds of the three grown men involved in the incident.After a long meeting, the elders dec

“ I'll assume it was not just fear. There were incidents that said otherwise too. Because we don't know what happened to Hu Khan and the others doesn't mean it should be ignored.”Another elder cut in. “ To me, I see this as an internal dispute which is common among the servants. Injuries happen but it does not mean he is significant.”The observing elder hesitated. “Still… the timing is strange.”A soft scoff came from the other side of the table.“If there is no Qi, there is no cultivation, it is as simple as that! ” the leading elder said firmly. “And if there is no cultivation, then there is nothing to worry about.”That single statement settled the matter as they all nodded in agreement.Just then, the heavy wooden doors of the pavilion slid open making the elders stop as Grandmaster Kai walked into the hall. The air changed instantly as shiny strands of qi followed the movement of his cloak as he walked toward the head of the table and the elders bowed slightly with respect.Gr

The First Master and Elder Vokah turned and walked toward the main hall together.The crowd quickly made way for them.Xavier still wore a relaxed smile as he spoke with the elder, while Elder Vokah kept his hands behind his back in a relaxed posture.Within moments, both men disappeared through the large doors of the manor along with the stream of disciples trailing behind them.It was at that moment, the system's panel went off inside Thaddeus's vision.Benjamin let out a long breath, his face still flushed with anger."Let's go," he muttered, grabbing his friend's arm "That old man is such a pain."Thaddeus blinked, too stunned to speak as his mind was still trying to process everything that had happened.Without resisting, he allowed Benjamin to pull him away from the crowd.The two boys walked back toward the stables.Around them, the cheers died down as everyone returned to their duties.But Thaddeus's heart was still beating heavily.He did not want to imagine what would have

The First Master smiled and offered him tea.But Thaddeus felt skeptic about drinking it and gently dropped the cup back on the table which made Xavier laugh again.“You think I brought you here to poison you? You're far too smart for someone your age. No wonder my sister is so curious about you. ”Thaddeus's eyes brightened slightly.Sister?He wasn't aware the First Master had a sister, not even from Rael's memories.And worse still, she was curious about him.About what?He couldn't tell.The First Master noticed his expression and pressed the tea into his hand." No need to worry." Thaddeus smiled little and gulped down the cup's content, licking his lips to conserve every drop.It was the best thing he ever tasted since his arrival here.First Master Xavier studied the young boy carefully.The attendants had told him Rael had recovered, but seeing him in person was different. The boy looked healthier than before. There was more life in his eyes, and despite the humble servant's