The Mountain Village

Er Lengzi stared wide-eyed at the black thatched roof made of straw and mud. The quilt covering him had long turned a deep yellow, its original color lost to time, and it gave off a faint, musty smell. Pressed close beside him slept his second brother, Han Zhu, whose heavy, irregular snores filled the quiet room. About half a zhang away stood a wall of packed yellow earth, cracked with age—thin, barely noticeable fissures running through it. Through those cracks came the faint, nagging voice of his mother, punctuated now and then by the 'pah-pah' of his father drawing on his tobacco pipe.

Er Lengzi slowly closed his dry, tired eyes, forcing himself to sink into deep sleep. He knew well that if he did not fall asleep soon, he would not be able to rise early tomorrow to join the other children gathering firewood in the mountains.

Er Lengzi's real name was Han Li—a proper name his parents could not have come up with themselves. His father had traded two coarse grain buns to Old Uncle Zhang, the only literate man in the village, to give him that name. Old Uncle Zhang had once served as a page boy for a wealthy man in the city and was the village's sole scholar; he had named more than half the children around.

Though the villagers called him 'Er Lengzi,' he was far from simple-minded. In fact, he was one of the cleverest children in the village. Like all the other village children, he rarely heard his proper name spoken outside his family. 'Er Lengzi' had stuck with him ever since he could remember. The nickname came simply because there was already a child called 'Lengzi' in the village. It was no different from other children being called 'Dog Baby' or 'Second Egg'—none much better than 'Er Lengzi.' So Han Li, though he disliked the name, could only console himself this way.

Han Li looked unremarkable—dark-skinned, just an ordinary farm boy. But inside, he was far more mature than his peers. He had long dreamed of the richness and bustle of the outside world, and dreamed that one day he might leave this tiny village and see the world Old Uncle Zhang often spoke of. He had never dared tell anyone this thought; if he had, it would surely have shocked the villagers. After all, other children his age were still chasing dogs and stealing chickens—they would never dream of leaving home. It was a strange notion even for an adult to hold.

Han Li's family had seven people: his two elder brothers, an elder sister, a younger sister, and himself. He was the fourth child, just turned ten. Life was hard; they barely ate meat a few times a year, always hovering at the edge of having enough to eat.

Now, hovering between sleep and wakefulness, Han Li's mind clung to one last thought: when he went up the mountain, he must pick as many red berries as he could—his little sister's favorite.

The next day at noon, as Han Li trudged home under the blazing sun, carrying a load of firewood half his height and a bagful of berries in his arms, he did not know that a guest had arrived at his home—a guest who would change his life forever.

This distinguished visitor was a close relative: his third uncle. The uncle was said to be the head manager at a restaurant in a nearby small city, a man of some standing in the eyes of Han Li's parents. In nearly a century, the Han family had produced no one else of such status. Han Li had only met his third uncle a few times when he was very young. It was this uncle who had arranged for Han Li's eldest brother to become an apprentice blacksmith in the city, and he often sent supplies to the family. Han Li had a good impression of him; though his parents never said it, he knew they were grateful. The eldest brother was the family's pride. Apprenticing as a blacksmith meant food, lodging, and thirty copper coins a month, and after finishing his training, he could earn even more. Whenever his parents spoke of the eldest brother, they lit up like a different pair of people. Han Li, young as he was, envied that. His own ideal future career had long been settled: to be taken as an apprentice by some skilled master in the city, becoming a respectable craftsman.

When Han Li saw his third uncle—plump, round-faced, with a small mustache, dressed in a fine new silk gown—he was overjoyed. He put his firewood behind the house and went to the front room to shyly greet his uncle, calling out a proper 'Third Uncle,' then stood quietly aside as his parents chatted with him.

Third Uncle smiled and looked Han Li over, praising him for being obedient and sensible, then turned to explain the purpose of his visit. Though Han Li was young and could not fully understand everything, he grasped the main idea.

It turned out that the restaurant where Third Uncle worked belonged to a Jianghu sect called the Seven Mysteries Sect. The sect had an outer division and an inner division. Not long ago, Third Uncle had officially become an outer disciple, and with that status, he could recommend children aged seven to twelve to take the test for becoming inner disciples. The inner disciple test, held once every five years, would begin next month. Third Uncle, who had no children of his own, naturally thought of Han Li.

Han Li's father, a simple and honest man, hesitated when he heard about 'Jianghu' and 'sects'—things he had never encountered before. He picked up his tobacco pipe, took a few deep puffs, and sat there in silence.

In Third Uncle's words, the Seven Mysteries Sect was naturally the greatest and most impressive force for hundreds of li around. Anyone who became an inner disciple would receive free martial arts training, have food and lodging covered, and earn over a tael of silver every month in allowance. Even those who failed the test could still become outer disciples like Third Uncle, managing the sect's external businesses.

When Han Li's father heard that he might earn a tael of silver a month and become a man of standing like Third Uncle, he made up his mind and agreed. Third Uncle was delighted and left a few taels of silver, saying he would return in a month to take Han Li away. In the meantime, they should feed Han Li well to build up his strength for the test. He then said goodbye, patted Han Li's head, and left for the city.

Though Han Li did not fully understand everything Third Uncle had said, he understood that going to the city meant earning good money. His long-held dream seemed about to come true, and he could not sleep for several nights from excitement.

A little over a month later, Third Uncle returned punctually to take Han Li away. Before he left, his father repeatedly told him to be honest, to endure and avoid conflict, and his mother told him to take care of his health and eat well. On the carriage, watching his parents' figures grow smaller in the distance, Han Li bit his lip hard, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Though he was more mature than other children his age, he was still only ten. His first long journey left him feeling sad and anxious. In his young heart, he silently resolved to earn plenty of money and return quickly, never to be separated from his parents again.

He had no idea that after leaving, money would lose its meaning for him—that he would step onto a great immortal path, walking his own journey of cultivation.