Chapter 2: Bonds
The aroma of delicate spices and savory dishes filled the great hall as servants brought platter after platter of food to the table. Bai Yuexian sat stiffly in his seat, hyperaware of the eyes that occasionally glanced his way. Though his memories contained information about proper dining etiquette in this world, his muscles felt awkward performing the unfamiliar motions.
As he carefully picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, his second uncle, Bai Wulin, suddenly broke the silence with a pointed question.
"Yuexian, do you remember how you got to the bear den?" Wulin's voice was casual, but his eyes were sharp. "If I hadn't found you when I did, you would have been eaten alive by that beast."
The question struck Bai Yuexian like a thunderbolt. His chopsticks froze halfway to his mouth as his mind raced frantically. He didn't know how to respond the original owner of this body was already dead when he arrived. Should he tell them about Ye Chen from the Ye Clan? Would that align with what the original Bai Yuexian might have said?
The expectant silence stretched uncomfortably as all eyes turned to him. His heart pounded in his chest as he carefully set down his chopsticks, buying precious seconds to formulate a response.
"I... went with Ye Chen there to collect Spirit Fruits," he said finally, his voice steadier than he expected. "But when the bear appeared, he didn't fight alongside me. He ran away while taking the fruits with him."
His words landed like a stone in still water, sending ripples of tension across the table. The Fifth Elder's face darkened with fury, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his chopsticks.
"This Ye Clan is becoming too boastful!" the Fifth Elder spat, slamming his fist on the table hard enough to make the dishware rattle. "They think they can use Yuexian's kindness as they please! Family Head, I request you deploy a batch of our disciples to teach the Ye Clan a lesson they won't soon forget!"
Bai Hongxuan raised a hand, his calm gesture immediately silencing the Fifth Elder's outburst. Though his face remained composed, Bai Yuexian could see a cold fury burning in his father's eyes.
"Calm yourself, Fifth Elder," Hongxuan said, his voice deceptively mild. "I am also deeply angered by the Ye Clan's schemes against my son. However..." He turned to look directly at Bai Yuexian, his gaze softening slightly. "I believe this experience may serve as a valuable lesson for Yue'er. He now understands that not everyone in this world is filled with kindness. Greed and betrayal lurk in many hearts."
He leaned forward, his eyes locked with Bai Yuexian's. "Do you understand, Yue'er? You cannot trust others blindly. This world is not as simple as you once believed it to be."
Bai Yuexian nodded solemnly, reflecting that in his previous life, he had been rather naive as well. Perhaps both versions of Bai Yuexian shared this quality a tendency to see the best in people until proven otherwise.
Hongxuan leaned back in his chair, his expression calculating. "We cannot directly move against the Ye Clan at this time. They have secured backing from the Jiu Clan, which puts them on equal footing with us in terms of power. A direct confrontation would risk too much." His eyes narrowed. "But make no mistake we will have our revenge. It will simply come at a time and manner of our choosing."
The tension in the room remained palpable. Bai Wulin cleared his throat and turned to Bai Lihua, clearly attempting to shift the conversation.
"Sister Lihua, have you acquired the pill needed for Yuexian to recover his cultivation?"
From the memories filtering through his mind, Bai Yuexian understood that his meridian channels the pathways through which spiritual energy flowed in a cultivator's body had been damaged in the bear attack. Though the damage wasn't severe enough to permanently cripple him, it required special treatment to heal properly.
Bai Lihua nodded, her elegant features softening as she looked at her nephew. "I've prepared the pill that will help Yue'er recover his strength," she said. "Yue'er, you can come to my courtyard later to collect it."
Bai Yuexian nodded gratefully. His aunt Lihua was an experienced alchemist within the clan a Tier Five Alchemist, according to his memories. Though his father also practiced alchemy, he lacked the masterful skill of his sister. Lihua handled all business related to herbs, pills, and alchemical matters for the family.
His two maternal mothers, Zhao Meiling and Xu Rouyuan, exchanged concerned glances before Rouyuan spoke up.
"Yue'er, you look so weak," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "We thought we had lost you..." Her eyes welled with tears as she reached forward with her chopsticks, selecting a particularly choice morsel from one of the dishes. "Here, take it."
She extended her hand, offering to feed him directly a gesture of deep maternal affection. Droplets of tears shimmered in her eyes, and Bai Yuexian could feel the genuine motherly love radiating from her. Something in his heart twisted unexpectedly. In his previous life, he'd never experienced such open maternal affection; his parents had been distant, focused more on their careers than their only child.
Without hesitation, he accepted the food from her chopsticks, the gesture feeling strangely natural despite its unfamiliarity. The simple act seemed to ease some of the tension in the room, bringing a collective sense of relief to the family.
The meal continued with lighter conversation, touching on clan affairs and local news that Bai Yuexian had missed during his week of unconsciousness. Through this family drama, he began to understand that the Bai family was not the chaotic, backstabbing household he might have expected from the cultivation novels he'd read in his previous life. Perhaps it was because he was the only male heir of the main family currently, but the atmosphere was surprisingly warm and unified.
As the feast concluded and family members began excusing themselves one by one, Bai Hongxuan caught Bai Yuexian's eye.
"Yue'er, come with me," he said, rising from his seat.
Without question, Bai Yuexian followed his father out of the great hall and into one of the family's many courtyards. This one was particularly beautiful, with ancient trees providing dappled shade over stone pathways and carefully tended flower beds.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, the sounds of nature filling the space between them. Finally, Hongxuan spoke, his voice gentler than it had been during the meal.
"Yue'er," he began, the parental affection in his tone unmistakable. "You should start practicing your martial arts again as soon as you've recovered."
He paused, seeming to choose his next words carefully. "I know your talent is not like your older sisters', but you are the only heir who will inherit the Bai family legacy. You don't need to become the strongest cultivator in the realm just powerful enough to protect your loved ones and your family." He turned to look directly at Bai Yuexian. "Do you understand what I mean?"
Bai Yuexian nodded, genuinely moved by his father's words. From the memories he'd inherited, he understood that despite his limited talent, none in the family had ever discarded or mistreated him. They had accepted his limitations while still encouraging him to grow stronger.
"Oh, right," Hongxuan continued, his expression brightening. "I've spoken with Saint Vermilion Academy. In five months, they'll send someone to evaluate you. I know it's been your dream to enter that academy."
From the previous memories, Bai Yuexian recalled that the Saint Vermilion Academy was one of the most prestigious cultivation institutions in the Azure Vermilion country—he'd initially thought, but an entire nation. The academy only recruited the most talented individuals, which made his father's news all the more surprising.
"But, Father," Bai Yuexian couldn't help but ask, "don't they only recruit talented people? How did they agree to consider me?"
Hongxuan smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes. "That's why they've given you five months. You'll need to focus entirely on your cultivation during this time. Because of my connections, they've agreed to give you a chance but you'll need to show significant improvement by then."
Something warm bloomed in Bai Yuexian's chest. This man his father in this new world had gone to great lengths to secure an opportunity for a son he believed lacked natural talent.
"Father, I will not disappoint any of you," he declared, surprising himself with the conviction in his voice.
Hongxuan's laughter rang out, clear and genuine. "Hahaha! I believe in you, son."
With that, they parted ways Hongxuan heading back to the family hall to attend to business matters, while Bai Yuexian set off toward his aunt's courtyard in the western area of the Bai clan compound.
The walk took nearly half an hour, giving Bai Yuexian time to organize his thoughts and review more of the memories that continued to surface. By the time he reached the area permeated with the fragrance of medicinal herbs and alchemical concoctions, he had a better grasp of his current situation and the world around him.
His aunt's courtyard was a marvel the backyard filled with neatly arranged plots of different types of herbs, each carefully tended and labeled. Some plants he recognized from his previous world, but most were entirely foreign, their colors and shapes defying his understanding of botany.
He approached her door and knocked gently.
"Come in," called a sweet voice from within.
Bai Yuexian pushed the door open, and a fresh wave of medicinal scents washed over him some bitter, some sweet, all combining into an intriguing aromatic symphony that cleared his mind. Inside, he found his aunt sitting at a large wooden table covered with various alchemical tools, mortar and pestles of different sizes, and small piles of processed herbs.
Bai Lihua wore a white and blue hanfu with cloud and pill patterns embroidered across the fabric a clear indication of her profession as an alchemist. Like the other women in the Bai family, she was strikingly beautiful, with large expressive eyes and a curvaceous figure that her robes couldn't fully conceal. From his memories, he knew she was a powerful figure in the Alchemist Association due to her status as a Tier Four Alchemist.
"Yue'er, you've come," she said with a warm smile.
"Yes, Aunt Lihua. You said you had pills for me," he replied.
She nodded, gesturing for him to take a seat across from her. As he sat down, she reached into her spatial ring a magical storage device commonly used by cultivators in this world and retrieved five jade bottles, placing them carefully on the table between them.
Bai Yuexian's brows furrowed in confusion. "Aunt Lihua, didn't you say only my meridians were damaged? Why so many pills?"
His question was born from both the memories of the original Bai Yuexian and his own knowledge from reading cultivation novels in his previous life. Typically, one specific medicine would target one specific ailment.
Lihua's lips curved into a knowing smile. "I expected you to ask that. Yes, your meridians are the primary concern, but there were other issues that needed addressing." She picked up the first bottle and held it out to him. "This is the Meridian Regeneration Pill, acquired from an ancient ruin. Its properties are quite powerful, designed specifically to repair damaged meridian channels."
She then indicated the second bottle. "This contains the Yin Pill." Moving to the third, she continued, "And this one holds the Yang Pill. The remaining two bottles contain complementary pills to stabilize your condition."
She leaned forward, her expression serious. "As a skilled alchemist and your aunt, I've thoroughly examined your body. There were many flaws beyond just the damaged meridians. The Yin and Yang Pills will stabilize your body's condition. Your talent is not particularly high, which means you may face backlash from the Meridian Regeneration Pill without proper preparation."
Bai Yuexian nodded gratefully as he accepted the bottles. He was genuinely moved by the level of care and consideration she had shown nothing like the cutthroat family dynamics he had expected based on the novels he'd read.
However, Lihua's expression suddenly hardened, her voice taking on a steelier edge. "Yue'er, listen carefully. This is the only time we are all helping you like this. In the future, you must sometimes be ruthless. Kindness doesn't work every time in this world remember that."
She stood up, pacing slowly around the table. "After this, you may face many challenges alone. Even within the family, you'll need to find your own sources to cultivate. We will not always be able to back you up." She stopped directly in front of him, her gaze intense. "This is the last time I'm helping you for free. The next time you ask for pills, I will demand their full price."
Her words were harsh, but Bai Yuexian understood the underlying message. She wasn't being cruel she was preparing him for the realities of this cultivation world. Help would not always be readily available; he would need to stand on his own feet in this power-hungry environment. The family was giving him a foundation now, but ultimately, his growth would depend on his own efforts.
"I understand, Aunt Lihua. Thank you for your guidance," he said sincerely.