Northern Derivation Chapter Four: The Birthday Banquet

Since arriving at the Han estate, Mo Hao had been cultivating the Clear Origin Technique day and night. Each time he circulated the mana within his body, he would take a small sip of ape wine. Although it felt as if his lungs and entrails were burning, he could perceive the spiritual energy from the wine threading its way into his meridians. With every session, his mana grew a fraction stronger.

Two months after his arrival, Mo Hao felt his progress slow significantly. He had clearly reached a bottleneck, confirming he was at the peak of the early Grain-Fasting stage—the third layer. He was finally ready to learn a few basic spells from the foundational techniques taught to him by Xuan Fengzi, yet this bottleneck left him feeling quite bewildered.

He had heard Han Qing mention that upon reaching the mid-Grain-Fasting stage, one’s mana would undergo a earth-shattering transformation, like a silkworm breaking from its cocoon to become a butterfly. At that stage, cultivators could not only wield basic flight artifacts to soar through the heavens but also gain a lifespan of a hundred years, truly crossing the threshold into the world of immortals.

Mo Hao pulled himself from his thoughts. Possessing a five-element spiritual meridian, he knew he could not be overly hasty. Suddenly, he sensed a stir outside and recalled Han Qing mentioning that today was the birthday of his father, Han Dahu. As the lord of Hanzhong City, Han Dahu was known for his kindness toward the common folk. Over the past month, the Han family had treated Mo Hao as an honored guest, and he felt it would be wrong not to help.

Pushing open his door, he stepped out. The old servant who usually stood at the courtyard gate was gone, likely helping in the front yard. Upon reaching the front, he saw Little Xue’er struggling to move tables and chairs. Seeing her exertion, Mo Hao hurried over and took the furniture from her hands.

Over the past month, Mo Hao had become close with the servants. Little Xue’er and the others knew that although this ten-year-old boy was a cultivator, he had no airs. When not cultivating, he often regaled them with tales of catching fish and birds in his youth, leaving them filled with longing.

Once Mo Hao finished helping, Han Qing came to fetch him for the main hall. As they entered, the guests seated on both sides rose to offer their respects. Han Dahu’s face beamed with pride; in the vast Chu Kingdom, few could join the ranks of cultivators, yet his own youngest son was one of them. Noticing that the atmosphere in the hall grew stiff upon their arrival, Mo Hao nudged Han Qing. The clever boy immediately understood, and the two slipped out.

"Today is my father’s birthday, and some sect cultivators might come to offer gifts," Han Qing said once they were outside. "We can take this opportunity to ask about joining a sect. Since you’ve reached the peak of the early stage, you’ll need better pills to break through to the mid-stage. If we can get into a sect, we might finally have a chance to transcend the Grain-Fasting stage."

Mo Hao was startled. "Is that true? If so, that would be wonderful news! I have been worrying about this myself, though I fear my aptitude is not enough for a sect."

If he could attach himself to a sect, he would achieve the very purpose of his journey. Such an opportunity was rare indeed.

Sensing his anxiety, Han Qing patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry. This person has a special relationship with my father. When I was young, my father spoke of it constantly. It was through this person that I learned I possessed spiritual meridians. Back then, I was too attached to home and refused to leave, but now I realize that without the help of a sect, advancing on my own is likely hopeless."

Mo Hao found it strange that a mere mortal like Han Dahu could know a cultivator. Han Qing, seeing his confusion, briefly explained the history. Mo Hao sighed, lamenting that Han’s father lacked spiritual meridians, though he soon reconciled with the fact; in a world of so many, one in ten thousand barely possessed such a gift. Even his own five-element meridian was a precious rarity.

After discussing cultivation, Mo Hao went to play with Little Xue’er and the others in the courtyard. Despite his experiences, he was still just a ten-year-old child. Soon, the banquet began, and a stage was erected on the east side of the estate for performances. Mo Hao, however, had no heart for the play; he was preoccupied with the expected arrival of the immortal’s disciple.

Just then, a chill wind swept through the air. The guests looked up to see a woman in the sky, stepping on a green leaf. Her hair danced in the breeze, and she was dressed in flowing cyan robes, her beauty as radiant as jade. With her bright eyes and pearly teeth, she looked like a fairy from the nine heavens.

She smiled faintly and bowed to Han Dahu, who returned the gesture with haste, as did the rest of the guests.

"My master has sent me to offer gifts to Mr. Han," she said. "Wishing you a long life, as enduring as the crane amidst the glowing clouds and as evergreen as the mountain pines. I present this bottle of Moon-Sun Pills; a single pill can extend one’s life by three years."

A small blue bottle appeared in her hand and floated toward Han Dahu. He received it with a respectful bow. Mo Hao felt a surge of trepidation; while the mortals present could not feel it, he and Han Qing sensed a wave of spiritual pressure radiating from her. He guessed that such power was beyond even a late-stage Grain-Fasting cultivator. She looked to be only fifteen or sixteen—could she already be a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

When Han Dahu invited her to join the banquet, the woman politely declined and prepared to depart on her green leaf.

"Senior, wait! I have a request," Han Qing called out.

The woman looked at him, then glanced at Mo Hao with slight surprise. "You must be the Han Qing my master once mentioned. And who is this?"

"I am indeed Han Qing. This is my friend, and he wishes to join the sect with me to cultivate."

The woman pondered for a moment. "My master did mention this years ago. If you wish to join, go to the mountain gate with this token, and you will be admitted. As for him..."

She handed a wooden token to Han Qing inscribed with the character "Dust." Then, recalling something, she turned to Mo Hao. "Since you are Han Qing’s friend, and the Han family has done my master a service, our sect will be recruiting outer-affairs disciples this year. While these positions are usually for mortals, many former outer-sect disciples are moved to these roles. If you are willing, you may come to the sect, and I will see to it that you are given some leniency."

Mo Hao understood that outer-affairs disciples were often connected to powerful families, but given the opportunity, he nodded immediately. The woman smiled and handed him an iron token engraved with the character "Mystic."

Mo Hao was overjoyed and bowed deeply. The woman nodded, handed a jade slip to Han Qing, and soared away on her artifact.

The banquet lasted until dusk, but Mo Hao and Han Qing had long since slipped away to the back mountain. Han Qing pressed the jade slip to his forehead; it flashed with light, and he shared its contents with Mo Hao. It was a map, and at their current pace, it would take half a month to reach the sect.

Since they were both cultivators, they could channel mana into their limbs to travel faster. They agreed to depart in five days.

When the day finally arrived, Mo Hao had packed his belongings, and Han Qing had bid his family farewell. Standing in the courtyard, Mo Hao felt a pang of sadness; the Han family had been incredibly kind to him.

Just as they stepped out of Hanzhong City, they heard someone chasing after them. It was Little Xue’er, breathless and with eyes red from crying. She touched Mo Hao’s head, looked at Han Qing, and burst into tears. Mo Hao walked on in silence, and after a while, Han Qing caught up, his own eyes glistening. Without a word, the two companions set off toward the sect.