Circuits Of A Cursed Heart

Chapter Six

The meager rations, delivered by a whirring, brass-and-copper delivery bot, barely alleviated the gnawing hunger in their bellies. The bot, its gears grinding softly, deposited a small, woven basket containing the rations. It was an old model, its polished brass tarnished with age, its whirring mechanism a jarring contrast to the quiet desperation of the hut. Even the poorest families in the outlying district of Jade Ascent possessed one of these ancient delivery bots, a testament to the outdated technology that served as a constant reminder of their lower station in the general social hierarchy. The accompanying letter, crisp and official, announced the upcoming talent assessment that was to happen two week away. The parchment crackled like dry leaves as Lian Cai, her face etched with a weariness that belied her years, unfolded it by the flickering firelight. The lines seemed to blur, each word a fresh reminder of the expectations crushing her daughter.

"Two weeks," she whispered, her voice hoarse. The words hung heavy in the air, thick with unspoken anxieties.

Meilin, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs, watched her mother. The thin porridge had barely touched her lips; the thought of the impending assessment was a bitter taste in her mouth. She had to try. She had to find a way out – not from the assessment itself, but from the crushing weight of inadequacy it represented.

"Mama," Meilin began, her voice barely a breath, "Could I… could I go to town? Perhaps find some work? Even something small. Anything to help..."

"That won't do lin'er you have not recovered yet and you know every time you go down there you often return with more injuries I am worried dear I can't let you go 'her mother refused almost immediately.

Lian Cai looked at her daughter, her gaze filled with a mixture of sorrow and resignation. She knew what Meilin wanted. Not just to alleviate their poverty, but to escape the suffocating pressure of the family's expectations, to carve out a space for herself, even if it was just a tiny corner of independence. But the fear was present in her heart, she is not strong anymore, she might not be able to protect her daughter if she steps out of their comfort zone.

"Meilin," Lian Cai said softly, her voice laced with a pain that mirrored Meilin's own. "It's too dangerous. And the tests…" Her voice trailed off, unable to voice the unspoken fear that Meilin might fail to meet expectations again.

"Mom don't worry about the test I will go there to support wen wen right now I have no hope whatsoever but for work you have to let me go you know we can't afford fear mama I will be careful,I promise"

Meilin persisted. She painted a picture of simple tasks – cleaning, mending, anything to earn a few coins. The words tumbled from her lips, fueled by a desperation born of years of silence and marginalization. Finally, her mother relented, a flicker of weary hope in her eyes. She knew it was a dangerous gamble, but Meilin's pleas echoed her own desperate need for a sliver of respite from their grim reality.

Although this body could not carry spiritual energy or syphon magic but she had knowledge of alchemy and forging.if what she learned from Meilin memory was true,that forging was different in this era were there are different stages of forging.the easy stage,normal stage,middle stage,high stage and the excellent stage.she could try forging the easy stage artifact since it does not require energy of any kind just the proper tools. It just that forging methods were not some candy you could buy anywhere if a clan has a forging method then it is kept a secret from the outside world so even easy stage artifacts are not obtained easily. Since she had the knowledge then she had to ensure within these two weeks their family had a stable living condition.as for alchemy she had to forget about that because she had not found a method to use it without the use of magic and spiritual energy.

Later, Meilin found Jianwen staring out the window, his small shoulders slumped. She sat beside him, her hand resting gently on his arm. He kept on signing so much that it looked dramatic.finally he couldn't keep quiet.

"Sis,I am worried the test...do you think I'll succeed,will I fail again?" He kept on rambling that Jian Meilin became speechless 'this boy is so talkative I didn't even notice' Jian Meilin mused

"Don't worry, little brother," she said, her voice softer than the morning breeze. "This test… it doesn't define us, whether or not you awaken your power in the future as long as we're together then it's fine right?."

He looked at her, his eyes mirroring her own weariness. But her words, though simple, offered a measure of comfort. He knew she was just as scared as he was, but her unwavering support was a lifeline in the storm of their anxieties. He squeezed her hand tightly.

The walk to town was a slow, deliberate one. Each step felt heavy, laden with the weight of her family's expectations. She had donned the simplest of clothing, a worn cotton tunic that hid her already meager frame. As she reached the outskirts of the jade ascendence, two figures blocked her path.

Her stepsister, Jian Ling, stood tall and proud, her beauty enhanced by a silk gown that whispered wealth and privilege. Beside her was a cousin,Jian Xikong dressed in similarly fine clothes. Their smiles were sharp, their eyes glittering with malice.

"Look what we have here," Jian Ling drawled, her voice dripping with condescension. "The family disgrace, out for a stroll."

The cousin snickered, mimicking her sister's disdain." What to say a trash cannot understand a thing about elegancy and simple manners" she added.Their words were like tiny daggers, each one piercing Meilin's heart. She knew their taunts were born of the privileges that they possessed. If one day they were stripped off their high talent then they will not know we're to start in this ruthless world.

Their laughter turned to fury as Jian Meilin's calm defiance irritated them. They lunged at her, intending to inflict physical pain to match the verbal abuse that she suffered. Jian Xikong withdrew a whip from her hip and swung it ready to strike. But just as her attack was about to land, a servant rushed towards them, his face pale with urgency.

"Lady Ling! Land Xikong,An emergency meeting. The General requires your presence immediately!" The servant did not even acknowledge Meilin as if she was just air.

The girls faltered, their anger abruptly replaced with a mixture of confusion and apprehension. They turned, their fury barely contained, and hurried away without another word. Meilin watched them go, The incident was a stark reminder of her position within the family, but strangely, it was their haste to attend the emergency meeting that left her with an inexplicable sense of unease.