Will of Immortals

As Mei Feng and Gerald entered his small house, night darkened. Dim lantern light warmed the place, casting a glow upon wooden furniture and an old tapestry that hung near the hearth. Across the sofa sprawled a large brown dog with a black muzzle and intelligent eyes.

It lifted its head, ears twitching, as Mei Feng went in.

"Still have this beast, I see," Mei Feng remarked, her tone light but wary.

Gerald chuckled while scrapping behind the dog's ears. "He's no beast. He's family. Haven't you learned to appreciate him yet?

The dog's amber eyes fixed on Mei Feng. His look was unyielding, steady. She raised a flare of discomfort that quickly smoothed away in a toss of her hair as she sat on a chair.

"Love him? That dog is always plotting something," she laughed, her lips curling into a smirk that did not quite reach her eyes.

"Only if you give him a reason to," Gerald replied offhandedly, though his tone had a warning to it as well.

Mei Feng leaned back, allowing the silence to hold for a moment before speaking. "So," she began, her voice low now, "it's been years since you left the capital. Things are not as they once were, Gerald. Unrest, whispers of something. Dangerous.

Gerald's smiling face disappeared. His hands dangled between his knees with a furrowed brow that pointed forward. "What kind of unrest? What is it?

Mei Feng's eyes darkened.

"The clans are stirring. Alliances are shifting. Someone—something—is pulling the strings from the shadows. Even the council seems uneasy, and they're never uneasy.

Whatever's coming, it's big, Gerald. Bigger than anything we've faced before."

"And you think it's all connected to Eldenwood?" Gerald asked, his voice low.

"I don't know," Mei admitted, her gaze drifting toward the crackling fireplace. "But if you're here, and if that boy," she tilted her head toward the door as if gesturing to Bai Cheng's absence, "is involved, then yes. I'd wager Eldenwood is more important than it seems."

Gerard leaned back, rubbing his chin in deep thought. "Well, I was far better off away from that place for a reason, Mei. I just didn't want to play the capital's games anymore.".

"And yet here you are, training someone who can't even use spiritual energy," Mei said, her voice teasing and curious. "

What's your endgame, Gerald?"

Just before Gerald could answer, the door creaked open. Bai Cheng stepped in, his face a storm of frustration and determination. His clothes dripped with sweat, and his eyes burned from the sting of his earlier failure.

Lost to her, Bai Cheng muttered, removing his shoes. Was completely humiliated. She didn't even try.

Mei Feng's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Oh, you're back. Still upset about that little sparring session, HUH?"

Bai glared at her but said nothing. Instead, he plopped down in the chair opposite them, his arms folded across his chest. Shadow's senses picked up on the tension and moved over to sit at Bai Cheng's feet, where he rested his big head in the boy's lap.

Suddenly, it was broken by Gerald. "Good timing, Bai Cheng. Mei has something for you.".

Mei Feng rose, crimson robes snagged in the dancing flames. "Okay, boy, you've got spunk.

That's a good foundation. But to ever hope of getting any better with your skills, you're going to have to learn to move.

Move fast, move precise, move unpredictably. The first skill of the Shadow Step: establish that base.".

What am I supposed to do?" Bai Cheng inquired sharply.

"Run," Mei said softly.

"Run?" Bai Cheng frowned.

She nodded, her smile playful but her tone serious. "Run up the hill just outside this house. Then back down. Do it again. And again. Do not quit until you feel like you are about to collapse.

"That's it?" demanded Bai Cheng, his frustration rising. "How is this going to help me?"

"You'll understand soon enough," Mei replied cryptically. "Do it every day. Ten days, no breaks."

Bai Cheng opened his mouth to argue but caught Gerald's slight shake of the head. With a sigh, he nodded. "Fine. I'll do it."

-

Bai Cheng went through the next few days in a blur of lack of sleep. He dragged himself up and down the hill every morning, his legs aflame, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His dog accompanied him, trotting at his side as if mocking his ease.

Mei Feng stood off to one side, sometimes shouting corrections at his form, or teasing him to go faster. Her smirk never softened, but there was something calculating in her gaze as if weighing him against some standard.

On the tenth night, as Bai Cheng dragged his sodden body back home, dripping with sweat and unable to stand, Mei Feng finally let him know her condition.

She waited until the fire had burned low and the room was full of rustling, flickering shadow. Gerald said nothing, his face a tense mask as if he knew already what was coming.

"You have done well," Mei Feng said quietly, her voice softer than usual.

"But mere training is not enough. If you are to pass the Eldenwood exams, you will need to prove yourself."

Prove myself how?" Bai Cheng asked, his exhaustion forgotten in the face of her intensity.

Mei Feng's eyes would light up. "You will spar with me. If you punch me once, one time, I will give you credit that you're ready. You'll pass, and then I'll move on.".

Bai Cheng's heart fell. He remembered the pressure of her spiritual aura as if struggling hard to move around, effortlessly. "

And if I cannot?

"Then you'll drop out of the exams," Mei Feng said, her tone final.

"What?" Bai Cheng leaped to his feet. "That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair," Mei Feng said, her smirk returning to her lips. "But this is your chance to prove me wrong. Do you accept?"

Gerald finally spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Miss Mei, this is too much.

"It's his choice, she shrugged. Isn't it, Bai Cheng?"

Bai Cheng gazed between them. His mind was racing. The thought of never sitting the exams terrified him, yet the challenge stirred up something inside him. He clenched his fists. I accept," he said, his voice stern.

Mei Feng's smile went wider. "Good. Let's see if you're as stubborn as you think you are.".

As the flames danced on her face, Bai Cheng felt the weight of challenge rest upon him. The way to reach their destination would be steep, but not for him to back down.

The dog barked once, the sudden sound startling in the quiet room, and for a moment, Mei Feng's unease returned as her eyes darted toward the dog. Outside, the wind howled and into it, whispers of the capital, dangers unknown, were carried.