Ascension of the Jade Flame
The morning sun had yet to completely break through the misty trees of the Ashen Woodlands but Xiulan had already been awake for some time, sitting by the stream and filling his gourd with dew from the spirit herbs. Birds sang, leaves rustled in the wind and his heart wasn't in it. "One more vial, " he whispered to himself, his hands shaking slightly as he filled it. If he came back to Master Ba without anything, he would have to face the consequences.
He stood up, stretching, his gaze drifting toward a cluster of moss-covered stones. For a moment, he considered not disturbing the moss but his curiosity won out. He dropped to his knees, carefully digging away at the dirt and leaves until his hand found something smooth and warm.
A jade pendant.
Although the pendant had been buried and untouched for years, it glowed with a soft, gentle warmth. When it touched his skin, Xiulan felt the world spinning around him. Pain shot through his head and he heard the whispers of an ancient voice in his mind.
"Foolish child... Or perhaps fated one?" It was a voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.
Xiulan screamed as the pendant blazed with green fire. Everything went black.
When he came to, it was night. The pendant hung around his neck. He could feel something watching him from the back of his mind.
The next morning, Xiulan was summoned to the village square. The villagers were there, standing in a semicircle around a group of elders. They were accompanied by a figure in a cloak with empty eyes that seemed to hold countless battles within them.
"This is Elder Su, " one of the villagers said. "He's here from the Five Forbidden Temples. He's been watching us from afar." Xiulan didn't know what this meant or how it would change things. But something was coming. Something big.
It was in that moment that Su raised his voice. The pendant. You got it, don't you? The man seemed to be talking with his teeth clenched. Xiulan's brow creased and he took off the thin chain that hung from his neck. The Jade Flame Pendant seemed to be shining softly and slowly. There was something so familiar about this feeling. Elder Su sniffed suddenly. Then it really seems that fate doesn't want you to know the truth. Later, when they could no longer be seen by anyone else, Su handed Xiulan a thin, square-shaped weapon covered in oiled cloth. Taking out the cloth, he found an old sword and etched on it were some letters that shimmered softly under the moon. This is called Sorrow, Su said. She has never had a desire to live but it is obvious that she has lived a life full of purpose. That night, the village suddenly came under attack by a bunch of bandits but these weren't your typical men, because their veins were shining a violet light and their voices didn't.
