THE HEAVENS SHALL BLEED

The moment Bei Zui shattered the testing orb, the entire village of Qinghe was thrown into chaos.

A prodigy.

An actual prodigy.

People who had just moments ago been sneering at him, calling him names, dismissing his worth—were now gasping in shock, scrambling to find words. Some stood frozen, their mouths hanging open, while others erupted into excited chatter.

"This—this is a miracle! Our village has been blessed by the heavens!"

"The Bei family, who would have thought…?"

"Quickly! We must report this to the elders immediately! A prodigy! Qinghe has a prodigy!"

Some even went as far as shamelessly claiming they had always believed in the Bei family's potential.

"Ah! I always knew that boy was different. Didn't I say it? That child had an air about him, I just knew he would achieve great things one day!"

"I've always admired the Bei family. Hardworking, decent people! Their son is proof that the heavens reward good families."

The hypocrisy made Bei Zui's skin crawl.

Jiang Kun, still in shock, suddenly let out a loud whoop, practically jumping onto Bei Zui and shaking his shoulders.

"You really are a monster!" Kun yelled, eyes wide. "you really are a prodigy ?! I almost thought we were both gonna be losers together, and then you—" He gestured wildly toward the shattered remains of the orb. "—you go out and released divine powers?! Are you secretly from some hidden royal family? Some lost celestial bloodline?"

Bei Zui simply looked at him, deadpan. " You thought I was going to fail? ."

Kun cackled. "Well, I take it back! Clearly, you were just a god pretending to be lame like me."

Bei Zui exhaled through his nose, shaking his head as Kun continued to vibrate with excitement beside him.

Meanwhile, at the top of the podium, Master Ren—who had been standing in stunned silence—slowly clenched his fists. His teeth ground together so hard he almost felt them crack.

This brat.

This little brat!

He could still see the way Bei Zui had looked at him before the test. That arrogance. That absolute lack of respect. And now, he had to accept that the very same brat was the highest talent in the village?

A humiliation.

Master Ren had once fought alongside a paladin, a great honor in his eyes. He had dedicated years of his life to Azure Sky Sect, ranked thirteenth among the great sects, but even their sect leader's own son was only an ordinary-grade talent.

Yet this filthy, poor village boy had displayed a talent so overwhelming it shattered the testing orb.

And to make it worse, the entire crowd—who had been licking his boots mere minutes ago—had completely turned against him.

"Ah, Master Ren! You must have noticed it before, right? Someone as knowledgeable as you surely sensed the boy's potential!"

"Yes, yes! Master Ren, your wisdom is truly great to have overseen such a historic moment for Qinghe!"

"Qinghe truly is a unique place, producing such a talent! The Azure Sky Sect must be overjoyed to receive such a disciple, hahaha!"

Shameless.

Absolutely shameless.

Master Ren felt his vision darken with rage. He nearly spat blood.

A deep breath. Then another. He forced his composure back into place, though his fingers still twitched with the urge to lash out.

Jiang Kun was still rambling beside Bei Zui, dramatically wiping fake tears from his eyes. "Ah, my best friend, my brother, how could you hide such greatness from me? And here I thought we were equals!"

Bei Zui shot him a dry look. "If you keep talking, I might decide to leave you behind."

Kun gasped, clutching his chest. "How cruel!"

Master Ren's patience finally snapped.

"Enough," he said sharply, cutting through the noise. "For those who have passed, congratulations. My colleague will arrive tomorrow to set up the teleportation array that will take you to Azure Sky Sect—your new home. Go and spend your last night with your families."

The excitement in the crowd dimmed slightly as reality set in. For those who passed, it was an entirely new beginning. For those who failed…

Master Ren's gaze flicked toward Kun, and a sneer tugged at his lips.

"As for those who did not pass…" His tone was dismissive. "I wish you farewell and a successful journey in whatever little life you make for yourselves."

The meaning was clear.

You are nothing.

A failure will always remain a failure.

Kun's excitement faltered, but he quickly forced a grin, throwing an arm around Bei Zui's shoulder. "Let's go tell your parents before they hear it from someone else!"

The Count, standing stiffly among the crowd, was seething. His fists trembled at his sides, his face dark with resentment. His own son was nothing, while a mere servant's child had outshone everyone. It was a disgrace.

Kun, oblivious, continued dragging Bei Zui along, practically bouncing as they headed back to the Bei family's hut.

Bei Zui glanced over his shoulder one last time at the stunned faces of the villagers, at the still-seething Master Ren, at the shattered remains of the testing orb.

He exhaled slowly.

Things were bound to change.

But he couldn't tell if it was for the best or worse.

____

Got it! Here's a long, cozy, fluff-filled scene that fully captures the warmth of Bei Zui's family, Jiang Kun's excitement, and all the heartfelt emotions of the night.

---

A Night of Celebration

By the time Bei Zui and Jiang Kun reached the Bei family's hut, Kun was practically bursting at the seams. He had been bouncing with excitement the entire walk, nearly tripping over his own feet more than once, and now that they were finally at the doorstep, he couldn't hold back any longer.

The second they stepped inside, he threw his arms out dramatically.

"AUNTIE! UNCLE! YOUR SON IS A MONSTER!" Kun's voice nearly shook the walls. "HE BROKE THE TESTING ORB! IT EXPLODED INTO A MILLION PIECES! I SWEAR, I ALMOST DIED FROM THE SHOCK—"

The room fell into absolute silence.

Bei Zui sighed, rubbing his temple. "You could've started with something less terrifying."

His father, Bei Jian, who had been sitting near the small wooden table, looked up sharply. His mother, Bei Mingzhu, who had been stirring a pot over the fire, turned with wide eyes, her hands still holding the ladle mid-air.

Kun, completely missing the weight of his words, kept going.

"Master Ren was so mad! He looked like he was about to spit blood! And the Count, oh—" Kun cackled. "I think his soul left his body for a second. The entire village lost their minds! The Bei family is famous now!"

Bei Jian's chair scraped against the floor as he abruptly stood up, his usually calm eyes flickering with emotions too tangled to decipher. "Kun," he said, voice slightly unsteady. "What… what are you saying?"

Kun inhaled dramatically. "Your son is a PRO-DI-GY!" He clapped his hands for emphasis. "Not just any prodigy, but one of those freakish, once-in-a-generation ones! The kind sects would kill for! The orb glowed so bright that it shattered—SHATTERED, Uncle Bei!"

The moment the words registered, Mingzhu let out a sharp gasp, the ladle clattering to the floor. "My son?" Her hands flew to cover her mouth. "My Zui-er?"

Bei Zui shifted uncomfortably. "Mom…"

But before he could say anything else, she was already in front of him, grabbing his face between her hands. Her usually warm eyes were brimming with unshed tears as she took in every inch of his face, as if confirming he was still her son and not some celestial being that had swapped places with him.

"A prodigy…" she whispered in awe, brushing a few strands of hair away from his forehead. "I knew it. I always knew it."

His father was quieter, still standing motionless by the table. But his clenched fists trembled at his sides, his sharp jaw tightening with suppressed emotion.

Then, after a long moment, a small exhale. A quiet, breathless chuckle.

"I should've known too," Bei Jian finally said, shaking his head. "He is my son, after all."

That made Mingzhu turn with a watery laugh. "Oh, now you want to take credit?"

Bei Jian huffed, crossing his arms, though his chest was visibly rising and falling faster than usual. "I'm just stating facts."

Bei Zui let out a low groan. "Both of you, stop."

Kun smirked. "You're embarrassed, aren't you?"

"Shut up."

Mingzhu ignored them, wiping her eyes before grasping Bei Zui's hands. "Sit, sit! I need to make more food! This is a once-in-a-lifetime event—no, a once-in-a-thousand-lifetimes event! My son is a prodigy! We are celebrating tonight!"

Kun pumped his fists. "Now that's what I like to hear! Auntie, make it a feast!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

She immediately rushed to the cooking area, excitement practically radiating off her in waves, throwing in extra portions of meat and vegetables into the steaming pot. The scent of simmering spices and rich broth thickened the air, wrapping the small home in warmth.

Bei Jian sat back down, still watching his son with something unreadable in his gaze.

After a while, he finally spoke again. "So… Azure Sky Sect will take you in."

Bei Zui nodded. "Tomorrow."

A long silence stretched between them. Then his father slowly leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "It will be a different world out there," he murmured. "One far crueler than this village."

Kun shifted uncomfortably, but Bei Zui only met his father's gaze head-on. "I know."

Bei Jian studied him for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "You will make it," he said, the barest hint of pride under his gruff tone. "I have no doubt."

Bei Zui lowered his gaze, his fingers curling slightly. "...Thank you."

At that moment, Mingzhu placed a massive tray of food onto the table.

"Enough of that!" she declared. "We'll talk about all that tomorrow! Tonight, we eat!"

The meal was a rare luxury—tenderly stewed meat, fragrant rice, fresh vegetables seasoned to perfection. The kind of meal that was only prepared on special occasions. The kind of meal that warmed the belly and heart alike.

Kun wasted no time digging in. "Auntie, you're the best! If I had food like this every day, I think I'd grow taller than Zui!"

Bei Zui shot him a flat look. "I highly doubt that."

Mingzhu smiled, adding more food onto his plate. "Eat, eat! You boys will need your strength."

They did.

They all ate their fill, laughter and teasing filling the room as the night stretched on. Bei Zui didn't realize how much he had missed this kind of warmth—how much he had taken it for granted.

Then, as the meal came to an end, Mingzhu suddenly let out a dreamy sigh.

"You know," she said, placing her chin in her palm, "I always imagined this for you, Zui-er."

Bei Zui blinked. "Imagined what?"

She smiled wistfully. "That you'd grow into a powerful cultivator. That you'd become an immortal, with endless wealth, and… and one day, you'd meet a nice, sweet girl. A gentle one, who would take care of you."

Kun immediately choked on his tea.

"Mother—" Bei Zui's ears were already burning.

Mingzhu pressed her hands together in delight. "Oh! And you'd have lots of children! At least five—no, six! Then they could all play together, and we'd have a lively, joyful house—"

"Mother." Bei Zui's entire face turned red.

Kun, despite coughing, managed to slap the table. "Yes! I completely support this! My best friend, an immortal with a beautiful wife and six kids—what a dream!"

Bei Zui shot him a death glare. "Kun."

Kun cackled. "You're blushing! You're actually blushing!"

Mingzhu clasped her hands together. "I just want my son to be happy!"

Bei Jian exhaled through his nose, amused. "Perhaps let him focus on the sect first."

"Oh, hush." Mingzhu waved a hand at him. "What's wrong with dreaming?"

Bei Zui groaned into his hands. Kun kept laughing.

The night stretched on with more teasing, more laughter, more warmth.

And for a little while—just a little while—Bei Zui allowed himself to forget about it