Also known as the Day the Wind Bowed
Far across the Eastern provinces, inside the cloud-wrapped halls of the Verdant Cloud Sect, a sealed letter arrived — carried by wind-riders and bound with a golden ribbon.
It was addressed to Elder Mo, a man renowned for his cultivation... and feared for his silence.
He read the scroll once, then folded it carefully and set it aside. He did not speak for a long time.
Then he murmured, "A man unknown to all sects… praised by commoners and nobles alike… It's time I saw him with my own eyes."
There was only one way to find out the truth.
He rose.
"Prepare the palanquin."
Atop the ruined mountain, Wei Long was lying face-up on the roof, watching clouds and wondering how quickly he could fake his own death if more disciples arrived.
Below, Lin Qian was punching a tree again, Duan Fei was painting calligraphy in mud ("To Honor the Master is to Honor the Dao"), and a chicken had stolen Wei Long's last dumpling.
He sighed. "This sect needs rules. Or at least a fence."
Then — a sudden stillness.
Birds stopped chirping.
The leaves ceased rustling.
And from the sky, a jade-green palanquin descended slowly, surrounded by mist and glowing talismans. Four cultivators floated down with it like guardians of an emperor.
The palanquin touched earth without sound. A moment later, Elder Mo stepped out, his robes whispering with spiritual power, his gaze like a sword unsheathed.
Duan Fei gasped. "Elder Mo of the Verdant Cloud Sect!"
Lin Qian dropped her staff and bowed so low she might've been praying to the dirt.
Wei Long scratched his head. "Is this about the chicken?"
Mo took three steps forward and said, "You are Wei Long."
"Unfortunately, yes."
"I have come to witness your teachings firsthand. Show me your understanding of the Dao."
Wei Long blinked. "You want me to… what?"
Mo's gaze narrowed. "Demonstrate your power. Show me how you command nature as the tales say."
Wei Long panicked.
Power? Nature? He couldn't even command his rooster.
Then, in that desperate moment, fate struck again.
A gust of wind picked up. Leaves swirled. A storm cloud darkened the sky.
And Wei Long, frustrated, pointed randomly at the heavens and shouted, "Enough! I'm talking!"
The wind stopped.
Just—stopped.
The cloud split like silk.
The sun pierced through with a golden beam that struck only him, casting everything else in soft shadow.
The chickens bowed. Even the goat paused mid-chew.
Elder Mo's mouth dropped slightly.
"…He commanded the wind."
Lin Qian stared in awe. "Master's temper moves the heavens…"
Wei Long blinked at the sky. "…Did I do that?"
Duan Fei dropped to one knee. "Such control… without hand seals, without qi! Pure intent! This is beyond cultivation!"
Mo took a trembling breath.
"…To stop wind and split clouds without a gesture… That is not a technique. That is domain. The realm of saints."
Wei Long looked at his own finger like it had betrayed him.
"I was just yelling."
But Elder Mo was already kneeling.
"Master Wei Long… the Verdant Cloud Sect humbly invites you to become an Honorary Elder. We will send five top disciples for training. Your methods are… beyond comprehension."
Wei Long's heart sank. Five more?
But Lin Qian was beaming. "Master! You'll shape the future of cultivation!"
Wei Long looked around.
The cracked pavilion.
The tea-stained boulder.
Duan Fei doing squats with a chicken on his head.
Then back at Elder Mo.
"…Can I have a week to think about it?"
Mo stood. "Wisdom again. A lesser man would rush. You truly… see through all things."
As the palanquin rose into the sky, Mo whispered to his attendant: "We are in the presence of a hidden dragon…"
Wei Long sat down, wiped his face, and whispered, "I think I just got sunburnt…"
But the legend spread:
Master Wei Long — the man who silenced storms with a word and bent light with thought.
And far beyond, the hidden powers of the continent began to listen.
To be continued...