The gentle morning sun filtered through the open windows of the Mu residence, casting warm rays on the polished wooden floor. Zhen Liang sat on the veranda, gently stroking the white fur of the spirit beast nestled in his arms.
"Little Wool," he said with a soft smile. "That will be your name."
The little white rabbit looked up at him with its sparkling blue eyes, nibbling gently on a spirit carrot clutched in its tiny paws. Despite being a rare Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbit, it had yet to develop any form of spiritual awareness. But Zhen Liang didn't mind. There was something simple and innocent about its behavior.
He'd come to understand the creature's attachment to him. After spending many hours recently working with herbs and medicinal ingredients in his alchemy lessons, the scent of spiritual plants clung to his clothes. His mother had explained that herbivorous spirit beasts like the Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbit were often drawn to that scent, especially when they were hungry. Combined with Zhen Liang's naturally calm presence, Little Wool had simply found comfort beside him.
When Zhen Liang introduced the creature to his family, they were surprised. Spirit beasts weren't rare in the clan, but a Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbit was something else entirely. Known for their natural ability to seek spiritual treasures and dig escape tunnels, they were prized among cultivators. The fact that Zhen Liang had found one—no, that one had chosen to cling to him—was astonishing.
The day passed peacefully, but trouble always finds its way.
The next morning, a commotion stirred at the Mu residence gates. A servant rushed in to announce the arrival of an elder.
An elder from the Zhen clan entered the courtyard with an air of arrogance, his chin raised, robes flowing as if he expected the wind itself to bow before him. His gaze scanned the residence with undisguised disdain. He was none other than Elder Zhen Jinhai, an old rival of Zhen Liang's father, Zhen Mu, since their youth. Their enmity was no secret.
Zhen Mu stepped forward to greet him with a forced smile.
"Elder Jinhai," Zhen Mu said, keeping his tone respectful. "To what do we owe this early visit?"
Zhen Jinhai snorted. "Let's not waste time with pleasantries, Elder Mu. I'm here for the Spirit Pool qualification token. It was given to your son by mistake. The token, as per this decree, has been reassigned to the 13th Young Master."
With a smug expression, he unfurled a silk decree, the red wax seal of a single clan elder stamped clearly at the bottom—not the Elder Council's seal.
Zhen Mu's expression froze. The decree was valid. His face turned pale, and he turned to Zhen Liang, who had stepped forward with Little Wool in his arms.
With trembling hands, Zhen Mu took the silver token from his son and handed it over.
Zhen Jinhai took the token with a triumphant smirk. But his eyes soon shifted to the white bundle in Zhen Liang's arms.
"A Blue-Eyed Spirit Rabbit?" he said, surprised. "Such a thing would make a fine companion for the 13th Young Master. He just entered the Qi Condensation Realm, you know. Why don't you offer this little pet as a congratulatory gift?"
Zhen Mu's face darkened. "Elder Jinhai, this is too much."
Zhen Liang, however, simply raised an eyebrow and gave the elder a lazy smile.
"Elder," he said, his voice calm but filled with sarcasm, "it's not that I won't give Little Wool, but how could such a small rabbit ever be worthy of the 13th Young Master? After all, he entered the Qi Realm at the mighty age of twenty-two. And I'm just a mere eight-year-old who happened to reach the same level."
As Zhen Liang spoke, his mind wandered. He remembered that only three Spirit Pool tokens were issued each year—one to the annual competition winner, one from the clan leader, and the last from the Elder Council. His token had come from the council. So why the need to take his?
What Zhen Liang didn't know was that the clan leader had already given his own token to his talented 11th son, who was on the verge of breaking through to the ninth level of the Qi stage. The 13th Young Master's sudden breakthrough had caught the clan leader by surprise, and with a mother who was an elder in the Star Sect and Nascent Soul grandparents backing him, the boy had demanded entry into the Spirit Pool. The clan leader, despite knowing it wasn't right, had given a verbal order to retrieve Zhen Liang's token.
Still, Zhen Liang wasn't dissatisfied. While the Spirit Pool had benefits, his cultivation technique—Nine Turn True Qi—required slow, steady progression. Rapid boosts like those from the pool weren't ideal for him.
He continued, unfazed, "If the 13th Young Master truly wants my little rabbit, I'm sure he can obtain an official decree from the clan leader. I'll hand it over without a blink. I'm sure the clan would love to hear how its young master not only took a child's Spirit Pool token but also his pet."
Zhen Jinhai's face turned bright red. Zhen Mu, meanwhile, struggled to contain a smile.
Without waiting for a reply, Zhen Liang turned and left the room, showing his back to the elder as he walked away, Little Wool still nestled safely in his arms, nibbling on the half-eaten spirit carrot.
The elder stood in silence, fuming, but unable to argue with the boy's calm and sharp words.