Extra Story 1: Ning Zhuo’s Precocious Wisdom (An Apology to My Readers)

The immense caravan of the Ning clan, numbering their entire family, journeyed south with the arrival of March, rolling onto the southern fields. Spring was in full bloom. Vast stretches of rapeseed flowers blossomed, their golden petals shimmering like a layer of gold atop a sea of green, swaying in the spring breeze and filling hearts with boundless hope.

The caravan rumbled forward. A middle-aged man dismounted and hurriedly climbed onto one of the mechanical carriages. He pushed open the door and entered in haste.

“My lady, look what I have here!” the man said, presenting a pill as if offering a rare treasure.

His wife, heavily pregnant, lay on the bed, her swollen belly rising high as she rested with her eyes closed. The carriage window was tightly shut. The man infused a touch of magical power from afar, lighting a spirit lamp at the carriage’s roof.

Under its glow, his wife slowly opened her eyes and gazed at the pill. It was crystal-clear, like a bead of glass, glimmering with a faint golden light. She inhaled gently, delighted by the fresh, pleasant fragrance, reminiscent of a tranquil forest after rain, calming the spirit and soothing the mind.

She exclaimed in surprise, “This is an Early Wisdom Pill—a superb elixir! Where did you get it?”

The man grinned widely. “Didn’t I help Strong Fist Monk recently? He cultivates the Buddhist path and believes in cause and effect, insisting on repaying my kindness. I told him my wife is about to give birth and hoped that the master could offer some aid for my son’s future cultivation.”

His wife’s happiness turned to worry. “Husband, you could have used this opportunity and the master’s gratitude to heal your own wounds. Or at least request a lotus seed from the Buddhist sect’s Universal Salvation Lotus Platform, to enhance your own cultivation talent.”

He shook his head and sighed. “It’s not worth it for me. My old injuries flare up painfully at times but are not fatal—just a few days’ discomfort at most. Even if healed, my strength would hardly improve. Even with a lotus seed, my talent would only rise from average to slightly above average. At my age, even with such talent, I cannot break through my bottleneck.”

He knelt beside her, his voice gentle as he stroked her rounded belly. “Given all that, it’s best to leave this fortune for our child! The primary ingredient of the Early Wisdom Pill is a sliver of enlightenment root from a bodhi tree.”

With a soft sigh, the wife nodded, accepting his decision.

“Come, take the pill,” the man said, handing it to her. “I’ll guide the energy and help you digest it.”

She swallowed the elixir, and its gentle power flowed into the unborn child within her. The Early Wisdom Pill could strengthen the mind, open the spiritual platform, nourish the soul, and brighten the heart, allowing one to awaken early and possess extraordinary intelligence.

Having accomplished this, the man’s face lit with joy. “Wonderful! With this pill, our child will gain wisdom early. Perhaps he can already remember everything we say.”

“Let’s try reciting a cultivation technique to him next,” he suggested. “Who knows, perhaps he’ll begin cultivating before birth!”

His wife laughed, “You’re dreaming. Even if he remembers every word we say, he won’t know their meaning. Besides, his bodily meridians aren’t fully formed. If he truly began cultivating now, it would do more harm than good.”

The man grinned, “Of course, I’m only joking.” He squeezed her hand. “Ah, only after becoming parents does one realize the true heart parents have for their children. Our child is not yet born, and already I can’t help but worry for his future. I hope he’s gifted in cultivation—more gifted than I am.”

But his wife shook her head. “Would I love him less if he has no talent? No, no matter what, he is our child, our flesh and blood. I hope he possesses some talent, but not too much. Haven’t we seen and heard of so many prodigies dying young? I only wish for his safety and peace.”

Just as they spoke, a sudden alarm sounded.

“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!” someone shouted.

Husband and wife’s expressions changed at once. The man urged his wife to remain calm, then rushed outside.

In the next instant, the world changed. A howling icy wind swept through, sharp as ten thousand blades, threatening all life.

“We’re caught in a grand formation!” the man cried in alarm, forcing himself to remain calm. He channeled his magic into a talisman, erecting a protective barrier around himself. The mechanical carriage, under his wife’s control, flared with runes, its defenses reinforced.

“Who are you, old man?” The Ning family’s patriarch soared skyward, his aura fierce, and shouted in fury.

The attackers remained silent, only manipulating the snowy formation to unleash another change. Fist-sized hailstones rained down, darkening the sky.

The Ning family’s caravan suffered immediate casualties.

The old patriarch laughed angrily. “Ha! Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you, even if you hide your faces? Marquis Frost and Wanderer of Absolute Ice, you’ve really outdone yourselves—waiting until we entered the Southern Bean Kingdom’s borders to ambush us.”

Exposed, Marquis Frost and Wanderer of Absolute Ice showed themselves. The former said, “Elder Ning, when you left Northwind Kingdom with your clan to seek refuge in Southern Bean, you must have known this day would come.”

The patriarch shouted, “I made things clear to your king and left a treasure as a pledge. We agreed on terms. If the royal family of Northwind goes back on its word, I swear the world will hear of this when the battle ends!”

Wanderer of Absolute Ice sneered, “That’s why I’m here. Rest assured, Elder Ning, after today, even if word gets out, it will be said that I alone came seeking personal vengeance.”

A fierce battle erupted. Already outmatched, the Ning patriarch was further burdened by his responsibility for the entire clan and soon began to falter.

Sensing disaster, he detonated a magical artifact, blasting a temporary passage through the formation.

“Go! Hurry!” he roared.

In the chaos, the head of the Ning clan led as many as he could through the opening. Packs of snow wolves, conjured from ice and snow, gave chase.

The passage shrank quickly, leaving over half the clan trapped within the formation.

“Don’t push! Don’t push!” people cried, panic spreading like wildfire.

The snow wolves tore into the crowd, unleashing a bloodbath.

In the tumult, the young clan leader and two others squeezed into the carriage with the middle-aged couple.

“Ning Zhong, brother!” the young leader Ning Xiaoren greeted the man, anxiety plain on his face. “The passage is closing—let us use your carriage!”

But the carriage, overloaded and battered by the icy assault, slowed and fell behind.

Seeing they would soon be trapped again, the young leader’s two aides turned to Ning Zhong. “Brother Ning, you’re at the Foundation Establishment stage. Join us and fight outside!”

“Don’t go, Zhong!” his wife cried.

Ning Zhong frowned deeply, his battle experience telling him the dire truth. “If I don’t hold off the enemy, none of us will escape!”

He turned suddenly, eyes sharp as blades, staring down the young clan leader.

Startled, Ning Xiaoren raised his hand and swore, “Brother Ning, I promise—if we survive, I’ll protect your wife and son as my own, and do all I can to help your son on the path of cultivation!”

Ning Zhong gave his wife one final, loving glance. Her eyes were already red with tears.

“Take good care of our child!”

Gritting his teeth, Ning Zhong turned and, with the two aides, leaped from the carriage.

Snow wolves howled. The battered carriage lurched forward, plunging into the passage.