Chapter 2: 02 - The Humble Cultivator
Sun Qiang paced back and forth in front of a small group of workers, his eyes blazing with passion. "It isn't fair," he exclaimed. "Why should the nobles be allowed to do whatever they want? We work hard every day, but they burn down our workshops and take away our livelihoods without any repercussions. We need to stand up for ourselves!"
A few of the workers nodded in agreement, but most looked hesitant. Sun Qiang knew he needed to convince them to join him. He continued his speech, "We can't just sit back and take this. We have to fight back. And we can do it together. We can march to the noble districts and demand justice."
Just then, a voice cut through the murmurs of the workers. "And how do you plan on doing that, boy?" Sun Qiang turned to see a tall, muscular man with a rough, unshaven face. It was Kong Hui, the cultivator known as the Betrayed Noble.
Sun Qiang swallowed nervously. He had heard of Kong Hui before - a noble who had been exiled and betrayed by his own family, only to become a powerful cultivator and rogue. But he didn't let his fear show. "We'll do it with strength in numbers. If we all band together, we can make a difference."
Kong Hui looked at Sun Qiang for a long moment, then let out a gruff laugh. "You've got guts, kid. I like that. Count me in."
The workers looked at each other uncertainly, but with Kong Hui on their side, they began to nod their agreement. Sun Qiang felt a thrill of excitement run through him. They were actually going to do it - they were going to march on the nobles.
As they prepared to leave, Sun Qiang couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He had always been told that he was nothing, that he could never rise above his humble background. But he was proving everyone wrong. He was going to make a difference, and he was going to do it with the help of the most unlikely allies.
Sun Qiang and Kong Hui led the workers down the dusty road towards the gates of the Haoshan clan's estate. As they neared, they were met by a group of soldiers, clad in silver armor and wielding gleaming swords.
"Stop right there, commoners!" one of the soldiers shouted, pointing his sword at Sun Qiang's chest. "You have no business here. Leave now or face the consequences."
Sun Qiang took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He glanced at Kong Hui, who stood tall and defiant beside him.
"We're not leaving," Sun Qiang said, his voice steady. "We demand justice for Master Zhu and all the other workers who have been mistreated by your clan."
The soldier laughed. "Justice? You dare to speak of justice? You are nothing but a group of filthy peasants. You have no rights, no power, no magic. You are nothing."
At those words, Sun Qiang felt a fire ignite within him. He had always known he was different from the other workers. He was smarter, more cunning, and he had always dreamed of something more.
But he had never truly understood what that meant until now. He looked up at the soldier, his eyes blazing.
"We may not have magic," he said, "but we have strength in numbers. And we will not be silenced. We will fight for our rights, no matter the cost."
With that, the workers began to advance, brandishing sticks and tools as weapons. The soldiers sneered, but their confidence faltered as the workers closed in.
Suddenly, there was a blur of movement. Sun Qiang saw Kong Hui dart forward, his hands glowing with a strange green light. He felt a surge of awe and fear as Kong Hui unleashed a blast of magic, sending the soldiers flying back.
But Kong Hui wasn't alone. Another man had joined the fray, his face obscured by a hood. He moved with a fluid grace, his hands flickering with dark energy.
The workers cheered as the two cultivators battled the soldiers, their magic clashing in bursts of light and sound. Sun Qiang watched, transfixed, as Kong Hui and the hooded man worked together, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Finally, the soldiers lay defeated on the ground, groaning and clutching their wounds. Sun Qiang stepped forward, his heart pounding.
"Who are you?" he asked the hooded man.
The man turned to him, his eyes gleaming. "My name is Shi Huizhong," he said. "And I share your desire for justice."
"It is appreciated, Older Brother Huizhong. However, how did you do that?"
"Although I am not a Betrayed Noble like Kong Hui, I am a veteran warrior against noble families. I come from the West, near Azanghar, and slaughtered the oppressive Taozheng clan there. Resultantly, I have a lot of these," Shi Huizhong explained, brandishing a series of crystals from his cloak.
They varied in colour, radiance and size, but Sun Qiang immediately recognized them as gemstone crystals, the form of magical currency which powered magical cultivators.
"No wonder you were so powerful. If Kong Hui was a green Earth cultivator, what magic did you use?" He asked, curious.
"I have control over multiple elements, young boy, if that is what you're asking. But I specialise in Darkness cultivation, as my strongest experiences and motivations come from crushing nobles beneath my heel. I know that makes me sound a little twisted, but nobles are nothing but scum."
Despite being taken aback, Sun Qiang agreed. "I'm unfortunately uneducated about the significance of most of the cards, could you elaborate, Older Brother?"
Shi Huizhong shot him a doubtful look, but then reconsidered. "Perhaps it would be easier to give you first-hand experience. A young man, a natural leader like you who chases justice, would probably be most suited for this."
Shi Huizhong pulled a glimmering yellow crystal from his cloak, the heat burning his corroded hands, as he threw it towards Sun Qiang.
"With this, young man, you have taken your first step to becoming a cultivator."
Little did Shi Huizhong, or Sun Qiang, or anyone else at the time know, but this would be a moment most of the realm would come to recognize as the beginning of a new era.
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