บท 17: Boluo's Shadow
It felt like an eternity before Boluo came back. Wuyi heard his footsteps and lifted his head, tired and breathless as he lay near the door. As Boluo opened it, Wuyi tried to rush past him, but he was quickly grabbed and yanked back into the room. Slamming the door shut and securing it once more, Boluo sat down, visibly exhausted. Wuyi threw himself against the door, a whimper rising in his throat.
Boluo thought Wuyi was trying to rush out for the pup, but in reality, Wuyi just wanted to escape and figure out how to handle the situation with Boluo. He was worried about what would happen if Boluo figured out it was not bloodline power or something else. He had promised himself to tread carefully but had been careless.
"Don't even think of escaping, young one," Boluo warned, as if he could sense Wuyi's desperate thoughts for the next time he would be free. "Haowen is gone. I have sent him far; I did not wish to. But I would rather lose a beast than a human," Boluo said, almost gently. "Stop pining for him. He is not dead."
Wuyi stayed quiet. Sighing deeply, Boluo prepared himself for bed without another word. Sleep eluded him.Exhausted from all that had transpired, tired Wuyi fell asleep immediately.
Hours before dawn, he rose, picked Wuyi up from the floor, and placed him where he had been lying, in the warm blanket. He left again, returning only after several hours.
That night when Wuyi slept, he was in the chamber again, and there was a new statue beside the Statue of Harmony. The statue was made of some kind of red stone. It was a statue of a warrior. He looked in the sky; the star that was falling earlier had disappeared. Realization dawned on him that the falling star was the second statue.This meant every star he saw in the chamber was actually a statue. This amazed Wuyi, making him wonder about the types of powers each of them could give him.
This also made him understand that the headache in the morning he felt like a meteorite falling was this statue coming down. This also explained why he was able to use another energy to push away Boluo. This second statue had provided him that power. Wuyi went near the statue but the statue and chamber both disappeared and Wuyi started falling down.
He woke up abruptly. This surprised him, he was actually in a dream not really in the chamber but for some reason he had his awareness even in his dream. Wuyi immediately decided to enter the sacred chamber to see if the dream was true. As he entered the chamber, he noticed that the celestial sky above seemed more vibrant, the stars were twinkling with an unusual intensity. There was no second statue of his dream.
But then his eyes were drawn to one star in particular. As he watched the star, it descended gracefully, its light growing brighter as it approached the platform. With a soft, ethereal sound, the star transformed before his eyes, materializing into a new statue beside the Statue of Harmony. This statue was carved from some type of red stone like ruby, just like in the dream, its form depicting a warrior in a battle stance, a halberd raised high as if ready to strike. The statue emanated courage and strength, contrasting yet complementing the serene presence of the Statue of Harmony.
In front of the new statue floated a tome, bound in red scales. The tome's title shimmered in golden letters: "The Valor Codex." Intrigued, Wuyi approached the tome and began to decipher the ancient characters on its open page. After a few moments, the chant became clear: "Aethros Valeria, awaken the courage within!"
Taking a deep breath, Wuyi recited the chant, "Aethros Valeria, awaken the courage within!" As the words echoed through the chamber, the red statue glowed mildly, as if ignited by an inner fire. Wuyi felt a surge of energy; this was the force that had aided him in his struggle with Boluo, flinging him away like a bird. This energy was very different from what the Statue of Harmony had absorbed. It was a raw, primal force, filling him with a sense of invincibility.
After activating the statue, he returned to the outside world. Though nothing had changed in his surroundings, he felt different—stronger, more resolute. He sensed that his body was absorbing this new form of energy, one that fortified his spirit and emboldened his will.
Eager to confirm his suspicions, Wuyi returned to the sacred chamber. The Statue of Valor now glowed with a steady light, its red form almost lifelike. Like the Statue of Harmony before it, the chant had activated this warrior statue, allowing it to draw upon the energies of the world.
Pleased with his growth, Wuyi smiled. Then he remembered what had transpired recently; he had lost his favorite pup. He sighed and went back to sleep.
From that point on, Boluo made sure Wuyi had no opportunity to do anything that would create problems for either of them. He strongly believed that Wuyi's bloodline had something to do with controlling emotions of humans and beasts. He was convinced that Wuyi had awakened his bloodline and was hell-bent on ensuring that Wuyi understood he could never use his bloodline powers.
He must have believed he had succeeded, and in some ways, he did—Wuyi didn't use the Statue of Harmony on any beast, canine or equine. He made sure to keep the feedback of the statue in control when he was near Boluo.
Boluo's efforts irritated Wuyi. He was certain that the powers he had were not from his bloodline but were cheat blessings from the dying god of his world. However, he understood that what Boluo wanted made sense. The threats were real.
Once he had tried using the powers, he got kicked out of the house by his grandfather. The punishment Boluo gave him was not that harsh. If anyone in this world found out about his cheat, he might be in bigger trouble than Boluo thought. So, even though Boluo irritated him, he was right. Wuyi decided to agree and tread with caution when using his cheat.
Removed from his world and transported to a foreign realm with a different climate, forsaken by his parents and family to the care of the eccentric beastmaster Boluo, and deprived of his favorite pup, Wuyi still found himself resuming the routine of a young boy.
For him, that meant arising when Boluo woke him and accompanying him to the kitchen, where they ate together. From that point on, he became Boluo's shadow. Rarely was he out of Boluo's sight. He followed him everywhere, observing him at work and gradually aiding him in minor tasks.
Evenings would find him by Boluo's side, consuming a meal of rice, vegetables, and tofu under his watchful gaze. Afterwards, they'd retire to his chambers, where Wuyi would often spend the night in quiet contemplation of the flickering flames of an oil lamp while Boluo indulged in his drink. Boluo would labor as he drank, either repairing equipment, concocting ointments, or preparing remedies for horses. He worked, and Wuyi observed, learning through silence, for they seldom exchanged words. It's peculiar to think that nearly a year of Wuyi's life elapsed this way.
Wuyi seized moments of freedom on the rare occasions when Boluo was called for a hunt or to assist in the birth of a foal. Sometimes, when Boluo's drinking surpassed his limits, Wuyi would dare to venture out, despite the high risk. When free, he would visit the lower town to learn about the world.
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