On the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, Lin Zhao woke up early. He built a fire himself and cooked a meal for his family, making three large bowls of duck egg noodles. Afterward, he sent Xiao Jiuer to school and told Xiao Shitou to take his fishing rod and basket to Bai Yu Creek by himself. Lin Zhao then changed into his cleanest and most presentable clothes, tidied his hair meticulously, and then set off for the front street.
The bookstore.
The bookstore was bustling on this day. From early morning, crowds of adults had formed circles around it. This year, there were many children turning fifteen, nearly a hundred of them.
Lin Zhao arrived early. The bookstore owner, Qin Suihan, nodded to him from afar. Lin Zhao offered a Confucian scholar's cupped-hand salute, and Qin Suihan nodded again.
Soon after, more and more youths for the coming-of-age ceremony arrived, both boys and girls. Most of them were accompanied by their parents. Everyone hoped their children would become exceptional individuals. The people of Tianchi Town were no different. As these adults brought their children to the bookstore, Lin Zhao watched from a distance, feeling a mix of envy and calm.
A young man approached and spoke to Lin Zhao, smiling, "Lin Zhao, I heard you can step into the martial path recently?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded.
The young man patted his chest and chuckled, "I entered the martial path three years ago and am now a second-realm martial artist. After the coming-of-age ceremony, I'll be serving as a squad leader in the army. You… after struggling for so many years, you can finally practice martial arts. It's as if heaven has protected you. Practice diligently from now on. As a first-realm martial artist, you might even get a squad leader position in the army."
Lin Zhao had always kept his aura at the level of a first-realm martial artist and didn't pay much attention. He smiled, "Yes, I think so too."
Another girl walked over, wearing a floral padded jacket for the New Year. She was slightly taller than Lin Zhao. "Lin Zhao, do you think the white tree will resonate with your heart and bestow a spiritual fruit when you bow to it?"
Lin Zhao frowned, "I don't know. Li Xiaoya, why do you ask?"
"No reason."
The corner of the girl's mouth lifted, a hint of mockery unbefitting her age flashing in her eyes. She lowered her voice and smiled, "The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. So, Lin Zhao, you don't need to expect anything. Look at you, you were born with the Heavenly Qilin Fire Seal at age five, which later caused your father's death. Then your mother fell gravely ill and died due to your Qilin Fire Seal. A jinx like you, do you think the venerable White Tree will favor you?"
Lin Zhao smiled faintly, "Ugly people make trouble, and it's true."
"Hahahaha~~~"
A young man beside them burst into laughter, "Li Xiaoya, Lin Zhao has a point. With such a venomous tongue and an ugly face, you're destined to be unmarried after your coming-of-age ceremony. I think you should leave Tianchi Town after the ceremony and head south to the Great Shang Dynasty. I heard Buddhism is popular there; you could become a nun and make a living."
The girl stamped her feet in anger and turned to leave.
The young man patted Lin Zhao's shoulder, "It's alright. Such venomous women just need discipline. Don't bother with her. If you're really angry, find an opportunity to stuff her into a sack and beat her up. I'll help you."
Lin Zhao couldn't help but chuckle, "I already said I'm too lazy to bother with her. Let it go."
"Alright!"
...
Just then, a rapid sound of hooves echoed from outside. Cavalrymen from the Death Squad of the Tianchi Army lined up on the street. Soon after, Chu Huaixi, clad in armor, entered the courtyard, accompanied by Chen Yu and Huang Tingyu. The adults in the town immediately saluted, "Greetings, Commander Chu! Greetings, Your Highness Yu!"
Chu Huaixi flicked his sleeve and smiled, "You may dispense with the formalities. I haven't arrived late, have I?"
"No."
An elder from the school, a respected figure in a Confucian robe, leaning on his cane, stepped forward and said, "Commander Chu, shall we begin?"
"Let's begin."
Chu Huaixi sat down in a chair beneath the white tree. Chen Yu and Huang Tingyu stood by his side. From afar, Chen Yu saw Lin Zhao in the ranks of boys and girls and immediately clenched her fists, signaling him to cheer him on. Lin Zhao's heart stirred, and he nodded repeatedly.
"Begin the ceremony!"
The elder in the Confucian robe shouted, and then recited, "Son of the Zhang family, Zhang Naiyan, step forward and perform the ritual!"
"Yes!"
A thin young man in white, under the expectant gaze of his parents, stepped forward and knelt before the elder. Two young academy disciples quickly tied his hair. Then, the elder stepped forward and gently tapped the young man's head three times with a rolled-up book, saying, "Alright, rise. Hold the bamboo staff, bow three times beneath the white tree, and pray for the white tree to bestow blessings!"
"Yes, Master!"
The young man rose, took the light bamboo staff from a disciple, walked to the white tree, and respectfully bowed three times. As he bowed the second time, a tangerine-colored fruit on the lower part of the white tree swayed and fell with a "thud" at the young man's feet.
"It's a tangerine fruit!" someone chuckled, "So-so. This generation's prodigy from the Zhang family seems to be just average."
The young man was also somewhat disappointed but still respectfully picked up the tangerine fruit and returned to the ranks of the youths undergoing the ceremony.
...
Next, the elder consulted the roster and continued with the coming-of-age ceremonies.
When the young men prayed to the white tree, most of them received tangerine fruits from the lower branches. Occasionally, a few received greenish fruits from the middle, drawing gasps of astonishment from the crowd.
At this moment, another young woman from the Ding family stepped forward for the ceremony and prayer. As she respectfully bowed three times in front of the white tree with the bamboo staff, a brownish fruit from the upper-middle section of the white tree swayed and fell, landing in front of her.
"A brown fruit!"
Everyone was shocked. A cavalryman in the crowd, hand on his sword hilt, frowned, "The Ding family might be on the rise. This generation's prodigy is not simple. There were already two greenish fruits, and now a brown one! This is a tremendous fortune!"
"Indeed."
A disciple from the academy nodded and said, "A brown fruit, once consumed, will bring endless benefits and change one's destiny for life. It's not an exaggeration to say it wards off misfortune. This single brown fruit is enough to foster a strong cultivator of at least the tenth realm, the Star River Realm, in the Ding family. Perhaps… if the Ding family's fortune is exceptionally prosperous, this girl might break through the middle five realms and glimpse the splendor of the Return to Origin Realm!"
The crowd murmured, their expressions varied.
...
In the distance, Chu Huaixi sat upright, his face expressionless. On his left sat Qin Suihan, the bookstore owner, reading a book. Today was a grand occasion for the coming-of-age ceremony, and the bookstore was used for the venue, but Qin Suihan was merely an observer, not the host of the ritual.
As for why Qin Suihan was willing to let the children of the town share in the fortune contained within the white tree, it was merely a transaction with Chu Huaixi from years ago. At that time, Chu Huaixi had already occupied Xueyu Tianchi and established the Tianchi Army, maneuvering between the north and south. Qin Suihan had arrived in Xueyu Tianchi with a branch and requested to build a bookstore there and plant the branch.
However, Chu Huaixi knew that this branch was extraordinary. It was the last spiritual branch left in the human realm by the supreme World Tree of the divine realm. This spiritual branch contained immense fortune and spiritual energy that could nourish the entire world. Therefore, Chu Huaixi's intention was simple: the Great Chen Dynasty would lend the land for Qin Suihan to plant the spiritual branch, with the condition that every child of the Great Chen Dynasty reaching the age of coming-of-age could pray once and receive a small portion of the fortune. This might allow the descendants of the Great Chen Dynasty to take root and sprout, perhaps reviving the nation's fortunes. Chu Huaixi had his plans, and Qin Suihan had his own initial intentions, so they agreed.
Now, this spiritual branch had grown into a towering ancient tree, the white tree. The white tree bore many fruits, and the prayers of the town's youths only consumed a small portion.
...
Throughout the morning, the youths undergoing the ceremony successfully prayed one by one. The white tree was not stingy; even the lowest grade would bestow a tangerine fruit from the bottom, which was better than nothing. Because of this, the children in Tianchi Town generally could cultivate spiritual energy or step into the martial path, it was just a matter of time. This ensured a steady supply of soldiers for the Tianchi Army.
If one were to ask why the Tianchi Army could stand firm in Xueyu Tianchi and contend with the Northern Four Tribes such as the demon and devil races, this white tree probably accounted for more than half the credit.
Lin Zhao, being an orphan and a child raised in the mud, was ranked last in the row of youths.
"Last one!"
The elder in the Confucian robe shouted, "Son of Lin Zhengxi, Lin Zhao, step forward and perform the ritual!"
"Yes!"
Although Lin Zhao was last, he showed no impatience. He respectfully stepped forward and knelt before the white tree. Two academy disciples helped tie up his already long hair, instantly giving him a touch of subtle heroic spirit, far from the boy who had previously rolled around in the mud.
The elder tapped his head three times with the book, saying, "Alright, rise. Hold the bamboo staff, bow three times beneath the white tree, and pray for the white tree to bestow blessings!"
"Yes!"
Lin Zhao slowly rose, took the bamboo staff, walked to the white tree, and respectfully bowed three times. However, after his third bow, only the rustling sound of leaves in the wind could be heard from the white tree; there was no movement at all.
"Hmm?"
An aunt holding green onions said, "This child Lin Zhao… not even the worst fruit?"
"No way?"
An infantryman of the Tianchi Army frowned, "This child… his life is too bitter. He really won't get even a single fruit?"
Lin Zhao stood foolishly beneath the white tree, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Was he truly destined to be a solitary star of misfortune, that even the white tree refused to pity or favor him?
...
"Hmph!"
Chu Huaixi let out a cold laugh and spoke to Qin Suihan mentally, "Mr. Qin, isn't this going a bit too far? No matter how unfortunate Lin Zhao's fate is, at least his father, Lin Zhengxi, sacrificed himself for Tianchi Town back then, blocking a twelfth-realm great demon north of Tianchi Ridge. Does the white tree not see this merit? Now Lin Zhao begs for a bit of fortune, and it's so stingy, not willing to give anything at all? This is too much!"
Qin Suihan sighed, "This is not my wish, Commander Chu. Do you really think I don't want Lin Zhao to receive some fortune?"
Chu Huaixi sneered, "Such a white tree. We should have just cut it down from the beginning."
"Commander Chu, don't speak in anger; it's meaningless."
Qin Suihan frowned, watching the young man still gazing up at the white tree with a look of yearning.
Finally, the scholar couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up, about to walk towards the white tree.
...
But at that moment, the ancient sword behind Lin Zhao suddenly seemed to rage, its blade clanging within its scabbard!
"Hmm?"
Qin Suihan trembled all over, horrified, "Is he going to forcefully snatch his fortune?! This is a bit too much..."