The next morning

I’m relatively fine now and able to speak again but my head bodyguard whose name is Su refuses to answer any of my questions about the symbols that the guy used. She keeps saying that I need to ‘learn about Chi and the components of the world before I can hope to learn such a difficult subject.’ When I ask her to teach me, she just giggled and told me ‘It’s much too early for that young master. When you are older, we will spare no expense to teach you though’.

So not only is the new fantastical magic dangled in front of me then ripped away until I’m ‘older’. I also learned from mother that I’m going to be stuck in my room for the foreseeable future, only coming out during large events. This is because of one of the other clan mothers hired an assassin to poison me and I’m too young to defend myself. It can’t really tell her that I kind of want them to try to poison me a few more times, thanks to my poison resistance skill I need it for more levels. Maybe something a little less deadly though considering I felt like that one may have killed me if not for pulling out every trick I had to stop it. By the time it healed up I’d gained 5 levels just from that one poison alone.

No matter what I said they would just turn me back to stay in the room. I was given 3 meals and access to the bathroom so long as I was occupied by guards. That’s how I spent the next 6 months thanks to some asshole assassination attempt.

I didn’t really have much to do in that time. I mostly spent my time meditating or messing around with the toys that they gave me. It’s somewhat interesting trying to find how they are put together, considering many of the pieces are ceiled solid. I also made a little game of attempting to identify which guard is which. All of them wear the same get gear, Black baggy tunic with a hood and mask covering their face. It was difficult at first to figure out who was who but after a couple of months it became slightly easier after looking at their mannerisms and preferred standing spots. I even gained two levels in Chi manipulation and reading. I guess reading also applies to reading body language, I’m not sure what helped with the Chi manipulation though.

Finally, they let me at least start to read the books. I had long gotten bored of just running around the space and playing with some basic toys they brought me. It doesn’t take long to learn the language. I just needed one of my guards to read a few of the children’s books to me while I read in their lap to get most of the words and understand the grammar style. Once I had that I could fill in the blanks with context clues.

In amidst the children’s stories that had painted pictures, I found an actual dusty old book that I think was mothers but got mixed in with the pile. Inside is the story that my bodyguard had told me previously as a part of the history of Xing.

‘In ages past the great country of Xing was in a dark age. The people were ripe with superstition and the uneducated poisoned themselves in the hopes of finding a miracle cure. One day the land to our west disappeared. Suddenly replaced by a desert sand. It’s unknown what happened to them but our scouts that were sent out returned with a sage filled with ancient secrets. He is who the Empire of Xing call the Great Sage of the West. They gave us knowledge and uplifted the society to new heights. Through his teaching our people discovered the secrets of Alkahestry. Where we can break down a substance into its core components in order to fashion potions and elixirs which hold the properties that would have been lost if burned. Thanks to the rigorous study of Alkahestry our people have achieved high goals and conquered all enemies that dare tread our lands….’

Huh so either this is a history book or an embellished story to make the country sound better. Honestly It could be both. Considering the context, the symbols that were written in the doctor’s place must be Alkahestry. Unless the knowledge given to us was Chi and Alkahestry was just a byproduct? Hmmm I wish I could just ask but this is way too advanced for a nearly 3-year-old.

Turning up to one of my bodyguards I put on a dopey smile. “More books! I read all of these!” She seems a bit surprised at first, then I can almost hear a smile in her voice as she humors me. “Of course, young master, how about you read them to me?” She settles me into her lap and I start reading the actual story much to her surprise. Once I finished the third story she rigidly picks me up and pats my head gently. “Young master you have done very well I’m sorry for doubting you previously.” I guess she just assumed that I was play reading. Considering she only read each of the books to me once that’s not a huge surprise.

She looks to one of the other guards on watch and he takes her spot. “One moment young master I must inform your mother of this immediately.” I’m left behind with the small pile of books and give the history book another read through. It doesn’t go into much more detail about Alkahestry or make any mention of Chi. It’s mostly the history about clans and various names of important people and their contribution. Considering they are just names and proper nouns of the things they made without descriptions I can’t really tell what any of them mean.

Not long after my mother comes in regal as always along with Su. The bodyguard that had been attending me previously follows in after them and gestures towards my sitting position with the book in hands.

Mom quickly moves over to me and starts kissing my cheeks getting a chuckle out of me. “Hello, my little prince charming. I heard you were reading a book to little Mai?” Ah so that guards name is Mai. I’ll keep that in mind for later.

“Yes! Reading is easy. I want to read more though!” Gotta play up the cuteness a bit to convince her to let me have what I want.

“Hmm alright how about you read these books to me, and I will get more.” She sits down with me in her lap. I breeze through the stories simply enough. By the end Su and my mom share a look. Su quickly gathers the books and pauses as she holds the history book. “Young master, were you also reading this book?” She presents the history book to me as well.

“Yes, it has a lot of words I don’t know yet though. Like what is Alkahestry?” I probably butchered the pronunciation, but I can read it well enough. They both share another look before she stows that book with the others.

“We will talk about that right as I get back.” Su runs out of the room likely to the complex’s library. I wish I could just go there. I turn my head up to my mom. “Moooooom can’t I just go to where the books are?” Her face crunches a bit. “Well dear, you’re a very special little boy. If the other mothers hear about how, you are reading already then they may get even more jealous of how special you are. For now, we will just get a few books for you to read.” She pets my head a bit looking a bit worried.

So, for the next several months I’m able to get books delivered to my room. They don’t give me any complicated books yet much to my annoyance, but I am making a dent in the total number of children’s books they have. Eventually the guards show up with slightly more complicated books for me. While reading I actually managed to level up Unseen Eye. I had been attempting to read with my hands while I kept my eyes closed. Even with my vison at only 74% of my usual sight I was able to make out words while close up.

Sight unseen level 75

Description: You are able to see from any part of your body at lvl % of your normal visions’ capacity.

Lvl 25: detect when people are watching you and from where.

Lvl 50: objects your searching for highlight in your vision.

Lvl 75: Things hidden are slowly revealed, see things for their true form. Takes an amount of time based on the strength of the hiding method to see their true form.

The ability didn’t seem that impressive at first until I realized that I could now see in the room like it was day with my unseen eyes. While everything wasn’t exactly perfect vision thanks to its level still not being 100, I was able to still fairly well.

Reading has also made some progress but not much considering I’m stuck reading children’s books. Mom comes in one day and lets me start to go out again. My first question was if I could go to the library, but she told me no. Instead, I’m expected to play with the other kids. I want to meet my siblings… Shimada was also excited at the idea that we have siblings. But when I got there, they were all… well kids? I may be physically three but I’m mentally nearly 100 at this point. Emotionally I still want my mom to smile though so I go out and start ‘playing with them’. As soon as I go out one of them walks up to me.

He’s a young boy about my same age. It’s hard to tell when we are all so young, he is fairly chubby. “Boy! Come and bow to the next biggest lord emperor! I shall be the next great big giantest lord Zinzan!” I look back at my mom with a pained expression but she just chuckles saying that it’s cute while talking with some of the other mothers.

I turn back to him and look at the other kids that are starting to rally behind him. “Sure, I will bow to the next lord emperor.” I give a light bow and he starts laughing to himself. He’s just a kid he doesn’t know any better. After that the other kids all laugh too and start drawing. I learned that a lot of them are a year or so older than me. I guess my mom took a bit to become pregnant but was not the last to give birth so she has middling standing at the moment.

One of the other kids starts mentioning something interesting. “My guard kuku is the strongest. He like he he can disappear in a flash! He says its because of Chi!” Curiosity peaked I walk over to him.

“Brother! Tell me more about this Chi?” I wrap my arm around him and he just seems happy that I’m coming over to listen to his story. “He, He said that its like an energy inside you that like… Hmmm it’s like sensing life bits inside you and making it better? And if you are really good you can sense the life bits that are in others too!” I nod sagely thinking about that. “How do you feel the ‘life bits’?” He breaks out into a smile and proudly stands there. “Well obviously they just poke someone with their life bits until you feel it. I was poked on my chest and felt it on my nose!” Interesting, maybe I can convince Su or one of the other guards to give it a try? It’s worth a shot. Obviously, some of the other kids have more relaxed guards that let slip some information.

“Great story! What’s your name anyways?” I lead him over to one of the tables set up with food and serve him some.

He puts on a dopy smile again. “Ling Yao! Thank you, brother…” I finish it for him. “Jiang Du” “Thanks Brother Jiang Du for talking with me!” He starts munching away at the food.

Honestly some of them might be a bit rough around the edges but they are still just kids it’s their parent’s fault if they turn into brats. I kind of feel for some of them. Looking at the mothers all chatting on the side and the many guards watching all of us like hawks I think these little events are made to make alliances with other households. That night I try to get Su to poke me with Chi but she refuses saying I am not ready yet much to my annoyance. At least now I have an idea for what to look for.