“Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.” Xun Kuang 310-235 BC

“Stop fidgeting Wen Er,” Fang whispered. He placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder. They were waiting in the main reception room of the chief’s residence, which was made up of five interconnected huts.

“I’m looking for Melshan. Is she here?” Wen Er whispered back. She kept wanting to peek into the other rooms, but the old man held her in place.

“You can go play with her after we meet the chief.”

“Teacher Fang, I’m thirteen years old! We don’t ‘play’ anymore. Melshan and I just talk these days,” she retorted.

“Oh? I forgot you’re all grown up now. What do you two brats talk about anyways? Enlighten this old man,” Fang teased.

“It’s...it’s nothing. Just girls stuff,” said Wen Er, her face turning slightly red.

Fang wanted to poke fun at her some more, but a stout, middle-aged man dressed in a white tunic came out from the back room. The man possessed a friendly disposition, one that Fang had gotten quite used to in the last twenty years. Fang couldn’t help but reminisce about the past. When he first met Balthe, the current village chief, the man had been a rambunctious nineteen-year-old with an attitude.

“Ah, Fang, so good of you to come see me,” Balthe spoke, clasping Fang’s arm.

“It’s good to see you too, Balthe. You’re looking for the better. How’s the cough?”

The man gave a bright smile and pounded his chest. “Feeling much better. The medicine Madessa gave me seemed to work wonders, believe it or not old friend,” remarked the man, turning his attention to Wen Er.

“My, look how you’ve grown. I heard you were sick these past few days. I hope Milani took good care of you during that time?” Balthe sat down, gesturing Fang and Wen Er to do the same.

“Mhm.” Wen Er nodded. “I’m very grateful for Milani’s care, Chief Balthe.” She chose a seat next to the man despite their different statuses.

“Wen Er!” Fang chided.

“It’s fine Fang. She’s just a girl. Besides, I like the attention,” Balthe joked, winking at Wen Er.

“Ehem. Yes, well, we also want to thank you for requesting Milani’s help on our behalf,” Fang added.

“Ah, speak nothing of it,” Balthe dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Milani was more than willing to take care of Wambi. I merely permitted her to take a break from her duties, haha. Speaking of duties, where’s my daughter? She should have been here to welcome you. That girl is more like her mother every day.”

“I’m here father,” a female voice rang out. The three turned their heads to see a dazzling young woman approaching. Her brown eyes complimented her long black hair, which were intricately woven into braids.

“Melshan!” shouted Wen Er, who ran to the girl and hugged her.

Taken aback by Wen Er’s energetic embrace, Melshan just smiled and patted the girl’s head. “It’s good to see you on your feet, Wambi. I visited you while you were sleeping. How are you feeling?” questioned Melshan.

“I’m as good as new,” Wen Er replied, though there was a bit of a pause. “By the way, I love what you’ve done with your hair. Can you show me?”

“Of course.” Melshan looked at her father, a moment of understanding passed between them. “Come on Wambi. Let’s go to my room and leave these old farts to their boring conversations.”

Wen Er enthusiastically followed Melshan into one of the adjacent huts. When the two girls walked out of earshot, Balthe and Fang resumed their discussion with more seriousness.

“So what can I do for you my friend?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard this by now. Two days ago I brought a boy back with me from my trip. I can vouch for his character and background, but right now Jakabu has him locked up in one of the isolation huts,” explained Fang.

“Who is this boy? How did you meet him?”

“Sorry Balthe. I’m not at liberty to discuss the exact details. All I can say is that I assure you he means no harm to the village,” Fang beseeched.

“And so you want me to release him?”

Fang nodded. Balthe sighed and brushed his hair.

“I trust you Fang, I really do. But my hands are tied. Madessa and the others won’t let it stand. You know our village’s rules - the boy must be tried by the council.”

“He’s innocent though!” Fang exclaimed.

Balthe opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it.

“Look, I can…”

“I agree with Hatukni, for once.” A voice that Fang knew all too well interrupted them. The woman who entered the room was Madessa.

“Speak of the devil,” Fang groaned.

“It’s nice to see you too, Hatukni,” Madessa commented sarcastically. “As much as I hate to say it, I also believe the boy harbors no ill-will.”

Fang glanced at Madessa suspiciously.

“Madessa,” Balthe greeted.

“Chief Balthe,” she acknowledged.

“And you would know this how, Madessa?” Balthe asked.

“I spoke with the boy yesterday. He was quite frank with me, telling me about how he met Hatukni. It may be unimaginable for the old man, but I believed the boy’s story.”

“Wait, what, you spoke with him?...,” Fang started to say before Balthe raised a hand and stopped him.

“Unless my ears are deceiving me, it seems like the both of you agree that the boy doesn’t pose any danger to our village. Although I wish nothing more than to release him, the other elders have a say in this too. We can’t make any decisions without a majority approval,” said Balthe.

“I’ve seen to that already. Elder Vushina and Elder Paroka have agreed to let the boy go free, provided he is monitored by Hatukni at all times. If anything happens, the blame will fall on you, Hatukni,” Madessa emphasized.

“Hmph! I guarantee you there won’t be any trouble, at least not of my own volition.”

“I sincerely hope so, for your sake, Hatukni,” Madessa responded.

Balthe looked uncomfortable at the turn of events. “Well, I guess if the elders’ agreed to let the boy go, I don’t see why I should object. Madessa, next time I wish to be consulted first,” Balthe admonished.

“Understood, Chief Balthe.”

Inside, Fang was bursting with happiness. He hadn’t expected his request to be so easily fulfilled. At the very least, Fang expected firm opposition from Madessa, who seemed to make it her hobby to create problems for Fang. Of course, their past history wasn’t entirely cordial.

“Now that this matter is settled, the chief and I need to discuss the upcoming hunter selections. I didn’t know Hatukni was also interested...,” said Madessa, speaking as if Fang wasn’t there.

“Er, I’ll be going then. Balthe.” Fang got up rather quickly, cane in hand. “If you don’t mind letting Wen Er know, I plan to visit Jakabu and get the keys.”

“Will do.” Balthe nodded.

Fang walked quickly out of the room, afraid of getting roped into another responsibility. He was already busy enough as the village healer, getting called for all sorts of annoying reasons, some better left unsaid.

“Phew. Dodged that one. Now I just hope the boy isn’t too mad with me,” he thought.

“Arms out. I measure your distance,” Milani said to Jin Long.

“She wants you to stretch out your arms, so she can take your measurements,” Wen Er translated.

“Oh, okay,” replied Jin Long, lifting his arms. Wen Er giggled behind him.

Today, Jin Long and Wen Er were visiting the seamstress to get new clothes. Fang had almost exploded in shock when he heard that Jin Long gave his golden hanfu to Madessa.

‘That bitch. Has she no shame. Why would you even let her take that?’ Fang had muttered angrily. Jin Long tried, unsuccessfully, to pacify the old man by lying about the whole affair. Since Jin Long was ‘technically’ under Madessa’s influence, he wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about their conversation.

Fang’s reaction after the initial shock was to persuade Jin Long to obtain a new set of clothes. He sent Wen Er to accompany the boy. The girl gleefully accepted the task, eager to spend time with the new, handsome guest.

This led to their current situation. Jin Long could swear Milani was purposefully prolonging the tailoring session. Together with Wen Er, the duo had made Jin Long try out a variety of outfits before settling on a beige vest and trouser.

“Are we done yet?” asked Jin Long, feeling exasperated. He wanted to explore the village, which Wen Er had promised him earlier. At this rate they wouldn’t get done until all the services and eateries had closed.

“Soon,” Milani replied. The woman continued her work, stopping only to give Wen Er a mischievous smile.

By the time the seamstress finished fussing over him, it was already late afternoon. A slight breeze picked up from the north. Wen Er and Jin Long made their way towards the livelier parts of the third layer.

“This breeze feels kind of good, doesn’t it? Must be nice living here,” Jin Long pointed out.

“Yup, right now it does, though it’s hardly early fall. Wait till winter, and you’ll be frozen into a giant icicle without proper dresswear.”

Jin Long wanted to say such a scenario was unlikely due to his physique and command over the Dao of Fire; however, he elected to keep his mouth shut. There was no point in arguing with the girl, especially since people in this world tended to form preconceived notions about one’s strength based on outer appearance. It happened with Fang and the woman, Madessa, and now Wen Er.

“Do I look so weak,” Jin Long wondered. Although he didn’t like people looking down on him, it had its advantages. Humans always feared the unknown. Jin Long had quickly learned that his level of power was rare, if not unnatural, for his supposed age. If he planned to search for his memories, he would need help. Consequently, he wanted to avoid scaring people off or putting them on edge.

The two arrived at the market. To be honest, Jin Long found the village to be rather underwhelming, which was further confirmed when Wen Er described it to him. According to Jin Long’s estimate, probably at most a thousand people lived in the community, a far cry from the opulent mega-cities he had read about in the books stored in his spatial vault.

Wen Er grabbed Jin Long’s hand and pulled him along. The girl’s hands were soft and warm, an unfamiliar feeling for the Jin Long. While the village wasn’t much to look at, Jin Long found the aromas intriguing. Various herbs and ready-made-food were placed on straw mats to entice customers.

“Here,” said Wen Er, handing him unknown meat on a stick. “Try it, I’m sure you’ll like it. We call this a fried hamduck skewer.”

“A hamduck skewer? What’s a hamduck?” Jin Long asked as he took the food.

“My gods, you don’t even know what a hamduck is? Have you been living under a rock all your life?” Wen Er gasped.

Sensing that Jin Long was actually serious, she furrowed her brows. “You really don’t know, huh? I mean they’re only like everywhere. They are these super fat birds that fly real low and often crash into trees. I call them hamdumbs sometimes. Does that ring any bells?” she asked once more.

“Nope. They’re delicious though,” Jin Long responded after tasting the meat.

“Yeah they are... I just can’t believe you don’t know about them. They’re like one of the most ubiquitous herbivores on the Bailong continent, playing important roles in many ecosystems. Just where are you…”

Wen Er went silent. She had almost asked Jin Long about his past, which was the only thing Teacher Fang forbade. Of course, that made Wen Er more curious about the boy’s identity. She wondered if this supposedly ‘extraordinary’ boy had been sheltered his entire life. His hands lacked calluses, ruling out a background involving farming or other types of manual labor. “Maybe he’s a famous boy-whore who escaped from his owner. His looks could probably pass,” Wen Er secretly appraised Jin Long.

“You seem pretty knowledgeable. Do you like reading books?” questioned Jin Long, oblivious to the girl’s fanciful imagination.

“Yup. I love books. In fact, I’ve finished most of Teacher Fang’s collection. You know, each book contains a world of its own, accessible to anyone with the ability to unlock its secrets. They allow you to expand your knowledge without regard for time, distance, or social status. What I wouldn’t give to see the Jajun Wars with my own eyes or visit the Ivory Library in Dong Zhou,” Wen Er rambled excitedly. Jin Long could tell she was passionate about the subject.

“The Ivory Library in Dong Zhou,” repeated Jin Long. His interest was piqued. “What’s the Ivory Library?”

“Uhh, other than containing the world’s greatest collection of books across every subject imaginable. I heard the library employs over 10,000 scholars, some are world-class on topics such as arrays, cultivation, literature, politics, you name it.”

“Do they possess an extensive collection on history?” Jin Long asked.

“Duh, do I even need to say? It’s probably the best there is.”

Jin Long wanted to ask more questions, but the man selling fried hamducks rudely interfered, shooing them away.

“You’ve got the food, now bugger off baknahs,” shouted the man. Although Jin Long couldn’t understand the village dialect, he could tell the man viewed them antagonistically.

“Let’s go,” said Wen Er, pulling Jin Long away. They left the market vicinity and walked back towards Fang’s hut.

“Why do the villagers treat us with such hostility? I’m not just talking about the man. I’ve been observing the way how the villagers look at us, and it doesn’t seem like we’re welcome here, or at the very least, I’m not welcome,” expressed Jin Long.

Wen Er exhaled. “It’s not just you. The village generally distrusts outsiders. I remembered a time when they weren’t so xenophobic. However, three years ago, an army of bandits began harassing the village. First it was stealing, then they started killing. Our last village chief took a party of hunters out with him to negotiate with the bandits.”

“And let me guess. They never came back,” inserted Jin Long. Wen Er shook her head.

“Since then the village’s opinion of outsiders has turned south. It doesn’t help that Elder Madessa and some of the other elders are spearheading a fear campaign.”

“The weak minded are easily influenced,” noted Jin Long.

“Look here pretty boy.” Wen Er suddenly turned and glared at him. “You don’t know anything about them or this village. You don’t know what they had to go through, losing their loved ones or having their huts burned down. What gives you the right to judge them like that?” Wen Er sharply rebutted.

Jin Long was at a loss for words. He had simply stated the truth, but Wen Er’s reaction surprised him.

Wen Er softened her expression upon noticing the boy’s confusion.

“I’m sorry to lash out at you. It’s just that even those of us who are weak have our own stories to tell. We are blinded by our love, our hate, our pride, our hopes. From the mightiest to the lowest, we can never escape these things that makes us human. I truly understand why the villagers hate us. I’ve lost loved ones myself. Does this make it right for them to treat us this way? No, of course not. But we can strive to be better ourselves and not let this cycle of hatred consume us.”

Jin Long looked at Wen Er, a feeling of respect for the girl growing inside. He had been trapped in the other dimension without human contact for too long. The array’s stasis properties had kept him sane but couldn’t prevent him from losing some measure of compassion and empathy. Wen Er’s rebuke rekindled parts of his character that had metaphorically gathered dust.

“You’re right. I judged them without having considered their point of view. I apologize for what I said.”

Wen Er genuinely smiled at Jin Long for the first time since they’ve met. “Well, at least you’re not as arrogant as I thought. And maybe you’re right, a little bit. Some of the villagers can be jerks, but there’s still a lot of good here. Speaking of which, I want to show you my favorite spot. Would you like to see?”

The look in the girl’s eyes indicated that she really wanted to show Jin Long the place she had in mind. Since he didn’t have much else to do at the moment, other than to learn more about this world, Jin Long decided to tag along.

A scenic pond, situated between the second and third layers, came into view. Wen Er extended her arms, urging the Jin Long to step closer to the edge.

“It’s so pretty here, isn’t it?” said Wen Er. The question was more rhetorical than not. Jin Long wasn’t impressed by any means, but nodded all the same.

“I know it’s not much to look at. I just like the peace and quiet. You see this pond. My parents helped construct it when they were alive. It’s the reservoir holding the water from the only creek that runs through this village. This place reminds me of them.”

“Do you miss them?” Jin Long inquired.

“Everyday,” Wen Er sniffed.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here? The village weirdo and the baknah.” A voice spoke up from behind them, full of contempt.

Wen Er whipped around. Approaching them was a group of village boys whom Wen Er had more run-ins than she liked.

“I need you to go now,” said Wen Er very slowly, grabbing Jin Long’s arm.

[Chapter End]