Chapter 1: The Bird Leaves the Cage
Another year slipped quietly into the past.Lin had turned seven this spring, yet there was one thing about this world that still bothered him more than anything else.
No one had a name.At least, that was how it felt to him. People called each other "father," "mother," "uncle," "aunt," "elder," "shopkeeper," "mistress," "young master," and so on—but never by anything like the names he heard in stories.
Even he, in seven full years of life, had never once heard his father or mother call him anything except "son" or "boy."
It gnawed at him.
One evening, as the last light of the oon dipped behind the slanted rooftops of the merchant compound, Lin finally asked the question that had been stuck in his chest for years.They sat in the small courtyard behind their house, where hanging lanterns swayed in the damp breeze and the scent of dried herbs and spices seeped from the storerooms. His father sat on a wooden stool, repairing the wheel of a handcart.
Lin sat cross-legged on the ground, dirty toes curling in the dust, watching him.
"Father," Lin said, "why don't we have names?"His father's hands paused mid-motion. The wooden spoke he was polishing stopped, and for a moment, the only sound was the creak of the old rope well behind them and distant laughter from the merchant's quarters.
Lin continued, the words tumbling out now that he'd started."You never told me your name. You never told me what my name is either. Everyone just calls you 'Master' or 'Boss' or 'Father.' Why? Why does no one have a name?"His father let out a quiet breath, neither a sigh nor a laugh—something in between.
He set the wheel aside and looked at Lin, his gaze deep and steady."Name is not something ordinary, son," he said.Lin frowned. "But… isn't it just a word?"His father shook his head.
"In our mortal world," he said, "a true name is only given to those who have achieved great merit… or to those whose cultivation has reached above the Soul Harmony level. Until then, a person cannot hold a name."He tapped his own chest."A name is not a label. It is a recognition of who you are and what you have become.
It is a weight you must earn. To name someone is to acknowledge that they have stepped beyond the ordinary. That their soul has taken shape strong enough to bear it."Lin blinked slowly, trying to digest that.
"Then who gives the name?" he asked. "The person's parents?"His father smiled faintly."Sometimes. But usually, the authority to grant a name lies with the sect leader the person belongs to… or with the person themselves, if they truly stand above all and have the right to name their own soul."Lin tilted his head.
"Does everyone belong to a sect Father?""Yes, son," his father replied without hesitation. "Even if we are only merchants, we still need to belong to a sect. A sect provides us safety, backing, and a place in this world. In return, we pay yearly taxes and follow their rules."Lin's eyes brightened with curiosity."Then what sect do we belong to, Father?"His father's expression grew a little more solemn.
He glanced at the merchant compound around them—the rows of storerooms, the counting house, the guarded gates with the crescent emblem carved into the wood."The sect we belong to is not a normal sect," he said slowly. "We come under one of the Four Great Sects."Lin's heart thumped harder in his small chest."The… the Four Great Sects?" he repeated, voice barely above a whisper. He had heard that phrase in tavern gossip and whispered stories told to scare or inspire children. "Which one?"His father looked toward the distant mountains on the horizon, shrouded in evening mist.
"We fall under the protection of the Nine Jade Peak Sect," he said.Lin tasted the words in his mind.Nine Jade Peak Sect."It is a sect of nine peaks," his father continued, voice taking on a quieter, almost reverent tone. "Each peak has a Peak Master who has reached the Harmony Level or above. Among those peaks, in the valley between them, there is a lake of qi as vast as our entire merchant estate—perhaps even larger."He stretched his hands outward as if trying to shape the unseen lake in the air."In the heart of that lake, surrounded by the nine peaks, lives the Sect Leader herself.
People often describe the Nine Jade Peak Sect as: 'The nine peaks of knowledge, and the lake of enlightenment.'"Lin could almost see it: nine towering mountains, their slopes covered with jade-colored forests, and a shimmering lake filled not with water, but with swirling, luminous qi. A place where every breath might make one stronger.His father watched his expression and a small smile flickered across his face.
"You will be going there soon," he said. "To attend the admission ceremony for young children."Lin's head snapped back toward his father."Going? When are we going, Father?"His father corrected him gently."We are not going," he said. "Only you will be going."Lin's hands, which had been pressing into the dust, stilled. The cool earth beneath his fingertips suddenly felt very far away."Only… me?" he whispered."Yes," his father said. "Be ready to depart tomorrow.
You should be able to walk there in five days. The ceremony will be held in seven. You will find our helper there—he will guide you to a training dorm where you will stay and prepare for two days until the ceremony."Lin's mind raced.Walk there?Five days?Alone?"But Father," he blurted, "how will I identify him?"His father chuckled softly."Don't worry. I will give you our merchant jade tablet. It bears our mark."He stood and went inside the house for a moment. When he returned, he held a small, pale green jade tablet tied with a black cord. The jade was carved with the simple but elegant shape of a crescent oon—thin, curved, and sharp.He placed it in Lin's hands."Keep in mind," his father said, "this was meant to be given to you on the day you departed. We, your people, are known as the Crescent Traders. Our jade tablets show the sign of the crescent oon . {Oon in this world is refred to sun } It has crescent, full, half, and no phase .
Our symbol is the crescent oon—light that is still growing, not yet complete."Lin ran his fingers over the jade, feeling the smoothness, the coolness, and the slight indentation of the carving. For the first time, he held something that felt like it represented more than just himself. It represented his family, his people.His father's voice grew more somber."Now go and rest," he said. "Tomorrow… tomorrow will be the last time you see us for a long while. Once a person enters a sect, he is not allowed to leave until he reaches Harmony Level.
Only then can he come and go freely."Lin's throat tightened."Ages," his father repeated quietly. "It will feel like ages."Lin looked up at him, the words he wanted to say tangling into one single, burning knot inside his chest. His father seemed to sense it. He crouched down and placed a firm hand on Lin's shoulder."Son," he said softly, "is your resolve still solid?"Lin met his father's eyes. In that moment, the doubts, fear, and childish panic pressed at him like waves. But beneath all of it, there was a stubborn fire that had always burned in him, a hunger for something beyond this small courtyard, beyond the merchant ledgers and wagons and polite bows to passing cultivators.He straightened his back.
"If my resolve breaks at mere detachment from my home," he answered slowly, choosing each word with care, "then who am I to reach the greatness this world offers?
"His father stared at him for a second, then raised an eyebrow.He reached out and pinched Lin's ear."Aaauu—Father! Leave it, it hurts!" Lin protested, squirming.His father let go and shook his head."Why do you talk like some old geezer who has seen the whole world?" he asked, half exasperated, half amused.Lin pouted, rubbing his ear."I was just… saying," he muttered. "My resolve is still solid."His father's expression softened into a proud smile."Good," he said. "Then go rest."That night, Lin lay awake for a long time, staring at the faint shadows the lantern cast on the ceiling. He could hear, through the thin walls, the low murmurs of his parents' voices. He knew they were talking about him. Worrying. Hoping.He clenched his small hands into fists around the blanket.
He would not let them down.
The DepartureThe next morning, the usually quiet courtyard of the merchant estate buzzed with life.The entire Crescent Traders caravan—guards, servants, workers, and merchants—had gathered outside the main gate. Livestock snorted and stamped restlessly; the smell of old wood, dried spices, beast fur, and iron filled the air. Above the gate, the carved crescent oon symbol caught the early morning light, glowing faintly.Lin stood in front of the gate, wrapped in a simple but sturdy travel robe. A small pack hung over his shoulder, and the jade tablet rested safely against his chest beneath his clothes. He shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other.Around him, voices rose in encouragement."Walk proudly, boy!""Come back as a great cultivator!""Don't forget us when you become a big shot!"Someone whistled. Another tossed a handful of dried flower petals in the air. It all felt too loud, too bright, as if the world had suddenly become too big and he had become too small.At the very front, just outside the main gate, his mother and father waited.
His mother's eyes were already red. Tear tracks marked her cheeks. She clasped her hands together, trying to keep them from trembling.When Lin stopped before them, she stepped forward and cupped his face, her fingers warm and slightly rough from years of work."O my son…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Be careful out there. Don't skip meals. Don't argue with people stronger than you. If you're tired, rest. If you're—"Her voice choked, and more tears spilled down her face.Lin swallowed.His father gently placed a hand on her shoulder and drew her back a little. Then he reached out and patted Lin's head."Don't be let down by others," his father said. "You carry our hopes with you. We are with you, my son."He reached into his robe and brought out a simple iron ring. It looked plain, but Lin knew from the way his father held it that it was not ordinary.
"Here," his father said, slipping it onto Lin's finger. "Take this ring. It has some small allowance inside—spirit coins, preserved food, water. There is also a map for your travel to the sect."Lin stared at the ring, then looked up."But Father… if there is a map, why aren't you coming with me?" he asked. "You could guide me. What if I get lost?"His father's gaze did not waver."Yes, son, the ring holds a map," he said, "but your path beyond our gate is yours alone."He quoted quietly, as if reciting an iron law of the world.
"Those who can't even walk to the sect," he said, "should never even think of crawling on the path of cultivation.
"The words dropped like heavy stones between them.Lin understood, in his own clumsy, childlike way. Cultivation was not charity. Strength was not gifted. Even the journey to reach the place where one might begin training was a test.Behind his father's stern eyes, he could still see the sorrow, the reluctance, the fear of sending a seven-year-old out into the wide world alone. That only made Lin's chest ache more.His mother could not hold back any longer. She pulled him into a tight embrace, her tears hot against his neck."Be safe," she whispered over and over. "Be safe, be safe. Come back to us alive. That is enough for me."Lin's throat burned. He wrapped his small arms around her waist as tightly as he could."I will come back," he said, his voice muffled. "I promise."His father stepped closer, his eyes glistening though he kept his jaw firm.Lin stepped back from his mother, then dropped to his knees before them both. He pressed his forehead to the ground three times, his voice steady despite the trembling in his chest."Father, Mother," he said, "don't worry.
I will either return dead… or I will return as owner of it "
His mother gasped in horror."Aaahh! Don't say such things!" she cried.His father's hand shot out again, grabbing Lin's ear and pulling sharply."Aaahh! Father, stop! I was joking!" Lin yelped, dragging the last word out.His father's own eyes were damp now, but his voice remained stern."Child," he said, "do not speak of death so casually.
The world outside is dangerous enough without you inviting misfortune with your tongue. Be careful. Return safely. We will be waiting for you."He released Lin's ear, and this time his hand rested on Lin's head longer than before, fingers tightening slightly as if reluctant to let go.For a moment, no one moved.Then Lin drew in a deep breath. He turned toward the open road beyond the gate—toward the distant mountains where the Nine Jade Peak Sect waited, wrapped in clouds and qi and legends.He took one step.Then another.The dirt beneath his sandals felt different outside the gate—less familiar, more uncertain. But each step stretched the space between him and the life he knew.As he passed the boundary stone of the Crescent Traders' land, he glanced back over his shoulder.
Dozens of faces watched him. Some smiling, some solemn, some openly crying. His parents stood at the front, side by side. His mother lifted her hand to wipe her tears, and his father's arm was around her shoulders, supporting her.Lin lifted his own hand to his mouth, took a deep breath, then shouted with all the air in his lungs:"Byee, Father! Byee, Mother! When I return, I will be stronger than you, Father!"The people behind them laughed and cheered.His father shook his head, a helpless, proud, and pained smile tugging at his lips. His mother waved, tears still flowing.Lin did not let himself stop. He walked. The jade tablet against his chest felt warm. The ring on his finger felt heavy. The path ahead was long and uncertain.But in that moment, with the cheers fading behind him and only the road stretching outward like a thin line into the world.
he felt something loosen and lift inside his heart.The bird in the cage had finally left for the sky.