The twilight glow gradually disappeared behind the Liên Sơn Mountains, and darkness gently unfurled in the quiet sky.
The cold and gloom were about to descend upon this impoverished Xuân Hoa Hamlet.
On the rugged, stony mountain path, human voices echoed through the area. Several shepherd children, relying on the faint lingering light, were struggling to herd the buffalo along the mountain path home.
Suddenly, a buffalo stopped short, snorted a few times, then abruptly turned and ran straight up the mountain.
The child at the end of the group was startled, their face turning pale, but managed to dodge in time. They then intended to chase after it to herd the buffalo back, knowing that if it got lost, disaster would befall their family.
-Back!
A shout suddenly rang out.
In the children's sight, the buffalo that had just left the herd was slowly coming down, a figure swaying on its back with each of its heavy steps.
-Ah! Scar Brother!
The children cheered in unison; that figure turned out to be their big brother.
The young man lightly jumped down. With a smile, he took the bundle from his back and threw it towards the children.
The eldest child in the group jumped up and caught the bundle, then excitedly asked the young man:
-Did you go down to the town today, brother?
-Yes! I went down there to get this month's wages and picked up a few things. I'm going far away soon, so I need to prepare some more things. I also bought you kids some gifts.
-Brother…are you really leaving?
The child looked at the young man's affectionate face and said hesitantly.
-When you grow up, you have to see how beautiful the world out there is. If you stay rooted in one place forever, this life will be wasted. Even when I'm gone, you kids still have to go to my house for Mr. Lưu to teach you how to read!
-Will you come back here again, then?
The children looked up at that familiar, scarred face.
That question was probably what all the children wanted to ask. The person who for years had protected them from the abuse of the landlord's children, who had given them food when their families lacked provisions, and who was willing to teach them to read without any reward, was now about to leave them.
The youngest child suddenly cried, and their tears seemed to be the starting point for a flood of emotions.
The children cried out in unison. Their pillar of support, whom they had always trusted and relied on, was about to leave to fulfill his great ambitions.
The young man's eyes also grew moist. Seeing the children crying for him, his reluctance to leave this place suddenly manifested.
The young man sighed. He had always told the children about the world outside, letting them know about the exciting things they hadn't experienced, and telling them about what he called the "great journey" of his life.
He had once thought of leaving this place in silence, but then he thought about how sad the children would be if the person they always considered their elder brother left without even a goodbye.
That feeling of compunction led him to his current situation.
-Stop crying, kids, it's not like I'm never coming back. You still remember what I told you, don't you? A man's ambition lies in the four directions; he can't stay in one place forever. When you grow up, you'll surely understand what I mean. You should be happy for me, because I'm about to go fulfill my great dream.
-You have to come back soon to visit us, brother!
The eldest child said, rubbing their eyes.
The other children also gradually stopped crying, and one by one, "That's right!" rang out.
-Yes! I will come back.
The young man said with a smile, then waved goodbye to the children. He swung himself onto a nearby tree and ran straight up the mountain.
"“Goodbye, big brother!”" the children called out after the figure disappearing among the trees.
"Remember to take care of yourselves!" the young man's shout gradually faded, blending into the twilight sounds of the vast, wild mountains.
Among the canopies of ancient trees, a slender figure, carrying a tattered umbrella on their back, was moving nimbly.
The figure weaved through each branch, gracefully dodging every obstacle.
If someone from afar were to see this scene, they would think that shadow was merely a playful, energetic monkey.
That shadow was none other than the scar-faced youth who had just bid farewell to the children; he was heading home.
His name was Lý Vấn Thiên. His father used to be a district administrator in Xuân Hoa giáp, so his family was considered well-off enough in this poor, mountainous region.
The children here called him "Scar Brother" because he had been covered in scars since birth.
Because of this, people used to avoid him, but thanks to his kind and gentle nature, which everyone acknowledged, those barriers gradually disappeared.
His family originally had five brothers: the eldest was Vệ, he was the second, and the three younger brothers were Khánh Điệp, Trường An, and Trường Ninh.
When he was four, his fourth and fifth brothers were sent away by their father. He didn't know where they were sent; it was only much later that he learned they had gone to cultivate the Dao at a temple on Thiên Sơn Peak.
When he was five, a major incident befell the family. His parents and eldest brother had to leave their hometown, leaving only him, Khánh Điệp, and Old Man Lưu to live together until now.
Vấn Thiên was swinging quickly through the trees when he suddenly saw something moving in a distant tree ahead. Then, a white blur shot out from there, landing on a branch right in front of him.
Vấn Thiên stopped and smiled, asking:
"Were you looking for me?"
That white blur was Khánh Điệp, with refined features, fair skin, and a slender build, giving him the appearance of a scholar.
Compared to Vấn Thiên, no one would have guessed they were brothers.
"Dinner's early today. I was afraid you'd be late, so I came to find you."
Khánh Điệp replied.
"Then let's go eat!"
Vấn Thiên laughed, then leaped onto a branch behind Khánh Điệp, looking back as he added:
"Last one back has to wash the dishes."
As soon as he finished speaking, Vấn Thiên swung onto a nearby branch and continued his "monkey business."
Khánh Điệp gave a wry smile. He tapped his foot, and in an instant, he caught up with Vấn Thiên.
Watching Khánh Điệp effortlessly leap from branch to branch, Vấn Thiên said helplessly:
"Are you using your spiritual power?!"
"You didn't say I couldn't."
"Oh, come on. Be fair."
"I can't swing like a monkey like you can."
Vấn Thiên gave a wry grin, then plunged headfirst back into the race he had started.
The two figures thus sped through the patch of forest, one looking strenuous and covered in sweat, the other moving with effortless grace as if gliding through the vast forest—a somewhat comical sight.
Ahead, the trees gradually thinned out. Vấn Thiên turned to Khánh Điệp, who was effortlessly ahead, and shouted:
"Điệp, something's on your shirt. Looks a bit like bird poop!"
Khánh Điệp flinched. He was naturally a clean person, so he stopped abruptly and quickly checked himself. *It's clean, isn't it?* Then he stared blankly at his elder brother, who was sprinting ahead, yelling:
"Hey! Are you cheating?!"
Vấn Thiên laughed triumphantly, then jumped to the ground and sped towards the house that was gradually appearing ahead.
Suddenly, he felt a strong gust of wind blow past him—his younger brother, whom he had just left behind, had already overtaken him.
Still with that familiar effortless grace, Vấn Thiên gave a helpless, wry smile as he watched the white figure approach the house.
In front of the house, an old man of about seventy, with salt-and-pepper hair and eyes bright as stars, was affectionately watching the two figures approaching.
Khanh Diep quickly ran to the old man, greeted him, then turned back to observe Van Thien, who was running, drenched in sweat, with a faint smile. Van Thien, however, thought it looked more like a smug grin.
Finally, Van Thien arrived, shot Khanh Diep a glare, then turned to greet the old man:
"Elder Liu, I'm back!"
"Young Master, go wash up and then come out to eat. This old servant has finished cooking everything!"
"You're calling me 'Young Master' again, and please stop referring to yourself as 'this old servant'. I really don't like it."
"You're leaving tomorrow. Just let me call you 'Young Master' this one last time. It's been a long while since I've called you that."
Van Thien looked at Elder Liu. For over a decade, he and his brother had lived with him; Elder Liu was like a grandfather to them.
Thinking about not seeing Elder Liu for the next few years, he felt a lump in his throat.
"Alright, you two, go in and eat. You still have to pack your things!"
Khanh Diep said from the side.
The somber atmosphere suddenly dissipated, and the three of them hurried into the house.
The cold darkness, accompanied by the rustling wind and chirping birds, gradually enveloped the vast space.