A Flower Of Youth

Chapter 1

Two years later (Lan Yuan is around seven years old)

Lan Yuan fidgets nervously at his desk as more unfamiliar faces pours into the room. Now that he was older, he was learning the most basic level of cultivation. The children there around his age. Some looked younger. Others looked younger. Once everyone settles down, Lan Xichen steps into the room and after some time, the children quieten down. They start the class off with breathing exercises and meditation.

"Now everyone, can you feel energy deep inside you, swirling around in the stomach and throughout your body?" Lan Xichen asks everyone, eyes still closed. Lan Yuan tries concentrating, blocking out any distractions the best he can. A few kids next to say 'yes' while others continue to be silent.

"Keep concentrating. When you feel it, stand up."

They continue to do these exercises for a few more lessons, but no matter how hard Lan Yuan tries, he couldn't feel the energy or 'qi' as Hanguang Jun told him. He had tried meditating with the young boy just the same way, but it seemed as if some internal conflict or turmoil was preventing him from reaching full concentration. Only he and another boy were the last ones left to not stand up in classes after meditation.

"Lan Yuan, you must concentrate!" Master Lan says sternly. "Clear your mind of distractions and don't think of anything else. Just picture your qi flowing around inside you." Lan Yuan nods determinedly, closing his eyes, trying to feel the qi inside of him like Master Lan said. He could feel something tingling, but it wasn't enough. Even after a few more hours of trying. Master Lan finally shakes his head and heads towards the door.

"Stay here and keep practicing or go back to your room and do it. Get it right or you will never be able to catch up!"He closes the door hard behind him. Lan Yuan sighs and looks over at the other disciple next to him who was frowning with concentration, then finally slams a fist against the floor in frustration.

"You're stuck too, aren't you?" Lan Yuan asks shly.

"Yes!" The other replies. "I don't know why, I'm concentrating as hard as I can!" Lan Yuan looks at him. He could almost feel the anger and frustration swirling around the other boy.

"Don't worry. We can get it. We just need to keep trying," He gives the other boy an encouraging smile who nods in reply and goes back to meditating.

However, for some unknown reason, both of them still had a lot of trouble with this technique. As a result, the other boys moved on to more complex lessons, he and Lan Yuan were often stuck behind, even after months. As a result, both of them were required to do additional classes with both Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren helping them. Lan Xichen took a much more gentle approach, while Lan Qiren was more strict and firm. However eventually, his only classmate also moved onto the next lessons. One day, on a weekend after his additional classes, Lan Yuan finds himself surrounded by a bunch of other disciples at the back hill, where older disciples and adults couldn't see them.

"Hey, are you even a cultivator? You can't even do something as simple as meditating or feeling your qi!" One of them sneers. Lan Yuan backs away, trying to hold back his tears, yet he did not know what to say in response. He's shoved into the ground and lands hard, wincing in pain. He shuts his eyes as the jeers only continue until a loud yell.

"Go away! Leave him alone!" A disciple, Lan Yuan recognized as the one who used to be in the extra lessons with him, was running towards them with a fistful of pebbles which he threw at the older boys.

"What? You want to fight?" one of the disciples yell back, squaring up to the boy and grabbing his collar.

"What do you think you're doing? Lan Shaung! Lan Qiao! No fighting in Cloud Recesses." Lan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Lan Xichen coming hurriedly towards them. The two boys pull apart, ducking their heads in guilt. He feels arms pulling him up and he looks up with a tear-streaked face to see Lan Xichen look at him with a worried expression.