Qinghe Town grew livelier as the season turned. Chickens crowed louder, the stream ran clearer, and the air carried the scent of earth and sweet firewood. In the narrow alleyways between old homes, children's laughter echoed, mixing with the sound of hammers and the creak of carts.
Inside a modest courtyard near the edge of town, the Yun family was also preparing.
"Long'er, be careful. That basket's too heavy for one trip," Madam Su called gently from inside the kitchen.
"I'm fine, Mother!" Yun Long grinned as he waddled through the door, arms wrapped around a stack of kindling nearly taller than his head. His small face was flushed red, his steps clumsy but determined.
Madam Su shook her head with a laugh. She took the top half of the bundle off his arms and ruffled his hair. "You silly child. Trying to carry the whole forest in one go."
Yun Long chuckled sheepishly, brushing the wood chips off his sleeves.
He loved this home — the smell of herbs in the morning, the warmth of porridge on cold days, and the sound of his mother's voice. He never doubted for a moment that this was where he belonged.
Old Yun, seated beneath the wooden eaves, was sorting dried herbs with practiced hands. His white brows were slightly furrowed, but his expression relaxed.
"You'll be joining the others next week," he said softly, not looking up.
"Huh?" Yun Long turned his head. "You mean… for Stone-Stepping Day?"
Old Yun gave a small nod. "It comes every five years. And you've already grown into a big boy."
At that, Madam Su turned serious. She knelt beside Yun Long and brushed some dust from his cheek.
"Long'er," she said softly, "you may not understand it now, but this test… it means you'll no longer be a child. You'll walk your own path soon."
Yun Long blinked repeatedly with confusion. "But I'll still live here, right?"
Both parents paused, amused.
Then Old Yun laughed and tugged on the boy's ear. "Of course you will. Unless you get whisked away by a mountain sage!"
Yun Long gasped. "Oh, Like in the stories?!"
Madam Su rolled her eyes. "Don't fill his head with nonsense. There haven't been sect recruiters here in decades."
But as she spoke, her eyes drifted westward… toward the faint shadow of the old stone circle beyond the town fields.
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That evening, after the firewood was stacked and dinner cleaned away, Yun Long sat by the hearth with his head in Madam Su's lap. She gently combed his hair with her fingers while Old Yun smoked his pipe nearby, squinting at the red glow of the coals.
"Mother," Yun Long mumbled, half-asleep, "do I have to pass the test?"
"You just have to try your best," she whispered.
"If I fail… can I still be your son?"
Madam Su froze for half a heartbeat.
Then she smiled and kissed his forehead.
"You are our son. Always."
Old Yun puffed his pipe and glanced sideways at them. His eyes were old — old enough to see shadows where others only saw trees.
He said nothing.
But the wind outside the window shifted slightly… and in the distance, the crows had stopped calling.
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