Through Hellfire - Chapter 9 Hawk Meets His Uncle And Gone In A Blink

Down the street were a few homes that were close to each other with small yards separating them.

Some of those homes had store fronts, with minor stores like herb stores, clothe stores and others being run by small time merchants.

A few children were playing in the streets, and running around haphazardly. The people in the street all were mortals, and a few possessed low cultivation bases.

The mortals were protected by the mayor’s forces which guarded the city, ensuring their safety from malicious cultivators.

One of those shops was a smithy. The shop looked dim and gloomy, with the sounds of hammers echoing through the building.

As Hawks mother opened the door and walked in with Hawk, the smith looked up from his work to see the new customers.

Moments later, he was rushing to hug them. Afterall, the people he thought who were customers were his younger sister and his nephew.

“Mei’er!!” His voice was loud and brash. “You’re back!” He hugged his sister hard enough to lift her off the floor.

“Ever since you got married, you never visit me. So, what happened to you? What’s with that serious look?

Oh hey Hawk! Remember your big uncle! Come give me a hug.”

Hawk’s uncle grabbed him off the floor and bearhugged him.

Both Hawk and his mother remained silent, just smiling as he led them out to his home.

When he learned that Hawk’s father had passed away, his face grew dim. His kid sister had become a single mother at such a young age, and his nephew had gone fatherless.

As he had not married yet, his home was still relatively open and he welcomed them home gladly.

Hawk settled down and continued his cultivation as was advised by Li Ran. Hawk’s mother decided to get some work with her brother’s help.

Thus, their first day passed in the City of Vineyards.

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In another corner of the city, near the exit gates around their closing time, a hooded youth walked out.

He was Li Ran, who left the city after roaming in it for a while and eating a meal in a restaurant for cultivators.

As he left the city, he roamed aimless, just looking around for something to pique his interest.

He remembered the time he spent escorting Hawk and his mother to the city, teaching Hawk how to cultivate.

Despite his nonchalant attitude, his eyes showed that he had missed that little kid.

His travels across the lands were often and always alone. It wouldn’t be bad to have some company in such a journey.

But, he steeled his resolve to leave Hawk behind. He knew that taking such a small boy from his mother, would be downright cruel to the kid. It would affect the kids cultivation, and probably result in cultivation deviation.

Though he regretted teaching Hawk to cultivate, on the basis of coming into contact with the cruelties of the cultivation world, a small part of him was glad that Hawk could now have a choice to stay a mortal or continue cultivation. He didn’t choose Hawk because he was talented in cultivation. He didn’t choose him because of any potential. I there was a factor for that choice, it would have to be that Hawk was just an innocent kid who he found a bit interesting.

Another thing of importance to the decision of bringing Hawk along was that, on the off chance that he was able to bring Hask with him, he wouldn’t have any methods to guide Hawk in his path. He himself was a Mid-level Saint. His own progress was unsure. If Hawk ever reached his level, he would have no clue what to do to teach the kid.

Li Ran was a 16 year old youth with no plans for the future. It wasn’t that he had his future secure was now unsure what to do.

His everyday struggles remained the same as any other cultivators, but he didn’t have a goal to follow.

A cultivator his age would either be training in their sect for glory, for power, for fame, for immortality, for women for riches and many other things. But, Li Ran didn’t have a clue what it was he wanted.

His motives were unclear and he moved with the wind, taking himself wherever it went. His morals he followed, but there was no drive to his actions.

Why is it so?

Seven Years ago he awakened in a forest with no clue as to his own identity. He just knew that he was born with a yet to discover purpose. A purpose, which to this day, had eluded him.

He became a cultivator, fought for his survival, killed for his survival in the cultivation world.

Through it he learned of the cruelty of cultivation.

He realised that he didn’t want power, fame, glory or women.

All he wanted was to know his purpose in this world.

To him, everything that existed had a purpose to that existence. Ground was meant to be trod on, fruits was meant to be eaten, water was meant to be drunk.

What was his purpose?

Was it to live with splendor? Was it to chase perfection? Was it to look down on the world?

.

.Or was it to exist as a man who chased for a purpose?

On this aimless journey, he couldn’t very well bring a little kid who just began cultivation.

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As these thoughts filled Li Ran’s mind, he had walked into the darkness. The road beneath his feet was even and flat, and nobody else was walking in it at that time. After he reached a distance far enough, he decided to go to the roadside to have his dinner.

As a cultivator, he didn’t need to eat anything but he enjoyed the feeling of eating. He had bought some dishes from a shop to eat on his trek and was beginning to bite down, when he noticed it.

Far away, at the end of the horizon and red flash was seen on the road. It was then Gone on a blink.

*Author’s message:

You see, i take your comments whether positive or negative as a form of motivation to write

Usually, my bud Chenglei gives me comments..but in the last chapter I just got blanks which sorta dimmed my mood…

I wouldn’t write this, if I didn’t want anyone to read it. I could’ve just as well kept it in my imagination, and never began writing in the first place..

I have the main plot down… it’s only writing it down as chapters which is becoming a blockade..and it was those initial comments on the first chapters that became my drive to come this few chapters far.

So I would much appreciate it, if there was some comments on my work, whether it is good or bad.

If no one likes it…I could just stop wasting your time.*