# Chapter Three:
Chen Lin carefully held the bottle of fire acid, thinking about his plan. He could hear the soldiers above him searching the hut and smashing furniture. He didn't have much time.
He looked around the dark cellar, trying to find another exit besides the door he had come through. He noticed a small opening in one of the cellar walls, covered with dilapidated wooden boards. He approached it quietly, trying to avoid making any sound.
He slowly removed the wooden boards to discover a narrow tunnel extending into the darkness. "It seems the old man was prepared for situations like this," he whispered to himself.
Before entering the tunnel, he decided to leave a small gift for the soldiers. He carefully opened the bottle of fire acid and placed it next to the cellar stairs, tilted in a way that would make it spill when the door was opened.
Then he crawled into the narrow tunnel, heading toward the darkness. The tunnel was earthy and damp, and he had to crawl on his stomach to advance. After several meters, he began to feel fresh air, indicating he was approaching the exit.
Finally, he reached the end of the tunnel, where there was a small opening covered with herbs and shrubs. He carefully pushed them aside and looked outside. The exit was located directly behind the hut, hidden among dense bushes.
Lin slowly emerged from the tunnel, making sure none of the soldiers were nearby. The hut was in front of him, and he could see the three soldiers through the windows as they continued searching the place.
"Now, where to?" Lin wondered. He didn't know the forest, and had no idea where the old man had gone. His only option was to wait and watch, hoping the old man would return before the soldiers discovered his hiding place.
Lin climbed a nearby tree and sat on one of its high branches, watching the hut. One hour passed, then two, and there was no sign of the old man. Lin began to worry. What if the old man didn't return? What if he had fallen into another ambush?
Suddenly, he heard a shout from inside the hut. "I found something! There's a door in the floor!"
Lin felt panic. They had discovered the cellar! They would soon find the tunnel and know he had been there.
He heard the sound of the cellar door opening, followed by a horrific scream of pain. "Aaaah! My face! My face is burning!"
Lin smiled a mischievous smile. His plan had worked. The fire acid had been effective.
"What's happening down there?" shouted one of the soldiers.
"It's a trap! Acid... aaaah!"
Lin heard the sound of a collision and crash, followed by another scream. It seemed the injured soldier had fallen onto his comrade.
"Get out of here! There might be other traps!" their leader ordered.
The three soldiers rushed out of the hut, one of them screaming in pain and covering his face with his hands, while the other two helped him walk.
"We'll return with reinforcements," said the leader. "This old man is more dangerous than we thought."
Lin watched them as they moved away from the hut and disappeared among the trees. When he was sure they had left, he climbed down from the tree and cautiously returned to the hut.
The place was in complete chaos. Furniture smashed, papers and books scattered everywhere, and broken dishes. Lin sighed with regret. They had destroyed the home of the old man who had saved his life.
He returned to the cellar to find the bottle of fire acid broken, and the red liquid spread across the floor and stairs. There was a clear burn mark where the acid had fallen.
"Looks like I caused an even bigger mess," Lin muttered to himself.
He began cleaning the place as much as possible, gathering the scattered books and papers. He noticed that most of the books were about Qi and ancient martial arts. There were also drawings and diagrams of the human body, showing energy pathways and pressure points.
During his cleaning, he found a small book hidden under one of the overturned cabinets. Its cover was made of old leather, and its title was "Basics of Qi: A Beginner's Guide."
He opened the book with curiosity and began browsing through it. The pages were filled with drawings and instructions on how to breathe and meditate to access inner Qi power.
"Maybe I can start training myself," Lin thought.
He sat in the middle of the room, taking the position described in the book: straight back, closed eyes, hands placed on the knees. He began to breathe slowly and deeply, as the book described.
"Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale..."
At first, he felt nothing but boredom. But after several minutes, he began to feel a slight tingling in his fingertips. Then the sensation spread to his hands and arms.
"Is this Qi?" Lin wondered, fascinated by the new sensation.
Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. "I see you've started training without waiting for me."
Lin quickly opened his eyes and turned to find old Yang Wei standing at the entrance of the hut, carrying a basket full of herbs.
"Sir!" Lin exclaimed, relieved to see the old man safe. "Soldiers wearing black armor came. They were looking for you and the book."
"I know," said the old man calmly as he entered the hut and set the basket aside. "I saw them coming, so I hid. I was watching the place from a distance."
The old man looked around, examining the chaos. "It seems they didn't find what they were looking for."
"They discovered the cellar, but I... well, I left them a little surprise," Lin admitted.
The old man smiled. "Fire acid. Yes, I heard their screams. Clever of you, my young one."
"How did you know?"
"Because I would have done the same thing," the old man laughed. "You think like me, and that's a good thing."
The old man sat in front of Lin, ignoring the chaos around them. "You've started training in Qi. Did you feel anything?"
Lin nodded. "I felt a tingling in my fingers and arms. Is that normal?"
"Very normal for beginners. In fact, it's a good sign. Most people take weeks before they feel anything," the old man said admiringly. "You have a natural talent, Chen Lin."
Lin felt proud of himself for the first time in a long while. "When will I be able to do what you did with the water?"
"Patience, my young one. Controlling the elements is an advanced level of Qi. You must first master the basics," the old man answered. "But before we begin serious training, we need to leave this place. It's become too dangerous to stay here."
"Where will we go?"
"To the city of Long Qing. It's a large city where we can easily hide among the crowds," said the old man as he stood up. "There, we'll begin searching for information about the book and the temple."
"And when will we leave?"
"Now," the old man answered firmly. "Gather anything you think might be useful. We'll take only what we can carry."
Lin began collecting some books and tools he thought might be useful, while the old man gathered herbs and medicines in a leather bag.
"Sir," Lin said as he gathered the items. "Why does Prince Zhao want this book so badly that he destroyed an entire village for it?"
The old man paused for a moment, then sighed deeply. "The Book of Five Spirits is not just an ordinary book, Chen Lin. It contains secrets of ancient power, power that can grant its owner the ability to control the five spirits: Water, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Wood."
"And why is that important?"
"Whoever controls the five spirits controls the world itself," the old man answered seriously. "He can cause floods, start fires, move mountains, shape metals at will, and make forests grow or wither. It's almost divine power."
Lin felt a shiver run through his body. "And do you want this power for yourself?"
The old man looked at him sharply. "No, my young one. I want to prevent this power from falling into the wrong hands. Prince Zhao is an ambitious and cruel man. If he gets the book, he will use its power to subjugate other kingdoms and kill thousands."
"So you want to destroy the book?"
"No... the book cannot be destroyed. Many have tried over the centuries, but it's protected by ancient spells," the old man explained. "What I want is to hide the book in a safe place, where no one can find it again."
Lin and the old man finished gathering the necessary items and put them in small bags that could be easily carried.
"Are you ready?" asked the old man.
Lin nodded. "Yes, but I have one last question. Why me? Why did you choose me to help you in this dangerous mission?"
The old man smiled a mysterious smile. "Because the prophecy says that the person with white hair will be the key to everything. And I believe in prophecies, Chen Lin."
They left the hut and began their journey toward the city of Long Qing, leaving behind the destroyed hut and painful memories. Lin knew that his life had changed forever, and that he couldn't go back. All he could do now was move forward, learn, and take revenge.
And as they walked through the dense forest, Lin was thinking about Mei. Had she survived the massacre? Was she alive somewhere? He hoped so with all his heart, though he wasn't sure why he cared. Perhaps because she was the only person in the village who truly cared about him.
"I'll find you, Mei," he silently promised himself. "And I'll avenge our village."