Right in front of the forest, on a little mound in a rear courtyard of a small house, a little boy was sitting close eyes. Made of a small physique, the young boy wasn't taller than four foot, being around six inch lesser than other child of his age.

Being still young, his face was still full of childish features quite damaged by his dry grayish skin. Everyone would be able to tell that this young boy mustn't been of great health. Other than his skin, his short hair where also gray but not a sick one, no, it was a beautiful shiny platinum one.

If his complexion where to be a least of the same as the other child, he would surely growth of an astonishing young lad.

"Little yang, it time to see if our luck is good today."

Hearing the voice behind him, Haiyang open his eyes, revealing two dazing emerald light who shine with wisdom and could only add to his figure. Regretfully, the little boy was as expressive as a dry wooden plate, looking like a dead corpse, leaving only his eyes as proof of a living being.

Turning around, Yang look at the backdoor of the small house. In is open farm, a sturdy man in his Fifty with the same silver hair and green eyes, exulting a impalpable aura around him. The man name was old Dong and was the only relative of Haiyang. Even with being his relative, he still don't know the real name of the man and was say to call him old Dong

Without a word, he raise of the mound and enter the house to change his cloth for thick green linen one. Seeing him act without a single expression, he couldn't help but remember the event that have take place five year before.

At this time Yang was a young child like the other, brimming with vitality and emotions but without warning something happen. Nobody know how but the young boy seem to have been poisoned, making his skin take his actual look and sealing his meridians. Because of this, he was banned and constrained to flee.

At that time, Old Dong have take the young child and flee, bringing him here before being able to look for a possible antidote or at least let him leave a peaceful live until his death.

Because coming of a large household, old Dong was able to gather enough supply to support them without need. Even after fleeing, they chose to establish themselves in the countryside and not in city in case of someone would have follow them here. Sine that day, the once cherfull boy became completly shut off.

After being ready, the two of them directly head toward the forest in front of their house.

"This time, I think it will good to look in the core of the forest, the outskirt have clearly nothing to serve."

After three hour and regular stop for Yang they enter the inner part of the forest. In the their way, they have encounter some of wild beast but with old Dong around, they back off before attacking them, letting a realtively esay stroll.

Before long, the expression of old Dong swift for a more serious one as they slightly deviate of their initial path. Not to long after, a fifteen meter high cliff stood but they wheren't here for the cliff itself be for the plant that were growing on it.

"Nine-three colored berries, a mature one at it!"

In effect around thirteen meter high in the cliff, a plant with five green berries at the base, three blue ones on the middle and a red berry at the top, each of them the size of a baby fist.

"Wait for me, if the spiritual fruit have came to maturation but was still here, then they are a chance that none a single spiritual beast have spot it yet, let no wait to mutch time, the longer we stay the more the risk a spiritual beast came."

Leaving Yang on the feet of the cliff, Liu Dong easily climb the thirteen meter before picking carefully the nine berries while leaving the stalk intact, letting the plat to bear fruit once again.

"let return."

The little boy nod without a sound, following the man back to their house.

As they have leave in the morning, they came back rather early.

"Let start now, the lesser time pass the greater the amont of qi will be keep inside the fruits."

Soon enough, the courtyard was add with a large bucket of steaming water. Old Dong came out with a set of three palm size jade bottles, followed by Yang. After putting the different jar on the floor near the bucket, the old man take out the five green fruits.

That was one of the thing that Yang have learn those years. As they have exiled themselves here, they have to look for their food and other supply. Among them one in particular take a large part of their time, the research of medicinal material to cure the poison on his body.

When they escape, it was actually the old that have appear out of nowhere and take him out. After they have install near the forest, he have stat to look for different herb while Yang will stay in the house and browse in the different book to learn the basic of alchemy, the knowledge of herbs and fruits.

Carefully mashing the five green berries before he filter and recuperate the jus on a withe bowl. Once done, he open each of the jar and mix the content inside the bowl.

The moment the jade bottle where open, a faint medical odor escape. With exercice hand, he pour the content of seven different jus stored on jade jars inside the white bowl.

The light green liquid slowly deepen until take a color similar of lush foliage as the medical odor became stronger.

"Enter the waterand be sure to be immerged in it the more possible. Don't exit it before the water became clean."

Once Yang was in thside the water, he pour the content of the bowl in it before enter the house without turning around. He look a him depart without a word before starting to regulate his breath and relax is body.

'will it work's this time?'

Before being able to worry, hise pore start to loosen, letting the solution enter his body. Being weak at first, the rythm of his breathing slowly coordinate to the one of his skin, gapping more and more of water before relasing it.

As the rythm incrase steadly, a refreshing sensation slowly spread in his body, letting him experience a sense of freedom as his shakles that where restricting his body broke one after other. Wisps after wisps of energy gradually invade is body, cleansing his body of the residual poison. Closing his eyes in puure blisss, his mood was rapidly broken by a pugnent odor. Opening his eye, his stunned look land on the thick black paste exuding of his body.

An uninterrumped flow of black matter continuly exude of his body, forming soon a thick layer above the water.

Because of it, he was unable to see it any more and know if the medical bath have been completly exausted or if he need to still stay inside. Scooping it with is two hand before throwing it out of the barrel for five minute, the water appear one again while the color have greatly fade away, leaving only a faint green hue on it.

As the sun start to approch the horizon, the water have retun clear and a pile of pugnent matter have form on the side of the barrel.

For the first time since long, a flash of exitation pass in is eyes a he body feel lighter than ever. Even if he was still far of his previous state, his skin have greatly change, turning of a grey dry one to a a slight white one.

His health was without commune mesure with is previous state as he feel that he could feel energetic all over.

Putting is former cloth after exiting the water, he return in the house were a book was waiting him on the table. Using the last ray of sun, Haiyang browse in knoledge of common and spiritual herbs gather inside each page.

Since they came here five year ago, Haiyang have start to read a lot of pharmatical books in hope to found a cure to his problem.

If he where from any common origin, he would have been impossible for him to have the slightest information but thankfully old Dong, other than being his guardian was also a accomplished alchemist and have carried a great deal of useful material and basic books.

Until the last ray of light, Yang continually absorb the different informations. Once dark fall and is eyes where unable to supply him further, he close the book before draging his body to his bed, a faint smile hanging on his face

Today was his first step to the path of claiming what he have lost!