The Prodigy of the Hidden Realm

"Ten coins, hah, you truly are my dear elder brother," Thomas said with a bitter smile, the disappointment in his eyes now unmistakable. John, standing beside him, felt the sting of his brother's words.

"How about fifteen coins? I can't give more than that, you know our family's circumstances are tight," John tried to explain, thinking Thomas was upset over the amount. He grudgingly offered five more coins.

"Fifteen coins..." Thomas chuckled, but his laugh was tinged with irony. "If it had been Jacob who was hurt today, would you have been willing to pay fifteen coins, just like you're asking of me?"

John's face turned awkward as he realized what Thomas meant. This wasn't about money. Thomas wasn't asking for compensation; he wanted an apology, an acknowledgment of the injustice.

But John found himself unable to punish his son. Jacob had always been his precious treasure, raised with the utmost care, and the idea of disciplining him—much less admitting his faults—was something John could not bring himself to do.

"John, you're truly disappointing me," said Abigail, her voice heavy with sorrow.

Although normally, the couple dotes on their grandson, it now seemed they had only harmed him. "Are you two trying to raise my grandson to be a morally bankrupt troublemaker? Not only does he steal, but he also hits people and refuses to admit his mistakes."

And then, there's the matter of having parents like this! At the thought, a worried frown appeared on the old lady's face. If this keeps going on, what will become of her grandson in the future?

"Mom, you're being too harsh," John retorted.

"Too harsh? Fine, I see that I no longer matter to you. From now on, I won't even show my face around here. I'll move in with your brother instead."

John rubbed his temples, trying to stave off a headache. "Mother, why do you have to be so childish right now?" he muttered under his breath. "If you go live with Thomas, what will others think? The village will talk..."

Abigail's heart ached, her son's words like a knife to her soul. Why had she raised such an ungrateful child? The tears welled in her eyes.

Determined, Abigail decided to go live with Thomas's family. No matter how John tried to convince her otherwise, she had made up her mind. And as soon as Clara heard this, her mind started working. The old woman was no longer useful to their family. What if she became bedridden and required constant care? Clara knew that she couldn't handle that.

It wasn't long before they ended up at the village chief's house, with Clara whispering in John's ear, persuading him to let his mother go to Thomas's house instead. After all, the old woman had already shown that her allegiance was with the brother's family.

Reluctantly, John agreed. "Alright, she can go with them."

As for Abigail, she was content. She had long known that she couldn't count on her son. The second family had more compassion.

Once the decision was made, everyone packed their things and left the old home behind, heading for the third brother, Frank, who lived not far from the hill.

Although Frank didn't want his brother to stay with him and risk offending his eldest brother, he didn't dare to upset his mother."Let them stay for a couple of days," he told himself.

Frank's house, though small, had two bedrooms and a kitchen. It was neat enough. But for Lily, the idea of living with her third aunt and uncle was strange. Her aunt, Sylvia, was kind and seemed genuinely concerned for her injury. Lily's wrist had only been rinsed with water, and her mother had planned to take her to the doctor once everything settled down. But Sylvia immediately insisted on treating the wound herself, using the medicine that she always kept on hand for injuries.

"Does it hurt a lot? Have you applied any ointment? You know, your uncle and I are always getting bumps and bruises; we have plenty of ointment here," Sylvia said kindly, ushering Lily inside. Frank's father-in-law, from the Sylvia family, was a carpenter. Frank followed him to learn the craft for several years and had already mastered it. However, working as a carpenter, accidents and injuries were quite common.

Lily smiled faintly, grateful for her kindness. "Thank you, Aunt Sylvia, I haven't seen a doctor yet. My mom plans to take me soon."

Sylvia immediately set to work, gently applying the medicine and carefully wrapping the wound. "You're so brave. I can tell it's painful, but you're being so strong."

She didn't really like Aiden either, mainly because that child had been so spoiled by his older brother that he had no boundaries. 

It was nothing like Lily, who, although she hadn't seen much of them, were clearly well-behaved and sensible. If only she had a daughter as cute as this...

Lily couldn't help but admire her aunt's gentle nature. Her aunt's concern and care were a stark contrast to the tension she had experienced at the old house.

After Sylvia finished tending to Lily's injury, she offered some snacks to the three siblings. Lily, who had always been reserved and quiet, felt an unfamiliar warmth.

Later that evening, after a simple dinner, Frank and Thomas took Jacob to stay with some other villagers. The house was small, and there weren't enough beds for everyone. Sylvia kindly offered for Lily to sleep with her.

However, as night settled in, Lily tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Her wrist throbbed painfully, but there was something else—something strange and intense. The pain seemed more than physical.

Her wrist, which had been throbbing, suddenly pulsed with a strange energy. Gritting her teeth, Lily clutched her arm, feeling the intense pain spread through her body. Just as she was about to cry out, a flash of red light exploded from her fingers, and the world around her shifted.

In the blink of an eye, she found herself standing in the middle of an unfamiliar land. A vast stretch of dark, barren land stretched out before her, as far as the eye could see. There was no sign of life—no plants, no animals, nothing. Moreover, even though it was the middle of winter and should have been freezing cold, the air here remained at a constant, almost unnatural temperature—neither cold nor warm.

Her heart raced. The eerie silence weighed heavily on her. "Where am I?" she whispered in confusion, her voice barely audible in the strange emptiness.

The land stretched endlessly, and although Lily didn't know much about the soil, she could tell it was rich and fertile. But it didn't matter. She had to figure out where she was—and more importantly—how to get out.

Before she could think any further, something in the distance caught her eye. Turning around, she gasped. A towering nine-story pagoda stood at the edge of the barren land, glowing with red and gold light, its grandeur and power impossible to ignore.

"Where... where am I?" Lily whispered again, feeling a mix of fear and awe.