11 Meteorite

Keben looked at the congested doorway and frowned. "It's overcrowded. Everyone's preparing for tonight's feast to honor Zhenli and Wangzhe's return. With the Spring Festival approaching, all important figures have flocked to Lujingbao Fortress." As they walked, Keben shared recent news about the fortress. The desert had very little fertile land and forest, for obvious reasons. Being near the sea, trade was one of Lujingbao's biggest sources of income. Most important resources arrived here by sea. Dukes, emissaries, and even representatives from different tribes had come to ensure their clans received their quotas.

Keben paused, perhaps realizing he was discussing complicated matters he had no business discussing—or addressing a young boy and a dog as though they could comprehend the political nuances. He finally said, "Stay here. I'll get something for you. I can move faster alone, and there's less risk of me getting tripped up. Wait here." With a decisive hand gesture, he reinforced his command.

Wuyi retreated to a wall and sat down, Haowen obediently settling beside him. He observed as Keben weaved his way through the crowd and vanished into the kitchen. While Keben was out of sight, the passing crowd caught Wuyi's attention. Most were servers, cooks, or musicians hired for the Spring Festival, with a smattering of traders and delivery folks here and there.

He watched them with tired curiosity; the day had already exposed him to too many new experiences to find them captivating. More than food, he yearned for solitude, away from all this commotion. The statue in his mind kept giving feedback on the emotions of anyone he looked at, which was giving him a headache. He leaned his back against the sun-kissed walls of the fortress, pulled his knees up, and rested his forehead on them to avoid reading anyone's emotions. Haowen leaned against him, his soft body providing momentary comfort.

The rhythmic thump of Haowen's wagging tail against the ground nudged Wuyi awake. He lifted his face and saw a pair of sturdy brown boots in front of him. His gaze trailed up, moving past rugged trousers and a coarse linen robe, to a face adorned with a bushy salt-and-pepper beard. The man, balancing a small barrel on his shoulder, looked down at him. "You're the famous bastard of the young master of the noble clan that came for meteorite iron, eh?" Wuyi wasn't sure how this man figured it out in the crowd, but he nodded. A glint of intrigue lit up the man's eyes. "I saw your father from afar years ago. You've got his features. Hey, everyone, look here! It's the outcast, born from the stoic noble heir! Resembles him a bit, doesn't he? Who birthed you, lad?"

While most passersby maintained their pace, sparing him only a quick glance, a few paused, evidently intrigued by the man's question. Tradespeople exiting the kitchen edged closer, keen to hear his response. But Wuyi remained silent. All memories of his mother were already growing dim for some reason. He met the man's gaze but said nothing.

"So what's your name, young one?" The man then addressed the onlookers, "Heard the kid doesn't even have a name. No noble name to honor him, not even a simple one to call him by. They call him the bastard with no father. Is that true?" More people gathered around. While some eyes reflected pity, none intervened. Sensing his discomfort, Haowen lay on his back, his tail still wagging.

Wuyi was amazed; this man had no intent to insult him while calling him a bastard. The man was seriously intrigued and curious. When it came to manners, Wuyi was far from it, as far from it as anyone could be. Be it this life or his past, even he felt asking a five-year-old child if he is called a bastard was in poor taste. This man must have muscles for brains to be so blatantly curious.

Unperturbed by Wuyi's silence, the man took another step forward, "Well? Do you have a name?" With his back against the cold wall, Wuyi rose to his feet. Haowen let out a soft whine, still laying in the dust; the lazy pup did not want to get up. "No," his voice was barely above a whisper, then a bit louder, "No, I don't have a name." The man still seemed not to have heard what Wuyi said. He leaned in closer. This irritated Wuyi for some reason. He was not a patient person and since all this journey in the desert had really made him ache, all he wanted was some peace. Then, for some reason he felt as if a meteorite was falling on his head.

"NO!" Wuyi yelled, stepping away along the wall. The man stumbled back, losing his grip on his wooden cask, which tumbled down and cracked open on the stone-paved path. Confusion swept over the crowd; many laughed at the sight of a grown man recoiling from a child. In that instant, Wuyi earned a small reputation for courage and temper.

Now, anyone who would talk about the nobles of the north and when the topic of the bastard left behind will come, their story would make sure to mention how, at the age of five, Wuyi scared an adult man.

Hearing Wuyi's yell, Haowen, the cowardly pup, sprang to his feet and dashed off. Wuyi followed him, not even waiting for feedback from the statue to see if the man would react. As he ran, he caught a glimpse of Keben stepping out of the kitchen, his arms laden with steamed buns, his face a mask of bewilderment. Had Keben been Boluo, Wuyi might have stopped and placed his trust in him. But he was not, and so Wuyi continued to run, following Haowen's lead.

They darted through clusters of servants, merely a young boy and his dog scampering across the courtyard, until Haowen led him to what he clearly deemed the safest haven. Far from the bustling kitchen and inner citadel, there was a nook Haowen's mother, Huji, had dug beneath a corner of a frail outbuilding where bags of lentils and rice were stored.

The space was tight to crawl into, but the inside was semi-dark, warm, and dry. Snuggled close to pup, Wuyi's thumping heartbeat soon settled, and they drifted into profound slumber. Soon he was dreaming. In his dreams, Wuyi saw the statue of harmony in the sacred chamber, but the statue was not in its original position; it was instead pointing upward. When he looked upward, he saw the usual stars, but among the stars, there was one that was shining too bright. It felt like it was coming to the ground and might crash. Wuyi concentrated and watched the star fall, but before the star could fall, he woke up.