Unfettered Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Wisdom

Read chapter 2 of Unfettered by driftwoodblossom on NovelPedia.

As the red-robed male took strides in the direction of the laughter, his surroundings began to distort and blur. Sceneries of vast fields of golden wheat, tall mountains that seemed to pierce the heavens, desolate plains, scorching deserts, and a battlefield littered with the corpses of an age long gone - each blurred by with a step. After a few strides, the red-robed male was surrounded by darkness on three sides with a single source of light at his front. At his feet was an uneven stone floor, water dripped steadily from the stalactites hanging from the ceiling. It was a small and gloomy cave; one unfit for living. Despite this, the red-robed male continued his steps toward the light undisturbed. As he proceeded closer to the light, one could start to make out a small figure in a seated position. The laughter rang out once more. If one listened closely, they would find that the laughter originated from this small figure. A few moments later, the red-robed male's steps came to a stop behind the small figure's back. The small figure was a child. A male, of about four years, give or take two months. He was rather small for his age, but this was not due to any malnourishment. He had delicate features that were borderline effeminate. His delicate skin was white and smooth. His eyes were a sky blue. The child's clothes were made of blue silk and had silver embroidery on the sleeves. Just from his clothes alone, one could tell that he came from an affluent family. But, he also held in his hand a small ebony toy sword. Worth more than its weight in gold, even aristocrats would be reluctant to use it for something as frivolous as a child's toy. Evidently, this child was the treasure of some dignified family. "Master, master! Look at what nanny gave me!" Shock flickered through the red-robed male's eyes, but he continued to calmly watch the little boy get on his feet and turn towards him. Stumbling over to the red-robed male over the slippery rocks, the child fell to his knees. The child reached for the string that tied a rusty dull jade-inlaid lotus pendant around his neck. Fumbling, he untied it and presented it to the red-robed man with both hands. Holding his left palm in front of him, the pendant was gently picked up by the wind and dropped onto the face-up palm. With his right hand, the red-robed male gently drew a circle on the pendant with his index finger. Once the finger finished its circle, the jade gem in the middle of the pendant started to emit a dull glow. As this glow grew stronger, the metal surrounding the jade started to change as spots of gold appeared among the rusted metal. Within moments, the pendant had become fully gold with dancing dragons and phoenixes etched with passionate detail and the jade inlay had become flawless. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he watched all of this happen. The red-robed male inspected the pendant for a few more moments before a breeze picked the golden lotus and dropped it back into the hands of the blue-robed child. "Truly… a protagonist." "A protagonist…?" "That is something that you will learn about in the future… focus on what's at hand. I have restored your pendant. Do you have anything to say to your master?" The red-robed male's expression continued to stay calm. In the eyes of the child, the red-robed male was unfathomable. Those brown eyes seemed vast like an ocean; nothing would be able to disturb them in the slightest. A sage, a being at the top of the world in both wisdom and strength, the greatest role model of all, his greatest goal. To the young child, the red-robed male was all these things and more. "This undeserving disciple gives his deepest gratitude for master's benevolence." The child's eyes shone with adoration as he kowtowed to his master. Unfazed, the red-robed male continued to question the child. "Did you learn anything from watching when I restored your pendant?" Taking this question very seriously, the child closed his eyes. His eyebrows st