Chapter One: The Stone of Wishes

“Chopping wood, chopping wood, every day it’s just chopping wood—can’t there be something new for once?” Five-year-old Liang Xi had been apprenticed for a month now, but in all that time, his sole task was chopping wood. His hatchet rang out with every blow, as if only the clanging could vent his frustration. Yet complaint aside, the one thing that kept him going was the promise that whenever he and his senior returned with firewood, their master would lay out a sumptuous meal as a reward. Never offend your own stomach—this was a maxim for all times.

Beside him, Zhuang Yunzhen seemed long accustomed to such scenes. Any task assigned by the master, he would carry out without fail, never uttering a word of complaint.

Thunder rumbled overhead. Dark clouds pressed low, and rain was imminent. “Junior, pack up. Before the rain comes, let’s race home! Whoever gets there last washes the bowls tonight.”

No need to hesitate—Liang Xi loved eating, hated washing dishes, and always wanted to come first. “Senior, the bowls are yours today!”

“We’ll see!” Zhuang Yunzhen, who had proposed the contest, was not about to fall behind.

The two boys dashed off, each secretly striving to outdo the other.

Rain poured down in torrents, wind driving the drops into a misty haze that blurred their vision. “No good! The rain’s too fierce,” Zhuang Yunzhen shouted. “Remember, there’s a cave not far ahead. Let’s take shelter there. If we go on, the firewood will get soaked, and Master will scold us!”

He was the senior, after all—he knew what mattered most.

“All right, I’ll follow you!” Liang Xi replied loudly.

“My goodness, what a downpour! Looks like it won’t stop anytime soon. Luckily we have some dry provisions. Let’s start a fire, dry our clothes—being soaked is miserable.”

The warmth of the fire brought life to the cave, which had been devoid of any sign of humanity. Thankfully, their buns hadn’t been wet by the rain—when hungry, anything tastes good.

“So fragrant—could you spare me half a bun?” came a feeble voice from deep within the cave.

“Who’s there? Come out!” In an unfamiliar place, with strange voices and rain pouring outside, anyone would be startled. Both Zhuang Yunzhen and Liang Xi picked up tree branches, advancing cautiously toward the sound. Liang Xi, trying to bolster his courage, muttered, “I’m warning you, whoever you are, I’m not afraid!”—though his own voice betrayed uncertainty.

“Hahaha, little ones, don’t worry. I haven’t eaten in days. Feed me, and I won’t treat you poorly!” The stranger spoke again.

After about thirty steps, Liang Xi could finally see the speaker—a man around fifty, in tattered clothes, his long hair unkempt, his face aged and, in the firelight, oddly sinister.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” Zhuang Yunzhen, cautious by nature, though only seven, appeared wise beyond his years. Master had always said to be wary of strangers.

“Eat. If it’s not enough, I have more,” Liang Xi said, tossing a bun to the man. His fear forgotten, he was now eager to help—a hungry man needed food, after all.

The man grabbed the bun and devoured it in seconds, then ate two more, finally regaining some strength.

“I’m full. It’s been ages since I tasted anything so good. Boy, I never accept kindness lightly. Since you fed me, I’ll give you this little trinket—perhaps it’ll be useful to you someday.” He produced a fist-sized object from his robe and tossed it to Liang Xi. As for Zhuang Yunzhen, he pretended not to see. “This is the Stone of Wishes. When you need help, any wish—this stone can grant it.”

It was a jet-black stone, intricately patterned, cold to the touch. Could such an ordinary-looking stone really fulfill any wish in dire moments? Surely it was a trick.

Liang Xi, being a child, loved novelty. He played with the stone, delighted. “What’s wrong? Think I’m lying to a child? Good, now drop your blood on the stone and see what happens.”

The man seemed to detest disbelief—if you don’t trust others, at least trust your own eyes.

Liang Xi’s hands, after a month of chopping, were covered in small wounds. He easily squeezed out a drop of blood onto the stone. The blood was instantly absorbed; brilliant red light flooded the cave for ten seconds, and then the stone melded into his palm.

“What’s happening? Old man, get this thing out! I don’t want to die—why would you harm me when we’re strangers?” Liang Xi panicked, crying and yelling.

But apart from his senior, there was no one else around.

“Hahaha, boy, now the Stone of Wishes recognizes you as its master. When danger c