Krune couldn't believe what he heard, have you at least asked my opinion?
Although he thought that, he didn't say anything, he knows very well that this is a once in a life time chance, the girl and the man seemed to be from a very powerful background, maybe they are from 'that' Wang clan, if he goes with them he will not have to fear being hunted anymore! But at the same time, thinking back at his 3 years of life were he just fled, he couldn't help but think.
'Is it really okay to just flee again? Didn't I just decide that if I had the opportunity I would definitely become stronger? Show everyone that a wisp can also achieve great things? Sure, I thought that it would be in my next reincarnation, but if he used this reason to flee again, that would be just an excuse!'
The old man looked at him and didn't say anything, he could more or less tell what the wisp was thinking due to his higher realm. But then again, he decided that he wouldn't care, it's just a wisp, if he brings it with them at least the little girl will stop throwing a tantrum now and then, so he simply nodded.
The girl immediately became joyful, and looked back at the wisp.
"Little guy, come with us, I won't let any baddies bully you anymore."
Although Krune was conflicted, he started to move in the direction of the spaceship with them, it was close by so it would only take a few minutes to arrive. But deep down, his mind was still in fighting with his real desires.
'Is this really what I want? I've been pursued for life, everyday I just wanted to stay out of trouble, if I go with them, will it prove anything? Am I not simply running away again?'
The closer they got to the ship, the bigger the conflict in his mind.
At distance, Krune could see the Wang clan space ship, on it's side, the Wang Clan insignia.
Even for Krune, who lived in this forest, the name of the Wang Clan was something that he also knew about, this is one of the biggest clans of the western protectorate, but that didn't diminish his stormy mind.
The ship was enormous, the crew could be seen running everywhere finalizing the last steps before take off.
Finally, just when they were about to board the ship, Krune stopped, the girl and the old man looked back at him confused.
Krune gathered all the courage he could find to feeble say his next words.
"I can't go."
The Old man and girl duo looked at him surprised, specially the old man, does this wisp even know what kind of opportunity is him throwing away? The Wang clan is one of the biggest clans of the western protectorate with hundreds of sectors under it's banner! Even if he comes from an 'even dogs don't wanna piss at' planet, he's bound to know about the Wang clan, right? The planet of Makui just so happens to be one of its properties.
If Krune could smile at moment he would definitely be showing a bitter one, but finally, that feeling that was crushing him the moment he started moving in the direction of ship seemed to simply disappear.
He looked back at the little lady
"Miss Feifei, I haven't told you my name yet, I'm called Krune, we wisps are born from the energy of heaven and earth, so we don't have parents to speak of, and because of this we also don't have a family name, even the name Krune is something I thought myself."
"I will be eternally grateful for what you did for me, but I can't go with you, I know about the Wang clan, I know what kind of opportunity I'm leaving behind but I can't go, I'm unwilling! During all my short life I've been pursued by wisp hunters, wisp are great cultivation resources and I learned about that the worst way possible, by seeing the already few existent wisp being taken away, being regarded as money, resources and so on."
The little lady was indeed too young, all those words made her puzzled, but she could at least feel the little guys heart, a wounded heart.
But the one really surprised was the old man, he is an expert, as someone assigned to protect the little lady of the Wang clan he definitely was one of the big shots out there, because of his extremely high realm he could tell that that wisp wasn't lying, he couldn't help but change his impression about this wisp a little.
"I'm unwilling! I don't want to flee like this, I finally decided to get back at them, to show those hunters and everyone else that I'm not just some cultivation resource, I want to prove that I can be just as strong, that we also have dreams and feelings.
If I go with you an easy life will probably be waiting for me, but I'm unwilling, an easy life is not what I want anymore."
"Miss Feifei, senior, I'm sorry but I can't go with you. Krune will remember this favor for the rest of his life and if there comes a day where this weak wisp is able to pay it back, this little one will definitely do so."
Feifei looked dejected and was about to argue when the old man whispered to her.
"Feifei, I know that you want to argue but he probably wont change his mind if you talk, so let me give it a try first."
He looked back at Krune with a stern face, his impression of the wisp got a little better but that was all, someone as old as him has seen such changes way too many times.
"Krune, you said that you want to become strong, to prove yourself, but as a wisp you should know how limited your life span is, usually a person with an average talent would take up to 20 years to breakthrough the Qi Condensation stage and advance to the Foundation Establishment and that's considering they have help and the resources necessary for it. But for wisps 10 years is already the max their life span can go, their only advantage is that with their intelligence they can achieve an adult mind at the age of 3, but that's all, if you don't breakthrough into the next realm you will simply die."
"And I might tell you this since you probably don't know this part.
The amount of life span gained is proportional to the individual initial total life span. Take a human for example, the life span of a human is something around 100 years, there is very few cases where people can pass this limit without breaking into the next realm, when they breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment their life span will be doubled, which mean that they gain another 100 years to try to reach the Core Formation Realm which is obviously much harder than Foundation Establishment."
"But you are a wisp, your life span is only 10 years, even after reaching Foundation Establishment you will gain just another 10 years and you will need to become a Core Formation in just 10 years otherwise you will still die, this is why no one takes wisps seriously, this is why no sect would accept wisps under normal conditions, they don't have a future! Think about it one more time, do you really don't want to come with Feifei? At least you will live in peace during the few years you still have."
Krune was struck by lighting, he knew that wisps had very limited life spans but he probed from the nearby villages and found out that Foundation Establishment cultivators gain a 100 years of extra life span after the breakthrough, but really didn't know this was something proportional to one's initial life span, immediately his mind went in turmoil. 'Should I give up? Foundation Establishment already seemed a far fetched dream and now it looks like even if I reach there it will not have much of a meaning.'
Krune kept silent for a few minutes but neither Feifei or the old man rushed him, even Feifei as young as she looked understood that he got a harsh setback after those words.
After thinking and thinking more that feeling from before, that unwillingness he felt when he was about to be captured started to grow again, until it finally reached the same point as before, there is only one way, only one thing to be said.
'I'M UNWILLING!'
"Thank you senior for the words of advice, but Krune still wishes to try.
I probably, no, I most definitely won't succeeded but as I said before, I simply can't let go, because of this I'm sorry but I can't go."
The old man looked deeply at the wisp in front oh him and after a while he just sighed, Feifei beside him was already tearing up.
Krune also noticed her tears and was taken aback, no one has ever cried because of him, he had no idea about what to do, he was lost and didn't know what to do, but then he remember that as a wisp, a being of energy, he could control the energy around his body and change his own form to look like something else, of course, he would still have the energy like appearance so no one would ever be fooled by that.
He started to play like a sparrow, jump like a frog, he created a mini pool of energy, took the form of a whale and splash the energy around, more and more he kept changing and doing dumb things.
When Feifei saw all of that she burst in laugh, she almost rolled on the ground from laughing so hard, the old man by the side was quite pleased with the wisp's performance, he indeed looked like a strict elder, but for him who had been protecting Feifei ever since she was born he obviously saw her as his own granddaughter and loved her very much.
Krune left a sigh of relief
"Is miss Feifei happy now?"
Feifei looked very happy at moment when suddenly an idea came in mind.
"I am, so I will let you go, but you have to promise me one thing first."
Krune looked a little lost but agreed with it nonetheless.
"As long as I am able to accomplish it miss Feifei can count on me."
Feifei Smile and said.
"When you get strong enough you must come and marry me, only me, I wont accept any other woman, and I do not allow you to die, you have to come or I won't forgive you."
Both Krune and the old man were taken aback, did she hear anything that was said just a while ago? The chances of such a thing to happen is as difficult as ascend to the heavens.
And what is this talking about marrying? Both him and the old man thought the same, he's just a wisp, the Wang Clan would never accept such bullshit.
The old man quickly scolded
"Feifei, cut the crap, whats this marrying thing you talking about, you are just a child, do you even know what a marriage means? Besides, he's just a wisp, let's forget about the fact the he will probably not even get to such realm in the future, even if he does do you think your father would permit that?"
The old man could also have said that you can't marry a wisp since it wasn't man or woman, but then he remembered that all non human like life forms can achieve the human form once their cultivation is higher enough, simply put, the weaker the type of life form, the earlier they can change into human form, for divine beast for example, they can change into their human form at the void breaking realm.
But what about wisps?
Foundation Establishment! They are so weak that they can immediately change into their human form as soon as they do their first realm breakthrough is done, their gender will be decided according to their way of thinking, and this wisp is bound to be a man 100% sure!
It's not like there has never been Foundation Establishment wisps before, and with Feifei status, it would be way to easy for her to find about it.
Feifei did not give up and started a tantrum
"I don't care! Krune at least is much funnier than all those annoying guys father keeps forcing me to meet, I don't like any of them, Krune is much better!"
Krune was lost at words, then he suddenly started to laugh, his heart, or better, his core felt warm like never before, he couldn't help but think 'this little lady probably doesn't even know the importance of those words.'
Feifei and the old man looked strangely at him, Krune looked back at Feifei and said.
"Haha! Sure, I'll make sure to become so strong enough that even your father will have nothing to complain about, In this Krune's life he will only love Wang Feifei and no one else!"
"I promise!"
