A Wuxia Tale: Blade in Training

Targets

(PRINCE JIN)

"His Majesty took that seer?" After the surprise I felt, I chuckled at what my mother said. "We don't believe in seer, Mother. They are like jesters and clowns. We believe in the charts of moon and stars. Astrology..."

"Maybe," My mother nodded. "But still, the last record shows that the family of seer that fled the Turkish border to the Middle Kingdom was last seen in this land. Your sire must know something..."

I look at Hua. I think I made a mistake of taking her with me. The information I want to get from my mother, turned out to be...useless.

Seers. In this time? This is all about magic and voodoo, all garbage. I risk Hua's life for this.

My eyes turned to Yong and Dao, both discreetly observing our environment. I wish they will have more luck in mapping the defense of this place and the number of guards roaming here.

I stared at my mother again. "And this seer is more important to you than taking me to South Indes?"

My mother gave me a regretful look. "I love you, Jin. I don't ever want you to look at me like I some kind of villain out to take your happiness away. If you will come with me willingly, then yes, I will take you back with me to the Mughal Kingdom. But seeing that you won't leave Lady Hua..."

"You are right," I nodded at her. "I won't leave Hua. I will marry her and we will be happy together." I took Hua's hand in mind and squeeze it tenderly. "But what if His Majesty doesn't have the information you are looking for, what then? I heard you have people pouring through the record in the Royal Archive. What will happen if they won't find anything in there?"

My mother's expression turned more regretful, "Then your sire and I will think of more compromises to negotiate with."

I sighed exasperatedly at that. "Can't you not just take the gold and silver Baba is offering?"

"I don't need gold and silver, Jin. I have plenty of riches..."

"From whom?" I asked.

"From whom, what?" My mother's asked back, puzzledly.

"Your riches, where did they come from? Where did you get your silver and gold?" I specified my questions.

This time Princess Nadira laughed. "Not all richness can be measured in gold and silver, my Prince."

I looked at Hua. Then I nodded. "You are right...not all precious things are made of silver and gold." I smiled at the woman I love.

Hua is more precious that anything material in my life. By Buddha, Hua is more precious than my own life or my next breath. She is everything.

"Are you satisfied, my son?" I took my eyes off Hua when my mother asked that question. I frowned a bit, "Satisfied about what, Mother?"

"On the answers you seek to find by coming here," my mother replied easily. "What is it that you really want, Jin? Just tell me..."

I nodded. "I am here to tell you that I will never leave the Middle Kingdom. I am here to convey to you that no matter the campaign  you will do, I will never change my plans of having a good life with the woman I love. I am grateful to you, for giving me life...but I am not the little boy you left a long time ago. Being grateful will be the extent of my feelings for you. Hua is the one giving me reasons to live now, and for that...I will never leave her. I won't. I can't..."