"we are here.
The jiang province. Home to the Plum Pear pavilion,
Home to the most diverse entertainers in all of china. even having fruit that can be sold for millions of gold pieces here as a way to show off our rich appearance to the public eye. welcome Zhao Xi."
I looked around a bit. It has a high population of people and so many more capabilities to be the best province than anybody else in china.
This is actually such a beautiful place to live in.
"So hao..."
"Hm?"
I stayed silent for a moment.
" What does this province mean to you? As in a bonding term?"
"Hm...if I had to guess. I've lived in this province for all of my life. but the entertainment, food, towns, and wealth used for expenses for our own laughter is something I love about this place. So, I do have an unbreakable bond to this place. even if we have committed a lot of atrocities in our culture.
from masters, union masters, sect masters, all of it. We have to enjoy life to the fullest while we can be stabbed into the afterlife at any second."
"Yeah... you're right.."
my perferial saw hao's eyes glaze at me even more in a mix of a disturbed, worried, and happy look.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah.. I'm fine. I'm just tired. we have been traveling to your province for a lot while so it's a paradise to lay down in a bed and sleep right after we get to your palace.
What is your palace called since I'm assuming that your family does own one since you are naturally wealth?"
"Yeah, I do. it's good that we are almost there.
my palace name is called "Lotus Yang Palace." I will offer you a room for free so you don't have to fight my parents just for a room because they think every person visiting our home is just a bunch of commoners. People don't know how to bathe these days."
In the cloudy sky. I saw a big palace slowly appearing in the wind right in the middle of this town.
It's red and white.
Hao's signature colors of her design. ahh..the differences.
"Your parents?"
"Yes.
My mother's name is Huo- Xai Ying, and my father's name is Wa Su Ying.
They are...very secluded people to try to get along with. they don't like commoners. especially with people with no class in their motions. even their own children... My sister had a bit of a bad relationship with my parents. tend to argue with them because of their fancy toxicity. claimed that
"She is going to die because a warrior isn't lady-like. so you are setting yourself up to die!" So in order to fulfill my parent's happiness in her own children. I have to act fancy as I can possibly be. even when I'm using chopsticks or using my hands for certain foods."
my eyes space out a little bit on her parents. thinking about what her parents are like.
If they are still alive.
"Damn."
"damn? That's your only response...?" she jokingly said.
"Well.. I don't know. commoners aren't an issue to me. Bet me a high amount of gold peices if I'm able to handle your parents. if I dont have a good relationship with them. I give you the gold peices back, if I do. then I can keep it. Deal?"
i balled up my fist and pointed it directly to her left hip. she did the same and smirked.
"DEAL."
"We are here. Warrior Zhao Xi and Miss Hao Ying to the Lotus Yang Palace.
This palace is proficient, skilled, and properly placed around a martial arts den and a training hall for those weak enough to handle a wrath of hao's parents. Or just want to get stronger. you are free to meet hao's parents and try to get along with them. they are very...indifferent about new people in other provinces so don't worry about it."
I look up and see a painted symbol of the ying and yang in the middle of the palace staircase.
I'm in awe that I'm going to be training here. but I also look in front to see a training hall, a food hall, an open area dining hall, and a staircase to the bedrooms.
I see two old people walk up to me and Hao. but they looked at Hao first. the woman rose a smirk on her face.
"Hao..my daughter. I never thought you had come back to us. I thought that you were going to manifest these commoners all throughout your travels. dispite your sister openly being the one and only disgrace in this family because she can't follow our sacred blood.."
".....RIGHT. well, i have someone i would like for you to meet. she's a very nice gal to be friends with, so I would recommend that you would keep it accordingly."
I'm assuming this is her mother.
Huo Xai Ying.
She has long flowing black hair with red eyes. for an old person. She's really pretty. But her attitude is an AURA.
she looked up and down at me like she's trying to hide her stank look.
"Who...are you?"
" im-"
"Shhh.."
She zipped my mouth shut just by raising her palm up.
"Hao. you can introduce her."
"Uh..alright.
This is Zhao Xi. A worker of the Sunset Blizzard Mountain Clan..
And the Chosen one of the Seven Dragons master role. her blood is the estimated target to the legacy as well as her physical appearance."
"WHAT!?
T-this commoner is the chosen one? she doesn't even have the proper attitude... or..the strength to wield a sword that well. her arms look like noodles. She isn't the chosen one since she looks like she sleeps in dirt. sure..she is a pretty little girl, but it's no way. This has to be a prank."
I got agitated a little by her response.
"It isn't a prank mom. You can go up to Sunrise of the Seven Mountain to ask the officials if she's actually the chosen one. they won't lie to you. she is a special person, and she is the estimated chosen one to be the Seven Dragon master. so don't get an attitude with me. This has nothing to do with the fact that we are incredibly wealthy and fancy enough to make female entertainers of battle pavilions cry."
"Fine...fine.
we will put her in the most difficult, challenging, and possibly death, increasing martial arts training in our province. If she can handle it, then she is a person I can trust to defend china. dispite her insufficient power in trying to hold a cup with one arm."
she looked at me and scoffed.
What is her problem.
But I shouldn't be mad since I would expect this to come my way to be this big and powerful master in my future.
I bowed down to her.
"I accept it, ma'am. but me and Hao had a long journey to the Jiang province, and I would like to request a room to rest in."
her voice didn't say one more word, rolled her eyes, and pointed to the upstairs.
"
your room is on the third door on the left. Right next to hao's room. don't try to infect her with your commoner nature. she has the blood of an ancient royal. she would rather not be infected by a low-life commoner like you. the officials must make a mistake with you. Goodbye.
I need my tea for this."
"........"
I stepped up without saying a word to Hao as she kept following me. I opened the door to my room
To see a surprisingly comfy looking bed with a desk, a sage pot, and a good set of storage at the bottom of the bed.
It's a small compartment on there.
"Zhao wait.. I'm sorry about my mother. she can be a lot sometimes."
"It's ok."
"Are you sure?" she was certainly worried for me.
"Yeah. After all. it's not like a future warrior has to go through something to be a tough specimen in the aspect of war, battles, and armies, right? your mother isn't an issue to me. in fact.
I think I can get along with her quite well if I can push the right buttons to get her to open up to me a bit more. I'm hoping you are fine with a bit of violence, right?"
"Violence?
What are you talking about..?"
hao slowly glanced at my hand, reaching to my blade in the corner of the bed in slow, mysterious intent.
she then looked at my face, which slowly grew a wicked smile.
"Wait, wait, wait. No, don't do that. You aren't going to hurt my mother just for her attitude issues. she has her own methods to fix it anyway. don't. DONT."
"But what if she's in the mood for some family-friendly thrashing in the skull. that will teach her not to be a bitch to every single one of her visitors.
Some of them may be idols to her.
Some of them have come to warn her.
Some of them come to give her letters.
violence can get you out of a bunch of situations anyway. "
"Zhao. Grow up and get over it. my mother isn't going to be sent back to her personal infirmary because of YOU. just....dont. dont do it. I'm begging you."
Hao had her puppy eyes.
"....fine. I'll try not to. Can you inform her what time training is supposed to start? I need to know since she never really told me before I got here. also... I'm hungry."
"Yeah, I can. they serve lunch right now, so you are free to stuff yourself with food before training starts."
"Alright♡ time to eat!"
I saw zhao run downstairs to eat her food when I noticed that my mom wasn't at her tea area.
So where is she?
I know where she is.
she went up to the Sunrise Mountain to talk to the officials about Zhao.
I looked outside to see her walk up the stairs but I caught her just in time.
"You are really going to the officials. Are you? just because she's a commoner with the beauty of a selfless warrior?"
"Yes! Because this threat silently riots around china like a virus is going to attack soon or plot a mass destruction if we don't do anything about it soon enough. Even that happened so far within these last 20 years is a nightmare of isolation and death of each sect, union, or even wealthy family own family clan because of this unknown threat. I don't believe that she's capable of fighting this much for us and our safety as our own world. especially when previous people with the same chosen one status died warm-blooded, selfless, and caring for how many times they saved us from these powerful threats that can probably break us peice by peice."
"So?"
she glanced down in fear and dissatisfaction at the same time.
"I seen right through her. she's a violent delinquent who doesn't care for anybody but herself. she tends to fight anybody and will hurt anybody that stands in her way. a future warrior can not be that way. She must change. if she can not change, then her future is unpredictable, undetermined, and possibly deadly to her own human life...if she continues to be this way. so...why did you help her?
Why did you lead us to our province to clasp her hand through her journey to this goal?"
my hand slammed itself to my own chest to speak my heart out for my own hope in her change.
"We can both hope for her to change into that person we both want her to be for the sake of her future. even if I just met her. I can feel a burning bright fire inside her that it starts to resonate. And that fire will grow and grow until she can use it for her own abilities. her change is unpredictable, but it will be more predictable once her training is able to get to her. she will take more precautions, priorities, and mental notes of this goal set up for her future."
huo's face scrunched in a bit of disbelief that zhao can change out of her usual violent nature to become this warrior.
"You really believe that child is able to take this seriously? Even when we have a dangerous threat resonating through our very palaces like an invisible snake right now, pouncing on our every move to find the right angle to attack us at ANY time?"
"I do. and you must have the hope for her rise as well.
You can't always be this bitter to everyone you ever meet. I already bid a challenge that she would TRY to be in a good relationship with you, but it looks like that will take a while with the way that you are acting."
"I cried tears for your sister once she died right in the debris of her sect...even when I was verbally abusive to her own face. you think that is exactly what won't happen when this girl isn't going to take the initiative to this goal and try to fight for her honor in being this master? many people died because of the same threat. Even the dark faction sect that targeted her clan was wrapped around this threat's finger. Do you think that this girl is magically going to fix our issues just by being a complete nuisance to us in every situation?"
"I didn't ask.
she was a kind-hearted person no matter what happened before she died. if we can fix her up enough to be a different person, then we would have to talk about this right now. If a person can change for the people, then they are a trustworthy person. I trust you enough to be decent due to the situation. but due to my own power, my own strength, my knowledge in sword art, martial arts, and weaponry. i will be a proper partner to her in this battle. I will fight alongside her so that our relationship can heal a little bit."
her eyes spiked wide at her shaking fist.
becoming frantic.
"No. NO! I can't lose another child! if I had to put your favorite flower on your grave, then I won't hesitate to break down at your dead body. you can't do this for a stranger just met!-"
"I am an adult, mom. she is only a child trying to manifest her future plans into motion in order to move past her own obstacles. even if she is strong enough to slice a mountain in half. I will still find alongside her. even if I find life meaningless to be doing a mental bid to myself to a 17 year old child. so I ask you.
what are you going to do if I die with the world of china full of death in every street? This world is fragile. and I must protect it.
Protect you and dad."
a mold of a tear started to thaw on her face.
".....I would..
Be heartbroken. I would rather see my own child be alive than see a blade pulsing through your back. as blood spills from your mouth. but.. if this is your decision. then so be it. I will support you with our best weaponry. and....I'll be nicer to our future warrior.
I'm pretty sure you taught me a lesson to all of this.
no matter if a person is constantly judged for their goals. Nobody can stop them from reaching it in the first place..but I need you to promise me something."
"Hm?"
Her palms softly touched mine.
"dont die.
be as strong as you can. even if your grave is going to be full of your favorite flowers. I will also cry happy tears to think that you are going to save us. and eliminate this threat."
"i will keep that promise. Oh, and by the way, what time does training start for zhao? she's just busy eating her face off in the dining hall. so just put a note on her bed."
"Her training goes from near sunset to the middle of the night. our masters normally practice their sword technique right in the middle of the night, so it's easy to be influenced by exhaustion by their training methods. I will leave a note on her bed later."
"Alright. I'll see you later, mom."
It's directly 40 miles.
It's the master of the Li Cheng Serpent clan.
In the middle of a meeting with the other Seven Dragons officials.
in a silent room full of elders, power, and a strong case of anger coming through the master.
"The chosen one....is a 17-year OLD CHILD!?"
"Perhaps ma'am. This is no lie. the child is spiritually connected to the pure tradition to the day. the child is special to hold this much power in their own future being. we need to train her enough. the dark faction is such going to have a saying in this, but rambling about it in anger isn't going to change anything.
She is the real master of the future."
"....fine.
Fine. but what can she do? I'm perfectly unimpressed by how much officials told me about me. We dont want a violent delinquent to have china under utmost spiritual and mental protection. even coming to terms with physical. I don't know what to expect from this child. but my expectations for her are higher than any one of my disciples that try to please me with flimsy ass sword techniques. Tell me what she can do."
the officials were taken back by her aura.
At least one of them decided to tell her.
"She's a worker at the clan you support. you give them a lot of gold, weapons, and crafting items just for moral support. she cooks for the disciples at the clan. she makes a decent amount of yuan due to her cooking hours. That's her job info, ma'am."
"tch...so she's a decent commoner. Enough about the chosen one.
I have a problem with my clan. A lot of my disciples are suffering through a lot of trauma after their expedition to many of our provinces. I killed a lot of people in my past who dared to threaten me and my clan whatsoever. so I snapped a lot of their necks with my bare hands to keep any damage from being done in my own clan. I'm a woman of my word, so eliminating any threat is an automatic thing to do at this point. It's a bit of a defense mechanism.
But this issue is getting severe."
a stack of paper was laid on the table to see a pile of bodies on the floor written in letters signifying a warning label.
"I wrote my status all across china. Soryang of the Li Cheng Serpent clan. But many of my disciples were dead. so I had to find whoever is doing this.
But it's the same thing.
It's that same threat. even killing a lot of the dark faction disciples didn't give me one clue on who this is. many of my partners in their own clans reported the same threat to me before. it's starting go spread everywhere and I don't know what to do. we need to start a viral spread about this threat. That's my own suggestion."
"Hmm... that's a good idea, but we don't want the situation to go much catastrophic if we put a global warning around china about this threat. It will issue it to become much more secluded, plotting, and dangerous. who knows? This threat may be an abomination to the beauty of the martial arts world."
her palm rested on her seat, getting much more irritated at the fact that many people aren't going to be protected.
"Yeah, but isn't that going to cause more damage and more death to our kind?"
"What?"
"I believe in us more than I can show myself off to be an enemy of each faction looking for a formidable martial arts master in china? Do you think that's what these people want? for us to coward in despair just because of a simple danger threat that can cause a war driven disaster.
NO.
we are masters and we supposedly achieved this by powerful leadership, hard work, determination, strength, and rank. none of us wants to go out just by one single person. I don't know if it's a he or a she. But I can promise you...
If this person ever murders ANY one of my disciples, then they won't see the light of day AGAIN. do you understand me?"
Their heads bobbed up and down in agreement. One of her disciples busted in the meeting room with fatal wounds.
he was frantic.
"M-Miss Soryang!"
"Speak then."
his finger trembled over and over until he pointed to the outside training area.
He had tears in his eyes.
truamatized about what happened.
"This... this threat is here!"
"WAIT, WHAT?"
stood from her seat, she walked outside to see an entire training ground full of dead bodies.
to see both a man and a woman in black clothed assassin outfits with a peculiar symbol on the chest of their clothes.
"Who are you?"
"Ah....soryang. curiouser and curiouser. One of the most notorious female martial artists of eastern china. and possibly crowned to be the strongest in the league. but you've missed one thing about this situation. you don't know about the destruction. you don't know about the death caused by these own stupid elders because they are indescribably indecisive. All of your disciples are nothing to do but to be verbally abusive, served, and enslaved under your hand. but I also found out that you are supporting the Sunset Blizzard clan. Also taking note that the chosen one was working in that clan.
So where is this....chosen one?"
"Why should I tell you? Who are you working for?"
"Hm....."
a bunch of paper full of blood was piled up on the floor.
the name is "Mogwai Kui." It was spelled out in different kinds of blood.
Some of it is masters.
"What is this."
She smirked at her unbaffled face.
"The threat you all were crying about.
So I kid you not..this threat will continue to rise and rise until every master in our world can bow down to him. even the Seven Dragon master can not stand up to him."
"I don't really care. we always eliminate every threat coming on us."
"But all of us nearly got killed by a highly powerful demonic cult leader trying to eliminate the realm just by timing himself to be the most strong. the previous masters in the previous dynasties weren't able to kill him either. so I guess you can say we are pretty weak?"
her hand grasped a sword hidden in her robe. Ready to fight this assassin head on.
the sword is peppered with a poisonous snake as its handle. her aura is powerful, but the assassin's aura is mysteriously silent.
"I would take no chances to fight someone that did mass murder on my disciples for NOTHING. what orders do you take from this...
"Mogwai Kui"? don't keep any secrets from me."
"..hm...I'm not telling you. in fact. I will run away from you and take my man with me. he isn't exactly the social one. but I'm giving you a warning of my own. all of you WONT SURVIVE."
"Enough. I won't listen to any of your idiotic blather."
"Aye aye. I will offer you a deal."
a full bag of gold peices were poured in the blood bathed floor.
"...what?"
"If you betray the Sunset Blizzard clan. then our master will support you with gold as long as you do as he says. limitless gold with limitless support. if you decline the offer, then it's time for my gorgeous blackmailing skills. I heard you have murdered over a thousand people implied in the martial arts league meeting. all of the other masters respected you for being this strong. you murdered the 1000 Serpents back 3 years ago. But let me tell you something, sweetie. you only got recognition from all of the other masters because of your power. but you are nothing compared to the male masters that have God like martial art abilities to slice a mountain in half with a small swing of their blade."
"WAIT, THATS NOT -"
Her palm grasped soryang's neck so hard that
frothing saliva started to emerge out of her mouth, gagging in pain.
"I'm not lying. each master and each member of the league will be able to face my master soon enough. Do you think that's what makes you special? No.
all of us aren't special. no matter what superpower, ability, or talent we have. so am I able to snap your neck in peices or let you go with your limbs not intact in your body?💢"
the man spoke up in the back as he continued to stab many of her disciples.
"Let's go. we dont have time for this. our master is waiting for answers."
".....fine. remember my deal. Don't forget it."
they departed off with their footwork.
Going to an unknown direction.
she coughed and coughed.
before she can look up in such a small amount of despair in her face to whatever strength is able to get her down like that.
it's about to be nightfall. when she's able to breathe correctly.
Instead of taking the deal. she wrote out a warning to the Sunset Blizzard clan.
Zhao started her training as a new disciple in this intensive training period.
"Hello, class.
we will start the basics of our intensive training. in order to be stronger, you can't slack around, and you have to pay attention. If you fail to comprehend those rules, then you are unruly at the martial art world. only a hassle.
Let's start with a miniature boulder on your back as you do 700 push-ups, 300 sword swings, and 100 wall punches. wall punches are to boost your focus up but also increase the hardness of your knuckles.
You. miss....chosen one."
"Me?"
"Come on up and demonstrate the essence of a martial arts master, going from their abilities to their pure manifested aura in their own built strong human nature..I'm pretty sure you know what that is or what it means in a definition term. go on... miss chosen one."
I wonder what he's doing. All the other students are staring down at me so much.
it's freaking me out.
So I walk up to the master's main position.
"A master's aura in martial arts is supposed to be powerful, calm, radiating, and silent. a master's essence is based around a master's personality or based on their abilities, power, or...uh.
just..aura. I think?"
"....that's wrong. the point of a master is to be the very best at combat and the very best at commanding, leadership, and guiding an army the best that you can. instead of slacking around with food stuffed inside your mouth in the dining hall when you could be here waiting for my class to start. we wouldn't have this issue."
I heard a bunch of snickering behind me as if I dont hear them.
I can hear you all.
Bitches.
"I'm sorry master. I had no idea that training was going to start this late. especially when most training in the daytime would normally be over at near nightfall."
"Hmm... maybe I need to discipline you more. all of you. let's start our training early in the morning tomorrow. you won't wake up sore with your bones aching at our intensive training.
I simply don't apologize for my abuse. get out of my sight."
the students grumbled as the doors shut behind me.
The aura in the room was oppressive but highly thick.
"You... you have....
hm... you have a lot of power within you that needs to be handled through proper development. You aren't ready to tame your own explosive power just yet under my training. I am able to get you ready for it, I will teach you weapon use and proficiency,
Sword techniques
Reflexes
Battle Iq and Intelligence
Agility
Swifter attacks.
durability
Strength
None of my students know about this side of my training yet. Even though you are the chosen one. but this is a huge opportunity to get stronger. Unlocking this power of yours. Do you think you are able to handle this? This journey isn't going to be easy at all."
my throat bobbed up and down in slight panic. But I also felt a terrible rush of determination in my veins as if I took 5 sugar canes and put them in my mouth.
"i am ready."
(END CHAPTER)