Twilight spread like rice paper soaked in rain, and the curtains of rain falling from the eaves wove the world into a hazy veil. I gripped the bamboo broom, watching the dust dance in the dim light of the oil lamp, sweeping the last blue brick of the small side room until it was spotless. The copper bell hanging from the eaves was stirred by a draft, emitting a delicate, crisp sound; in a trance, it felt like the sound of the wind raised by my master’s sleeves when he stroked his sword.
After taking off my mud-stained cloth shoes, I sank into the soft straw mat, listening to the rhythm of raindrops tapping against the blue tiles, but my thoughts drifted to that dust-covered long sword. Li Guo had once been a renowned name in the pugilistic world, but ever since that national war fifty years ago, his sword had never left its scabbard. Master said the Sword Heart is a spark born in protection, yet now, the senior sat withered in a small village house in Yin Mountain Village.
I turned over and pillowed my head with my arms. The rain outside grew heavier, the beads of water on the eaves connecting into silver threads, splashing into tiny droplets on the stone slabs. How could I ever wake that sleeping Sword Heart? Was it by recreating the enemy who caused his downfall back then? Or by finding the lonely lamp he had once fought so hard to protect? The mountain wind, laden with rain, snuck in through the window lattice, and the chill seeped into the nape of my neck, yet my head only felt increasingly muddled.
Forget it, I’ll think about it tomorrow. I pulled the coarse cotton quilt over my shoulders, listening as the sound of the rain gradually became dense and long-lasting.
Threads of rain, like ink, soaked into the heavy night curtain. The forest outside the village let out a wailing sound in the wind, and a few black shadows glided silently across the damp ridges of the fields. The leading Man in Black pressed down his bamboo hat, his pupils glowing with a cold light in the night, and his hoarse voice carried a chill: "The boss says the secret treasure of the Shu Kingdom’s great general is hidden in this village. Search carefully, do not leave any corner untouched!"
Their movements were agile like civets as they took advantage of the rain to leap onto the eaves. The blue tiles emitted a faint "creak" under their feet, and a few broken shards fell into the rain curtain, crashing to the ground mixed with the sound of the rain. One of them pried open a tile, his cold blue gaze sweeping through the gap into the room, but no one noticed the pair of eyes that suddenly opened in the shadows.
I sat up abruptly from the straw mat. Although the movement on the eaves was covered by the sound of the rain, it could not escape my keen hearing. A clap of thunder exploded outside the window, and I drew my sword, using "Shadow Following Step!" My toes tapped the ground, and my figure swept onto the roof like a phantom. In the curtain of rain, the figures of the Men in Black appeared and disappeared. "Who is it?" My voice cut through the rain, my sword pointing at him.
The Man in Black sneered and drew his own sword: "Little doll, mind your own business! This is not something you should meddle in." His sword was as fast as a viper, aiming straight for my throat. I blocked it with my sword, used the momentum to parry, and the tip of my blade grazed his left shoulder. Blood mixed with rainwater splashed about, blooming like grotesque red plum blossoms on the blue tiles.
"Courting death!" The other Men in Black arrived upon hearing the noise, their cold light weaving a net in the rainy night. I commanded my energy and fought them. The sword danced in my hands, creating ten thousand sword shadows as I became entangled with the Men in Black.
Rain washed over the blade, and time slipped away amidst the intense confrontation. As the sky began to turn a pale fish-belly white, I grew exhausted and knelt on one knee on the teetering eaves, holding my sword. The leading Man in Black saw that the situation was bad and gritted his teeth: "Withdraw! We will settle this another day!" In a blink of an eye, the group vanished into the morning mist.
"What a pity..." A familiar sigh came from behind me. Li Guo stepped out, his silver hair disheveled in the wind, and a complex emotion flickered in the depths of his murky eyes. "It seems they have found their way here."
"Senior, who exactly are they?" I gasped as I questioned him.
"It has nothing to do with you." He turned his back, his aged voice carrying a trace of weariness. "What about you? Have you decided when you are leaving?"
I used my sword to prop myself up and straightened my back: "I haven't found your Sword Heart yet, this is the task Master gave me!"
Li Guo shook his head and chuckled; his laughter hid the vicissitudes of time: "Something even I cannot retrieve, why do you bother so much?"
As the morning rooster crowed, the village gradually awakened from the rain. I dragged my heavy footsteps along the stone path, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of Jiang Flower. The bright red petals were stained with raindrops, sparkling in the morning light. Suddenly, a blockish little boy holding an earthen bowl ran past, his crisp voice echoing in the alley: "I am going to deliver food to Old Man Li!"
I followed the boy on an impulse, trekking through several winding alleys until I arrived in front of a dilapidated courtyard. The boy knocked on the mottled wooden door: "Old Man Li! Time to eat!"
With a creak, the door opened, and Li Guo’s gentle voice drifted out: "It’s you again, young Wang. Go back quickly and tell your parents not to always go through this trouble for me."
"No! My mom and dad said you saved our whole family, what is a bit of food!" The boy stuffed the earthen bowl into the old man’s hands, his eyes shining brightly. Li Guo felt in his sleeve, pulled out two pieces of candy, and shoved them into the boy’s hands: "Go back now, be careful not to catch a cold."
After the boy hopped away, I heard a voice behind me: "What are you hiding there for? Come over and eat."
I scratched my head in embarrassment and stepped out from the corner of the wall. Li Guo had already set out the bowl and chopsticks on the stone table, and the scent of steaming rice porridge wafted through the air: "You haven't reached the Fayuan Realm yet, don't try to mimic those cultivators who don't eat earthly food."
I sat down and shoveled the rice into my mouth; the grains were soft, glutinous, and sweet. Li Guo suddenly spoke up: "Child, how old are you?"
"Senior, have a guess?" I blinked slyly.
He looked me up and down, surprise flashing in his eyes: "Looking at your build, you must be at least seventeen or eighteen."
"Actually, I am only eight." I swallowed the rice in my mouth. "Master found many precious medicinal herbs and had my Grandfather stew them into soup for me, so I grow quickly."
"Eight?" The tea cup in Li Guo’s hand almost fell to the ground. "You are already in the Entry-Stream Realm. You began your apprenticeship at six and entered the Transformation Realm in two years... With such talent, it is no wonder your Master prizes you like a treasure. I myself spent a full eight years cultivating before reaching the Entry-Stream Realm!"
Morning light spilled into the courtyard, and the shadows of the Jiang Flower swayed on the ground. After eating, I could no longer suppress the longing in my heart; I drew my sword and began practicing sword techniques in the courtyard. Li Guo sat in a rattan chair, watching my figure as I danced with the sword, and his gaze gradually grew distant, as if, through the mist and rain, he could see a familiar scene...