Chương 29: Tianhu's dilemma

"It's pitch black! What do you think it's made of, Hu? It's so expensive," Tianhu's brother Tianxu asked, holding up a sword and examining it closely.

"It's probably onyx stone, right?" Tianhu answered. His father had brought him a few books about swords and forging over the years, so he wasn't completely clueless.

"Is it any good?" Tianxu asked, making a swing.

"It should be one of the best ones here at least," Tianhu answered. He wasn't very interested in the sword, though. He knew what he wanted as soon as he walked into the store. Behind the counter, hanging on the wall, was a sword that looked like it was made entirely of silver. Tianhu knew it had to be made of sharp silver, though. A metal much more precious than regular silver.

'It costs 2000 gold coins…No way Dad gave me that much money.' Tianhu looked into the pouch his father had given him, and while slightly shocked at the amount, at least 50 gold coins, it was far from enough for the sword he wanted.

'I'll just let Tianxu get what he wants and buy something for whatever is left. I can always buy a better sword in the future when I make my own money.' Tinahu believed that the sword wasn't that important; what mattered was how you wielded it. Even if he still hadn't gotten his hands on a sword art, his years of practice hadn't been in vain. Tianhu felt he should be quite good with it now. Of course, it probably couldn't compare to the swordsman he had seen all those years ago. Tianhu still remembers it vividly.

He was only five years old, and had woken up in the middle of the night, hearing a strange sound coming from the courtyard. He had made his way to the window overlooking the yard, and there he saw his father beating a rough-looking stranger on the ground. He had been a little frightened by the fight, but seeing his father having control over the situation relaxed him. Then, out of nowhere, another stranger appeared.

His father stepped away from the man Tianhu suspected was a burglar and let the newcomer interrogate him. Tianhu had watched carefully, trying to understand the situation and whether he should go outside to make himself known. To let his father know he was up and ready to help. But then, a scene that would forever be etched in his mind played out. The newcomer unsheathed his sword, and Tianhu felt like he had become heavier; a pressure had appeared, pressing down on his shoulders.

Then, a swift flash of light, and the burglar's head came tumbling down. He wasn't scared by the blood. Since the burglar was fighting with his father, Tianhu could understand he was a bad man, and it was good that he was gone. What played in his mind that night as he returned to his bed wasn't the gory scene of a headless man lying on the ground. It was that sword, so heavy yet so swift, that played over and over in his mind as he gradually fell asleep.

When he woke up the morning after, Tianhu had decided to become a swordsman in the future. To be able to swing his sword just as beautifully as that strange man had done. Nothing else seemed important anymore, only the sword. Thankfully, his father had agreed after some nagging and bought him one. Thinking back at everything, Tianhu gently touched the sword at his waist. A sword his father had bought for him here in Kuo City six years ago.

"What sword do you want, Hu?" Tianxu asked from beside him, still holding the onyx stone sword from earlier.

"I suddenly don't feel like having a new sword," Tianhu answered. The sword his father had given him would do for now. He didn't want to change it so casually. Even the sharp silver sword behind the counter didn't seem quite as appealing anymore.

"What? Why not? What happened?" Tianxu asked.

"Suddenly…I just didn't feel like it. I don't know how to explain it. I just think that more important than good steel is that you feel a connection with the sword. I don't feel that about any of the swords here, so I'll keep the one dad gave me for now."

"Then…" Tianxu said, looking at his new sword with a reluctant expression.

"You've had your eyes glued to the sword since we first walked in. You obviously have a connection with it. Don't be stupid and miss the opportunity to get it," Tianhu said.

"Yeah, yeah. You're right," Tianxuu said with a relieved smile.

"Aren't they all pretty much the same?" Tianan asked from behind, looking around with a bored look on his face. Tianhu ignored him and went with Tianxu to pay for the sword. The sword was quite expensive, costing 10 gold coins, but still a lot cheaper than the most expensive swords. Tianxu was overjoyed with the purchase, and he almost unsheathed it several times as they left the swordstore and went onto the street.

"Come on, Xu. You can look at it all you want when we get home," Tianhu scolded, flicking his forehead, "Don't cause trouble."

"Alright. Sorry, Hu," Tianxu said with a barely suppressed smile on his face.

"Do you have anywhere you want to go, An?" Tianhu asked.

"Not really," Tianan answered, looking around with his hands in his pockets, "I have to say I prefer Chunsi Town, this place just feels…a little stiff." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Is that Brother Ren and sister Xia over there?" Tianxu suddenly asked, pointing to a stall further up the street. Tianren was holding up a necklace for Li Xia to try on. Tianhu stopped and pulled Tianxu's collar, "Don't disturb them. Let's go another way."

"How can going to say hello be disturbing them?" Tianxu questioned, but still followed his brother.

"Why is brother Ren the only one allowed to bring a girl? If I had known, I would have brought someone," Tianan complained.

"Sister Xia has married into the family," Tianhu said, "Do you have a wife?"

"You've met someone Tianan?" Tianxu asked, curious.

"Who hasn't he met?" Tianhu muttered. Even if he hadn't heard any rumors, rarely spending time with anyone outside the family, he had still seen Tianan come home walking next to at least four different girls over the past year.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tianan asked with a frown, "It's considered normal to have friends, you know. Not everyone is like you."

"Whatever," Tianhu said, uninterested in arguing.

"So you don't have a girl? Then who would you bring?" Tianxu asked.

"Well…Actually, there is this girl called Chu Jing at our bakery in Chunsi," Tianan said, smiling slightly. Tianhu raised his brows slightly at that. He didn't expect his younger brother to actually have a girl he liked.

"But then again, there is this girl in our wineshop too. She is the daughter of the manager, and she's really pretty," Tianan continued. Tianhu looked at Tianan with disdain, "Don't mess around. Dad might allow you to make your own choices most of the time, but he always says there are certain things a man can never do…Don't disappoint him."

"When have I disappointed him?" Tianan asked, frowning, "I just can't make a decision right now. Is that wrong? It's better than you. Won't Dad be disappointed when you end up living alone and never passing on the family bloodline?" Tianhu almost missed a step. Tianan had pretty much hit the mark with that one. It was probably the problem Tianhu had the greatest time dealing with. He knew it was his duty to eventually marry and carry on the bloodline, but…

The thought of marrying a wife and raising children filled him with dread. He didn't dislike girls; it was just that living such a boring life was truly a nightmare in his eyes. Even if his father hadn't really urged him to settle down, Tianhu could feel an invisible pressure as the second son now that Tianren had married. There might not be a rush, but he didn't think anything would change his mind even if ten years passed.

He wanted to go out and explore the world; he wanted to hone his sword and eventually surpass all the other swordsmen in the Yan Kingdom and beyond.

"The girls in the village just can't enter Hu's eyes," Tianxu defended, "He's going to marry a princess in the future, just wait and see."

'A princess…seems even worse.'

"If you say so," Tianan said, disengaging from the conversation. He stopped and pointed to the distance, "What's happening over there? Is it another recruitment?" Tianhu looked over and saw that a similar tent that had been erected outside the County Office had been placed a bit further up the street.

"Looks like it," Tianhu said.

"Should we take a look?" Tianxu asked.

"Better not," Tianhu said.

"Why not?" Tianan said with a shrug of his shoulders, heading over. Tianhu's face twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything and followed Tianan over.

"Young heroes, I can see you have martial strength. Are you interested in going on an adventure to the Black Beast Mountains? There is a grand event there not seen even in a hundred years. Treasures beyond imagination and powerful martial arts are all available for those willing to take a chance and defy fate. We are leaving from Kuo City in two days; you can join us free of charge, with food and accommodation provided. What do you say? Do you want to rise above the masses?"

The tall man in front of the tent immediately began his practiced speech as the three of them approached. This tent wasn't as crowded as the tent by the County Office, so they received the recruiter's undivided attention.

"I heard that it's a hunt for the Black Beast," Tianan said, "Isn't that a Saint Beast? Wouldn't we die by going?"

"Hehe," the tall man chuckled with a slightly awkward expression on his face, "You're quite knowledgeable. You must come from a powerful family. I can't say I'm surprised. You have quite the demeanor. But you still have to ask yourself if you want to rely on your ancestors' efforts to glide through life, or make something of yourself through your own ability, forge your own destiny."

"Forging my destiny to die?" Tianan asked with a mocking smile. The tall man wasn't angry; he smiled and answered, "For the past few years, the death toll in the Black Beast Mountains has been practically zero. Of course, if you encounter a Saint Beast, you will be unlikely to escape alive. But you might not have heard that the Black Beast is already dead, having reached the end of its lifespan. Finding its body will give you the chance to become a Saint yourself!

But even if you're not lucky enough to find it, you will gain tremendously from the journey.

"Not saying anything about the honing of your character, the Sword School is offering precious sword arts for every martial artist of the Yan Kingdom. This opportunity is truly rare, and it won't be available for long.

"Ignoring everything about the Black Beast, the reality is that most warriors going to the Black Beast Mountains simply receive the best training from the Sword School, and then hunt the weaker beasts in the mountains using their new skills, earning a fortune. Why not go over and take a look, take advantage of the opportunities there, and then return home in glory? I'm sure the young ladies would flock to you, wanting to hear the tales of your adventures."

Tianan's mouth opened slightly, not having a response ready.

"We'll think about it," Tianhu finally answered, then grabbed his brother's collar and pulled him away.

"That guy is really good at talking," Tianan muttered as they walked away, "I wonder how many people they will manage to fool in he end."

"It's good that Dad warned us, or I might have been fooled and gone with them," Tianxu said. Tianhu didn't speak; his mind was occupied by the sword art that the Sword School was allegedly teaching.

'Even if it's a lie, there will definitely be thousands of swordsmen there. At least one of them should be willing to give me some pointers.' Tianhu shook his head, trying to suppress the thought. But it was difficult. He knew his talent for martial arts was bad. The worst among all his brothers. He would be lucky if he managed to reach the 2nd-grade stage in the future.

'Is that what my future will be?' Tianhu could see it clearly. Everyone had a part to play. His brother Tianren was extremely gifted; he might even reach the Innate stage in the future. Not to mention that he was mature and reliable. He had a good grasp on the family business, and with Tianyue's help as an Official, they could take the Shu family a lot further in the future. But where was his part in it? He couldn't see how he could contribute in any meaningful way.

Imagining the future of him staying in the Baishu Village, watching the days pass by, not making a difference if he was there or not, Tianhu felt a sense of dread.

'I really don't want that kind of life.'