"I am sorry." YueChen bowed his head once more.
"You should stick with your classmates! You are still a kid! What if you got lost! I'm not taking responsibility if you truly lost! Go and take your punishment!"
Right, roughly forty five minutes after the temple incident, the group found him strolling leisurely around the place they lost him before. Chiding and reprimands bombarded from all sides, making his ears starting to ring.
As for punishment, he had to kneel in the corner of the inn's living room with arms raised upwards for an hour. He couldn't believe that they actually realized he had sneaked out of the group and tried so hard in finding him.
YueChen couldn't help but to snicker.
"You're being punished, and you still dare to laugh?" A question came from above him with a tone of nonchalantness.
"Well, I mean... they're taking a good time searching a lost boy when said boy was actually taking a good time on a date and enjoying the rain." Said YueChen, still holding a grin on his face.
"What are you? A masochist?" the voice asked him again.
"You know me for a long time already, you should be well acquainted with my nature, no?" YueChen chuckled lowly.
The other seemed to give up conversing with the boy, slid down and sat by his side.
"What's your plan tomorrow? You're being grounded here and I doubt they'll let you pass just like that."
"A-Ji, I know exactly what I need to do, you don't have to worry this much."
Since the vow, Yuan Ji had enough power to manifest himself, although no one other than YueChen and people with inborn talents could see him.
Yuan Ji cradled his knees to his chest and spoke, "I got another piece."
When YueChen prayed to him, there was this weird feeling creeping up to him. The feeling cleared once he managed to manifest and touched his host.
"What memory?"
He glanced at the boy, still kneeling and arms raised, looking rather ridiculous. Yuan Ji nearly laughed when the boy beamed at him.
"Nothing really important. Just the first day I became a deity."
"Oh, really? Do tell."
Sixteen hundred years ago, a child about ten years old was running down the path, following the stream of the river. He was ecstatic, his smile getting wider and brighter with every step he took.
From his village to the small river where his friend stayed was rather far for the small boy, but he didn't mind the distance. He would willingly travel to hundreds li only to meet her.
"Xiao Er!" A voice rang out. Hearing that, the boy hurried to the riverbank.
"Qing jiejie!"
The maiden smiled brightly at the boy, her head emerged from the water. The boy sat down on the riverbank, rolling his patched trousers up.
The maiden was called Shui QingWan, the eleventh child of the Water God Shui ZhouYe. After a certain incident, she was washed up to this small river. The second day she was far, far away from her home, a boy encountered her in the river she resided in.
Since the boy never had a proper name, as he was born a poor farmer's son, his parents called him Xiao Er. His family didn't have a surname, and most of the families of his village too. QingWan once asked for his name and he only shook his head, saying that she could call her Xiao Er.
Everytime the boy visited her, they would talk about things and laughed together. QingWan would tell him about her home and the gods, and Xiao Er would listen before adding comments here and there cheerfully. The water goddess would pat his head every time Xiao Er interrupted her story.
"I miss my home." QingWan sighed quietly.
Seeing her like that, the boy instantly understood that she wanted to return back to her place. She would leave him all alone again.
"Can't you stay?" He asked, voice shaking and fearful.
A pause. "I wish I could."
No matter how much he wanted her to stay, he still couldn't stop her, so he decided to help her return. She, in return, gave him a jade pearl from her father's throne. Then they never met anymore.....
•
"So, the pearl you told me three years ago, was given as a farewell gift?"
Yuan Ji had found a nice spot beside him and laid his head on YueChen's right shoulder. The latter lowered his arms a little to make room for the deity's head.
"Right. That was also the starting point of my new life."
•
...One or two years passed, and Xiao Er found himself standing by the river again. In his palm, the turquoise-colored pearl shone dimly. As if greeting the boy, a storm appeared out of blue, from the clear blue sky. Xiao Er couldn't take shelter from the abrupt storm and got washed up to the river. The moment he drowned and thought he was going to die, he prayed to anyone who is willing to listen and help, before he passed out.
The pearl heard the prayer and kept him safe, bringing the unconscious boy to the pearl's home—The Eastern Sea.
It led him to the only person in that place he knew well enough. Shui QingWan was more than eager to help him out.
Xiao Er woke up in an unfamiliar place, grand and luxurious. He panicked and ran out of the bedroom, tripping few times as he ran. Fortunately, QingWan heard the ruckus he caused and rushed there to calm the confused boy.
The Eastern Water Deity was kind enough to let him stay, after they saw that his village was ruined and his family missing. With a condition that he had to serve the Shui family once he stepped into adulthood. Shui ZhouYe made sure he got the best training and education, even if it couldn't be compared to what his children received.
The first year was spent with a little shyness and fear lacing his determination to repay their kindness. The second was leaning more towards slight playfulness and confidence in his skills. The third year, on a eventful day of spring, the water deities and water masters gathered to discuss about things.
One water master saw him passing the hallway and immediately pointed at him. "Is he your son?"
Shui ZhouYe raised his head to take a better look at the one he pointed. He saw the youth the other pointed and his face paled slightly. The youth had an air of confidence and playfulness around him.
"No, he isn't one of my children."
"What's his name?"
Shui ZhouYe seemed startled, he quickly explained, "Master ZhiYuan, this child is but an outsider. A mortal at that. He doesn't possess special powers or abilities. He simply is not competent enough to be your disciple. Master wouldn't want someone like him. Instead, why not one of my children? I'm sure that—"
The water master interrupted him. "Shui Shen Shui ZhouYe, this humble me only wanted to know this young person's name. What Shui Shen worried of, only will be a matter for later on. Whether I want to take him in as one of my disciples, it should be decided later."
"But...."
If ZhiYuan weren't someone prominent or so famous, he wouldn't be so reluctant to give the boy's name. But this is a different case. No sane person will refuse being his disciple even for only a single day. Parents hoped and prayed for days and nights for their children to be his disciples. Shui ZhouYe had thought of asking the master to take his eldest sons under his tutelage. He would even hand them over after he put another few more layers of face onto his own.
"His name is Xiao Er." He squeezed the words out of a gritted teeth. "He didn't have a proper name, so we called him Xiao Er. Master ZhiYuan, if you intend to take him in under your tutelage, I hope you are willing to take in few of my sons too."
ZhiYuan raised his head to whisper something into the young man standing behind him's ears. The dark-blue robed—which was alike to ZhiYuan's, only the master wore one with lighter color—young man with a sword hung on his belt nodded once.
That very moment, Xiao Er was called into the hall.
"Take a weapon of your choice. If it likes you, you can keep it temporarily."
Shui ZhouYe gestured to the guards to gather all the weapons and display it before the deities and the masters.
"Wait."
"What?" The guards stopped on their track and waited for a command from their thoroughly annoyed master.
"I think that Xiao Er should choose a weapon of your treasure chamber. After all, Quan Song's weapon is no something ordinary. I'm afraid that low quality weapon could not withstand his sword, making the duel pointless."
By now, ZhouYe's face was dark and seethed in anger. He tried to maintain a calm and composed attitude to cover his rage. He just couldn't risk losing a great chance to send his sons off and created a terrible relationship with the master.
The treasure chamber held a great amount of goods and golds. Not only that, it also stored thousands kind of weapons, including the mystical Resounding Blade.
Xiao Er was amazed with the endless sight of treasure, wanting to touch everything his eyes laid sight on. He came across a long, thin sword, rusty and old. He unsheathed the blade swiftly and saw the metal surface reflected him perfectly. Behind him, a series a mouths gaping wide went unnoticed by the youth.
"No way!"
Everyone present in the room, except for two person were taken aback. In the child's hands was the infamous Resounding Blade! A powerful sword that wouldn't let anyone to unsheathe it. And the boy before them easily took out the sword of its scabbard. No wonder ZhiYuan was interested in him!
Yet, the youth was too dense to understand what actually happened.
When he turned around, eyes sparkling out of glee, all deities and masters stared at him in admiration and jealousy. ZhiYuan unfolded his fan and fanned his face a little, proud.
"Child, do you know what is the sword's name?"
Xiao Er scratched the back of his head and replied, "I do not."
Everyone was shocked, some nearly fainted when they heard his words. Truly a great weapon like The Resounding Blade didn't suit such a foolish boy! They silently prayed to heavens above he couldn't pass the test, incapable to win the duel.
On the side, ZhiYuan laughed and spoke with a clear, loud voice. "Why not name it then? I believe you could come up with a good name for it, no?"
"....Zhen Ding...Lang Jian?" Xiao Er said, unsure of the name of his choice. The few of the elders' mouths foamed hearing that name, few others glared at the boy, the water master, and the water god Shui ZhouYe; as if screaming silently in their hearts 'This is your fault! Don't you dare bringing another embarrassment or shame to us Water Deities!'
The boy literally named The Resounding Blade Zhen Ding Lang Jian! Calm Wave Sword! Can't he be more creative or something?!
"Not bad, not bad." ZhiYuan said as he fanned himself.
But! Your Greatness! We believe that other names like Spring Calamity or Jade Storm or Sun of the Night would be much better!
Shui ZhouYe was the first to recover from the shock, he gestured to the guards to lead the group to battle hall.
As they walk, Xiao Er raised his sword and inspected it with interest. ZhiYuan followed closely from behind.
"If you can win this duel, this humble master will take you as his disciple." ZhiYuan said.
Hearing that, the boy bowed his head in respect and thanked him. "I'll try my best, Shui Shi."
On his left, the water master's disciple eyed him and his sword. The steel made blade, thin and lithe, but firm in the battles. Forged from the nail of mystical beast, Xuan Wu, that could tore its enemies with undescribable ease.
Just how will a little boy lacking abilities and cultivation skills with one of the most powerful legendary sword defeat ten years of training?