After dinner, everyone except Fang Yaoting gave Guozhao Zhiqiang his birthday presents. Fang Yaoting excuses himself from the table. A few minutes later, Fang Yaoting returned with a case.
Fang Yaoting, "This is for you."
Guozhao Zhiqiang opened the case. Inside is a dragon sword. The dragon sword is one yard long with a dragon designed on both side of the scabbard. The cross-guard of the sword is the head of a dragon.
Fang Yaoting, "This sword was one of the sword that was made by a very famous swordsman two hundred years ago for his favorite three students. During one of their hunting trips, his three students were killed by his opponents. The sword master was so devastated and unwilling to let go of his students. He casted a spell and sealed their souls in three swords. There are only three dragon swords in the world."
Zhao Renshu, "I've heard my master mention about these swords. These swords, they will chose their owner. Once it tasted the blood, it will determine whether the sword bearer is worth it."
Ping'an, "If the sword tasted the blood but decides not to pick that person?"
Fang Yaoting, "It will seal itself."
Guo Baiyu looked at Fang Yaoting, "Your sword is one of the three?"
Fang Yaoting, "Yes."
Zhao Renshu scratched his chin, "No wonder I can't touched it back then."
Guozhao Zhiqiang unsheathed the sword about two inches, and the sword will not go further. He touched the edge of the blade and cut his finger. As soon as the sword tastes blood, it automatically seal itself.
Fang Yaoting, "Try to unsheathe it."
Guozhao Zhiqiang's hands were shaking. The sword has a history. This is one of a kind sword, who has the power to choose it master. He wanted to know and hesitated whether he was worthy of being the owner of this sword. He is a nobody. Can a nobody become the owner of such a legendary sword? He picked up the sword with a trembling hand and tried to unsheathe the sword, but he couldn't unsheathed it. On the contrary, he felt all the energy in his body was lost from his body. He closed his eyes and tried very hard to unsheathe the sword.
Ping'an, "What happened?" She stretched out her hand to awaken Guozhao Zhiqiang, but Gou Baiyu stopped her hand.
Guo Baiyu, "The sword is testing him."
Zhao Renshu worried, "He had better pass the test. If not."
Lee Dachin, "If not, so what?"
Zhao Renshu, "Otherwise, he will lose all the spiritual energy he accumulated in the past year."
Lee Dachin, "Yaoting, why give him such a weapon?"
Zhao Renshu, "Dachin, great weapons always come with a catch. Take Baiyu as an example. He spent three years learning how to shoot one arrow." He laughed. "Or Ping'an, she spent two years to learn how to use her whip at will."
Fang Yaoting said, "If he passes, with this sword as his company, he will become a very powerful hunter."
Yang Bao, "Da Shixiong hangs there." He turned to Guo Baiyu. "Master, is there such a weapon in medicine?"
Guo Baiyu, "Yes."
Yang Bao frowned sadly, "What?"
Guo Baiyu, "The Human Nervous System and Acupuncture Needles".
Yang Bao's face brightened.
Guozhao Zhiqiang opened his eyes and he was in a dark, damp, cold room. He can smell a strong musty smell. He stretched out his hand, and the clanging sound frightened him. He felt his two wrists bound by chains. He moved his feet and found that his two ankles were also bound by chains.
Guozhao Zhiqiang stood up and shouted, "Shimu!" His voices was that of a child. "Shimu...Help me."
The door swung open and an elder lady in her fifty walked inside. The lady stood at the door and ordered her servants. Guozhao Zhiqiang knew who she was. She is madam Su. She owns the brothel where his mother works.
Madam Su, "Drag the bastard out."
The two servants dragged Guozhao Zhiqiang out of the dark room, up the stairs, and walked to the backyard of the brothel. When he was lying on the ground, a servant poured water on him. He tasted the blood in his mouth. He can't see clearly because his eyes are still adjusting to the sunlight. His lips ache sharply.
Madam Su's right foot stepped on Guozhao Zhiqiang's right face, "How dare you? How dare you hit customers?" She pressed harder. "Black boy." She shouted loudly. "You should know your place. You are a dishwasher boy and your place is inside the kitchen."
Guozhao Zhiqiang was puzzled as to why he returned to the place where his sad life began. This is not right. He was at home, having dinner with his Shimu, his three masters, his teacher, and his juniors, or it was just a dream. Some made up dreams accompanying him while being locked inside the dark room.
Guozhao Zhiqiang murmured, "I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here."
Madam Su said, "Then where should you be? You grew up here and will die here." She smiled. "You two tied him to that tree. No food or water for two days."
The two servants dragged Guozhao Zhiqiang and tied him to a tree from, they tied him from his ankles then up toward his neck.
Guozhao Zhiqiang screamed at the top of his lung, "No...No... Shimu help me!"
Guozhao Zhiqiang opened his eyes again. This time he walked on a familiar street. He saw three boys talking. Then the boys threw stones at him.
The first boy, "What are you looking at black boy?"
The second boy, "Fatherless child. Your mother slept with so many men, that's why you look like that." The three boys laughed and pointed their fingers at him.
He clenched his fists tightly. He looked at his right hand, it appeared he is holding the dragon sword.
The voice, "Kill them. Kill them."
The temptation to kill those boys was very strong, but deep in his heart he kept telling him that "today's pain will make you stronger."
The voice, "Kill them."
Guozhao Zhiqiang closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I can't... I swear to protect the innocent and the weak. I must follow the Guozhao Principles Philosophy." He closed his eyes tightly, counting his breaths to calm himself down.
Then he felt the rain hit his face, so he opened his eyes. He stood in the middle of the dirt road in the mountains. The scene is very familiar. It was not his second master standing on the road, but it was him standing on the dirt road, holding the dragon sword on his right hand. He flipped the dragon sword and pierced the sword into the bad man on the ground's abdomen and then glide the sword to the bad guy's head, splitting the dead man in half. Holding the dragon sword in both hands, he flew over and began to slice the bad guy without arms, and then cut him off at the waistline. He felt very satisfied.
Suddenly, everything turned black. When he started to see again, he was standing on a small platform. His upper body was tied tightly with a rope, and only his right hand was free. He looked down, it was boiling red lava. He raised his head to the right. It was the dragon sword tied to a rope, and to his left was an unknown young man, about twenty years old, also tied to a rope. Then suddenly, both ropes became loose. Both the dragon sword and the young man fell down towards the hot lava. He flew to his left, grabbed the young man by the collar, and then flew back to the small platform. The dragon sword fell into the boiling lava.
Young man, "Thank you for saving me."
Guozhao Zhiqiang, "Don't mention it."
Young man, "Why give up the sword? That is the dragon sword."
Guozhao Zhiqiang, "It is a beautiful sword, but it is only a man's accessory."
Young man, "Do you regret it?"
Guozhao Zhiqiang, "I assure my masters. I will stand for what is right with a clear conscience without regret."
The young man smiled at him and hugged him. The two men stood face to face on a small platform.
The young man looked at Guozhao Zhiqiang, "Let us become one." He kissed Guozhao Zhiqiang's lips.
Guozhao Zhiqiang was so shocked he open his eyes. He saw that he completely drew the sword from the scabbard. He looked around the table and saw his three masters, his Shimu, his teacher, and his juniors.
Zhao Renshu, "Hey kid, I know you can do it."
Fang Yaoting, "You deserve to be my student."
Guozhao Zhiqiang, "What happened?"
Guo Baiyu, "The sword is testing you."
Guozhao Zhiqiang, "Did I pass?"
Zhao Renshu, "Have you drew your sword out of the scabbard?"
Guozhao Zhiqiang, "Yes."
Zhao Renshu, "Then you pass."
Fang Yaoting, "This means that from now on, you must work harder."
Guozhao Zhiqiang knelt before his three masters, "I promise, I will work extra hard, so I will be worthy as your student."
There was loud bangs at the door. It was Ma Tong banging and yelling for Fang Yaoting.