His curiosity had been boiling and now as he stood before it, he felt it even more so, the anticipation spilling out.
In an instant, he reached out and opened the back.
"It's empty?" Instantly he felt aggravated, "Is this really empty? Could it be my father did this to kick me out? Or training… Hmph. If you wish to play, I'll play."
He closed it and didn't say a word, heading back to his duties feeling aggrieved.
Had his father really sent him on some useless run?
---
A little ways back in time.
Shou Xin quietly watched the guard leave.
In total, the convoy had four Second Chain Experts and one Third Chain Expert.
He watched as the guard standing before the back carriage which had their rations and clothing within left to sleep for the night, not caring about it at all, after all rations for Chain Experts like them was a simple enough task to attain and the clothing on their backs were enough for them.
Once he was gone, Shou Xin snuck into the carriage and disguised himself as one of the guards, standing where the prior guard had stood.
In a moment, a new guard arrived and Shou Xin simply nodded before leaving into the dark where the other one had gone to, that was until he was out of sight and then switched off, arriving at the main carriage where no guards were stationed.
As it was in the center of the five man encirclement, it didn't need it as one would need to get past the other experts before ever arriving at this point.
Quietly sensing the insides, he could feel nothing.
In a moment, he opened the back revealing a ring and a few chests filled with Golden Serpents.
"...It's a merchant convoy?" Shou Xin said unconvinced, "Gold Serpents… but Master said materials?"
Shou Xin, feeling cross looked once again this time finding a small hole underneath one of the chests, putting a finger in he lifted the floorboard revealing… a rock and necklace alongside a note.
"Dearest Feng Jiyu, I sent this as a present, it is a Sword Stone. The necklace is for your niece who is getting married, may she be always filled with joy. Yan Mengde."
"Feng Yiyu… how many Feng's can there be?" Shou Xin felt his insides turn cold as it all began to slide into place, "Wuqing was thrown away for being too bloodthirsty and ruthless, even blinded. Yet, now they need a sacrifice to create an alliance with another family and use her."
"It's a common thing, isn't it." Vienna said matter of factly, "I read about in the hidden libraries in Sea Spring whilst you were out… cultivating, for lack of a better word. The Feng Clan appears to be a large clan within Shudo, however it is only a branch of the main Feng Family which is rooted in the Feng Province. As for Yan, it is a large and rising clan from somewhere east, Yu something state."
Vienna glanced at the chests and spoke again.
"Going by the crest, this is indeed the Yan Sword Clan."
Shou Xin's gaze was rough as his barely concealed bloodthirst threatened to break out.
Without a second thought, he took out the letter and wrote something new in the same style, having been of the Shou Clan he was taught to copy handwriting to perfection, lest he be cut.
Placing it all back, he kept the Sword Stone and after grabbing the ring, he realized it was a high quality storage ring.
In an instant, everything within the carriage vanished including him.
The sounds of grumbling and footsteps approached shortly after.
---
"Master, what is the fastest way to increase my strength-!?"
Before Shou Xin could finish, he felt a horrifying power erupt behind him and his head almost burst open.
"...Talentless trash is just trash in the end. There are no shortcuts and especially not for you." Vienna's harsh tone ignited something in Shou Xin but Vienna didn't let him speak, "Those trash below are just buckets of pills that even your trashiness can try and take on, the only true way to gain strength is to work hard!"
Shou Xin was silent as Vienna scolded him, he couldn't refute.
"You are hardly a proper Chain Mortal Expert. That girl is strong, she will not fold easily and doesn't need you to protect her, not that you could as your current pathetic self," Vienna said coldly, "You need more training, not just swinging at air, nor running, nor even gathering Qi, you need practical training against those stronger than you to succeed!"
"...Please guide me, Master." Shou Xin grit his teeth and couldn't bring himself to bow his head more than the slightest movement.
But that was enough for Vienna.
"There is a town on the way to Feng Zhuo City where your little beloved awaits. Fight within their arena's, gain experience against those stronger than you." Vienna circled him, "You want strength? Then be ready to break, there is no other way."
Shou Xin quietly looked down at the Sword Stone he had stolen.
"A precious material in this place, one of the main reasons the Yan Clan can call themselves a Sword Clan. The Sword Stone as they call it, can be forged into a very strong sword capable of containing Qi within to some extent." Vienna said, "It is very pure as well. The Yan want Feng Wuqing quite badly."
---
"Kill him, Ja Nir!"
"Don't you dare lose, I spent good money on you, you fucker!"
"Hillcrest, you animal just die!"
"Hundreds of seats, an arena hundreds of meters across, countless peoples shouting all at once causing thunderous vibrations to ring through the sky." A youth with dark red hair said with a casual smile, "Now this, this is an interesting place!"
The youth looked around excitedly, wanting to check out everything, his eyes falling over the warriors battling below, Ja Nir and Hillcrest, two Chain Mortal Experts.
Their battle was thick with heat at Hillcrest seemed to almost burn due to his Qi devouring up the space around him whilst Ja Nir's Qi made the ground beneath them slippery and unstable, shifting the land.
The youth's gaze passed over them and touched the waiting fighters and then passed them looking around some more, his expression slowly losing all excitement until it was sheer disappointment.
"A bunch of losers." He said coldly snorting.
Many turned to look at them, in particular, one of the vendors who would create teams stared at him with an insidious smile.
"Do you think you can do better then?" His tone bellied great mockery.
Yet, the one he was looking at was not the young man who had spoken, but the youth directly in front of him.
The youth who heard this looked up and said, "Wait, I wasn't-"
"He's scared!" The promoter yelled, "Look at him terrified!"
"What a loud mouth talking with nothing to back it up!"
"Trash!"
"Loser."
The insults flew in at seemingly light speed stabbing straight through the youth who seemed like the young man's brother.
He ground his teeth.
"I will go then."
"Oh! He's a fool too. Ah, the tragedy!" The crowd had begun to take more notice and upon hearing he accepted they all began to size him up and decided it was impossible.
However, before anyone could say more, the promoter rushed forward.
"Then, register here!"
On the sheet, there were several spaces.
Namely, a place of the name, the cultivation level and any titles they may have in case of nobility.
The youth wrote only a few words, his face incredibly cold.
"Sea Spring Swordmaster, Shou Xin. Mortal Chain Expert?" The promoter looked afraid for a split second and then burst out laughing, "As if, boy! Whatever. It's your funeral."
"Ah, the imposter really signed! An Nu has a new opponent to rip apart!" Word spread fast that an imposter had signed up to fight against An Nu the Ripper.
The youth received a ticket which had his name on it, and the title he had written down as well as the date of the fight which would be the next day.
Leaving away, the youth-, no, Shou Xin, who was remembering what he had written down in his anger, felt incredibly embarrassed using that title.
"Sea Spring Swordmaster! Are you already a swordmaster, trashcan?" Vienna, who was disguised as his older brother whilst out, said laughing heartily, "The arrogance! I'm almost impressed if not for how insulting it feels as an actual swordmaster."
His tone towards the end took a dark turn and Shou Xin felt even greater regret at his impulsiveness.
Shou Xin calmly found a place within the outskirts of the city to sleep, as he did not wish to sleep in a bed, nor in the city after what he had done.
Not to mention, Vienna would not allow it.
Screams could be heard throughout the night as Shou Xin fought tooth and nail for his life.
---
"Disgrace to all arena's." Vienna commented coldly causing everyone to turn and look only to find Shou Xin.
"It's the imposter! He really came!"
"Not only that but the audacity to call this place a disgrace, does he believe himself immortal?!"
"The Bosses will have his head eventually, stop talking about him quickly."
"..."
The crowds jeered but just as fast stopped in fear.
"The bosses? Seems this place is run by the cooperation of a bunch of underground families here." Vienna said casually, "Should I destroy them too?"
This time, everyone looked directly at Shou Xin no longer with pity, but with shock and then immediately with great fear as they avoided him like a plague, not wanting to be guilty by association.
Meanwhile, Shou Xin, the youth himself hadn't said a damned word and felt incredibly aggrieved.
Unable to sleep and forced to take the hit for Vienna's revelry.