The horses ridden by Chen and A chu galloped quickly through the forest path. Don't know how long their horse had been running. The horse looked very tired, having been forced to run day and night without stopping.
Even if the horse is a god. If it is forced to run like that, it will eventually collapse. Chen and A chu fell off the horse's back. The horse, on the other hand, fell down and foam came out of its mouth. His life was over.
A chu tried to get up and check the surroundings. His head hurt a bit from the fall. He saw the horse lying helplessly beside him. A chu felt sad and sorry for the poor horse.
Unconsciously his tears fell. He was reminded of his own fate. The fate of his parents who were killed before his eyes. A chu wanted to cry and scream as loud as he could.
Even though he was small and not even ten years old. But A chu had a strong heart. Suddenly he remembered something much more important than crying over his own fate.
A chu looked left and right. Next to the horse A chu also found Chen's body lying on the ground. Full of worry, A chu rushed over to Chen's body. He immediately checked Chen's condition. Chen's breathing felt rather weak.
"Uncle Chen! What happened to you?" asked A chu worriedly. Slowly A chu sniffed the unpleasant odor from Chen's body. It turned out that the odor originated from Chen's back. There were several wounds that began to blacken and emit a foul odor.
"I...I'm fine Young Master," Chen stammered. His face looked pale and his lips looked cracked. Chen tried to get up. But his body was still very weak. He staggered to the side. A chu immediately restrained Chen's body.
Chen was shocked. Because it turned out that A chu was able to withstand his much larger body weight. He don't know where the great power from A chu's small body came from.
But right now there are more important things. Because he had very little time left. He don't know how much longer he can last. It was already difficult to open his eyes. Chen can only adjust his breathing while gathering the remaining energy.
Seeing Chen's very weak body condition. A chu tried to remain calm. Although actually in his heart he felt very panicked. A chu tried to look around. Not far from where they were standing. A chu saw an abandoned temple.
A chu took a deep breath. His nose sniffed the increasingly pungent stench from Chen's body. The odor made his head a little dizzy. From then on, he tried not to inhale the odor again.
A chu tried to strengthen his strength and hurriedly carried Chen's body to the temple. They slowly walked into the temple. The temple was a temple of worship to the god of war. In times of peace like now, this temple had long been abandoned by its adherents.
"Excuse me... is there anyone inside? Please forgive my unauthorized entry. But the situation is urgent. I'm carrying an injured person," A chu shouted politely.
But after a long time. There was no answer. Because this building has not been visited by humans for a long time. The temple is very unkempt, the roof has been damaged and partially lost. Even on the floor, it has been overgrown by weeds.
In the center of the room, there is a statue of the god Kuan Yu. Although it is worn out and has moss growing everywhere. But it still shows the awesomeness and majesty of the god of war.
A chu leaned Chen's body next to the shrine table. A chu wandered around. He was trying to find something for Chen to drink. Luckily, on the outside of the temple, he saw a well where water was drawn. A chu picked up a container on the shrine table and quickly ran to the well.
"Wow, that's great. There's still some water left in this well," said A chu happily. He quickly drew water from the well, washed the container and filled it with clean water. Then A chu returned to the temple.
After drinking the water to Chen. A chu asked,
"Uncle Chen, how is your body now?"
There was no answer from Chen. A Chu became increasingly worried.
"Uncle Chen..."
Suddenly, Chen's body moved slightly. It seemed that he was still trying to gather his remaining strength. One hand held A Chu's wrist.
"Young master, thank goodness you're safe. Uhuk! You don't have to worry young master. I'm fine," Chen said softly. After that Chen coughed again.
Then Chen tried to open his eyes. But it was very difficult. Finally, with his eyes closed, he asked,
"Where are we right now, young master?"
"We..we are in an obsolete and uninhabited temple of the god of war Kuan Yu," A chu replied.
"Ah! This shrine, I seem to be..."
Chen's words were suddenly cut off. He vomited fresh blood. The blood was strangely pitch-black in color. Seeing that, A chu became even more agitated.
"Uncle Chen, you don't need to talk first. Try to rest and save energy, to recover your body first," A chu said.
But Chen, who felt that there was little time left. Tried to gather the last remnants of his energy. He took a deep breath. Then he said,
"Young master, please listen, I am trying to take you to your Uncle and Aunt in Yang Ciu City. Yang Ciu City is also my hometown. Then this temple is, most likely, the place I frequented as a child. Therefore, I know that we are already close to Yang Ciu City."
Chen's hand holding A chu was trembling. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. It seemed like he was recalling a memory from the past.
"I was a child who was abandoned by my parents. Ever since I was a child, I lived neglected and several times, I almost starved to death. Until one day. Great Lord Li took me in and cared for me. He even made me your guardian. All the kindness he has given me. I will never be able to repay," Chen said. A chu unconsciously burst into tears.
Chen tried to turn his head towards A chu. He wanted to look at A chu for the last time. He softly said,
"Young master, no matter what happens, you must remain strong and resilient. You must stay alive. So that one day you can avenge your parents' deaths. Therefore, you should now go to your Uncle and Aunt's house in Yang Ciu city. I'm sure they will take good care of you. May God bless you always. Young master... good..bye."
After saying those words. Chen's body collapsed and did not move anymore.
"Uncle Chen endure! I..I will immediately go to the city and find a doctor to treat you. You have to survive, you have to," A chu exclaimed anxiously. But there was no answer from Chen. His breathing had stopped.
This time, A chu could no longer hold back his emotional turmoil. He cried out loud. A chu cried for his life that had been played by fate. After the death of his father and mother. Now his guardian and closest person is also gone.
In the blink of an eye. A chu's happy life has turned one hundred and eighty degrees. Even though it feels like just yesterday, he had dinner and laughed with his parents and Chen. Receiving their warmth. Now those people were gone.
A chu screamed by himself. Like a madman. Suddenly his vision went black and his body collapsed to the floor. Life had betrayed him.
*****
Finally A chu regained consciousness. His tears had dried up. But his face felt wet. It turned out that rainwater leaked down his face. A chu looked up at the sky. His tears were no longer able to drip.
A glimpse of the last words uttered by Chen.
"I must strengthen my heart. I must live. Everyone has sacrificed their lives so that I can survive," A chu said.
Not long after. A chu got up and walked toward the back of the temple. Rainwater poured down his body. But he didn't seem to care. A chu tried to dig a hole. Luckily, the rain made the ground around there softer. Even so. No doubt, A chu's body was dirty with soil.
After successfully digging a hole. A chu carried Chen's body and buried it in the hole. After that, he covered the hole with soil again.
"Uncle Chen, rest in peace in this place. Thank you for all your kindness over the years. May you be given happiness, in the next life," A chu said while paying his last respects to Chen.
After a while. Finally A Chu left the temple. and began to continue his journey. His destination is Yang ciu City. Where his uncle and aunt are. When he was a child, his father had taken him to visit the city.
Heavy rain continued to pour down on A chu's body from the sky. But like a dazed person. A chu just kept walking, as if he didn't care. All sorts of thoughts flashed through his head.
All the miserable events that had just befallen A chu's life. It was all caused by a book of martial arts. Most likely, it was the book that he had to memorize to death. Even his Master, whom he respected, was the murderer of his parents. This made A chu really hate martial arts.