Today. As usual, A chu took Yuan Ting out to play on the back hill. But that afternoon, Yuan Ting looked a little different. She looked weak and lackluster.
Feeling worried, A chu finally asked, "Little Sister Ting, are you not feeling well? Your face looks very pale."
"I'm fine, Brother A Chu. I'm just a little tired," Yuan Ting replied with a sweet smile.
Even though Yuan Ting answered that way. But A Chu still felt curious. "If I notice. It looks like you're not getting enough sleep. Have you been having nightmares lately?" asked A chu.
"Ha ha ha, it's not like that. I'm just too absorbed in reading books. Some of the books you recommended to me are very interesting. Especially books about the stories of warriors. I can't stop reading them," Yuan Ting said excitedly. Her eyes were twinkling. Then she said again,
"The story of the sword god Liu Qiangyan and the lightning spear Mu Xiaojian is really interesting. Then there's the story of the Cloud and Water Society's chief Kang Liong who gathered all the great warriors to fight against the invaders."
The longer it went on, the more excited Yuan Ting became. Her body was moving.
"Ah, there's still that red demon king, Hong Li. Everyone calls him the strongest man of all time, and the stories of their heroism really make me excited."
A Chu looked at Yuan Ting with an astonished look. This little cousin of his was really strange. Never before had A Chu come across a girl who was so interested in the heroic stories of warriors.
"I really can't figure it out. Why is a girl like you so fond of martial arts stories?" asked A Chu.
Yuan Ting giggled. She was amused at how old A chu looked. Suddenly Yuan Ting sighed. Then his face became a bit gloomy. She looked up at the sky and said,
"If only my body wasn't weak and easily sick. I would have learned martial arts. Then I could go traveling wherever I like. Visit beautiful and interesting places. Taste delicious food in various places and help anyone who has been hit by a disaster. I will make everyone happy."
That's how Yuan Ting described her life dream. Her eyes looked glassy. Then she closed her eyes. Yuan Ting did that, to hold back the tears that were about to fall out.
A chu looked deeply at Yuan Ting. Then he clasped his hands.
How unfair God was. Why did he make Yuan Ting's body so weak. The girl who was so kind and had such a great zest for life. Must experience such a miserable fate.
Yuan Ting had to be confined to this place. Unable to feel the freedom of being a human being. While many people out there are still ungrateful. Even though they have been given a healthy body. They always complain and always feel deprived.
A Chu really wanted to help Yuan Ting. But what power. He didn't have any strength. What could he do?
After thinking for a while. Finally, an image of an incident flashed through A Chu's mind.
Back when A Chu learned the power gathering knowledge under Ba Yun Xi's instruction. A Chu started to get sick and A Chu's body became weaker and weaker. Until a doctor was called in to check on A Chu's body. At that time. He found that A Chu's blood flow had reversed and become chaotic.
At that time, no one would have guessed. That Ba Yun Xi, A chu's former Master, was deliberately misleading A chu's lessons. Even from the beginning, Ba Yun Xi never intended to train A chu. He was just pretending. In order to gain the trust of A chu's father.
One day when A chu was lying weak in his room. A chu discovered that what Ba Yun Xi had taught him. contradicted the instructions in his grandfather's book. Because of this, A chu finally tried practicing according to the instructions in the book.
With the last of his strength, A chu tried to get up and sit on his bed. After remembering for a while. A chu then tried to imitate the movements according to the instructions in the book. Starting from breathing to posture.
A few moments later. A chu began to feel a change in his body. There was a kind of heat that began to flow inside his body. It made his breathing smooth, his head light and his body felt very good. Finally, from that moment on. Every day A chu practiced the movement.
Since learning that magic move. A Chu's body has gotten better and better. In fact, with each passing day, his body became stronger and stronger.
Unfortunately lately. Especially since the heartbreaking incident that destroyed his life. A Chu never practiced again. Even so, the contents of the book have never been forgotten by A chu. Because it was the last will and testament of his late father.
"Sister Ting, do you believe me?"
Yuan Ting was startled. Because suddenly A chu asked like that.
"Of course, Brother A Chu," Yuan Ting replied.
A chu looked deeply at Yuan Ting. Then he said,
"Listen, Sister Ting! I'm going to teach you a skill. Hopefully, this skill can help strengthen your body. But you must never tell this skill to anyone else. Including Uncle and Auntie. You must practice it silently. Do you understand?"
Yuan Ting became excited, hearing her cousin's words. Although still a little confused. Finally Yuan Ting nodded and said,
"Alright, Brother A Chu. I promise."
"Good," A Chu exclaimed.
Then A Chu began to teach Yuan Ting the moves he had learned from his late grandfather's mysterious book. Almost every day, they practiced together on the hill behind the Yuan family home. Slowly, Yuan Ting's health condition began to improve.
*****
A few days later.
Two square wooden boxes were placed on the table by Yuan Tan.
"A chu, inside this box are the remaining ashes of your parents," Yuan Tan said with a sad face. "I'm sorry. This is all I could gather from Thian Xi village."
A chu's eyes widened at the sight of the two wooden boxes. He alternately looked at the wooden boxes and Yuan Tan.
"Uncle, you're really good to me. I don't know how I can repay your kindness." A chu said. His eyes began to glaze over.
A chu bowed to Yuan Tan. But Yuan Tan prevented him from doing so. Then Yuan Tan said,
"Ha ha. You stupid kid. Why are you so reluctant. We are family. It's my duty to help your parents. I have also made two graves for them, in your yard."
"Thank you Uncle." Finally, those were the only words that came from A chu's lips. After that, A chu prostrated in front of his parents' ashes.
"Mom and Dad...I'm sorry. Because all this time, I could only trouble you..me..me.." A chu was unable to continue. His eyes were already wet with tears. "I will definitely avenge both of your deaths."
Yuan Tan came over and held A chu's shoulders. Then he said, "A chu, a boy must be strong and resilient. You can't continue to drown your sorrows. You must be able to turn sadness into strength."
Hearing Uncle's words, A chu immediately wiped his face. He bit his lip and tried to stop his tears.
"Good boy," Yuan Tan praised. "Alright, starting tomorrow. I will teach you martial arts. You must practice hard, so that one day you can avenge your parents' heartache."
After what happened to him. A chu actually hated martial arts. However, Yuan Tan's words made him realize. A boy must be strong. To be strong, A Chu could not help but practice martial arts.
A chu thought to himself, "I must at least be strong enough to avenge my parents."
Finally, A Chu got up and bowed to Yuan Tan.
"I promise to practice seriously and never let Uncle down," A chu said solemnly.
Yuan Tan smiled with satisfaction at A chu's gesture.
*****
The next morning. In the courtyard of the Yuan family home. A chu and Yuan Tan were standing opposite each other. It was quiet there. It was because of the spacious Yuan residence. Only Yuan Tan's family and a house supervisor named Ah Tuo lived there.
There were only Yuan Tan, A chu, and Ah Tuo sweeping the yard.
Ah Tuo was tall and thin with a fierce face. It was this person who first opened the gate for A chu. He was rather strange and quiet. That's why A chu never wanted to get close to him.
"A chu, have you ever practiced martial arts?" Yuan Tan asked.
"Master Ba...I mean Ba Yun Xi used to teach me the basics of martial arts," A chu said.
Hearing Ba Yun Xi's name mentioned, Yuan Tan looked rather displeased. "Hmm. So what did that bastard teach you?" snorted Yuan Tan. "Try to show me."
A chu nodded and began to demonstrate all the lessons he had learned from Ba Yun Xi. Starting from breathing. Until the basics of martial arts, horses stand.
Seeing everything that A Chu showed. Yuan Tan became more and more angry. "You son of a bitch! That Ba Yun Xi isn't human! He's not human!" Yuan Tan snapped. "How could he teach my nephew such misleading lessons!"