They exchanged many blows under the night sky. She had been fighting him for over 20 minutes , the stick in her hand nearly destroyed.

Her breathing was haggard and her legs shaky, it was clear that she was the one at a disadvantage here.

Was Feng Zhiming’s evaluation of Anissa incorrect?

Krimin frowned as he saw Anissa still standing before him, weaponless. "I’ve had enough of this facade of a battle." he declared, his saber twisting upside down, pointing to the earth. "Saber of the Claw, fourth stance. Shackles of the Earthworm." As the saber thrust into the ground, the earth began to vibrate, seemingly coming to life."

Anissa leaped, but the ground did not permit her escape. It wrapped around her legs and brought her to the ground, incapacitating her completely.

Krimin slowly walked towards her.

“In my life I have faced many, but not one who had ridiculed me such. Especially in a battle I’ve long since waited to finish.”

His saber swiped down on the stick still persisting in her hand.

It resisted once.

He swung again and again, until finally the stick shattered.

“Now, will you draw your blade or die?” He gave her an ultimatum as the saber rested against her chest.

Anissa looked up at him, her face shifted from her indifferent expression into a relaxed bliss.

“You speak of blades, yet you know nothing of what truly gives us our edge.”

A deep blue aura began to emanate from her.

“You must have something you fight for, or someone… You mentioned it in our last battle. The clan Kallen you’re so proud of.”

He looked at her with a questioning gaze, pondering her words.

“Your edge does not come from the blade, it comes from the one you wield it for. And the one I wield it for is someone much greater than you, than your clan.”

…

Back when the bear had attacked Liza’s camp, everyone chased the demon beast and Anissa had remained the only one walking, step by step.

“I was weak, I failed, again and again!” the words echoed in her head.

Her nails dug into her hand as she looked at the ground. Her usual calm and composed demeanor was no longer there. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice someone had appeared before her.

She looked up to see a face she didn’t recognize, an orthodox disciple from the Sect of the Sacred Sage. Her hand unenthusiastically grabbed the broken sword at her waist. She raised it without saying a word, seeing a fight as inevitable.

The man tilted his head and smirked.

“It hasn’t been so long that you would forget your dear disciple?”

Her gaze shook.

“Feng Zhiming?” She asked in a cautious tone.

“The one and only.” he replied.

She sheathed her sword clumsily.

Feng Zhiming’s expression quickly shifted, his jovial mood fading into a deep seriousness.

He looked her up and down, not many things could be hidden from him including the horrid state she had been in. On the ship he was satisfied with the dependency she had begun to develop, but seeing her stand before him, in this fashion.

It was intolerable.

he crossed his arms before speaking bluntly. “You look like a broken person.”

It was clear that it was now time to forgo the gentle therapeutic approach. He could only use more aggressive methods at this point.

She had to be forged into a blade capable of serving him. Especially with all the fear mongering the Scholar of Black had done. He knew the enemies he would face would be far stronger than him.

He had known from the day he met her, Anissa was incredibly powerful. Yet she was not without her flaws, he himself had taken advantage of her weakness to recruit her.

It didn’t take much to infer how dependent she had been on her father, her life up to this point had been dedicated solely to becoming stronger, strong enough to impress her father.

“Broken?” She looked at him with a confused expression. “Broken as in weak?”

“Are you a weak person?” he replied with a question of his own.

Anissa was unsure about how to respond, she started saying whatever came to her mind.

“I’ve been told I’m a prodigy from birth, I could master techniques in half the time it took others. Some of my relatives treated me like I wasn’t human, like I was some god. I’m strong.”

Her eyes looked back at Feng Zhiming.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

His face was expressionless.

“Don’t look at me for an answer, I am not here to judge.”

She hesitantly continued speaking.

“I- I’m weak. I let my father die.” Her gaze was locked on Feng Zhiming trying to find a reaction, any reaction.

He remained expressionless.

“Is that your final answer?”

Anissa was taken aback.

“What did he mean by the final answer? If it was wrong would he punish her? Would he throw her away if she was worthless?” The thoughts consumed her, making her unable to answer.

She fell to her knees, before grasping onto Feng Zhiming’s leg.

“PLEASE! Don’t leave me, I’ll be whatever you need me to be!”

Feng Zhiming sat down to look at her eye to eye.

“Please.” She pleaded.

He put a hand on her shoulder.

“Look at yourself for a moment.”

Anissa stopped talking.

“And now look at me.”

Her gaze shifted back to him.

“Am I you?”

She shook her head.

“Then how can I possibly tell you whether to consider yourself weak or strong?”

Anissa did not understand, she tilted her head in confusion.

“I want you to be honest with me, have you ever wielded the blade for yourself?”

She unsheathed the broken sword and stared at the hilt.

“Ye-” She stopped mid sentence before continuing “Deep down I know, I’ve always wielded the sword only for my father.” she spoke out loud unknowingly, these were words she hadn’t uttered, despite almost being a century old.

Feng Zhiming had a numbing effect on people, the way he spoke, how he directed conversations. It was as if you were in the embrace of a loved one.

“Do you think you can wield the sword for yourself?” He asked as he saw the internal struggle within her.

Anissa had to be honest with herself, from the beginning swords had been shoved in her face. To satisfy her fathers desire for a powerful successor she learned to live with them, she was a swordswoman of convenience.

She faked her love for the sword, it was merely a facade to cover up her love for her father.

“No, my sword can only ever cut for the sake of another.” Her statement was absolute, no trace of hesitation present, only a small hint of acceptance.

She came to a very important realization, the strength in her blade didn’t come from her. It never had and it never would, she didn’t have ambition equivalent to her strength.

Feng Zhiming’s expressionless face finally changed into a small smile.

“So, who will you now wield your sword for?”

She gazed into his eyes.

“The Forgotten One.” she replied with a trace of conflict present on her face, clearly unsure about her answer.

Nevertheless it was the answer Feng Zhiming expected, he stood back up.

“Let’s go.” he said as he began to walk towards the forest.

She began to follow him but abruptly stopped. Anissa stood still for a moment before throwing the hilt to the ground. She could no longer do this. “I LIED!”

Feng Zhiming had requested honesty and it was what she would give.

He turned around to look at her, this was out of his expectations.

“I’m not a religious person, I never have been, nor will I ever be. How can I believe in gods when they are unseen, unresponsive, not there!" She spoke slowly but with a newfound clarity.

He was intrigued by where this was going.

“From the day we met, I’ve been lying, I lied about the Forgotten One, I even lied to myself, I deluded myself into believing in this God. Just so I could satisfy you.”

Anissa walked towards Feng Zhiming, the sword her father had given her left behind with a substitute corpse Feng Zhiming had placed.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I don’t know why I seek your approval, maybe it's because my blade is powerless without one to serve. Or maybe I’ve been charmed.”

She gritted her teeth and knelt on one knee before Feng Zhiming.

“I’m a broken person like you said, but I don’t want... to be fixed, to change, to fight for myself. I was weak because I was hazy and lost, I was confused about who I was actually pledged to, you or the Forgotten One.”

She exhaled deeply.

Feng Zhiming looked at her, he had to admit, she seemed far more put together then earlier.

“Are you certain? You would forsake ever wielding the blade for yourself. At most it would be a temporary solution.”

She nodded her head.

“I just want to be powerful, I want to avenge my father, if that strength comes from serving another that’s what I will do.” she looked up from her lower position. “But it’s more than just that, I said I can’t believe in God, but I can believe in you, unlike God you’re standing before me, in the flesh. And without someone to serve my blade is powerless.”

Feng Zhiming extended his hand and a stick came flying out of the forest into his hand

He decided on something quite out of character for him.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve lied as well. The Forgotten One does not exist.”

Anissa’s expression did not falter or change, she still held the same determination.

“You would believe in a liar? I may lie to you still.” he had expected her to run away or hurl profanities.

“I believe in you.” she replied simply and with conviction, there was no conflict in these words whatsoever.

Feng Zhiming handed the stick over to her and she treated it the same way she treated her sword.

If he had been a good person, he would not do what he was about to, if he had been a good person he would have set her free here and now. But alas, he was not such a man, and she was not such a woman, she did not desire to be unchained, to be abandoned.

Anissa held it tightly in her hand, her mind that had been in chaos before gradually calmed down.

She stood back up as Feng Zhiming walked closer to her.

A red Aura began to emanate from him.

“Open your mind to me, and I shall make you into a blade that none may shatter. It shall be your point of no return.”

Anissa did as he asked without hesitation, dropping any and all resistance.

Feng Zhiming had wanted to do this before, but as a spiritual awakener even if she willingly dropped her guard divine sense would automatically guard her mind.

“From now on, do not lose your wits, do not panic, do not despair.” He leaned in closer as he whispered into her ear, his voice low and gentle. “I will never lose, and in my inability to lose, your victory is guaranteed.”

As the red aura enveloped them both, Anissa felt her thoughts shifting, her mind adjusting to his presence. His confidence, his conviction, all of it was now a part of her.

The image of Feng Zhiming, which had already been powerful in Anissa’s mind, had now become truly indestructible.

The power of suggestion was a truly terrifying ability, capable of things unimagined. Granting power deeply locked behind the fog of a person's mind.

“When that stick shatters, I hope you can wield a true blade.” Feng Zhiming concluded the conversation as the two of them disappeared into the forest.

Her blade had found a foundation it could rest on, a foundation that would not shatter.

A foundation that could not shatter.