Right as Sai left the room, he sauntered down the corridors and deliberated about the matter regarding his future inheritance and cultivation. Once a man or woman reached the age of eighteen, both their meridians and dantian would undergo a fundamental change. It would begin to accept energy exuding from the earth, wind, fire, water, sun, moon, and stars. Not only would this energy enable the human body to strengthen itself, but it would also enhance every other bodily function as well. The only restriction that this “holy” energy possessed was its inability to lengthen longevity. Although it could increase a practitioner’s life-span to a certain extent, it certainly wasn’t by much.
Different techniques and powers were granted to the user, depending on the cultivation manual or inheritance utilized. Some gave an exorbitant amount of power over a long period of time, while others allowed for quick reward and less gain. Whether it was a scion, noble, minister, or commoner, most people wanted to find the most reliable manual possible. But, it wasn’t that simple. At the end of the day, gaining strength was mainly dependent on comprehension, determination, and luck!
Of course, there was an exception to this rule — inheritances. Ancient civilizations were home to plenty of legendary warriors, many of which dedicated their lives to cultivating and gaining strength. Yet, no matter how powerful a warrior was, the sands of time were not merciful to just anyone. Thus, these ancient warriors would inscribe books with their very own soul, cultivation, and even techniques. When inherited, the lucky man or woman’s body would slightly change and gain a stronger physique or talent.
When thinking to here, Sai couldn’t help but remember the Old Master’s words. The Zhuge clan possessed a huge assortment of inheritances, some rarer than others. However, Sai was well aware that a very common mistake many powerful scions often make was assuming that the rarer inheritances are stronger than the others. Moreover, not only are the more legendary inheritances difficult to cultivate with, many of the scriptures are missing or decayed.
It was essential to a cultivator, especially a noble, to choose a good inheritance. This major decision would follow them for the rest of their lives, and their deeds, good or bad, would be recorded in the annals of history. But, Sai had long ago lost interest in most of these things. His mother and father died, and his country was beginning to wane. Ideally, he just wanted to read books, paint, and play Go with his grandfather. Essentially, he was lazy with no ambitions.
Reaching this conclusion, Sai ceased contemplating about such silly matters and opened the door to his personal residence. He sat down on his massive bed, fit for a king, and glanced around the room. It was relatively plain, with a simple dresser, closet, and bathroom, laying on top of the most precious and rarest of rose-wood.
His gaze didn’t linger for much longer. He reached into one of the nearby drawers and pulled out a thick, brown book. His grandfather didn’t appreciate Sai’s lack of ambition, but he supported his strong thirst for knowledge. New and unique books entered into this drawer every other day, this was a testament to his grandfather’s view on the matter.
Sai didn’t mind the particular type of book, so his grandfather usually brought him texts about war, history, and logistics. It didn’t matter what he read, as long as it was a new book, Sai would immediately begin reading without a hint of hesitation.
Like this, time slowly, but peacefully passed. News of Duke Song’s grandson finally entering into the fray, his coming-of-age ceremony, was like a boulder slamming into a placid lake. Generals, officials, and even ministers were shocked at this revelation. The last time Old Master Song’s name was heard, both his son and daughter-in-law had died to a Turkish prince. Some minor officials had never even heard of the fact he had a grandson!
While the inner court was in turmoil, Sai wasn’t even aware of the fact that his visage was now under the eyes of many. While his grandfather achieved many merits for the Emperor, both his father and mother died far too young. So, his Zhuge clan was declining at an incomparably fast rate, something that Old Master Song could only lament about.
But now, there appeared to be new hope for the Zhuge clan. This case was now the talk of the inner sector, though it still didn’t warrant the attention of truly big figures.
…
A few days passed and it was finally time for Sai to head toward the Gao protectorate. He adorned his favorite gown and strode out of the Zhuge residence, where a small group of heavily armored cavalry awaited him. To their side, two beautiful stallions were present. One was snow-white, and the other was raven-black. A young maiden rode on top of the white horse, like a fairy within the snow. Her eyes didn’t even glance toward Sai, as if he were an insignificant figure in her view.
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Sai stroked his elegant, purple and long hair back while strolling toward the black horse. His very essence emitted sophistication and beauty, yet the young girl seemed to be unperturbed by his allure. Naturally, Sai didn’t care about her reaction either, he merely smiled and straddled the horse, signaling for the heavy cavalry to start moving.
“We pay our respects to Young Master,” they said in unison while bowing and urging their horses forward.
Sai and the young maiden followed the elite cavalry from behind. She controlled the reigns of her horse in a proficient fashion, a stark contrast in comparison to Sai’s ability. He was wobbling all over the place as he appeared to gradually get the hang of riding a horse. His grandfather had always wanted to scold him about riding horses more, but he preferred reading books in the estate.
The steeds galloped down the wide streets and weaved by the bustling crowd. The atmosphere was tense and none of the soldiers were willing to break the ice. Only Sai was smiling at this time, observing the young girl without the smallest intention of hiding his gaze. Such blatant disregard for manners caused the young girl’s eyes to twitch.
“Do you have a problem, young master?” she asked in irritation as they trodded into the outer sector. Her voice was melodious and gentle, but it caused Sai to frown even deeper.
“A problem? Of course not,” Sai replied with a faint smile, “I was simply baffled at the fact that I was going to fight my first battle with a young and beautiful woman!”
The surroundings immediately chilled and even the heavy cavalry flinched. They glanced at Sai with both dread and respect. No one would dare talk to the Fairy Doctors disciple in this way.
“Bastard… do you look down on women?” the young girl asked while gritting her teeth. At first, she wanted to disregard this pompous scion in front of her, but his tone and arrogance were unacceptable to her.
Her question caused Sai to tilt his head in confusion, a small chuckle leaving his lips. “No, I do not look down on woman, child, nor man. I stare straight at them,” he said, “I simply don’t believe a young girl such as yourself is fit for battle.”
Crack! The young girl cracked her knuckles and tried her damnedest to hold back her rage. She pulled the reigns and urged her horse to move in front of the heavy cavalry, away from Sai. The girl hated it when people looked down upon her, especially for her frail appearance. It was her reverse-scale, something that she detested down to her very bones.
Sai didn’t mind her reaction much at all. In fact, he wanted to remain in the back alone, anyway. Once she was gone, his clunky way of horseback riding disappeared, replaced with smooth and efficient skill. He even reached into the satchel hanging at his waist and pulled out a book to enjoy for the journey. No matter how lazy or unambitious Sai was, as the heir to a clan of generals, it would be preposterous to not be at least a little skilled in the way of the horse.
Slowly, time trickled by and they finally departed from the confines of Rahvin kingdom, entering into the vast Central Plains. The roads were long and windy, filled with carriages and merchants traveling to and from the capital. Dust was picked up by the particularly strong winds as they moved closer and closer to the Gao protectorate; alongside a diminishing number of merchants. Soon, it was only them and the howling winds waltzing down the roads.
…
The day quickly went by and they stopped to rest for the night, opting to continue in the morning. Sai and his group pitched tents at the side of the road and boiled food over a campfire — some noodles and a small portion of meat. Sai laid down on a mat beside the small fire and reached for a bowl of cooked noodles. The broth was relatively bland, but such insignificant things didn’t bother him, nor the trained soldiers who ate their food with relish. Only the young girl scrunched up her nose as she picked at her bowl full of noodles and meat.
“Young Master Zhuge Sai, once we reach the Gao Protectorate, you will be forced to select a weapon and begin your adolescent training,” one of the warriors opened up with a mouth full of noodles. He was middle-aged with a long and crooked beard flowing from his chin.
Sai nodded with some understanding.
“After training, we will join you and the young lass over there to launch an assault on a small Tibetan training camp,” the bearded man continued with a solemn tone, “you will be graded on not only your actions, but also your results during the process.”
At the side, another guard chipped in. “But don’t worry too much, lad, we’ve already received orders to protect you, no matter the cost!” he said with a chuckle, “as the son of War Sage Song, plenty of soldiers would willingly die for you.”
“This junior thanks the both of you,” Sai replied with a nod of his head and continued to eat his food. He was aware of his grandfather’s prestige within the army, so he had long gotten used to such treatment.
Once the two cavalrymen broke the extremely tense atmosphere, more and more men began to converse with each other and erupt in laughter. They questioned Sai about his childhood and his grandfather, even asking him to put in a good word with the Old Master for them. As such, a harmonious mood wafted about, resulting in a much more productive atmosphere.
Their food was quickly transferred into the pits of their stomachs and drowsiness followed soon after. Other than those on nights watch, everyone else entered into their tents and entered into a deep sleep. The only one who didn’t immediately drift off to dreamland was Sai, who remained seated by the smolders of the campfire.
He reached into his sleeves and pulled out a medium-sized piece of slender bamboo. It was engraved with all sorts of beautiful inscriptions and painted the most exquisite of ice-blue coloring. A few promiscuous holes layered the side of the piece of bamboo — a flute!
Sai brought the first hole to his mouth and positioned his fingers onto the other ones accordingly. He then blew into the instrument and moved his slender fingers in an orderly fashion, releasing a gentle, yet melodious tune. Its waves traveled through the encampment and caused a few of the guards on night duty to close their eyes in bliss.
At the corner of the camp, a pair of bright eyes couldn’t help but tremble at the sight of Sai’s elegant figure fluttering within the gentle breeze.