Chapter 0.2: Family.

After leaving the bakery, Yao Jun started running back to the Yao clan. Along the way, he would often stop and chat with some people, or enter some stores and just look around. Wherever he went, he was met with smiles and kind words. Even if it wasn't for his parents, people would feel good whenever they were around a cute and cheerful child like this.

The Yao clan compound in the city was composed of a large group of buildings connected by a myriad of roads and gardens, a large mansion standing at the center. Each building was made out of the same black stones and decorated with the mark of the Yao clan. These black stones were what had given the Yao clan their name when they were still just a tiny family long ago.

Instead of returning to his home after he reached the Yao clan compound, Yao Jun followed a narrow road until he reached a rather secluded garden. The garden was only a few hundred meters in every direction, a large amount of weeping willows standing tall in it, so the garden was rather inconspicuous.

“Brother Jun, you came earlier than usual.”

After Yao Jun entered the garden, a surprised voice rang out from the branches of a tree not far from him. After the voice rang out, a young boy dropped down from the tree, landing in front of Yao Jun.

The boy looked to be around eight years old, with shoulder long brown hair and blue eyes. His body was almost two entire heads taller than Yao Jun, and was starting to grow more burly, this youth would surely become someone very rugged in the future. He was clad in the same Yao clan robes as Yao Jun.

After the boy landed in front of Yao Jun, more children started appearing in the area around him, climbing down from trees or crawling out off bushes. All these children were clad in the same Yao clan robes as Yao Jun.

“Big Brother Zhong. I am in a very good mood, so I decided to come earlier. Look, Uncle Jiang gave me some cakes that we can share.”

Yao Jun looked at the boy and spoke with a large smile. This boy was Yao Zhong, the oldest boy in their group, so he was obviously their leader. After he spoke, he seemed to remember something as he pulled out the bag containing the cakes, handing it over to Yao Zhong with a bright smile.

“Cakes from Uncle Jiang?”

Yao Zhong looked at the paper bag in his hand with an excited smile, quickly checking it's contents. After seeing the cakes placed within the bag, his smile grew even wider. He quickly took out a cake and handed it to Yao Jun, before taking a cake for himself and dividing the rest with the other children around them.

After they ate the cakes, they started to play games with each other. They did this everyday, meeting up in this garden and playing games. They would start by playing hide and seek, go on to play tag, and then end the day by play-fighting. After they finished playing, they would return to their homes before it got too late and their parents got worried.

Yao Jun's home was located not far from the garden where they played. His home was considered rather large, even for the people belonging to the Yao clan, it was the fifth largest house in the entire compound in fact. The house consisted of one large main building, with several smaller buildings connected to it via long hallways. A large garden surrounded the house.

Yao Jun returned just in time for dinner, so when he entered the house, the smell of food immediately hit his nose. He quickly ran through the house, reaching the dining room after a minute of running. The dining room was large, but it was simplistic in style, containing only a few paintings for decorations. A large and exquisite wooden table was placed at the center of the room, five chairs placed around the table.

“It seems like you still remember when dinner is ready. Go and wash yourself first, then we can start eating.”

There were already three people sitting at the table. One of them was a middle-aged man that was tall and well built, features that looked like they were carved with a knife, his eyes were a clear green, the same color as his robe. His head was covered in brown hair, a short stubble growing on his chin. This man was his father, Yao He, and also the person who had just spoken.

Yao Jun dared not disobey his father, so he quickly ran into a room next to the dining room and washed his face and hands. After he made doubly sure that he was clean, he returned to the dining room and took up his own seat, sitting down next to his father.

“Did you have fun playing with the others today?”

The person who spoke this time was one of the two others that sat at the table. This woman had a mature charm about her, clad in a deep green robe, her skin smooth and unblemished. She had raven black hair that hung down to her waist and deep, black eyes. She wore a kind smile as she looked at Yao Jun. This was his mother Yao Xun.

“Yes mother, it was very fun! Greetings Uncle Wuying and Aunt Lingxin.”

Yao Jun gave a few rapid nods to his mother as he spoke. After he finished talking, he turned towards the last person sitting at the table and the empty chair placed next to him.

The last person sitting at the table was a tall and rugged man with tanned, rough skin that was covered in scars. He had long and unruly golden hair that hung down over his green eyes, nearly covering his entire face. This man was the sworn brother of his father, Yao Wuying. The Aunt Lingxin that Yao Jun greeted was the deceased wife of Yao Wuying. She had died half a year ago, but Yao Jun and Yao Wuying still greeted her empty chair whenever they ate.

“Good little brat, you seem to be too short to carry your sword. You gotta grow a bit bigger soon so that you can start protecting your parents.”

Yao Wuying carried a wide smile as he reached out with his hand and ruffled up Yao Jun's hair. He had never managed to have a child of his own, so of course he would treat the son of his two best friends like it was his own.

“Don't worry Uncle Wuying, I will undergo the awakening in another two years. At that time, I can start training my power, that will definitely make me strong enough to protect mother and father.”

Yao Jun beat his chest as he spoke with a large and confident smile. He could not wait for the day his power was awakened and he could start training. The sooner he started training, the sooner he could follow in his parents footsteps.

After they finished eating, Yao Jun spent some time with his parents, reading through various books while he was with his mother, and learning about how to take care of his weapon while he was with his father.

The next morning, Yao Jun stood in the garden behind their house, facing his father. His father was clad in a green robe, while Yao Jun was clad in the standard Yao clan robes. Yao He and Yao Xun had bought Yao Jun several green robes that he could wear, but he had always preferred wearing the Yao clan robes, as he took pride in being part of the Yao clan.

“Listen up Jun'er, there are two things that you must remember. One: Even the mightiest oak was once but a tiny seed. This means that everything started out at the bottom, so there is no need to be impatient.”

Yao He had a serious expression as he spoke. His son had turned five not long ago, so he felt that it was about time that he started training him. He and his wife could not always be around, so Yao Jun would have to be able to defend himself. This meant that Yao He was taking this training very seriously.

“Two: What you plant now, you will harvest later. This means that you cannot expect to get results without doing something. If you want to become strong in the future, you will have to start working now.”

These two sayings were something Yao He had heard when he was young, and they had stuck with him ever since. After he made sure that Yao Jun understood his words, he pulled out his own swords.

“Watch me closely Jun'er, I will start by showing you the basics.”