“Mas…Uncle, The path leading up to mountains is just a few minutes away.” Luan said, fidgeting as the cart rolled across the mud stained road.

“Are you sure the Stone Bear Band won’t attack the Iron Stone Village?”

“Yes Uncle Xing, Elder Jun’s last caravan of wheat was there’s. They don’t have any wheat right now. The Stone Bear Band knows how we make our money.”

“Are they part of the Purple Mist Valley?”

“Not necessarily, but they protect us from raiders.”

“And take your wheat as payment?”

“Yes Sir.”

“I see…so whose this Lim Fu and what does this Kai Chen have to do with anything?”

“Lim Fu’s the leader of the Stone Bear Band and Kai Chen is his second-in-command.”

“Have they always been at war with each other?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Has Lim Fu ever attacked any village before?”

“Yes Master, He has but that was over fifteen years ago.”

“…fifteen years ago? What happened?”

“Elder Jun stopped him.”

“Stopped him?”

“Yes, He came to our village fifteen years ago. When he was attack, Elder Jun defeated, but give him a proposition to protect the village from other raiders. The deal entail us offering up wheat as payment, but he has to settle it on his own.”

“So let me get this straight, the old man roped in a band to protect the valley?”

“Yes.”

Is that why he wanted me? He sensed something was amidst with Kai Chen? Xing thought. He rubbed the stubble of his chin, contemplating whether he was duped on or not.

No. I wasn’t tricked, but the old man knew something, was that why he took so long to return? I’ll ask him after I have a chat with Kai Chen.

“Are familiar with the village politics?”

“I am not, but I know that Elder Jun and Patriarch Yu are the reasons why the Purple Mist Valley have had a decent relationship with the Stone Bear Band.”

“It doesn’t seem like that’s the case now.”

“It doesn’t,” Lu whispered.

Xing harrumphed eyeing the lad, reigns in his hands and a testing gaze painted across this face. “No need to be somber Lu’er, but I need you to think a little, because what we do now could either destroy the valley or save it.

“Destroy?” Luan asked, turning to Xing.

He nodded, not eyeing Luan. “Look around. Does it seem like the Stone Bear Band will end there attacks on the village?”

“I don’t know Uncle.”

“What do you know?”

“I know that Kai Chen has an eye for Jiang Li and attacking the village to kidnap was more of a message.”

“Is Kai Chen from the valley?”

“He isn’t,” Luan said shaking his head.

“Humph, I see…I’m trying to understand the motivation for attacking all both villages, surely not for this Jiang Li.”

“The daughter of Patriarch Yu is the most beautiful girl in the valley. Few chieftains from outside of the village have visited in hopes of marrying their sons to her,”

“…and nothing has ever happened.”

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Xing curled his lips into a smile. It didn’t hit him immediately, but it did now. If this Kai Chen fancied the Patriarch’s daughter, then he did he take her for some reason?

Heh…of course he did.

“Kai Chen will attack the Stone Iron Village.”

“What?” Luan asked, confused.

“You heard me Lu’er, the bastard’s going to attack the Stone Iron Village. Its a message. He means to send a message.”

“A message, to whom?”

“The valley. Lim Fu is dead…this is Kai Chen letting the valley know, he’s running things now.”

“Elder Jun.” Luan said, scratching his head in shame.

Xing swirled a smidgen of Qi into his hand and finger flicked it toward Luan, hitting him in the knee. The lad hissed in pain as if a mosquito had just bit him. “Ow!” He shouted.

“Lu’er use that brain of yours! Kai Chen is attacking the villages trying to force Jiang Li to be his woman!”

Luan opened his mouth in surprise. He turned to Xing and slapped his hand against his knee. “That makes sense Mas— Uncle!”

“Indeed.”

“Are you going to divert to the Stone Iron Village?”

“No, I’m going to take your advice, I might be wrong, so let’s follow the road till we reach the path that leads to their abode.”

“Yes Uncle!” Luan said, feeling exasperated.

Xing watched as the lad sat back in the cart, windmill churning in his mind. As Xing’s word finally got through to him. The lad’s not bad, Xing thought, but he might be a little naive.

“Don’t worry too much about what I said.” Xing said. “You might be right. The Stone Bear Band might not want anything to with the Stone Iron Village. In truth, I’d prefer it that way.” Xing said, which would allow me to cut loose without any blow back.

Luan looked up at Xing, nodding. Xing turned and kept his eyes on the road. If the moon wasn’t beaming right now, he would’ve had to stop the cart, but thankfully enough light pierced through the trees allowing him to do so.

The rustling leaves of the trees around them, provided an ambience that Xing now, enjoyed, but despite that. Something was on his mind, something about Luan that felt a tad familiar. “Lu’er” Xing said softly.

“Yes Uncle?”

“Do you plan on telling me the truth?”

“Truth?” He answered confused.

“Yes, the truth regarding your parents.”

Luan’s body froze and goosebumps rippled across his shins straight up his back. He was scared, not from Xing, but from what he’d assessed in such a short time.

He curled his lips into a shy smile and scratched the side of his head, lowering his head as he stared at the wood grains of the cart. as if he’d been caught up in a lie. He didn’t move for one second. “Uh…I don’t know what you mean Uncle.”

“Oh really? So you plan on lying to me.”

“Never Uncle!”

“Oh? Then you better come clean!”

Luan bit his bottom lip, trying and hoping that he could come up with a solution to Xing’s answer, but after thirty seconds of silence nothing came, which made him feel inadequate. “I…” He said, but Xing cut him off.

“There’s no need to worry Lu’er, Elder Jun already told me you have no parents, but he asked me to give you some clemency for the mean time.

Lu’er dropped to his knees bowing, “I apologise for not lying earlie—“

“Enough Lu’er, get up. I already know that Elder Jun’s the one who pushed you to say that lie. I’m starting to believe the old man’s trying to make me stay, forever.” Xing said grinding his teeth.

Luan didn’t push himself up. He continued staring at the bottom of the cart, as if he’d done something wrong. Xing pursed his teeth in annoyance. “Lu’er, I don’t have any parents. So please, raise your head, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

The lad sheepishly pushed his head looking at Xing. The martial master felt his eyes on him. He knew the lad needed a father-figure, but Xing just couldn’t give him what he needed. He had a daughter to raise, and training someone would be the last thing he does. Not now…not ever, He thought.

“I’ll be honest with Lu’er. I can’t promise I’ll make you my disciple. As you can see I’m raising an Axsumite girl, I have to think of her foremost, alright?”

“Yes Uncle.”

“If I think I can train you in martial arts, I will do it, but for right now. I can’t”

“I understand uncle.”

Luan sat in the cart speechless, eyeing Xing with fear and wonderment in his eyes. Xing wasn’t one to be so gruff, but his journey through the Central Plains had shown him a different side to people.

The lives of the people within the Central Plains and the Main Land was far different. In the Main Land, pride, haughtiness and unscrupulousness was all the same. However, the people within the Central Plains lived a far more simple life.

Yes, they had their own challenges, but these people just wanted to live, not worrying about their next meal. He understood that, he even admired it. Hell, he wished he’d come here sooner…but it took Li’er and his master’s wishes for him to retreat to discover such a thing.

But I guess nothing is never too late, Xing thought.

“This is the path that leads to the Stone Bear Band abode Uncle”

Xing, pulled on the reigns slowing the horses and hopped off the cart. He looked up the steep path, noticing the man made stair case leading up the mountain as if it were heaven.

He stepped forward and feet sank into a patch of soil. A short of coldness from his heel shot up right leg. Why is it so cold? He thought.

Xing knelt checking the soil, feeling the wet moisture. As he palmed it, he saw a foot print, followed by a dozen more leading up the staircase. He turned left, scraping his hand on the ground feeling for more footsteps.

These footsteps are heading in that direction, Xing thought. “Lu’er, what’s in that direction?”

“The Stone Iron Village.”

“CURSES!”

Xing leapt onto the cart, snapping up the reigns, flicking them with a tug of his wrist. Luan fell back in the cart hitting his head with a loud thud, which Xing ignored.

“How far are we from the Iron Stone Village!”

“An hour’s ride minimum!” Luan shouted.

Xing ground his teeth feeling the reigns tighten. He couldn’t afford to leave Luan behind by using his Qinggong because he still hadn’t stabilised his Dantians since they splintered, during his last fight.

If he were to get to the Stone Iron Village late, he could only hope that everything was fine, but the way things were going for Xing, he could only hope, and hope wasn’t something you wished in existence.