9 Order of the Sovereign

The chance to directly enter one of the 7 sects is something that even princes and princesses of great kingdoms would kill for. As such my refusal to walk the path of immortals baffled everybody at the banquet. Those that were aware of my exceptional talent were even more baffled than those who didn't.

"Explain".... only one word came out of Vikram Vajra's mouth. There seemed to be a coldness starting to grow in his voice. If his son today was not able to give a satisfactory reason behind his words, then he must face severe scolding, was what he decided in his mind.

Vidyut calmly replied," While I do not know much about the path of immortals, I know it is a very dangerous and lonely path. One's contact with the outside world is severely reduced. One may have to be in secluded cultivation for years or even decades. While it may come with rewards like reputation and riches, I do not wish for such a life. As a prince of this country, I already possess a certain degree of reputation and also riches, for which I am eternally grateful. As for serving the country, while martial prowess is a very good bargaining chip when dealing with people, it is neither absolute nor enough. There will always be people with greater martial prowess in front of whom you have to compromise. Whereas a wise man will be able to find the best opportunities for himself and his interest, in my case which is, the nation".

"Are you saying that you can become that wise man?".... back came the retort.

"I will try my best.".... was the reply.

'Haaa'...the king gave an exasperated sigh. This was his first time meeting such a precocious brat. Weren't all 10-year-olds hot-blooded, emotional kids who dreamt of one day to domineeringly fly through the stars and rule the world? He knew he did. Then was this guy just lazy? It didn't seem so in the report given to him. He asked," Don't you want to have a longer life?".

"Longevity of a person is determined by his fate. Most martial artists have to face continuous confrontations and die young. I only wish to serve my family and nation".

Silence again. Vidyut's words were reasonable enough, that's why no one could refute him. After some time the king asked, " Aren't you afraid of growing old and dying".

Vidyut quickly answered, " I am not afraid of death. In fact, I look forward to it."

" What do you mean by that?" this time it was his mother who asked the question.

"Ah, mother! You misunderstood me. I am not having suicidal thoughts. What I wanted to say is for me, life and death are part of the same whole. Without living life fully, death is meaningless and without the threat of eventual death one cannot live life to its fullest, is what I think to be true."

Everyone in the hall fell into deep thought. Since the concepts of Nihilism and Existentialism had not been introduced to this world, the ideas presented by Vidyut were not easy to accept. The king wanted to refute Vidyut's words but surprisingly found himself lacking in arguments when facing this 10-year-old.

"Well, I have to give it to you. You are at least skilful with words", the king broke out in laughter, "But only cowards throw empty words. If you are strong, back up your words using action. In two years, complete Essence Gathering stage to prove that you are not just running away from hard work. After that, if you still feel that you want to lead a prince's life and serve the country, then I will welcome your decision then."

Vidyut gave a deep bow and replied," Your wish is my command".... then after a pause, he continued," I have a request, Father".

"Speak your mind".

"I would like to live the life of a commoner for these two years".