Chapter 1 Village near Miaoling, 76-73 BC

It wasn't my earliest memories about Huai Shan – the two of us didn't grow up side by side – but it's the beginning of the story.

It started when I was being pursued by slave traders.

"That brat is running away!" One of the men yelled as they chased after me. Running with all my might through the bamboo forest, I was just 9 that year. My parents died in an attack by bandits. After 2 days of effort, I finally escaped from the hands of the bandits and ran towards the direction of Miaoling.

Miaoling was a kingdom ruled by the Miao Emperor. But rumours said that the Miao Emperor was a tyrant and supported slavery.

I had no other choice but to run towards Miaoling and hope for the best.

Hiding behind a bamboo tree, I covered my moth and tried to breathe lightly in hopes that the slave traders miss him.

Slowly, the sounds of rustling started to die down. I finally gasped for air and sighed. But it was this sigh that sold me away. "The kid's there! I heard him!" voices sounded. Panicking, I scrambled from his hiding spot and rushed forward in an unknown direction as fast as he could.

Running wildly, a small village started to appear before his eyes. "Help!" I called out at the top of his voice. In front of my eyes appeared a boy about my age. In his hands was a staff longer than himself.

"Run! These guys are slave traders! Get the adults!" I rushed towards that boy and tried to pull him. But pulling him felt as hard as pulling a mountain.

The boy looked at me with a puzzled face. As if wondering why should he run from these three people. I really thought that he had something wrong inside his brain at that point of time.

The three slave traders that finally managed to catch up were panting. They stopped in their tracks when they saw their prey trying to pull someone away as well. "Well look who's there. Why don't you keep running boy?"

I glanced at the boy.

"Are the three of you chasing him because you want to kidnap him and make him a slave?" the boy finally opened his mouth and asked. The three slave traders blinked and laughed. They did not think that the boys in front of them could pose a threat to them.

"Yes, but now we've changed our minds. You're coming with us now too!"

"Presumptuous!" the boy raised his voice and slammed the staff into the ground. "Leave, or I'll have you leave your lives here." He said as he posed a fighting stance.

The men laughed and rushed forward in an effort to catch the boys unprepared. But to their surprise, the boy launched a counterstrike and left them lying flat on the ground in just a few moves.

"Leave. This is your final warning." The boy raised his voice higher this time.

The three men growled and drew swords.

"If you attack me with swords, I will have no other choice than to send you to the underworld." The boy warned one last time.

"How are you going to do that with a staff?" one of the men laughed and rushed forward.

In my amazement, the boy drew a sword from his back and slashed it across the men who fell down in a puddle of blood. I have to admit, I almost cried out. Ever since my parents was slaughtered, I had started to develop a phobia of blood and gore.

"How dare you!" the remaining two yelled and rushed forward together.

Staff in one hand and sword in another, the boy fought like a god of war. Parrying and slashing against two adults. I could do nothing except for staring at the three of them fighting each other with shaking legs.

'Come on! Do something!' I mumbled to myself as I tried punching my legs to regain some sense. Noticing that the boy was slowly starting to tire down, I gritted my teeth and grabbed a stone on the ground. Hurling it towards one of the men at full force, the men used his sword to parry that attack which opened a chance for the boy.

Blood slowly started to drip out of his mouth as the sword penetrated his stomach.

"You…" he did not have the chance to finish his sentence as the boy kicked him off and faced the only one left in the fight.

"Wait… let me go. I'll give you money… I have…" he did not finish his sentence as the boy slashed his sword across his throat.

I gulped as the boy turned to face him.

I bowed and said. "Thank you for saving my life. My name is Ling Yu. May I ask what is your name?"

The boy gathered the men's weapons in a bundle and sheathed his sword. "My name is Huai Shan. Now follow me, I will bring you to see my father. He will decide your fate."

I nodded my head and followed Huai Shan into the village. Gasped in astonishment, there were many people in full armour and spears as if ready for war. "What…" I just wanted to ask when I got a glare from Huai Shan. Shutting my mouth up, I followed Huai Shan into a house in the middle of the village.

Knocking on the door, a voice sounded. "Come in."

The two of them entered the house. I was astonished to find himself face-to-face with a man in his thirties.

"Father." Huai Shan bowed and said as he entered the room. I bowed too.

"Shan Er, you're back. I heard you single handily slew three slave traders. I'm proud of you. But this boy… who is he?"

Huai Shan signalled me to introduce myself.

"My honour to meet you, sir. My name is Ling Yu, 9 years old. I am from a family of merchants."

Huai Shan's father squinted his eyes and asked. "Then where are your parents?"

I stammered a bit but still managed to answer. "Dead, sir. In a bandit attack."

"Near here?"

"Near the mountains of Miaoling sir."

Huai Shan's father laughed. "They are no bandits boy. They are undercover armies of Miaoling. Robbing merchants or anybody who passes by the mountains as a hobby."

My legs buckled and fell down.

I couldn't believe a word that he just heard. An emperor's troops, robbing peasants and merchants out of a hobby? I gritted my teeth and tears fell out of my eyes.

"I suppose you've never been inside Miaoling then? Or any towns near it."

I shook his head. That was the truth. I hadn't even been able to get close to the borders of Miaoling, much less inside it. Huai Shan's father squinted his eyes. "Then you are no more use to us. and you are not one of us. You have also seen things that you shouldn't see. I hereby announce your execution. Men!"

I gasped. I did not understand why would I be executed in such a way.

"Father!" Huai Shan spoke out of a sudden. Hearing his voice, his father raised a hand and the soldiers that rushed inside to grab me paused. "What is it, my son?" Huai Shan's father talked in a smothered tone. It could see how much love his father had for him.

"Father, if it wasn't because Ling managed to distract the slave traders, I couldn't have slain them easily. No, I would even be hurt."

Huai Shan's father's eyes widened.

"May I accept him into my squad father? I will tell him the rules and he will become one of us. He will never leave my side so that I will always have eyes on him."

Huai Shan's father sighed.

"My son. You already have 30 people in your squad. That is the maximum. The other squad leaders won't agree to it even if I agree."

"We agree sir." The other squad members standing behind him called out of a sudden.

Huai Shan's father eyed them and turned back his attention to Huai Shan. Finally, he sighed.

"I, Huai Jiang. Approve your request. Ling Yu, I appoint you as a servant of squad leader of squad one, Huai Shan."

I stared at Huai Jiang. It was only until Huai Shan nudged me when I bowed and spoke.

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me. Thank my son. You owe him your life." Huai Jiang said coldly and stood up. "Squad leaders! Meeting! Shan Er, I will send someone to send the records to you later on."

Huai Shan bowed. "Thank you, Father."

Pulling me out of the room, both of us both walked at a brisk pace towards a tent at the head of the village. "I know you have a bunch of questions to ask me. I will answer them later. Now go get your armour and weapon from the armoury. Meet me at that tent over there. You will live there from now on."

He said as he pointed towards a tent.

"But where…"

"If you can't find the armoury yourself, I'll have to reconsider your usefulness." Huai Shan said as he walked away.

I gulped. I had a hunch in mind what were these people doing but I did not have the courage to ask. If I guessed wrongly, things would get easier for me. worst-case scenario, my head would be hanging on the village entrance.

Finding the armoury wasn't as hard as it seems. The village was larger than it seems. I had been walking for almost an hour and it hasn't even reached the end yet. Following the direction of the smoke, I finally found the armoury.

"Eh? New guy?" someone called out from behind him. I turned and faced a man in his fifties. He wore nothing but just a pair of cloth covering the lower half of his body.

"Y… yes sir. I'm the new guy. Under Huai Shan's squad."

"En? You're under that kid's squad? Hmph, fine. Come measure your size, I'll see if you have a fitting armour."

After a throughout measurement that took about 20 minutes, I sat on the floor outside the armoury panting heavy breaths. The interior of the armoury was just too stuffy and humid. "Hey, kid." The man said as he dropped a set of armour on the floor. "Your size. You'll grow. Come back to me when your armour doesn't fit anymore."

Then the man also handed me a sword and a spear.

"Handle these with care as if your life depends on it. Cause it may be."

Receiving his gear, I put on the armour, sheathed the sword and carried the spear back towards the direction of the tent.

Finally, I managed to arrive at the tent before sundown. When I entered the tent, about 10 people lay in front of me. Everybody froze and stared. I blinked and looked around the tent. They were all youngsters about 11 to 15. "Am I at the wrong place?" I asked cautiously.

The whole tent burst out in laughter and started exchanging coins.

"They had a bet. To see if you can come back here before sundown." Huai Shan's voice sounded from behind Me. I turned to face him and bowed with my fists held together. "Squad Leader Huai Shan."

Huai Shan studied me and nodded his head.

"I guess you have questions. Walk with me." Huai Shan said and turned away.

"What about the armour…"

"Wear it. You need to get used to it as fast as possible."

I sighed and followed Huai Shan, leaving the tent that was covered his sounds of laughter and joy.

The two of us walked along side the road in the village. "As you can see. We are preparing for war. The emperor of Miaoling has been in place for too long and it is time for another lord."

"So we're the rebellion." I summed up.

Huai Shan looked at me with the same cold eyes. I even started to wonder did Huai Shan have other expressions. "You can think of it like that. All we ever wanted was a better place to live in." Huai Shan said. "I will train you. You don't have much time left. In two days, we will begin our march towards Miaoling. Its walls nor its people will not stop us."

"Now come at me with all your might. Hit me if you can." Huai Shan said and posed a fighting stance.

"Barehanded?" I asked as he was about to lay down his spear and Huai Shan interrupted.

"Come at me with your spear."

I gulped. This was my first time holding a real weapon in hand. It felt heavy and cold.

"You would already be dead if this was a real battlefield. Get your attention up!" Huai Shan ordered and rushed forward. Punching me in the stomach. I gasped for air and stumbled a few steps backwards.

"I knew it. You have some martial arts in you. Otherwise, you would've already fallen with that weight of armour. "Now continue."

Gritted my teeth, I stabbed the spear with all my might. But Huai Shan just simply sidestepped and grab the shaft of the spear. Pulling it towards him, Huai Shan punched me in the stomach again. Even with armour on, I could still feel Huai Shan's punch. If it wasn't because of the armour, I doubt I could even continue standing straight now.

"Again." Huai Shan ordered. "I want you to get the basics before hài shi (Nine O'clock)."

"But…" I wanted to protest but Huai Shan cut me off with just a glance. "Yes sir!"

Attacking again, I tried to swipe Huai Shan off his feet. But Huai Shan rushed forward while jumping, dodging the attack and punched me in the stomach again. I started to cough.

"Do you want to rest?" Huai Shan asked as he rubbed his fists, which were now a little red from punching the armour.

I wanted to nod his head. But the memory of Huai Shan telling me that two days later would be the start of the march rag in my head. I shook my head. "No, I can continue." I rasped.

Huai Shan studied him. In an instant, I could almost swear that I saw a smile on Huai Shan's face. "Do not use all your strength while fighting against an opponent unless you have the confidence to kill him in one single blow." Huai Shan advised. "I have been training with my father for years since I was 7. I have even surpassed my father. As my servant, you should be able to stand out from the others as well."

"Yes… sir." I panted heavily as I continued trying to land a hit on Huai Shan.

"Follow your senses."

"You're raising the tip too high."

"Open your legs wider to increase steadiness."

Huai Shan advised me as he continued to dodge all my attacks.

In the blink of an eye, it was already hài shi (Nine O'clock). I was so exhausted that I panted heavily as I still went through the training Huai Shan taught me. It was just a simple basic of the way to use a spear, but enough for me to protect myself from the upcoming expedition.

Footsteps rustled behind the both of us. Huai Shan turned over and noticed someone running at a brisk pace towards them. "Feng Yu Xiu." Huai Shan said. "What brings you here?"

Feng Yu Xiu greeted Huai Shan and said. "The leader ordered me to notify you that he wanted you in his tent. And also, just call me Yu Xiu or Feng is enough."

Huai Shan nodded his head.

"If you want, you can head back to the tent now and rest. Otherwise, you can continue training until I come back to fetch you." Huai Shan said as he left the bamboo forest without turning back.

I looked at Feng who was still there for advice.

"Ask if you want my advice, don't just look like me like that," Feng said and gave me a chance.

"What do you think I should do?" I muttered.

Feng stretched and yawned.

"If you were just a normal soldier, it would be fine for you to head back to camp now and rest to your will's desire. But fortunately for you, you are Huai Shan's personal assistant. My advice is to continue your training. He may or may not come and fetch you. If he doesn't appear tonight to fetch you, I advise you to take up the challenge and continue training all night long. Oh, and a word of advice."

Feng walked straight up to me and said those words that saved my life for countless of times in the future.

"Always double think the meaning behind Huai Shan's words. He is a powerful person and is undoubted to be a person who we can only look up to one day. Be a good listener. And be loyal. Don't make him suspect you because your life depends on it."