Swordmaster Shen

One day earlier

"What the hell are you?"

"What am I? I cannot say, for that you should discover with your means. As I said, the Book is the only way for you to know what I am, and once you do, you shall be something else. Now the book asks for tribute, for having used my might, you should pay, and the payment must be in blood."

"Haven't you taken enough?"

"It is not your blood that the book wants. It is someone else, find them, then make them bleed, lest that the book would take vengeance upon you."

"Why should I do that?"

"You have opened a book that you should have left unopened, and with its power unsealed, its lust for blood has become ravenous, and now you must satiate it."

"Then isn't anyone's blood enough? Why do I need to find a random person to give their blood to the book? And do you think that they will give it to me?"

"There is no such thing as random or a coincidence, what the book asks you shall be not reliant on luck, the one who you shall seek their blood shall be named within the pages of the book, they have done something that made their name be labeled on its pages, for that you need to get back from them what they had stolen."

"If they had stolen something then shouldn't we report it to the security? I mean, why do I need to take their blood if they had stolen something?"

So far I was still unable to accept all of this, I can't understand what is happening anyway. A book? To get someone's blood? And a god damned grim reaper…

"What they took was not material, and you shall know once you meet them. Now go master, I have left a bit of my power to aid you in times of need, once you are in danger, It will come in handy, but if the book's command is not satisfied within due time, then I shall be the one to slay you."

"I don't understand how this relationship is working out… I mean really, you call me master and promise to help, but if I don't get some blood I will be killed by you…"

"Why should you understand what you don't know? Kekekekke" he said as he laughed while disappearing from view.

What is up with that reasoning of his? People want to know what they don't understand… god damn it I need to get out from here and think of a way out of this stupid mess…

While I thought of that my sight opened up on a roof, as I was strapped down to a table while the manor's lord was there

Here we go again…

One day later

Arriving at the courtyard, I waited for this private swordmaster. I was alone as I watched the beautiful scenery of well-kept flowers, and beautiful roses all around the yard, there even was a small pond with an arc bridge passing above, the lake had many small golden fishes swimming within it.

It was a piece of paradise.

However, turning my gaze, I saw a bum… an old looking guy who was pissing near a bush, the guy had a circular hat that protected him from the sun and wore old ragged clothes, he was taking his time and pleasure without giving a damn about where he was or whose house this was.

I have no idea how he got here in the first place.

I got closer to him and wanted to urge him to leave before any of the guards would see him, yet once I got closer, two of these guards were already down.

The door to the manor was broken, and only the old man was here. Did he do this?

"Hey you," I said trying to sound as threatening as possible.

The guy turned around after zipping his pants saying.

"God that hits the spot,"

Once he turned I saw his face. He was bearded, with a large scare through the bridge of his nose. His hair was dirty looking, greasy and unkempt. And the smell of alcohol was reeking out of him.

"You look too young to be a servant boy, what are you doing here?"

"You look too messed up to be here sir, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, we have a smart one. Then how about you move out of the way before I cut you in half?"

"With what? Your bare hands?"

"Even a blade of grasse can be deadly in the hands of an expert." He said as he moved forward, almost disappearing from sight, his left hand ripped out a strand of grass and somehow made it straighten, the tip of the blade of grass stopped a millimeter from my right pupil, the man moved so fast I could only look. My body was unable to react to what happened.

"You have good eyes lad, you kept your eyes on my movements all the time without even blinking, yet your body is in terrible condition. You lack muscles, your reaction time is horrible, and you are absolutely paralyzed from just this encounter, I guess that you will need much to learn."

"Might you be?"

"Yes, I am, I was asked by that old fart to come in and help you toughen up, you seem to fit the profile of someone I was looking for."

"were you looking for me?" I asked

"No, I said the profile, It's your eyes. That old bastard did tell me you have a good eyesight and it seems that it is true, now tell me would you like to learn the way of the blade?"

"I would prefer the pen over the sword, but as my new job commands, I will be in your care."

"Shen…" Said the Housemaster Yo ling

"Brother, it's been long…"

Are they brothers?

"You look in terrible condition… what the hell happened?" asked the master of the house in a worrying tone

" Just the usual, we met a couple of them, nothing serious, but some of the guys got careless… and Rivel lost her life…"

"God damn it… that crazy woman should have never been permitted to go there…" said the Lord "Go inside, wash up, and try to be presentable, this will be your disciple for the next two months, try to make him as passable as possible to guard my daughter."

"Two months? I would rather try fighting a dozen of them than to do this. You know well enough that it is impossible to get someone up in shape in two months."

"Then do as best as you can, he is a fast learner, and I am sure he will not slack around," said the lord as he looked at me "Will you slack around?" he asked.

"Never, I am ready to learn and ready to train right now."

"At least he got the spirit," said the man named Shen "Well then, I hope you are ready for what is to come, with scrawny muscles like yours this is going to be torturous," he said as he laughed together with his 'brother.'

These two guys sound awfully sadistic.

"Oh yeah, Brother Yo, two of the new guards didn't recognize me, and I couldn't get in no matter how much I asked them… I guess they require a little help. It shouldn't be much, I was easy on them too."

"Oh, god… those two were good men, did you kill them?"

"No…but I guess they will wish I did once they wake up… you see I really needed to pee…"

"Good god… just go inside, Hey Basara, could you please bring them to the servant's house, they will know how to handle them."

"Right away," I said and went to the downed guards. Lord Ling went inside along with Master Shen.

I took a look at one of the guards and saw that hi was barely able to breathe. His windpipe was damaged, the other was spasming and foaming while his hands were on his crotch, he was probably hit in the nuts the both of them looked to be unconscious.

I tried to get the first one with the breathing problem first, as he was probably in more danger. The man was heavy, but after lifting him and putting him on my back I was able to move him, though the servant's house was close, it was a hard task taking a grown man to it, I was only 14, and didn't really have much strength.

Once I dropped- I mean gently placed him on the door, I went inside, looking for anyone to help, a Maid that I haven't seen before was nearby, and I told her of the circumstances, she then went inside looking for help while I went back to the get the second guy, this time I was a bit smarter as I took a three-wheeled cart and placed the guy on it, and drove him all the way to the house again. The maids took the two of them inside and began treating them.

"What happened?" asked Melinda as she showed up on the door.

I was gasping for air as my body was not that adapted to the effort I just used.

"It seems that master Ling's brother is back, and this was his doing."

"Lord Ling? The lord has no brothers, what are you talking about?"

"Huh? The man clearly said to his brother,"

"What man?" she asked.

"The one responsible over this. he goes by the name Shen if I remember correctly."

Melinda's facial expressions changed almost instantly from indifferent to horrified.

"That old lecher is here! I must inform the rest!"