Farewell

Chapter 11 — Farewell.

I didn't know when it started. The madness of my rage had already become unfathomable. If I let my guard down, it would definitely consume me.

Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!

I pounded my hammer repeatedly against the metal with perfect stability and control over my strength.

To let out my rage, with every strike of my hammer, I poured every negativity inside of me into metal.

It was the only way to control it.

The increasingly maddening rage filled with bloodlust that won't stop growing. I could feel it pouring into the metal. The necklace helped me gain stability over my mind, as well as focusing it inwardly to deeply analyze the metal, while my rage filled my body with explosive power to refine and forge it.

As I pounded without stopping, I kept inhaling and exhaling deeply with every raise and swing of the hammer. This breathing method was able to keep my stamina consumption as low as possible without leaking any waste. Coupled with my pink muscles, I have abundant stamina to last for a long time.

Currently, I was immersed in a special trance state wherein my focus was pushed to a new height. Due to this state, I slowly felt my mind, body, and the metal becoming one.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

I heard vigorous heartbeats resounding like the firm sound of steel.

After realizing the effectiveness of breathing, I have been perfecting my own special breathing method. It was based on my own understanding, as well as the martial art books from the library.

And at last, I soon managed to create a suitable breathing method for myself. It was still rough around the edges, but it worked well.

I have recently been incorporating this method when forging and training. I was working on using it during combat to conceal my presence.

My self-created breathing method was named 'Steel Breathing Technique'. The reason for the steel part was because whenever I used it, I could clearly feel my mind temporarily turning firm and hard as steel. It brought increased clarity and mental processing speed, as well as granting maximum concentration and focus.

This breathing technique allowed me to learn how to control my breathings in a smooth and controlled manner. And when I use it, It guides my body to enter a relaxed yet energetic optimal state. This optimal and efficient state was useful in every part of my life. As such, it allows me to control my body to exert forces and execute movements in a smooth, flowing water-like manner.

And by learning how to breathe in a controlled manner, I learned how to efficiently use my stamina without wasting a single drop of it, as well as helping to conceal my presence.

The large amount of air that was inhaled with every breath also increased the activity of my muscles. It boosted my stamina and strength. And by focusing my strength on certain parts of my muscles, I can temporarily harden that muscle part as hard as steel.

That was the true reason why I called it the Steel Breathing Technique. However, I could only harden my right fist for now since it consumed a lot of my stamina and mind to harden it.

Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!

Presently, I am making a medium-size component. I've gone through failures after failures trying to forge it successfully many times. But after those failures, I slowly learned and improved. Today, if I managed to create it, I could finally advance to 2nd Rank Blacksmith. After all, I've already reached the realm of Hundred Refinements.

Hu Yu silently watched me forge with her eyes reflecting the violent sparks that flew with every strike I landed on the metal.

In contrast to the bright and warm flame that heated the metal into life, she saw the hammer rising and swinging down with the cold rage of death.

Yet the metal felt alive despite being bestowed with death.

I felt a connection forming between myself and the metal. It gradually grew solid and firmer with each strike.

I knew that even in death, you can still be alive to feel various things. Life and Death are the same yet not the same.

However, I was proof that even death can still have life.

I was clearly dead yet I continued to walk on this earth with life.

It was what the heart inside my chest spoke to me.

That Life is Death. And Death is Life.

Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!

The medium component began to mold into the shape I desired. With my sharp perception, I was able to gradually feel every subtle change of the metal's external and internal structure. I was able to constantly improvise from thoroughly understanding the metal.

Dang! Dang! Dang!

"HUUUPHH!"

And with a final dang accompanied by a rageful cry, I stopped pounding my hammer after the metal that has undergone Hundred Refinements was molded perfectly into a medium component.

"I finally did it!"

The seething rage began settling down inwardly. For the first time, I unconsciously let some of my positive emotions to spill, a small smile forming on my face as I held the medium component towards Hu Yu.

"....!"

Hu Yu looked at my smiling face in surprise before letting out a smile of her own.

This was the first time she ever saw me smiling.

And… she thought I looked cute and good when smiling.

"Haha! You've finally become a 2nd Rank Blacksmith! And the youngest blacksmith to reach it!!"

Hu Yu exclaimed joyfully while ruffling my black hair.

It felt uncomfortable to get my hair patted by her hand, but I decided to not push her hand away.

Instead, I replayed her words inside my head over and over again.

The first six years old kid to reach 2nd Rank Blacksmith!

A sense of accomplishment overwhelmed my heart.

I… I never knew that it felt this good.

Alas, It was a pity that I couldn't celebrate with my family.

"You only need to forge more medium components to solidify your position!" Hu Yu while nodding happily.

However, her smile soon faded as she released a dejected sigh.

"Nai An, you have finally surpassed me. I don't have the ability to teach you further down the road. If I continue, I will only hold you back from success." Hu Yu stated while smiling bitterly about her talent only allowing her to reach this far.

Looking at her bitter smile, I felt my heart aching and decided to hold her hands. It was the only way I knew how to comfort someone. And it was what I learned from Tang Jin.

As I held her hands, I realized how wrinkled and rough it felt. This was the testament of her hardwork and dedication to blacksmithing.

"Master, it's alright. I'm very grateful for the things you've done for me…"

I really meant those words. My sincerity comes from the bottom of my heart to express my gratitude.

Hu Yu felt very emotional upon hearing those words.

"Nai An, are you gonna leave soon?"

I nodded my head silently. My true goal was not to stay in this town. I just stayed here to prepare myself and earn money before heading to the nearest city to awaken my Martial Soul. After that, I was gonna get stronger to get revenge for my family. With my current strength, I still have no chance of fighting against those bastards that used a whitish mecha to burn my village down into smithereens.

Hu Yu then patted my head.

"I already knew you were gonna leave, but I still decided to teach you my craft. Do you know why? For my own selfish interest. I wanted to become a teacher of a genius like you. But you can't get stuck in such a small town. You must explore the wide world to broaden your horizons."

"You must have freedom!"

"Mnn…" I nodded my head.

"You've graduated now, so leave whenever you like. I only wish you awakened the fabled soul power to continue on the path of being a blacksmith."

There was an undetermined chance of awakening soul power. However, Hu Yu believed her disciple would surely awaken it.

"Thank you. I'll come back after becoming the greatest blacksmith."

Hu Yu smiled, "I'm afraid, I would already be dead before that happens."

I frowned deeply.

"Then I'll come back to tell you if I awakened a soul power."

And If I get stronger, I will find ways to make her live longer.

"I'll be looking forward to that day." Hu Yu nodded her head with certainty.

A faint smile formed on my face, but I soon forcefully closed my eyes that began to burn painfully.

And when I opened them again, I saw a vague black miasma around Hu Yu that made green specks of light quickly flow out from her body.

I was familiar with that green light.

The reason for my ever increasing rage of madness and bloodlust.

"Life force…?" I wore a puzzled expression.

It was then—

"Cough…!"

I saw her abruptly turning very pale with blood leaking from her mouth. She then started coughing her blood violently.

Hu Yu soon fell to the ground while wheezing terribly.

"..!"

Hurriedly, I supported her body. "Master! Master! What's wrong!?" I questioned with a trembling voice.

Instead of replying, she let out a few weak chuckles.

"I'm sorry for letting you see such a pitiful side of me, boy…"

I quickly shook my head.

"Don't worry about that! What's going on with you! I should carry you to the hospital!"

I tried to lift her up, but Hu Yu grabbed my hands to stop me.

"This is not an illness, but a nasty curse casted to me for my sins. There's no way to cure it."

"Who casted this curse to you?" I questioned with my voice growing colder and colder.

"You know I have a son, right?"

I nodded.

"You've mentioned him before…"

I was confused why her son would come up.

"My son… he was similar to you…" Hu Yu whispered tenderly while caressing my cheeks.

I then saw how her expression gradually became filled with sorrow, pain, and regrets. The emotions within her eyes were so complicated that it seemed like a solemn storm full of sadness.

"At first, I didn't work as a blacksmith here at Sunset Town. I once spent the majority of my time at a small village with my husband. I was happy at that time. But everything changed when he died while I was giving birth."

Hu Yu's eyes sadly reminisced about her own past.

"I promised to raise my kid well like I swore to my husband. Yes, I knew I raised him with every love and care I had. Yet for him, it simply didn't matter. My kid has been broken twistedly since birth. I was too late to realize that fact. That I gave birth to a monster. I should've realized it back then when his personality made him detached and devoid of any emotions. Not only that, he was extremely smart to the point of making everything boring to him. At that time. I didn't even know he already had the cruel hobbies of dissecting and eating living animals to satisfy his boredom. He showed cruelness that made him no different from a monster."

As she said those, I saw tears rapidly flowing from her eyes.

"And once he awakened his Martial Soul and Soul Power, I saw how everything changed to become worse. He started to dissect kids of his age using his powerful evil martial soul when he attended his academy. I realized it too late. There might be even deeper darkness than what I currently know. I should've corrected him early on. Yet he had already walked too far on the wrong path. The night he destroyed our village to massacre his fellow villagers, it was then I realized he was a Dark Spirit Master that would continue on to commit countless horrible crimes."

Hu Yu's expression crumpled severely as she started to blame herself. The crime of her son, it was also her crime as the mother.

"I couldn't no longer save him. I was no longer his mother to him. I was nothing but a hindrance. Once I returned from the nearby town after exchanging my works, I was greeted by him destroying our village and him killing the woman he loved before my eyes. I tried to stop him, but he just casted a curse onto me. A painful curse that would drain my life force to feed the caster. He said it himself to me."

"To his own mother…? How could he even do that…!?" I couldn't comprehend the cruelness of her son.

How could he do that to his own family that raised him with love and care?

I couldn't understand.

No, I didn't need to understand.

All I need to know is that kind of unfilial son deserved the most painful death.

I could feel my rage gradually burning from the deepest depths of my heart. It muddled my head to the point the necklace couldn't slowly suppress it anymore.

But Hu Yu's next word caused my rage to become lost.

"Despite all of that, I still can't bring myself to hate that child. I couldn't detest the child born from our love. I know this is too detestable for me. Yet even when he killed people, destroyed many lives, cursed and abandoned me to die, I never hated him deeply in my heart.

"Why…?"

Like her son, I couldn't also understand Hu Yu. In fact, I've never truly tried to understand her that much ever since the start.

I slowly came to loathe myself.

"It's simply because he's my child." Hu Yu replied with tears spilling from her sorrowful expression. "I only regret not being able to stop him from destroying so many lives. I have committed a huge sin. After I die, I will pay for mine and shoulder my child's sins with him."

"...." I silently reached out to hold her wrinkled, calloused hands. I only thought of these hands being purely caused from forging for all her life.

I never expected it to also show the rough and hard times of her life.

It also felt warm and comforting.

I could feel it melting and soothing my heart peacefully.

"You know… There's still a small difference between you and my son."

"In what way?"

"He hated forging with every fiber of his being."

She stared at my eyes, causing me to look down to avoid it.

"I see…" I didn't know what to say, so those were the only words I could say.

I didn't love to forge.

Nor did I particularly hate it.

"And I know you will not go down the wrong path unlike him."

Those words slowly made me raise my head.

Her eyes… I could see it looking at me with a firm faith.

"I have watched you for one year. That's why I know you will not stray away from your own path."

"I'm not that good." I disagreed with her words for the first time.

"I know."

Hu Yu simply replied.

"But you will neither be evil."

"It's so puzzling…"

"I think you're alright the way you are, Nai An. Not too good nor too evil. In the first place, the concept of good and evil are just based on our perceptions. You must live as you wish. That's freedom."

I silently reflected on her words.

Good and Evil are just based on our perceptions…

I knew her words contained truths.

"I learned a lot…" I said while engraving those words on my mind.

Hu Yu slowly nodded her head before coughing blood once again.

She was gradually reaching her limit.

"Nai An, I have a selfish request to say before I die."

I nodded my head while feeling my heart growing heavier.

"Please stay beside me until the end." A wrinkled smile formed on her face.

"I'll stay by your side…" I agreed with a low voice. "...until the very end."

I accepted her selfish request despite knowing I would only feel pain.

Yet I couldn't let her die alone inside her house.

She had no family.

No one to accompany her.

Except me.

If I left her…

…it would be too lonely.

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I eventually carried Hu Yu to rest on her bed. It was decided that I would take care of her until the very end.

And I wished it wouldn't come…

Hu Yu quietly remained on her bed since she was too weak to move.

I tried to find ways to cure her from the curse, but despite not sleeping for several days, I couldn't find a solution.

My eyes were only able to see her life force draining out faster and faster with every passing day.

I diligently cooked and tried to feed Hu Yu, but she lacked the energy to eat much. I was gradually feeling worn out from the painful sorrow I constantly felt. Yet I continued to take care of her thoroughly without showing them. Instead, I started to tell her stories that my parents usually told me in the past.

Bit by bit, I unknowingly revealed some of my past to her.

I spent several days taking care of Hu Yu without much rest.

The blacksmith shop has already been closed for some time.

I went outside to buy Hu Yu's recent favorite snacks.

Arriving at a small shop, I saw it brimming with customers. This shop has recently opened and soon became popular.

With the corrupted officials and the Scorpion Gang entirely gone, the state of the town was gradually flourishing. In fact, it was rapidly gaining attention due to the mysterious vigilante called 'Vlad the Bloodsucker'.

"May I please have a take out of everdew tea with snacks to go along with it?" I requested the shop owner.

The shop owner was a pretty young girl about my age.

"Wait, I'll prepare it now." She said with a beaming smile that made her look even prettier.

After a short moment, she handed me a large paper bag that contained what I requested.

It was a paper bag with the image of a cartoonist hero.

"Vlad…" I mumbled upon seeing the character on it.

In fact, I wasn't surprised to see it. I even have invested my money into the shop owner as my other persona—Vlad.

The shop owner was one of the girls I rescued when roaming the night. In fact, all of the rescued people gathered together under the leadership of this shop owner to make a company. Surprisingly, the shop owner was a rich and influential noble outside the town.

It was a big company that entered different kinds of areas with their theme being all about Vlad.

This snack shop was just one of the many businesses their company had. I was also quite surprised to see them flourishing so fast.

I didn't mind since I have invested a lot of my money in them. In short, the more they grew, the more money I earned.

With the elimination of Scorpion Gang, as well as the corrupted officials who got their horrible deeds gone, the Sunset Town's criminal activity went down by a lot. This even spreads to other nearby areas of Sunset Town.

All evil feared Vlad.

I've managed to amass a lot of wealth from the Scorpion Gang. However, most of them were sent back to their respective owners that had good profiles.

I wasn't much different from the Scorpion Gang, so doing good deeds won't erase the fact that I slaughtered so many people. However, I wanted to at least make it easier for the victims.

My entire body was also now completely reconstructed out of extremely dense pink muscles. My muscles were the epitome of all muscles, as well as the perfect concentration of muscles.

I knew that my brain was now completely made out of pink muscles that made its performances extremely efficient, therefore maximizing my brain capabilities. It caused me to perform every bodily movement with incredible precision with zero effort. I can also respond faster in the most effective manner. It just further strengthened my perception and brain processing speed.

I returned back to the smithy to feed Hu Yu her snacks.

I continued to accompany Hu Yu while treating her with my best.

Until one night—

I was taking a nap from exhaustion when I slowly felt someone nudging my sleeves.

"Master?" I asked softly.

"I want to go outside. To see the sun rise for the final time.

Sure enough, it was too dark and depressing inside the room.

"Okay." I gently carried Hu Yu towards the garden.

I was thankful to have strong strength to easily carry Hu Yu.

Arriving at the garden, I laid her on the grass to watch the starry night sky with her.

"Boy."

Hu Yu uttered softly.

"Yes."

"What's your plan for the future?"

I pondered for a very long time, but no answer came to me.

After I achieved my revenge, what would I do next?

I pondered hard.

Nothing.

No answers still came to me.

I only felt emptiness.

"I don't know."

That kind of answer slipped from my mouth.

"That's fine. You're still young. You have a lot of time to think carefully."

But I'm lost.

My future.

I couldn't see anything but endless darkness.

What was my dream again?

"If you can't decide in the future, I hope you try to become a blacksmith. The greatest blacksmith to ever live. A pity I wouldn't be alive to see it."

I looked dazedly at the endless starry night sky.

I remember Tang Jin saying that she dreamed of going there—The Sea Of Stars.

"If I become someone great, I'll visit your grave and tell you about it."

"Haha! I might rise from my grave in the future!"

"It's not certain yet that I will become someone great in the future."

"If it's you, I know you'll eventually become someone great. Even if it's not about being a blacksmith, but something else differently."

"I'll try."

She and I weren't looking at each other as we talked. Our gazes were only fixed at the shining moon that gradually faded.

As the moon slowly fell, the sun would rise to replace it.

"Nai An, what's your real name? I hope you tell me now."

This wasn't the first time.

"You'll die."

"Those words again. But it's fine now. I'm a dying old woman now."

"Okay, I'll tell you."

As the buzzing sound of cicadas filled our ears, I quietly whispered my forgotten name to her.

"So your surname is Liu… It's such a shame to hide such a good name!" Hu Yu weakly chuckled. "And see? Nothing bad is happening to me!"

"It's because you're close to dying. It won't change anything even if you know my name now."

"Haha, is that so?"

Faintly, I could hear her breaths slowly weakening.

"Don't die like me, boy. Try to explore the world and live freely to your best." Hu Yu said to me. "It would be even perfect if you left your true name in the annals of history!"

"I'll try."

I faintly smiled.

She really has a lot of things for me. She was like my mother.

"You'd better be! You won't know if you can't do it without first trying it! Who knows, you might be able to do It!"

"I'll remember it." I replied with my eyes reflecting the yellow sun that gradually rose up to split the night sky.

"The sun is finally up."

No reply came.

"..."

I waited.

And waited.

When I looked in her direction, I saw that she died with a peaceful smile.

I approached her and held her body gently in my embrace.

From my dead eyes that were devoid of emotions, I could feel tears gradually spilling.

I silently cried while holding her dead body tightly.

Her warmth was slowly fading away.

It was then—

I could feel the cold force awakening inside of my body.

To defile my master's body.

"No… don't touch my master…!" I furiously roared deeply as my eyes reddened with madness.

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Don't touch her!

Under my madness, the cold force was finally driven back.

I continued to embrace her body until tears of blood spilled from my eyes.

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Sunset Town prepared a special funeral for Hu Yu's death.

Several days later, she was buried deeply in the town's cemetery.

"You're the sole apprentice of the deceased Hu Yu, right? This is a letter she left behind for you."

A white letter was handed to me after the burial.

I returned to our blacksmith shop, sitting on her bed before opening the letter.

My dear apprentice:

If you were to receive this letter, I would probably be dead. I had a great time. I also didn't feel lonely thanks to you accompanying me. I have no regrets when keeping you. I also really loved the foods you cooked. I didn't know much about you at first, but as I watched you forge, I understood something. Your heart is wounded. You're scarred with so much pain. I'm saddened upon feeling your pain, so I hope I could at least ease your pain a little better.

If you receive the letter, it also means I'm giving you my entire wealth. I can no longer use it, so you can use it as you please. I hope that if you meet my son someday, I want you to end his terrible life without feeling guilty for me. He deserves it. I will not hate you. I say this because I know what you're doing every night, and I know there is fate in this world. I'm very thankful for you protecting me. I was touched to see you returning the money that was taken from me. After my death, you can take another master that is much better than me. You don't need to worry about me. I only worry about you.

Take care of yourself and live a long bright life, boy.

From your Master, Hu Yu.

The letter was signed by Hu Yu. It was really from her.

I folded the letter carefully. I thought of the bastard that caused Hu Yu to have a painful life.

Even if she tried her best to hide it from me, I knew she felt extremely painful within her heart to know that her own son cursed her to death.

Unforgivable!

An unadultered rage began to consume every fiber of my being.

"I'm sorry, Master. If I ever heard of your son, I would kill him in the most painful manner."

And also…

"I will also not use your money. I don't want to sully them with my own bad karma."

I decided to donate the money to orphanages and people with disabilities and illnesses.

I'm sure Hu Yu would've liked this action

more.

As for the blacksmith shop, I decided to invest it into the company. I hope they used it for good.

I then prepared all of my belongings.

And soon departed the soul train to the nearest city.

It was time to awaken my Martial Soul.

[Volume 2: World Of Ordinary, ends]

[Volume 3: A Step Into A New World, begins]

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