Wen Yingjie felt his mind and throat dry up once he heard all Yi Jie had to say. He was no coward but the risk of dying before he could even do what he had set out to do left his mind in tatters.
He sighed as he looked upwards his gaze turning blurry.
"How many years has it been? 50,60,70 or more since I had mom's cooking, getting that cold stare from the old man, and hearing grandpa's regaling tales of how he got his nickname as the golden spear of the blue oak kingdom.
Who would have thought I who was lauded as the youngest general with the highest chance of making it to the palace stage would one day end up as a vagabond roaming the earth with no place to call home, destroying the Wen family name that has been synonymous with honor and duty.
Maybe death would be a release from the hell I've lived through from that day.
Fourth prince why, why, just why would you get in bed with the black jade syndicate and serve as their spy against your own kingdom?
You had a life and all the power that most can only dream of but you decided to collude against your own kingdom with a criminal syndicate known to have atleast five palace stage experts and are unscrupulous and merciless in their ways.
Just what were you after by colluding with them? Why did the syndicate decide to kill you? Was it to just get at my family who are the only other family other than the royal family to have a palace stage expert to be on the wrong side of the king or was something else at play?
I thought I'd get an answer to some of these questions after decades of tracking down the grey weasel one of the executives from the black jade syndicate who was one of the parties involved with the prince but if I die before even getting to question him then….
I can't even risk getting close to him without a top-grade sky rank weapon as he has late-stage core formation experts surrounding him and being an executive his strength should be at that level too or stronger.
Am I really unfated to resolve my family's shame and help the kingdom I once called home?
This is frustrating. Grandpa what would you do if you were in my place?" Wen Yingjie stood in silent contemplation as his mind drifted off to simpler days.
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Two people were riding horses side by side. One seemed to be an old man in pristine white robes who was fairly built and could be seen riding a red feather-tailed horse accompanied by a youth around 9 years old who was riding a smaller but similar red feather-tailed horse. He too had pristine white robes, eyes glowing as his head kept darting around with an excited smile on his face. The young boy and the older man had some features resembling each other such as their eyes and cheekbones. One could tell at a glance they were related.
"Grandpa thank you for bringing me to the red glaive forest. I kept asking dad to bring me but all he does is make me practice my shield and sword routines every single day and beat me up repetitively. That stinky old man.." The young youth clenched his fists in fury before his look shifted once more to one of excitement when he looked at the forest which looked normal at a glance if one didn't look at the crown of the trees that formed broad sword shapes at the top. This was why the forest was named the red glaive forest. It was rumored there was a sword cultivator who improved his sword dao in the forest that when his dao manifested it transformed the trees into red glaive trees. Whether there was truth to that rumor nobody knows but what is known is that the forest was home to some of the most ferocious spirit beasts in the blue oak kingdom.
"Heheheh do you want me to knock him around a few times for you Yingjie'er," the old man asked with a gentle smile as he looked dotingly at his grandson who at hearing about the prospects of his father getting a beating made his eyes glow brighter than he was a few moments. However, a few breaths later as he held his smooth chin in a contemplative posture he shook his head sideways as he sighed.
"Thanks, grandpa but for some reason I feel dad will be even more ruthless towards me in training if you give him a beating. He isn't the best at handling losses. I remember beating him in rock paper scissors once and out of anger and embarrassment he made me go try and cut a boulder with a thin slice of paper. I was four at the time and when I failed he made me clean the stables of his spirit beasts knowing full well I was afraid of them and they beat me up on occasion. What kind of person does that to their child," the young boy fumed in righteous indignation.
The old man who was listening to the story had his eyes freeze for a moment seemingly remembering something before he awkwardly laughed.
"Why don't you let grandpa tell you about the time I led a solo charge through the famed white stone cavalry of the Rockwhale kingdom and leveled a whole battalion, encampment and a few fortress strongholds while I was at it," The old man said as he stroked his beard with a smug smile and puffed up gait following.
"Really," The young boy said as his eyes glittered like the stars as he stared piously at his grandfather.
With this, the duo of the old and young made their way to the red glaive forest. The former was animatingly telling his story with spittle and passion flying everywhere as the latter soaked up everything with a fervent expression.
30 minutes later
Swoosh
An arrow punctured through a grey deer that had hooves that had metallic shin to them and looked more like daggers than hooves.
"Great shot Yingjie'er. We may make a fine hunter out of you yet. Now quick start processing it and make sure no part of the iron hoofed deer is left unattended down to its pelt," the old man said at the side as Yingjie started processing the kill with practiced precision.
It was when Yingjie was halfway done that an unexpected situation occurred. A loud roar that sent the trees shaking and some even creaking on the verge of breaking echoed around the area they were in. The ground soon started shaking as if something was madly dashing destroying everything in its wake with sheer unadulterated force.
Yingjier didn't have to wait for long to know what that fearsome thing was as he saw a mountain size object rapidly rushing his way as it mowed down the trees in its path as if they were young grass.
"Yingjier'er don't take a step from my side," the old man calmly said as he moved in front of his grandson with a golden spear appearing in his hand. It had the symbol of a roaring dragon embedded into it with a tinge of dark red color coating the edge of the spear. He stood stalwart and calm facing the behemoth that was making its way.
Yingjie finally got a clear look. It was a massive red tiger with a baleful murderous aura surrounding it. Yingjie recognized that aura as he had seen it on his father, his colleagues, and the other relatives from his family who were in the army. The only person who didn't seem to have that aura surrounding him was his grandfather which he had always wondered why.
The gaze of the tiger fell on the tiny Yingjie who was cautiously eyeing it. Yingjie froze immediately under the gaze as he soon started vomiting over and wheezing. He felt like he was buried in a sea of blood and carnage. When he breathed in he felt he was being drowned in blood as everything within him was being grinded and compressed. His grandfather snorted as he waved his sleeves which broke Yingjie free of the torment he had been in. He coughed repetitively immediately after before he got a hold of himself however he didn't dare stare at the tiger again.
"Yingjie'er don't look down. Stare ahead and don't shy away from what you are feeling. You feel weak, timid, and afraid. There's nothing wrong with that. Accepting those feelings and facing them won't automatically make you stronger but it will give you a clear heart one that is accepting of yourself and the situation you are in. There is strength in that and freedom in it. Don't let that oversized cat take that away from you. Face it head-on and the feelings that you feel accept them and decide what is it you can do. This will help you act with a clear intent whether it's to attack, hide, run, or ask for help. Whatever you do your actions will be guided with a clear intent that isn't held back. There is a difference in the actions of someone acting with intensity and one on the fences. Surviving dangerous situations depends on those little subtleties. Whatever step you take you do it with your whole mind and body carved into it. No matter what happens next all that matters is you did it facing your true self.
That's how I've always lived, I faced the storms of my life with my eyes wide open when I fought I fought without holding anything back, when I ran I did it decisively. Every action I take I face with a clear heart. Find your clear heart Yingjie'er like my heart is telling me to obliterate this massive cat for scaring my grandson," the old man smiled a bit at Yingjie who had a dumfounded look before his gaze became clear and stared at the beast.
"I'm weak so I can't run away or fight but I won't always be weak but for now since I'm incapable of anything I'll rely on you grandpa," Yingjie said as he clenched his fist.
The old man nodded his head in appreciation before he valiantly charged at the beast. The moment he swung his spear forward the head of a massive golden dragon materialized as it let out a deafening roar as it charged toward the tiger which whimpered in fear as it tried to turn tail and run. However, it was too late as it was punctured through with a massive hole running through its chest with its front legs being obliterated in the attack. It fell down with a huge thud. It tried making a sound but nothing came out other than gulps of blood and strained breath.
Yingjie couldn't believe what he saw as that massive beast that towered over them lay dead after just one strike.
"Grandpa is so cooooooool," Yingjie yelled as he stared worshipingly at his grandfather.
........................….
"Act with a clear heart huh grandpa," Wen Yingjie said as he smiled to himself with his eyes clearer. He seemed like a different person like he had let go of a burden that shackled everything within him.
"I'll do it, I'll take the third option," Wen Yingjie calmly said as he bowed.
"If I fail well that will be that but there are many people in the kingdom more talented than I am to take my place with the black jade syndicate. If it can't be me then someone else can take over. Relying on someone else is also a strength right grandpa" Wen Yingjie thought as he smiled gently with his face easing up.
