Mastery of Horsemanship, Advancing the Heavenly River Saber Technique, Entering the Ranks of Saber Wielders!

Dawn had only just begun to break.

At Duantou Duan's residence, Ji Xiu had worked himself into a sweat, then hurried without pause back to the stables at Lin Residence.

"Morning, little Ji."

Old Yao had both hands tucked into his pockets and was humming a little tune. When he saw Ji Xiu, his eyes lit up. Chuckling, he pulled out two warm boiled eggs and stuffed them into his hands.

"Thanks, old man."

With no one around, Ji Xiu glanced about, casually accepted them, offered his thanks, then went to prepare the fodder for feeding and tending the horses.

Only after Ji Xiu had gone some distance away—

and begun the real work—

did Old Yao watch him bustling about. Seeing that he had already broken into a sweat on the way here, Old Yao muttered a few words.

"Young people, really."

"A while back, he was only putting on a show. Seeing that no one from the master's household had come, and that Second Miss was nowhere in sight, he knew there was no point performing for anyone."

"Now look at him. Before dawn, if he doesn't come, he gets up even later than this old man."

"Still, thank heavens he's willing to work. As long as he works, that's all that matters. As long as he works."

After watching for a while and seeing Ji Xiu handle everything in an orderly fashion without any mistakes, Old Yao tucked his hands away and squatted beneath the eaves of his little wooden shack. He gathered dry twigs, lit a charcoal brazier, then sat on a small stool and watched, nodding in satisfaction from time to time.

Ever since this boy called Ji Xiu had come to the stables—

he had taken every task upon himself.

Fine rice, fine flour, eggs, beans—only after Old Yao had picked through them did Ji Xiu take a little home in a sack. He neither fought nor competed for anything.

And with his superb horse-tending skills, the horses had instead grown plumper and stronger.

The day before yesterday, Master Lin had made the rare gesture of lowering himself to come here. He had taken several horses away to handle some business.

Ji Xiu had happened to be absent at the time, so Master Lin had praised Old Yao to the skies. Even now, Old Yao's heart still felt as sweet as honey.

Thus, watching Ji Xiu bend down to open the pens and lead the horses out for a run, Old Yao could not help thinking to himself:

"Kid, you mustn't leave."

"If you leave, this old man's good days will be over."

At that moment, Yao Shi, who had gotten up even later than his own "master" and "grandfather," emerged with a yawn.

The moment Old Yao saw him, his face darkened. Compared to Ji Xiu, he was even less willing to indulge him, and he kicked him outright.

"You little brat, getting up later than your grandpa when you can't do a damn thing! Why aren't you helping Brother Ji shovel horse dung and lend a hand?"

"Do you still want to eat?"

"Ow!"

The commotion in the distance vaguely reached his ears.

But Ji Xiu, who was snapping his reins against the gravel path and urging the horses around the track, had no mind to spare for anything else.

Because at that very moment—

his eyes flickered as he stared at the radiant ordination register appearing before him—

Fed horses and added fodder, led them in circles and tamed them. Horsemanship progress +1!

Horsemanship: (1000/1000)

Tame horses a thousand times, and success shall be achieved. The Ordination Master has completely mastered Horsemanship!

Currently available martial arts and techniques to advance: one.

When the last horse obediently returned to the stable under Ji Xiu's hand—

he looked at the fully completed "skill" displayed upon the ordination register.

Ji Xiu glanced at the water in the wooden bucket beside him.

His reflection stared back at him.

His face was pale, dark circles hung beneath his eyes, and exhaustion was written all over him. A wave of bitterness rose in his chest.

These past days—

he had risen at the fifth watch and gone to Duantou Duan's residence to tend the stove, feed dry grass, clear horse dung, and wash clothes.

Every day, it took up more than half a shichen, leaving him not even the time he had once set aside for saber practice.

After finishing there, to keep the steward of Lin Residence from finding anything lacking, he had to run all the way here to feed the horses and lead them in circles, working through the entire day before he had any free time.

Then he had to hurry back to Duan Residence and finish all the work awaiting him there. Only then could he steal a few scattered moments to borrow a plain saber from the weapon rack in the constable's courtyard and practice a little.

Perhaps because the time was too short—

or perhaps because he was exhausted to the bone—

he was utterly lost when it came to the secrets of the saber, as well as the occasional explanations from Duantou Duan.

By now, after practicing for several days—

he had still failed to make anything of it.

It also put an end to his notion that he might be some kind of martial arts prodigy.

"If I'm not, then I'm not. As they say, 'The three thousand Great Daos all lead through; though the paths differ, they return to the same destination.' I'll still rely on my own efforts!"

After a brief moment of disappointment—

Ji Xiu gathered himself again and touched the copied manual tucked inside his clothes.

His gaze gradually grew blazing hot.

Isn't this another path I carved out on my own, relying entirely on myself?

There's no difference!

Advance the Heavenly River Saber Technique?

"Advance it."

He silently uttered the words in his heart.

The next moment—

a memory that seemed to belong to him, yet did not belong to him, slowly surged into his mind.

It was the memory of a saber wielder.

That saber wielder was also called Ji Xiu.

He saw a youth identical to himself standing before a waterfall where the Heavenly River hung upside down. Holding a single-edged plain saber, he practiced day after day, as though he knew no exhaustion.

He practiced until his dull, murky eyes became as sharp as an Azure Hawk's.

He practiced until thick saber calluses formed upon his two rough palms, hard as boulders.

Until, at last, after hundreds of days and nights—nearly a year of single-minded focus—

at a certain instant, that saber wielder seemed to receive divine inspiration. The scattered flashes of insight accumulated over countless days finally condensed into a single point—

then he swung his saber.

It flashed like a streak of light, drawing the blade to sever water. A section of the waterfall behind him was cleaved apart, smooth and even, sending countless sprays flying!

And thus—

the saber was accomplished.

The blade returned—

to its sheath.

The memories crashed into Ji Xiu's mind like a flood.

From hazy—

they began to grow clearer and clearer.

At that moment—

Ji Xiu unconsciously spread open his palms.

He saw thick saber calluses already formed between his thumbs and forefingers.

Then he looked again at the water-filled wooden bucket.

The youth who should have had a sallow face and dark circles beneath his eyes—

at some unknown moment, now had eyes sharp as blades, brilliant and alive.

It was as though—

those hundreds of days and nights had truly been spent by Ji Xiu himself, standing upon the rocks and drawing his saber to sever water without rest, cultivating the blade with devout sincerity until he had finally achieved something.

Thus, he had been remade from the marrow out!

Heavenly River Saber Technique: Beginner

Condition for advancement: Draw the saber ten thousand times before achievement can be attained!

"I mastered it?!"

For the first time in his life, Ji Xiu found himself yearning so desperately to hold a saber!

Just then—

"Brother Ji, move aside! Old man told me to come help you clean up."

Carrying two wooden buckets, Yao Shi noisily ran toward the eastern stables. The moment he looked up, he saw Ji Xiu turn around.

Their gazes met.

But when he saw those hawk-like eyes with their edge fully revealed—

he cried out, startled half to death. Staggering, he nearly fell flat on the ground!

Fortunately—

Ji Xiu reached out and caught him by the collar, keeping him from taking a face-first tumble.

Ji Xiu lowered his gaze slightly, closed his eyes, and took a breath.

When he opened them again—

the intimidating saber-light in his eyes had vanished, replaced by his usual expression.

"You all right?"

"Be more careful." He smiled gently.

Yet in Yao Shi's eyes, it only left him shaken to the core, even questioning his life.

"I-I'm fine."

He patted himself down and had only just gotten back to his feet when he hesitated, seeming to want to say something.

But by then, Ji Xiu's figure had already slowly walked away.

"That was damned strange, those eyes."

"How come they looked exactly like those retainers and stewards in the inner courtyard—the ones attended by maidservants and servants, who even have courtyards of their own?"

"Or were my eyes playing tricks on me? Am I not awake yet?"

Yao Shi rubbed his eyes and scratched his head, unable to make heads or tails of it. Yet he did not quite dare chase after Ji Xiu and ask him directly.

In the end, he could only shake his head, throw the matter to the back of his mind, and continue carrying his buckets with a miserable face as he went to work.

Only—

from that day onward—

whenever he saw Ji Xiu again, the young boy would likely carry a lingering shadow in his heart.

And without realizing it—

he would treat him with a measure of respect.