Black Clouds Over the City

The training grounds occupied a vast open square just north of central Sand City, spacious enough for nearly ten thousand knights to train at once.

Though the fiercest heat had passed, the afternoon sun remained glaring and scorching. Crawling creatures and snakes all hid in the shade to escape the unbearable heat-all except the Holy Temple knights.

"Hah! Hah! Hah!"

Still clad in heavy, stifling armor, the knights stood in formation with swords in hand, shouting in unison as they moved through their drills. Nearly a thousand men filled the ranks, packed together like a single giant swinging a sword back and forth, their steps synchronized and their momentum overwhelming.

A wooden platform stood in the square. On it, a man led the knights in their shouts and sword drills. His sword was of excellent quality, his build sturdy, and his features radiated martial vigor. He was Aikimu, the Silver-Pattern Knight Commander.

"Commander Aikimu!" someone called from below the platform.

Aikimu looked toward the voice and saw Zeng Mu and Kanni squeezing out of the crowd.

He lowered his sword and gave a hand signal. Below him, the knights continued shouting, stepping, and swinging their swords.

"What brings you here so soon?" he asked as he walked down from the platform.

"Lord Aikimu, once we've recovered from our injuries, we should return to training immediately. It's our duty."

"No need to be so formal, you two. Just call me Kimu. Since you're here, find yourselves a spot and follow my movements." Aikimu wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Yes, Lord Kimu," they answered together.

After finding a spot in a corner, the two drew their swords with a swish. At the sight of their bronze and silver swords, the surrounding knights cast envious looks at them. One could not resist asking quietly, "Hey, brother, that bronze sword of yours looks unusual. It came from the Seven Kingdoms, didn't it?"

Trying his best to follow Aikimu's movements on the platform, Zeng Mu answered a little shakily, "Yes. A trophy taken from a Silver-Pattern General."

"A Silver-Pattern General's sword? Impressive!"

"Brother, that silver sword's hilt looks like it bears the trademark of the Fulin Taiyou People. Did you buy it from one of their shops?" someone asked, glancing sidelong at the blade gleaming with cold light.

Kanni's movements were deft and light, so effortless that he seemed to be dancing. He answered casually, "That's right. More precisely, I bought it from a master Fulin Taiyou blacksmith. It was his shop's prized sword. Cost me a full six thousand Livre-all the savings I had at the time."

"No wonder. There isn't a single rolled edge or chip on it."

After that brief exchange of envy and conversation, the knights put aside their distractions and focused entirely on following Aikimu's movements.

What had been dull, tedious training became lively and focused amid their rhythmic shouts. Everyone seemed united in body and mind; not one man slacked off or let his attention wander. Their steps, arms, and swords seemed to merge, and every swing sent a rumbling rush of wind through the air.

Only after two hours did the formation drill end.

The knights set down their iron swords for the moment and made the most of the break to drink and rest.

Aikimu came down from the platform and approached the pair. Seeing Zeng Mu drenched in sweat, he made sure to ask, "Are you really feeling all right?"

"Don't worry, Lord Kimu. I really am fine," Zeng Mu answered breathlessly, half crouched on the ground after taking Kanni's water flask and drinking two large mouthfuls.

"Good. But you've only just recovered, so you'd best not train too long. That's all for today's group drill. If you're tired, you can head back and rest. Of course, if you feel up to it, you and Kanni can stay here and train on your own. It's your choice."

"I need to make another inspection of the wall defenses. As you know, Lord Yetos is very strict, and the enemy is cunning and treacherous. They could launch a surprise attack at any moment, so we can't afford a single oversight."

"Take care, my lord," the two said respectfully.

Once Aikimu had left, Kanni finished his drink and nudged Zeng Mu, who was sitting on the ground, with the toe of his boot. "What's wrong? Didn't you say you were fine? Why are you sitting down?"

Zeng Mu shook his head. "My body really is fine. Unfortunately, my soul's having trouble keeping up."

"Oh, get out of here," Kanni said with a laugh. "Get up and train. I'll teach you some of my swordsmanship."

At that, Zeng Mu sprang to his feet, his eyes shining. "Let's get started."

Zeng Mu had no doubts whatsoever about Kanni's swordsmanship. His performance in their earlier battles had already said everything. His skill far surpassed even Zeng Mu's grandfather's, though one was an all-rounder and the other a specialist.

After lightly touching swords to signal their readiness, the two began sparring, immediately drawing the attention of the knights still resting nearby.

Clack! Clack!

They traded blows, their nimble footwork dazzling to watch. Their arms lashed like vipers, and each clash of their treasured swords gave off a piercing ring. The hard, lingering resonance told every knight who heard it that these were indeed two exceptional blades.

"A little slow. Your forearm needs more strength."

"You've got the speed, but your power's dropped."

"Your moves are too repetitive, and the openings in your footwork are getting more obvious."

Zeng Mu had to concentrate fully, without allowing himself the slightest distraction, just to keep up with Kanni. His opponent clearly was not using his full strength, and continued explaining Zeng Mu's shortcomings while attacking and defending.

The spar lasted a full five minutes and nearly two hundred exchanges before a mistake in Zeng Mu's defense sent him crashing to the ground, bringing it to an end.

Kanni stood over him and said, "Your swordsmanship is quite good, but it's missing something very important. Do you know what it is?"

"I can't balance speed and strength?" he answered earnestly.

"No."

Kanni shook his head and said slowly, "That's not the main issue. The main issue is that your mind can't keep up with the sword in your hand."

"My mind?"

Zeng Mu held his sword upright and frowned. "But all I was thinking about was winning."

"That's precisely it. Your desire to win is so strong that your mind can't relax. It stays tense, like a spring constantly put under pressure. Eventually, it gets stuck and loses its elasticity."

"Then what should I do?"

Kanni reached down and pulled him up, then took the water flask from his waist. He removed the wooden stopper and held it before Zeng Mu's eyes. "Learn to make your mind like water."

"Water?"

Zeng Mu stared at the mouth of the flask, listening to the faint slosh within. After standing frozen in thought for a long while, he haltingly recited, as though recalling something, "I said to empty your thoughts and let your mind become clear. Be formless, shapeless, like water. Put it in a bottle, and it becomes the bottle. Put it in a cup, and it becomes the cup. Put it in a pot, and it becomes the pot. At rest, it can trickle gently; in motion, it can rise in terrifying waves. Be water, my friend."

Kanni frowned as he listened, a complicated expression crossing his face.

He set down his silver sword and quietly sat beside Zeng Mu, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Impressive. Your understanding really is remarkable, to come up with something like that."

Zeng Mu pushed himself up with his sword, his tone much more relaxed. "You give me too much credit. Those aren't my words. They came from a revered martial artist."

Kanni gazed at the reddening sun sinking in the west, his expression rapt. "He must be a true master. I'd love to meet him in person someday."

"Unfortunately, there's no chance of that. He's already passed away."

"What a shame. Never getting to meet such an immortal master is a lifelong regret."

"It's all right. Only the man is gone. His spirit will always remain."

The surrounding knights, who had been watching, lacked the pair's inclination to admire the sunset. They picked up their swords again and resumed training, either alone or in pairs.

Of course, some also rose and left the square, heading for their own wooden beds in camp. Most of these knights were younger. Compared with the older knights who stayed to train hard, they were the sort who needed prodding before they would act, while the latter were self-disciplined. Their prospects were naturally better, for they understood all too well that more sweat now meant less blood on the battlefield.

Without his knowing it, Zeng Mu's words had greatly benefited quite a few people. As the saying went, a few words from a wise man were worth ten years of study.

The saying was very true. After repeatedly pondering those words, several knights whose swordsmanship had previously been clumsy and monotonous began to change as they sparred. This was not merely an improvement in technique, but an awareness-a mental awareness of swordsmanship, the beginning of a long process of viewing combat from another angle. Though this was only the first step, the beginning was always the hardest, and they knew they had finally taken that most important step.

Clang! Clang!

The unceasing clash of iron swords rang out around them, mingling across the square where nearly five hundred men remained. Chaotic, intricate, and impossible to measure, the din was scarcely less imposing than before. This was each knight expressing his own abilities, sharper, more dangerous, and more real than the uniform formation drill.

"Look. Those words inspired them all."

"Let's get back to it too. I suddenly feel pretty inspired myself," Kanni said, picking up his silver sword and rising.

Zeng Mu remained motionless, still gazing up at the setting sun. His whole body seemed dazed and rigid.

"Nameless, are you listening? How long are you going to stare at the sunset? Why not look at the stars tonight instead?" Kanni asked, stepping closer.

"Look..." Zeng Mu suddenly raised his hand and pointed toward the distant silhouettes of the mountains.

"What's that black mass?"

Kanni followed his finger, narrowing his eyes as much as he could against the direct sunlight. Through the glare, he could vaguely make out a black cloud drifting toward them.

The black cloud moved quickly, as though swept along by a fierce gale, yet the gravel and dust at their feet barely stirred.

Within a few seconds, they could clearly see that the enormous black cloud consisted of countless tiny black dots.

Those dots moved rapidly, altering the shape of the entire cloud. It stretched from a rounded mass into a pointed cone, then became square and irregular, impossible to predict...

As the black cloud rapidly approached, the knights absorbed in their practice suddenly noticed something amiss.

"Look! There's a huge dark cloud coming this way!" a knight shouted, pointing at the sky.

"That doesn't look like a cloud. Look closely-there are little black dots moving inside it!"

"What strange black dots. What on earth are they?"

By the time everyone had realized what was happening, the black cloud had moved directly over Sand City, blocking much of the sunset's glow. Everything around them grew darker, and their vision became hazy.

Amid the rushing noise of the black cloud circling overhead came shrill cries. Some knights with extensive hunting experience recognized their source.

Kanni recognized them too, and his expression changed. He was the first to shout, "Black-Feathered Sparrows! A flock of Black-Feathered Sparrows is here!"