By the time Wang Anfeng and the others saw Anfeng, the young boy was chopping wood.
Perhaps it was the effect of his experiences, but he seemed much more mature now. His eyes and brows no longer bore the softness of youth. Nineteen scars crisscrossed his face, already scabbed over, appearing all the more fearsome. Yet he made no attempt to cover the demon-like visage, his eyes reflecting acceptance.
Upon seeing Wang Anfeng, Anfeng was first in disbelief, then his face lit up with surprise. He stopped splitting the wood, dropped his axe, and ran over to them, somewhat awkwardly saying,
"Big Brother Wang, what brings you here?"
Wang Anfeng did not state his purpose, but simply patted Anfeng's head with a smile and said,
"Nothing much, just came to see how you were."
Baili Feng stood to the side, made a funny face at Anfeng, and said,
"Hey, you little rascal, remember me?"
As he spoke, he reached out with his right hand and waggled it in front of Anfeng's eyes. A faint scar was barely visible on it. Anfeng's face showed an embarrassed expression, and he took a step back, bowing deeply to Baili Feng; however, the latter caught him by the hand, preventing the bow.
Baili Feng flashed a grin and said,
"Forget the formalities, we've come a long way. Just let us in to rest our feet."
It was then that Anfeng realized he had kept Wang Anfeng and the others standing outside all this while; he hurriedly ushered everyone inside. The house was tidier than it had been when Wang Anfeng last visited, obviously well-kept. Anfeng's father was sitting inside.
On seeing strangers enter, his face first showed wariness, but then he seemed to recognize Wang Anfeng, and the wariness turned to goodwill. His mouth opened, his right hand waved, and he uttered a couple of "ah ah" sounds.
"He is thanking you."
Anfeng's voice came from nearby. He moved some logs to the ground to serve as makeshift benches and then wiped the dust off his father's face. The simple-minded man smiled and lowered his head to his work, his hands expertly manipulating some dry straw to a degree of dexterity that most people could not achieve.
When the man became simple-minded, Wang Anfeng did not know, but it was clear to him that the man knew this labor could be exchanged for food and the candied haw his child loved. Even Wang Anfeng could see that he was doing it with joy and gusto.
Which was far more than most of the people he had met in and out of Jianghu.
The group casually talked about various things, primarily interested in Anfeng's experiences. Baili Feng was quite fond of this stubborn youngster who had bitten him, finding everything about him, even the scars on his face, to be infused with the robust spirit of the Military Family.
The military youth sighed to himself.
In his view, this boy was naturally meant to join their Military Family, particularly since Wang Anfeng had once mentioned that the reason he had found Anfeng was that the latter had still managed to knock on the wagon to make noise, even when drugged with a sleeping drug.
This kind of stubborn willpower was exactly what the Qin Army adored.
Any soldier from any place sitting here would have only one thought: how to lure this young youngster to serve under them. Perhaps in the exchange of glances, offers were already being mixed with threats, concessions, promises, and negotiations—all part of a fine tradition.
This was a deeply ingrained bad habit of the bloodline of the Great Qin Military Family.
Because of this habit, a good portion of the surnames in the registers of Great Qin generals were of foreign tribes, with names that were long, smelly, and easy to get wrong. The one who had taken this habit to greater heights was the Tiance Great General of days past, His Majesty the Emperor now.
He tricked the son of the khan of the Eastern Turks to serve under him, made him the Great General of the Left Valiant Guards. Loyal and valiant, the man fought to great acclaim, leaving his father in a difficult position. Unable to defeat the Qin or bear to lose his son, he had no choice but to lead his people in submission to Great Qin and become its vassals.
At this moment, the fifteen-year-old Baili Feng was beginning to awaken to the deeply ingrained 'bad habit' of a Great Qin soldier.
The look in Anfeng's eyes began to gleam.
Tuoba Yue glared fiercely at Baili Feng, with a warning intent that was quite heavy. Her powerful palm seemed to intentionally and unintentionally slap her curved saber at her waist, issuing a sonorous ring that made Baili Feng's spine turn cold as he shifted his gaze away.
The girl slightly lifted her chin and disdainfully glanced sideways at Baili Feng.
But when she turned to look at Anfeng, her gaze was filled with pity.
In her homeland, the people from defeated tribes had to carve marks on their faces. This child always brought back some memories she was reluctant to recall, especially since this child, who had experienced such torment, was still so sensible, which made her all the more heartache.
She might be the only one who understood why Wang Anfeng was unwilling to let this child learn martial arts.
Time drifted leisurely, and at noon, Baili Feng found a reason to buy foodstuffs as gifts for his hosts. Since no one in the village was willing to sell to him, he rode to another county. The round trip did not take much time.
Wang Anfeng personally cooked a meal, and while he was preparing the final dish, he heard a succession of crisp, ongoing sounds from outside, seeming like some sort of mechanism. Surprised, he then heard Master Fu Mo's very serious voice in his ear.
"Anfeng, do you want to take me as your master?"
Wang Anfeng's expression changed slightly. He turned and walked out, but Xue Qinshuang had arrived at the doorway without his knowledge, blocking his path and shaking her head at him slightly. The youth paid no heed, his figure flickering as he prepared to bypass her, but as he stepped forward, Qinshuang's hand caught his shoulder.
Her own martial arts techniques were not inferior to his, and her Internal Strength Martial Body far surpassed his. Caught off guard, Wang Anfeng was overpowered by an unexpected move. Her profound inner strength pressed down on him, and for a moment he couldn't move. Qinshuang looked at him and said in a low voice:
"You don't want him to learn martial arts, but the choice must always be given to him to make. Otherwise, even if he doesn't learn martial arts this time, in the future others will always be eyeing his talent."
"Anfeng, however much you care for him, you can't make decisions about his life for him..."
Her voice paused, then she added:
"A man is not a fish, how can he know the joy of a fish?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Anfeng's expression changed slightly, he exhaled a turbid breath, stopped struggling, and Qinshuang released her hand. They stood side by side, watching the unfolding events outside.
Master Fu Mo looked at Anfeng with a face full of pity.
The Mo Family believed in universal love and non-aggression. While his martial arts were high, he was by nature innocent. Seeing what Anfeng had gone through, how could he just sit still? Moreover, the child had managed to solve the 'Ingenious Sphere.' Was he not perfectly suited to practice the Mo Family's inner strength cultivation?
Anfeng held the unlocked sphere in his hand.
The desire in his heart was amplified in a flash - the despair brought on by misfortune, the helpless feeling when Wang Anfeng diverted the assassin, all swelled up inside him at once. He knew that the old man before him was likely even more formidable than Brother Wang who had saved him. If he followed him, he might become just as strong.
He might also go on to save others.
Anfeng shut his eyes, gripping the mechanism sphere firmly as if to feel its textures and confirm he wasn't dreaming.
Then he placed the sphere on the worn wooden table and bowed deeply with his arms clasped before him.
PS: Second update for today...