Chapter 1, Decision

Ai Hui was too lazy to pay him any mind, casually plucking a blade of grass to chew on, and comfortably lying down with his head resting. In these three years of wilderness, his nerves had been on high alert every day, with blood, life and death, and combat; it was a dark world mixed with chilling crimson.

It is decided," Ai Hui replied with certainty, having already made up his mind, with nothing worth hesitating over.

However, when he witnessed with his own eyes the crude bookshelf he had built being toppled to the ground, the sword manuals scattered in disarray, half of which had been dragged back by the owner from a distant city, he felt a pang of sorrow. When he saw the sword rack, which he had to wipe down several times a day, being trampled into pieces by the debt collectors, the owner claimed it was a treasure he had looted from the cave of a sword master, and that the flying swords on that rack had once stained a thousand miles with blood, intimidating all rivals. When he saw the Nine Sound Sword Wind Chime hanging under the eaves being torn to shreds, the owner said it was the mountain-guarding artifact of the once-renowned Nine Sound Sword Sect, and when the nine swords were drawn, the sound of heaven shattered the void. When he saw the sword rack, which he had to wipe down several times a day, being trampled into pieces by the debt collectors, the owner claimed it was a treasure he had looted from the cave of a sword master, and that the flying swords on that rack had once stained a thousand miles with blood, intimidating all rivals. When he saw the Nine Sound Sword Wind Chime hanging under the eaves being torn to shreds, the owner said it was the mountain-guarding artifact of the once-renowned Nine Sound Sword Sect, and when the nine swords were drawn, the sound of heaven shattered the void.

The fat man beside me chewed on the maltose, making a crunching sound. The afterglow of the setting sun spread across the land, and the wind was gentle like feathers, devoid of the usual harshness and chill. Ai Hui did not know if he would remember this day in the future

Ai Hui stayed at the dojo for three years, and the number of visitors who came to tour the dojo did not exceed ten. Upon seeing the sign for the sword cultivation dojo hanging at the entrance, nine out of ten people turned around and left

... ...

Ai Hui advised the boss to consider shifting to body refinement or something similar, as it would certainly be much more promising than sword cultivation. The boss was furious and berated him harshly, leaving Ai Hui to realize at that moment that the boss's talent for business was indeed quite lacking.

The fat man is preparing to go home, where his family consists of orphans and widows. He has to support a whole family by himself, and his pressure is greater than his own.

The afterglow of the setting sun illuminated his body, warm and comfortable, causing Ai Hui's brows to involuntarily relax, the cold and defiant expression on his face gradually easing, serene and peaceful

Ai Hui, survive!

In the sword cultivation arena, there is nothing but countless secret manuals, sword classics, and various swords and flying swords. For the sake of these items, the owner has scoured numerous flea markets across different regions, and even when conducting business in other places, he would bring back a batch of them.

With fingers as thick as carrots, he casually pulled aside the cloth bag, and upon taking a glance, the stout man was so excited that his entire body trembled with fat.

The warm sunlight, the slightly tipsy breeze, a feeling that is both unfamiliar and familiar, awakens those strange yet familiar memories deep within the mind

The fat man looked at Ai Hui with some confusion, but he quickly moved with an agility that was inconsistent with his body and caught the bag. As soon as the bag was in his hand, the fat man's small eyes immediately widened.

The time for separation has come, this is the final gathering. Ai Hui is about to head to the Five Elements Heaven, while the Fatty is returning to the Old Soil. The orange-red sunset, which is about to fall to the ground, casts their shadows long and elongated.

Get lost

The boss was incompetent, his business failed, and he was unable to repay his debts, leading him to commit suicide. Ai Hui was very sad; the boss was a good person, but he was not strong.

Where are there still sword cultivators now

Ai Hui, who was guarding the empty dojo, simply occupied himself with pondering over the sword manuals that weighed twenty pounds each. Although he did not become a sword cultivator, thanks to his persistent training, he had indeed become quite skilled in fighting, managing to attract a few small children with his fists.

Occasionally, he would also fantasize about what it would be like if he were in the era of cultivation, imagining himself in great splendor, selling swords to the point of his hands becoming weak from the effort

Even after a year has passed, the feelings of confusion and loneliness remain vividly clear. He remembers feeling a bit cold at that time, wrapping himself tightly in his faded clothes, with his hands tucked into his pockets. The sunlight that day was different from today's; it was piercingly cold.

It can be said that the boss's obsession with sword cultivators is simply incomprehensible, as the shipping costs are much higher than their actual costs

He does not know how these three years have passed, nor does he want to recall them, as they are not pleasant memories

Well

When he made a request to obtain a quota for entry into the Five Elements Heaven, the higher authorities considered it and ultimately agreed

Of course, there are times when Ai Hui feels that with the meager financial resources of the boss, it seems that he can only afford a cheap hobby like sword cultivation.

The warm body gradually relaxed, and Ai Hui's thoughts became scattered, like mist released from its restraints, silently spreading out.

He let out a long breath, striving to relax his tense muscles

Ai Hui's thoughts returned, and he realized that his body was unconsciously tensing up slightly. He couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart, as such a beautiful moment was once again marred by less than pleasant memories

It is merely a struggle, yes, just a dying struggle

Good brother! Truly my good brother!" The chubby man choked up as he desperately shook Ai Hui's hands, tears welling up in his eyes: "The Five Elements Heaven provides food and accommodation, and you won't even use half of it, so why not share it with me?

With his body covered in wounds, he gazed at the chaotic dojo for a long time before turning to leave. As he walked past the sunlight filtering through the uneven rooftops along the street, casting mottled shadows, he moved his legs mechanically, unconsciously advancing, unaware of where he was headed

Alright, I know you are stubborn and resolute. You have a bad temper and many faults, and you never listen to advice. You are not young anymore, yet you still behave this way; how will you ever get married in the future? Save some money... The chubby guy keeps rambling on, perhaps unaware that parting is imminent

So comfortable

These secret manuals are priced at 1.20 yuan per pound in the market, with paper books being cheaper, iron vouchers and gold shells being a bit more expensive, and jade slips being the least valuable. The workload is considerable, but no one is rushing; Ai Hui is never in a hurry, casually flipping through and providing comments.

"Is it decided?" the chubby man asked ambiguously

Fortunately, I have survived on my own

Having built the wooden frame, he began to organize the sword manuals and secret texts recently acquired by the boss

The overweight man sat down dejectedly, as he was all too familiar with Ai Hui's stubbornness. After a moment of reflection, he became invigorated again and sincerely said: "Remember to write my name in the compensation column; it is better to benefit myself than to benefit others."

The overweight man got up from the ground, looking disheveled and covered in dirt

Ai Hui turned his face away in disgust; the sight of the fat man when he saw the money was simply unbearable

A qualified businessman would go to establish a swordsmanship dojo

He left, having nowhere to go and no path to walk

The flying sword represents the pinnacle of the cultivation world, being the most favored object of master craftsmen throughout the ages. They come in countless bizarre forms, with some shapes that are so unusual that one cannot possibly associate them with a flying sword

It is only natural to repay debts, and the temple should rightfully belong to others. On the final day, when the creditor came to collect the temple, Ai Hui said this to himself

The sun had not yet risen. Breathing in the crisp air, he began to clean the dojo that had been transformed from an old warehouse. He first wiped the floor three times as a warm-up. After finishing the floor, he started working on the wooden shelves. The wood was all collected from the nearby streets, varying in length and thickness, so the shape of the shelves could not be too particular.

The opportunity to enter the Five Elements Heaven is hard to come by. His qualifications are not particularly outstanding, and he originally did not qualify to enter the Five Elements Heaven. However, over the past three years, his performance has been exceptional. His calmness in complex and tense situations, as well as the courage and fighting spirit he has demonstrated at critical moments, have all left a deep impression.

On weekdays, Ai Hui found the impatient rambling not so annoying, but as soon as he heard the fat man mention money, a slight headache began to throb at his temples. This guy would become as energized as if he had been injected with adrenaline the moment the word "money" came up.

The sun has already risen at this moment, warm and gentle, just like now. A faint smile unconsciously curved at the corners of Ai Hui's mouth

For a full three years, he survived in the wilderness by sheer luck. Out of the two thousand people in their group, only two survived: one was him, and the other was Qian Dai. Oh, the fat man's name is Qian Dai

The sound of the assembly whistle from the distant camp rang out, and the two fell silent in unison

As he walked, he lost track of time until a strong sense of hunger awakened him from his stupor. In the midst of hunger and cold, he saw a notice from the Five Elements Heaven recruiting laborers for the wilderness.

He could not hold back, like a wounded wolf on the brink of despair, he lunged forward in a frenzy

Out of two thousand laborers, only two survived. Even if one were to say that luck played a significant role, it is still sufficient to highlight many issues

Ai Hui lightly clapped his hands and casually touched the money pouch in his arms, while the fat man's hands and feet were extremely quick, making it hard to guard against

How naive it is to still harbor any illusions about this guy. Ai Hui suddenly reversed the grip of his hands, applying a gentle force, and the fat man flew out like a light, plump cloud, landing over ten zhang away and splattering a mouthful of malt sugar on the ground

"Therefore, I must live," Ai Hui interrupted, becoming increasingly agitated as he stood up. The stout man, with his defiant face, now bore an indescribable calmness.

Despite the fact that the flying swords and precious swords have lost their spiritual power, appearing dull and lifeless, merely a pile of scrap metal, under the sunlight, Ai Hui is often captivated by their ancient charm and beauty

With a clap, the stout man rushed over, grasping Ai Hui's hands, his face filled with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes

He does not touch it because it is too rusted; if it breaks, the boss will scold him again

The family of a deceased laborer will receive a compensation payment, while the living can obtain a substantial sum of money. The Five Elements Heaven has never been stingy in this regard

The boss is a good person, but his business acumen is somewhat lacking

After completing the organization of the Sword Classic, he is about to begin organizing the flying swords and precious swords

Three years ago, the sunlight and wind of the Sword Cultivation Dojo were just like this

Seeing the appearance of the fat man, Ai Hui felt a surge of emotion in his heart, realizing that he had underestimated the fat man. After fighting side by side for so long, their friendship was truly sincere and profound. He was not accustomed to such a scene and wanted to shout "get lost," but thinking about their imminent separation, he made an effort to restrain himself, softened his voice, and awkwardly said: "Anyway, I am alone, and there aren't many places where I need to spend money. You are returning to your hometown, where there are many family members, and the places where you need to spend money are more than mine..."

The fat man seemed to sigh, and also seemed to envy: "You must not be outdone by those little brats, that would make me feel embarrassed. I just don't understand, what's the point of fighting and killing? With this money, we can go back and live well for half a lifetime! How many people entered the wilderness with us? Two thousand! Only the two of us survived! This is money for our lives, do you understand? If I die, my family can still claim this money, but if you die... two thousand! Only the two of us survived! This is money for our lives, do you understand? If I die, my family can still claim this money, but if you die..."

Indeed, seeing the veins on the fat man's neck beginning to throb, Ai Hui made a swift decision and immediately threw out a cloth bag: "This is for you!"

Without wages, with three meals a day to fill their stomachs, such a life is as beautiful to a homeless child who has been wandering and struggling before the age of ten as the sunlight at this moment; he cannot find better words of praise.

It feels truly wonderful to finally express my thoughts openly

Ai Hui did not know the boss's name, so he found a piece of wood and wrote the two characters "Boss" to serve as a spirit tablet. He used thin branches as incense and burned all the available sword manuals as offerings to the boss. After bowing, he made a wish for the heavens to bless the boss so that he could fulfill his sword cultivation dreams in paradise