Chapter 1, Leaving the Village

Gu Shenwei firmly believed in his father's words, so he was not worried at all. As usual, he chatted with his sister, wandered around the estate, and bickered with the young scholar Mingxiang. As soon as night fell, he was sent to bed by his father and soon fell into a deep sleep

Yang Zheng and Gu Lun are both teacher and friend, as well as servant to each other. Gu Shen followed him to practice the basics for several years, thus referring to him as "Master Yang"

Gu Shen had a set of thoughts in his mind; the Central Plains and the Western Regions were like two different worlds. After this separation, he did not know in which year, month, or day they would meet again. He intended to use this seemingly childish method to make his sister remember him

In a hazy state, the young master of the Gu family felt someone pushing him forcefully. He opened his eyes, clearly displeased, and said, "What is it? Are the robbers back again?"

Gu Shenwei was quite disappointed not to have seen the masked man, and he persistently questioned his father and brothers. Finally, his elder brother sternly ordered him to be quiet, after which he reluctantly shrank into a large armchair, quietly listening to everyone analyze the origins and intentions of these masked individuals

Gu Shenwei was sent back to his bedroom. Upon waking up, instead of running to his sister's room as usual, he wandered around the entire estate, inquiring about the details of the theft that occurred last night.

Gulun lifted his youngest son onto the horse, and in the shadow of the night light, his face appeared even more gaunt, resembling an even more pedantic schoolteacher than usual

Gu Shenwei felt even more disappointed after listening, constantly blaming his little servant Mingxiang for not waking him up in time

Gu Lun originally came from a military background, possessing a high level of vigilance. He inquired in detail with the herdsman about the knight's attire and behavior, and then discreetly arranged for the estate workers to strengthen their guard.

One noon, a servant who had gone to the back mountain to graze the livestock brought back strange news: a knight was standing on the opposite hillside, gazing towards the manor.

"You all set off first, and we will catch up shortly," Gu Lun replied casually, urging everyone to hit the road by patting the horse's rear.

At the age of fourteen, Gu Shenwei is in a similar phase; his name sounds somewhat old-fashioned, yet he still retains much of the childish mischief and innocence. His parents and older brothers are somewhat anxious about him, but he has his own calculations in mind: he intends to wait until his sister gets married before he officially becomes an adult

When he migrated from the Central Plains to the Western Regions, Lord Gulong had given it considerable thought, "The Western Regions are quite stable now, and that estate is like a paradise on earth."

The little book boy Mingxiang, just like his young master, yawned continuously, holding up a candle, "It is not a robber, it is the master."

Regardless of the intentions of those who intruded into the manor at night, it appeared that they did not succeed. Master Gu Lun maintained a facade of calm while being vigilant, continuously instructing the estate guards to patrol the night. The alert old servant Yang Zheng was the first to notice the intruders.

The Gu family’s inherited martial arts are renowned for their dual mastery of both sabers and spears, and they are not particularly skilled in the use of swords. This short sword was specially crafted for Gu Shenwei, with a narrow blade measuring less than two feet in length and weighing just over one pound

A sense of tension was evident both inside and outside the manor

Amidst the chaos, several fights broke out in different locations, but the confrontations were brief. Young Master Gu Shen was hazily awakened from his slumber, still unclear about what had transpired, when the masked assailants had already fled swiftly.

Gu Shenwei's horse, urged forward by Yang Zheng's blows, galloped ahead. When he finally reined in the horse and looked back, his father had already vanished, having not even said a word of farewell to his daughter who was about to be married

Huan'er is the nickname of Gu Shenwei, and only his closest family members call him that

There are still three months until this day, but a well-planned life has been interrupted by an unexpected event

The calm days were merely temporary. On the night of the tenth day after the appearance of the mysterious knight, several masked guests stealthily entered the manor with *Tu* *Shu*, causing quite a commotion.

Moreover, the situation in the Western Regions today is different from what it was over a decade ago. At that time, the Western Regions were characterized by the rivalry of great powers, the chaos of small states, the military might of local warlords, and the prevalence of banditry. Robbers often discovered that their victims were fellow travelers, while ordinary citizens could only hide at home seeking the protection of deities. Today, all of this has become a thing of the past. The three major powers of the Central Plains, Northern Court, and Shule have achieved a balance and reached a compromise. More than thirty new and old small states have been stabilized, banditry has decreased significantly, and it has gradually become a legend.

After half a day's excitement had passed, Gu Shenwei was no longer concerned about the masked man. He was full of confidence in the martial arts of his family and brothers, and there were other skilled fighters in the manor to assist. Even if an army of thousands were to attack, they would be able to meet them head-on. He himself was merely a spectator.

Lord Gulong personally went to the back mountain to investigate, but the knight was already gone. He rode around on horseback, but found nothing.

Gu Shenwei struggled to rise and saw his father's emaciated figure standing in the shadow of the doorway

The forces in the Western Regions are numerous, and the names of people and places are complex. Gu Shenwei felt utterly confused, and his interest gradually waned. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. Just before he completely entered the realm of dreams, he frequently heard the two words—"butcher." He thought: No matter who the "butcher" refers to, there is nothing to fear, for my father is a genuine general.

However, in the following days, no strangers were seen peering at the manor; everything was calm and peaceful. Life seemed to continue in this manner, as the Gu family, consisting of dozens of members, busily prepared the dowry for the young lady. The journey from the Western Regions to the Central Plains spanned thousands of miles, requiring considerable advance preparations.

There were only five horses and five people. Sister Cuilan was completely wrapped in a cloak, without any belongings. The four personal maids carried only one item each, and the luggage they brought was not much.

Unlike the excitement of the farmhands, Lord Gulong and his old servant Yang Zheng maintained a serious demeanor throughout the day. They were even stricter in supervising the farmhands than usual and sent people out to gather information. Clearly, Gulong believed that the incident of the nighttime intrusion into the estate was not yet resolved

No one was injured

The short sword is usually kept by his father. Gu Shen, having a rare opportunity to use it, could not help but feel immensely delighted, his drowsiness completely dissipated. He immediately wanted to draw it out for appraisal, but Gu Lun pressed down on his son's hand and whispered:

In the palace, Gu Lun is renowned in the martial arts world of the Central Plains, all due to a set of family martial arts. The martial artist Yang Zheng even volunteered to become a servant in order to learn the spear techniques within it. Both the eldest and second sons of the Gu family are considered masters, while the youngest son, though no longer a child, has yet to achieve any significant progress in his studies.

Gu Shenwei's two older brothers both felt that their father was being somewhat overdramatic; the knight was likely a herdsman searching for water and grass, and upon seeing that there were people here, he left on his own accord

In fact, Gu Lun's title as a general is not as genuine as his younger son believes; in the past, he served as a court guard in the Central Plains and was only symbolically conferred the title of Zhen San Pin Shen Wu Jiang Jun upon retirement.

The entire village was awake, and more than a dozen village guards were enthusiastically discussing how they would thwart the masked intruders. From their tone, it seemed that there were hundreds of intruders, but the old servant Yang Zheng confidently asserted that there were at most no more than five masked individuals.

Well, it has been advanced; there have been some changes in the situation, so I must set off now

You are also a man who cares for his family; use it to protect your sister and yourself, not to show off

Go

Mingxiang and Gu Shen are of similar age, and she is the only one in the family who dares to challenge the young master. With her hands spread out and an expression of defiance, she said, "Young master, you are a martial artist, with eyes that see in all directions and ears that hear everything. As a mere servant boy, if I were to fall asleep, I wouldn't even know if someone were to kill me. How could I possibly wake you up?"

The masked man was defeated in one blow, and the villagers felt as though they had won a great victory. The only regret was that they did not capture any prisoners, nor did they even leave a drop of blood behind, which was somewhat disappointing. However, when speaking to the young master, they described the scene in an incredibly thrilling manner.

The night was deep and dark, with the moon hanging in the western sky, marking the stroke of midnight. Gu Shen felt quite unsettled, as this was entirely different from the scene he had imagined for his sister's wedding.

Gu Shen, despite having nothing to do, always sought out trouble. At this moment, he was just like his father, taking the situation very seriously. He rode his pony around the estate, patrolling earnestly. At the slightest rustle, he would spur his horse to gallop over, determined to confirm whether it was a rabbit or a bird.

Gulun led the two children out of the manor through the back door. The journey was quiet, with not a single shadow in sight. Outside, three individuals were already waiting: Miss Gu Cuilan, her personal maid Juxiang, and the old servant Yang Zheng

Beasts inevitably go through an awkward phase; they are strong enough and capable of independent survival, yet they still cling to the nurturing and milk of their mothers, naively believing that life should be this way. Thus, they expend their surplus energy on rolling around and playing with insects. Sometimes, an amusing scene unfolds: a young leopard, larger than its mother, lazily lies in the grass soaking up the sun, patiently waiting for lunch to come to it. Little do they realize that this beautiful time will ultimately come to an end. Once the mother is ready to conceive again, the favored offspring will instantly become a forsaken child, forced to wander alone. Each difficult hunt will erode a bit of the once innocent memory, and in the end, it will either die a tragic death or grow into a cold-blooded killer.

Gu family moved from the Central Plains to the Western Regions only two years ago. Their estate is located in an oasis at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, surrounded by a desolate desert and Gobi for a hundred miles in every direction. Only at the foot of the mountain is there a small village inhabited by a dozen tenant farmers, making it a rarely visited place. Therefore, it is not surprising that the master was astonished by this news

Everyone has tasks to attend to, but the young master’s duty is to run into his sister Cuilan’s boudoir every day, acting spoiled and foolish, causing her heartache. Even before leaving home, tears have already soaked several pieces of clothing

Gu Shen was unable to argue against the young servant, so he angrily ran to his sister seeking comfort

Gulun's words are indeed correct; the oasis where the manor is located truly resembles a paradise.

Where are the elder brother and the second brother? What about mother? Is father not coming with us? Gu Shenwei asked with wide eyes, fully awake. The attire of this group of people did not resemble that of a wedding procession, but rather that of refugees.

Gu Shen lightly pulled the reins of the horse, wanting to ask for clarification again. As Yang Zheng passed by him, he muttered in a low voice:

"Huan'er, put on your clothes, I will accompany you to see your sister off"

The young master of the Gu family has a handsome appearance and looks exceptionally clever and bright. He is indeed eager to learn, but he has one flaw—he lacks perseverance. He tends to pursue things on a whim and abandons them after just a few days. Being the youngest in the family, he is the center of his parents' and siblings' affection, which further exacerbates this shortcoming.

Gu Shen was truly too fatigued, lacking the energy to think. He responded with a sound, and with the assistance of Mingxiang, he donned his clothes and put on his cloak. Gu Lun secured the prepared bundle onto his back and also tucked a short sword into his belt.

"Sister is about to leave? The brother-in-law's family hasn't sent anyone yet." Gu Shenwei was quite surprised; there were still more than two months until the scheduled departure date, and he was completely unprepared.

Um. Gu Shen agreed solemnly, and immediately envisioned a scene where groups of masked individuals came to abduct the bride, with himself standing in front of his sister, holding a short sword to protect her

The young attendant Mingxiang mounted the horse, his body swaying unsteadily. He was still not fully awake and was quite displeased with this unexpected escorting task. He would rather curl up inside the manor and not venture out than have to enter the desert again