Love Sword

43

A sharp sword made out of pure silver and white platinum swung itself fiercely through the air, creating a swish sound as if even the wind can be cut in half because of its sharp edge.

Jin Shan's bare upper body is dripping with sweat, his masculine chest rose up and down as he breathed heavily due to tiredness. His sharp eagle-like eyes threw a side glare towards a tree at the end of the training ground, flicking his wrist, a small needle flew from his grasp towards the tree trunk, piercing it so deeply that no one can see the needle any longer as it is now buried deep in the trunk.

The top martial warrior gripped his sword so tight that blue veins popped out on his hand. At the hilt of the sword he is holding, engraved the letter 'Jin' in gold. No doubt that this is the Jin clan's heirloom, The Jin Sword, which is passed on from generations after generations onto the next leader of the clan.

The history of this sword traces back to centuries before the elders even found the martial arts world. The origin of it is unclear and no one knows exactly where it came from or who crafted such a fine sword, the only thing people know about is its power.

Capable of inflicting harm even on the world's toughest material, diamonds, anyone would want to be the owner of such sword. And right now, the sword is the prized possession of the Jin clan, belonging solely to the Jin leader.

'Who made my brother so moody?' Asked a somewhat childish voice.

Who else could call the leader of Jin clan 'brother' so intimately, except Jin Xuan?

The mischievous young master walked in, biting on a red apple with a smile on his face, ignorant of the stormy mood his elder brother is currently in.

Jin Shan threw his sword towards Jin Xuan as fast as lightning but our young master managed to dodge just in the nick of time. The incredible speed of the blade conjured up a sharp breeze that caused Jin Xuan's skin to get goosebumps.

'BROTHER!!!! Are you really wishing to kill me after mother went away?' Asked Jin Xuan.

Jin Shan glared at his brother one more time before signaling for the sword to come back. The Jin Sword heard its owner and flew back directly to the callused palm.

'You're obviously still mad at me for capturing you and taking you away from prince Xiang?' Asked Jin Xuan with a frustrated expression.

As if agreeing to him, Jin Shan did not make a voice or give a reply. He just walked back towards his inner quarters.

Jin Xuan flew to block the way of his bigger brother.

'Brother! You know full well that if I'd kept you back there, what if the Puxiang Xie elder knew about prince Xiang's existence? Wouldn't the prince face even more danger?'

Jin Shan looked at his brother, he couldn't help but agree with his brother's remarks.

'Brother, I can't become leader. You know I'll only bring downfall to the clan! I know you have feelings for the prince but it probably is just a puppy love that won't last for too long. What is more important is your responsibility as the heir of the clan, marrying Xie Ting Ting and bearing a future successor is your top priority. You know the prince can't give you an offspring.'

Jin Xuan finished his speech and flew off.

Jin Shan did not budge after his brother left for another half a day.

He thought back to the words that his brother had uttered. Those words brought back memories from his childhood when things were still very tough for him. 

Flashback -

The five years old Jin Shan is currently kneeling under the heavy winter snow. This is just one tenth of the harsh trainings he will have to undergo to become a proper and capable leader of the Jin clan.

That night, he was already very sick but his mother had forced him to kneel down with barely any clothes on in the middle of winter like this. It is no doubt that his body failed him.

He shut his eyes and fainted out in the cold.

When he woke up again, he heard the cracklings of fire at the corner and his nanny is sitting beside him, wearing a worried look over her face. This person is closer to him than his mother, she had fend for him and raised him up ever since he was a newborn.

Helping him during one of his training session could be a death sentence for her but she chose to do it anyway.

When she saw him waking up, she smiled warmly.

'Young lord, you must hold on and be strong. You're the backer of the clan and the only one who can lead the clan to success. You must have no weakness, only then can you protect yourself and your loved one from the cruelty of this world.'

The next day, the nanny was dragged out for execution and Jin Shan was given a new nanny. He had never been the same bright and smiley kid since then.

Present -

Jin Shan's fists clenched tightly.

Only by becoming strong can he defend and protect those he loves dearly.

———

'Your highness, what is our next plan?' Asked a tall soldier wearing a full set of armor.

He is standing inside a tent with a calming incense candle lighting in the area. The scent of the candle seems to have great power, capable of soothing the mind.

Li Jun sat with his back as straight as a bamboo, his expression solemn as a female nurse is tending to the wounds on his chest for him. She is using an incredibly strong medicinal powder to dab on his injuries but he showed no signs of pain, this earned the admiration of both the nurse and the soldier present.

Li Jun's face is neutral but his lips are chapped and pale. His eyes stared straight to his front.

'Gather all our commanders for a meeting at once after I've finished dressing my wounds.' Ordered Li Jun.

The soldier heard the prince and quickly obediently bowed before retreating out os the tent in a respectful manner.

To Be Continued...