Strings of Erhu: Book 1

2 ; A Sword's Ballad

- Writer's Notes: Thank you for your patience, here's a new chapter for you. :)

Wen He sat at a table with Tian Xing, his attention leaning to the leaves outside fall off the tree. He then turned to the one who sat on the other side. "...So, what do you plan to eat?" He asked, having broken the silence.

"Hmm.. maybe some... beef? I don't know haha." Quite the indecisive person he was, he shrugged with his hands in the air. "How about you, Wen He."

His gaze voluntarily left the tree's falling leaves.

"...I'll have some noodles and water, maybe some pork with rice." Wen He's answer was quick and unlike him, decisive.

Then, Shen Yu walked into the eatery... having taken a seat beside Wen He. "What is it you're conversing about..."

"Nothing really, just ordering food!" Tian Xing answered.

To Wen He, Tian Xing's eyes were chestnut in hue and reflected by the sunlight from the window where he sat by. He agreed with a simple nod. "How about you Shen Yu? What would you like?"

"Just tea, I already had my fill before my arrival here." He said, his sword already placed in the sheath, situated on the right of his hip.

A circle of three was formed in a simple environment, all with different backgrounds. A swordsman, a poet... and a hero, but one will never know what they'll be. To pass the time, one even brought out a novel just to pass the time. Another left to the washroom, leaving the two alone. The leaves fell, their time to hang upon the branches faded, fleeting. That was when the one who sat all alone spoke.

Tian Xing tilted his head, his dominant hand now pointed at the book. "So... whatcha reading?"

To one's surprise, he was indeed piqued by this topic. Shen Yu then held the book out of his own face. "Why..?"

"Just curious!" He clearly didn't read the title that was bolded enough.

"...A Sword's Ballad." Shen Yu asked, with a brow raised.

Tian Xing's eyes lit up. "Ohh.. I see. Who got you that book?"

"Wen He." Shen Yu looked at the current page his eyes once laid upon and looked back at him. "He thought I'd like the book because the character acted like me."

"Oh? Is that so?" He chimed in, his head now rested on his hand.

"Yeah... when I first got it, I didn't know he was that he liked books. I honestly thought I was the only one who liked them." He spoke as he placed the book, bound by string and leather, down. "And when I first finished it, it turned out to be by Wen He.."

"He writes and reads books?" Tian Xing placed his hands on the table. "Was it officially published?"

Shen Yu deadpanned. "We were kids at the time... it wasn't published. But it seemed like it did, younger me was so interested in it that I even want to a cultivator myself... that's why I'm here."

"I see! That's quite the determination you have there... I'm actually here too, for a similar reason." Tian Xing said.

Shen Yu raised a brow at that statement. "Really?.."

"Yeah! I wanna help others once I complete this, so I'll be sure to not stray from my goal!" His long hair flew around out of control, nearly tipping down the ornament placed in the center.