Overthrowing Fate

Chapter 6 - Honghe City

As he made his way towards the city, Xu Min once more confirmed his belief that the city was truly far away. He kept walking for the first half of the day, not taking even one break, but no matter how high the sun stood in the sky nor how scorching hot it felt for someone who had lived in the deep shadows of the forests for two years, he didn't reach the city.

The fur vest he had been wearing quickly ended up within his bag, leaving his upper body bare. The young man continued towards the city with steadfast steps. As he got closer, he suddenly found himself on a dusty road with other people who were also walking towards the city.

At first his entire body was rigid; however, as he walked further, Xu Min came to realize that these people did not even notice him. The majority of them rushed towards the city much like he himself was doing.

The barren land also changed slightly as he got closer and closer. The dry ground transformed into fields. Rice was growing from some of them and corn from others. Medicinal herbs and grain could also be spotted sometimes. There were many plots of land specialized in growing produce; in these fields, humans worked to remove the weeds or water the plants.

Watching these people, Xu Min rushed forward. His head stayed facing down to the ground while he was glancing to the sides and wondered what to do when he reached the city. He wanted to sell the many medicinal herbs that he had collected, but he would need to speak to do so, which was something that he had not done in two years. Just thinking about it caused the young boy to shudder slightly.

While he was wondering what to do, the young boy lifted his head and his eyes widened in surprise. Because he had gotten closer to the city, the horizon was no longer only land as far as the eye could see, which he was used to by now. Something blue spread out behind the city. It was something astonishing that Xu Min remembered his sister telling him about once.

"Listen closely little Min. Far away, even further than the ends of the forest, is a giant blue sea. It is similar to the lakes in the forest, but much bigger." Xu Wu's eyes glittered as she longingly thought about the sight she had seen many years earlier.

"How do you know this, sis?" Xu Min asked curiously, his eyes big and naïve, something that had not been seen in his eyes for years now.

"When we were small, we sailed on that sea on the way here . One day I want to return to the other side and find our family once more."

"I don't like them," Xu Min pouted as he heard his beloved sister speak, "I just want to spend my life together with you. I don't need anyone other than you."

Tears were in his eyes as the young boy reminiscenced about the conversation he had had with his sister years ago. With an angry wipe of his arms, he removed the tears which pressed their way through his eyes.

Red-eyed and determined, Xu Min started to pick up speed as he moved towards the city. He was ready to find a way for him to work and strengthen his body at the same time. But before that, he decided that there was a place he had to see first. He had to see the sea that his sister had dreamt about.

The city walls were taller than anything he had ever seen before. The walls were far bigger than the largest tree he had seen within the forest, but unlike the wild untamed nature of those trees, these walls made of black bricks were the evident work of man.

At the top of the walls, guards were visible. All of them were Warriors, a sight that shocked Xu Min. In his home village, a Warrior was by far a force to be reckoned with; yet here, even before entering the city, the young boy saw more Warriors in one place than he had seen during his entire life until today.

By now, he was part of the steady stream of humans walking towards the city gates. Most people around him were commoners - people who had chosen to make their living by means other than becoming martial art experts. There were also guards, mercenaries, and soldiers; perhaps one of these people would carve their name into history.