XIAO JIAN INDENTITY

The General took Wangmei’s body back to the Kingdom. Wang Chong welcomed their arrival. After hearing the whole story, Wang Chong didn’t care about Xiao Tian, as he also believed that wild beasts indeed ate Xiao Tian.

“Prepare a funeral for my sister! As for Xiao Jian’s body, throw it into the soul-tracker dog kennel.”

Wang Chong was genuinely ruthless, letting his brother-in-law’s body become food for his pet dogs.

After Wangmei’s body was buried and Xiao Jian’s body was thrown into the dog kennel, they didn’t know that both bodies had transformed into a tree branch.

****

In a place far away, not in the Ming Dynasty nor Wuyu City, a middle-aged man stood with a wonderful woman on a mountain peak that reached beyond the clouds.

The man and woman bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Jian and Wangmei.

The woman gazed at the vast sea of clouds spreading out before her. Even though she looked at the sea of clouds, her vision could penetrate everything in every direction. She sighed softly with a sad face.

“Husband, aren’t we being excessive, leaving our child like that?”

The man smiled faintly, though his body trembled slightly at the question.

“He’ll be fine. If he can’t survive in such a small world, he’s not worthy of being my son.”

“Husband, why didn’t we take Tian’er with us? He could grow better, especially if he received your guidance; he could surely become a great expert in this universe.”

It turned out that the man and woman talking were Xiao Jian and Wangmei. The bodies killed in the Wang Kingdom were just replacements, not their natural bodies.

“Tian’er must find his path in cultivation. The hatred in his heart will make him grow faster. If he follows me, he might increase, but it would diminish his potential. Moreover, those who become true experts have lived through various hardships. Without hardship, pain, and humiliation, one cannot ascend to the peak of glory. Only those who have endured numerous challenges can stand at the pinnacle of cultivation. Now, it’s time for us to go. I can’t leave my clan any longer, or else a great catastrophe will occur in the entire universe.”

No matter what, Wangmei was a mother, and a mother’s worry was far more significant than a father’s. However, she couldn’t oppose her husband’s decision, who held the status of the Supreme God Emperor.

Xiao Jian held his wife’s hand and then walked across the stars.

After reaching a certain height, he tore through space and disappeared.

Xiao Tian sank into the great river, unconscious.

Various ferocious beasts approached to devour him. However, when the beasts were just a few meters away from him, Xiao Tian's body suddenly shone.

The light was so intense that it blinded the approaching beasts. They seemed confused and frightened, quickly retreating from Xiao Tian.

The scene was astonishing because these beasts were known to be extremely powerful and fierce. The weakest among them were level two beasts, equivalent to third-class warriors in the human realm. The strongest were beast kings, equivalent to earth king warriors in the human realm.

The beasts fled in fear from Xiao Tian's weak body. The light emanating from the minor child's body drove away all the ferocious beasts.

How could a child make such fearsome beasts retreat? What happened to Xiao Tian's body that allowed him to emit such powerful light?

After the beasts fled, the light disappeared from Xiao Tian's body.

****

At the calm riverbank, two figures were practicing together. One was a small girl, about eight years old, with her hair tied in a ponytail, fluttering in the wind. The other was an older man, standing tall and wise, watching the girl's every move intently.

The little girl was practicing sword techniques. Although the sword she wielded was just a wooden toy, her swings were lively and unpredictable. The wind complemented her swings, creating a mesmerizing rhythm.

"Ziyan Rouxi, it's time to go home. You've been practicing from morning till near sunset, making Grandpa waste a lot of time watching you," the old man sitting on a rock grumbled at the little girl.

"Grandpa, you finally have time to watch me practice, but you're already complaining so much. It seems you don't care about me at all!" the little girl pouted. Despite her young age, she looked lovely.

Before the older man could reply, he saw a small child's body drifting in the river's current.

"Wait, Grandpa!" the girl shouted.

"Where are you going? Don't...." Before Ziyan Rouxi could finish her sentence, she saw the child's body being carried by the current, not far from a high waterfall.

The older man ran into the water, retrieving the minor child's body—Xiao Tian.

After bringing him to the riverbank, the older man still heard Xiao Tian's heartbeat.

"This child is not dead." He immediately channeled his internal energy into Xiao Tian's body.

Xiao Tian suddenly coughed, expelling a lot of water from his mouth.

After continuous internal energy transmission, Xiao Tian began to open his eyes slowly.

When he fully opened his eyes, he saw the little girl's face very close to his.

Their eyes met.

"Are you the angel of death? Why isn't your face scary?"

Slap—

Ziyan Rouxi immediately slapped Xiao Tian's face.

"Ahh.... Why did you slap me?" Xiao Tian didn't understand why the angel of death slapped him.

"What did you just say? Angel of death? Do you want me to kill you?" Ziyan Rouxi was annoyed with being called the angel of death by Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian tried to get up but felt his whole body ache as if it were shattered.

After a while, he realized an older man was channeling his internal energy to heal his injuries.

"Don't move too much! Your body has suffered severe injuries. Let me heal you first."

FA WA

Xiao Tian felt warmth as the older man continued channeling his internal energy into him.

The older man frowned, astonished by Xiao Tian's healing ability. Even if he hadn't treated him, Xiao Tian would have healed alone. If he had continued drifting in the river, his body could have been torn apart by the fierce water.

After some time, Xiao Tian woke up and clasped his hands.

"Senior, thank you for saving me."

Xiao Tian didn't call the old man grandpa because he felt that was only appropriate for his relatives, so he just called him senior.

Hearing Xiao Tian's thanks, the older man didn't immediately respond. He was still amazed by the child's healing ability. Moreover, he was perplexed; he couldn't discern the type of bones and specific areas in Xiao Tian's body.

The older man was sure this child was not ordinary. An ordinary child would have indeed died in that great river. Not to mention the ferocious beasts; even the fierce river current and hitting the rocks should have killed him.

Instead of answering Xiao Tian's question, the old man asked, "Child, how did you end up in this river? And where is your home? Let me take you back."

Xiao Tian shook his head until the old man asked again, "Do you not remember what happened?"

Xiao Tian shook his head again. "No, I remember. But I no longer have a home to return to. My village was attacked by bandits who not only looted but also slaughtered all the villagers and burned our houses. Both my parents were killed in that incident. I managed to escape by jumping into this river. Now, I have nowhere to go."

Xiao Tian's face, still that of a child, looked very sad. His sadness was genuine. Although he didn't tell the whole truth, fearing the older man might be a subordinate of the Wang kingdom, the mix of anger and sorrow on his face was not fabricated.

The older man understood Xiao Tian's feelings. Judging by his expression, the child wasn't lying. Besides, he was just a child, unlikely to be good at making up stories. The older man decided to take him. "If you have no home, come with me. I am the head of a Sect not far from here."

"If the senior allows it, I won't refuse." Xiao Tian saw this as an opportunity. If he lived in a Sect, he could train to become strong.

"Hahaha, good. However, in the future, don't call me senior; call me Grandpa Fa Wa. From now on, I'll take you as my grandson. Since you no longer have a family, there's no harm in me becoming your family. Now, tell me, what's your name?"

Initially, Xiao Tian didn't want to call him Grandpa. But Fa Wa's words were true; he no longer had relatives. As for Wang Chong, even though he was a relative, he was someone Xiao Tian wanted to eradicate from the world.

"Thank you, Grandpa. My name is Tian." Xiao Tian didn't want to mention his clan name, fearing the Wang kingdom would discover his identity.

"Hahaha, good, good. How old are you, Tian?" Fa Wa asked, smiling with his wrinkled lips.

"I am six years old." Xiao Tian answered honestly.

Fa Wa didn't expect the child in front of him to be only six years old because Xiao Tian's physical appearance was almost that of a ten-year-old. "This little girl is my granddaughter; her name is Ziyan Rouxi. You can call her sister when you are younger. Now, please wait a moment; Grandpa will catch some fish for us. Tian must be hungry."

While Fa Wa was catching fish in the river, Xiao Tian stared blankly at the blue sky, his fists tightly clenched around painful memories.

Suddenly, tears began to flow from the corners of his eyes, falling to the ground and forming a small puddle. However, these were not ordinary clear tears but tears of blood, deep red, reflecting the depth of his pain. Xiao Tian recalled the moment his parents were killed by enemies from the Wang Kingdom and the Ming Dynasty, who had destroyed his family.

In his heart, he vowed to avenge his parents. “Mother, father. Tian'er swears to avenge you! Tian'er will not let the Wang Kingdom and the Ming Dynasty, who caused your deaths, go unpunished. I will make them pay a hundredfold, and if I cannot, I swear not to live as a human!”

Ziyan Rouxi saw Xiao Tian shedding tears of blood. "Tian, you must calm your emotions. If you want to avenge your parents, there's only one way—you must grow stronger than anyone else!"

Xiao Tian did not respond; he merely nodded his head.

****

Fa Wa arrived with a large fish he had just caught from the river; then, he cooked it over a fire. Once ready, Fa Wa invited Xiao Tian and Ziyan Rouxi to return home.

When they arrived at the sect’s gate, Xiao Tian noticed the large inscription above it. He paused for a moment, reading it carefully. "Supreme Sword Sect," Xiao Tian murmured, trying to recall if he had ever heard of a sect named Supreme Sword. However, he could not remember any Supreme Sword Sect in the Ming Dynasty.

Xiao Tian was surprised to realize he was in the territory of the She Dynasty. "Did the river’s current carry me to the She Dynasty?" he wondered, confused and shocked. Xiao Tian inhaled the cold air that enveloped his body.

Recalling the knowledge he had gained from reading books, Xiao Tian understood the vast distance between the Ming Dynasty and the She Dynasty.

Xiao Tian was an avid reader, and his mother always encouraged him to read books on various subjects. Not just martial arts but general knowledge as well. Although he was still young, Xiao Tian had a broad understanding, especially since he had a unique memory that allowed him to remember everything he saw without forgetting.

SUPREME SWORD SECT

“Respect to the patriarch.” The gatekeepers immediately bowed in respect upon seeing Fa Wa.

Fa Wa merely smiled and led Ziyan Rouxi and Xiao Tian inside.

Xiao Tian arrived at Fa Wa’s residence. Fa Wa looked at Xiao Tian. “Tian, you will stay here now. However, although I have adopted you as my grandson, you will not be exempt from duties. Your task is to clean the entire courtyard and the training area. You must also take care of all the books in this house; do not let a single book gather dust! When you turn ten, I will register you as a disciple of this sect. Even though I am the patriarch, I must follow the sect’s rules. Do you understand?”

Xiao Tian clasped his hands together. “Grandfather, I understand.”

****

Every day, Xiao Tian diligently performed his tasks. Every morning, Xiao Tian diligently swept the courtyard, removing the scattered dry leaves. The morning sunlight reflected off the sweat on his innocent face. After that, he moved on to his next task, dusting off the books during the day. His small but nimble hands wiped each book carefully, not wanting to damage the precious pages.

At night, Xiao Tian took advantage of the opportunity without Fa Wa’s knowledge, sneaking into the library. In the silence of the night, he read the books with great interest, absorbing the knowledge within. Despite his young age, his determination and passion for learning never waned.

Three years had passed since Xiao Tian had been living in the Supreme Sword Sect. He was now nine years old.

“Tian, let’s go to the martial arena. There’s an interesting event to watch,” said Ziyan Rouxi. She was now eleven years old. Although she had turned eleven, her beautiful face already looked more mature.

Xiao Tian nodded; he was also very interested in the battles of the talented disciples. He watched the competition to find the strongest disciple in the Supreme Sword Sect.

When they arrived at the martial arena, no one dared to stop them, as everyone knew that the two children were the patriarch’s grandchildren.

“Look! Is that the patriarch’s adopted grandson named Tian?” one disciple asked another.

“Yes, that’s Tian. Unfortunately, he doesn’t like martial arts; he has never been seen training.”

“Maybe he’s waiting until he turns ten to start training.”

“Hahaha, he’s indeed the useless adopted grandson of the patriarch. Unlike Miss Ziyan, even though she hasn’t turned ten yet, her fingers are always busy with training, so when she turns ten, she won’t just start training, but she’ll already be able to defeat disciples older than her.”

“Maybe that’s the difference between a real grandchild and an adopted one. After all, he is adopted, so it’s normal if his martial arts talent is lacking.”

Xiao Tian heard the disciples’ remarks. However, Xiao Tian never took them to heart. He was used to the insults from the sect’s disciples. Despite his status as Fa Wa’s adopted grandson, people did not hesitate to mock him.

Ziyan Rouxi wanted to reprimand them, but Xiao Tian stopped her. “There’s no need to respond to them; let’s go see grandfather.”

“You’re too lenient with them. If you keep this up, they’ll keep mocking you!” Ziyan Rouxi was displeased that her adopted brother was being belittled.

“No need to be angry. Besides, I’m not hurt by their insults.” Xiao Tian smiled slightly. However, behind that smile lay a hidden meaning.

They both sat behind Fa Wa. They listened as Fa Wa laid out the rules for the competition to find the strongest disciple under seventeen years old.

Fa Wa looked at everyone present. “You all know why this competition is being held. It’s to find the strongest talent. Whoever wins will represent the Supreme Sword Sect in the She Empire tournament. So, use all your abilities so I can determine the best resources for you. I will personally train the strongest disciple for a year. By the time the tournament is held, you will be ready to compete with disciples from other sects and kingdoms in the She Dynasty. Do you understand?”

Fa Wa’s voice carried inner energy, so his words were heard by everyone present.

“Patriarch, we understand.” All the disciples answered in unison.

“Good, as long as you understand!” Fa Wa looked at one of the elders. “Liu Qingyun, lead the event!”

Liu Qingyun was an elder with high status in the sect. Although he was not young anymore, his muscles and fierce face showed he was very strong.

“Yes, patriarch.” Liu Qingyun immediately stepped into the martial arena. He began the competition.

Xiao Tian continued to watch the fights. However, his eyes were always drawn to one male disciple. That disciple’s name was Daniel.

Xiao Tian murmured, “Daniel has an internal energy of 230 rings; he’s already a third-class warrior. But he’s sealing his internal energy and showing that he only has 100 rings. This guy is very cautious; it seems he’s the one who will win this competition.”