Chapter 12 - The First Blade

“Aside from the birds and the beasts, even the flowers and trees are alive here. Have you ever seen them?”

Bei Shi took Chang An through the small courtyard and went to the forest behind it. There was a strange plant growing there. Its branches were no different from ordinary trees, but if one looked at them from a distance, it would seem like there was water flowing through its barks. When they arrived, Chang An noticed that there were transparent lines on the trunk, and he could see the water continuously flowing through them. It was dazzling.

“I have seen it.” Bei Shi took great strides and did not intentionally wait for Chang An. The child had to run up to him. He said, “There was a big flower that ate me.”

Bei Shi paused in his steps and looked back at Chang An, whose legs and arms were both short. He wondered, “How did it spit you out?”

Chang An raised his chest proudly and answered, “I poked a hole in it.”

“…” Bei Shi was amused by his small appearance. He ruffled the kid’s head until it was like a bird’s nest and laughed, “Oh, you little wolf pup–let me see what you can do.”

Bei Shi took the pocketknife, which was only as long as Chang An’s two palms put together, and aimed it at a branch. From bottom to top, the angle was almost vertical to the ground. He whistled as the knife made a cut. Bei Shi reached out and caught the branch. A fragrant aroma came out of the twig and, inside, there was water.

“This tree is called Qiongjiang Tree, which means, ‘there is sap inside.’ The cut branches are dried in the sun. The meat inside the bark can be burned and eaten. It tastes delicious, but the outside is very hard. It can prevent insects and moths, and even break fire. It is a good material for building houses.” Bei Shi brought the branch close to Chang An’s nose and asked, “Would you like to try it?”

Chang An was not shy at all in taking a whiff of the aroma. It was tantalizing, making him want to try it right away. Who knew that, when his mouth had not yet touched the branch, Bei Shi drew it away, like teasing a puppy, and drank all the sap.

Chang An: “…”

Bei Shi let out a comfortable “ha” sound, and when he looked down, he saw the wolf pup looking at him with hatred. He was endlessly amused by this child. Laughing, he said, “If you want to drink it, get it yourself. You also have to chop enough wood to build your own shed. Until then, you can sleep under my roof.”

Chang An gritted his teeth, took the knife, and slammed it on the branch without thinking. However, with a bang, the blade collapsed, not leaving even a single mark on the wood.

Chang An was stunned, but then he steeled himself and drew out the strength he used from when he cut down that man-eating flower. Either the tree or Chang An had to die. He slashed several times at the Qiongjiang tree, but was soon gasping for breath.

Bei Shi looked at him with interest.

Although Bei Shi had secluded himself for many years, he still knew what kind of temperament such big kids would have. In everything they did, whether in success or in failure, they were subconsciously looking at the adults around them. Sometimes, it was a request for praise, and sometimes, it was a cry for help.

But Chang An was different. He was entirely focused on the indomitable tree before him, completely forgetting the existence of other people.

Bei Shi suddenly reached out and pinched the back of the knife.

“The branches of the Qiongjiang tree are harder than the steel of the casting knife.” Bei Shi explained. “No matter how skilled you are, it’s impossible to break a stone with eggs–but its branches can be cut off. Do you know why this is?”

Chang An gave him a puzzled look.

Bei Shi said plainly, “Because everything in the world, no matter how powerful it is, will have its inherent weaknesses from the moment of its birth. Everything is interrelated and can’t be in disorder. God will not create something that can’t be accommodated in heaven and in earth. That’s why your blade cannot make a cut. However, as long as you can find this tree’s weakness, you won’t be in defiance of the natural order.”

“Watch carefully.” As Bei Shi said that, from behind, he squeezed Chang An’s small hand. Chang An could feel the unstoppable force coming from the man’s hand as he guided him in wielding the knife.

It felt different this time, making Chang An immediately understand that the branch had been cut.

But as Bei Shi’s movement slowed down, the knife in his hand was no longer able to pierce an inch upward, stuck between the cut branches, and the juice with a peculiar fragrance trickled down to the ground.

Then Bei Shi said, “The markings on the Qiongjiang tree is its weakness. Only when you strike in the split second those markings move can you cut down the branches. If your knife is not fast enough, you cannot pierce through the whole branch before it markings change. It will only wear down your knife and get it stuck inside. Do you understand?”

Chang An listened, but he was still confused. He asked, “Everything has a weakness? Does the knife have a weakness?”

Bei Shi laughed and released his hand. He wiped away the dirt on the child’s face and said, “The knife is like you, boy. It’s weak all over the body. It gets broken with a gentle bend of the hand. But so what? People will still tremble at knife-point.”

Chang An asked, “Why is that?”

“You won’t understand.” Bei Shi fell silent. He felt it couldn’t be explained clearly, so he stopped talking.

The man was a moody person. He suddenly stopped talking and laughing. He tapped the back of Chang An’s head and even said in a slightly cold voice, “Before you can practice with your own knife, you have to cut trees from now on. Chop enough wood to build a wooden house so you can have a place of your own to live in. Until the house is built, you’re not allowed to walk out of my yard or out of the woods. Otherwise, you will get killed. Understand?”

After he said this, he turned around and went back to his own cabin, regardless of whether Chang An followed him or not.

Chang An stared at the rapidly changing patterns on the tree for a while, and then his eyes were full.

Bei Shi only told him that the knife should be fast, but did not tell him that the speed of the knife was a kind of “force” on its own. With Chang An’s soft and thin wrist, even if he was endowed with extraordinary talent and could keep up with the changes in the veins of the Qiongjiang tree, it would still be impossible to wield the knife fast enough.

In fact, Bei Shi still did not really want to teach him. He intended to use this method to let the little fellow give up from the difficulty. Chang An wanted to learn the knife but, speaking lightly, he was a sub-beast, and was not born with the power to control such weapons.

Some things were always limited by talent and cannot be forced. Even if Chang An really practiced, ten or twenty years later, those heavy blades would crush his wrist and cause irreparable injuries to his bones. He won’t be able to live long. Who would want to compete with him?

To Bei Shi, the child learning the knife won’t be for survival, but for death.

Unfortunately, he was born to be a wolf pup. However, he forgot to grow his claws; how far could he go?

The afternoon passed and the Qiongjiang trees still stood unmoving and mighty, as if there were no scars left on the surface of its branches. Chang An’s palms were worn out, his arms were totally swollen, and his chin and chest were stained with the blood dripping from his nose. Yet he just mindlessly wiped it away. He didn’t care at all.

In truth, Chang An was totally unaware of the state of his body. The knife in his hand was sprang back by the hard bark. He staggered under his feet and sat on the ground.

Chang An couldn’t breathe; it felt like his lungs were clogged by cotton. His head was throbbing and it made his vision fuzzy. He coughed dryly and there was a terrible smell in his throat. He was so tired that he couldn’t lift a finger.

He sat on the ground and looked up at the indestructible Qiongjiang tree before him.

Chang An, who was more than seven years old, had encountered the first invincible enemy in his life–a tree.

He felt hopeless.

Bei Shi quietly stood behind Chang An and poured him a glass of water.

This kid had not given up all afternoon, completely exceeding his expectations. Nevertheless, it seemed that he will give up soon.

Even a determined adult would be frightened by a road that can’t be foreseen. How much more a small kid with a mind that was not completely developed? He’ll just leave him for ten days to a half month, fatten him up a little for the sake of his deceased descendants, then send him down the mountain.

Bei Shi shook his head and squatted beside Chang An, watching him gulp down the water. He picked up the knife and turned it upside down in his hand. He asked, “Why do you have to learn the knife, young boy? Didn’t the person who took care of you told you that a sub-beast like you, if you want to live well, is better off learning a craft?”

This remark pierced Chang An’s heart, reminding him of his pain, and he stared at Bei Shi fiercely without saying a word.

Bei Shi flicked his head none too gently, making Chang An wished he’d play with his hair instead. “I’m asking you, boy. Shouldn’t you respect those who are older than you?”

“Zhe Yan wanted me to be a carpenter.” Chang An’s voice was so low, even the distinctive brightness in a child’s voice couldn’t be heard.

“Isn’t it fine being a carpenter?” Bei Shi asked strangely, “Why did you run away?”

“I didn’t run.” Chang An turned his head and shook off the hand that was playing with his hair. He said frankly, “The carpenter’s wife poisoned Zhe Yan, so I burned their whole family and then there was no place left for me to learn how to be a carpenter.”

Bei Shi: “…”

The man gazed at him for a long time before he stuttered and asked, “You… I beg your pardon? You burned their whole family?”

“Yes.” Chang An did not feel guilty about the murder at all, so he admitted without hesitation.

Bei Shi frowned. He looked stern and coldly said, “Even if you had to take revenge, aren’t there patriarchs and elders who could judge for you? How could you kill people at will? What’s more, just murder would’ve been enough to pay the blood debt; you didn’t have to kill the entire family. Boy, you’re only a kid yet you’re already so vicious. How would you be when you grow up?”

Chang An righteously said, “Should I not take revenge on the carpenter for saying bad things about Zhe Yan behind his back? Should I not do bad things to them since his wife poisoned Zhe Yan? What are patriarchs and elders? Why do they have to decide?”

Bei Shi could not respond to such an unreasonable child. He raised his hand, wanting to slap him, but he was afraid of losing control and ending up killing him, so he put it back down unnaturally.

He raised his eyebrows and said, “Rubbish! Naturally, people living together have rules. Wouldn’t the patriarch and elders give you justice?”

Chang An jumped up from the ground, completely forgetting Bei Shi’s previous instruction of “Respect those who are older than you.” He shouted, “Zhe Yan can’t live anymore. Shouldn’t the person who killed him die?”

For many years, no one dared to jump and roar in front of him. Bei Shi could not help but stay and look at the little thing in front of him.

Chang An’s lips were a bit blue. He had overworked all afternoon, but he did not lose momentum at all. He pointed to Bei Shi’s nose and said, “Zhe Yan told me that there is grace for grace and enmity for enmity. If I get justice, will my hate disappear? How could you be so lazy? What’s the use of justice to me? It wasn’t me who got poisoned, so what’s the use of justice?”

Bei Shi suspected that the wolf pup didn’t even understand what this thing called “justice” was.

He may not even know how to write.

Chang An grabbed the knife, shouted, and rushed towards the Qiongjiang tree. He slashed at it as if it were some great enemy. Bei Shi thought he might even want to break the bark with his teeth.

After thinking for a while, Bei Shi burst into laughter and asked, “Grace for grace, enmity for enmity… You’re a little bit interesting. But why didn’t you find someone to exact vengeance for you and instead searched for me to learn the blade?”

“If I don’t learn the blade, I’ll have to listen to others and do everything they say. How will I repay others with my own grace and enmity?”

Bei Shi looked at the boy with astonishment; he did not expect to hear such a sentence from Chang An’s mouth.

In this vast continent, was craft not important? Nature was important, but why must we respect the beasts who could transform themselves? Was it not because they were strong, had the power to fight, and can better survive in the jungle of the northern continent?

Whoever was strong was the master. The weak had no right to dominate. This was the only rule between heaven and earth.

It was fair and cruel.

Man can be a beast… Man can be a beast…

Bei Shi laughed at himself. Wasn’t that the same thing?

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