Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Epic Tale : Twin Sword ❯ Shuhao ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Shuhao, a young swordman from Lu Clan, lived his life with dissatisfaction for he didn't now at all about his family background and his uncle kept silence regarding to this matter. This affected his attitude and courage to learn his clan martial arts and spoiled his tallent.
His boring live was going to change when a royal prince visited his uncle and rumored an assassin known as White Devil.

Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Classic / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 03.04.2007 | Updated On: 03.05.2007 | Pages: 7 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 132 | Status: Completed

Chapter 1

Shuhao

Act 1

Hainan's town heart seemed a little more crowded that afternoon. On the both of main road's shoulders, all storehouses were open. In the front of those storehouses, stood many vendors, most of them vended low-priced items, foods, medicines, fortune telling services and gambling rounds.

From the middle of crowd, a gambling dealer spoke aloud overing for his vending, “Come! Come! Try out your luck today! How small your bet will be, I will not refuse. Come! Please try the round!”

A half-aged man approached the young dealer's table. The man had tall figure with charismatic features and a pair of sharp eyes. His muscled arms crossed in the front of his build chest, holding a wood smoke pipe. Two shaped men stood behind him, eyes on surrounding.

Observed the guest, the dealer dared to say he was lucky for having a money spender faced him. “Ah, Master, do you want to make a deal with me? It is very simple; I will throw two dices inside this bowl and then you will guess; will they appear as high number or low; that simple. Do we have a deal?” he explained.

“I will try a round,” the guest placed a number of money onto the table.

The dealer smiled with joy. “All right then. Here it goes. You better watch this carefully.” After saying those words, he threw the dices into the air. Before they manage to fall on the top of the table, he caught them with a bowl and then closed it with dices remain inside.

“Now, Master. Which one is it? Is it high number or low number?” asked the dealer.

“It is high.”

“Are you sure, Master?”

“I believe in my hearing. It is high.”

The dealer smiled. “Well, if you say so. Let's see.” He opened up the bowl. The dices were exposed. It appeared to be low number. The smile on his lips widen when he knew his victory. “Why, you are so unlucky! It seemed to be low number. Well, then.. I think these money are mine, know?” He pulled out his hand to grab the money, but was stopped by his guest. “....?!!”

“Not too fast, young man.” The older said.

“Master, you can't take back the money you already gambling for unless you have the right speculation. But unfortunately, your choice was wrong.”

“My ears did not fail me.” As he said that, he grabbed the dices from the table.

“Please don't..!!” Panic expression filled the dealer's face as he tried to take back the dices but failed. With only three bare fingers, the old man crushed those dices into dusk. A pair of magnets inside them appeared. He saw the guest stared at him with his sharp eyes. “As I thought,” said the elder with anger.

Realizing his bad position, the dealer ran his already prepared plan when this kind of thing happened. He tossed the dealing table to the guest and then ran out from that place with his ginkang, which was not too fast for the opposite managed to chase him easily.

“You Brat! Do not think that you can run from me!”

Act 2

In the same day, in Lu Clan stronghold.

Lu Shen, one of the runners of Lu Clan's stronghold, was sitting peacefully inside his private library. He was busy to read some of old scrolls his elder handed over when he heard hurry paces approached the room. In the next second, one of his personnel entered his library with troubled face.

“Master Lu!”

Lu Shen put his scrolls off from his hands as he turned his attention to his personnel. “What is it?”

“There is Lord Yang of Capital City in the main hall. He..”

“..?!! Yang Hu Jin?!” Surprised, he didn't give his man to continue. With quick paces, he walked out from his library to the main hall.

When he managed to reach the main hall, the lord they were talked before was already stood inside the chamber. Two guardians stood behind the lord and a young man kneeled in the front of him, facing to Lu Shen. Recognized the kneeled young man, Lu Shen stared with surprised.

“Shuhao?!!” he called. The young man did not answer but cried out for pain.

“Ah, so it is right that you know this little brat.” Yang Hu Jin started the conversation.

Lu Shen gave a slight bow to his guest. “Yes, Lord Yang. He.... This young man is my ward.”

Yang Hu Jin replied with a mocking smirk on his face. “He is your ward? My... My... Lu Shen. I really doubt your method in educating your child.”

Yang Hu Jin's words had made Lu Shen even more confuse. “I don't understand your words. Did my ward do something wrong?”

“I don't know if you notify this as a mistake or not, nor if you know about this, but I found your ward in the corner of city's main road....” He placed his gaze to the young man on the floor for a moment before managed to faced Lu Shen back and continued, “...as a dealer, bets and deceives people, including me.”

Both of Lu Shen's eyes widened at the information. Yang Hu Jin was telling him the truth, he believed. With anger, he stared piercingly to his ward.

“Uncle, I... I can explain,” Shuhao cried. “It's not like your thought...”

“Silence!” Lu Shen shouted to his ward. Turned his attention, he bowed once again to the lord. “Lord Yang, I really grateful for your help. I will make sure that my ward will never do such a thing over again.”

The guest smirked. “It was nothing, really Lu Shen. Actually, I come to see you because of an important matter I need to discuss. Perhaps we will talk about it after you have done with your family matters.” His eyes pointed to Shuhao when he was saying this.

Lu Shen nodded with agreement, “Yes, of course. While I'm dealing with this, I hope you do not mind waiting for me.” As he said, he asked his personnel to lead his guest to occupy their guest room.

Act 3

Shuhao was trying to escape silently from his uncle's anger by walking out the chamber when Lu Shen found out and gave him another shout.

“Where do you think are you going? I'm not done with you!”

Stopped, Shuhao sighed and turned around to face his uncle. “Uncle, you are going to mad at me again, huh?”

“I'm going to give you an advice,” Lu Shen gave his ward correction only to have the young man gave him cynical words.

His ward scoffed. “Whatever... Which one it will be, you're only going to yell at me.”

“What did you say?”

“It always likes that,” Shuhao murmured, a painful smile carved on his lips.

“I yell at you as a replacement of your father, in order to give you lessons! Your father already entrusted you to me. You are now my ward. Even if I punish you, your father wouldn't mind!” As he spoke up the words with anger, he raised his hand, aimed his ward for a slap.

Shuhao stepped forward to meet Lu Shen. He gave his face up, “You are going to hit me?! Go on! Is this what you said as a lesson?!”

Lu Shen's hand stopped in the air. His face turned red in anger. He and his ward stared each other in silence. Both of the young's eyes gaze stubbornly and he stared back with anger and pain.

“Is that so..?” Lu Shen said softly with hurt. “It looks like that you are no longer listening to my words.” He grabbed one of Shuhao's arms. Forcefully, he dragged the young man out of the chamber, took him in his lead while they walked pass through a large Main Square of his stronghold to a small building far in a distant. Reached the destination, he opened it forcefully then shoved the young man into the building.

Shuhao stood startlingly in the middle of the chamber they just entered. Both his eyes stared straight to the memorials placed on their front. His uncle had taking him to their elder memorial house.

“Go down on your knees!” Lu Shen demanded.

“What?” Before Shuhao could answer completely, his uncle kicked out his supports, making him kneel with force.

“Bow to your father!” The elder said coldly. “If you could not listen for any of my words anymore then let your father alone to punish you.”

Kneeled in silence, Shuhao raised his sight, gazed onto a wood plated memorial among the group, which was mentioned earlier by his uncle; a plate with no name carved on its surface; his father's memorial.

“Think about things you have done in this chamber. Until you understand your mistakes, I will not allow you to get up.” He turned back to left Shuhao behind. Before he could close the door, his ward asked in depress, “Who was his name?” He did not answer.

“Is he truly already dead or is he still alive?”

“Your father died before you were born; that is the only thing I could inform you.” Lu Shen answer quietly, a hesitance sounds in his voice.

Not satisfied with his uncle's answer, Shuhao pushed on in a higher tone, “Why you always have to conceal this from me?! Am I not worth the truth?” but Lu Shen, again, did not answer him. With no more words, his uncle closed and locked the door, leaved him alone inside the memorial house.

Act 4

Shuhao gazed onto the beautiful face on his forward. Her face was so close to him. Her brown eyes soaked with tears, staring at him sadly. Her thin lips smiled and then parted to release words. He felt two warm hands, which held his shoulders earlier, leaved him. After that, he could see nothing but red, which slowly turned out to become darken.

Act 5

Shuhao woke up from his sleep. Both his eyelids opened slowly to catch white sparkling light, which bit by bit turned out to be replaced by scenery of a wide blue sky above him. He found himself lying back on soft grasses in an open air. It was very calm surround him. He remained in silence. His thought still lingered onto the dream he just carried.

“That dream again,” he sighed. He sat up. Wind caressed his cheek tenderly.

“Shuhaooo!!”

Awoke from his thought, Shuhao looked out to the distance where the voice came. He saw a young woman figure approached to him for then sat next to him on the ground. She smiled in sweet, “Sorry to make you wait.” She put a food box she carried down and removed all of its contain one by one.

As she prepared his lunch, he watched at the girl. Fang Yu Jie was her name. She was sweet and kind. Her figure was small with light colored skin and brown hair, shining under the sunbeam. She had beautiful features; a pair of soft brown eyes under her delicate carved slight eyebrows and small rosy lips, which always smiled in sweet.

This girl was his playmate since they were in childhood. She was the only daughter of the vendor Mr. Fang. They were so close each other and almost together all the time. Like this time, Yu Jie always accompanied his practice and brought him a lunch.

Shuhao smiled. He was aware, the girl...

“Shuhao!” the girl broke his thought.

“Huh? What?”

Yu Jie kept a suspicion eyes on him, “What are you distressing of just now?”

“Oh, it was nothing.” The girl pushed a smile on her lips for his answer. She brought up a bowl of rice and foods on a plate. “The chicken, is that one piece of or two?”

Shuhao let out a small laugh, “Are you kidding me? I could eat one whole chicken alone.” He took the bowl from her. “Man, I'm starving” Yu Jie smiled as she watched him ate his lunch. “Are you not going to eat?” he asked.

“I already took my lunch at home,” she replied.

“What? That is why these chickens were so small? You already ate the big ones, did you?” Yu Jie chuckled. He continued his lunch. Although he did not see, he knew for sure that the girl was looking at him.

Shuhao smiled. He was aware; the girl was fond of him.

Act 6

At the same time, inside the Lu Clan's stronghold.

“Yin Jing?!” Lu Shen almost jumped from where he sat. He stared the lord sat in the front of him.

Smirked to Lu Shen's surprise reaction, the lord answered, “Great news isn't it?”

“Are you sure?”

“This whole year, seven superiors in kangouw were murdered mysteriously. In this same whole year, I took an intensive examination on it and yes, Lu Shen, I am sure that all of them were dead by Yin Jing.” Yang Hu Jin answered with no doubt.

“It's...” Lu Shen shoved his head in disbelief. “It's impossible. Chen Cao already...”

“Chen Cao already dead for sure and dead people could not back to live. The only rational explanation is...” he held for a while, his eyes sharp on his opponents. “...that someone has achieved Chen Cao's Yin Jing.”

Shocked, Lu Shen replied the lord's stare. He said, “...achieving the skill means having the sword.”

Yang Hu Jin smiled with Lu Shen's comment. That was he aiming for. “It seems that we have the same idea.” He took out a scroll of paper and placed in on the table next to Lu Shen. The other looked in confuse as he reached out for it and had a read. “Invitation?”

“I prefer to call it as bait.”

“Bait?” Lu Shen asked.

The smile on Yang Hu Jin's lips became widen. “My friend, I am sure you know who were those superiors and why were they murdered.”

Lu Shen was aware of his words. He asked more to make it sure, ”Are you referring to the conflict happened twenty years a go? The fight for the Silver Sword.”

Lu Shen's presumption was right for the other one smiled meaningful and answered, “The murderer was called as White Devil. If my suggestion is right, I too, am one of his targets.”

“You take your daughter as bait?”

“I don't have much time left, my friend,” Yang Hu Jin replied. “I have to move faster than the murderer.” He looked at him. “Will you attend to my Invitation, Lu Shen? I expect a lot for your support in order to capture this devil.”

Lu Shen stared with suspicion at the Lord. He already knew Yang Hu Jin for a long of time. That emperor's cousin was not a man who gave faith on justice. He knew him too well. “Capturing the devil is not your real intention isn't it, my lord?

The lord smiled for the suggestion. “Certainly. I aim for the sword.”

Lu Shen silenced for a brief moment, eyes did not loose from the others. He should do something if he did not want Yang Hu Jin to possess the sword they talked. “Allright. I will assist you but it none other than to make sure that the sword will set back to the right one; that I can assure you is not Yang Hu Jin.”

Again, Yang Hu Jin released a meaningful smile. “We will see that.” He rose from the chair he sat on. “Well, it seems that I already ended my business in here. I shall retrieve my self. See you on the next ten days?”

Act 7

Shuhao closed both of his eyes; felt the sensation of wind gently caressed his skins. He really pleased with all of these; warm sunbeam, the smells of soil and grasses, voices of animals surround the hill, Fang Yu Jie who was arranging for flowers and his head on her lap.

“Yu Jie...,” he started the conversation in low voice. The girl replied gently, “Hmm..?”

“I.... I had dreamt about that woman again..”

“Your mother? Why?”

“Maybe it was because I faced that memorial plate again yesterday.”

“You talked to your father yesterday?”

Shuhao sighed, “Who knows if that memorial is really my father's”

“Your uncle does.”

He scoffed to his uncle. His anger to the half-aged man is not done yet. ”My uncle? He even did not tell me my mother and father's surnames. He only mentioned her first name. It was Xue.”

Felt anger in Shuhao's voice, she replied carefully, not wanting him to become even madder, “I believe Master Lu has his own reason.”

Shuhao sat back to faced Yu Jie with furious face. His temper loosens at her words. “I don't care to his damn reason!!” he shouted. The girl he shouted at silenced in shock. Aware to her reaction, Shuhao took a deep breath, trying to calm his temper. He moved his face down. “I.... I just want a name.” His voice weakened, “That's all.”

Understand his feeling; Yu Jie reached both her arms out to embrace the young man gently, trying to ease his pain. He responded by burying his face to her neck; let the both of them stay on that position for a while. He loved the way she held him.

After a moment of silence, when he noted for someone approaching from a distance, he pulled back and rose to his feet. One of his uncle's followers came up. “Young Master, Master Lu summons you to meet him. Please be hurry!”

Epic Tale : Twin Sword