Free Web NovelChapter 886 - The Sun Family of Huai City
The voyage to Huai City was a long one. Qin Shuang, He Xu, and Jia Gui spent the journey training hard to develop their abilities. Only Han Wu kicked back and enjoyed himself, as he had Xun to handle his training for him.
With nothing better to do, Han Wu often stood on the deck admiring the scenery along the riverbanks. He also made a habit of bringing out the Peerless White Blade and putting it on display.
This wasn’t actually a matter of showing off, but building strength. Peerless was a remarkable weapon. Even those lacking knowledge of martial arts could tell it was a treasure at a glance. Experienced fighters could sense the faint aura of power it radiated.
Naturally, more than a few people set their eyes on it. Some were professional bandits, while others were simply greedy passersby. None considered that the most dangerous hunters often disguised themselves as prey.
Han Wu drained every one of them dry before tossing them into the water. Rumors of the river being unsafe soon spread.
One day, as Han Wu was flaunting Peerless as usual, another passenger ship passed by. On its deck stood a pair of siblings, a brother and a sister.
The brother looked mature and composed, holding a fan with an air of elegance. The sister was about fourteen or fifteen, bright-eyed and innocent, with a warm smile on her face. They had probably come out to the deck because they were bored sitting inside.
The sister naturally gravitated toward beautiful things and thus noticed Han Wu and his weapon right away. “Brother, look! That man on the other ship has the prettiest sword I’ve ever seen!”
The brother disinterestedly turned, but when his gaze locked onto the blade, he felt as though he were seeing a peerless beauty for the first time. It was captivating and impossible to look away from.
Han Wu had long since noticed them. Their clothing exposed them as children of a prominent family from the Martial Arts Civilization. Wealthy family heirs tended to have strong internal energy, so he was hoping they’d try to take his weapon.
As expected, the brother ordered the boatman to bring their ship closer.
“Friend, I’m Sun Fuqiang of the Sun family in Huai City. Fate has brought us together. Would you care to join me for a drink on board?” Sun Fuqiang called out, eyes drifting to the weapon in Han Wu’s hand.
Here comes a customer. Han Wu thought. Nodding, he hopped across to the other ship in a single leap.
“Impressive lightfoot technique!” Sun Fuqiang praised.
“It’s nothing special,” Han Wu replied.
The sister didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Your sword is so pretty! Will you sell it to me?”
Sun Fuqiang shot her a look before hastily apologizing. “Please forgive her. This is my sister, Sun Fubao. She’s young and doesn’t know better.”
“No worries.” Han Wu assured him. Secretly, he was hoping the siblings would just take the weapon by force. That way, he could drain their internal energy guilt-free.
“You still haven’t told me. Can I buy it?” Sun Fubao stared with wide eyes, her pale fingers reaching for the blade.
Han Wu stepped back, keeping the blade out of reach. “Family heirloom. Not for sale.”
Sun Fubao’s face fell. She genuinely loved the blade. Sun Fuqiang was equally disappointed. He wanted it too. Unfortunately, the fine weapon already had an owner. Pressing the matter would be dishonorable.
Since buying wasn’t an option, Sun Fuqiang asked if he could at least look it over. Han Wu agreed. He was like a fisherman waiting for the fish to bite.
The two siblings handled the Peerless White Blade with care as they examined every pattern on its surface. When Sun Fuqiang touched the edge, he realized just how impossibly sharp it was.
A thought flickered through his mind. If he used this blade to cut Han Wu down, the weapon would be his. The idea vanished almost as fast as it had appeared. What was he thinking? Years of his family’s moral teachings thrown away over a blade?
After admiring it, the siblings returned Peerless to Han Wu with deep respect. Han Wu was baffled. He had never met a cat that could resist temptation and leave the fish alone! The blade had been right there in their hands, yet they hadn’t even considered keeping it.
“Friend, this weapon is a masterpiece,” Sun Fuqiang praised. “If you ever decide to sell, please contact the Sun family in Huai City first.”
This told Han Wu everything he needed to know. Sun Fuqiang admired the blade but would never steal it. Honorable people like him were rare.
Han Wu sighed, inwardly mourning the twenty years of internal energy he couldn’t touch. After drinking a few cups of wine on their ship, he returned to his own.
That night, the sound of battle woke him. River bandits had surrounded them with their fast attack boats. Some passenger ships had already been boarded and had their cargo stolen.
Bandits had also climbed onto Han Wu’s ship. These experienced killers moved soundlessly through the ship, killing countless passengers in their sleep.
Han Wu wasn’t about to let good prey go to waste. Spreading his hand, he activated the Kunpeng Divine Art and sucked out the internal energy from a bandit that was two meters away! The bandit went limp and toppled into the water.
The others met similar fates. Soon, Han Wu wasn’t satisfied with just the boats around him. He used the smaller vessels as stepping stones to leap across the water. Every bandit he encountered got hit with the Kunpeng Divine Art.
He didn’t turn his nose up at small amounts like three or five years. Eight or ten years, however, was much better. Thirty or fifty years? He would gladly accept! His stockpile rapidly approached the thousand-year mark.
“Help! Someone, please help my brother!” a familiar voice suddenly cried out.
It sounded like Sun Fubao. Han Wu headed over and leaped onto their ship. Panicking at the realization that someone had boarded, Sun Fubao drew a small knife. She was ready to fight!
Han Wu sighed. If she didn’t want anyone on the ship, she shouldn’t have yelled for help.
“I’m the one who came for a drink earlier,” he said, showing Peerless as proof.
Sun Fubao instantly latched onto him as if he were a long-lost family member, begging him to save her brother. Han Wu stepped into the cabin to find a badly wounded Sun Fuqiang. A knife was lodged deep in his chest and had punctured his organs. In the Martial Arts Civilization, this kind of injury was considered beyond saving.
“Please, you have to save him. He got stabbed protecting me. The Sun family will pay as much as you want. Just save my brother!” Sun Fubao sobbed.
Sun Fuqiang knew his wound was fatal and could only use his last words to save his sister. “Please, just protect my sister. The Sun family will repay you.”
Their devotion to each other stirred something in Han Wu. He instinctively activated Divine Invocation and called himself. The power of Life Aspect flowed through him as he healed Sun Fuqiang’s wounds.
“Protect your sister yourself,” Han Wu muttered before unceremoniously leaving.
At first, Sun Fuqiang was furious. Was that all Han Wu had to say in response to his dying words? The frustration made him tense, and the realization that his wounds didn’t hurt anymore had him sitting up in shock.
Sun Fuqiang gingerly touched his chest. There wasn’t even a scar.
“Am I dreaming?” he whispered.
