Chapter 215 “history” (part two)
Exactly on the evening of this year 925 of the imperial calendar, Mr. Blue Ocean was sitting under the tree in his yard sipping tea with his servant (former thief).
At this time, a youngster around ten years old had already stood outside his entrance for the entire afternoon that day.
Though the teenager was very handsome, but his thin stature and dirty clothes showed he was from a poor family. Nonetheless, those eyes of his gave off a sense of pride that could not be covered up by the ragged state he was in.
From noon till night, he never once moved a step, that is until the door leading into the yard opened up for him.
“Mr. Blue Ocean.” The child just stood there at the doorway with his delicate yet firm face: “I request for you to accept me as an apprentice.”
Mr. Blue Ocean only smiled without getting up from his chair. With a cup of tea in his hand, he then noticed the kid’s shoe was already worn out from long use.
“You came from a faraway place?”
“…… Northwest.” The teenager replied: “I traveled for over a month in order to reach the capital. Three days ago when I heard of your name, I feel you can untie the knots in my heart.”
“What is it that you want to get from me?” Blue Ocean became intrigued by the kid’s word.
“Answers.” The teenager’s voice became very low and somber: “Sir, I hear people say you are the most intelligent person in the capital. My family hails from the Desa Province of the Northwest and my great-grandfather was a nobleman there. Both my grandfather and father worked as a blacksmith for the military and from their mouths, they told me the army will protect us. However, my sister and family all died three years ago from an attack made by the prairie natives living there. They disguised themselves as bandits and killed everyone. During the ordeal, my mother hid me inside the cellar and from there; I heard the pleading cries of my sister. They raped her and insulted her before ending her life. What’s more, those beasts even beheaded her and hanged my sister’s head against a fence post outside my home. After that, my mother wept for three days and three nights and also died from sadness. Then a year ago, my father also passed away. His parting words were…… ‘live on’. Dear sir, for people like me that lives in the Desa Province, is there no way to change our sad fate?”
The voice of the youth became somewhat harsh that even Blue Ocean could not ignore.
From the kid’s baggage, he noticed something poking out of it; it looked like a sword……
After a long time, Blue Ocean lets out a long apologetic sigh: “Boy, I’m very sorry, but towards your question, I’m unable to answer it.”
From the kid’s childish yet determined face, a trace of deep disappointment appeared for a second. As he was about to turn away, Blue Ocean suddenly called out to him: “Hold on.”
As the teenager stopped his footstep, Blue Ocean was already up from his chair. Walking over to the kid’s side, he looked straight into the youngster’s eye and whispered: “There are some things out there that we cannot answer by just thinking about it…… But that doesn’t mean we always have to have an answer before taking action….. In many cases, it’s wiser to do first then go back to look at the results. Even if the attempt resulted in a failure, but at the very least we will know it’s a method that doesn’t work. If everyone is always sitting around thinking about this and that without acting, then we will never have any answers in our lifetime.”
After a pause, he slowly says: “I can’t give you the answer, but I can help you along the way… … Child, what do you want to learn?”
“Martial arts!” the teenager’s response was very firm without any spec of hesitation.
Blue Ocean smiles: “Martial arts? You know I am a scholar right?”
The teenager was silent like he was somewhat embarrassed and disappointed. However, Blue Ocean only stared at the kid for a while before speaking up again, “Very well, come with me.”
Just as Blue Ocean wanted to turn to go inside, he suddenly asked: “I almost forgot… … What’s your name?”
“Rodriguez.” The teenager replied: “You can also call me Rodney.”
“Very well Rodriguez.” Blue Ocean gently recites this name in his mind: “I accept you as my first disciples … … Also, if nothing else happen, you will also be the only one that inherits my martial skills.”
Following Blue Ocean, Rodriguez went into the house and inside there is another small room.
“This door is never locked.” Blue Ocean laughs: “But, I think you may be the only person to ever go inside other than me.”
Despite how small the room appeared from the outside, the inside didn’t actually look so narrow – clearly Blue Ocean is someone that is very capable in utilizing ones space. More importantly, Rodriguez was surprised to find a drape hanging in there because the letters and symbols inscribed on it is something he would never forget!
“This is … …” The teenager’s face suddenly became very strange: “Those are the words of the Prairie barbarians….”
“That’s right.” Blue Ocean stood in front of the kid as he replied in a very calm manner.
“Why do you have this stuff?”
“Because……” Blue Ocean laughs: “Because I’m a member of the so called ‘prairie barbarians’, if you don’t mind me saying so. I’m not from the empire; I grew up in the prairie.”
Rodriguez’s face quickly darkened as he instinctively took a step back. Carefully observing Blue Ocean, Rodriguez became perplexed by the appearance of the old man before him.
Blue eyed and light skinned, not a single characteristic of this old man gave off the sign that he carried the blood of the prairie natives.
“Feel surprised?” Blue Ocean smiles: “Maybe in your heart, the so called prairie barbarians are all ruggedly looking people that rides through the land on horseback, right? Then again, how many people really understand what is beyond that piece of grassland?”
Finishing his words, Blue Ocean gently removes the drape to reveal a long box.
“I was born in the Prairie but I’m not a part of the nomadic tribes. At the northern end of that piece of grassland, there is a Snowy Mountain that reaches all the way into the heavens. Standing up there, one can even touch the clouds. It is there and only there where you can find the holy land of all shamans because that is where the ruins of a civilization completely different from the Roland Empire lie. We of the people living up on that mountain is the remnants of that once great civilization.”
Rodriguez became somewhat surprised: “You … …”
“No need to show such a face.” Blue Ocean lets out a pitying laugh: “Since the day I left that Snowy Mountain, I was no longer a part of that group. Since long ago, I’ve already come to a conclusion that those on the mountain are all crazy…. Or to be precise, the residual remnants of that crazy blood line. Since the day I left that mountain, I refuse to continue that crazy tradition with those people.”
Finishing his words, Blue Ocean gently opens the blue box to reveal a long slender sword!
After opening the box, a stream of cold air immediately enveloped the entire room! In the face of such intense cold, Rodriguez could not stop his body from shivering. Despite how delicate and beautiful the crystal like sword was, one can see it was extremely sharp!
“The name of this sword is called ‘Beauty under the Moonlight’.” Blue Ocean gently sighs: “Though I don’t believe you are a fit for this sword, but I will temporarily lend it to you. The sword may be powerful, but once you reach a certain level, this sword will become a barrier. The reason is because the sword doesn’t belong to you. It may be able to give you a boost right now, but when you have truly become strong, you will find that you are unable to release its full power. At that time, it will become a constraint against your growth.”
After a pause, Blue Ocean asked: “Didn’t your father leave you a sword? You can put it in the box here. When the day comes where you can no longer grow, you can come here and reclaim your father’s sword. Once that day comes, I will teach you how to create a sword that binds with your soul to become a sword that truly belongs to you.”
Rodriguez stares intently at the legendary sword before him. Even though he was still young, but he can still sense how extraordinary the sword was: “Sir, whose sword is this? Is it yours?”
“It is mine.” Blue Ocean lets out slight smile: “But I can no longer use it.”
Rodriguez became astonished: “Sir … … Can it that you were also once a warrior?”
Revealing a strange expression, Blue Ocean did not immediately answer Rodriguez’s question; instead, he reached out to gently stroke the legendary sword: “I am no longer one now.”
Then he seems to smile but did not: “Anyone that leaves the Snowy Mountain must be willing to give up a part of them…….. And what I left behind is my ‘warrior’s soul’.”
Rodriguez became somewhat confused because a youngster like him couldn’t possibly understand something so complex right now. All his attention right now can only be focused on the Beauty under the Moonlight.
The sword is just too beautiful because Rodriguez had never seen such a beautiful sword in his life! Despite its inherent dangerous vibe, the mesmerizing chill it gave off seems to make one involuntary become entranced in all its glory……
While the kid was still in a stupor over what he was seeing, Blue Ocean had already brought the sword out of the box and handed it over the Rodriguez.
“Using this sword, I’ll teach you a special martial art… … This martial skill is not easy to learn, especially in the beginning. At first your growth will be exceptionally slow, but as you continue to practice it, you will find it to be extraordinarily powerful…. So are you willing?”
With the kid’s little reply of ‘yes’, the continent will hence forth gain another powerful expert!
An idiot that took twenty five years to go from level one to three, he will later be known as a genius that reached the height of eighth rank in merely five years after that!
In the spring of the year 925, the emperor Augustine the 6th finally recognized his eldest son as the crown prince and was thought to be the future emperor.
Then after Raymond became the new patriarch of the Rowling Household, our new earl held a party at his new manor. And outside the backdoor of this new found lord is our infamous horse coach Marde dozing off for the night. Still young at this time, Marde was muttering in his sleep: “Damn weather is cold tonight…. Humph, that housekeeper isn’t so great….. Watch, one day I will also become a housekeeper……”
At the same time in this night, to everyone’s surprise, our Mr. Lister that is worshiped by numerous girls suddenly married a beautiful girl that came from a poor family: “Honey, if we have children in the future, I hope that it will be a beautiful daughter … … In memory of our love, I want to name her for your sake… … Lan Lister.”
(Lan in chinese is actually the Magnolia flower.)
Meanwhile at the same time, Augustine the 6th already turned his sight of conquest towards the Northwest. Hanging in the emperor’s room is a huge map and the Northwestern corner had a circle drawn around it like a target……
When all these matters that would affect the future happened all at the same night, our little boy known as Rodriguez finally picked up his sword to behind his life’s struggle inside Blue Ocean’s home.
“My child, since you have now become my student, then I’m going to tell you my real name.” Blue Ocean turns to face this somewhat obsessed kid before him: “Remember this; my real name is Blue Ocean’s Moon.”
Rodriguez was stunned: ” Blue Ocean’s Moon? A very strange name.”
“It’s not the strangest.” Blue Ocean chuckles for a moment until face turns serious: “I would also like to remind you of one thing. No matter the circumstance, you must firmly bear this in mind!”
“What?”
“Remember a name, and you have to swear to me that no matter the circumstance, you may not become his enemy! The reason is because if there really is a devil in this world, then he will no doubt be the closest thing to it!” Blue Ocean’s expression became exceptionally grim.
“Understood, teacher, please say it.”
“That man is my brother, my real brother. However, I have always felt he should not have been born in this world. God must have made a mistake in making him a human because he is the devil….. The truth is, when I left the Snowy Mountain, he was already designated as the next Shaman King!”
Blue Ocean’s eyes showed a strange flash of light: “Perhaps it was a coincident, or perhaps it was fate, but his name just so happens to form a strange contrast with mine.”
Having said that, this scholar gently sighs: “His name is called…… White River’s Sorrow!”
Following his sigh, Blue Ocean gently dipped his finger into a cup of water. Using the liquid in his hand, our scholar quickly wrote several unknown letters on the box.
Looking at the unknown text, Rodriguez became surprised: “This is……”
“This is the text on the Snowy Mountain. Compared to the Roland Empire’s text, it is completely different. What I wrote here is his name ‘White River’s Sorrow’. Perhaps within the entire empire, only I would recognize this text.”
Although Blue Ocean is an educated man, but in the end, even he was wrong about the meaning of what he wrote.
Because 35 years later, another person appeared on this continent that could recognize this text.
This is of course … … Du Wei!