The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

A wagon full of hay ridden by a gray-haired man went through a farm outside Fuyu. It went into the small barn which was situated right at the foot of a cliff and stopped. The middle of the stacked bundled hays opened on its own. A man wearing a black silk robe sat up. It was Prime Minister Xian Lang. He brushed off the hay stalks on his hair and clothes and stepped down. 

He walked to an empty stable and faced the wall. He pulled down a torch holder. A two-yards wide portion of the wall moved around. Xian Lang walked in and the wall turned again and closed. The driver only went about unloading the hay bundles. 

Inside the wall was a wide passage of a man-made cavern. One could tell it was carved on purpose by a rock Chiangda because the walls were flat and the perfectly angled corners. Yards away, an open field of a hidden valley welcomed him. 

Mountains and stiff cliffs surrounded the whole place. On the right was a natural waterfall where a watermill rounded while water fill the troughs attached to the mill bringing water to a steel tube. The water filled a tank with small tubings ran to different parts of the valley. 

A tube went to a blacksmith's hall busy making weapons such as swords, arrow tips, spears, and others. Another went to a huge pool inside a rock-hewn wall where women and children bathed. Beside it was the man's bathing area. One tube went to the kitchen of a large mess hall where busy cooks prepared food three times a day for a thousand single warriors. 

In the middle of the valley was a fenced area. Two black-haired men in their early twenties, wearing only their trousers with crimson sword tattoos on their bare upper arm, held wooden swords, sparring inside. 

There were men sitting around the fence, watching eagerly on who would lose. A man walked around receiving bets using a steel helmet.  

"Twenty silvers for Longwei," a man said handing silver coins to the man. 

"Nah, Fu will win today. His wife gave birth to a son two days ago, so he is inspired now," said another man wearing a long scar on his right cheek.

Longwei and Fu got to their feet. Both chests moved up and down as beads of sweat ran down their faces. Fu smirked at his opponent with mere casualness as he struck downward. Longwei kept a hand on his sword's handle and the other palmed the wooden blade.

Fu laughed. "I loathe that you called me gay before. Now that I have a son, you have to give him a gift as consolation for shaming him." He made another down slash but stronger this time.

Fu swung his sword sideways with both hands on the hilt, aiming at Longwei's belly. Longwei moved his sword downward at his side, receiving the blow with the flat of his blade. In that instant he slid the blade on the other sword in an upward motion to let the edge hit Fu's holding hands. 

It was all Longwei could do to make a strike. He had been defending for minutes with no solution to make a hit. Fu was so ruthless today, unlike the previous days they fought for the daily sparring routine. He could have chosen someone else to fight today but Fu listed to become his sparring partner for a week because of him naming names the other person. 

Longwei was tired, and already hurt from several hard blows. They had fought for long, but Fu had no intention of finishing the fight soon. Every time he flinched or groaned in pain seemed to refreshed Fu's strength, making him nuts. 

I might just give in today and give his son that trinket he wanted to end this bout or else I could spend time with my darling tonight if I end up full of bruises. Longwei thought hard. However, that trinket was given to him by his mother as a keepsake of someone important to her. He couldn't just give it away that easily.

Longwei kept moving, jumping and rolling here and there, not wanting to be stuck too long within Fu's reach. His firm hold on his blade allowed him more accurate and tight defense, but it greatly lowered his reach. While Fu held the sword like he was holding a child's toy and had no such disadvantage. Fu's agility added to the difficulty.

Exhaustion crawled at Longwei's mind. He was just a new recruit in this garrison after he was discovered as a water Chiangda three months ago. It scared him much on what waited for him when he was transported to this place. Unknowingly, he was sent here to be trained in secret under the protection of the King. The crimson tattoo was a sign of their allegiance to the Youshi king.

Later, he learned it was a project of the prime minister supported by the first and second princes and the king for a secret reason. He had no choice but to train and stay here until the king send them out to missions. The whole place could be called a prison, but they were free to move, marry and start a family housed within the valley and mountains. 

They were well provided, including the monthly wages as soldiers and skilled workers, with nothing to ask aside the freedom from going out the valley. If they dare to escape, hired assassins awaited them. Those who left ended as fugitives and most died. Thus, no one left even if it was easy to barge out. Longwei settled to stay as well and found a wife among the children of the old prisoners. 

At this time, Longwei ignored these thoughts and focused. Fu was just another sparring partner and comrade in his life here. Their blades bound again, and Longwei's feet were sore with the new boots his wife bought from a merchant who passed by two days ago, insisting him to wear today. 

Then Fu's armpit was exposed. Longwei hurriedly thrusts the sword. Fu's cry resounded as Longwei's sword ran through the armpit and shoulder, stopping only when it reached the neck. Fu swung wildly with the arm holding the sword, completely missing Longwei. Longwei shoved Fu to the dirt and aimed the sword's tip on the loser's neck.

Longwei heaved long breaths as he spoke, "I won, but I promise to give a gift to your son but not that trinket." He offered a hand to Fu.

"Haha, no problem, my brother." Fu laughed as he held on the extended hand and yanked up to his feet.

Longwei opened a palm and water ran on his hand. Then a ball of water appeared afterward. "Here, drink this. My peace offering for you to erase your name as my sparring partner for a week. The spectators laughed hearing that remark. 

Fu roared into laughter and slurp the water from Longwei's hand. Everyone cheered as he lifted his head, finishing the water up to the last drop.

Prime Minister Xian Lang clapped to make people notice him. They all bowed at him and stood straight with their spine erect.

"At ease, men. Spend time with your wife and children today for tomorrow we will depart to Fengfu City. And we won't be back soon."

The whole place trembled with the roaring cheers echoing the mountains. Everyone yelled of joy to hear they were heading out and a long one.