1314: A Thousand Peonies Bloom
Huangshi Village

Upon arrival in the village, Shuwan and Zhang descend on a tavern selling groceries.

They buy groceries that can last a long time so they can be taken during the trip. Suddenly from the opposite direction a man bumps into Shuwan and drops his groceries.

“Please, help me, Miss!” pinta the man.

Shuwan did not reply and immediately saw a group of thugs chasing after the man. One of the thugs said, “Hey, Miss. You better hand over the man and don't interfere in our affairs.”

“Then, why are you guys chasing him? Don't you see he's just a weak old man?” Shuwan.

The other thugs bullied Shuwan too, “Whatever our business with the old man is none of your business. Step away or we'll hurt you.”

“You can't give me the reason then I can't let you hurt this old man either.”

“We've warned you, so don't blame us if we do rough.”

“Zhang, please protect this old man. While I was facing them,” pinta Shuwan on Zhang.

Zhang was actually worried about what Shuwan was doing, he said, “Should we not interfere? What if you get hurt?”

“Calm down, just leave it to me. You go with this man, wait for me in a safe place.”

“Then go forward all of you!” Shuwan challenges the thugs.

“How arrogant are you,” said one of the others.

“I'm not arrogant, but I just believe in myself. Those who do evil by oppressing the weak must be given freedom.”

“Strike!” the thug shouted by giving a hand code to attack Shuwan.

A fight ensues between Shuwan and the thugs. Comparison is 1:5, Shuwan alone against five thugs.

“Is your girlfriend okay? I'm afraid those thugs are gonna hurt him.”

Zhang smiled and responded to the old man's question by saying, “You don't have to worry, she is not a weak ordinary woman, and I believe she can do it.”

The old man laughed, “Young couples are indeed so romantic, huh?”

Zhang denied the man's statement with a blushing face, “E-Eh... Young couple? Actually we are just travel friends because our destination is the same.”

“Your mouth may say no, but your face looks blushing and makes me sure that you are a couple. Anyway, you seem to like that girl. In addition, you two look very suitable.”

“It looks like you misunderstood, our relationship is not as you imagined.”

“Then why don't you try to express your feelings to her?”

“We only knew each other a few days ago, but somehow I always felt familiar with him, like I had met and something happened between me and Shuwan,” said Zhang.

“Oh, the girl's name is Shuwan? What a beautiful name. Then your name?”

“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. Just call me Zhang.”

Meanwhile, as quickly as possible Shuwan won the fight, and made the thugs run away. But the thug promised to come back again, “Just wait for our revenge, you all must feel the consequences of having hit us.”

Shuwan simply kept silent not responding to the thugs' bluff. He headed to where Zhang and the old man were waiting. The man thanked him.

“Thank you for your help, otherwise I could have died from being beaten up by those thugs.”

“It is our duty to help in kindness. Then actually, why are those thugs chasing you?”

“The story is a little complicated, how about you guys just go to my house? Looks like you guys aren't here either, and look like people who are wandering.”

“Ah, you are right, we are indeed traveling to a place quite far away. Actually we also need a place to rest tonight.”

“You can stay at my house. You guys haven't had dinner yet, have you? Let's hurry now.”

The old man, rescued by Shuwan and Zhang, takes them to his house. Upon arrival at home, the man called someone, “Xiao Tao, Xiao Tao.”.

Then came out a little boy about 7 years old and answered his grandfather's call, “Iya, Kek.”

The boy was shocked to see the bruise on his grandfather's face and said, “Grandfather's face why? Did the person standing near that grandfather do it?”

“Not, Xiao Tao. These two brothers were the ones who helped the grandfather of those thugs. Grandpa came out because he wanted to buy supplies for tomorrow, suddenly the thugs took away Grandpa's belongings. Fortunately there were both of them, so grandpa was fine.”

“So apparently. Brother, forgive Xiao Tao for accusing you.”

Zhang approached the boy and stroked his head. He softly said, “It's okay, Xiao Tao. Brother knows you're worried about your grandfather, right? So you don't have to apologize.”

The boy's face sparkled, and smiled at Zhang and Shuwan.

“Xiao Tao, is the food ready? Grandpa's guests haven't had dinner yet,” said grandfather interrupting.

“Of course it is. I've also been waiting for grandpa daritadi, it's just that grandpa was late back.”

“Then I'm sorry, Xiao Tao. Well... Come Shuwan, Zhang we go in and have dinner.”

Shuwan whispered to Zhang, “Hei, how does this man know my name?”

“So he asked me.”

“So apparently.”

Shuwan and Zhang finally entered. They are also welcome to sit at the dinner table.

“Ah, earlier introduce, this is my grandson Xiao Tao, and I am Xiao Jun. You can call me Grandpa Jun. Earlier sorry, if we could only entertain you guys. This is how our home is, and this is the food we commonly consume daily.”

Shuwan responded, “It's okay, Cake. This is more than enough for us.”

“What Shuwan said, Cake. You don't have to feel bad. We should also thank you for giving us a ride and also food,” Zhang said.

“Then let's eat before the food gets cold.”

That night, they ate together.

***

Meanwhile, at the thugs' base.

The thugs that Shuwan had defeated were scolded by their leader.

“But, sir, that woman is no ordinary woman. He has good fighting skills. Besides, he is very strong.”

“B-Right, Boss. The woman had an unusual aura. We can all see him, and the guy friend who was with him is also so.”

“I don't care, want the woman strong or good at fighting, anyone who gets in my way then has to bear the consequences!”

The leadership of the thugs is furious about the incident, and will demand revenge on Shuwan as well as Zhang.

“Tomorrow we will make calculations with those two people. Finish them both! Then we will freely control the village and plunder the property of the inhabitants.”

All of them in the base laughed satisfied with what they were going to do tomorrow.

***

After Shuwan and Zhang had dinner at the house, Jun's grandfather told him about his problems with the thugs.

“This village was built by me and some elders who are here. The natural wealth we have such as mineral resources and also various medicinal plants. All the inhabitants lived in peace, trading in mining goods and drugs. But all that changed when those thugs took control of our village.

They took away our property without leaving anything. They controlled the mines and destroyed the drug plantations owned by the citizens. We ended up being like this because of them. Even Xiao Tao's father and mother were also killed by them. Those thugs are really more cruel creatures than wild beasts.”

Grandpa Jun was crying, he became so emotional when he told of the incident that befell his family and also the villagers.

Shuwan then asked, “Did no one try to fight them? Shouldn't there be a lot of young people in this village?”

“You're right, but that thug leader has a black heirloom that can knock out opponents without having to put up a fight.”

Black heirloom? I read it in Grandpa's book. Black heirloom shaped like a dagger, can emit a beam that is able to paralyze the nerves of the opponent who see the light. That means if you do not see the light from the heirloom then nothing happens. I have to destroy that heirloom, inner Shuwan.

“Direful,” said Zhang worried.

Shuwan interrupted, “As the thugs said, it looks like they will be looking for me tomorrow. The way not to be exposed to the effects of the black heirloom is to not see the light coming out of the heirloom. Tomorrow I'll crush the confidence of those thugs, along with his legacy.”

“Hey, hey, is that not too risky. How are you going to face them?” ask Zhang.

“Of course I will fight by covering my eyes.”

Zhang was shocked and alarmed by Shuwan's statement. He said, “Me-shut your eyes? Isn't that dangerous? What if you get hit by a gun or attack them?”

“I was once blind, even so my grandfather kept training me to fight and swordplay with my condition that I could not see. Thanks to that practice, I got used to.”

“Then what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Call residents to take shelter and stay in their homes. I will fight alone with those thugs, and you can hide around where I fight fear if something happens to me. Try not to look in their direction when they use that black heirloom.”

“Good.”

“Me and Xiao Tao will tell the citizens, we will also concoct medicines just in case,” said Jun grandfather.

Finally that night they prepared for battle tomorrow.

Until the next morning arrived, a quiet atmosphere colored the village. As per Shuwan's plan so that the citizens do not do the activity first. Until the herd of thugs arrived in the village.

The leader of the thugs shouted, “Hey, snot boy, get out quickly! I've come to make calculations with you!”

Shuwan jumped from the roof of a vegetable shop with his eyes covered in black cloth. He also said, “Whispering once anyway, still so early but already screaming unclear.”

“Hah, apparently you're the boy who defeated my subordinates? Your head is big too,” said the leader of the thugs.

Shuwan smiles and provokes the thug leader. He said, “Let me tell you, it is not me who is too strong but your subordinates who are too weak and easily defeated.”

“Bigger! Then do you think you can beat us with your eyes closed like that?”

“Now, last night my eyes put something in, and until now I haven't been able to see.”

The thugs laughed.

“How good! This way I can kill you easily!”

The thug then attacked Shuwan, Shuwan was on standby and drew his sword as the bandits advanced. He can feel the vibrations of footsteps, hear the exhaling, and the heartbeat of the person who will attack him with his eyes closed.

When someone approached, Shuwan shook his sword. One by one the thugs are paralyzed by being hit by Shuwan's black sword, leaving the leader of a thug. Zhang peeked at Shuwan's fight in shock and amazement.

“Have you seen me fight earlier? Whaddya think? Oh, yes, my sword is covered with deadly insect venom. If you affected are not treated immediately, then the angel of death will definitely be happy to take your lives” Shuwan said with a grin.

That night, Shuwan did go out looking for a poisonous scorpion. He took the poison and applied it to the black sword.

“You're overconfident, I still have an in-“ heirloom

The thug leader's words were interrupted, because before he used the heirloom Shuwan pierced his left chest with a black sword.

Poking at the thug leader, Shuwan said, “Your brutality ends here!”

The leader of the thugs fell, and died instantly. Shuwan opened his blindfold and immediately took the black heirloom and crushed it with a deep force.

The citizens came out of their homes, and cheered happily because the people who caused them to suffer had perished. Zhang also came out with a big smile.

It did not feel like the day had gone by, the citizens were busy preparing a party to celebrate this victory. Later that night, Shuwan and the citizens partied. Until Shuwan says to Jun's grandfather, “Kakek, tomorrow morning we will continue the journey. So we can't stay.”

Grandpa Jun sighed and said, “So apparently. Then me and the residents will prepare provisions for the trip tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Kek” Zhang said.

The next morning, Jun's grandfather, Xiao Tao and the citizens drove Shuwan and Zhang to the village gate. The citizens gave Shuwan and Zhang medicine, food, and a little money to thank them for helping them.

“Thank you everyone, then me and Shuwan resigned,” Zhang said politely.

“Cautious.” The citizens replied and waved at the two of them.

Zhang and Shuwan went to ride the horse they had brought before.

“Kek, will we meet them back someday?” xiao Tao asked his grandfather.

Grandpa Jun replied with a smile, “Maybe someday, let time will answer it.”