Legend of the Heavenly Swordsman
Ch.8 - A Hope

"Dad can't you let me out right now? Being in this place all day really makes me want to die." Sin Lou incessantly persuaded his father to let him go.

"No." Sin Xhou replied briefly.

"But hasn't there been a lot of help for me in this place? It's almost…"

"No!" cut Sin Zhou back.

"Ugh.. Sucks!" Sin Lou snorted in annoyance as he harrumphed in any direction.

***

At Fu Chen's house, he was currently helping his mother make some lanterns for themselves. Some of them will hang on the ceiling of the terrace of their house and others they will fly with other villagers.

There is also Fu Mei who is always loyal beside her mother although not helping much, but she still insisted on trying.

On the sidelines of the bustle, Fu Chen again asked about his training. "Would you train me when I'm eight?"

"Did your father say that…?" Xin Xue replied calmly, her hands were still busy making lanterns.

"Yes, I'm right.. Don't tell me you're going to follow me too?" Fu Chen replied weakly.

"Hehe. You take it easy, it won't happen. Mother will teach you to read and write after the Festival in our Village is over and after that mother will not interfere anymore." Xin Xue smiled gently at her son.

"Mother will teach me too, right…?" Fu Mei put her face on the two of them. Xin Xue and Fu Chen who saw him instantly collapsed.

Fu Chen felt that his sister's face was adorable and wanted him to pinch both cheeks of the brother who felt very big.

Fu Mei who saw her brother was watching herself immediately stuck out her tongue with a mocking face. "Mblee…"

Fu Chen was getting more and more anxious with his sister and he finally started to stand up and walked over to Fu Mei with an evil smile. Fu Mei who realized her brother was going to prank on her again immediately took refuge behind Xin Xue.

"Mother.behold, brother-" Fu Mei who was hiding behind Xin Xue was so shocked that Fu Chen was already nearby.

"Where are you going…?" Fu Chen began to wring his fingers starting to warm up.

"Yetoo…!" Fu Mei shouted loudly as her brother's hands began to pinch both of her cheeks.

"Ulululu... still dare to ridicule your sister hm…?" Fu Chen pinched his sister's cheeks, occasionally tickling her sister as well.

"Mother.. sis.pardon me, Meimei promised not to repeat it again…!" Fu Mei stopped wriggling, a little tear spout came out from the end of her eyes from laughing too much. According to him, the tickling of the brother was the toughest torture he had ever felt.

"It's Chen'er, hasn't your sister apologized yet." Xin Xue said, who was also comforted by the behavior of the two.

"Mom saw it too, didn't you? That big cheek is so adorable." Fu Chen glanced towards his sister with an evil grin. Fu Mei, who noticed the look on her brother's face, ran towards the room and locked the door.

Fu Chen had already chased after Fu Mei, he finally hit the door and fell down with a bump on his head. Xin Xue could only sigh at her son's behavior, but in the end she kept working on the lantern herself.

***

The next night the atmosphere of the Village was completely different from usual. The lanterns are neatly installed in each residents' homes with golden red ornaments.

The streets even feel very crowded by visitors. In a fairly large stream of water, which is located not far from across the street there have also been small sampans containing several lit lanterns, which are also lit, make the atmosphere so comfortable for someone who wants to find a partner.

Even the large basin symbol of the village that is usually always quiet has now been decorated torch along the wall that stretches there. The night sky filled with stars and the moon that shines bright as if to enjoy the Festival.

The family of Fu Chen and other residents are now heading to the location of the basin which is right at the end of the Village. The streets were so bright and there was no audible noise at all accompanying their steps to the end of the Village and were led by torches neatly mounted along the way.

Lanterns are held tightly to everyone who goes there. The group led by the Village Chief was solemnly thinking about what they would say to join the lantern they would fly.

There is no stage, no podium, no other higher ground. Everything was the same when facing the God they had believed all along.

The Village Chief stepped forward nearing the torch in front of him, until his face was clearly visible due to the radiance from the torch. The name of the Village Chief was Yoshi Kishimoto, himself started cupping his hands right in front of his chest and started to bow his head.

All villagers also do it even without any direction given by the Village Chief, while visitors from outside the village and merchants who also attended also began to bow their heads even though they did not know what they had to do afterwards.

All the villagers there pray in their hearts to be given smoothness in the Festival tonight.

After about three minutes, they finally raised their heads. There was a sense of relief in itself that the villagers felt afterwards.

The village head who was facing the torch in front of him began to turn around and now he faced all the people present before starting the Festival that had been awaited.

"Good night everyone…!" Silence has no answer. Yoshi Kishimoto started to mentally collect for a moment.

"Tonight is a day of remembrance for all of us to remember our ancestors and the rise of this village from nothingness…" the villagers who were present again lowered their heads with their hands holding each other.

"Tonight is the night for the God to see the village he has blessed. Tonight is the night for all of us to get closer to the great God. We are all the same before him, only sincerity will be seen by the God…!" Yoshi Kishimoto spoke out loud enough to be heard by the citizens at the end of the line.

"Blessed this village so that your name is widely spread on this land, we will always remember you throughout the generations that we gave birth to. with lanterns that appear modest… spreading a romantic magical aura to anyone who sees it. prepare to welcome the night.." Yoshi Kishimoto took a breath for a moment.

"Among the joys

Among the haru flavors

Between the sense of belonging to each other

Amongst the sense of family

There are many failures, as well as expectations

Behind a load on my shoulders

There is an example of the required.

With lanterns stretched out with a sincere sebait for a peace.." Yoshi Kishimoto wiped the little tears that came out of his eyes.

"With this lantern, I represent all citizens who hope for welfare. With this lantern, I represent this country that expects prosperity.God, accompany our steps with your blessings.." Yoshi Kishimoto began to light his lanterns that all citizens follow.

"Allow this lantern as a bridge over our expectations.." After Yoshi Kishimoto finished his sentence, he immediately released the lantern in order to fly high, then followed by all the people present.

Not long after, two middle-aged men who were lifting a wooden crate walked over to Yoshi Kishimoto.

"Lord, keep this property of the villagers we have deposited in your place and curse anyone who dares to steal it from your watch…"

Yoshi Kishimoto and all the heads of the family there began to enter the gate and walk towards the building not far from the wall that separates the village with the building.

Although it looks quite creepy, but in fact the conditions inside there are quite clean and well maintained.

***

In a place far away from the Falling Star Village, a middle-aged man who looked to be 60 years old was sitting on a rock on top of a hill. He kicked the sky which was scattered a lot of lanterns.

Although he was old enough, but his eyes were still very sharp looking at thousands of lanterns to the end of his vision.

"It's the fifth time I've seen it, but I still can't figure out where the lanterns came from." the middle-aged man let out a rough sigh before returning a vertical joint of wine in his hand.