The Heavenly Tiger Swordsman
The Presence of Yang Gao

Jian San was already staring at Hao Zhao expectantly, waiting for Hao Zhao to deliver what he asked him to do. Where in the entire time Jian San waited, he could almost never calm down because the smile on Hao Zhao's face was clearly so visible as to ask him to do something unusual.

“Do you know about the two iron masked men in this town?" hao Zhao asked after a long time of silence.

Jian San heard this immediately, beginning to understand where the direction of the conversation would be headed made him even more unable to calm down.

“Young Master, if you ask me to deal with them as well as the other imperial soldiers, then you better just kill me," Jian San said limply.

“Kill you? I'm not interested in doing that at all, do you know who I mean to be this scared?" hao Zhao asked, quite surprised to see the great fear on Jian San's face.

“Of course I know, Young Master ...."

Jian San shortly afterwards immediately relayed what he knew about the two masked men, where the news about them is already quite common to be known by warriors including Free warriors like in the city.

“Interesting," said Hao Zhao after hearing Jian San's explanation.

The Iron Mask was an elite force in the current empire, where it was said that each of its members were selected high-level warriors and worked under the direct orders of the emperor. That was what Hao Zhao heard from Jian San, not to mention the fact that the nobles alone were required by the emperor to honor every member of the iron mask, making everything reasonable for Hao Zhao.

“It is not strange then, to see the two previous nobles bow their heads in front of these two iron mask users," Hao Zhao said, seems quite satisfied to succeed in getting information that previously had made him so curious.

“Oh, did Young Master also witness the arrival of the new ruling noble family of this city earlier?" jian San asked, as he had also seen something similar before meeting Hao Zhao.

“Of course, after all their arrival was quite horrendous," said Hao Zhao, before explaining that he just accidentally passed by when he saw all that.

“Oh, as it ...."

Jian San was silent afterwards, not knowing what else to say to Hao Zhao because he always felt so depressed when he was near Hao Zhao.

Hao Zhao wasn't unaware of it, he knew very well how much Jian San looked so scared of him. Where this matter was not too Hao Zhao thought, but rather more like wanting Hao Zhao to take advantage so that Jian San did not dare to mess around.

“Find more information about the two masked men and the noble family who will be the new ruler of this city, watch over them and report everything you see also know me, ' he said, do this if you want your name to be free from the blacklist of Treasure Lanterns" Hao Zhao said, grinning, did not think Jian San would dare to refuse him because the Treasure Lantern Hao Zhao had known was very important to most free warriors like Jian San.

“Ti— is not Young Master, I don't dare if like ...."

“Do or you want to voluntarily spend more money to buy resources elsewhere, that's your only choice. Don't think I'd be willing to help you for free." Hao Zhao stood up from his seat, shaking his hands before resources appeared at the table.

Jian San saw that he was certainly surprised, questioning what the intent of Hao Zhao's actions was to do that.

“That's the down payment for my duty, you need to remember that I'm not the type of person who would take advantage of someone else's suffering just for my benefit." Hao Zhao after him stepped away from there, leaving Jian San who was still so glued to his place.

Free Swordsman can only develop depending on luck and opportunity, Jian San understood that. Where Jian San preferred to regard Hao Zhao's duties as an opportunity for him, a great opportunity with equal pay even if his own life was the bet.

“I could die easily at the hands of the two iron mask members if caught investigating them, but who cares," Jian San said determinedly, after that, he immediately stored some of the resources that Hao Zhao gave behind his cloak before leaving from there.

***

Hao Zhao was already in his room that night, looking at the night sky from behind his open window, Hao Zhao's mind had already drifted somewhere.

“Always like this, it seems like I can still not forget the past even a little while having a quiet time," murmured Hao Zhao, saying, awakening from a long daydream as if swept into the memory of events in the past that he had experienced.

Hao Zhao realized that the war in the past was still very much for him, how not if all the chaos that surrounded Hao Zhao through his daily life first.

After feeling for yourself what peace means and calmness even though it is not an absolute thing, Hao Zhao has the determination not to let what happened in his time of life repeat itself in the present.

“To prevent something of the same kind from happening again I need strength, a much greater strength even from the ranks of great warriors in the present," murmured Hao Zhao, who was not at all, understand whether at any time he lives, remains the most absolute power that must be possessed by someone with hope.

Hao Zhao himself afterwards immediately chose to continue the absorption of his inner energy, which Hao Zhao almost always did every night until the early morning.

“For the movement of two masked men I can ignore for now, because there is Jian San who can watch over them for me. So what I have to do now, is just familiarize myself with this new level of strength of mine," Hao Zhao said softly, after which he sat down cross-legged while closing his eyes.

Not long ago Hao Zhao tried to meditate for the absorption of his inner energy, the door of Hao Zhao's room was suddenly knocked making Hao Zhao forced to finish his meditation first to see who came.

The door opened, where Yue Yie was already there with one old man who was so familiar to Hao Zhao.

“Young Master Zhao, I'm sorry to interrupt your break time. But there is something important that my Master would like to talk about, would you be willing to hear it?" asked Yue Yie with her face that kept her head down, trying to hide the hue of her face that had been flushed red.

“Teacher?" Hao Zhao briefly raised his eyebrows, after which glanced at the old man beside Yue Yie trying to remember who that man was.

“Yang Gao?" muttered Hao Zhao who could finally remember who the old man was.

“Son, we haven't seen each other since our first meeting" Yang Gao said with a warm smile on his face.

“You're right Uncle Gao, not to mention because of our first meeting that didn't have a good impression .. let me apologize if you're still offended about the last time," hao Zhao said as he bowed respectfully, to the old man who clearly had a big hand in regards to Hao Zhao's recovery from his internal injuries.

“Haha, there's no need to overdo it like that, son, you should understand if I don't do it for free" Yang Gao chuckled, of course understand what would make Hao Zhao can be so respectful to him.

Hao Zhao heard Yang Gao's words in surprise, before smiling slightly as he said, “Of course I know."