章 23: The Saint's Dream

"It's about time now…"

As soon as the Sword Saint spoke, Liu noticed something going on beneath the mountain. His eyes finally left the beauty of sunrise, and his gaze was drawn to the Sect itself.

The shorter cluster of mountains had various wonderful buildings, all of which comprised the Sword Saint Sect, however, there was something he hadn't really noticed until he was now watching from this peak.

A very large portion of tiled ground—completely empty.

It felt odd, like a blank stain on the beauty of the Sect. It existed in the northern area, and it had to cover at least an acre of land.

'So big… yet empty.'

However, Liu soon changed his mind.

Multiple people, mostly young ones, began to seep out of the buildings that littered the Sect. They were most likely the children that inhabited this place, the oldest not being older than fifteen.

They all gathered at the very spot that Liu considered an odd spot, and their numbers slowly increased. Finally… they numbered a little over three hundred.

"These are the children we inhabit. There are exactly four hundred and nine of them, though a good number of them are in closed meditation so they can't appear for the morning activities." The Sword Saint spoke, almost as if she had read Liu's thoughts.

"A-ah, I see." He managed to mutter, watching as they organized themselves into lines and rows. "What exactly are they gathered for?"

The Sword Saint kept her gaze on the children, even though Liu kept alternating is gaze between her and the sight. He was curious, but he also couldn't help looking at her when she spoke.

"Early morning training. It mostly comprises of exercises. They do that for one hour, then they freshen up. Afterward, they eat and then resume their training. Of course, there's time for playing among one another, or simply napping—depending on what they desire."

Liu couldn't believe his ears. This sounded completely different from what he had heard about Sects. Usually, children were worked to the bone to meet up to the standards of a Sect. This was especially true for those who were outsiders, or bought as slaves.

'Only the talented ones get to survive. Or they're used as training fodders for the true heirs of the Sects.'

Compared to that hellish fate, this place seemed like paradise.

"I told you before, didn't I? This Sect is built for the children. It is to groom them, foster their growth, and ensure they develop in the best possible environments. We also make sure to teach them basic education, and guide them in other things."

The Sword Saint told Liu how they had instructors who taught them how to build houses, how to hunt, sew clothes, brew medicines, cook, and many other things. The more he heard, the more Liu became certain that this wasn't exactly a Martial Arts Sect.

It was something else.

"Most of these children were abandoned. Some were on the verge of death, like you. Some even witnessed their parents die before their eyes. They belong to commoner lineages, and they were fated to die before being brought here."

This world was cruel. Every day, countless atrocities were bound to occur, resulting in the deaths and destruction of so many. Liu could recount his own experience, and how his peace-loving village had been pillaged by bandits.

In this unforgiving place, it was beyond astonishing that someone like the Sword Saint existed.

"You met Yisheng, didn't you? And Cu Ren brought you here. Those two came from the same place. It was a village that burned down thanks to a conflict between two warring Sects. It was a wonder how they survived under all that smoke and flames. Yisheng apparently made a concoction that helped them, while Cu Ren protected him from the scorching flames. I managed to save them before they perished and brought them here. Every other person has a similar story."

The more Liu heard, the more his heart bled. He wasn't the only one suffering in this world, that much he already knew. However, now that he had encountered people who had faced such tribulations… he became moved.

'How can those two smile and joke like that? Even after everything…' Perhaps it was time that healed their wounds.

Or maybe, this place was the cause. If this place could cure their pain—and could bring them such fulfillment—then Liu began to wonder about himself.

Would he truly ever be able to recover from the loss he had suffered?

"What about you, Sword Saint?" Liu asked, looking at her once more.

"Me?"

"What happened to you? A-ah, sorry I asked…" What was he thinking? Liu suddenly became flustered, and his cheeks began to heat up again.

"No, it's fine. It's just that not many people ask me what happened. It's been so long, after all." She simply smiled, not thinking too much of it as he had feared she would.

"I grew up close to the sea. My village made a livelihood from fishing. We were a small community, and while we didn't have much… we always did our best to survive." Liu could sense a bittersweet nostalgia coming from her lips as she spoke.

He truly wished the story ended there, and that she continued living in that simple way. Unfortunately, they both knew the harsh truths of this world.

"It was back when the three Pillars were engaged in conflict. The Sky, Earth, and Human Lords respectively waged war against one another. In the end, my village got caught up in it. My parents sacrificed themselves to save me. I was only eight."

Liu's eyes widened at the realization.

At such a young age, she had to encounter such despair. Unlike him, she hadn't been an older person in the body of a child. She was an actual child.

"That's why I want to help these children. I want to teach them how to fight, so they can defend themselves. I want to educate them, teach them how to live peaceful lives, so when they become adults and leave this place… they will fare well."