At about noon after Su Ming contemplating for a long time, carrying his basket he left the tribe with gritted teeth. Together with him was Lei Chen, Lei Chen had been to the tribal bazaar before, in fact, he had just went there again just a few days ago. When Su Ming when to him to borrow some money, he had volunteered to lead the way there.
“Su Ming, I only have two stone coins here with me, and it is something I exchanged with difficulty. That time y-you gave it to me… …” Lei Chen helplessly looked at Su Ming as the two of them ran through the forest outside the tribe.
“You have been saying that the whole trip, it’s just two stone coins! In these years I have already given you the Wu Long’s saliva, how much stone coins it is worth, Lei Chen are we not good friends? Why are you being like this!!” Although Su Ming felt a little guilty, he still stared at Lei Chen causing his next few words to become no more than a faint whisper.
“Is something I exchanged with great difficulty.. …” Lei Chen scratched his head, as if suddenly remembering something he looked at Su Ming surprised.
“Yi, I just remembers, what do you need to buy with the stone coins?”
“To buy Sieved Cloud Leaves!” Su Ming’s body flashed about in the forest leaping ahead nimbly, his speed even surpassing Lei Chen’s.
“What is this Sieved Cloud Leaf?” Lei Chen embarrassedly asked, only to notice Su Ming already shot ahead of him, immediately he opened up his strides to catch up.
“Su Ming, you must remember to return it to me… …”
“Su Ming, I have been saving it for many years now… …”
“Su Ming, those two stone coins, even my father does not know about. How did you manage to find it so quickly after coming into my house.”
“Su Ming, why is this Sieved Cloud Leaf, why are you not replying me? … …”
“Su Ming, Su Ming?? I have been asking you for the whole day already!!”
Throughout the whole trip, Lei Chen had been buzzing non stop around Su Ming’s ears. He had always known that Lei Chen really likes to chat, once he starts talking there would be no end to it. However he had not expected that throughout this whole journey he would have not even a moment of respite as Lei Chen continued his rambling.
Finally, by evening the two of them had come a long ways from the tribe into the unfamiliar forests. Although Su Ming could not bear to do so, he finally began slowed down and eventually stopped to rest by a tree. Taking heavy breaths, he turned around to see Lei Chen similarly panting on the floor.
“Su… …. Su Ming…… You…… must… …remember… … to …… return it…… back to…… me…… I … …:” The moment Lei Chen saw Su Ming turn his head around, Lei Chem immediately began to speak while still panting.
“I will return… … I will definitely return it to you… … but I have one request!” Su Ming bitterly smiled, facing Lei Chen he already has no idea what else to say.
“What request?” Lei Chen blinked his eyes, once again letting out an innocent expression.
“Don’t give me that look, Xiao Hong does it even better than you, Lei Chen I know what you have been asking me this whole trip, but I cannot tell you, eventually you will understand.” Su Ming stared at the person he grew up with, probably even his parents did not understand Lei Chen as well as Su Ming.
This Lei Chen appeared simple and straightforward on the surface, but he was actually a much deeper person. Only many people were deceived by his simple and honest expression resulting in them overlooking the cunning in his eyes.
Hearing Su Ming say so, Lei Chen rubbed his nose and made his usual smile.
“My request is simple, as long as you can keep quiet for the whole journey. After we return from our business, I will tell you what you want to know!” Su Ming said after staring at Lei Chen for a long while.
Lei Chen’s body suddenly stiffened, as if having turned into stone, instantly stopping all motion, while his eyes enlarged deathly staring behind Su Ming.
“Lei Chen……” Su Ming bitterly smiled, he was already used to Lei Chen’s pranks, something like this would not be able to deceive him.
“You are the one who told me to be quiet, even if I wanted to nod my head there would be whooshing sounds, so isn’t this better? Not moving at all, not a sound from me, completely abiding to your request. Is that still not being quiet! Since you want me to be quiet, don’t worry, I shall continue to be like this for the rest of the trip, I won’t make any more noise, though you can’t blame me if there are sounds from my footsteps, I ……”
“Stop!! That’s enough, keeping quiet is enough!” Su Ming said while rubbing his brow, noticing a flash of mischief flash across Lei Chen’s eyes, he knew Lei Chen was purposely playing him.
“Fine, I’ll tell you, I have a Mán-body, only Grandpa helped me cover it up with some Mán-Technique. Don’t go about telling other people about this.” As he spoke this last sentence, Su Ming’s expression turned serious.
Lei Zhen was the same, seriously he nodded his head.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I knew it was going to be like this, I just was really curious as to whether you became Mán-practitioner. I can rest at ease now, haha, from now on we shall be the two mighty warriors of the WuShan Tribe.
Su Ming laughed along with him as they rested. Soon after, they once again got up and continued on their journey, even as the skies darkened and the moon loomed overhead the two of them continued to run against the cold winter breeze through the starry night. Without the slightest pause, the two pushed forth, exchanging only a few words occasionally, revealing their deep friendship.
“I saw Bei Ling today. I feel frustrated whenever I see him, especially when Chen Xin was with him. He long knew Chen Xin had feelings for you!” Lei Chen grumbled indignantly.
“He has changed so much. So what if had went to FengZhen Tribe for a few year? Don’t tell me he has forgotten that he belongs to WuShan Tribe? You did not see his expression, the way he berated me, picking at my problems.”
Su Ming remained silent.
“Su Ming, sooner or later I shall surpass him!” Lei Chen clenched his fist as he ran.
“He is brother Bei Ling, when we both were young he took great care of us. Have you forgotten how he secretly shared with you his cultivation experience? Because of that, he was punished by Grandpa!”
“And my shooting skills, he taught them too…” Su Ming spoke with composure.
“As for Chen Xin, I have told you long ago, we share a sibling relationship, nothing else. Yet you are still guessing…” Su Ming’s voice was still calm.
Lei Chen wanted to say something, but seeing Su Ming’s calm expression, he chose not to. He understood Su Ming and Su Ming understood him as well.
He knew that Su Ming was a grateful person.
“Su Ming, people… do change…” After a long while, Lei Chen said lightly.
“As we grow up, with our own experiences, we will change… Perhaps one day, I will change too… I feel that, you will too…” Lei Chen mumbled.
“Will I…” Su Ming ran, lost in deep thought.
When the sky had fully darken, Su Ming and Lei Chen stopped. It was inconvenient to journey at night, and they were still some distance from the tribe. Thus, the two found a big tree, and made a simple encampment to rest for the night. When one cultivated, the other would be on alert, watching the surroundings.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Su Ming’s gaze landed on Lei Chen who cultivated some distance in front of him. His body emanated a red light, and not little red veins surfaced on his body.
Watching for a moment, Su Ming raised his head to gaze at the pitch black sky. The moon that shone with delicate moonlight, melded with the stars in the heavens, was beautiful. It also made one felt a sense of insignificance.
“People will change… Will I… too” Su Ming watched in silence, memories of his childhood with Bei Ling surfaced in his mind.
“If I do change someday… How will I be like…” Su Ming’s eyes revealed a sense of loss. This question was incomprehensible for a sixteen year old adolescent like him.
“Perhaps I will become a Mán-doctor as strong as Grandpa, and bring Xiao Hong to journey the land, visiting new places and tribes, saving the lives of many Mán-people…”
“Perhaps I might even become a Mán-patriarch, and meet the girl of my dreams, and live with her… We will journey together, until our hair become white… until Little Hong becomes Old Hong… Then I will share my experiences with the La Sus of the tribe… just like how Grandpa tells me his life stories…” Su Ming smiled, and his smile was simple, and pure, and happy.
“Or perhaps… I will get to know my heritage…” Su Ming smiled, sighing lightly.
“Lei Chen, I will never change!” Su Ming took a deep breath. Under the moonlight, on the great land of the Mán-race, he muttered those words only he could hear.
He believed in, just like all youngsters, that the future is bright…
The night unknowingly passed. When it was dawn the next day, as the sky began to lit, Su Ming and Lei Chen rose early. Washing themselves with snow water, rejuvenated their mind and body.
“At this rate we should reach the bazaar something this afternoon.” Lei Chen who had been there several times told Su Ming while wiping the snow off his face.
Su Ming nodded, after washing up, the two of them continued their journey into the forest while chatting.
The rest of the journey went well, by the afternoon, Su Ming could already vaguely see that by the edge of the forest was an area with many wooden huts and crawling with people from many different tribes.
“We are here!” Lei Chen looked towards Su Ming and his rattan basket, only whatever was inside was obscured with tight hide.
Su Ming looked towards the bazaar in the distance, it truly was a big bazaar almost the size of a small tribe, only there were no fences surrounding it rather there were many strong-looking people watching the area to keep beasts out and maintain order.
In the center of the bazaar was a very heavily guarded tent made up of large purple hide, seeming as if people were not even allowed near it.
“That place is where the owner of the bazaar stays, it is said that he is a really powerful Mán-practitioner who is only willing to meet with the Mán-patriarchs of visiting tribes.” Lei Chen told Su Ming in a low voice as they headed towards the bazaar.
Su Ming took only one glance at the purple tent, before stepping into this bazaar for the first time under the watchful eyes of the guards.
It was at this time a cool female voice suddenly came from nearby.
“Lei Chen!”
Su Ming halted his footsteps and immediately inspected the Lei Chen beside him, whose body started to tremble when he heard the voice.