Deception

That evening, Qin San stayed in the small house of his newly acknowledged teacher to meditate on his new revelations. If he were to look outside, he would have seen a tall, lanky figure dressed in a villager's brown garment approaching his position with a sword box on his back.

The tall warrior was walking around as if he was searching for something, but to his avail, he had no success. Li You happened to pass him as he was bringing groceries back from the market and noticed a symbol on the person's sword box. It was an engraving of nine inverted swords that formed a circle.

Li You paused for half a second and proceeded to walk back toward his house. As soon as he shut the door, he called out to Qin San, "We have a problem."

The Prince opened his eyes and nodded for him to go on.

"There's a suspicious swordmaster with an insignia of nine swords forming a circle that is walking around this street. He has somehow tracked you down."

Qin San stood up from his seat and remained in a contemplative position.

He muttered, "I've been betrayed. Only my housekeeper knows that I was injured and fled to this area after the encounter with the Fiery Sky Swordmaster, an impulsive peak Foundation realm fighter of the Heaven Circling Sword Sect."

Li You clapped his hands and laughed, "Now I know what to do."

He rushed out of the house and walked around the streets until he found a poor little kid and whispered some instructions in his ear and handed a tael of silver.

The tall being of Fiery Sky Swordmaster roamed around an adjacent street when suddenly an old beggar was flung out of the second floor of a bar and fell right at the feet of the swordsman. The dirt-covered beggar began screaming that there was a retired imperial guard who was cursing the good name of the Heaven Circling Sword Sect and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The Fiery Sky Swordmaster snorted in anger and strutted into the bar as if he owned the place. Clang! A huge clay vat of wine was dropped onto him from the second floor and shattered into pieces on his head. As soon as he fell down onto the ground, the floor board beneath him was opened to reveal Qin San in waiting who wielded a sword that stabbed through the stomach of his unsuspecting enemy.

Everything inside bursted out, leaving appendages strewn across the floor.

Chaos ensued as Qin San slipped away amid the crowd.

...

Li You slapped his knees in delight as he heard the Prince recount this event.

He exclaimed, "Character is destiny. The angry Swordmaster was destined to fall into our trap. He is quick to anger, what else would have happened? It was fate."

The Prince questioned, "What sacred art of divination have you practiced to be able to view the fate of living beings that should be secrets of Heaven?"

Li You responded, "Fate is not determined by external powers. Our actions are driven by the internal forces of personality. How could the Fiery Sky Swordmaster have acted out of his character?"

Qin San countered, "But I have the reputation of being all brawn, no brain or strategy? Am I forever stuck with my character as the youngest, most rash Prince who is yet to be an adult?"

Li You stood up and declared, "You know what you can do? You can change your behavior. The only way you can change fate is to know your character, to know the best and worst of yourself. Overcome the shackles of inherited character."

Qin San sat there in silence.

After a long period of time, he spoke up, "I understand but I cannot understand. You are like the sky: boundless. I have many hatreds in this life with the bloodthirsty, greedy sects that plague my Dynasty. That housekeeper was one of the only people I trusted yet he sold me out. Give me power."

His tone increased in passion, "I desire love, I deserve it. I don't know why I took you as master after one meeting. You are a saint with the only thing that has value: knowledge. You can change history."

Li You sighed, "Who does not hate or love? Only the Heavens. Only the Sky understands the laws that operate the world. Justice and the existence of good and evil are beyond human understanding. Just live. Qi is useless."

The earth shook as soon as the sentence finished and Li You felt a strand of explosive qi that could detonate at any instant rise from his Dantian. The warning of the world.

Li You took out an ordinary piece of brownish yarn that he used to tie his hair and raised it in front of Qin San.

He solemnly said, "Take his string of fate. Renounce your title, your power."

Qin San questioned, "What if I don't?"

Li You answered, "I know that the vast majority of people never exceed the Qi Refining Stage. I have given you a door to your sword art. You might be able to defeat some old, seasoned generals in the foundation realm with the insights I have provided. Heck, Golden Core cultivators can ensure the prosperity of a nation for decades. I cannot go any further by violating the natural order of things in the world. Either give up the contest for the throne or sever your disciple status with me."

Qin San threw down his sword in anger. "Impudent! Can you not feel the power over a nation of people that will be at your fingertips? What use are emotions? They are pesky annoyances that prevent people from obtaining greatness."

"I have my answer."

The piece of string drifted onto the floor in unending solitude.

Li You walked out of his house. He was going to leave the capital for good.