Chapter 2: Such a Youth

Dugu Baitian was born into a declining martial arts family with a glorious past. His ancestors were once legends in the martial world of the continent. However, during a large-scale invasion by unknown enemies, even the formidable Dugu Zhantian, the top master in the world, died in battle, and the family was nearly wiped out. The identity of the invaders remains unknown, and the truth has long been lost in history.

Dugu Baitian's father was a humble figure in the martial world with no major enemies, and in fact, not many friends. The once glorious Dugu family had long been forgotten by the martial world, and even in the eyes of the people in Changfeng Town, they were just a wealthy household.

The family's martial arts were not lost, as the Black Jade Stone, passed down by the old ancestor, was both the clan's emblem and secret manual. In the eyes of the previous generations of the family, the Black Jade Stone was undoubtedly priceless because it not only symbolized power but also represented the hope for the family to return to glory. However, in the eyes of the recent generations, it was no different from ordinary jade. Dugu Baitian's grandfather once used it as a drinking cup when he was destitute, and his father used it as a sharpening stone. In Dugu Baitian's eyes, it was a necessary weapon for street fights, a piece of wood board.

There was a spiritual imprint of the old ancestor on the Black Jade Stone: "Learn all the third-rate martial arts of the continent, and eventually achieve greatness."

It was precisely because of this phrase that the family's elders traveled throughout the world, learning all the third-rate martial arts, eventually leading to the family's decline.

Strictly speaking, the Dugu family was no longer considered a part of the martial world.

Changfeng Town was famous during the Hantang dynasties, not because of any special product or prosperity, but because it was home to a martial arts family that made the martial world of the Hantang dynasties tremble with a single stomp – the Sutou family.

For nearly a century, the Sutou family had many masters, with young and talented ones appearing even before the older ones had retired.

The declining Dugu family faced the Sutou family across the street, and the two families had a good relationship, often interacting with each other. Sutou Jingyun, the current head of the Sutou family, and Dugu Yanzhi, the owner of the Dugu family, called each other brothers, while the elders of the Sutou family also had close ties with Dugu Feiyu, Dugu Yanzhi's father.

Since the Sutou family moved here a hundred years ago, there had been no bandits daring to disturb them. Even during the Nine Nations War, the defeated bandits did not dare to act recklessly towards the small town and quietly left after relying on the Sutou family for protection. The Sutou family had become the guardian deity of the small town.

Dugu Yanzhi was good at doing business and opened several stores such as a rice store, cloth store, and restaurant. He was wealthy but not greedy and often gave alms to poor families in the town who were struggling to make a living. The Dugu family became known as a kind-hearted benefactor in the eyes of the people of the small town.

In the small town, the most famous person was not Sutu Jingyun, nor Dugu Yanzhi, but Dugu Yanzhi's eight-year-old son, Dugu Baitian.

Although Dugu Baitian did not like practicing martial arts, he loved to fight. Almost all the children of the same age in the town had been beaten by him, even the young masters from the Sutu family who had just started learning martial arts were not spared.

Every time the children in the town gathered together, the first thing they would say to each other was, "Did he beat you today?"

The parents who came to Dugu Baitian's house to complain almost broke his threshold. As a result, Dugu Yanzhi had to apologize and make amends to others, and even had to advise Dugu Baitian with kind words and occasionally use a big stick.

But he still did as he pleased, and even Dugu Feiyu, who usually doted on him, had to step in and scold him.

To this, Dugu Baitian said, "Grandfather, your mustache can move on its own without wind, and your eyes are big and bright when your mustache moves. It's really cute."

Dugu Feiyu was so angry that his mustache almost stood up on his forehead, but he couldn't bear to hit his only grandson. He had no choice but to say, "If you bully other children again, I will lock you at home and not let you go out."

Since then, Dugu Baitian did not trouble children of the same age anymore. He set his sights on the teenage thugs who were sixteen or seventeen years old.

Although he was only eight years old, this child was naturally gifted. The first time he fought with a thug, he beat the person so badly that he was covered in blood. From then on, he always carried the Black Jade Stone passed down in his family on his waist, and he would look for fights with the thugs nearby. The thugs in the vicinity would avoid him if they could, and if they couldn't avoid him, they would run away.

After that, Dugu Baitian could not find an opponent to fight in the small town. He once sneaked into the forest outside the town and picked fights with wild beasts. On that day, the people living in the town heard the furious roar of the wild beasts and were scared to the point that the hunters in the town dared not go out hunting.

In the evening, Dugu Baitian returned to the town dragging a dead tiger covered in blood. His mother and grandmother were horrified, and from then on, they had people follow him at all times, afraid that one day he would get the urge to go trouble some wild boars or lions again.

For a while, Dugu Baitian's reputation spread like wildfire in the small town.

The head of the Sutu Family, Sutu Jingyun, took a keen interest in him and thought he was a martial arts prodigy, intending to take him as his disciple.

In response, Dugu Baitian shook his little head like a rattle drum and said, "I don't want to learn, I'm too lazy to learn."

Sutu Jingyun couldn't help but sigh, "The head of the Sutu Family personally offered to take him as a disciple, but he was rejected. This will definitely be big news in the martial arts world."

Dugu Baitian, who loved to fight but not to practice martial arts, truly became the child king of Changfeng Town, always followed by a large group of children wherever he went. Even Sutu Jingyun's several sons became his followers, and Sutu Jingyun's six-year-old daughter, Sutu Mingyue, stuck to him like glue and became his most loyal admirer.

Six-year-old Sutu Mingyue was delicate and adorable, with bright big eyes filled with admiration for Dugu Baitian. She would often exclaim, "Big Brother Baitian, I want to marry you when I grow up."

"Alright, I will marry you when you grow up, but don't go back on your word." This was Dugu Baitian's reply to Sutu Mingyue.

The two of them were innocent and carefree, childhood sweethearts.

From then on, wherever Dugu Baitian went, Sutu Mingyue would follow.

Time flew by, and eight years passed in the blink of an eye.