A Sworn Brother

after Xiu Lin inspect the fruit, her eye suddenly sparkled. turning her head towards Li Jie she asked "how much did you think does this fruit cost?" she asked

"I don't know maybe 1 or 2 bronze coins? how much will a peach this size will cost anyway "Li Jie answered after shrugging his shoulders

the young girl suddenly smiled "if i told you that the cost of this fruit is equivalent to thousands of peach will you believe me?" she asked

Li Jie can't believe what he heared, he only stared at the young girl in disbelief.but his face was still as expressionless as usual

"ehh...not the expression, i wanted to see "she said.

then turned to look at the vendor "the Yi clan doesn't like tricking people for money, guards throw him out and his fruits with him, i don't like to see his face in this place ever again!"

"yes young miss" three guard answered unison

"please...i won't do it again!, young miss Xiu Lin, i beg you!" the vendor pleaded, but Xiu Lin on the other hand turned a deaf ear.

the three guard grabbed the vendor by the arm and dragged him out of the gates with the things that he sells.

Li Jie only regain himself from his daze after the young girl turned her attention to him "isn't it a little bit too overboard, the man is just selling fruits for a living"

"hmmp.. people like him better stay away from our family business, my father's reputation as a honest merchant will be tarnished, if i let people like him do busines in our family's name" she said in a righteous manner

the people and vendors in the market started praising her.

"well said young miss"

"Yi clan sure are honest merchants "

"hahaha like father like daugther"

Li Jie stared at them, wondering if he can still exchange the fruit for a new pair of cheap shoes.

after the guard finished *disposing* the *not so honest merchant* Xu Lin turned towards Li Jie, "follow me, i bet my father can offer you the best price for this fruit". she said urging him to follow her.

after hearing that his father is willing to buy the *peach* Li Jie didn't waste more time standing there, instead he hurried follow Xu Lin to the Mansion

Li Jie walked following the girl to the hallway of the mansion ,he was amazed to see how huge the mansion is. or how much will that golden vase with dragon sculpted in it will cost him if he accidental broke it. thinking about it made Li Jie shiver.

the silver and gold rank guards in the area let Li Jie in without questions, because his obviously being led by the young mistress of this household.

Xiu Lin lead Li Jie in a room where a scholarly looking man is handling some paper works. he looks like he was in his 40s, he have a few white strand in his well groomed black hair,he got a few wrinkles in his forehead, and a medium build body.

the man dropped his brush after seeing Xiu Lin enter the room."Xiu Lin-er , why did you come here, i'm a bit busy rigth now" he said in a warm manner toward Xiu Lin.

"father, father... look what Xiu Lin-er found"

she presented the *peach* that he took from Li Jie and presented it to his father.

"hmmm let me see.... isn't this a sky Phoenix peach... a perfectly ripe at that... Xiu Lin-er can you take that silver box for me" Xiu Lin hurriedly grabbed the silver box and handed it to his father. her father then put it inside the silver box then closed it.

Xiu Lin is standing next to his father with a *praise me more* look.

"ha ha ha im so lucky to have you as my daughter Xiu Lin-er" the man said brushing Xiu Lin head.

"hurr hurr" Xiu Ying

after that the man gazed falls to a child who got bunch of wood strapped in his back and wearing a worn down robe, the child has an long unkept black hair, while staring at him with his emotionless gaze.

"who is this child Xiu Lin-er?" he asked her daughter

"he was the one who has found it" Xiu Lin reported

"My Name is Yi Sun shin...what is your name young friend?" the man asked Li Jie

"im Wang Li Jie, Wang is my surname" Li Jie answered

"hmm...did you perhaps knew Wang Li Shaili?"Sun Shin asked

"he was my father" Li Jie answered truthfully.

Sun Shin suddenly looked shocked, before saying "you know Li Shaoli and i, one's cross path in Weihao Dark forest"

"you ... know my father?"Li Jie asked

"yes i knew him too well, a heroic and strong man, he save me from death 15 years ago, when i was just starting my business a group of bandits attack killed most of my fine men, when i thought it was the end of me, he arrived using his spear he killed 15 silver ranks bandits only receiving a single cut he was a gold rank cultivator that time, after that we became sworn brothers"Sun Shin said

"ha, ha ,ha so how's is your father doing rigth now?" Sun Shin said.

"he died without a corpse," Li Jie answered.

"what....di-did, i think i heared you wrongly can you please repeat that again" Sun Shin smiled suddenly turned grim

"my father died 5 years ago" Li Jie answered

*bang*Sun Shin suddenly punched the table "brother Li Shaoli, how can you die! i only left for 6 years" Sun Shin eyes redden

"Father!"Xiu Lin walk toward his father

"how...how did he died?"Sun Shin asked clenching him fist

"he never came back from an expedition to find a cure for my mother in the Valley of Monters" Lie jie answered with his deadpan voice

"th-that's.....im....sorry for your lost Li Jie, so that means your moth-" before Sun Shin can finished Li Jie cuts his words "she also died"

Xiu Lin can't help but to cover her mouth.

"unfortunate news, just after i came back..." Sun Shin took a sit in his chair while hiding his face with his palm.

silence fermented the rooms a few minutes later Xiu Lin broke it "Father, i will leave you and Li Jie for now" Xiu Lin slowly walk away from the room leaving Sun Shin and Li jie.

"Li Jie, i heared you have a sister, where is she?"Sun shin asked

"she was taken by the Heaven realm cultivators, but...i plan to take her back" Li Jie answered

"hmmm...what is your cultivation rigth now?"Sun Shin

"I'm still a mortal"

"wha-why is that aren't the Wang family train all there children at the age of 5?" Shun Shin asked in astonishment

"not for me, after my parents died, the Wang clan let us live on our own so i was forced to work to feed myself and my sister"

"that was just too unreasonable!. what kind of clan is that" Sun Shun yelled in anger.

Li Jie just shrugged his shoulder.

"take this" Sun Shin thrown a sack to Li Jie

LI Jie grabbed it to the air.

"Xiu Lin-er!"Sun Shin yelled

few seconds later Xiu Lin-er came running to the room "what is it father?"

"please guide Li Jie to the Manual and scroll pavilion in the third floor let him pick a cultivation manual" Sun Shin commanded.