The Calm Before The Storm (1)

I could deplore my decisions towards the end of eternity, but that would be half-witted of me. There's nothing you can do about the bygone, and can just hope for the best to come by.

For instance look at that artisan in front of me, though he is a bit distant I can read him like an open book. He probably comes to this place of the busy street every single day regardless of his toughs and sorrows, and amidst this bustling town, nobody cares for a nobody like him. A few days are such that he makes a lot of money, and then come days where he suffers losses. But in the end, he is tied down to poverty, and there is no helping it.

Though I didn't live with him, I know what kind of a life he lives. He simply can't afford to spend time deploring the bygone as he has to work to survive. And having lived long enough, I'm wise enough to say that that's the way to live. Just hope and work towards a better future.

As I'm walking towards that artisan who piled up some handcrafted wooden toys on the road atop a piece of cloth, a question bothered my mind.

'Sure, you should move on, but the real question is, what is that future that you're working towards? For whom do you desire a better future?'

That is a relevant follow-up question.

"Good sir, I'd like to buy that wooden horse right there!" I exclaimed with a smile and pointed my finger towards a toy that caught my attention.

"Hoho... You're quite well-mannered for a kid. That would be five hundred Nan," After paying him and receiving the product, I walked away from him.

I don't know about others around me, so I can't utter the universal truth on this subject. But restricting the question to myself, I'd say the future I'm working towards is one without war and famine, and I'm doing it for myself.

The dispiriting part of my goals is that no soul in all of Janghu would believe in the laughable thought that a Great War known as The Four Front War would occur in the Imperial Year One-Hundred, which, as time is ticking away whilst we are talking, is twenty years from now.

Now I can't expect any assistance whatsoever from the unbeknownst people around me. None of them knows that I secretly am a seventy-year-old who reincarnated into the body of a seven-year-old orphan boy yesterday midnight's stroke, or that I had a conversation with God who presented me with a second life in which I possess great treasures.

Well, all those aside, I am now on my way to the Beggar's Sect's headquarters in this town. Since I'm an orphan, they are the ones who have had jurisdiction over me for the past seven years.

'Yeah, I'm no longer in the Imperial Government's territory, to my dismay. For the past few hours, I've been discerning my surroundings, and I can confidently say that this is the Orthodox Faction's territory.'

For those wondering why I'm so calm, the reason is simple. I'm quite the actor who can mask away my inner screams from the persons who are walking past me in this street. And also, I'm not an immature kid to panic in public. That would only make things worse by attracting unnecessary attention. A few hours were enough for me to get back my composure which I don't usually lose.

At least, I'm part of The Beggar's Sect which is one of the Nine Great Sects, which is quite the status to hold for a sect. Though I disliked the idea of sects, I am now forced into one in this life. Nothing I can do. I'm happy that I'm a beggar with a home to return to.

-

"Oh, Wang Lei," The guard at the entrance of the Beggar's Sect's headquarters, in front of me confirmed my identity, "You can enter!"

Coincidentally, the person I reincarnated into was named the same as me. And this body's owner seemed to have some good connections in the Sect.

'Was my name that famous?'

I walked into the Beggar's Sect's premises, where a man welcomed me with a warm smile. From the information, I gathered he was my senior. Unlike the ones I've seen in my past life, he is very kind. Over the years, we formed a bond, well at least, the former owner of this body did.

"Ah, senior!" I bowed to show my respect, not only because he was a kind and honest man, but also because he was a peak martial artist who was leaps and bounds beyond me in comparison to this body.

'Now I figured out his identity as I heard some stories about his greatness on my way here from some other peers of mine from the beggar's sect who approached me as 'Friends'.

He laughed and put his arm on my shoulder, "So that's your last time leaving the sect for now. You will spend the next eleven years of your life here,"

"Wait... what?!"

"Yeah, that's the reason the Elders Counsel decided to give money to all seven-year-olds and send them out for one last time."

So that was the reason they woke us all up early, before dawn, and sent us out with some money.

"But why are they confining us?"

"Well... you see, things are getting worse. The Unorthodox Faction bastards are doing some 'stuff'. So the Orthodox faction decided to train more people just in case to prepare for the situation. Also, since you guys are just lazing around all day long, it's time to get your asses together!"

"Haha... I see..."

The conversation with him brought a clear picture to my mind as I recollected some past incidents. Since I was a scholar who had a particular interest in history, I maintained a little note of the latest incidents taking place across the Central Plains. If my memory serves me right, then this is the year Eighty in the Imperial Calendar, and the spring of this year saw fierce conflict between the two factions resulting in about four hundred causalities. The issue was resolved when both sides decided to sign a new treaty of peace.

I shouldn't be bothered as only those above eighteen are allowed to enter the battlefield according to the Heavenly Laws that the Orthodox Faction follows.

"Kiddo! Don't worry, since I'm a peak master I have quite the influence. I will make sure that you are assigned to me along with all your friends."

Awkward silence followed as I couldn't recollect making any friends out of the pauper here.

'Ah! It must the previous owner of this body!'

"Thank you, senior!" After a long pause, I pretended to be joyed. Which only added to the suspicion.

"Lost in thought or something?"

"Nothing, nothing,"

As I was walking away from the senior, who was well over twenty years old and wore elegant black clothes that didn't suit a beggar, "Wang Lei, go inform your friends the same, don't forget it!" He laughed and walked away as well.

I breathed a sigh of relief.