18 Ironwood village

At that moment, something finally registered in Li Chen's mind. 'Darkness… Isn't that half of me?'

Suddenly understanding this concept, his comprehension of his elements skyrocketed, instantly transforming his mind and state of being. 

'I am the shadows of the dark,' he mused and he vanished into the darkness when Mantis swung its blade arm towards his head. 

THUD—!

Sword light gleamed and the praying mantises divided. As its corpse touched the ground, the piercing hum of a sword tore the cold air, and gleaming sword arcs filled the environment. 

"Crescent Slash"!

Li Chen's speed skyrocketed to an insane level. This was an advantage of his element; light boosted speed, lethality, and power, making him a great force under the sun, while darkness made him unpredictable, fast, and able to move quickly and silently as a shadow, making him a menace of the night. 

However, both arts worked greatly at all times but suited their settings more.

Having watched Li Chen slaughter three mantises and was now chasing the others, Old Li's eyes narrowed. 

"What kind of element is that?!" His irises trembled greatly as he watched Li Chen move through the bamboo trees like a phantom.

THUD —! 

Another body dropped. 

Appearing from the darkness was a tall man with broad shoulders garbed in a black coat that had white fur at the shoulders and upper back. 

The intent of his sword made the surroundings uninhabitable for beings weaker than his comprehension level. 

"There's one more and it's already far." Old Li's voice drifted from afar. Somehow, he could make sure only Li Chen could hear him. 

Although Li Chen hadn't developed inner sight, he focused on his hearing and soon caught the sound of a fast-moving creature heading away from him.

[So it feels fear?] His sonorous voice drifted into the darkness as he dashed forward. The tips of his boots dug into the ground, crushing fallen leaves and digging up the moist soil. 

Suddenly, Old Li's eyes widened as Li Chen ran into a bamboo tree but instead of getting hit, he melded into the darkness and appeared a few meters forward.

'I can feel its energy. It shouldn't be far,' Li Chen thought, his eyes gleaming with the thirst to finish off what was started. 

The sound of his boots hitting the ground rang, alerting the fleeing beast but suddenly, silence took over. 

In the next second, Li Chen appeared behind it. [I've caught you.] 

Just as the mantis was about to escape, four humanoid mists shot out of Li Chen, forming Li Chen's wielding swords.

Each of them delivered one strike before vanishing. Lowering his sword, he looked down at the corpse. It was divided into four parts!

[I didn't know how to tell you this but why create me without a visible nose and mouth yet I breathe? It's weird.] 

Once he knew there wasn't going to be a response, Li Chen sighed and turned back.

He gained a lot tonight. Knowing how to wield his elements was marvelous, and his comprehension will grow as he gets stronger.

'One similarity between both is that they both make me blend with the environment. Invisible to others. They also boost my speed but I haven't comprehended Light's intricacies to gain such speed. I need to train more.' 

"Good!" Old Li bellowed, his voice reverberating. He slapped his thigh, stroked his beard, and nodded proudly while staring at Li Chen. 

"I thought your element had a link to the sun but you're blessed with dual elements and they are both unique. Good!" 

[Why are you more happy than me?] Li Chen chuckled.

But that was a mistake.

Old Li's expression went dark. "I'll be eating their meat. Go prepare it and also finish chopping those firewood! Humph!" 

He stomped on the bamboo tree and it burst into bits. Seeing Old Li fly away, Li Chen's eyes flew wide open.

[Old man! You left me. You…!]

****

Two Ferghana horses pulled a small carriage, which had only one door with a curtain over it. Sitting at the front, Li Chen leaned against the wooden wall behind him and lowered the bamboo hat to hide his eyes from the sun. 

He crossed his arms and legs while the horses walked at their own pace. It had been a day since they left the mountain and according to his master, their destination was a sacred place for master swordsmen. 

There, he was bound to grow by leaps and bounds. 

"Chen-er, how far are we from the village?" 

A low sigh resonated from the space around Li Chen and he opened his eyes, slid his hand into his clothes and brought out a scroll.

[Not far. We'll be there by nightfall.] 

"Good."

[If we went faster, we could arrive earlier.]

"You brat! Do you want to kill me?!" 

[If you didn't want to shorten your lifespan, you would have quit drinking.] 

"Humph! Uncultured brat," Old Li snorted. 

[At least I don't drink.] Li Chen retorted proudly.

"It's because you don't have a mouth. If you had, I would have been hiding my reserves!" 

[Fair point.] Li Chen nodded, knowing how greatly the aroma of his master's wine had seduced him.

Unfortunately, he couldn't commit the sin because there was no means to. 

Time flew by and they arrived at the Ironwood village by nightfall. It was still early and the village was unusually populated. 

Kids ran about while some people with baskets and farming tools stared at the carriage with curious eyes as they walked through the gates.

As the carriage passed a noodle shop, Old Li's voice rang, "Stop!" 

The old man came out, grandly walked into the open shop and sat down. "Two bowls, well garnished." Old Li said it with his two fingers raised. 

[Why did you order two bowls? I can't eat.] The moment Li Chen removed his hat, the cook trembled and moved away. 

"Who said I bought it for you? Humph!" 

[For an old man, you keep a lot of grudges.] Li Chen scowled.

"Just go find an inn." Old Li waved his hands away, gesturing for Li Chen to leave. 

Having made sure Li Chen was gone, the cook served Old Li and offered a smile. "Uhm, what's wrong with his face and the weird thing that appears when he speaks?"

Old Li averted his gaze from the delicious meal to the cook. "If you had studied your alphabets, you'd know."