Wealthy young heirs all like sparring partners like Pei Zheng.
He has a skilled hand with the blade, knows where to draw the line, and lets them win with dignity.
Until one of them switched to a real blade, hoping to draw blood.
This time, Pei Zheng refused to let him. With half a wooden sword, he won back five taels of silver, scraped together the tuition, and knocked on the door of the North Street Sword Academy.
From cultivating his first breath of inner energy to defeating with a single strike an opponent he once couldn't handle; from entering the ring in a small town to traveling far with his sword and competing against famous masters, this young man who once let others practice their moves on him is determined to make a name for himself with his own hands.
At North Street, there is a master willing to teach him in earnest, as well as a senior female disciple who can beat him and dares to stand by his side.
Beyond North Street, the martial world is vast.
He set out to find his missing fellow travelers, and his trail led him to the senior disciple of an old sword master. That man commands private troops and has the backing of a military garrison. He thinks even his own teacher can't touch him.
The old sword master takes up his blade and goes to demand the man's release in person.
That is when Pei Zheng sees how the strongest people in the land truly wield their swords.
His skills grow ever greater, and his sword becomes ever more valuable. Some offer him a fortune to serve them; others appeal to their old friendship and ask him to yield.
Then the friends who once stood shoulder to shoulder with him lead troops to blockade the river mouth, while the people he promised to escort home are still waiting aboard a ship.
This time, he will use the skill he has honed, one strike at a time over all these years, to take them home.
