THE GOD'S OF CHOSEN WARRIOR

Help the Villagers

Li Jie nodded, then took out his mother's necklace and showed it to Mo Yan.

"I want to ask about my parents, Grandpa. Grandfather Song Rui told me that my mother was the daughter of the emperor of the Shang Dynasty. But why did my parents end up living in this village?"

Mo Yan let out a heavy sigh before answering Li Jie's question. "So, Song Rui has finally revealed your true identity, Li Jie. It is true that you are the child of a royal princess. In other words, you are the grandson of Emperor Li Wei."

Mei Lian, who had been listening to her grandfather's conversation with Li Jie from inside her room, could not hide her shock. If Li Jie was truly a prince, then her hope of being with him was as good as gone.

She thought that Li Jie would surely choose to live in the palace and would also find his destined partner there. Besides, she had already heard that the palace was home to many beautiful women.

"As for why your parents lived in this village, I will tell you the story," Mo Yan continued.

The village elder then began to recount how Li Jie's parents’ relationship had not been approved by Emperor Li Wei. Yu Mei, a royal princess, had a special relationship with Xiao Wen, who was merely a chief soldier in the Shang Dynasty. This was the reason why Emperor Li Wei refused to approve his daughter's relationship. Moreover, he had already planned to marry Yu Mei off to a prince from the Tang Dynasty.

Since she did not receive her father's approval, Yu Mei turned to Song Rui—who at the time was the martial arts master for all the dynasty’s soldiers—and asked him to help her escape from the palace. She also confided in Song Rui about her long-standing relationship with Xiao Wen.

Yu Mei would rather live as an ordinary person with Xiao Wen than remain in the palace, where her life felt like a prison.

"That is the story, Li Jie. In the end, Song Rui brought them to his home village, where they got married and settled down," Mo Yan concluded.

Li Jie tried to process every word Mo Yan had said. Deep inside, he deeply admired his mother’s loyalty to his father, even at the cost of giving up a life of luxury.

"So, you are a prince?" Mei Lian suddenly asked as she stepped out of her room.

The beautiful girl’s face looked sullen, and her enchanting eyes began to well up with tears, as if they were about to spill down her cheeks.

Li Jie shrugged. "I don't know. But Grandpa Song Rui said so," he replied.

"Li Jie, now that you know you're a prince, what will you do?" Mo Yan asked.

"As Grandpa Song Rui instructed, I must go to the Shang Dynasty. At the very least, Emperor Li Wei must know that he has a grandson."

Mo Yan let out another heavy sigh. There was something he wanted to ask of the young man, but since Li Jie had decided to head to the Shang Dynasty, he chose to hold back.

"Grandpa, what does the engraving on this pendant mean?"

"That is the emblem of the Shang Dynasty, Li Jie. If you meet Emperor Li Wei, show him the necklace that belonged to your mother."

Li Jie nodded. He then remembered that Mo Yan had wanted something from him. "Earlier, Grandpa, you said you wanted something from me. What can I give you?"

"Actually, my request is a heavy one, Li Jie. But since you're heading to the Shang Dynasty, I won’t ask for it anymore."

Li Jie scratched his head lightly. He was curious about Mo Yan’s request. "Just tell me, Grandpa. If I can, I will fulfill your request."

"Listen, Li Jie. You know that I am old. I don't know how much longer I will live in this world. My request is this: Would you be willing to take care of Mei Lian if I am no longer here?"

Thump!

The young man's heart pounded hard. He never expected Mo Yan’s request to be like this. Li Jie could already guess that ‘taking care of’ Mei Lian was the same as marrying the beautiful girl. His gaze shifted to Mei Lian, who seemed to be waiting for his answer.

Li Jie thought for quite a while before finally finding the answer he thought was right.

"Grandpa, I don’t know what my future holds. But if Mei Lian is willing, I can take her with me to the Shang Dynasty."

Now it was Mo Yan’s turn to be confused. If Mei Lian followed Li Jie to the Shang Dynasty, he would be left alone in this house. But for the sake of his granddaughter, he relented.

"What do you say, Mei Lian? If you go with Li Jie to meet his grandfather, you might live in the palace. But there is also a chance you will return here if Emperor Li Wei does not acknowledge him as his grandson."

"Let’s do this, Grandpa. If Emperor Li Wei acknowledges me as his grandson and allows me to stay in the palace, I will send soldiers to fetch you. Then we can live together in the palace. But if he does not, I will bring Mei Lian back here. How does that sound?"

"Alright, I agree with your plan. So when will you leave?"

"We will depart this afternoon. Hopefully, we will have a smooth journey to the capital," Li Jie replied.

After preparing supplies, Li Jie and Mei Lian set off toward the palace of the Shang Dynasty.

Upon reaching the main road, they rode in the carriage of a merchant who happened to be traveling in the same direction. Throughout the journey, the merchant was very friendly and engaged them in conversation to pass the time.

Besides being travel companions, the merchant also assumed that Li Jie was a warrior. He judged this by the sword slung over the young man’s shoulder. At the very least, Li Jie could provide some protection during their travels, the merchant thought.

"Are you two husband and wife?" the merchant asked, skillfully handling the reins of the horses pulling the carriage.

Li Jie and Mei Lian exchanged glances at the question, unsure how to answer. But for Mei Lian's safety, Li Jie decided to say that they were indeed married.

"You two make a beautiful couple. So handsome and so lovely," the merchant complimented after hearing Li Jie’s response.

As night fell, they arrived at a village and stayed at an inn. The merchant rented two rooms—one for himself and the other for Li Jie and Mei Lian.

Inside their room, awkwardness was evident on both their faces, especially Mei Lian’s. She was rarely outside her home, only visiting the market with her grandfather on occasion. If she went out alone, she would surely receive unwanted attention from the village boys.

"So, what now? Are we sleeping in the same bed?" Mei Lian asked.

Li Jie looked around the room and sighed in relief when he spotted a rolled-up woven mat in the corner.

"You sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor," he said, unrolling the mat and laying it out.

"If you sleep on the floor, you'll get sick," Mei Lian protested.

"I’ve been sleeping like this for years, Mei Lian. Not just for a year or two, but for over a decade. And I’m perfectly fine. Now, get some rest!"

Mei Lian lay down on the thin mattress, pouting slightly. She had hoped to talk more with Li Jie and grow closer to him. For nearly an hour, she tried to sleep, but her long lashes refused to close. She turned on her side, facing Li Jie, who had already closed his eyes and was also lying on his side, facing her.

She gazed at his face, almost unblinking. Although they lived in the same village, she had never seen him before. Perhaps because she rarely left home, or maybe fate had never brought them together until now.

"Are you just going to keep staring at me like that?" Li Jie suddenly spoke, smiling. He had been trying to sleep, but the harder he tried, the more his thoughts kept him awake.

Mei Lian was startled and speechless. She had been so engrossed in looking at him that she didn’t realize he had opened his eyes. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment, and she quickly turned around, covering her head with a pillow.

"Why are you so shy? Didn’t I say that from now on, I will protect you?"

Mei Lian was stunned. She never expected Li Jie to say something like that. "Does that mean he has feelings for me?" she wondered.

Before she could respond, a loud knocking on the door startled them.

"Li Jie, wake up quickly!" the merchant called.

Li Jie rushed to open the door. "What is it, Uncle?"

"Bandits are raiding this village!" the merchant said, panting heavily.

Li Jie frowned. He couldn’t believe that bandits would dare to attack a village. If it was true, then they must have a large number of men.

"The innkeeper told me to hide," the merchant added.

Li Jie turned to Mei Lian, who was now standing beside him. "Hide in this room with Uncle. I’ll go out and face them!"

"Be careful! Promise me you’ll return safely," Mei Lian said, her eyes glistening with tears.

"You’re going alone?" the merchant asked in disbelief.

Li Jie just gave a small smile without answering. Before stepping outside, he grabbed his sword from the table.

He touched Mei Lian’s chin, lifting her face gently. "Don’t be afraid… I will come back for you," he said firmly, flashing a confident smile.

Mei Lian nodded silently, her heart filled with fear. She was terrified that something might happen to the man who had captured her heart.

"Lock the door tight, Uncle. Don’t open it unless it’s me."

"Al-alright, Li Jie. Please return safely. We still have a long journey ahead of us!"

"Don’t worry, Uncle. Nothing will happen to me," Li Jie reassured. Though, deep inside, he was filled with uncertainty. He wasn’t sure if he could handle the bandits alone. But remembering the trust placed in him by

his master, Song Rui, he steeled himself to help the villagers.