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墨書 Inktalez
Sitting on a stone, he pondered what he could offer Old Lu in exchange for learning something from him. Although Old Lu had mentioned that he could owe him, he was eager to learn but didn’t want to jump into such a pit without knowing exactly what he would get in return. One thing was certain: despite Old Lu's seemingly unreliable demeanor, he was right about one thing—he had to survive first before pursuing anything else. Why was he here? What was this place? Old Lu's answer to these questions had been, “When you’re qualified to know, Old Man will tell you.” Regardless, it was clear that becoming stronger was the right path.
Clearing his mind, he began to think of a powerful name that would strike fear in others. Since he had forgotten his original name, he decided to create a new one that sounded impressive.
By the fire pit, a child hung his head low.
“What’s wrong? Haven’t you thought of your name yet?”
The child shook his head.
“In Old Man’s opinion, since you were picked up by the river, how about taking ‘River’ as your surname and calling yourself He Er Gou?”
“Why don’t you call yourself Lu Er Gou?”
“Hey! You little rascal, how can you talk to the boss like that!” The old man puffed out his cheeks and glared.
“Heroes come from Mo Wen; if your strength is lacking, what use is a loud name? In the end, you’ll just be a stepping stone for others. A name is earned through experience; it’s given by others. I know a great figure named Li Si; many ordinary names have created legendary tales, just like me. Once you go out there, you’ll understand how many legends of Old Man exist in the world…” Old Lu began instilling the idea in the child that names were unimportant; strength was what truly mattered.
“What did you just say?”
“There are many legends of Old Man in the world; don’t you believe it?” Old Lu widened his eyes, seemingly angry at the child for doubting his reputation.
“Not that part—the part about where heroes come from.” The child ignored Old Lu's irritation.
“Heroes come from Mo Wen…” The old man looked puzzled.
“Heroes come from Mo Wen…” The child repeated this phrase, completely blocking out everything else the old man said.
“Isn’t that right?”
“From now on, I’ll be called Mo Wen!” Excited at finally having a name he liked, he jumped up with joy.
“Heroes come from Mo Wen… Mo Wen… good name! Just as meaningful as He Er Gou.”
“…” The little boy’s earlier excitement was dashed by Old Lu’s comment.
“Alright, let’s get back on track. You have your name now; have you thought about Old Man’s rules?” Old Lu squinted his eyes.
“What are you interested in? I need to have an idea; otherwise, if one day you become interested in me, wouldn’t I have to sell myself to you?”
“…… Children speak without restraint; considering you’re still a child, I won’t hold it against you for what you just said.” Hearing Mo Wen's words made Old Lu feel awkward. “Currently, Old Man is interested in wine; let’s trade for wine—specifically Peach Blossom Brew—and the quantity will be decided by me.”
“Deal!” Finally having something concrete made Mo Wen feel relieved; as for what Peach Blossom Brew was, he hadn’t even thought about it. “Also, I can’t call you boss.”
"What's wrong? You won't call me Old Man, do you want me to call you that instead? Do you have any idea how many people want to call me Old Man? If it’s not a hundred thousand, it’s at least eighty thousand. Don’t think you can take advantage of me and act all coy."
"I don't know about others, but I certainly don't want to. After all, you're so old and I'm so young. If I call you Old Man, wouldn’t that make me old too?" Mo Wen shook his head.
"How about I just call you Old Lu?" Mo Wen had already thought this through. Although the old man was always acting in a silly manner, his age was still there, and he couldn't be too casual. However, calling him Boss Lu was out of the question, and if he called him Grandpa Lu, Old Lu would definitely get upset. After some consideration, he felt that calling him Old Lu was the best option; it expressed the respect due while not being overly formal.
"Alright then, Old Man won't hold it against you. Since we've reached an agreement, let's talk about what will make you stronger. Your injuries have healed now, and it's time for you to start training. You've already started two years later than others, but that’s not a big deal because you've met Old Man. This is a gift from heaven—your opportunity." Hearing Mo Wen refer to him as Old Lu made him quite pleased; mainly because he didn’t want to fuss over details too much; it was more important for the kid to become independent quickly.
"Now let's talk about how to make you stronger. You should know that there are two types of people in this world..."
"I know this one—men and women."
"In the future, you'll learn that there are more than just men and women... Don't interrupt!" It seemed Old Lu realized he was getting off track and stopped mid-sentence.
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