The world was shrouded in a thick blue mist. A young man walked slowly toward a small village at the edge of the "Blue Mountains" valley. His name was Li Hua. He wore dusty, tattered black clothes. His gait was steady; with every step, even the air around him seemed to shift.
The sword at his waist was no ordinary blade. Though it was rusted, the emblem of a golden star engraved on its hilt occasionally shimmered in the darkness. Li Hua had no memory of who he was. The last thing he could recall was streaks of golden light falling from the sky and a piercing cold. The only things he possessed were this sword and an incomparable combat energy pulsing within his body.
Suddenly, a fierce roar echoed through the forest. A giant "Black Mist Wolf" lunged toward the village. Villagers screamed and ran in terror, but Li Hua stepped forward without fear. The moment he grasped his sword, his eyes began to glow with a silver light. The sound of him unsheathing the blade was like a dragon awakening from a thousand-year slumber. Within seconds, he appeared before the wolf. With a single strike, he defeated the beast and resumed his journey as if nothing had happened. He was surprised by his own skill—where had he learned these fighting techniques?
After defeating the beast, Li Hua returned his sword to its scabbard. The villagers watched in awe. With a serious expression, he took a step forward, pondering his past. However, he couldn't complete that dignified stride.
Suddenly, a thunderous "gudu gudu" sound erupted from his stomach, echoing through the valley. It was more ferocious than the wolf's roar.
"I think... the dragon didn't wake up from the sword, but from inside my stomach," Li Hua muttered to himself.
A small child nearby looked at him in fear. Li Hua looked at the child with a dead-serious face and asked: "Little child, it's true I don't remember who I am. But I remember one thing for certain... the last time I ate was before this kalpa (eon). Is there no food stall in this village?"
The warrior's majestic aura vanished in a second. He dashed toward a food stall at the corner of the village even faster than he had killed the wolf. His silver-glowing eyes were now fixed on a tray of steaming hot rotis. Li Hua devoured about ten rotis with incredible speed. The surrounding villagers remained frozen in fear and amazement. The sight of this mysterious youth, who had killed a wolf in one blow, now battling a tray of rotis was even more intense.
The elderly woman who owned the stall approached him with a smile. "Son, you saved our village. But still, these ten rotis cost about two silver coins," she said.
Li Hua choked on a piece of roti and coughed. He began to check the pockets of his torn clothes with a very serious expression. His 'warrior look' slowly faded, replaced by a "Lord, what have I done" expression.
He pointed to his glowing sword and asked: "Mother... there is a golden star mark on this sword. Can I leave this as collateral and get two more rotis?"
The stall owner glared at him, waving a ladle. "Are you crazy, boy! What am I supposed to do with a rusted sword? I want silver coins!"
Li Hua was helpless. This warrior, who had the strength to save the world, now had no way to pay his food bill. He stood up slowly, looked at the villagers, and asked: "Um... aren't there any more wolves or monsters that need killing in this village? I'll hunt any beast to settle this roti bill!"
Just as Li Hua was preparing to wash the dishes to pay his debt, the sound of several horses galloping reached the other end of the village. The villagers' faces turned pale instantly. The old woman quickly hid her tray of rotis.
"Oh no... the 'Black Moon' bandit gang is here! Our entire harvest will be gone today!" she cried in a trembling voice.
Hearing this, Li Hua's eyes immediately began to glow with that silver light again. He swallowed the last bit of roti in his mouth and wiped the flour off his hands onto his torn clothes.
"Mother... if I catch this bandit gang, you'll cancel my roti bill, right?" he asked earnestly.
"Catch them? If you drive them out of this village, I'll give you any food for free for a whole week!" she promised.
A triumphant smile played on Li Hua's face. "Not a week, Mother; it looks like I'll be eating for about a month," he said as he walked slowly toward the bandits.
The leader of the bandits was a massive man who looked like a heap of meat. He leaned down from his horse and looked at Li Hua. "Who is this beggar? Get out of the way!" he barked.
Li Hua replied calmly, "I'm sorry, sir, but I think you have two silver coins to give me. Because I have to pay that lady for the rotis. It's a matter of my honor."
The entire bandit gang burst into laughter. But the moment Li Hua placed his hand on his sword, a chill spread through the air.
"Do you want the easy way or the hard way?" Li Hua asked. "The easy way is to give the money and leave. The hard way is... I'll fold you guys like rotis!"