Chapter 4: The Crimson Hero's Sword

Yan the Crimson Hero never imagined he would suddenly fall into a pit in the ground.

The pit was neither very deep nor very large, but it was filled with a foul, decaying stench. After landing, Yan the Crimson Hero sat down hard on something rigid, the jolt so painful he nearly burst into tears. Grimacing, he couldn’t help but murmur, “Mother, my bottom hurts… How did I fall into this hole? What was it that jabbed me?”

As he spoke, he stood up and groped in the darkness, finding the hard object. He picked it up—it felt heavy, like a sword in its scabbard. Yan’s heart leapt with joy. He hurriedly felt along its entire length, confirming it was indeed a sheathed sword, and was beside himself with delight. “A sword! Wonderful—I’ve dreamed of owning a sword… Who would’ve thought I’d find one here… Heaven, what kind of pit is this? Why is there a sword hidden inside?”

His eyes had grown accustomed to the gloom, and by the faint light filtering through the hole above, he vaguely made out a bamboo scroll lying on the ground, and beside it, a remarkably intact skeleton stretched out in repose. Yan was so startled he cried out, “Mother! I’ve fallen into a tomb…”

At first, Yan was frightened, but then he reasoned that despite having fallen into a tomb, he was not in any real danger. The skeleton was intimidating, but not truly terrifying. Steadying himself, he gazed solemnly at the skeleton and said, “Esteemed elder, forgive me for disturbing your eternal rest. This is your place of repose; I should not linger. I will leave soon… I do not know who you were, but I am certain you were a swordsman in life. By rights, this sword should remain by your side forever… But I must confess, I am enamored of this sword and wish to take it with me. Please do not take offense. Rest assured, I will wield your sword to uphold justice and help the people. Elder, may you rest in peace.”

With these words, Yan bowed deeply to the skeleton in respectful tribute. Then, taking the sword and the bamboo scroll, he climbed out of the tomb.

Outside, Yan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly unsheathed the sword. It was a bronze blade, about two feet long and two fingers wide, its razor-sharp edge gleaming coldly. On the hilt were engraved, in ancient script, the characters “Crimson Hero.”

“Eh?” Yan exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. “‘Crimson Hero’—the sword bears my name? What a coincidence! Very well, from now on I’ll call it the Crimson Hero Sword.”

Brimming with excitement, Yan examined the Crimson Hero Sword and returned it to its scabbard. He then unrolled the bamboo scroll, where at the top were boldly written the words “Crimson Hero Sword Manual.” Below followed line upon line of elegant brush script, detailing the methods to cultivate the sword’s techniques, along with vivid illustrations showing the movements.

Yan was overjoyed—not only had he acquired the Crimson Hero Sword, he also held a complete manual. “Wonderful! When I return home, I’ll begin training the sword techniques… I shall become a swordsman—a protector of the innocent and a champion of justice!” he declared with ardor. Carefully storing the manual, he went to the woods and broke several sticks, bringing them to the tomb he had fallen into. He placed the sticks across the hole and piled stones and earth to form a proper mound.

Facing the new grave, Yan bowed three times in deep respect, then, overflowing with happiness, took the Crimson Hero Sword and its manual and ran down the mountain.

Yan returned home. As he stepped through the gate, he saw his father, Yan Changshun, swinging a large axe in the courtyard, chopping firewood. Yan called out loudly, “Father, I’m back! Look—do you see what I’ve brought?”

Yan Changshun stopped and looked up, replying, “Yan, you should be studying at home. Where have you been? What is that in your hand… a sword? A bamboo scroll?”

“Yes, Father, you have sharp eyes!” Yan laughed.

Yan Changshun was astonished. He quickly set aside the axe and strode over to take the Crimson Hero Sword from Yan, asking, “Yan, where did you get this?”

Yan recounted his experiences on Mount Dagu in detail. Yan Changshun listened, both alarmed and delighted: pleased that Yan had survived the encounter with the monster thanks to the Buddha beads and had obtained the sword and manual; troubled by the fact that a monster had appeared on Mount Dagu, potentially threatening the villagers.

He weighed the sword in his hand, gazing hopefully at his son’s youthful yet resolute face, and said earnestly, “Yan, do not disappoint the Crimson Hero Sword. Dedicate yourself to mastering its techniques so you can protect our people.”

Yan nodded firmly, replying with solemn resolve, “Father, rest assured—I will not let the Crimson Hero Sword down.”

Meanwhile, Yan’s mother was preparing lunch in the kitchen. When she finished, she called from the doorway, “The meal is ready! Yan, come eat with your father.”

After lunch, Yan Changshun hurried out to inform the neighbors about the monster on Mount Dagu.

Thus, not only did the villagers learn of the monster, they also heard that Yan had acquired the Crimson Hero Sword. Li Xiaohu, Zhao Jinshuo, Zhang Shitou, and Chen Xiaobao all came running to see the sword.

Yan welcomed his friends warmly. They gathered around, eagerly admiring the Crimson Hero Sword and peppering Yan with questions.

Yan answered each one, enthralling them with his account and filling them with envy.

Li Xiaohu gave Yan a thumbs-up and said, “Yan, you’re really lucky—surviving a monster attack and finding a sword in a tomb… I’m truly envious!”

“Yes, indeed!” Zhao Jinshuo, Zhang Shitou, and Chen Xiaobao chimed in, “Yan, you’re amazing! If it had been me, I would have died of fright when that monster appeared at the temple!”

“Heh heh…” Yan laughed a little sheepishly. “Amazing? When I saw that monster, the hairs on my neck stood up, and I nearly lost my soul… Enough about that. Let’s talk about our studies. Li Xiaohu, Zhao Jinshuo, Zhang Shitou, Chen Xiaobao, how are you all doing at home?”

“I’m not doing well,” Li Xiaohu replied. “I understand the Four Books the teacher taught us, but the Five Classics, which he never covered, I can only recite—I don’t really grasp their meaning.”

Zhao Jinshuo, Zhang Shitou, and Chen Xiaobao echoed in turn, “Me too…” “Me too…” “Me too…”

“Yes, same here,” Yan said, troubled. “In two years, we’ll have to take the prefectural exam. But now, with no teacher to guide us… If things continue like this, we might not pass the exam, let alone the autumn imperial examination.”

“That’s right! Our parents are counting on us to earn honors and bring glory to our families,” Li Xiaohu, Zhao Jinshuo, Zhang Shitou, and Chen Xiaobao said in unison. “Yan, what should we do?”