The man did not know it, but despite her young age, the girl already had quite the background.
The girl’s name was Li Sushang.
She was the young heiress of 「Issen Manor」 in Sichuan, the sole daughter of 「Ebonstyle」 Qin Suyi and the 7th Disciple of Empyrea Phoenix.
Empyrea Phoenix, Ebonstyle, Issen Manor.[\s]
In Shenzhou’s martial world, these were all famed and respectable names.
But here in the endless desert, these were meaningless words.
The desert was an honorless, lawless wilderness:[\s]
「The strong live, the weak die.」
「Perhaps this is why,」 Sushang thought.
「This is why Mother sent me to train here despite Father’s protests.」
Sushang began training when she was only a year old toddler;
Her mother doted on her a lot,
but she was also extremely strict when it came to her sword training.
Sushang endured many hardships. She’d be awoken from the pain from her training at night.
She would cry to her father about this—— but that would only make her mother even harsher.
Not even the master of 「Issen Manor」, 「Young Marquis Of Sichuan」 Li Shen, could withstand a glance from her mother.
Since then, Sushang doubled her efforts in practicing swordmanship, and was thoroughly proficient in her family's twelve ways of Issin Mnemonics.
But when her mother took a look, she still shook her head.
Sushang couldn’t understand what the problem was. Was she not training hard enough?
Why wasn’t she meeting her mother’s expectations?
One day, Sushang eavesdropped on her parents’ conversation at night.
Her mother spoke coldly.
Her father whispered something, Sushang couldn’t hear him properly, but her mother gave him a cold sneer.
From Sushang’s hearing outside the window, her mother sounded cold and defeated.
Her father was taken aback, then he sternly objected. Sushang was inexplicably terrified when she heard it. She wanted to agree with her father, but she was also curious about what her mother said about 「Northern Desert」 and 「Fifth Sister」.
The three short words seemed to have magical powers. As soon as they were spoken, all the noise around them disappeared, and the room fell suddenly into silence.
Her mother did what she said.
On the day of Sushang’s fifth birthday, her parents gave her a generous parting gift.
Bidding goddbye to Issen Manor, Sichuan, and her "home", she went to the Northern Desert and learned the 「best swordsmanship」 for a whole decade.
Unlocked Biography: 「Li Sushang」
Ten years had suddenly passed.
No longer did she yearn for her home, the only thing she still bore in her heart was her mother’s bidding.
Had her swordsmanship improved?
Had her martial arts techniques improved?
Did her current self finally meet her mother’s expectations?
…Sushang didn’t know, she still needed proof.
And the way to prove it, was through a『Sword Trial』.
Therefore, when seeing sword holding enemies approaching her in an encirclement,
Li Sushang’s mouth curled up into a meaningful arc.
Needless to say, this smile said everything:
the girl’s first 『Sword Trial』, was today!