After Failing the Tribulation, I Became a Sword Spirit

Both sides of the confrontation remained motionless.

The wind and rain blowing in through the window extinguished the candle flame burning on the table, but Shuo Feng could still clearly see a purplish-black wound appear on the girl’s right shoulder. However, there was no flesh or bone visible in the wound. The purple-black mist flowed slowly along the edge of the wound like a living creature, finally mustering up the courage to escape into the outside world through the window.

As it fled, the mist accidentally knocked over the candlestick on the bedside table, plunging the once-bright room into darkness. A crack in the window revealed a thin beam of moonlight, illuminating the young man’s somber expression.

The unknown “woman” left behind thought-provoking words, her tone full of anticipation. “Shuo Feng, we will meet again. I can hardly wait for that day to come.”

However, the wound on Zhou Yue’s shoulder did not heal, but this time there was no purple-black mist surging out of it. Instead, there was a moist, clean white light.

The tension in the boy’s neck relaxed.

When Zhou Yue’s regained her vision, she sensed her hand was resting on the young man’s neck, her palm slightly rolling against his Adam’s apple. Even in the darkness, she could guess that something unpleasant had happened earlier.

She released her grip, relaxing her hand and said in a muffled tone, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. An evil spirit possessed me and must have hurt you.”

Under the moonlight, she could see the dark fingerprints on Shuo Feng’s clear skin.

Unexpectedly, the young man quietly turned his back and put away his wrist sword. He hugged the little girl who was hiding her head in the quilt. His shoulders trembled a little, perhaps out of fear of something. “Zhou Yue, you saved my life. Even if someone uses your hand to kill me, it doesn’t matter.”

“I’m just afraid… afraid that you’ll never come back again.” Shuo Feng cautiously raised his head, his eyes were red, and his clear eyes were filled with water. “Will you always stay with me?”

He was like a small animal that was insecure and always leaned on his master, snuggling into Zhou Yue’s arms.

Zhou Yue thought for a moment, touched the young man’s furry head and said lightly, “As long as I can promise, forever.”

Forever before she completely disappeared.

But Shuo Feng didn’t know.

The young man’s face suddenly brightened, revealing a big smile. “I knew it, you are my sword.”

He remembered something happy and couldn’t wait to show it off to Zhou Yue. “I’ve already learned the breathing technique and shrinking technique you taught me before. Do you want to see it?”

Shuo Feng’s eyes shone brightly, thinking to himself, “Quick, praise me for being awesome.”

In the darkness, the girl in front of him suddenly frowned with a hint of worry and asked, “Shuo Feng, did you kill someone again?”

Zhou Yue lowered her eyes and saw the boy’s right hand tucked into his sleeve. Although it was a faint, almost imperceptible scent of blood, she could still hear the slight hum of the Ji Hua sword after killing someone.

Shuo Feng was momentarily stunned, but instead of feeling embarrassed or angry at being found out, he sincerely praised her, “As expected of our Zhou Yue, so smart.”

The boy’s gaze was clear and clean, and killing was no different from playing for him.

Zhou Yue sighed in her heart and slowly opened the right fist hidden in Shuo Feng’s sleeve and spread it out from the palm to the fingers. She stared at the boy’s reddened calluses and tiny cuts, solemnly saying, “Shuo Feng, don’t kill indiscriminately. The heavier the sin, the more your path of cultivation will wear you down. Once a cultivator has a mental block, his heart will be shattered, and there will be a risk of falling into demonic cultivation.”

She was afraid he would become a demon, so would she still punish him and kill him if he continued to commit evil?

Shuo Feng covered his curled eyelashes and blocked the myriad of thoughts surging in his black eyes, allowing Zhou Yue to use her healing magic to cure the wounds in his palm. Under the purification of the green spiritual power, the scars slowly healed. He suddenly said, “What if I really become a demon? What then?”

“Being a demon cultivator or a demonic beast cultivator is not good. After death, the soul has nowhere to go and cannot enter the cycle of reincarnation,” she explained.

The girl held the boy’s lowered head earnestly, looking directly at the darkness in his eyes and heart. The two red moles on her eyebrows were also vivid and bright. She said in a clear voice, “Shuo Feng, even if you were to become a demon, even if I have to go to hell, I will drag you back to the right path from the Nine Layers of Hell.”

In an instant, the ice in his heart seemed to melt away as the girl’s warm hands held his. The lake in his heart rippled with waves despite the absence of wind.

Shuo Feng laughed cleanly, his mouth curling upwards in genuine joy. “Zhou Yue, I won’t let you go to hell with me. Neither of us will go.”

He looked like a proud child as he patted the Ji Hua sword at his side and said, “I didn’t kill indiscriminately. The people I killed were all bad guys who had taken many lives. They have been sentenced to death and are waiting to be executed in the autumn.”

“I’m just carrying out justice!” The young man patted the Ji Hua sword hanging from his waist like a wandering hero, “Since you saved my life, I promise to cultivate properly and eradicate evil.”

“This is the promise we made together.”

His promise…

Shuo Feng’s demeanor reminded Zhou Yue of the night they had fought together to stop the ambush outside the city of Lanzhou.

After the storm had calmed, she leaned on the young man’s back and listened to his serious voice, “Zhou Yue, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it. Whether it’s cultivation or saving you, I promise.”

He was really fulfilling his promise in his own way, but he was such a stubborn child.

Zhou Yue took the Ji Hua sword from the young man’s waist and traced the inscriptions on the sword with her fingers, sighing, “Everything has its own laws and principles. Even when fighting evil, one cannot violate the laws.”

Her fingertips lightly touched the young man’s fingertips, creating an electric sensation. A drop of Shuo Feng’s blood fell on the sword, and the golden light on the runes shone brightly.

“Boom, boom, like millions of believers whispering at the same time, dizzying.”

Shuo Feng remembered that Zhou Yue had also recited this incantation on that moonlit night. She said it was a reincarnation spell that could send vengeful spirits on their way to rebirth.

The sound of the spell gradually disappeared, and the Ji Hua sword fell silent again in the dark night.

At this moment, the hole on the girl’s shoulder had disappeared, and her weakened form had become more solid.

She said, “Shuo Feng, a contract has been formed between us. If you want me to stay, all you need is this small drop of blood.” The girl’s eyes slid over his eyebrows again with pity, “Shuo Feng, don’t let yourself get hurt all the time.”

“But I am an assassin. Assassins always have to kill. When you don’t kill, you get hurt.” Shuo Feng was still very stubborn and refused to look at Zhou Yue’s face.

She must be very disappointed in herself.

Shuo Feng laughed bitterly in his heart.

Zhou Yue almost didn’t use any force and easily turned Shuo Feng’s face towards her. The young man looked a bit dull, and she pursed her lips and said, “I won’t let you get hurt anymore. I teach you swordsmanship not only to save people but also to save yourself.”

Can an assassin’s sword be used to save people?

Shuo Feng was confused, but Zhou Yue’s words echoed in his mind again and again, gradually stirring up a storm. He felt like a small boat, drifting with the waves, gradually sinking into the deep sea.

He didn’t want to see himself so fragile, so he casually interrupted, “Why do you always recite that reincarnation spell, even on the Ji Hua?”

The reincarnation spell.

Zhou Yue’s thoughts drifted far away, to a few hundred years ago in the immortal’s world in Lianhua Mountain, where a young man was earnestly carving runes onto her newly crafted Ji Hua Sword. He said, “Zhou Yue, this is the reincarnation spell that I personally engraved. This way, when you use the sword to kill, you are also using it to save people.”

Shuo Feng saw the rare expression of emotion on the young girl’s face, and she spoke with infinite sorrow, “It was taught to me by a Buddhist monk in the immortal world, and he also carved the spell on the Ji Hua sword.” Zhou Yue smiled, “The monk said that the reincarnation spell can wash away the grievances of vengeful spirits, so they suffer less in the underworld while waiting for reincarnation.”

A Buddhist in the immortal world? It was the first time he heard her mention someone from the immortal world.

The young man felt his movements stiffen for a moment, and he pretended to pick up a wooden stick from under the window, allowing the night rain to hit his face and clear his mind. He seemed to mention this name inadvertently, “The monk? Are you two close?”

Zhou Yuessmiled and nodded, “He is my dear friend.”

The young man’s mask cracked slightly.

A dear friend, huh? She even called him a dear friend. She hasn’t even said that they are dear friends yet. What does she think of him? Oh, she did say she wanted to take him on as a disciple, but he of course refused.

Shuo Feng turned his back and hastily walked outside, his steps slightly staggered, even forgetting to take the Ji Hua sword. His tone was a bit muffled, “I have something to do, I need to go out.”

Raindrops pattered against the window frame, and the moonlight was dim. Zhou Yue picked up the candlestick from the ground and flicked her finger, causing the light to bloom with a “pu” sound. The room became warm and bright again.

Looking at the swaying flame, she couldn’t quite figure out the young man. She asked, puzzled, “It’s still dark outside, and it’s raining. What is he doing out?”

Drenched in the spring rain, Shuo Feng did indeed want to calm himself down.

The young man only stepped outside the courtyard and leaned against the brick wall at the corner of the alley. Chills rose up from the soles of his feet, extinguishing the agitation and panic in his heart.

Shuo Feng took a long breath.

The next moment, his back straightened.

He stared at the man approaching in the night rain without turning his gaze, his right hand holding a sword poised to strike.

The middle-aged man was dressed in black and wore a bronze demon mask, like the Lord of the Underworld.

He was in his forties or fifties, and his voice was hoarse as if from an old wind box when he spoke, “Xiao Jiu (1), are you going to Qiongzhou?”

The man was the Sixth son of the Luo Sha Men.

So, it was an old acquaintance. They hadn’t met outside the city of Lanzhou before, but he didn’t expect to encounter him here.

Shuo Feng raised an eyebrow, the white tip of his sword twirling in the rain, creating a bright flash of light as it hit the water. In the blink of an eye, he leapt onto the roof of the alley, sword pointed directly at the man’s eyes visible through the mask.

With every move ruthless and desperate, he attempted to strike a fatal blow.

The Sixth was also skilled and didn’t fall behind. He immediately drew two swords from his waist and engaged in a close fight with the young man.

Despite the fight, the man continued speaking calmly, “Xiao Jiu, if you go to Qiongzhou, you won’t be able to turn back.”

Having said this, the man unexpectedly stopped fighting.

Shuo Feng was momentarily surprised, but also stopped his attacks and leaned against the wall, taunting, “Sixth Uncle, what? Are you trying to persuade me to turn back?”

Upon hearing the familiar address of “Sixth Uncle,” the man sheathed his swords, the sound of the blades clanging together. He stroked the cloth-wrapped hilt of his sword and spoke heavily, “The Purple Garment Brigade is coming. Whether you go or stay is up to you.”

The sound of footsteps disappeared into the night rain as the man’s figure vanished from sight.

Was it someone else’s intention to give this warning, or was it the Sixth’s intention?

As he thought, he heard the faint sound of rhythmic hoofbeats in the wind. The small courtyard where he stood was not in the center of Xiaochun City, but he could still see a column of the Purple Garment Brigade riding black horses and searching every house on the narrow streets.

The young man crept along the wall, lightly leaping onto the roof. Despite being in the hazy night rain, his senses were particularly acute due to his recent entry into the Qi-training period. Shuo Feng could clearly see that the Purple Garment Brigade had stopped to search each house along the narrow streets of Xiaochun City, riding black horses.

Hundreds of miles away in the Yudu Capital, many Purple Guards were entering and exiting a mansion. Their robes were noticeably more sophisticated and luxurious, as they held official positions as Baihu (2) and Qianhu (3). The mansion occupied almost half of the main street of Jiyu Avenue, in Yudu, and had once been a private residence of a prince in the previous dynasty. However, it had been bestowed by the current emperor to the Purple Garment Brigade commander as his residence.

Despite the late hour, the commander’s mansion was still brightly lit with many lanterns, as if it were daytime. Servants and attendants scurried about nervously in the night, passing through long corridors and halls, until they reached the innermost courtyard where everyone waited anxiously outside.

The former commander, Lu Ze, fell ill while trying to save the emperor and was resting at home under the emperor’s decree. His son, Lu Qingchuan, succeeded him as commander and surpassed his father’s achievements, earning even more favor from the emperor.

At night, after handling official business and returning home, the commander went to visit his ailing father, displaying a scene of filial piety rarely seen in the present day. The servants all sighed in their hearts, and no one dared to disturb them by entering the room.

Although it was already May and summer were approaching, the bedroom was still heated by a warm stove.

In the bedroom, a young man sat by the bed of the old man with a large knife and was using a delicate gemstone knife to peel an apple. He was very focused, not even blinking his eyes, and the apple skin fell off in complete circles like snowflakes.

The young man was Lu Qingchuan, the successor to the commander of the Purple Garment Brigade and the only son of Lu Ze.

The peeled apple was not for the old man who was seriously ill.

Lu Qingchuan took a bite of the crisp fruit and slowly chewed the taste, revealing his shiny white teeth.

The sound of the old man’s heavy coughing rang out.

The young man’s expression was full of concern as he lifted the blue canopy on the bed, picked up the phlegm bowl (4) from the ground, and helped the old man sit up in bed.

Lying against the soft pillow, Lu Ze stared at his son, who had been away from home for a long time and spat out a phlegm with blood streaks into the bowl.

The warm stove had steamed up a warm atmosphere, and the flickering candlelight and the young man’s tall figure were reflected on the cool golden bricks.

Lu Qingchuan was very handsome, but his eyebrows and eyes were always sharp and gloomy. His pupils were deep and he was now looking quietly at the old man.

In a perplexed and doubtful tone, he asked, “Father, why haven’t you died yet?”

Lu Ze looked up at his son, who looked so much like him, and instead of getting angry at the outrageous question, he smiled and explained, “I’m waiting for an old friend.”

(To say that it was an old friend was not entirely accurate; as the text reads that it should have been the child of an old friend)

The old man was seriously ill and rarely had any clear moments. His eyes were dim, but he still found the sword rack with precision.

He gazed at the sword, took a deep breath, and refused to die with his body in tatters. Lu Ze slowly said, “Wait for him to come and kill me.”

Using the sword that had killed the child’s countless loved ones, he would let the child kill him.

Author’s Note:

In this chapter, we have the kind and filial son, Lu Qingchuan, in a heartwarming scene with his sick father

[Little Theater]

Zhou Yue (happy): My relationship with the monk is really good.

Shuo Feng (grinding his teeth): Is there a good relationship between us?

Footnote:

1. Xiao Jiu literally means “little nine” and is a term of endearment for Shuo Feng as he is the ninth son of the Luo Sha Men Sect.
2. Baihu, which literally means “commander of 100 soldiers” in Chinese, is a military rank that was historically used in China. In ancient times, the baihu was a subordinate officer responsible for commanding a unit of 100 soldiers within a larger army. In later periods, the term baihu was used as an honorary title for high-ranking military officers.
3. Qianhu is a Chinese term that refers to a leader or commander of 1,000 soldiers. It is a military rank used in ancient China.
4. A phlegm bowl is a bowl or container used for collecting and disposing of phlegm, typically used by individuals who are suffering from respiratory illnesses or conditions. It is also sometimes called a sputum bowl or spittoon.

It seemed that there was only the sound of the wind and the snow here, rustling and falling, but no sounds of living creatures, making it eerie and frightening.

Black snowflakes fell from the gloomy gray sky. The boundary between heaven and earth was blurred, but with each snowflake hitting the ground, there was a piercing scream of black resentful spirits, and the violent sound echoed layer upon layer. The resentful spirits erupted from the snowflakes and tore at each other like black mist as if enjoying a rich feast. When they became stronger than their peers, the black mist continuously climbed towards the sky, and then it was another cycle of black snow falling again and again.

This was the realm of Xuanming.

The only one the grudges dared not the approach was the young girl kneeling in the center of the lotus platform. She was covered in snow, her face snow-white, and the only lively color in this desolate world were two small red moles on her eyebrow peaks.

In fact, she had been dead for a long time, but there were still several sword lights that she had once wielded lingering around her. These sword lights, in the wind and snow, were immortal and still upheld their master’s intentions, cutting through all evil.

Amidst the incessant falling snow that had remained unchanged for a hundred years, a sudden breathing sound came.

She opened her eyes.

It took many days for Zhou Yue to be in Xiaochun City, but she finally established a passage between the realm of her divine soul and the Xuanming realm. At this moment, she looked inward with her spiritual power, and there was no intact organ in her body, with only the surface of her body barely intact.

She stood up, leaving deep and shallow footprints behind her, and the sound of clanging iron chains echoed. These chains were forged from Kunlun Xuan iron and nailed her body, nailing her body and also the evil spirits inside her.

The young girl walked barefoot on the black snow, with snow falling from her shoulders, revealing a blood-stained white veil dress. Her shoulder blades and legs were ruthlessly pierced by the iron chains, and there were holes that could no longer bleed, but there was still purple-black mist biting and gnawing at the edges of the holes, rampaging and struggling, trying to escape. If one listened closely, one could even hear the hoarse and sneering curses.

The resentful spirits all kept their distance and formed a small vacuum space beside her.

Although people cannot be resurrected after death, immortals must immediately be reincarnated. But who knows what kind of background this little fairy has? Two hundred years ago, she single-handedly entered the Xuanming realm with a sword and sealed the evil spirits that had ravaged her for over ten thousand years.

The resentful spirits had mixed feelings towards her, neither liking nor hating her. After all, the sword light she left behind had tortured them for a long time, but without her, they would still have been used as bait for the evil spirits.

The white-dressed girl slowly stopped her steps and in front of her was a humanoid figure molded from black snow and a “girl” with the exact same face as hers.

The “girl” wore a black dress and was the embodiment of an evil spirit.

Suddenly, the black snow no longer fell, and the resentful spirits fled in panic.

The evil spirit seemed to affectionately press Zhou Yue’s shoulder and asked with a fake smile, “What benefit do you get from doing this?”

The “girl” smiled coquettishly and tempted her, “Why not let me go and also let yourself go?”

Zhou Yue looked at the evil spirit using her face calmly and said indifferently, “Sealing you is the best thing for me and for the Six Realms.”

Two hundred years had passed, but she still wouldn’t give in no matter what!

Seeing the stubbornness of the young girl, the evil spirit immediately changed its expression, gnashing its teeth and saying, “You’re already dead, without even the chance for reincarnation, and yet you still think you’re benefiting from this?”

“Those people in the immortal realm are the most hypocritical, sending a young fairy like you to die!”

In fact, no one from the immortal realm had ever forced her, and even her master had repeatedly tried to stop her when he found out that she wanted to go to the Xuangming realm. When he realized that she was determined to go, he gave up on the sword path and focused on the path of reincarnation, hoping to give Zhou Yue a chance at rebirth.

Zhou Yue shook her head, not angered by the words of the evil spirit. “I came here on my own accord,’ she said. Her eyes were bright, and her pale face seemed to glow with life. ‘Since I was born, I knew that it was my mission to seal you away. Someone has to make sacrifices, and if sacrificing myself can save many others, then I am happy to do it.”

This was her Tao (1), with compassion as her heart and the salvation of others as her purpose. Her determination was as unyielding as a rock.

The young girl spoke softly, but with great satisfaction, ‘Even if I die and never see this world again, I am still happy.'”

The evil spirit wanted nothing more than to tear apart the girl in front of it, but it was trapped by her golden body and unable to move. It sneered, “You know that your golden body can’t hold me for long. You’re just throwing your life away, and everything you’ve done is in vain!'”

Unexpectedly, the girl laughed lightly, her laughter clean and clear, with a hint of anticipation. “I admit I’m not skilled enough to hold you for long, but I believe that someone more powerful than me will come to seal you after I’m gone. If I can hold out until that person comes, even if I can’t enter the cycle of reincarnation after death, I won’t regret it.”

The evil spirit also burst into laughter, and the black snow danced in the wind, transforming back into the form of a young man.

It was “Shuo Feng.”

The evil spirit pointed at its “face” and said playfully, “Can you really hide anything from me when our souls are bound together?”

“Shuo Feng” deliberately made a regretful expression and sneered, “Your golden body can only hold out for seven days in the Xuanming realm. Even if it can last for seven years in the mortal world, can an ordinary mortal who has never practiced cultivation ascend in seven years? Moreover, the Heavenly ladder is cut off, so he probably doesn’t even have a chance to ascend.”

The look in Zhou Yue’s eyes gradually grew colder, as if covered in frost. She drew several sword qi (2) with her right hand, which turned into a huge sword in the air and mercilessly slashed towards the evil spirit. The black snow on the ground was affected by the boundless sword light, collapsing into a long trench, and the resentful souls inside emitted a miserable howl.

These sharp sounds could shatter every fragment of the soul into pieces.

But Zhou Yue’s face only turned pale for a moment, and her tone was cold, “I know you still have remnants in the mortal world. But if you dare to harm him, even if I have to drag this remnant body and kill you. Even if I can’t succeed, I will make sure that you suffer the torment of shattered souls day and night in this Xuanming realm.”

The evil spirit couldn’t escape from Zhou Yue and could only dodge this sword light. “His” figure began to dissipate, and Zhou Yue also suddenly had a new bloody hole in her body.

The seal was established, and killing “him” would also mean killing herself.

The evil spirit looked at the girl’s indifferent expression and exclaimed, “Madwoman, you really are a madwoman!”

Suddenly, “he” rearranged his ferocious face, leaned close to Zhou Yue’s ear, and said with a strange smile, “Since your soul can return to the Xuanming realm, our divine souls can merge, and I can use your channel to find him.”

Zhou Yue’s expression turned cold, and she immediately cut off the connection. She closed her eyes and held her breath, separating her soul from her body and returning to the mortal world.

The evil spirit finally saw another expression on the girl’s face and laughed wildly before quickly disappearing like dust, completely hidden in the vast snow.

In the mortal world, it was the rainy season, and in Xiaochun City, the spring rain fell gently. The sky was hazy with fog. The sun had completely disappeared into the distant green mountains from behind thick clouds, and in the dark night, lights were lit in thousands of households.

The shadows of the lamps flickered on the window screens, as if the wind and rain had blown away the colorful flowers of spring. The tiles on the roof trembled slightly, and a black-clad figure of a black-clothed youth ran quickly in the night. The ancient and simple iron sword in his hand was stained with tiny drops of blood.

The youth was skilled in lightness technique and landed almost silently. He disappeared into the night rain and quietly returned to a small courtyard.

Shuo Feng stepped into the doorway and carefully washed the blood off his hands in the courtyard water tank. The drops of blood slowly dissipated in the clear water, like a little red residue falling from a white lotus.

Naturally, it was not his blood. The blood on the assassin’s body had always belonged to others. When he struck with his sword, blood was bound to splash onto his clothes.

Shuo Feng furrowed his brow, feeling frustrated about how to wash away the smell of blood from his body. Eventually, he shook his head and glanced at the girl who had been sleeping on the bed for several days and changed into a new robe behind the screen.

The soapberry scent was fragrant and refreshing like pine.

Satisfied, Shuo Feng nodded to himself. He didn’t want Zhuoyue to know that he had gone out to kill again.

That night, he saw that the Ji Hua sword could only maintain Zhuo Yue’s physical form by absorbing the blood of his victims. A few days ago, Zhuo Yue’s body had started to become translucent and she had fallen into a deep sleep for no apparent reason.

So, after taking care of the girl and locking the courtyard gate, he took the Ji Hua sword and went to kill again. He wanted Zhuoyue to stay with him for a long time, perhaps until the end of time, even if he had to kill every day.

Shuo Feng lowered his gaze. He had been alone for a long time, so he wanted to hold onto his sword and never let go.

The young man sat gently on the low stool by the bed, tilted his head, and reached out to touch the girl’s eyelashes. Zhou Yue’s long and curly eyelashes scratched his palm like feathers.

His heart felt like it was also being tickled by a feather, itchy, but wanting more.

Shuo Feng’s ears turned red. When he tried to remain calm, the girl’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

Shuofeng was pleasantly surprised and leaned in closer.

In the next instant, the girl, whose eyes were slightly red, reached out her soft and warm hand from the brocade quilt.

But she didn’t touch his face as she used to.

Instead, she grabbed his throat.

Shuofeng’s killer instincts made him sense the danger in advance, and the soft sword at his wrist pressed against the girl’s neck in an instant.

“Zhou Yue” was not panicked. On the contrary, she looked at the expressionless young man with interest and said slowly, “So, you are Shuo Feng.”

It wasn’t her.

Shuo Feng spoke coldly, his words like a knife, hacking at the person in front of him. “Who are you? Get out of her body right now!”

Footnote:
1. Tao is a concept in Chinese philosophy and religion that refers to the “way” or “path” which is the fundamental and all-pervading principle underlying the universe and everything in it. The concept of Tao emphasizes the naturalness, simplicity, and spontaneity of life, and encourages individuals to live in harmony with the rhythms and patterns of nature.

2. Qi is a concept from traditional Chinese culture that refers to the vital energy or life force that permeates all things in the universe. It is believed to be the fundamental energy that gives life to everything and is related to the breath and blood flow in the body. In martial arts, qi is often associated with the cultivation of internal strength and power.

Shuo Feng did not return to Lanzhou City, instead, he and Zhuoyue traveled south along a tributary of the Canglan River until they reached a small town that was blooming with spring flowers.

The town’s walls were not high, and the meandering river flowed around it. The banks of the river were lined with green willow trees, and their verdant colors accentuated the spring atmosphere. The name of the town, Xiaochun (1), was very appropriate.

Xiaochun was a peaceful little town where there were rarely any guards interrogating passing travelers. However, today was different from usual. It was unclear whether the troops dressed in Mingguang armor had come from the prefecture or elsewhere. Still, they were coming in and out of the city gate, comparing the faces of passersby with portraits, and their expressions were stern as they conducted strict searches.

“What’s going on?” The merchants in the tea shack looked towards the city gate and whispered among themselves, suddenly realizing, “Could it be because of the ten miles of corpses outside Lanzhou City a few days ago? It’s really scary to think about it happening in broad daylight.”

“In this world, could it be the Purple-Clothed Guard…?”

How could they bring up the group of evil stars known as the Purple-Clothed Guard for no reason?

The old man wearing a straw hat was afraid of getting into trouble and quickly picked up the tea kettle from the fireplace, pouring fresh tea for the merchants. He nervously tried to smooth things over and apologized, “Let’s not talk about national affairs, let’s not talk about national affairs.”

Talking about national affairs made the customers’ faces change. They looked both fearful and distressed. Since the change of regime in Daliang, the various tribes rebelled, and the Southern Liang court was isolated, with insufficient military resources and weak national strength. However, the emperor still stubbornly allocated a large number of military funds to establish the Purple-Clothed Guard, to check on people’s livelihoods and suppress people’s grievances.

But the Purple-Clothed Guard was clearly a group of palace watchdogs. In addition to the guards in the imperial capital’s yamen, there were also many undercover agents lurking among the people, using them to suppress the common people and consolidate imperial power.

In this chaotic era, there were many people who had been raided and wiped out by the Purple-Clothed Guard for no apparent reason. Their methods were cruel and fierce, and even the famous General Ling’s clan from Da Liang was not spared.

However, everyone present was ordinary people who did not want to invite trouble. So everyone in the tea shack laughed it off, raising their glasses and talking about this year’s tea and cloth business.

Unexpectedly, someone brought up the topic again.

“The Purple-Clothed Guard?” A voice of a young man full of curiosity came.

“Who’s the clueless one?” The merchants looked angrily towards the source of the voice.

It was a young boy with a face covered in dirt. Despite this, his eyes were well-shaped, with curved edges and soft curves that made his pupils look black and clear.

Sitting next to him was a petite girl, her head always lowered as she held a teacup, making it difficult to see her face. The skin on her exposed jawline was smooth and graceful with slightly darker skin

The merchants thought to themselves, “What a pity,” before their expressions suddenly changed, and they stared intently at this pair of rural siblings.

Of course, this was just a disguise by Shuo Feng and Zhou Yue. Since leaving the city of Lanzhou, Zhou Yue had used her illusion skills to hide their faces. She had also shrunk the Ji Hua sword into a small wooden sword and tied it to Shuo Feng’s wrist with reeds from the nearby river. This was to cover their tracks since they didn’t want to attract attention from ordinary mortals.

The sun shifted slightly from one corner of the tea shed, and there was a hint of early summer heat in the air in May.

The fat old man next to them looked hurriedly at the soldiers patrolling the city gate and whispered to Shuo Feng, “Boy, keep your voice down. Do you want to lose your head?”

The fat old man continued to mutter to himself, wondering if this young boy was brave or just inexperienced.

Shuo Feng paid no attention to the curious glances of the people around him. He finished his tea, squatted down, lifted the girl onto his back, and threw a piece of silver on the table before leisurely walking away on the main road.

This was their plan to enter the city.

A pair of rural siblings relying on each other in these troubled times was quite common.

The guards carefully compared the pair to a portrait, and in front of him was a young boy holding a sleeping girl on his back, showing a shy and nervous smile. “She’s my little sister, and she’s seriously ill. Within a ten-mile radius, only Xiaochun City has a decent clinic. Can you please help us, sirs?”

Zhou Yue coughed a few times, appearing weak and barely breathing while on Shuo Feng’s back.

The guards still stretched out their hands, their faces serious, like a thick wall blocking the city gate.

This was because they were asking for the pair’s passage permit to enter the city.

Shuo Feng pretended to cry, with a trembling voice, “I’m sorry, we lost it while walking on the road…”

“They lost their travel documents? Then they cannot enter the city.” The guards’ faces turned grim and tried to stop them.

But the young man took out a handful of silver from his waistband and stuffed it all into the guard’s hand.

There was no reason to stop people from entering the city. Although the siblings didn’t have a permit, saving a life was more important than anything else. This was the emperor’s order, and they were just following it.

“Well, in that case,” the leading officer said as he took the silver, a friendly smile appearing on his face. “Since you saved a life, it’s like building a seven-level pagoda, as the Emperor teaches. We’ll just let you pass for the sake of convenience.”

The guards waved their hands in disgust, afraid of catching any disease, and let the two of them enter the city.

They headed towards the direction of the clinic. At the corner of the street, the two of them missed the blue cloth curtain with the word “clinic” and quietly disappeared into the shadow of the eaves.

In the midst of the blooming spring, a pair of handsome young man and woman walked out.

Xiaochun City was not as lively as Lanzhou City There were no vendors on the street, only a few hawkers carrying poles walking through the streets and alleys, shouting loudly to do business.

Zhou Yue curiously looked at the hawker with eyes as round and big as white porcelain, as if she had never seen such a novel thing before.

Feeling someone’s gaze on his back, the hawker also turned his head, and he saw the incredibly beautiful young girl, stopped steps, and couldn’t help but smile.

Suddenly, a hand blocked Zhou Yue’s sight. The young man’s fingers were slender, with a small black mole on the fingertip of his ring finger and a fair palm with a thin callus. The knuckles on his wrist were distinct, with slightly protruding veins, elegant and beautiful.

“Zhou Yue, I have a house near here. Let me take you there to rest,” Shuo Feng jumped in front of Zhou Yue and asked excitedly, blocking the gaze of the opposite side of the street.

Zhou Yue looked up and saw the boy’s unrestrained smile. His eyes were full of undisguised anticipation and pride, making people want to fulfill his wishes unconsciously. Although she couldn’t continue watching the interesting and novel things, she also smiled and nodded, clapping her hands to make the young man even happier, and said. “Sure, sure.”

*

There was a small courtyard with only one entrance. In the center of the courtyard, there is a large water tank that dispels the heat in late spring. The clear water surface is dotted with blooming white lotuses, and the transparent water light sways a circle of ripples among the interlaced lotus leaves.

A slender finger as thin as a scallion stirs up the water in the tank, and the water reflects the flawless face of a girl like warm jade. She is still wearing her white veil and green dress, her feet lightly tapping on the wooden bench, and the blue skirt swaying in the breeze, revealing glimpses of her tender toes like young lotus shoots.

The courtyard door creaks open, and the skirt fell down and twirled in the wind like a blooming blue flower.

“Shuo Feng, you’re back?” Zhou Yue looked at the hurried young man who came in from the courtyard door and smiles.

Shuo Feng has already changed into a new sky blue robe, still wearing his gold and jade accessories, showing the free and easy demeanour of the Jianghu (2). After settling Zhou Yue in small courtyard, he hurriedly went to the street to buy things. At this moment, he was moving all his packages and items into the house, his face red and his forehead covered in sweat. Zhou Yue also jumped off the wooden bench to help.

They were both not the type to make other people suffer.

The young man and girl smiled at each other, their faces sparkling with joy.

Zhou Yue sat on the edge of the bed, holding her face and saw Shuo Feng come over with a cloth bag on his chest. He stood in front of the girl and opened the floral cloth bag, revealing a pair of delicate and exquisite embroidered shoes, made of peach-pink soft satin and embroidered with golden silk intertwined lotus flowers.

Shuo Feng was a little embarrassed. “When we get to Qiongzhou City, I will give you a better pair, with pearls and precious stones all over the shoes.” He gestured with his thumb and forefinger, forming a circle. “It’s this big.”

Zhou Yue’s clear voice rang up, “Shuo Feng, I feel a little giddy.”

Shuo Feng’s face turns red, but he still insists on putting on the embroidered shoes for the girl. With her feet wearing the embroidered shoes swaying in front of him, he stuffed the moon-white clothes from the cloth bag into Zhou Yue’s hands and then ran from the courtyard without looking back.

The sunlight gradually descends, and the color of the blue stones in the small courtyard became darker. The moss in the gaps between the stones extended like velvet in the sunset.

Shuo Feng sat on the small stool where Zhou Yue had sat before, threading beads onto a reed string with a single-minded focus. Each pearl and gem sparkled beautifully in the evening sun. Of course, these were all Shuofeng’s private collections from his travels over the years, but the main focus of this bracelet was the reed string and a small wooden sword charm, which looked rather peculiar.

Light footsteps sounded, and a graceful girl stood in front of the young man.

Zhou Yue had changed into a new moon-white dress, but she was still puzzled. “Shuo Feng, you don’t have to spend so much money on me,” she said.

Shuo Feng looked up at her with bright, shining eyes, his chin propped up by his right hand. He said earnestly, “A sword can be beautiful too. If you’re beautiful, I’ll be happy.”

Hearing the young man’s sincere words, Zhou Yue’s heart softened. She had been about to say that she was just an object, not worth the trouble. But she changed her mind in a heartbeat. She also lowered her eyes, lifted the hem of her skirt, and lightly jumped in front of Shuo Feng, twirling on her tiptoes as the golden lotus flowers bloomed under her feet. She said happily, “I also think it’s beautiful and I really like it.”

In the sunset’s afterglow, Zhou Yue noticed that the young man had already finished braiding the bracelet. Perhaps he thought the grass rope she had braided was too ugly, or maybe she couldn’t bear to see the pearls and gems mismatched like that.

After a long pause, she spoke slowly, “When you complete the technique of guiding Qi (3) into your body, I will teach you the art of storing swords. Then you can store the Ji Hua sword in your sea of consciousness.”
But the young man raised a clean and bold smile, dangling the small wooden sword on the bead rope and refusing, “No, you made this for me with your own hands. I won’t take it off. Besides, I want everyone in the world to know that this is my sword.”

He was truly a mischievous and naughty boy. But Zhou Yue couldn’t help feeling that he was good like that and couldn’t help but smile.

The warm and beautiful small courtyard in the sunset was like an ordinary household in the bustling little city, with wisps of smoke rising, completely hidden in the mundane world.

[Small Theatre]

Zhou Yue: I really like the dress Shuo Feng bought for me.

Shuo Feng (blushing and flustered): She says she likes the dress I bought, does that mean she likes me too?

Footnote:

1. Xiao Chun is a Chinese term that means “little spring” and is also used to refer to the early spring season. As a name for a town, it could be a perfect choice for a place known for its natural beauty, especially during the springtime. The name “Xiao Chun” evokes imagery of a serene, picturesque town nestled in a verdant valley or surrounded by rolling hills covered in lush, green foliage. It could also suggest a place where visitors go to renew and invigorate themselves, much like the season of early spring, which represents renewal and growth.

2. Jianghu refer to the world of martial artists and adventurers who exist outside the bounds of traditional society. In fiction, jianghu is often portrayed as a lawless and chaotic world, where martial artists roam and engage in battles for honor, revenge, and justice.

3. Qi is a concept in traditional Chinese culture that refers to a vital force or energy that flows through all living things. It is believed to be the fundamental substance that animates and nourishes the body, and imbalances in the flow of Qi are thought to be the cause of many health problems. Qi is also an important concept in various martial arts, where it is believed to be the source of strength, agility, and other physical abilities.