Chapter 918: Why Only Sword Cultivators
In the Grand Xuan Du Temple, there was a stream in the peach forest, with clear, shallow water so transparent that the bottom was visible.
A tall old Daoist master and a young fat man each sat on small stools, rolled up their trouser legs, and soaked their bare feet in the stream. One was drinking wine, while the other cradled a large handful of freshly picked lotus seeds in his arms.
Yan Fatty asked, "Old Sun, why did you lend your sword to Bai Ye back then? A Liang said that we sword cultivators rely on a long sword that spans ten thousand miles—how could you be like this, giving away such a celestial sword? Now, I've heard that there are quite a few immortal lords over in the Jade Capital who don't show you much respect. They say your relationship with our Xuan Du Temple is like a withered tree leaning on an old tree. Listen, how infuriating! When Dong Huafu told me about this, I was so furious I smoked out of my seven orifices and almost went with him to the Jade Capital. I thought about how I had to win back face for you, Old Sun. But unfortunately, my current realm is too low. I'm afraid that if I challenge them with swords, I'll only lose face for the Xuan Du Temple."
The old temple master, as the leading figure of the Daoist sword immortal lineage under heaven, was equally skilled in swordsmanship and Daoist arts. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to hold his seat as the "Fifth Under Heaven."
Senior Sun sneered, "If you have something to say, say it directly. I hate beating around the bush more than anything in this life."
Yan Zhuo said cautiously, "Then I'll speak bluntly! But let me say in advance, Old Sun, you can't hold a grudge."
Senior Sun chuckled, "Do you want me to take a poisonous oath first?"
The Daoists of Xuan Du Temple, whether old or young, high or low in seniority and realm, were never afraid of provoking anyone in the Green Obscurity World—except they feared being remembered by the old temple master.
Seeing that the little fat man still hesitated, the old Daoist smiled and asked, "Does a silent fart, when twisted and turned, smell sweeter?"
Yan Zhuo had actually already regretted bringing this up with the old temple master, but since the arrow had been shot from the bow, he had no choice but to let it fly. He spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube, telling the old temple master all the private words that Dong Huafu had said. "The gods and immortals over in the Jade Capital all say that if you hadn't lent your sword to Bai Ye back then, you would have indeed entered the fourteenth realm. But once you entered the fourteenth realm and fought with their Second Teacher of the Jade Capital, you would definitely have lost."
"So you deliberately lent the celestial sword 'Taibai' to Bai Ye, keeping it in the Haoran World. This way, you showed the demeanor of an elder, won a good reputation, and made Bai Ye owe you a huge favor, helping the Haoran World gain another most proud man under heaven. The Confucian Temple also has to consider this bond. And since you remained in the Flying Ascension realm, you naturally didn't have to fight Dao Second to the death. Besides, given that True Invincible's temper, as long as you stayed in the Flying Ascension realm, he wouldn't bully the weak, so he had no choice but to let it go. Thus, you gained more than just three or four benefits at once."
Hearing these "outside rumors," the old Daoist laughed heartily while stroking his beard, showing no sign of anger.
Yan Fatty asked, "Old Sun, are you pretending to be bold to hide your fury? Don't be like that. We're family, and seniority can be set aside. If you're really angry, don't hide it. Even I would be furious hearing this. I've already agreed with Dong Huafu to record all those old gods who spoke rudely. One day when I reach the Flying Ascension realm, I'll go to the Jade Capital and challenge each one of them with my sword. If you don't believe me, I can take a poisonous oath!"
The old Daoist shook his wine flask, "Forget it. You, Yan Fatty, have all your courage in your business mind and that layer of fat. Now that you have the Xuan Du Temple's Daoist license, you probably wouldn't dare come near the Jade Capital. Only when Little Daoist Friend Chen says such things would I believe him."
Yan Zhuo tested the waters, "So you really were afraid of losing to that True Invincible?"
The old Daoist nodded, "Not afraid of losing, afraid of dying."
Once he entered the fourteenth realm and fought with Yu Dou, it would naturally not just be about victory or defeat—life and death would surely be decided.
Yan Zhuo looked shocked.
The old Daoist continued with a smile, "This fear is not the fear of dying and being unwilling to let go, but rather the fear of dying without enough weight to it, worrying that death would be worth less than nothing. There's a millennium-old pent-up anger in my heart that I wouldn't be able to spit out even in death. If I only exhale half a breath, I'd be like a hanged ghost, swaying back and forth, my head not touching the sky, my feet not touching the ground, not standing tall like a true man. I would die with my eyes open. But at first, I didn't think so much. Back then, I already had one foot on the threshold, and just as I was about to lift the other foot, someone came to the Xuan Du Temple at just the right time, found me, and had a talk. After that, I went to the Haoran World for a change of scenery. According to the agreement, if I left with a sword and returned with a sword, I would head straight to the Jade Capital, and they would not stop me from challenging Yu Dou with my sword."
Yan Zhuo asked, "The leader of the Lu clan?"
The old Daoist shook his head, "It was Lu Xiaosan and Dao Second's senior brother, our esteemed Great Teacher of the Jade Capital."
Yan Zhuo gave a thumbs up, "Old Sun, you still have prestige."
The old Daoist smiled, "That's nothing. Back when I founded the Xuan Du Temple, among the honored guests at the ceremony was the Dao Ancestor himself. But he didn't want to overshadow me and steal my thunder, so he hid his identity. He stayed until the ceremony ended, drank a cup of wine, and then left."
Yan Zhuo asked doubtfully, "Why isn't such a thing recorded in our temple's annals?"
The old Daoist countered, "If the Dao Ancestor attended the ceremony, should our Xuan Du Temple make a big deal out of it? If we did, would the Xuan Du Temple still be what it is today? Why would the Dao Ancestor have come to observe the ceremony in the first place?"
Yan Zhuo rolled his eyes, completely confused.
The old Daoist stroked his beard and laughed, "When the Great Teacher visited the Xuan Du Temple, he didn't start with that agreement. Instead, he advised me not to bicker with his second junior brother. If we really fought, it wouldn't just be a personal vendetta. That was the truth. The Xuan Du Temple's incense would be gone, and though the Jade Capital's Five Cities and Twelve Towers would lose some territory, if the Jade Capital were broken apart by me, the Great Dao would be incomplete. It's like your Sword Qi Great Wall, which was split in two. Suppressing ordinary cultivators isn't hard, but to a small handful of cultivators, the Jade Capital might as well not exist. And half the meaning of the Jade Capital's existence is to await the future upheaval, specifically targeting that 'small handful' of disobedient cultivators. They've been holding back for thousands of years. Once the Dao Ancestor is no longer around, they'll run rampant with no restraint."
Yan Zhuo asked, "If you hadn't lent your sword to Bai Ye back then and returned to the Green Obscurity World to fight Dao Second, wouldn't the Dao Ancestor have intervened? And even the Great Teacher, as the Dao Ancestor's first disciple, could protect the Jade Capital, right?"
Senior Sun laughed angrily, "Why would the Dao Ancestor bother with such trivial matters?"
"As for our Great Teacher, who has already perfected his three thousand merits, his Dao arts are second only to the Dao Ancestor. There's no exaggeration there. He's very different from that so-called True Invincible, who might be self-proclaimed by Dao Second. The Great Teacher's relationship with the Green Obscurity World is similar to that of the Ritual Saint with the Haoran World. Many things that involve too many entanglements are better left alone. Stillness is preferable to movement—if he moves, the whole world moves."
After listening for a while, Yan Zhuo said softly, "Good. With Old Sun around in the Xuan Du Temple, we can cultivate in peace. I don't want to move again."
Chewing over the words, Yan Zhuo asked curiously, "Yu, the teacher, proclaimed himself True Invincible? That can't be."
The old Daoist chuckled, "Just a wild guess. Is that against the law? If Dao Second is petty and unhappy, he can write a letter and send it to our temple. I'll immediately reply in my own hand and use various mountain-and-water gazettes to announce to the world that the title 'True Invincible' was definitely not self-proclaimed by Yu, the teacher. If anyone dares not believe it and keeps muttering nonsense, don't blame me for personally visiting to demand an explanation."
Yan Zhuo laughed, "And then you'll embrace and talk happily, calling each other brothers?"
The old Daoist raised his green gourd wine flask, took a sip of the temple's homemade peach blossom wine, shook it—it was empty—and tossed the gourd into the stream, where it drifted away. "These years of cultivation in the Xuan Du Temple haven't been wasted."
The old temple master sighed out of nowhere, "That little girl of ours, paired with Bai Ye, is truly a perfect match."
One of the ten candidates for the younger generation under heaven, selected in past years, was a female Daoist from the Xuan Du Temple. She had since gone to the Colorful World and was now in the Jade Pupil realm.
Yan Zhuo said sadly, "I have no chance?"
The old Daoist teased, "Don't you have Sister Chunhui?"
Yan Zhuo waved his hand, "Don't say such nonsense. If Sister Chunhui hears it, she won't dare say anything to you, Old Sun, but she'll make things difficult for me and won't want to do business with me anymore."
"Do you remember that early autumn this year, when an old scholar sat at the same table as me and Bai Ye and ate our temple's famous vegetarian feast?"
"Of course I remember. How could I forget? He was very tall. If the old gentleman hadn't been wearing a scholar's robe, I would have thought he was a Jianghu person. Who was it? Could it be Qing Shen Dynasty's Prime Minister Yao Qing?"
"Yao Qing? That misfit of his? If he came to the Xuan Du Temple, he wouldn't even qualify to sit with me and Bai Ye and finish a vegetarian meal. I'd let Yao Qing go to the kitchen and cook the vegetarian meal instead."
Yan Zhuo looked skeptical. That was a bit of an exaggeration, wasn't it? Yao Qing was one of the ten under the Green Obscurity World. Although his ranking wasn't as high as Old Sun's, anyone who could make the list was a figure as high as the heavens.
Besides, the rumors outside were rampant, saying that Yao Qing would soon enter the fourteenth realm, following Wu Shuangjiang of the Sui Chu Palace.
In fact, the three Sword-Taking Immortals, facing disaster, had all fled for their lives. One of them was even said to have gone to the Jade Capital to seek refuge with Yu, the teacher.
"When Yao Qing was young, he was a good-for-nothing rogue who loved gambling! If I hadn't passed by Wuling back then and generously helped him out, plus gave him some guidance, he wouldn't have achieved what he has now. Otherwise, he would have been reincarnated several times by now."
"Then who exactly was that old scholar?"
"Talking to you is such a hassle. Just think bigger about his identity."
Yan Zhuo suddenly woke up, pounding his chest and stamping his feet, "Old Sun, why didn't you say so earlier?! Otherwise, I would have kowtowed to the old scholar right then and there. Even if I just bowed three times to him, I could have absorbed some literary fortune. Then, in the future, when I take those stupid Daoist license exams one by one in your Green Obscurity World, I'd pass them effortlessly! By the way, I need to move that table and stool he sat on into my room and worship them properly. I'll even buy them. Name your price, Old Sun..."
Yan Zhuo suddenly said, "Are you lying?"
A boy wearing a tiger-head hat was walking by the stream.
The old Daoist immediately waved and laughed, "Brother Bai Ye, come be a witness."
Bai Ye nodded, "It was indeed the Supreme Sage."
The old Daoist smiled, "Yan Fatty, from now on, don't complain that our temple's vegetarian feast is bad. The Supreme Sage even gave it a 'worthy of its reputation' evaluation."
Bai Ye hesitated as if to speak.
The old Daoist quickly winked at him, so Bai Ye said nothing.
Before coming to the Green Obscurity World, Bai Ye had been on the summit of Sui Mountain with the old scholar and had met the Supreme Sage.
Because he was coming to the Xuan Du Temple to cultivate and practice swordsmanship, the old scholar and the Supreme Sage had happened to mention the temple's vegetarian feast.
The old scholar said the rumor was that the temple's vegetarian feast wasn't very tasty. The Supreme Sage then said he had heard it was indeed average.
So when the Supreme Sage ate the vegetarian feast at the temple and said it was "worthy of its reputation," it was simply a polite remark from a guest.
The old Daoist asked with a smile, "Did you go to that bright moon with Yu Junqian?"
Bai Ye nodded.
The old Daoist said with envy, "Watching the moon while lying under a green pine is not as good as lying on the moon and watching the green pine. One looks up at the sky, the other looks down at the earth—the scenery is completely different."
Bai Ye said, "It's not difficult for the temple master to go if he wants."
The old Daoist waved his hand, "I can't say that. Right now, that True Invincible is lying there blocking the way. I'm old and my eyes are failing. If I step over and accidentally step on our Dao Second's face, that's fine—it's an unintentional mistake, and I can apologize. But if I step on his crotch, that would be too inappropriate."
Bai Ye had originally intended to sit on a stone by the stream and chat a bit more with the old temple master, but upon hearing this, he continued his walk forward.
Yan Zhuo finished eating the large pile of lotus seeds, then lifted his feet out of the stream and asked, "Old Sun, have you actually already...?"
"People only say that the supreme Dao is beyond emotion, but the Dao is emotionless while humans have feelings. Humans are born to be emotional beings."
Senior Sun didn't give a direct answer. Instead, he smiled and said, "You juniors don't need to think too much about the grudges of the older generation. Thinking won't help anyway. Just focus on your cultivation and each reach your own peak."
The old Daoist stood up, "When you get old, you start thinking about things after death."
In fact, a certain pure scholar from the South Potalaka Continent had said similar things. At the time, there was only one listener, a foreign scholar named Liu Xianyang.
But the old temple master quickly laughed, "But I'm talking about the Dao Ancestor. I'm still young. Every day, I only think about working hard to eat well."
Before leaving, the old Daoist said to the young fat man, "Think hard about one question: Why are there only sword cultivators under heaven? The day you understand that, you'll break through to the next realm."
---
A wind-kite ferry had already crossed the sea and arrived at the land of Tongye Continent. It made a brief stop at the immortal ferry of Qingjing Mountain's Qinghu Palace, then continued south toward Xiandu Mountain.
Today, during a break from practicing swordsmanship, Sun Chunwang hesitated for a moment before deciding to leave her room and go sit with Chai Wu for a while. She didn't like noise, but fortunately, Chai Wu didn't like talking either. Aside from making noise while drinking, she wouldn't make small talk. That suited Sun Chunwang perfectly. But just as Sun Chunwang turned into a corridor, she noticed a standing door god outside Chai Wu's room. She understood that Chai Wu was still cultivating and shouldn't be disturbed.
Xiaomili tiptoed over to Sun Chunwang and, once beside her, the Right Guardian raised a hand and made some calculations with her fingers before whispering, "The grass and trees still need half an hour of cultivation. Can you wait?"
Sun Chunwang shook her head, "I'll miss it. In fifteen minutes, I need to go back to my room and continue forging my sword."
Xiaomili's eyes filled with admiration, and she said sincerely, "You two really are terrifyingly diligent in your cultivation."
Sun Chunwang said, "You don't need to secretly protect me anymore."
Xiaomili scratched her face and said, "Oh." Found out?
Sun Chunwang, for once, felt a bit guilty and explained, "It's not that I'm annoyed..."
She paused for a moment. This young girl, nicknamed "Dead Fish Eyes" by Bai Xuan, decided to tell the truth: "Actually, it is annoying. Having you guarding outside actually hinders my cultivation. It makes my mind restless."
Not helping but messing things up, huh. Xiaomili stomped her feet in annoyance and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again."
Sun Chunwang, for the first time, forced a smile, thought carefully, and explained again, "It's my fault for not speaking properly. To be precise, it's not that I'm annoyed. It's that knowing you're guarding outside, knowing you mean well, I always want to say hello to you and hear you chat for a bit. If not, I want you to stop watching, but I don't want to interrupt my focus halfway. This back-and-forth delays my sword forging. Just forget what I said earlier. Don't take it to heart."
"Don't mention it."
Xiaomili grinned and shook her head vigorously, then patted her stomach, "Good Mountain Lord said that when someone is willing to share their true feelings, you should remember them well and not just listen and forget. Because the truest heartfelt words under heaven aren't on the lips but in the eyes. So the heartfelt words you hear with your ears often aren't that pleasant. Over time, if you always forget what others say, even the most good-tempered person will become silent. At the same time, you must not let it bother you, or else no one will want to share their true feelings with us in the future."
"Good Mountain Lord also made an analogy, saying that those sincere words that don't sound so good are like Mute Lake wine. The first sip might be hard to swallow, but as you drink, you realize it's the best wine under heaven."
"And as for holding grudges silently, it's like wine that turns sour. You can't drink it yourself, and when you open the jar, no one wants to drink it. Good Mountain Lord said that smell is a person's bad mood. When it accumulates too much, it seems like no one can smell it, but in truth, everyone knows. They just pretend not to. Over time, it seems like everyone is taking care of each other, but actually, everyone feels wronged. It's very tiring."
Sun Chunwang remained silent, just listening to the black-clad little girl's rambling.
Xiaomili glanced at Sun Chunwang and asked cautiously, "Are you annoyed again? If so, I'll stop talking."
Sun Chunwang shook her head. The girl, who seemed to have a blank expression, suddenly beamed with a bright smile and winked at Xiaomili.
Xiaomili, sharp as ever, immediately understood. She grinned widely, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Got it, got it. The truest heartfelt words are in the eyes.
During the Luotuo Mountain ceremony observing Zhengyang Mountain, the most unfathomably deep in realm might have been this Right Guardian, who only ever revealed her Cavern Dwelling realm.
Sun Chunwang said, "The Hidden Official is very good to you."
She had heard from the well-informed Bai Xuan that the Hidden Official was currently compiling a travelogue of mountains and waters, specifically written for Xiaomili. It was said that he had previously asked friends for help but wasn't satisfied, so he decided to write it himself.
Xiaomili, not understanding the context, just laughed and said, "Good Mountain Lord is good to everyone."
Elsewhere on the ferry, Bai Xuan knocked on a door and entered the room of his "brother from five hundred years ago," Baishou. Sneakily, he pulled out a thin booklet and placed it on the table.
Baishou picked up the booklet and looked at the names and gang affiliations recorded inside—all people from the Jianghu that he had never heard of. He asked curiously, "What's this for?"
Bai Xuan lowered his voice, "One day, we'll find an opportunity to gang up on Pei Qian. I'll lure her out, and when I give the signal, like dropping a cup, all the assembled heroes and heroes from all directions will swarm out. Pei Qian won't be able to fight so many with just two fists. Then we'll make her admit her mistake, and it'll be over. But if she doesn't know what's good for her, don't blame me for not considering our sect brotherhood. She'll get a beating. Baishou, do you want to add your name to this list and join the grand event?"
Baishou gasped, "Is that a good idea?"
If this list were to leak out and someone found out, it would be a disaster! No one would escape. With that list in hand, everyone would be caught in one net.
The more Baishou thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He looked utterly confused, "Do you even know what realm she's in?"
Bai Xuan nodded, "Of course I do. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never lose in a hundred battles. How could I not know Pei Qian's realm?"
Seeing Baishou hesitating like a coward, Bai Xuan shook his head and put away the booklet, "Forget it. I never expected that, despite sharing the same surname Bai, our courage and boldness would be so different."
Baishou asked, "Has Xiaomili seen this booklet?"
Bai Xuan said irritably, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Everyone knew that Xiaomili was on Pei Qian's side. They both came from the legendary Bamboo Tower lineage of Luotuo Mountain, with very high standards. It was said that outside of Luotuo Mountain, only two people, Li Baoping and Li Huai, belonged to the Bamboo Tower lineage. Bai Xuan had only found this out after several subtle inquiries with the Right Guardian at the mountain gate.
Seeing that Baishou seemed a bit tempted, Bai Xuan persuaded him, "We're not going to gang up on Pei Qian right away. Think about it—why is the tenth realm of martial arts also called the 'Terminus Realm'?"
Baishou, thinking Chen Ping'an had revealed some heavenly secrets to Bai Xuan, asked curiously, "Why?"
Bai Xuan was stunned. Damn it, this guy was really stupid. Forget it, he couldn't have such an ally—he'd drag him down.
Baishou was unhappy, "Don't leave me hanging. Tell me. If it makes sense, I'll write my name on this list and even put my fingerprint on it."
"Terminus Realm, of course, means 'all martial artists under heaven, stop here.' That's the realm."
Seeing Baishou's sincerity, Bai Xuan explained patiently, "Pei Qian's talent is so-so, but her martial arts realm is that high. So she has to obediently stay put in the Terminus Realm, right? She's just waiting for us to catch up to her realm, soaring higher and higher. Isn't that the logic? A gentleman gets revenge even after ten years. If we can't do it in the short term, we'll bear with her a little longer. If ten years isn't enough, what about twenty or thirty years? With my talent for punching, even if I don't reach the Terminus Realm, I can easily reach the Mountain Summit Realm. Don't worry. When the time comes, as the alliance leader, I'll lead the charge and be the first to ask Pei Qian for a fistfight. Baishou, as one of us, you'll be the deputy leader. Your job will be to chase and block her, preventing Pei Qian from escaping if she sees things going badly. What do you think? Give me a definite answer."
Baishou put his hand on his forehead and was silent for a long time before finally squeezing out, "Let me think about it."
Bai Xuan sighed, tucked the booklet into his sleeve, picked up the teapot from the table with one hand, put the other behind his back, and kicked the door shut with his foot. As he walked down the corridor, he shook his head. "A small-minded man cannot be plotted with."
In the next room, listening to Bai Xuan's fanciful plan, Mi Yu struggled to suppress his laughter. He gave Liu Jinglong a thumbs up and whispered, "You've taken on a good disciple. No wonder he can call himself brothers with our Hidden Official."
Liu Jinglong smiled, "Actually, earlier, Baishou had also assassinated Chen Ping'an."
Mi Yu said with schadenfreude, "So that's why he has such a glorious achievement. No wonder Pei Qian has her eye on him."
"Head Liu, can I ask you something?"
"You want to ask why my name on the sect register is Qi Jinglong, yet I'm often called Liu Jinglong?"
Mi Yu nodded.
Liu Jinglong smiled, "Before I came up the mountain to cultivate, I was indeed surnamed Qi. But within a few years of joining the Taihui Sword Sect, one of our Head Han's friends said that when I reached a hundred years of Dao age, I would face a major hurdle. For ordinary mortals down the mountain, living to a hundred is the best blessing they could ask for. But for cultivators seeking immortality, it's not a good omen. That expert suggested to Head Han that if Qi Jinglong wanted to safely pass this tribulation, he should change his surname, otherwise his fate would clash with the two great rivers to the north and south. In the future, when traveling outside the mountain, being near water would bring disaster. At the time, this reasoning was already strange, because when speaking of 'north and south,' the three eastern continents of the Haoran World, aside from the Northern Juzhou continent indeed having the Ji River, neither Baopingzhou nor Tongye continent had great rivers. But that expert spoke with such conviction, and since such mountain sayings have always been better to believe than to doubt, Head Han went to my master, and my master went to my parents. They all felt that changing my surname, though a significant matter, was worth it to ensure my cultivation was safe. So they changed my surname secretly on the sect register without telling me. No one outside the Taihui Sword Sect's ancestral hall knew about it. Perhaps they were worried I would become a laughingstock. They also quietly erased my name from the family genealogy. According to the expert's advice, once 'Liu Jinglong' attained enlightenment in the future, he could change it back and add the name in both places. By the time I found out, it was already too late to change. So in the later Taihui Sword Sect, Qi Jinglong was like my original name, and Liu Jinglong became my nickname, used more often. Outsiders didn't know, so they followed suit. Later, when the river in Baopingzhou was opened to the sea, it was indeed named 'Qi Crossing.'"
Speaking thus, Liu Jinglong wrote the characters "Qi" and "Liu" on the table and laughed, "Aren't they a bit similar?"
Mi Yu clicked his tongue in wonder, "Your Haoran World really has many rules and intricacies."
Liu Jinglong said, "As for the expert who helped me change my surname, neither my master nor Head Han ever revealed his origin. I have two guesses: either it was Zouzi, or it was one of the Debt Collectors."
Mi Yu asked doubtfully, "Debt Collectors? What do they do?"
Liu Jinglong smiled, "They lend money to people, then one day come to collect the debt."
Mi Yu said, "Like those loan sharks down the mountain?"
Liu Jinglong nodded, "Strictly speaking, it's not quite loan sharking. On the contrary, when they come to collect, what they ask for will always be less than the principal. That seems to be the business tenet laid down by the first Debt Collector. So outsiders say that the Debt Collector lineage is a branch of the Mohist school. Most cultivators would be more than happy to do business with the Debt Collectors, especially those wandering wild cultivators who live in constant uncertainty. They only regret that the Debt Collectors don't come looking for them. Chen Ping'an told me to be extremely careful when breaking through realms. He was right—you can never be too careful. It's not that I don't want to repay the debt. Debt is a matter of course. I'm just worried about the way they might ask for repayment, which I might not accept."
Mi Yu said, "Given Head Han's temperament, since he was willing to take on this matter for you, I believe he would never set you up."
Liu Jinglong nodded with a smile.
Mi Yu thought of a Northern Juzhou continent sword cultivator and asked, "Do you still have contact with that Liu Xu from Luoma River?"
Liu Jinglong nodded, "After leaving the Sword Qi Great Wall, Liu Xu and I met often."
He was a good person, with no faults, except that his drinking manners were a bit lacking.
Mi Yu teased, "I spent quite some time at the Colorful Sparrow Manor in previous years, but I never saw a single mention of this Young Master Liu in any mountain-and-water gazette."
Liu Jinglong said, "It's the family tradition of the Luoma River Liu clan—pragmatic, honest, and not fond of the limelight."
The Luoma River in Northern Juzhou was a large mountain stronghold, but not a sect. Its name wasn't pleasant, but it was a master of doing business. It already had the foundation of a sect, yet had never requested a sect title from the Confucian Temple. The Liu clan of Luoma River had been in the business of running boats and transporting goods across the mountains for generations, quietly making a fortune. To put it in perspective, the Luoma River was the largest escort agency on the continent, with a much better reputation than the Qionglin Sect.
Northern Juzhou was famous for its simple and honest folk. Many cultivators had a habit of arranging duels across ten thousand miles. Perhaps a mere Mirror Flower, Water Moon conversation could escalate into a disagreement, and someone would call out a location, and the two sides would go fight. The most famous duel in the Haoran World, without a single "one of," was between the former Northeast Juzhou and the old Northern Ai Ai Continent—a cross-continent duel that shook the world.
That time, the continent's sword cultivators traveled together in a grand procession, crossing the sea in a magnificent scene later hailed as "Sword Light Like Water, Water in the Sky."
Because it was a cross-continent journey, many Juzhou sword cultivators of lower realms all took private ferries from the Luoma River. All expenses along the way—immortal wine, fruits, vegetables, medicinal meals—were covered by the Luoma River Liu clan from start to finish. The sword cultivators didn't spend a single snowflake money.
Although that fight never happened, Juzhou managed to snatch the word "North" from Ai Ai Continent.
From then on, the Haoran World only had Northern Juzhou and Ai Ai Continent.
And Liu Xu was the direct grandson of the current clan leader, one of the few sword cultivators among the Liu clan's younger generation. Yet he had never shown any arrogance since childhood. When he was in the Nascent Soul realm, he had followed other sword cultivators south across the continent, passing through Daoshan Mountain, and went to the Sword Qi Great Wall, where he killed many demons. However, compared to the former leader of the Taihui Sword Sect, Han Huaizi, the Law Enforcer Huang Tong, and the female sword immortal Li Cai of the Floating Lake Sword, Liu Xu, as a Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator, appeared relatively unremarkable.
In the final battle outside the city in a foreign land, Liu Xu fought side by side with Xie Zhi, a sword immortal from Fuyao Continent who had risen from the wilds.
Two sword cultivators, both outsiders to the Sword Qi Great Wall, one alive and one dead. The older, higher-realm one delivered his final sword, killing the demons while also clearing the path for the younger sword cultivator.
Perhaps the only time Liu Xu "became famous" was during a visit to a small tavern, where he wrote on a wooden tablet: "Half the sword immortals under heaven are my friends; which lady under heaven is not shy? I wash my sword with fine wine; who dares not say I am romantic?"
But in reality, in the Luoma River, Liu Xu, his father, and his grandfather, the current clan leader, were all known as bumpkins and country hicks, with not a hint of romantic talent.
Then, after that Confucian Temple meeting ended, the entire Northern Juzhou Continent learned about Liu Xu's wooden tablet. In the following years, matchmakers visiting the Luoma River came in an endless stream, nearly wearing down the doorstep. Everyone congratulated the old clan leader, saying their ancestors must have been blessed to produce such a talented son.
The old clan leader didn't know whether to secretly laugh or explain himself. Either way, it was rather awkward.
After Liu Xu returned to Northern Juzhou, he took the initiative to find Liu Jinglong twice, both times with the intention of drinking until they were thoroughly intoxicated. Each time, before the sword cultivator staggered and flew away on his sword, he would say he hadn't drunk enough and would come back again.
Life's gatherings and separations are uncertain, like drinking three cups of wine. It feels like the drinking hasn't even started before you're thinking about the next round.
Mi Yu had once been curious about one thing: why did the Hidden Official never do business with the Luoma River? Liu Xu was, after all, an old regular at the tavern and the direct grandson of the Liu clan.
And the business of Luotuo Mountain had always stopped at the central part of Northern Juzhou. It had no business partners in the north.
Later, he learned it was because the Hidden Official didn't want to make things difficult for Liu Xu. The great sword immortal Bai Shang held great influence in the north, and the Luoma River had long been accustomed to doing business in the northern mountains and waters.
Liu Jinglong said out of nowhere, "When Baishou first went up the mountain, he asked me why there are only sword cultivators under heaven, but no blade cultivators or axe cultivators."
Mi Yu was taken aback, then smiled wryly, shook his head, picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and said, "I've never thought about that question."
Liu Jinglong smiled and reached out his hand, "Lend me your sword for a moment, Brother Mi."
Mi Yu's lifebound flying sword was called "Sunset Fills the Sky." Over the years, he had worn a sword-raising gourd called "Haoliang" at his waist, a relic of his brother Mi Hu. It was originally meant to be given to the Hidden Official, but the Hidden Official didn't accept it and instead gave it to Mi Yu. His sword, of extremely high rank and inscribed with the character "Sweep Horizontal," was an earlier gift from his brother.
Mi Yu handed his sword to Liu Jinglong.
Liu Jinglong held the scabbard and slowly drew the sword. The sword light was as bright as an autumn pool, instantly illuminating the room like daylight. Liu Jinglong pressed two fingers together and gently ran them along the blade, then raised his fingers and tapped the sword. The light rippled like water patterns.
"In ancient times, spells and techniques fell like rain upon the human world. On the great earth, all living beings with spiritual nature, regardless of origin, each had their own opportunities. Those who attained the Dao sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain."
Liu Jinglong slowly swept the sword horizontally. A layer of sword light condensed on the tabletop without dispersing, as if splitting heaven and earth.
The next moment, Mi Yu looked around and found himself as if in an ancient, primeval void. The stars that one would normally have to look up to see now seemed as small as mustard seeds, as if one could simply reach out and grab them.
"Thunder techniques, the five elements, the seventy-two types of talismans, the learning of the hundred schools of thought, refining the sun and worshipping the moon, channeling starlight, geomancy and qi-watching arts..."
As the Liu Jinglong across from him "spoke the celestial laws," various techniques and divine abilities emerged one after another on the "great earth" spread out by that sword light.
"And the first sword between heaven and earth was itself a manifestation of the Great Dao."
"It possessed both sharpness and symmetry."
Liu Jinglong stood up, extended a hand, and condensed a point of light at his fingertip. He gently sliced downward, and a sword light fell straight down.
The sword light shattered the earth, heading straight into the infinite void. Heaven and earth no longer distinguished between up and down, left and right, front and back. The great earth was completely broken apart, and all the myriad techniques and divine abilities were utterly annihilated. Even the sun, moon, and stars in the sky were torn into a giant vortex generated by the sword light, leaving no trace of brilliance, as if all the Great Dao had been unified.
Liu Jinglong said calmly, "This is using one sword to break ten thousand techniques."
Mi Yu stared at that magnificent sight of heaven and earth seemingly going from creation to destruction, lost in thought.
After a moment, Mi Yu said solemnly, "The path is already laid out. I need to go into seclusion."