Beneath the apricot tree, a man who had drunk too much wine lifted his sword and spoke to Su Baiyi, “There is no weapon more captivating than the sword, and no one more handsome than the swordsman. Would you like to become a swordsman?”
“Yes.”
“Between heaven and earth, the swordsmen roam with grace. Many envy the one who travels the world with a sword, a white robe, and a pot of wine, enjoying the freedom and joy. But behind every stroke of the sword, there are countless times of forging. It is easy to practice the sword, but to truly become a swordsman, one must pay a price beyond the imagination of ordinary people.”
“Master, I’m not used to you being so serious all of a sudden.”
“You can play with life, but you have to be serious about swords.” Xie Kanhua caressed his long sword and said, “There is a city called Jimo, where everyone practices swordsmanship and calls it the Sword City. They use many ways to judge a swordsman’s skill, such as sword qi, sword intent, sword momentum, sword heart, sword path, sword technique, and so on. They also made a tedious list, in which I ranked third in sword qi, first in sword intent, fifth in sword momentum, fourth in sword heart, ninth in sword path, and three hundred and twenty-sixth in sword technique.”
“Master, if you think this list is so boring, why do you remember it so clearly?”
“……”
“Master, what does sword intent mean, and why are you ranked first?”
“Sword intent refers to killing intent.”
“Killing intent?”
“That’s how I see it.”
“And what about sword technique, why did you rank so low? Didn’t you say your Seeing flowers in the mist was famous in the martial world?”
“Simply put, sword technique is the moves. Every school and sect has many sword techniques. For example, the Xie family gained fame for their Falling Flower sword technique. The sword techniques of Jimo City have even more forms, such as Spring Flower, Autumn Moon, Summer Wind, Winter Snow, and more. Total, they have three hundred and sixty-four moves, and it takes half an hour to perform a set. It looks more like dancing than sword fighting, and I don’t like it. To me, sword technique is merely three moves: draw the sword, swing the sword, and return the sword. If you master each move to the extreme, any move you make will be a peerless sword technique. If you want to learn the sword from me, you only need to master these three moves. From now on, you start by learning how to draw the sword.”
“Yes, master. But how long do I need to practice drawing the sword?”
“Ten years.”
“Huh?”
“Ten years.” A cold light flashed, and Xie Kanhua suddenly drew out his long sword.
Su Baiyi blinked his eyes, not daring to move at all. In the stories told by the storytellers, the fastest sword would sever the neck, but the opponent would be unaware, until they moved a little and the head fell off.
But Xie Kanhua only smiled and handed his sword to Su Baiyi. A peach blossom had quietly landed on the blade at some point. “This sword is yours now.”
“It’s been ten whole years, master. You said the next step after drawing the sword is swinging it. You promised to teach me in ten years.” Su Baiyi stood in the room at the bottom of the ship, surrounded by iron walls, feeling a bit melancholic. “But where did you go, master?”
The room was empty, and naturally no one could answer him.
“Thankfully, you showed me that sword technique clearly on the day you left. You never leave anything to chance, and you likely anticipated this day. But I practiced drawing the sword for ten years, how many days do I need to practice swinging it?” Su Baiyi raised his Junyu sword. “Is ten years enough?”
Nangong Xi’er had already taken a bath and was sitting on the bed, circulating her breath. The maid named Nailuo had just brought a note that said ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be back at sunset’. Nangong Xi’er smiled after reading it, but didn’t care much. Su Baiyi was not very old, several years younger than Feng Zuojun and Xie Yuling. He sometimes talked a lot and was not very serious, but occasionally he would show a kind of indescribable calmness and confidence, which made people feel very reassured.
Just like that day when he held her and said ‘Trust me’.
He was clearly not very good at martial arts, but when he said ‘I can handle it’, he somehow made people really believe him.
A young lad, who could grow up to be like this, must have gone through a lot of things, right?
Nangong Xi’er suddenly opened her eyes. Although she had lost most of her inner strength, her intuition for danger was still there. At this moment, someone was standing at the door, and he was a very dangerous person.
The two guards guarding the heaven section still stood at the door, their bodies straight as a rod, their eyes wide open, silent as ever, like two statues.
The person standing at the door adjusted the mask on their face and gently placed their hand on the door.
Nangong Xi’er grabbed the long sword beside her, held her breath, and tried to gather the last of her true qi.
Then the masked person retreated slightly, withdrew their hand, and looked down at their palm, where there was a shallow cut.
The door of the neighbouring room had opened at some point without anyone noticing.
“Who is it?” the masked person asked in a low voice.
The door of that room suddenly closed again, as if the person inside did not want to see him.
A rich man in a golden robe with a smile on his face suddenly walked in from outside. Before he got close, he greeted the masked person, “My friend, are you looking for someone? Don’t tell me you’re here to collect your gambling debt from me, He Mou? I ran a bit hastily last night, and didn’t pay back some of the money I lost. It was my fault, please accept my apology. How much do I owe you, brother?”
The rich man in the golden robe walked past the two guards and stood in front of the masked person. The two guards bent over at that moment, gasping heavily, sweat beads the size of soybeans rolling down their foreheads. One of them turned around with difficulty and said, “The Heaven Floor, no entry without invitation!”
The masked person ignored him naturally, and just looked at the rich man in the golden robe in front of him.
The rich man in the golden robe stood in front of the masked person, with a smile on his face that was very friendly and amiable.
The masked person said faintly, “I’m looking for a friend. This has nothing to do with you, right?”
“Oh. The lad in the Falling Snow room left early in the morning, only his wife stayed inside to rest. But even if you’re good friends, it’s not very proper to see his wife alone when he’s not around, right?” The rich man in the golden robe chuckled, “How about I help you find him?”
“No need.” The masked person walked past the rich man in the golden robe, stopped after a few steps, and said with a hint of threat in his voice, “I’ll remember you.”
“Remember?” A clear and elegant female voice replied to him.
The masked figure whipped their head around, only to see that the person before them still wore the golden robe, but their figure had become slender and upright. And their face had transformed into that of a young woman.
“The masks of the Courtyard of Thousand Inventions are still not good enough. Mine is better.” The woman smiled like a flower, “Don’t you agree?”
Thanks for the chapter. I thought you gave up on translating. I am glad you continue.