“……”
Leng Yan frowned, squatting in the grass, her heart in turmoil. While the other party were two utterly depraved rogue cultivators, wasn't she being a bit too sneaky? After all, as the dignified leader of the Sheng Tian Alliance, acting as the mantis stalking the cicada felt somewhat dishonorable.
A few seconds later, she gritted her teeth and decided she wouldn't back down. There was an old saying: "Since I'm already here," and if she didn't act now, those two scoundrels would get away with it.
Not far away, the green-skirted woman hiding in the woods was named Lu Guiyi. She was a rogue cultivator from the Winter Spring Valley area. Although she was a Star River realm sword cultivator, her life was incredibly impoverished. Fortunately, she had a kind heart and, even as a rogue cultivator, never engaged in robbery. Therefore, Lu Guiyi now wore a smile. These two scoundrels deserved to be punished, and today she, Lu Guiyi, would make a fortune!
However, neither Lu Guiyi nor Leng Yan knew of the other's existence.
...
On the mountain path.
"My dear wife."
The Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator smiled gently, his demeanor quite refined. "After you buy the new fist manual, let's not rush into seclusion. How about I accompany you back to your hometown in Yuzhou? It's been how many years since we last returned? Perhaps sixty or seventy years?"
"Mm."
The female martial artist nodded. "My parents are long dead. My second brother should be ninety this year, maybe even dead. If anyone is still at the old estate, it would likely be his descendants."
"Indeed."
The Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator said softly, "The Great Dao is heartless, always so. In their eyes, we are now immortals on the mountain. If we return, it will bring them glory."
The female martial artist chuckled. "Husband, when you betrayed your sect, you were only a third-realm sword cultivator. Now, your sect leader master is merely a Golden Core realm sword cultivator. How about... I accompany you back too? Let's go see that master and see what he has to say now. After all, if we utilize the treasure and spirit money wisely, you have a great chance of entering the Star River realm."
"Mm."
The Nascent Soul sword cultivator smiled and nodded. "I'll listen to my wife!"
As he spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted, looking into the distance on the female martial artist's side.
"What is it?"
The female martial artist also looked, but when she turned back, a flying sword had already pierced her neck. Her husband, who had just spoken so softly, turned into a ferocious expression and cackled, "My dear wife, there's no need for trouble. Your husband will send you back to your hometown now! Hahaha, you ugly hag, I've tolerated you for so many years, and now I finally have a chance to marry a young, beautiful, true mountain immortal!"
However, just as the Nascent Soul sword cultivator thought he had landed a killing blow, the female martial artist, enduring immense pain, twisted her body and landed a punch imbued with fist qi heavily on the man's chest. The fist intent accumulated in this punch was too potent, and it struck his weakest point, causing his sword qi to shatter as he spat blood and his ribs in his chest splintered.
"I knew you were no good!"
The female martial artist roared with a ferocious expression. "You dislike my appearance? You dog, back then I was seventh realm and you were sixth. Wasn't it you kneeling at my bedside, licking my toes?!"
"Die!"
The Nascent Soul sword cultivator roared in fury, and a flying sword emerged from his sword lake, piercing directly through the female martial artist's heart.
"I'll beat you to death, you unfaithful wretch!"
The female martial artist let out a furious roar, her second punch landing on the man's body, piercing through his chest and embedding him in an ancient tree behind him. The man's expression was one of despair as he raised his sword and stabbed it into the female martial artist's abdomen.
The scene was incredibly brutal; both were likely beyond saving.
...
"You scoundrel and slut, take my sword!" Leng Yan charged out of the dense forest.
"Eat my sword, you two scoundrels!" Lu Guiyi also charged out of the dense forest.
For a moment, they looked at each other, but the next second, they almost simultaneously declared, "Let's kill them first!"
Instantly, Lu Guiyi severed the female martial artist's head with a sword, while Leng Yan split open the unfaithful man's head. The rogue cultivator couple, already on the verge of death, could hardly withstand such a righteous execution.
“……”
Leng Yan and Lu Guiyi looked at each other again.
In the end, it was Leng Yan, with her more fiery temperament, who clasped her fist and said, "Human Sword Cultivator, Leng Yan!"
Lu Guiyi pursed her red lips and quickly clasped her fist. "Human Sword Cultivator, Lu Guiyi! I wonder which renowned sword sect you hail from, Sister Leng Yan? Your sword intent is very strong, and your swordsmanship is exceptional. You must be from a sword sect in the south, perhaps... a disciple of the Lingyan Sword Sect of Forgetfulness Lake in Furong Prefecture?"
"Not at all!"
Leng Yan's pretty face blushed slightly. "I don't have a sect. Actually, I'm a rogue cultivator."
"Really?"
Lu Guiyi's surprise and joy were evident. "That's wonderful! I'm also a rogue cultivator..."
"……"
Leng Yan immediately felt a sense of kindred spirit. The two of them had acted like scavengers, and although it seemed a bit sneaky, in reality, they were both rare righteous individuals in the martial world!
"Sister Leng Yan."
Lu Guiyi looked at her, finding her incredibly likable – so young and beautiful, with a similar disposition, and both rogue cultivators. Lu Guiyi pursed her red lips and said, "Let's not worry about the spoils from these two scoundrels; they're not important. I just want to say... since we're both rogue cultivators, why don't we... roam the martial world together?"
"Ah?!"
Leng Yan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Sister Lu, are you perhaps trying to take me as your disciple?"
"Disciple?"
Lu Guiyi blinked. "There's no need to be so concerned with the formalities of the martial world. If you don't mind, let's be sworn sisters. After we take this dirty money from these scoundrels, we can establish a sect together in Winter Spring Valley. I'm older, so I'll be the senior sister, and you, being younger, will be the junior sister. We'll jointly manage the sect and develop it into something great, how about it?!"
Leng Yan's eyes lit up. "Senior Sister, I've already thought of a sect name: Winter Spring Sword Sect!"
"Excellent!"
Lu Guiyi clasped her hand. "Junior Sister!"
"Senior Sister!"
The two looked into each other's eyes, feeling as though they had met too late.
...
Early morning, Snowy Domain Heavenly Pond.
Lin Zhao, clad in white robes and silver armor, descended from the sky on his sword and landed in the Lotus Wind Academy. It was precisely the time when the young students were attending morning classes. From the nearby schoolhouses, the melodious sound of reading could be heard, a truly pleasant sound. As Lin Zhao stepped into the Lotus Wind Academy, Gu Lingyu appeared and invited Lin Zhao to have tea in a pavilion beside a rock garden.
Just as always.
Gu Lingyu's tea-making skills were excellent. Unfortunately, Lin Zhao couldn't appreciate tea and gulped it down in one go, much like an old water buffalo eating water chestnuts. But Gu Lingyu didn't mind. With a gentle smile, she thought that her junior uncle's unpretentious nature was not a bad thing. If he were to put on airs while not understanding tea, it would be far worse.
Soon after, morning classes concluded. Several young teachers left, carrying bamboo slips, while a group of students eagerly rushed into the courtyard to play. The girls played games like sandbag tossing, while the boys, led by the young Zhang Luobai wielding a wooden stick, ran back and forth between the schoolhouse and the courtyard. As Zhang Luobai ran, he swung his wooden stick, performing a set of sword techniques he considered transcendent and peerless.
Lin Zhao watched Zhang Luobai, a smile on his face.
"Have you decided?" Gu Lingyu asked with a smile.
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile. "In my previous life, he dreamed of becoming a celestial sword immortal and of fighting demons alongside me with a sword. This life, I won't let him have any regrets. I've returned to the path of martial arts and have started practicing fists. Whether he wants to learn sword or fists, I can teach him. Although I've never taken a disciple, he... he will be an exception."
"There are always exceptions in life."
Gu Lingyu smiled. "Shall I call him over for you, Junior Uncle?"
"Mm."
"Zhang Luobai!"
Gu Lingyu stood on the rockery and called out, "Come here for a moment."
"Ah? Dean?!"
Zhang Luobai, who had been playing wildly, suddenly froze. He threw down his wooden stick, tidied his tattered clothes, and then walked towards the rockery in a proper manner. To his surprise, he saw Lin Zhao standing in the pavilion. The young boy's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Mountain Lord, why are you here?! Weren't you in seclusion recently?"
"I came to find you."
Lin Zhao smiled. "Zhang Luobai, let me ask you, if I wanted to take you as my disciple, would you be willing?"
"……"
The young boy stood there as if petrified. After a few seconds, he burst into tears.
"What are you crying for?"
Lin Zhao was surprised. "Don't you want to be my disciple?"
"No... No..."
The boy wiped his tears, crying as he said, "I originally just wanted to be the Mountain Lord's loyal follower. If the Mountain Lord told me to go east, I'd never go west. But I... I never expected the Mountain Lord to want to take me as a disciple. Although I, Zhang Luobai, am a potential sword immortal, I'm naturally unrestrained, and my background is poor. My parents are mere peasants, dirt poor. I don't even have a spare pair of pants. When my mother had to wash my pants, I could only run around the streets and alleys with my bare bottom exposed. The Mountain Lord is an immortal from the heavens, and if his future disciple's bare bottom is seen by half the town, won't it tarnish the Mountain Lord's reputation? Although I, Zhang Luobai, don't understand many things, I do understand some common decency. If the Mountain Lord dislikes me, Zhang Luobai will have no complaints, only regretting his lack of fortune... Wuwuwu..."
"What nonsense is this..."
Lin Zhao rubbed his forehead.
Gu Lingyu, the Confucian sage, covered her face. What was all this about? This silly boy Zhang Luobai was truly blessed by fortune.
Lin Zhao looked at Zhang Luobai and said, "I'll ask you one question. Are you willing to become my disciple and learn the sword from me?"
"Willing!"
Zhang Luobai, with tear-filled eyes, knelt down with a thud and kowtowed on the ground. "Master above, accept this disciple, Zhang Luobai's bow. From now on, besides my father and mother, you are the dearest to me. When I learn peerless sword techniques in the future, I will ensure you eat well and drink heartily every day. I, your disciple, will always be loyal to you. I'd rather my master betray the world than let the world betray my master!"
"……"
Lin Zhao looked at him with a smile, seeing in him the young boy who had once stood on the stone bridge, wooden sword in hand, facing a twelfth-realm great demon.
...
Now, the boy is seven years old, the prime age for practicing the sword!