"On what grounds!?"
A sword descended from the sky, pressing against Jia Huapin's forehead. His face was still a mask of anger, and he growled, "I'm not convinced! As a rogue cultivator, I receive no salary from the court, nor do I have any of the conveniences of those on the mountains. In times of chaos, the great Dao is a struggle for survival. What's wrong with me seizing treasures from other cultivators? The Sages themselves said, 'Food and desire are part of human nature.' What's wrong with me being greedy for wealth and lustful? Although I forced those women into marriage, did I ever mistreat them? Did I ever let them go hungry? Without me, they might have already been eaten by demons!"
Lin Zhao took a step forward, his voice filled with rage, "You only know that the Sages said, 'Food and desire are part of human nature,' but do you know they also said, 'In youth, when one's vital energy is not yet settled, one must guard against lust'? And you dare to argue so righteously here, twisting the Sages' words?!"
"Shuua!"
Xuan Zhi brought her sword down, cleaving through Jia Huapin's heavenly spirit. Immediately, ten demonic soul swords transformed into bloody light, piercing his heart repeatedly. Within seconds, this rogue cultivator of the Star River realm collapsed, his life and Dao extinguished!
...
"Alright."
Xuan Zhi retracted her demonic soul swords and, with a flick of her wrist, caused Jia Huapin's dozen famous swords to fly up, hovering around her.
"Are these swords useful?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Yes, they are," Xuan Zhi smiled. "These are renowned swords from mortal dynasties or the mountains. They are good sword blanks. Although their power after minor refinement is inferior to innate flying swords and demonic soul swords, their lethality should still be decent. It just so happens that I've fallen back to the Star River realm. If I were to return to the eleventh realm, my sword intent would be even stronger than before. I can refine a dozen more swords. These swords can serve as a supplement."
"That's quite good." Lin Zhao nodded with a smile.
Xuan Zhi raised her hand, and the restrictions on the two side halls were completely shattered. From the side halls emerged a multitude of women. Some were spirits, some were female demons, and some were human women. Though adorned in colorful attire, their faces were filled with bewilderment.
Lin Zhao stepped forward, cupped his fists towards the group of women, and said, "This rogue cultivator is dead. You have all regained your freedom. You may now seek your own paths!"
"Thank you, young master, thank you, young master..." The women bowed one after another, then disappeared outside the cave dwelling.
"Look for the flying fish message," Lin Zhao instructed.
"Mm." Xuan Zhi retrieved a storage bag from beside Jia Huapin's corpse. With a thought, she broke a simple restriction, then shook it. Numerous heavenly treasures and earthly materials spilled out. The most abundant were the golden *zizi* coins. Heaven knows how many treasures this rogue cultivator had amassed, totaling a staggering 140 golden *zizi* coins!
"Good stuff..." Lin Zhao pocketed all the golden *zizi* coins, then, amidst a pile of green *baji* coins, found a talisman stone and a golden-finned flying fish that had just swallowed a flying fish coin. It was Han Yurou's flying fish message. Lin Zhao felt immensely relieved; he had been worried this rogue cultivator might have sold it off. It was still here, which was wonderful news.
"Let's see what other treasures there are." Lin Zhao stood before the main hall and said, "Try to move everything back to the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond. We're poor right now, with pitifully little in our coffers. Where this rogue cultivator's looted goods should be returned is unknown, so let's move it all back to the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond to make the best use of it."
"Yes, my lord!" Xuan Zhi smiled slightly, opened the storage bag, and collected the green four-legged cauldron in front of the hall, as well as some incense burners and other decorations inside the hall. Some were magical artifacts, while others were exquisite decorations. Once the mountain peak villa is fully built, many of these items will be useful. After all, the more exquisite things there are, the deeper the foundation of a mountain range becomes!
"My lord." Xuan Zhi looked at the lotus pond before her and smiled, "Do you like this lotus pond?"
"Ah?!" Lin Zhao blinked. "I do like it, but can it be moved?"
"It can." Xuan Zhi took out a finely crafted bronze bowl from Jia Huapin's storage bag and chuckled. "In fact, this lotus pond is nurtured within this treasure. This bowl is likely the most valuable item in the entire cave dwelling, perhaps worth over three hundred golden *zizi* coins. If you like it, my lord, you can move this lotus pond back to the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond. The empty space and bamboo forest in front of your residence in the mountain peak villa can accommodate it. Placing the lotus pond beneath the bamboo forest will nourish the spiritual energy of the entire mountain peak villa over time."
"Good!" Lin Zhao nodded with a smile. "That's a great thing. Proceed!"
"Yes!" Xuan Zhi held the bowl and gently blew on the bronze bowl. Instantly, spiritual energy flowed, and the border patterns of the bronze bowl began to emit a faint light, generating a powerful suction force. In an instant, the lotus pond before them was drawn into the bowl. The area in front was now an energy-depleted clearing, while lotuses bloomed within the bronze bowl.
"Amazing, truly an amazing treasure..." Lin Zhao exclaimed from the side.
Xuan Zhi looked at him and chuckled inwardly. My lord's unsophisticated demeanor is quite endearing!
...
Not long after, having nearly emptied Jia Huapin's entire cave dwelling, Xuan Zhi raised another sword light and, with Lin Zhao, returned to Mirror Lake. Han Yurou and Lu Hua emerged from the water to greet them.
"Young master!" Han Yurou's face was filled with pleasant surprise. "You're back?"
"Mm," Lin Zhao nodded, took out the flying fish and talisman stone from his embrace, and handed them over. "The mark within the talisman stone should still be able to locate Zhang Xicheng's whereabouts. Hurry and write him a letter."
"Mm!" Han Yurou nodded heavily. She had already written the letter long ago, having written countless over the years. She took out the most recent one and gave the flying fish a flying fish coin. Immediately, the flying fish, carrying the message, transformed into a streak of white light in the sky and vanished almost instantly, its speed far beyond ordinary.
"Young master!" Han Yurou's face finally broke into a smile. "Please enter the cave dwelling and wait together for Xicheng's reply. It's been a hundred years, so let young master taste Yurou's cooking again."
"This..." Lin Zhao hesitated.
Xuan Zhi smiled and said, "There's nothing major happening at the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond these past few days. There's always time for a meal."
"Alright," Lin Zhao readily agreed.
...
Stepping into the cave dwelling within Mirror Lake, it was still the same cave dwelling, very cramped and incomparable to Jia Huapin's grotto-heaven. However, Lin Zhao showed no sign of disdain. He entered the living room with Xuan Zhi. Lu Hua brewed two cups of fragrant tea, while Han Yurou busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a few of her signature dishes: asparagus and wild boar, braised rabbit, stir-fried garland chrysanthemum, and so on, setting them on the table.
Afterward, Han Yurou took out a jar of wine. Upon opening the seal, a rich, mellow aroma wafted out.
"Young master," Han Yurou smiled, "this jar of fruit blossom wine is one hundred years old, brewed in the year you left. It is now incredibly mellow. You must drink plenty of it."
"Ah?!" Lin Zhao beamed. "This is truly good stuff! Xuan Zhi, have some too."
"Mm, alright," Xuan Zhi smiled and nodded. She had been the one who truly exerted herself on this trip to Green Bamboo Mountain. Lin Zhao shouldn't be the only one to benefit. Lin Zhao raised a cup and drank it down with Han Yurou, then tasted her cooking. It was indeed excellent. The asparagus was crisp and delicious, the rabbit meat was spicy and appetizing, and the garland chrysanthemum was full of fragrance.
"This blossom wine..." Lin Zhao asked tentatively, "Is this all there is?"
"There's more," Han Yurou chuckled. "Yurou brews a jar every year. Over the years... I've stored quite a bit. I'll bring out some of the oldest vintages for you later."
"Hahaha..." Lin Zhao felt a bit embarrassed and scratched his head, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you. We truly don't have any good wine at the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond. When some distinguished guests visit, we can only offer them inferior homemade wine, and sometimes I feel quite ashamed."
Xuan Zhi pursed her lips and chuckled; you offered even the thirteenth-realm Lin Xingchu and the twelfth-realm Lin Wanhua inferior homemade wine, and your expression back then didn't show the slightest hint of embarrassment! Han Yurou also smiled with dimples. As a peach blossom spirit, Han Yurou's beauty was indeed peerless, no wonder rogue cultivators in the world would target her, and even some orthodox cultivators would be moved. Ultimately... it wasn't entirely safe for her to be here alone, and Lin Zhao's low cultivation level meant he couldn't offer much help.
By the end of the meal, the not-so-intoxicated Han Yurou's face was flushed, while Lin Zhao and Xuan Zhi were still alright. How could sword immortals who traveled the world not withstand alcohol? Of course, Lin Wanhua was a true exception.
At this moment, a white light penetrated the lake bottom and flew straight into the cave dwelling. It was the flying fish.
"Ah?" Han Yurou quickly retrieved the reply, unfolded it, and her face was instantly filled with excitement and joy. She showed the letter to Lin Zhao as well. "After all these years, Xicheng is still here. That's wonderful, truly wonderful..."
Lin Zhao looked closely. It was indeed Zhang Xicheng's handwriting, sharp and powerful, with a clear bone structure, filled with a strong military aura, just like Zhang Xicheng himself – upright and proud. Over the past century, there had been several fierce battles in Luoxia Valley, where Zhang Xicheng was located. One was with the demon race, another with the demon race, and later, the Mountain Sea Division of the Great Shang Dynasty came for a "bone retrieval," unearthing the remains of many Xia soldiers in Luoxia Valley and burying them together in the woods less than ten miles south of the Washing Sword River, actually closer to Mirror Lake. Perhaps, the two of them would truly have a reunion.
Lin Zhao didn't look further. The subsequent content was all expressions of longing, which made him shiver. These lovelorn fools were unbearable, writing such mushy words as "You are in the vast sea, I am in Xiaoxiang."
Not long after, Han Yurou gave Lin Zhao ten jars of nearly century-old blossom wine. The wine was fragrant and mellow, and Lin Zhao carefully stored them in a safe corner of his pack. He wouldn't bring them out unless for distinguished guests. In fact, Han Yurou had wanted to give him more, but Lin Zhao said the road of life was long, and there was no rush for these things; he would come again in the future. Han Yurou naturally agreed with a smile.
Afterward, Lin Zhao stood up. The matter at Mirror Lake was settled, and it was time to return to the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond.
...
Xuan Zhi raised her sword and returned to the Snow Territory Heavenly Pond.
But just as they ascended, a voice from Lin Xingchu reached Lin Zhao's ears: "Xiao Zhao, come to the Washing Sword River for a bit?"
Eighth chapter complete, recommend votes, brothers!!!