Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Sword Alone, Ming Yu

In fact, this matter is strictly confidential to cultivators of middle and lower tiers, to prevent various troubles in the cultivation world, as it would cause unrest regardless.

Even when disciples from various sects go down the mountain to train, they don’t know the significance of the repair work they are doing, only understanding it as a meritorious deed that brings them virtue, a classic case of "knowing what but not knowing why."

Xuanji Zi considers Chu Xuan as a true core disciple, which is why he spoke to him about these matters ahead of time.

Just like Gu Haitang, who has a special status in the Purple Heaven Jade Mansion, thus she was able to learn the inside details in advance and discreetly remind Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan was grateful for his martial uncle’s trust and promised not to speak indiscriminately about this matter.

...

This year, besides learning "Finger Calculation" from Xuanji Zi, Chu Xuan learned only the ancient and obscure [Turtle Divination Technique] and the [Hexagram Divination] that could be performed on the spot with three copper coins.

In truth, there is no "Finger Calculation" divination method in the world; rather, most divination techniques can be simplified to a finger calculation process.

However, some calculations are accurate, and some are less so, not as formal as setting an altar for divination.

Chu Xuan tried it; with his current divination skills, as long as the opponent’s cultivation wasn’t higher than his own, he could predict others quite accurately, but for himself, it was always chaotic, only able to determine basic luck and misfortune.

Oh well, Chu Xuan tidied up his things, thanked his martial uncle Xuanji Zi, and then returned to the main peak.

...

In the main hall of the Dao Palace, Fu Yun Zi as usual took out the tea set, leisurely brewing a cup of tea for his disciple.

Chu Xuan quietly waited as usual, carefully savoring the fragrant tea, and after tasting it, he praised, "Good tea."

Fu Yun Zi smiled faintly, "Now your senior sister can also calm down and accompany me for tea."

"Then I’m relieved," Chu Xuan showed a relaxed and pleasant expression, which he could only do before a few people.

Despite not seeing each other for a year, the two didn’t engage in much idle chatter.

Fu Yun Zi briefly explained the matter of going down the mountain to train and assigned Chu Xuan a task to repair and fill an important node at a certain place in the East Sea.

The specific time was not limited, it just needed to be completed within three years.

Chu Xuan naturally agreed, and then his master took out some magic treasures, talismans, and elixirs for him to protect himself.

Chu Xuan didn’t hesitantly refuse, and directly accepted them all, jokingly asking, "Should I save some for you, elder?"

Fu Yun Zi shook his head, "Among these, several pieces are what your senior sister specially saved for you by not using them."

"I won’t be taking any more disciples afterward, so feel free to use them up."

Chu Xuan paused for a moment but still nodded.

Thus, after agreeing with his master to go down the mountain tomorrow, Chu Xuan went to bid farewell to Jiang Yiyi and the junior sisters.

The junior brother was in seclusion, trying to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage, so there wasn’t a chance to meet.

Unfortunately, Jiang Yiyi seems to have drunk too much last night and still hasn’t woken up.

Little sister Yue’er was crying messily, as if it were a parting of life and death with him.

Chu Xuan embraced her and comforted her well before leaving.

...

After bidding farewell to everyone, Chu Xuan was supposed to return to his residence to rest.

But in the end, as he walked along, he unknowingly arrived outside the cave where Qin Mengyao was secluded.

The two stone doors were tightly closed, reportedly unopened for over a year.

But Chu Xuan still looked towards the cave and tentatively asked, "Senior sister, can we only be senior brother and sister in the future?"

Although his tone seemed like joking, there was still an audible sense of apprehension and hope.

Inside the cave was silent, and after a few moments, Qin Mengyao’s gentle voice finally came from within:

"My heart is only for the sword; I won’t be burdened by external matters."

Though gentle, the voice still conveyed a sense of firmness and resolve.

"I understand," Chu Xuan smiled and turned to leave.

It wasn’t until he was far away that he sighed softly.

Ultimately, it was unrequited love.

...

Inside the cave, even after Chu Xuan’s figure disappeared completely, Qin Mengyao still looked towards that direction with a complex expression.

She herself didn’t know whether she liked Chu Xuan or not, only feeling a vague ambiguous sentiment.

Qin Mengyao could discern the subtle confession in her junior brother’s words, as the scenes of their past interactions flowed through her heart.

She too struggled and hesitated at times, but ultimately decided to focus her heart on the Dao.

During this Core Formation, when questioning her heart, Qin Mengyao decided on her future path:

Sever the worldly thoughts, supreme forgetting of emotions.

Forgetting emotions does not mean having none, but: supremely forgetting emotions without being detached from them.

Or rather "not indulging in emotions," Qin Mengyao did not intend to forget the nurturing and teaching kindness from her master, as that would be no different from being ungrateful.

Similarly, she didn’t want to forget her junior brother’s kindness to her, but felt maintaining a senior/junior relationship was enough, any deeper would prevent her from the supreme forgetting of emotions, and hinder her focus on swordsmanship and cultivation.

For Qin Mengyao, this was a romance that ended before it even began.

Affairs of love and romance should be left to those lovesick men and women to discuss.

Moreover... there’s still a long way to go, Qin Mengyao closed her eyes once more.

After all, cultivators have a lifespan many times, even dozens of times longer than mortals. She has plenty of time to contemplate this matter.

As for Gu Haitang, to be honest, Qin Mengyao didn’t consider her a threat at all. If Chu Xuan truly liked her, he wouldn’t have publicly let go of her hand and come to her side.

...

That night, Chu Xuan had a dream.

Actually, ever since he was driven down the mountain by Ji Mingyu years ago, he rarely had messy dreams, and he hardly even slept.

Tonight was a rare occasion where he dreamed, and unlike before, this time it was a "lucid dream."

In other words, he remained aware while dreaming.

Chu Xuan’s emotions were complex because he dreamed of his mentor again. This woman was his "first love," at least the first love of this life, so she held an important place in his heart.

The dream was still about past events, set at Broken Sword Mountain, where Ji Mingyu had once taken Chu Xuan to fish at that ancient battlefield.

The two were sitting on the edge of a cliff, each holding a jade fishing rod, quietly fishing, with endless clouds beneath the cliff.

Chu Xuan was slightly surprised not to find the shadow of the Ice Soul Snow Mink nearby.

This amused him, knowing that if the little mink knew, it would definitely protest with a whimper, like an "abandoned wife."

In the dream, Chu Xuan naturally viewed from the first-person perspective, feeling no different from reality.

Ji Mingyu was as ethereal and immortal as always. Her beauty was unparalleled, her demeanor indifferent and aloof, and her gaze even colder than the eternal Ten Thousand Years Snow Mountain in the Land of the Far North.

This surprised Chu Xuan—how come it’s not quite the same as his memories?

At this period, his mentor was no longer so distant from him.

Before Chu Xuan could recall in detail, countless points of light rose from the abyss below the cliff, illuminating the dark night sky.

Ji Mingyu’s expression finally changed slightly—there was a hint of surprise and astonishment, quickly concealed.

Almost simultaneously, both stood up to appreciate the unique spectacle of this realm.

In the dream, Chu Xuan smiled and said, "See? I didn’t lie to you."

He looked at the countless glowing silver fishes swimming around the mountain peaks, "The beauty of this sight, when I first saw it, truly shocked me."

"Since then, I’ve always thought, I must share this beauty with the most important woman in my heart."

Even when Chu Xuan spoke sweet words, Ji Mingyu remained icy and indifferent.

After a while, she said, "How many women have heard these words from you?"

Her voice was equally cold, as if inherently devoid of emotion.

Facing the cliff, Chu Xuan spread his arms wide and said freely, "The first!"

Then he turned his head, seeing countless lights moving above the mountain peak, the white-clad maiden under the night sky, looking poetic and picturesque...

So, Chu Xuan spoke gently again, "Whether flowers or stars, all beautiful things in the world exist as metaphors for you."

Ji Mingyu slightly bowed her head, seemingly unable to bear the awkward sweet words anymore. From nowhere, she pulled out a red rose and stuffed it into Chu Xuan’s mouth to silence him.

Chu Xuan was speechless, but he simply chewed and swallowed the flower.

To his surprise, the taste was pleasant, sweet.

Next, the two said no more, earnestly appreciating the scenery unique to the Northern Front.

Even when the silver fishes gradually returned to the abyss beneath the cliff, they still caught nothing.

Chu Xuan smacked his lips, slightly regretful, "Last time, I caught a dragon here, but this time there’s nothing."

"Let’s go! We’ll come again next time."

He casually put away the fishing rod and spoke to the lovely companion by his side.

Ji Mingyu showed a hint of regret, "Spectacles like this, seeing them again might take decades."

Chu Xuan earnestly said, "Even if it’s hundreds or thousands of years, I’ll surely bring you here again."

Ming Yu was somewhat taken aback, she gazed into Chu Xuan’s eyes, confirming he wasn’t lying, before finally revealing a slight smile, "Alright."

The dream ended here, the scene frozen at the moment when the ice beauty melted, revealing an exquisite smile.

...

Chu Xuan didn’t know when he opened his eyes, his face already marked with tear stains.

Is this a memory from the past?

To be precise, it was a memory from the Celestial Evil Period.

Initially, Chu Xuan mistakenly thought it was the time Ji Mingyu took him fishing, but the later completely different dialogues and scenes indicated:

It was actually something that happened during the Celestial Evil Period, when Chu Xuan had first taken Ji Mingyu to Broken Sword Mountain.

Countless memories rushed in; his mentor once said someone caught a dragon below the cliff, turns out it was him?

Moreover, Chu Xuan remarkably discovered, at the same place, in different times, he told the same person the same words, which were:

"Even if it’s hundreds or thousands of years, I’ll surely bring you here again."

Reflecting on it now, when his mentor heard these words back then, her expression was quite unusual, and she gave him a deep look.