Chapter 473: It's Over, But Not Quite Over |
Even though Chen Yan still hadn't found any clues, he understood the principle that caution keeps the boat afloat for ten thousand years.
A knock came from outside his door.
"Come in."
Chen Yan said softly.
The door was slowly pushed open from outside. Standing at the entrance were a teenage boy and girl, both dressed in gray daoist robes.
Su Hongzhen and Zhou Jinyun.
"Big brother, you were looking for me?"
Little Su raised his hand and scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah."
"What's up?"
Little Su naturally pulled a chair over beside Chen Yan and sat down.
"Tonight, both of you will stay in my room for discussion on the Dao."
Chen Yan said, then turned his gaze to Zhou Jinyun.
"Take a look at this."
Chen Yan handed Zhou Jinyun the so-called fragment of the Heavenly Summit Mountain scripture he was holding.
The girl took the paper Chen Yan passed to her, unfolded it, read a few lines from the beginning, then lifted her head again:
"An incomplete cultivation method. Senior, could this be..."
Chen Yan nodded, confirming the girl's guess, and continued asking:
"Well, do you recognize this cultivation method?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinyun said nothing, merely shaking her head silently.
This was also her first time seeing the cultivation method recorded on this paper.
"Little Su, go find somewhere secluded and burn this paper now."
Chen Yan said to Su Hongzhen, who was sitting beside him:
"Be careful not to let anyone discover you."
"Alright."
Little Su nodded, took the paper Chen Yan handed him, and quickly walked out of the room.
"Have a seat."
Chen Yan said to Zhou Jinyun, who was standing by the table.
Zhou Jinyun first glanced at the bed with its curtain drawn behind Chen Yan, then sat down across from him.
"Senior Chen, what exactly is going on right now?"
Zhou Jinyun asked.
"Before tomorrow morning, the answer should reveal itself."
Chen Yan replied.
"..."
Although Zhou Jinyun still had many things she didn't understand, since Chen Yan had said so, she didn't feel comfortable pressing further.
"Oh, right, I just remembered something."
Chen Yan said:
"Yesterday afternoon, when the Young Manor Lord of Fuliuliu Willow Sword Manor clashed with Little Su, you wanted him to kill the Young Manor Lord, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Zhou Jinyun's answer was quite straightforward.
"Why?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Because the Young Manor Lord of Fuliuliu Willow Sword Manor genuinely wanted to kill Little Su."
Zhou Jinyun paused briefly, then continued:
"But Little Su showed him mercy."
Ever since leaving Jiangdu Prefecture, Zhou Jinyun had been entirely responsible for teaching Su Hongzhen and sparring with him.
Although Zhou Jinyun generally acted coldly when mentioning Little Su, Chen Yan knew that these two kids actually had a very good relationship now.
"So you wanted Little Su to kill him."
Chen Yan said.
"Anyone who harbors the intent to kill you must never be shown mercy."
Zhou Jinyun's answer was extremely firm:
"Senior, don't you think so?"
"I don't know."
Chen Yan simply chuckled and shook his head:
"Different environments, different times, different events—people's hearts differ too."
"Forgive this junior's ignorance, but I hope that when Senior guides me, the words could be more straightforward."
Zhou Jinyun had long been annoyed by Chen Yan's riddles.
"What I said was already very straightforward."
Chen Yan smiled:
"Since you can't understand it now, just remember it in your heart. One day, you will."
Zhou Jinyun was even more annoyed now.
After a few more breaths, Zhou Jinyun, her face showing hesitation, asked Chen Yan again:
"Senior, do you think my wanting Little Su to kill that person was right or wrong?"
"You're not wrong."
Chen Yan said:
"But Little Su isn't wrong either."
...
Little Su went to burn the paper and didn't take much time; he was back shortly after.
After that, just as Chen Yan had said, Little Su and Little Zhou both stayed in his room that night for Dao discussion.
Except Chen Yan didn't participate in this discussion.
He just sat to the side, closing his eyes to rest his mind.
Rather than a Dao discussion, it was more like Zhou Jinyun giving Su Hongzhen a one-sided lesson on common knowledge.
Things like the layout of the Chenping Continent and the differences between the Five Great Sects, interspersed with some past events of Heavenly Summit Mountain and brief introductions to many of Chenping Continent's top-tier sects as well as first and second-rate sects.
Today, Zhou Jinyun's main focus was teaching Su Hongzhen about sword intent and what innate sword intent was.
Sword intent—to use an imprecise yet particularly vivid description—is the swordsman's own will.
Under normal circumstances, for a swordsman to forge their own sword intent, they need years and months of tempering their inner self and refining their swordsmanship before they can barely touch its threshold.
Then, the next step is to incorporate insights into all things into it.
All things can be anything that actually exists, or any abstract concept.
For example, back then, Realman Cangyue's innate sword intent was the intent of mountains.
A sword as steady as a boulder, bearing the weight of ten thousand jun, solid and resolute, unshakable.
Or, for instance, Realman Bai Shang from those days—his innate sword intent was the intent of "rage."
Blazing hot and violent, his intent arrived before the sword even left its sheath.
One sword strike he unleashed in his fury could carve out the ten-thousand-zhang-deep "Bai Abyss" on the land of the Northern Region of Chenping Continent.
Besides these two great powers of the Immortal Ascension Realm who possessed innate sword intent, there had also been many cultivators throughout the world who had cultivated acquired sword intent.
Things like the intent of blazing fire, the intent of surging waves, or the intent of howling wind—these were the sword intents most easily cultivated by the world's swordsmen.
"Then, what is my innate sword intent..."
Su Hongzhen asked.
"You need to comprehend it yourself. Only you can comprehend it yourself."
Zhou Jinyun replied:
"This process is usually very long, but if it's you..."
"It's over."
Zhou Jinyun was only halfway through her words when she was interrupted by Chen Yan's soft murmur from the side.
Until just now, Chen Yan, who had seemed to be resting his mind with his eyes gently closed, slowly opened his eyes.
"Big brother, what's over?"
Su Hongzhen asked.
"Moxu Mountain. It's over."
Chen Yan replied in a calm tone.
Hearing this, Zhou Jinyun's pupils contracted sharply. She suddenly understood why Chen Yan had kept her and Little Su by his side, and what exactly had happened on Moxu Mountain.
"Senior, do you mean..."
Zhou Jinyun's tone was extremely tense.
"Right now, there are only four of us still alive around Moxu Mountain."
Chen Yan said.
"Four?"
Zhou Jinyun was slightly taken aback by the number Chen Yan had spoken, then, as if suddenly thinking of something, she turned her gaze to the bed with its curtain drawn behind Chen Yan.
She stood up, walked quickly to the bedside, and pulled open the bed curtain—
There, bound up, lay a young cultivator in deep green robes with squinty eyes, already unconscious.
Chen Yan said nothing more, merely casting his gaze toward the wall, as if looking into the distance.
...
Hundreds of miles away, deep within the forest.
Huangfu Han, the Offering Elder of Ten Directions Tower under Mirage Palace, stood here, gazing into the sky.
The other members of the Mirage Palace delegation who had come to Moxu Mountain also stood nearby.
"Grand Elder Jing's mission is complete."
After a long while, Huangfu Han finally spoke to the other Mirage Palace disciples beside him:
"Let's go. Time to return and report our completion."
"Yes, Elder Huangfu!"
The disciples replied in unison.
Huangfu Han's figure flickered, and then he vanished into the forest.
"Senior Brother Fang!"
A child with a babyish voice ran up to a very young-looking Mirage Palace disciple and looked up at him.
"What is it?"
The Mirage Palace disciple, addressed as Senior Brother Fang, who also had squinty eyes, replied.
"Remember to buy me some good food after we get back to Ten Directions Tower!"
The child said.
"I'll definitely buy it for you. If we go back."
He slowly crouched down, bringing his gaze level with the child in front of him.
"You promised!"
The baby-voiced child said, then turned and ran off.
After staring at the child's retreating back for a moment, "Fang Yuan" wiped the smile off his face.
It was over, but not quite over.
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