Chapter 41: Flight and a Sincere Heart
The wine cup slipped from Ye Mingshan’s hand and crashed to the floor. He stood up abruptly, his face pale with shock.
“Li Xin? Li Xin?!”
He called out his companion’s name several times, but the only response was a deathly silence, broken only by the whistling autumn wind blowing through the window.
“…”
The playful smile vanished from his face as he looked around frantically, his eyes filled with fear and confusion.
What had just happened?!
Although Li Xin hadn’t reached the Evil Spirit realm yet, and had only recently recovered his spiritual form, he was still a powerful ghost practitioner with years of cultivation. He wasn’t someone who could be easily defeated…
But why had he turned to dust right before his eyes, without even a trace of Yin energy remaining?!
Then, a terrifying realization dawned on him.
Li Xin had said…
That he was tracking the official’s daughter?
“Could it be… retaliation?!”
Ye Mingshan quickly looked out the window, his fear intensifying.
How far away were they?!
No!
There was no Daoist priest in this world with such terrifying power, capable of effortlessly killing a ghost from afar!
Remembering the rumors he had heard at the market, his face turned pale, his usual human disguise fading.
“—Escape!”
He turned and fled without hesitation.
This Changling County was a death trap!
The death of the resident evil spirit was no accident. There was truly a terrifying master residing here! With his level of cultivation, if he stayed any longer, he would suffer the same fate as Li Xin!
“Hey? Young Master, Young Master—”
The heavily made-up madam chased after him, shouting, “You haven’t paid yet!”
But she couldn’t catch up, only watching helplessly as the once handsome and charming young man ran like a madman, abandoning his robe, his luggage, even one of his shoes.
“…”
The madam stared after him, dumbfounded.
Even the few passersby on the street looked at him with surprise.
That young man had been so handsome and charming. Who would have thought he was a dine-and-dasher?
…
The next morning…
Hua Shuya entered Lin Tianlu’s courtyard, then stopped abruptly, looking at the strange locust tree that had appeared in the courtyard with surprise.
That was odd.
The locust tree in Senior’s courtyard had been quite lush and vibrant.
But this tree had no leaves at all, just bare branches that were smooth and jade-like, as if carved from precious stone.
“Did something happen in the courtyard yesterday?”
She muttered to herself, her face puzzled.
She had returned late last night and hadn’t noticed anything unusual. After finishing the pastries, she had hurried back to her own residence to bathe and rest.
“Oh? Miss Hua, you’re here?”
A soft voice came from the corridor. Turning her head, she saw the graceful figure of Mao Ruoyu walking towards them, carrying a tray of steaming porridge and pastries. “Come and sit down.”
“Madam Mao, please let me take those.” Hua Shuya quickly stepped forward and took the tray from her hands.
Mao Ruoyu smiled gently. “You’re truly well-mannered, Miss Hua, just as Sir said.”
“S-Senior praised me?” Hua Shuya’s eyes widened, then she quickly lowered her head, her face blushing, as she hurried into the side room. “He’s just being kind. I still have much to learn.”
As if a bit embarrassed, she coughed lightly. “Where’s Senior? I don’t see him in the courtyard.”
“Mr. Lin went to visit Old Master Nie next door early this morning.” Mao Ruoyu chuckled softly. “They seem to get along quite well.”
“It’s natural for learned men to enjoy each other’s company. I’ve heard that Old Master Nie is a renowned scholar. The Nie family is one of the few scholarly families in Changling County.”
Hua Shuya carefully arranged the bowls and chopsticks on the table, then her gaze fell on the locust tree in the courtyard.
“Madam Mao, what happened to that tree?”
“You don’t know about what happened yesterday, Miss Hua?”
“I was out of town, pursuing a thief.”
The girl looked puzzled. “I just remember the sky turning dark, as if a storm was about to break. I found a place to take shelter from the rain. And then the sun came out… Wait, I vaguely remember hearing thunder. Was it related to this tree?”
She looked at the locust tree intently.
Mao Ruoyu quickly recounted the events of yesterday.
Then, she pointed at the sword hilt protruding from the tree trunk. “That’s the Locust Sword, as Sir named it.”
“This—”
Hua Shuya was astonished, completely dumbfounded by the story.
But as she took a closer look, something else caught her eye.
There were faint markings on the tree trunk.
She frowned, her fingers gently tracing the barely visible lines.
Like a person, like a shadow, like a sword…
In a daze, she felt a mysterious aura washing over her. A familiar figure appeared in her mind, smiling gently, holding a wooden sword.
Hum—
A sword hummed, swift as lightning, its blade seemingly blunt yet possessing an unfathomable sharpness.
The elegant swordsmanship contained a destructive force, infused with a transcendent sword intent, elusive and unpredictable.
After a moment, the girl withdrew her finger, her expression serious and solemn.
This was… Senior’s swordsmanship.
“Born from destruction, paving a boundless path of swordsmanship.”
Hua Shuya pursed her lips, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
As if sensing her gaze, the Locust Sword inside the tree hummed softly. The girl looked at it again, a surge of ambition rising within her, wanting to draw the sword and test its power, to break through to the next level.
But…
She hesitated, then lowered her hand.
Mao Ruoyu walked over and asked in surprise, “Aren’t you going to try the sword, Miss Hua?”
Hua Shuya said softly, “This sword belongs to Senior. It’s not appropriate for me to touch it.”
“You’re skilled with a sword, Miss Hua. I thought you would be interested in such a divine weapon.”
“I already owe Senior so much. I can’t be greedy.”
The girl’s eyes were filled with determination and restraint. After a moment of contemplation, she completely dismissed her lingering desire.
“This sword… is not meant for me.”
“…”
Mao Ruoyu looked at her, her eyes filled with shock.
Although she didn’t understand swordsmanship, she knew how important such a weapon was to a martial artist. And this sword, imbued with the power of thunder and fire, possessing a mysterious aura, was like a heavenly treasure, a divine weapon. Perhaps there was no other sword in the world more precious than this Locust Sword.
But this young girl had no greed or desire for it.
She was… so loyal and righteous.
Mao Ruoyu sighed inwardly.
She gently took Hua Shuya’s hand and said softly, “Miss Hua, you and Mr. Lin are truly a match made in heaven. You should cherish this bond.”
“M-Madam Mao?”
The girl’s serious expression vanished, replaced by a blush. She shook her head, her hair swaying. “Don’t tease me, Madam Mao. If Senior heard that, I… I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Seeing her shy demeanor, Mao Ruoyu couldn’t help but chuckle.
She hadn’t expected the usually serious and composed Hua Shuya to be so delicate and charming.
Hua Shuya lowered her eyes and murmured, “Besides, you and Senior seem much closer.”
“Eh?”
Mao Ruoyu was stunned.
Then, they exchanged glances, both blushing.
After a moment of awkward silence, they returned to the main hall, not knowing what to say.
…
Autumn leaves fell, and the warm sun shone brightly.
The fragrance of tea filled the air in the peaceful and serene courtyard.
Only a handsome scholar and a white-haired old man sat in the pavilion, playing a game of Go.
“Come on, Old Master Nie, it’s your turn.”
Lin Tianlu sat at the Go board, sipping his tea and urging the old man gently.
But Nie Qingyuan, sitting opposite him, held a white stone in his hand, lost in thought.
—This is nice.
Feeling the thrill and tension of the game, Lin Tianlu was almost moved to tears.
Finally, someone who could play Go with him.
Ever since he transmigrated into this world, everyone he had tried to play Go with had either coughed up blood, gasped for breath, or looked like they were about to have a seizure.
But this elderly neighbor could actually play a normal game of Go. It was a pleasant surprise.
And his efforts to learn the game had finally paid off. He could now play Go properly!
He no longer had to hide his Go board and play Gomoku.
Although Gomoku was fun, it lacked a certain… sophistication.
After waiting for a while, Lin Tianlu chuckled softly. “Why aren’t you making your move, Old Master Nie?”
“Eh! Let me think for a bit!”
Nie Qingyuan stroked his white beard and waved his hand dismissively, his voice calm and composed. “You’re a bit impatient, Master Lin. The essence of Go lies in calmness and patience. Sometimes, a game between masters can last for three days and three nights. It’s not just about skill, but also about that fleeting moment of inspiration, when someone makes a brilliant move.”
“Ah, this…”
Lin Tianlu was stunned.
Before transmigrating, he hadn’t realized that Go was such a mentally demanding game. His knowledge of Go was mostly based on a few cartoons he had watched as a child and some news articles. His understanding was superficial at best.
“It seems I was being naive.” Lin Tianlu nodded thoughtfully.
No wonder Go was called a game of mental endurance. It was truly a formidable challenge.
He had just memorized a few game records and had become overconfident. Facing this wise and learned elder, he had been too arrogant.
“It’s not too late to learn now, Master Lin.”
Nie Qingyuan chuckled, then focused his attention back on the board.
But…
A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he sighed inwardly.
Master Lin’s moves… were truly unpredictable.
[Hua Shuya looking surprised and a bit embarrassed.jpg]
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