Xuyun, Tinghe Peak.
Ye Huaguo came out from behind the big tree and squatted curiously beside Xun Mingsi. She looked up at the little demon boy in sparkling jade, sitting on the treetop. “Third Shixiong, Ch-Chun’er, are you telling a story again?”
“Yes, he knows a lot. He was telling me about the old story of Ye Jianshen and Senluo Stone Palace.” Xun Mingsi made room for her and asked gently, “Why are you here, shimei?”
Ye Huaguo patted the medicine box on her back and put it into her qiankun bag. “I heard that Hefeng xiaodi was injured by a yin monster. After treating his injury, I came by to see third shixiong along the way.”
She gave Shentu Linchun an embarrassed smile and said, “C-can I listen to the story, too?”
“You can.” The little demon boy grinned charmingly, shaking the necklace around his neck. “Your ears are on your head anyway. Hmm, where was I?”
It happened decades ago.
Shentu’s story was a long one, and it began with the ancient custom of Senluo Stone Palace.
Everyone knew that Senluo Stone Palace had a male and a female serving as joint masters. The young man and woman chosen as masters would have to abandon their old surnames and adopt a new one.
The male was called “Golden Boy” and his surname was Shentu.
Meanwhile, the woman was called “Jade Girl” and her surname was Wu.
The selection of golden boys and jade girls had always been strange and bizarre since ancient times.
When the previous Golden Boy or Jade Girl passed away, the disciples of Senluo Stone Palace would wear black veils and sing eulogies. They would sprinkle immortal water, weave immortal flowers, and carry the body of the Golden Boy or Jade Girl into the Senluo Holy Fire, letting it burn until only the skeleton remained.
The name of inheritance would appear once the sacred fire was extinguished. This name had been engraved into their own bones by the Golden Boy or Jade Girl before passing will.
The name engraved in bones would thus become the next Golden Boy or Jade Girl.
This inheritance engraved with spiritual energy would only become clear after death. One reason was to ensure clarity, and the other was to prevent the will of deceased Golden Boy or Jade Girl from being tampered with.
Senluo Stone Palace disciples called this cruel and shocking custom “The Dead Speaks.”
Ye Huaguo’s cheeks turned pale, and she murmured in shock, “Dead…Dead Speaks…”
She shuddered, rubbing her arms in fear. “That must have hurted! Ch-Chun’er, you…you haven’t already…”
The little demon boy laughed and said, “I’m still young, and the immortal realm is peaceful now. I won’t die so soon! So I haven’t carved my bones yet.”
He spoke in a very natural tone.
But Xun Mingsi’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to feel that Shenthu had quickly glanced at him. The emotion contained in that look was too strong for Xun Mingsi to understand.
Before Third Xun could come to his senses, Shentu Linchun’s story already continued.
That was to say, the name of the previous Golden Boy had long been forgotten, but the name of the previous Jade Girl was still a legend in the immortal realm.
The Jade Girl, her name was…Wu Miao.
In the immortal realm, where handsome men and beautiful women were plentiful, Wu Miao’s appearance could not be considered the most beautiful. However, she was incredibly talented with a good character. She was kind and gentle, but also courageous. She was definitely the most beloved Jade Girl in the past thousand years.
Unfortunately, the Jade Girl was destined to serve Senluo Stone Palace for the rest of her life, and she hardly spared her suitors a single glance. Regardless of whether they were young nobles or a romantic, independent cultivator, on one could stir her pure heart.
This lasted until a night thirty years ago, one that thoroughly shocked the entire immortal realm.
Ye Fu, the Valley Master of Sword Valley who had always single-mindedly devoted himself to practicing and understanding the art of the sword, suddenly proposed to Senluo Stone Palace, asking to marry the Jade Girl, Wu Miao.
After being rejected, that very night, he picked up his sword and chopped down the door of Senluo Stone Palace. In full view of everyone, he openly hugged Wu Miao and whisked her away.
From beginning to end, Wu Miao only shed silent tears, her facing showing a mixture of sadness and joy. Although she didn’t take the initiative to follow Ye Fu, she also didn’t struggle nor resisted when held in Ye Fu’s arms.
“This……”
When Shentu Linchun got to his point, a look of resentment clear on his face. Xun Mingsi and Ye Huaguo were both stunned.
It was absurd that such a story, which only seemed to happen in the fairy tales, actually happened in the immortal realm.
Ye Huaguo couldn’t help but urge, “Then what?”
That night, the battle was fierce. The ten elders of Senluo Stone Palace attacked in anger. But Ye Fu calmly held Wo Miao in one arm, facing the enemy with a sword in hand.
The battle lasted until three in the morning, when a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared in the sky.
Everyone was horrified as the swords of all sword cultivators suddenly rang out, falling to the ground one after another. Ye Fu, laughing heartily, instantly broke through and entered the realm of Tribulating Crossing. Amidst the flashes of lightning and swords, he flew away on his sword with the Jade Girl in his arms.
Since then, Ye Fu’s name “Sword God” spread widely in the immortal realm.
Xun Mingsi murmured, “I only heard that the previous Saint of Senluo Stone Palace had defected and left the temple, and her whereabouts are still unknown. So there must be something behind this…”
Shentu Linchun jumped down from the tree, his colorful ornaments jingling against each other. With a snort, he said, “Upon losing face, the elders remained silent on the matter.”
Ye Huaguo was so engrossed in the drama that her cheeks flushed slightly. “Then…then! Ye Jianshen and Wu Miao are now a loving couple, right?”
“…No.” Shentu Linchun’s face darkened and he clenched his fists. “Senluo Stone Palace pursued Wu Miao and Ye Fu for the serious crimes of ‘treason’ and ‘blasphemy.’ Eighteen years ago, after an accident, Wo Miao…disappeared.”
Ye Huaguo cried out “Ah” and covered her mouth sadly.
Shentu Linchun said, “Ye Fu has been looking for her ever since. We in the Senluo Stone Palace have also been looking for her. In the first few years, we were able to find traces of her, but one day, Wu Miao suddenly seemed to have disappeared into thin air and could no longer be found…”
Wu Miao had disappeared, and the tradition of “Dead Speaks” in the Senluo Stone Hall was cut off. The disciples of the Senluo Stone Palace had to temporarily elect Wu Miao’s sister as the new Jade Girl, named Wu Mi.
However, the disappearance of the Jade Girl had always been like a scar on Senluo Stone Palace.
“It was because of that bastard Ye Fu! I don’t know what sweet words he used to deceive Wu Miao’s heart back then. Otherwise, how could her life and death still be unknown…?!”
Shentu Linchun gnashed his teeth in hatred, his eyes red with tears falling. “I really want to tear this bastard into pieces!!”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry…”
Xun Mingsi helplessly tried to coax him. He was completely helpless with this little crybaby, who cried when he was angry or sad. “From what you said, Wu Miao and Ye Jianshen are truly in love. You also… huh?”
As he was comforting the little demon boy, he suddenly paused and asked in surprise, “Could it be that Ye Jianshen has disappeared for so many years because…?”
“Yes.” Shentu Linchun hummed, wiped his tears, and said unhappily, “He’s been searching for his wife all over the mountains and plains.”
…….
Lin Fuqing raised his sleeve to pour a cup of tea for the Sword God and pushed it over. “So, having appeared here, could it be that Ye Jianshen had found his wife?”
Ye Jianshen frowned and smiled bitterly, “No. In my previous life, I searched for her for over a hundred years. However, a few days ago, I was able to discover some clues. I’m afraid that my wife, Wu Miao, is already…gone.”
As he spoke, his eyes wandered, as if looking past into the distance. His expression was seven parts nostalgia and three parts sadness. He looked nothing like the dashing sword god in legend who, amidst the thunderstorm, had embraced his wife and vanquished his enemies.
Cultivators could maintain their youthful appearance. Back then, Ye Fu was a handsome man. But now, he was slightly graying at the temples, and his brows were full of the vicissitudes of life.
Lin Fuqing was saddened to see him like this. He thought about whether to say a few words of comfort, but felt that a simple “my condolences” was too weak.
He stole a glance at Fang Zhiyuan sitting next to him, and suddenly thought to himself, if he had died at the hands of a true god in Snow Bone City in his previous life, Zhiyuan…
Thinking of this, Lin Fuqing didn’t want to think about it any further.
Ye Fu took a sip of tea, and with the cup against his lips, continued solemnly, “…If she’s alive, I want to see her alive. If she’s dead, I want to see her body. Wu Miao is my wife. Even if she’s really just a pile of bones lying somewhere, I should personally carry her out and bury her.”
“But I still don’t know where she is… I’ve taken the liberty of bothering you today to entrust my daughter to you. Tomorrow I will set out again to search for my wife.”
“…Daughter?” Lin Fuqing looked up in shock, nearly knocking over the teapot in his hand. He had never heard that Ye Jianshen actually had a daughter!
Lin Fuqing turned to look at Fang Zhiyuan, who was also looking at him in shock. He recalled something. “Could it be…”
Ye Fu stood up and bowed deeply, saying, “My wife Wu Miao once gave birth to a daughter for me. My daughter and I have long been separated, and it took nearly a hundred years in my previous life to find out that she was still alive…”
“My daughter is Ye Huaguo, the fourth disciple of your noble Xuyun Sect. I must thank the both of you for taking care of her over the years. I am deeply grateful and will never be able to repay you.”
Lin Fuqing and Fang Zhiyuan sat facing each other in silence.
Fang Zhiyuan couldn’t help but frown. “Ye Jianshen…are you certain?!”
Ye Fu said, “Very certain.”
Ye was a well-known surname. Although Ye Huaguo was an orphan whose parents were unknown, and her talent in swordsmanship was indeed extraordinary, they really didn’t dare to think about it in this regard.
Ironically, during the Golden Osmanthus Challenge, when Xuanyuan Yi wanted to claim Ye Huaguo as Ye Jiansheng’s daughter, he had unintentionally spoken the truth…
“In that case, please wait a moment, Ye Jianshen.” Lin Fuqing calmed himself. “I will get Huaguo.”
Ye Fu raised his hand to stop him. “Oh…That’s not necessary. I’m not here today to recognize her as my daughter.”
“What?” Lin Fuqing frowned in surprise. “What does Ye Jianshen mean by this?”
Ye Fu chuckled softly, lowered his eyes and sighed. “I don’t know if I’ll return after this trip. Wu Miao and I had promised each other to die together. If she dies, I will follow her.”
“Now that my daughter Huaguo has grown up, it would be wonderful if she could forget her parents and live a good life in Xuyun Sect. Knowing that her mother is dead and her father is about to die would only add to her sorrow. There’s no need, no need.”
Lin Fuqing was silent for a moment, then said carefully, “If Ye Jianshen is here to entrust his orphan to us, then there’s no need. Huaguo is our shimei. Taking care of her is our responsibility.”
“However, since you’re both still alive, then regarding matters of life and death…Ye Jianshan, please think twice before acting.”
Ye Fu’s lips bent a shallow curve, the wrinkles at the corners of his mouth silently expressing a kind of sadness.
He answered the question irrelevantly, and murmured bitterly, “I have been looking for her for more than 50,000 days…”
Perhaps having searched for his wife for over a hundred years in his previous life, the countless hopes that were ignited and then cruelly dashed had tortured this man to such an extent that he had no more attachment to the world.
Ye Jianshen presented them with a thin book.
“I’ve written down everything I’ve learned in this life in this Nineteen Swords of Divine Wandering. I’m giving this sword manual to you both today, and I hope that you will not refuse.”
Ye Fu, revered as the Sword God of the immortal realm, had extraordinary attainments in the way of the sword. It was said that he’d created over a dozen sword techniques throughout his life, a feat that would have put even fellow swordsman Demon Lord Lin to shame.
The Nineteen Swords of Divine Wandering was the strongest sword technique that Ye Fu Jianshen comprehended after eighty-eight days of seclusion prior to breaking through to Tribulation Crossing.
It was extremely fast, extremely sharp, with a free and unrestrained sword intent. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the best sword manual in the immortal realm.
In the past, he caused a great disturbance in the Senluo Stone Palace, and escaped unscathed with the Jade Girl Wu Miao from the siege of the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation and the Ten Elders, all thanks to the power of this set of Nineteen Divine Swords.
Ye Fu actually put in so much effort.
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