Chapter 129

Chapter 129

A moment earlier, within the small courtyard of Old Man Lian, the group finally held the talismans. They waited for the old man to demonstrate his mystical skill, conjuring paper into ashes that would reveal Yun Shen’s location.

They watched as the old man burned one talisman to dust. A light breeze teased the ashes which slowly coiled on the ground, beginning to build into a small hillside. Everyone instinctively leaned in to look, Chen Shu and Yan Ji nearly bumping foreheads, but the ash pile remained inert.

Chen Shu’s head snapped up, ready to demand answers from Lao Lian. Suddenly, as if stirred by an invisible force, the little pile of ash stirred.

It flew out from the gap amidst the four figures. Scattering briefly in the air, it swiftly coalesced again. This time, it moved with unmistakable purpose, shooting steadfastly in one specific direction.

Seeing this, Chen Shu abandoned any thought of argument. She simply took off in pursuit. Thankfully, the ash, drifting ethereally, didn’t move fast. The others managed to keep up with her frantic pace, avoiding being left behind entirely.

The party advanced in fits and starts, trailing the drifting ash. They hadn’t gone far when they saw it circle in the air once more, shift direction, and head towards a place that looked strangely familiar.

——Sword Discussion Platform.

The Sword Discussion Tournament had not yet commenced, and Diancang Pass had just suffered a disaster, leaving its troops withdrawn to Fangcheng. Even the once-bustling Sword Discussion Platforms stood now as nothing more than several tall, bare, towering stones. They blocked all but the faintest rays of the rare winter sunshine, leaving not a trace of warmth. Looking up from below, one saw only black, oppressive mass.

No matter how fiercely the bitter wind blew, no matter how desolate the grounds stretched, these tall platforms remained motionless, blocking the view and daunting to behold.

Yet, it was precisely here, within these martial grounds, that the talisman ash ceased its flight. It drifted down in a swaying descent before scattering across the ground, forming an indecipherable pattern. Chen Shu, naturally impatient, whipped her head around to see the panting Old Man Lian finally catch up, stepping onto the field.

“Is this useless talisman of yours malfunctioning?! Why did it lead us here?!” She stamped her foot in agitation, demanding, “Just look around! This place is dead silent—does it look inhabited—?!”

Old Man Lian had just entered the grounds and was still bent over, hands on knees, gasping for air. He raised a hand, signaling Chen Shu to wait and catch her breath before talking. Frustrated as she was, Chen Shu had little choice but to stamp her foot again and stride towards the platforms. She scanned left and right, finding nothing amidst the tomblike silence that suggested anyone was hiding there, let alone a hidden sword.

Shen Jie also lifted her gaze to survey the high platforms. A thoughtful expression crossed her face. After a moment, she turned to Yan Ji and asked, “Do these competition rings seem somewhat familiar…”

“Huh?” Yan Ji, startled, looked up too. He squinted, straining to distinguish the slight differences between the platforms before exclaiming in sudden realization, “That platform over there… I think that’s where they held the draw…”

“What draw?” Chen Shu called, running back from the far side of the grounds.

“The draw for the second round,” Yan Ji explained. He glanced towards Old Man Lian and added somewhat hesitantly, “I didn’t attend this year’s draw, so if I’m mistaken, don’t blame me.”

“Indeed it is,” Old Man Lian confirmed, stepping forward and pointing towards the platform directly ahead. “That’s the Ri Platform. Beneath it lies a secret room. Built for the Tournament when the crowds descend, it provides a quiet place for discussing important Martial World Alliance matters—not only draws but other significant affairs during the Tournament all take place there.”

“I remember!” Chen Shu exclaimed. “Li Chou kicked its wooden door to splinters last time!”

Yan Ji couldn’t help but click his tongue upon hearing this unexpected gossip. Shen Jie turned back to the old man. “Is there a key or any mechanism for accessing this subterranean chamber?”

“Of course there is!” Old Man Lian huffed. “The keys are entrusted to the Martial Alliance Bailiffs. But Diancang Pass recently endured a great flood! While the platforms stood firm, that underground room likely wasn’t so fortunate! Little mule, whatever you’re itching to do, you’ll need to go find the key at the Martial Wo—”

Before he could finish, Chen Shu drew back her leg. With a resounding crash that shook the ground, she kicked the entrance door of the Sword Discussion Platform wide open!

“—We DON’T have time to wait!” Chen Shu retorted. Without pause, she delivered another powerful kick aimed at the spot her memory recalled. Indeed, the wooden door she targeted shattered, revealing a dark, debris-laden passageway descending below.

Inside lay exactly the aftermath of a flood’s passage. Not only was there an absence of light, but tangled weeds and rubble, carried in by the Yushui River, still partially choked the short staircase. Someone had cleared only a narrow path wide enough for two people to pass side-by-side.

Old Man Lian puffed his beard in outrage, frantically scanning the surroundings to ensure no one had witnessed this blatant destruction. Hastily, he followed Chen Shu, disappearing into the gaping hole beneath the splintered door.

A light chuckle escaped Shen Jie’s lips. She patted the stunned Yan Ji on the shoulder.

“Let’s follow.”

Yan Ji nodded, somewhat stiffly, and accompanied Shen Jie into the tunnel after the old man.

Silence settled heavily once more upon the grounds. Only the scattered fragments of the wooden door—broken by Li Chou only a month or so ago and now shattered anew by Chen Shu—lay strewn around the secret passage entrance, silent witnesses to brute force.

—

Shoving aside some obstructing debris, a glimmer of light became visible. Chen Shu drew back for her third kick of the day and slammed her foot against the door at the bottom of the stairs, forcing it open just in time to witness the scene within.

Amidst roiling steam and talisman-scrawled walls, Yun Shen was bound within a cauldron, his eyes screwed shut in agony. Beside him stood a man holding an empty flask that had once contained talisman water.

Exactly as Shen Jie had predicted: who else could it be but that sanctimonious scoundrel?

Without a word, Chen Shu charged forward. She had no patience for excuses or further questioning of his crimes. Her first punch slammed into his jaw, shattering bone. Several teeth tumbled through the air amidst splattered blood, vanishing instantly into the molten metal below. Her next fist was already following through, aimed straight for the back of his skull, intending to scatter his brains—

It was a smooth, ruthless sequence of motion. Perhaps because the punishment seemed so just, even the usually dispassionate Shen Jie wore a look of anger, silently tolerating Chen Shu inflicting a beating that bordered on torture. But just as the second punch arced downward, another voice rose urgently:

“Hold on! Stop—don’t—! He really did melt the sword! The Obsessed Sword!”

“SO WHAT if he melted it?! Melting my sword only means I’ll make him pay with his life!”

Chen Shu roared back, yanking the beaten man closer by his collar. She turned her furious gaze on the speaker, “—You old coot! Dare to plead for him again, and I swear I’ll strike you too, regardless of your thousand years of cultivation or your esteemed place in our order!”

“I called you stubborn, and you wouldn’t listen!” The old man shouted back, equally incensed. “Melting down a spirit-sword is NOTHING like your sword-honing cultivation, forging a blade! It melts the very spiritual entity within—it tears the sword’s spirit apart! It reduces it to mere, spiritless iron—!”

—

Before the words were fully spoken, Chen Shu impatiently flung the person she was holding aside.

Molten iron had overflowed everywhere in the room, especially coating the inner walls of the cauldron. The fellow, who had thought he’d saved his own skin and was already scrambling to flee after being thrown, slipped precisely onto this spillage. His entire face plunged into the molten iron. He couldn’t even manage a scream. He lay there, horrifically charred before their eyes, half his face twitched and shriveled back to his skull. Barely human, more like a vengeful ghost, he collapsed unconscious in the corner, consumed by agony.

Those present watched in stunned silence. Only Chen Shu, seemingly unappeased, gave him an extra kick with her foot. A faint, sickening crack of shattering leg bone echoed. Then she turned around, demanding:

“After all this talking, what exactly did that wretch do to my sword?”

“…Spirit Fusion first strips memories, then targets the spiritual entity itself, akin to a human soul. Judging by the situation, there might still be hope. Get that spiritual entity out now and it could recover… but the memories…” The Old Man Lian trailed off abruptly, shifting his focus. “Just pull him out first!”

Chen Shu shot him a venomous glare, muttering curses under her breath about eccentric talismanic arts. Yet her hands didn’t stop moving. With brute force alone, she leaped onto the cauldron, landed precariously on its rim, and thrust her arm into the seething molten iron. She hauled Yun Shen, unconscious, out of the cauldron, scooping him up in a horizontal carry.

Anxiousness fueled her movements, making them abrupt and heedless. Scorching droplets of molten iron splashed out from the cauldron with her actions, hissing as they sprayed onto the floor.

Among the bystanders: Shen Jie stood farthest away near the entrance. Old Man Lian appeared unbothered. Yan Ji jumped back in fright, nervously dodging aside, desperately avoiding blocking Chen Shu’s path out. And then there was the chief culprit, already fallen unconscious in the corner – another shower of molten iron drenched him afresh. Unmoving, it was unclear if he was even alive.

The moment she pulled Yun Shen free, ignoring Old Man Lian’s frantic murmuring at her ear, “Careful! This is incredibly precious! First you should–”, Chen Shu simply tore apart the Immortal Binding Ropes coiled around Yun Shen through sheer physical force. Carrying him protectively, she stormed out of the secret room.

Fuelled by urgency, she practically flew through the escape route. Bursting out above ground, for a moment she seemed like a headless fly. Hastily, she set Yun Shen down by the tunnel entrance and turned back, calling urgently for Old Man Lian to come and examine him. In her frantic rush, however, she carelessly nearly slammed Yun Shen against a jagged piece of wooden door fragment lying nearby. Thankfully, she corrected swiftly, reaching out to steady him–

But just at that instant, the previously insensible Yun Shen let out a low, indistinct groan.

Chen Shu froze utterly in place. To support him or not? She suddenly recalled Old Man Lian’s earlier words: “First goes the memory…” Nervousness surged through her, much more intense than what she’d felt while pummeling his attacker earlier. She hastily retracted her hand.

She didn’t fully understand why the anxiety clenched so tightly within her. Yun Shen’s peril wasn’t her doing. His current predicament, logically, shouldn’t concern her, his formal owner. Yet she rubbed her palms together, distinctly sensing an unfamiliar, inexplicable light sweat dampening her skin. It clung stubbornly, neither wiping away nor absorbing, a sticky film over her flesh.

A stark contrast to the chilling winter day.

And hadn’t she explicitly promised Yun Shen his freedom? Their paths should be separate by now.

Yet, the moment Yun Shen opened his eyes, an inexplicable pang pierced her heart. Part of her hoped desperately (hoping he hadn’t forgotten those past two months), while another part seemed ready (eager almost?) to erase their fleeting bond forged by chance. This inner battle raged until their gazes finally locked. Yun Shen slowly blinked and pushed himself up to sit.

She flashed back to her near-blunder of smacking his head just moments ago. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat softly and managed to ask, hesitantly:

“How do you feel? …How?”

“Uh…” Yun Shen’s gaze, which had been scanning the unfamiliar surroundings, snapped back to her face. For a long moment he looked at her, and then, seemingly unable to suppress it, a quiet laugh escaped him. “Hmm… Feels like not dead?”

Chen Shu let out a long, shaky breath of relief, snapping back to practicalities. “This is serious! I’m not joking!”

“Alright, alright,” Yun Shen conceded indulgently, a warm smile still hovering on his lips as he used her slight support to pull himself upright. He took in his surroundings once more, then turned to face Chen Shu directly.

For a suspended heartbeat, the whirlwind seemed to calm, the flickering hope in Chen Shu’s eyes subsiding into a quieter stillness.

She blinked, hearing Yun Shen continue, his tone inquiring, curious yet distant:

“And you? …Judging by the scene, you saved me. I’m afraid I haven’t yet learned your name?”

Chen Shu’s mouth opened, then closed soundlessly. It took a moment for her to find her voice, finally clearing her throat again. “…I… my surname is Chen, given name Shu. ‘Chen’ as in the eastern ear radical, ‘Shu’ as in the timely rain!”

“A timely rain indeed…” Yun Shen chuckled softly, the warmth deepening. ”Quite fitting, since this is the only thing that rescued me from being drowned… by fire and water.”

At his words, Chen Shu’s face flushed crimson. That bright spark reignited in her eyes, blazing back like an insistent little flame.

“And you? Let’s get to know each other again!” she burst out, impulsively reaching out and giving Yun Shen’s shoulder a companionable thump.

“I…”

Yun Shen seemed somewhat dazed, as if laboriously thinking for a long time in his mind.

So long that Chen Shu was almost unable to bear it; she spoke to persuade him not to hurry.

Only then did he open his mouth somewhat uncertainly and say, “I seem to be… a sword.”

“…Is that so?” Chen Shu halted her movements and looked at him.

“Yes, I am a sword…” Yun Shen’s gaze fell upon her; the two of them stared at each other quietly for another moment like that.

Only then did he speak again, somewhat tentatively asking, “Could it be that you are my…?”

“No.” Chen Shu snapped off his words, then immediately realized she was being too hasty and quickly said, “I’m not your master. You are a fine sword, but I have already… I’m not your master anymore!”

“Truly a fine sword? It sounds as if you have some disdain for me.” Yun Shen looked at her with a laugh, patted her arm, and said soothingly, “I wasn’t about to say ‘master’ just now, only…”

“Oh, you should have said so sooner—just what?” Chen Shu inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief and asked.

“I remember having someone I liked, a token I needed to keep safe. But take a look at the state of me—it must be lost…”

“Li… liked?!”

Chen Shu instantly stammered even more, abruptly stood up, pointlessly dusted herself off, and then said, “Hmm… perhaps, but you’ve forgotten it all…”

“Not entirely forgotten.” Yun Shen said, silently watching her actions, seeming to grasp something but not revealing it, as though unaware of her strangeness.

He stood up with her and said, “I seem to recall that token was in a taoist temple, under an ancient tree… Does this city have such a taoist temple?”

“…It does.” Chen Shu gritted her teeth and replied somewhat recklessly, saying, “I’ll take you to look!”

“Alright.” Yun Shen smiled with eyes curved, and then casually asked as if by accident, “Are you taking me flying?”

Since Chen Shu had already agreed, why would she fuss over such small matters? She thought nothing of it and assented at once, saying only, “Yes! Then hold tight onto my waist—”

“—So you really are a cultivator, a Sword Cultivator?”

“—I couldn’t hear what you said just now,” Chen Shu dryly laughed, hastily leaped skyward, and said, “Ah, hold tight and don’t fall off!”

In an instant, the two of them shot across the sky, leaving behind only the other three who had just struggled out of the secret room, staring at each other.

Fortunately, Chen Shu still remembered the rules of the human world and did not fly straight into the taoist temple.

Nor did she frighten the elderly abbots into illness.

She set Yun Shen down outside the temple gate, and then together, they entered the Chiya Temple just like the most ordinary devout couple.

It was the moment when crimson clouds stretched for a thousand li, and the sunset glow flooded the heavens.

The Chiya Temple had only a few relief-seeking refugees.

Or perhaps the occasional The Magistrate’s Men coming and going, still busy with other city affairs; it was quiet and empty.

After a long while, an abbot finally came out to greet the guests.

Seeing Yun Shen, the abbot paused in surprise, then showed some displeasure and said, “Young master left without warning today—why have you returned already? I fear you’ll be disappointed. Even if it were faster, I could not have sent that message out today.”

Chen Shu looked at Yun Shen in some shock, while the latter gave her a helpless smile and then raised his head, saying impassively, “My visit is actually not about that message. I seem to have dropped something by the ancient tree during the day and want to retrieve it. May I trouble you, abbot, to allow me to do so?”

Hearing this, the abbot was naturally suspicious.

But largely, seeing Chen Shu beside him—that “notorious” Chen Shu—he swallowed his private thoughts and stretched out a hand to gesture, saying, “Then please help yourself, young master.”

The temple was not large, just the size of two courtyards with halls of statues at most, so in just a few steps, even without passing through the rear court gate, they could glimpse beyond the wall that one tree swaying with red talismans.

So dazzling it made Yun Shen stop involuntarily.

Chen Shu had already passed him and was carefully searching under the tree.

He walked over slowly, silently gazing at the crimson hues.

For a long time, no sound came from Yun Shen, until at last Chen Shu spotted the corner of a sword tassel beneath the nearly dried leaves.

She was overjoyed and looked up to call him while reaching to grab it:

“Look! Isn’t that your token? See it—you! How could you lose such a precious thing that—”

Her voice abruptly cut off and she forced back the rest of the sentence.

Holding the sword tassel, she unconsciously stroked it once before walking close to Yun Shen, her throat feeling dry.

Yun Shen looked up, staring at one red talisman.

She did not need to guess what words it bore.

Those phrases like “a happy union to the end” and “grow old together” suddenly flooded her mind; words she had once skimmed over without secondary meaning finally took on a layer of unspoken emotions.

“My name is ‘Han Guang’… isn’t it?” Yun Shen asked softly, spotted the sword tassel in her hand, and reached out, patiently and gently waiting for Chen Shu to hand him the sword tassel.

But for a long time, Chen Shu did not move.

“Not… really.” she said with some difficulty. “Actually, explaining this matter is quite troublesome…”

Yun Shen took another step closer, releasing the red talisman; the branch sprang back cheerfully, rustling the other talismanic papers as well. He watched for a moment, then smiled and gently reached out, taking the sword tassel back from Chen Shu’s hand.

“You don’t need to explain.” Yun Shen said. “I really like this name. Even if it wasn’t like that before, now it can be.”

He added: “This sword tassel is mine, right? Then I’ll put it away for now.”

Chen Shu was speechless, so she switched to reminding him: “…This sword tassel was cut by a sword and can no longer be used.”

“No matter.” Yun Shen said. “As long as its owner doesn’t dislike it, it can still be intact.” Then he lifted his head and said solemnly, “Thank you, Miss Chen Shu. I don’t know where you live or which sect you come from, so that I can personally visit in the future to express my gratitude.”

His gaze was so intense that Chen Shu involuntarily sniffed her nose, bit her lower lip, and was silent for a while, then stammered: “No need to thank! It was all my voluntary help for you. But about this person you… like, I really don’t know…”

“Is that so?” Yun Shen replied, still looking at Chen Shu; his gaze was so fervent that it easily made her shrink back guilty, and she heard him say, “But I feel that I like her so much, as if I’ve been waiting for her to come save me all along…”

Chen Shu’s lips trembled; after a long while, she managed to squeeze out an “Is that so,” but Yun Shen wasn’t waiting for her response at all—

He moved closer and closer, his breath entwining with hers, until he was almost touching her lips.

“…It’s like I have a heart again.” Yun Shen murmured. “I feel that ‘I’ truly likes her very much, what do you think?”

“…You wouldn’t…” Chen Shu widened her eyes, looking at him, and saw her own face flushed to crimson, reflected in Yun Shen’s eyes, along with the sky full of red talismans.

The mountain wind blew, stirring a rustling red talisman rain that drowned out the sounds, as well as her increasingly urgent heartbeat. She suddenly snapped back to reality, wanting to shake her head to dispel this inexplicable sour emotion, but accidentally bumped into the corner of Yun Shen’s lips.

And then, just like in the most natural tales from those storybooks, Yun Shen opened his mouth, wrapped his arm around her back, and kissed her deeply.

This feeling felt strange, stirring ripples in her heart, as if something that originally belonged to her was returned. Yet, the intimacy between lips and teeth, the sensation of stirring saliva, paralyzed her, making her unable to regain composure for a long time.

Only when the wind blew once more, with a red talisman brushing her hair, did she suddenly react and push Yun Shen away.

This push was too hasty; her strength wasn’t held back, nearly throwing him against that low wall.

“I… I…” Chen Shu was the first to feel aggrieved, furrowing her face and saying, “…Did you remember! And you’re fooling me again!”

“…This is unfair blame.” Yun Shen leaned against the wall, struggling to steady himself, and smiled wryly, saying, “What did I remember? I guessed it all.”

“…Where is it so easy for me to be guessed?” Chen Shu frowned, saying.

“It’s not that you’re easy to guess.” Yun Shen said, pointing to his own chest, looked at Chen Shu, then fell silent again.

And Chen Shu suddenly understood his meaning, the blush on her face deepening again. She turned her head away and patted the nonexistent dust off her clothes as if nothing was wrong, then said:

“…Then you go back to the city first? I thought you had remembered everything already.”

“—He hasn’t remembered yet, of course!”

A familiar voice came from outside the courtyard, sounding extremely angry, making people involuntarily turn to look. They saw Old Man Lian stepping into the backyard with one foot, and that Taoist priest from earlier chasing behind him.

Compared to the old man’s full vigor, that Taoist priest “disciple” behind him, who knew how many generations later, was out of breath.

After finally catching up, with a wave of Old Man Lian’s hand, he could only hold back his anger and stand aside. Old Man Lian said: “You stubborn little donkey, I hadn’t finished speaking when both of you ran off out of sight—”

“What more could there be to say?” Chen Shu flared up instantly, retorting, “The sword is already in this state! I haven’t blamed you for delaying time yet!”

“You! Turning kind intentions into a donkey’s liver insult!” the old man angrily retorted.

“—I rushed here to tell you that this talisman magic can be cured too!”

At that, Chen Shu blinked, opened her mouth, but didn’t speak. All the retorts she had worked up in her mind to argue with this old man went pouring out all at once.

Yun Shen, who had been observing silently, interjected timely, “Oh? Does the old sir have a way to cure my amnesia?”

“Very well.” Old Man Lian shot another fierce glare at Chen Shu before striding forward. He tore off a talismanic paper covered in ghostly script-like characters, causing Yun Shen to instinctively flinch back. The old man glared at Yun Shen too, fuming, “Do you actually want treatment or not?!”

“I do,” Yun Shen replied with a smile.

Thereupon, the old man plastered the paper onto Yun Shen’s body. He flicked out a small flame, held it beneath the paper to scorch it, then looked back over his shoulder.

Perhaps spotting Chen Shu being unusually compliant made him itch to stir more trouble, so he beckoned her closer, saying:

“It’s about another matter.”

“Haven’t we settled everything?” Chen Shu questioned doubtfully. “The stolen horse case, the flooding case, battling the Mountain Bandits, even The Bride’s Blade Challenge? I’ve recovered the sword too! What else could there possibly be?”

The old man snorted triumphantly and retorted, “Have you forgotten why you came down the mountain in the first place?”

Chen Shu froze, then paled in shock.

“Since I took your jade, I thought I might as well show you some kindness. This visit, I sent another message to your master. He ought to be on his way down searching for you by now.” The old man added, shaking his head with deliberately profound gravity. “I estimate he’ll arrive in less than an hour.”

“…You didn’t tell him anything else, did you?!” Chen Shu demanded anxiously.

“Details like how you handed over your master’s jade token? Or how you chased a sword across Yunan for months? Or that you got yourself engaged at Ping Chao Kou?” the old man listed off casually. “Haven’t left anything out, have I?”

“—Finished, finished! This time I’m truly done for!” Chen Shu immediately clutched her head with one hand. By the time he finished enumerating her misdeeds, she had already hunkered down with pitiful sorrow – nearly wailing outright. She instinctively looked up toward Yun Shen. “Quick, think of something—”

“Considering all that has transpired,” Yun Shen said, his lucid gaze returning imperceptibly as he crouched down to meet her eyes. He leaned closer openly, whispering conspiratorially, “…do you like life down the mountain?”

Chen Shu peeked out from behind her hands, wide eyes fixed on Yun Shen.

“…I like it.”

“Good,” Yun Shen declared, gently straightening her stray bangs. “Then we leave. Let your master give chase. He can settle this ‘account’ whenever he finally catches us!”

No sooner were the words spoken than he reached out, pulled Chen Shu to her feet, gave her one decisive nod, and without awaiting her reply, clasped her hand tightly. Turning, he leapt with her toward the sheer abyss.

In that critical moment, before even Old Man Lian could react, the pair plummeted over the edge. Their figures vanished into the mountain fog shrouding the precipice’s depths one instant, only to burst defiantly back out from the roiling mists the next.

It was Chen Shu, stepping on her sword, soaring joyfully toward the sunlit mountain peaks gracing the far horizon.

—

(SOME TIME LATER)

He Yu: Where exactly did that girl Xiao Shu and Yun Shen go off to?

Yan Ji: Seriously, I’m not deceiving you. She flew east, stepping on Yun Shen.

He Yu: …?

—

END