Chapter 37: A Ten-Year Promise

  Ten years ago, on the night of the full moon, at the peak of the Forbidden City, Ximen Chui Xue and Ye Gu Cheng's decisive battle shook the Jianghu, and that one battle ultimately established the reputation of Bai Yun Jian Xian Qing Xu Zhen Ren.

  Ten years later, on a moonlit night, not at the pinnacle of the Forbidden City, but on a solitary island in the South China Sea, Ximen Chui Xue, who had been silent for many years, made an appointment with Yao Guang for a duel.

  Perhaps to avoid the scene of being surrounded by Jianghu people ten years ago, the duel between the two supreme swordsmen was held on a deserted island in the South China Sea, and ordinary people couldn't find a place to watch even if they wanted to.

  But Luk Siu Fung is no ordinary person.

  Luk Siu Fung had a friend named Ye Ku Cheng, so he rushed to that island.

  Lu Xiaofeng gazed at Ye Guicheng, and almost reborn the dissatisfaction, doubt and regret that had been ten years ago.

  "Why must it be war?"

  Ye Gu Cheng gazed calmly at the woman in blue and white Taoist robes standing quietly under the tree, and replied: "Because he is Xi Men Xue Xue, and she is Qing Xu."

  Lu Xiaofeng replied with a mix of disappointment and indignation: "I don't understand."

  "You're not a swordsman, so you won't understand." Ye Gucheng continued calmly, "They don't need anyone to understand them anyway."

  Lu Xiaofeng was momentarily speechless.

  Yes, he is not a swordsman, this is the biggest difference.

  Even in the same arena, those who use swords and those who don't seem to always have some differences. The more skilled one is with a sword, the clearer this difference becomes.

  Ten years ago, Lu Xiaofeng had already seen that difference in Ximen Chuixue, but he couldn't help but hold onto a glimmer of almost delusional hope.

  For ten years, Lu Xiaofeng would occasionally visit White Cloud City, not just to seek help from the two swordsmen, but also to see if all swordsmen would become like Xi Men Xue, and whether one day Ye Gu Cheng or Qing Xu would suddenly shut their doors and refuse to see anyone.

  What comforted Lu Xiaofeng was that for ten years, the two had never closed their doors to guests. No matter when he came, he would always see one or both of them. The one who didn't appear was either in seclusion or had left White Cloud City and couldn't come.

  For the first five years, every time they met, Lu Xiaofeng could feel that their swordsmanship had become stronger, but in the sixth year, he found that he was already unable to perceive the extent of their swordsmanship through pure observation, and he couldn't help but ask.

  That day, Lu Xiaofeng saw Ye Guicheng's light and agile footwork, like a clear breeze, and his ethereal and elusive sword moves. He chased after Ye Guicheng all the way to outside the city, stopping at the seaside, where on a reef rock near the shore, there was a faint white figure. With Lu Xiaofeng's eyesight, he could naturally see who it was.

  That was Yao Guang, who had grown taller and more mature over the years from a slender young girl. No mistake, he and Ye Gu Cheng both already knew this name, but the two had long been accustomed to calling each other "Qing Xu Zhen Ren" and "A Qi", just like that without changing. He knew that Qing Xu Zhen Ren had the habit of practicing sword in the sea, but had never seen with his own eyes what it was like.

  The waves in the sea surged forward, the waves rolled over the sky, and rushed towards the shore. Lu Xiaofeng looked at the waves and almost wanted to rush down to rescue people. Ye Guancheng silently reached out and blocked him, gesturing for Lu Xiaofeng to quietly watch.

  Human strength is limited; in the face of mountains collapsing and tsunami waves, it is ultimately too small.

  Lu Xiaofeng thought that Qingxu Zhenren had only cultivated the skills of holding his breath and diving, wanting to borrow the power of water to practice swordplay underwater, but he was wrong.

  The next scene was etched in his memory forever, the atmosphere no less breathtaking than the night when Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuiyun drew their swords under the full moon.

  Emerald waves surged towards the sky, a single sword beam of cyan and white shot up to meet them, as if a heavenly blade was cleaving down on the waves. The endless waves were split in two by that one sword beam, striking the shore with a loud crash. The waves continued unabated, the sword beams unrelenting, each strike blending seamlessly into the next, like an ordinary person playfully teasing the water's surface with their fingers. Not a hint of exhaustion was visible, every sword strike momentarily halting the waves, the cyan and white light intertwining in a dazzling display that merged with the blue sea and sky, as if some heavenly treasure within the ocean was radiating its splendor, utterly unlike anything achievable by human strength.

  When the waves retreated and returned to calmness, Lu Xiaofeng flew quickly to the seaside, startlingly discovering that the female Taoist on the reef had only a few strands of hair with some moisture, her Taoist robe was clean as new, and there was no sign of dishevelment. Qingxu Zhenren seemed not surprised to see him, smiling at him, but he almost couldn't help laughing.

  Is this still human swordsmanship?

  Qingxu Zhenren is like this, Ye Gu Cheng is like this...... What about Ximen Chui Xue?

  That was probably the last time Lu Xiaofeng saw the two use their swords, because after that, even if the two entered Central Plains again at his behest, no one dared to let them draw their swords - long before the Lord of White Cloud City, there had been no one who dared to fight a battle.

  Five years have passed, what kind of state has Qingxu Zhenren reached now?

  It's already so astonishingly talented and unparalleled in the world, why must swordsmen always engage in life-or-death duels!

  Thoughts flew over ten years, and yesterday's scenes were vivid in my mind.

  Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but glance at Ye Guancheng, saying in a low voice: "This battle will decide life and death. If... afterwards only you are left alone, can she bear to? ... Can you bear to?"

  Although Ye Gu Cheng had long regarded Yu Jiao Guang as a mentor, in Lu Xiao Feng's eyes, the upper and lower echelons of Bai Yun Castle treated Yu Jiao Guang like a mistress. For ten years, Ye Gu Cheng and Yu Jiao Guang could be said to have been together day and night, and the two were even more like-minded, with an unspoken understanding between them. Often, they didn't need to talk much, and their eyebrows and eyes would convey everything. Lu Xiao Feng had seen the two exchange glances many times, as if they shared a telepathic connection. Anyone who saw this would inevitably think that they were a perfect match. At first, Lu Xiao Feng was just joking when he told Ye Gu Cheng not to forget his own wedding wine. But every time he came to Bai Yun Castle after drifting in the Jianghu for a long time, and saw the two still living comfortably and leisurely, as if they were immortals, he would feel a pang of "it would be great if I could really drink their wedding wine".

  Lu Xiaofeng's feelings had been this way for so many years, yet those two people remained in the same relationship as before, both as teacher and friend.

  But even if it's just a friendship, ten years of interaction is not superficial. It's hard to stop at the point of no return when crossing swords, and tonight's battle can be said to be a matter of life and death. The best outcome would be one person dying and the other living, but the worst-case scenario might be mutual destruction. Losing a decade-long friendship in an instant, spending the rest of the long years without anyone by your side - isn't this kind of loneliness frightening?

  The one who rushed into a life-and-death duel was indeed chilling, but how could the onlookers of this duel not be even more heart-chilling?

  Lu Xiaofeng felt that he could never understand these people - from ten years ago until now.

  Ye Gucheng slightly froze, still with a calm and peaceful expression, his gaze drifted towards Yao Guang, a hint of softness appeared between his eyebrows, and he smiled as he shook his head.

  "Lu brother, you still don't understand... Ah Qi and I are not husband and wife, if we must say what it is... perhaps more like Dao companions - both masters and friends, cultivating the same path, researching together, inquiring about the way. But precisely because our two paths are similar, there are some difficult and puzzling places... she doesn't understand, and I can't explain either. Ximen Blowsnow's path is different from hers, so she should accept this battle, hoping to gain insight in the duel. Cultivators have long had the understanding of 'body perishes, Dao disappears', if one stands at the gate and cannot advance even an inch, what's the use of living another ten or a hundred years? Moreover, it was Ah Qi who proposed the agreement ten years ago, Ximen Blowsnow is just fulfilling his promise, Ah Qi has no reason to avoid battle."

  Lu Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment, but then said stubbornly: "Aren't you sad?"

  This time Ye Gu Cheng fell silent, didn't answer, and quietly looked at Yao Guang who was not far away.

  A woman in Taoist robes stood quietly under a tree with her eyes cast down, carrying a long sword on her back, surrounded by gentle aura.

  Ten years have brought great changes to her appearance, the former shy girl has grown into a beautiful and elegant woman, with a radiant and enchanting presence.

  She once made an appointment with Simen Blowsnow, if he was willing, she would wait for him for ten years and then have a fight with him.

  Today marks the tenth anniversary.

  Yao Guang was not surprised when he received the post from Wan Mei Mountain Villa a month ago, and even replied with an expected mood - "I have been waiting for you."

  There was an invitation, there was a response, and thus tonight's duel under the full moon came to be.

  For ten years, Yao Guang had been quietly cultivating her inner energy, and her internal strength had increased several times over. However, when she tried to break through the ninth level, she repeatedly failed, as if an invisible barrier was blocking her way.

  The inner power is like this, and so is the way of the sword.

  Her mastery of the Three Talents Sword Technique was complete, and she had made some progress with the Two Forms Sword Technique. However, she still fell short of achieving a perfect fusion and fluency, like a fire that has not yet reached its purest state. She couldn't even understand where exactly she was lacking - In the past, Yu Rui had only taught her the Three Talents Sword Technique, and had merely touched upon the Two Forms Sword Technique, seeing that she was having trouble grasping it, he put it aside for the time being, saying that he would teach her again another day.

  But now she has left her sect, who will teach her again?

  Looking around the world, there are indeed people who come from the same school as her, but those people can't even withstand a few of her swords, let alone engage in a fierce battle.

  She had no one to ask, no path to follow, only self-study and exploration, groping her way forward, yet ultimately unable to take that final step.

  Only one step away, yet worlds apart.

  Taiji's two instruments, yin and yang give birth to each other. She can now unsheathe her sword to walk on the mountain's momentum, or unsheathe it like flowing water, but to cleverly complete the transformation without any gaps is something she cannot do. Let her cut off the water with one sword strike and she can accomplish it, let her continue the water flow and she cannot. In other words, the two-instrument sword technique she uses is just like two "half" Taijis, unable to combine into a whole, cutting off life, only lacking that one breath of transformation, this is the difference between skill and the Way.

  Even the most exquisite swordsmanship cannot compare to the simplest of kendo. Her current Two Forms Sword Style is merely a technique, lacking in the true way of the sword.

  Yao Guang had been stuck at this bottleneck for three years, and her patience was gradually wearing off. This was a path with no clear direction, and she didn't know how to proceed. She was exploring alone, unsure what was right or wrong. Now that she had reached this point, it was hard to move forward, yet impossible to turn back. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life like this, so when she received Xi Men Xiao Xue's letter, she suddenly thought that maybe seeing other swordsmen and experiencing life and death would bring her some enlightenment.

  Yao Guang can be said to have no relatives or friends in this world, so she also has no worries about her back, and instead is slightly excited and expectant as she holds her sword waiting for her opponent.

  Ximen arrived right on time.

  Not long after the moon came out, he arrived on the island.

  Black hair, white clothes, pale face, indifferent expression, from a distance, there is no vitality of a living person.

  He was like a sword, emitting a sharp and suffocating aura that withered the grass and trees wherever he passed.

  "The Qingxu True Man, the ten-year period has arrived."

  The swordsman in white clothes gazed at the woman under the tree with a pair of eyes as cold as stars.

  Yao Guang smiled and walked forward, nodding and sighing: "Yes, ten years... have passed. Today's battle, I have no worries about the future... I know you must have arranged everything for your husband, but the Jianghu is treacherous and people's hearts are unpredictable. If you die and I live, I will definitely protect Wanmei Mountain Villa for ten years without worry."

  Ten years later, Ximen Chui Xue's son was already weak and no longer a child.

  "If you and I were both dead, Ye Gu Cheng would not watch the son of an old friend suffer."

  Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback and immediately looked at Ye Guancheng, but found that Ye Guancheng actually smiled and nodded in agreement, his heart filled with sorrow to the brim.

  If people still have unfulfilled wishes and lingering worries, they will naturally cherish their lives even more. Such an arrangement undoubtedly cuts off the two men's retreat. Starting a battle this way, if no one dies, how can it possibly stop?

  Lü Xiao Feng suddenly didn't know whether he should continue reading on.

  Is it better to witness this epic battle with one's own eyes, and remember the unique elegance of two friends, or not to see this cruel and painful scene!

  They were all his friends, with no grudges in the past and no enmity recently, yet they had to decide victory or defeat, life or death under the sword!

  Is this the Swordsman?

  Sword Guest, what is it after all?

  Xi Men nodded slowly after a while and said in a low voice: "Thank you for your kindness, Dao Zhang, but it's not necessary."

  Yao Guang smiled and said, "If you die, is it necessary... there's no need to ask for your opinion, I'll just say it to you first, just to put my own mind at ease. It's been ten years, Xi Men Xue Xue has indeed achieved great things in swordsmanship. Today, regardless of the outcome, this battle... will not be without significance."

  No matter whether she breaks through her understanding of Tao or Ximen Chui Xue goes further, there is always someone who takes a step forward on the path to enlightenment.

  Ximen Chui Xue silently drew out his long sword.

  Yao Guang also drew his sword.

  The night of the full moon, a solitary island in the South China Sea, a battle between life and death is imminent.

  Author's note: If I said this was the last chapter of this volume, would you guys beat me up...

  。

  Yesterday I asked Minghe Jujube, should the collection of 5,000 be updated? Jujube begged me to update in various postures, and I really couldn't refuse. Today, I'll add an update, thank you all for your support!